""My first thought was: I'm in heaven" he recently told Business Insider's Jake Gabbard for the War Journal video series. Then the pain came. "Everything started to hurt," he said. "I started hearing my buddies, you know, screaming, asking if they're all right, and me attempting to answer them and not being able to say anything because of the damage I had to my face." He then had the realization: "I'm not in heaven. I'm in hell.""
"His right arm was gone. He was missing part of his right leg, and one of his eyes had been surgically removed. "It was just pain. And I mean, pain sucks. But as I learned in the hospital, there are worse things than pain," he said, adding what was worse. "Being immobile and not being able to move or not being able to speak, which I wasn't able to do for about a month or so.""
Ian Ives experienced a devastating IED blast during a 2019 Afghanistan mission that caused catastrophic wounds. The explosion removed his right arm, cost part of his right leg, and required surgical removal of an eye. A soil-borne infection nearly killed him and complicated a long recovery. Hospitalization brought immobilization and temporary inability to speak, which proved psychologically taxing. After extensive medical treatment and military retirement, he redirected his life toward mentoring future Army officers and regained purpose by guiding others through leadership and service.
Read at Business Insider
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