Captain Ryan C. Kules was injured in a roadside bomb and lost a leg and an arm. His wife, Nancy Kules, set up this web page to keep family, friends, and others informed about Ryan’s progress. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Ryan Kules gets a kiss from his dog, Peanut, who has stuck with him through rough times. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Nancy Kules, a kindergarten teacher, kept a journal for 15 months dealing with Ryan’s injuries. The Kules recently bought a house in Bowie, Maryland, where Ryan continues to learn how to walk on his prosthetic leg and function with one arm. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Nancy and Ryan build a bookshelf in the nursery in their new house. It will be their first child. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
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Ryan is among 100 Americans who have lost two limbs in Iraq or Afghanistan. Another 448 have lost one limb, and four have lost three. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)
Promoted to captain in July, he is walking, with effort, on his prosthesis. He can drive a car, and has undergone therapy to become left-hand dominant. . His right arm he was right-handed was severed too high up for a prosthetic arm to fit effectively. (Carolyn Cole / LAT)