Journal http's Journal: Two weeks of tequila
Well, no pony or kestrel yet, but Ryefield is up and at 'em.
His 'cognitive functioning level' is about that of a four year old kid, but this is someone with the experiences of an adult. It's an odd mix of comprehension and incomprehension. Anomia is the order of the day, as is silliness. Masha said last night, "You know how sometimes you're drinking tequila and it's three am and you're just being silly? He's like that _all_ _the_ _time_". Hence the subject line.
His short term memory seems to be getting better, and his attention span...is spotty. His balance is getting good enough to scare me (and the nurses), because he doesn't quite get that his balance is still atrocious. He goes NOWHERE unattended. I've been out to see him every afternoon but one and have started colouring in `PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE' at hte rate of one letter per day. Routines build amid reactions.
The doctor says that it's very likely that he will recover "80%" (whatever that means) over the space of two years, and that typical recovery from TBI does not follow a linear progression. What really astonishes me is how little he is upset by his inability to communicate reliably. All the literature we've read has indicated that tantrums and aggression are a normal part of the process. For once, a blessing to be at the far end of a bell curve. But then, he's always be a preternaturallly gentle person.
His mom is no longer staying with us, she rented another place with a simpler set of travel difficulties.
Today he made a telephone call to an old girlfriend; she told him she had come to the Island to visit him while he was in a coma. He was astonished, and I think he finally got it then that yes, this is really an unusual situation he's in, and no, we're not just making it up. His attention span got really long, after that, and was just brimming with question after question about how he came to be in the Neurology Ward of the hospital. One thing that he said that made me feel like maybe what I'm doing is worth it was "Well, I'm lucky to be surrounded by good people, then." I just hope he doesn't get too scared. We family and friends have already been through all kinds of scared already, so could we pass on yet another subtle variation?
And while I'm at it, "...and a pony."
His 'cognitive functioning level' is about that of a four year old kid, but this is someone with the experiences of an adult. It's an odd mix of comprehension and incomprehension. Anomia is the order of the day, as is silliness. Masha said last night, "You know how sometimes you're drinking tequila and it's three am and you're just being silly? He's like that _all_ _the_ _time_". Hence the subject line.
His short term memory seems to be getting better, and his attention span...is spotty. His balance is getting good enough to scare me (and the nurses), because he doesn't quite get that his balance is still atrocious. He goes NOWHERE unattended. I've been out to see him every afternoon but one and have started colouring in `PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE' at hte rate of one letter per day. Routines build amid reactions.
The doctor says that it's very likely that he will recover "80%" (whatever that means) over the space of two years, and that typical recovery from TBI does not follow a linear progression. What really astonishes me is how little he is upset by his inability to communicate reliably. All the literature we've read has indicated that tantrums and aggression are a normal part of the process. For once, a blessing to be at the far end of a bell curve. But then, he's always be a preternaturallly gentle person.
His mom is no longer staying with us, she rented another place with a simpler set of travel difficulties.
Today he made a telephone call to an old girlfriend; she told him she had come to the Island to visit him while he was in a coma. He was astonished, and I think he finally got it then that yes, this is really an unusual situation he's in, and no, we're not just making it up. His attention span got really long, after that, and was just brimming with question after question about how he came to be in the Neurology Ward of the hospital. One thing that he said that made me feel like maybe what I'm doing is worth it was "Well, I'm lucky to be surrounded by good people, then." I just hope he doesn't get too scared. We family and friends have already been through all kinds of scared already, so could we pass on yet another subtle variation?
And while I'm at it, "...and a pony."
Two weeks of tequila More Login
Two weeks of tequila
Slashdot Top Deals