As you know, I cut my finger pretty severely over the weekend, and am still waiting to find out whether or not I'll need surgery. The pain has been manageable, but what's driven me nuts is the impediment to my typing. I normally type about 100 or so words a minute, and now I'm back to feeling like a geek while I try to adjust to not being able to use my pinky. Doing everything with my hands requires some adjustment. I can't get the stitches wet, so I need to shower with a plastic bag over my left hand. Add that to all the other times that I hit it on something, or have to adjust to the temporary loss of that digit, and it's annoying at best, pretty painful at worst. At the most, I'll need surgical correction. Either way, I'll be splinted for several weeks, and will need physical therapy.

And that's just one pinky, on one hand. A couple of months, and it'll likely be back to normal. I can still type, although I have to adjust, and I can still do most things with relatively minor inconvenience. And my injury was do to a moment's stupidity - my fault.

I hurt my hand a day before the start of this year's Valour-IT blog competition, and in a way, it's given me a new sense of perspective on this project. What if it was all my fingers? What if it was the lost of one - or both - of my hands? And what if my injury incurred while I was far away from home, defending my family and millions like them? What then?

Such is the situation with the Heroes helped by Project Valour-IT. With me, blogging and emailing is a little slow, but what if I couldn't do it at all? What if email was my primary way to stay in touch with friends and family? What if I'd hoped to take some college courses online?

Valour-IT provides voice-activation software and laptops to those Heroes whose injuries have left them unable to use a keyboard. But it's more than equipment - Valour-IT provides hope.

My injury has left me with a renewed sense of perspective on how important this project is. I'm proud to be blogging for the Marine Team this year - but if you can donate, please do so for any team you'd like to help (which of course will no doubt lead you to the Marine Team). You can donate to the Marine Team by clicking the button on the top of this page, or click here to see all teams.

This project can't continue without donor support. Please let those who've given so much for us know that we will never forget.

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For more about Project Valour-IT:
Soldiers' Angels Project Valour-IT
Valour-IT Blog

Team Standings:


Team Leaders:
Army - Blackfive
Navy - Chaotic Synaptic Activity
Air Force - Op-For
Marines - Villainous Company

Join a Team!