Monday, March 26, 2007

Yo

Alright, alright, my blog is up there. Sorry it took so long, I'm a procrastinator.

For some reason it appears UNDER "Rachel is Better" blog. Man, this intra-web thingy is weird...

By the way, glad you're feeling better Rachel...

BK

RACHEL IS BETTER!!!!!!

Happy day! Rachel is feeling better and is visiting Brian as we speak (or type, or something). I took the opportunity to leave them alone (!!!) and catch up on home stuff. That would include Kelsey. She is still fighting a virus but she usually feels pretty good. No mono, thank the Lord. I guess it is just a waiting game on the sore throat and everything that comes with it.
Kelsey and I are going to enjoy a meal that has more than 2 ingredients in it. Luckily, we enjoy the same foods, although I like a good filet every once in awhile! She stays with chicken, chicken, chicken.
I spent a lot of this beautiful 80 degree day in the garage cleaning the bunny cage. When I came back in, there was a message on my phone. I listened..."MMMOMMMMMMY"! Where are you, Mommy? Typical Brian humor. I called him back and everything was great...he just wanted to say hello.
I'm very excited, and nervous about taking the Family Medical Leave in a couple of weeks. This is definately the only way to go. I can be home when Brian comes home and have the time to figure out what is best for him and how to handle everything that he needs. I understand that he will probably need 3 days of outpatient therapy each week. He could do this at RIM but it's so far away!! Carolyn, the social worker, has put Beaumont, Troy on the list. I will have to check it out but Carolyn recommends it and it is in a hospital setting.
So, this is all I have for now...if only Ben would blog his blizzy (?)
Love to all! Marcy :)

BK Blogger - Sunday's Visit

Hey. Ben Kamm again.

I visited Brian Saturday prior to the big Mexicali fundraiser and have some interesting details to pass along. So, in the spirit of Mexicali, and the Spanish language in general, I'd like to greet you all with a hearty "Sacre Bleu!!! Oui-Oui, huh huh!!!!" Oh wait....that's French. Never mind.

As Aunt Marcy said, I took notes and asked questions in order to record what I heard and relay info back to all of you. I felt like some 2-bit hack reporter working on a puff piece for the News of the World, but hopefully this blog doesn't come across that way.

This might be a long one, so go ahead and print this one out, sit back, relax, and read this one on the crapper (Zo), or couch (most normal people, albeit not me, as I enjoy a good reading on the aforementioned crapper as well), or wherever you do your reading.

First and foremost, as Kell and Marcy have previously mentioned, Brian's condition is greatly improved. But you all know that.

So I guess we'll make this blog about me. Well, my favorite color is blue, I HATE cheese, and I enjoy long walks on the beach. Oh wait, none of you care about that. Back to the visit.

Secondly, I, like everyone else, was shocked by his conversational ability, and how it differed from the last time I spoke with him.

I asked Marcy when the turning point was, or what precisely happened to trigger this "light bulb" effect. One day, Brian was hardly speaking or moving, and the next he is chatting like Robin Williams on speed, and moving around with the grace of Mickael Bareesh-Mackov. Alright, maybe not to those extremes but you get the picture.

Marcy said they're pretty sure it was Dr. Horn. He likes to tinker with medications, and they decided to up the ante with one specific med. This, combined with the Great Physician's touch (God), has resulted in what seems like continued healing, and this new and improved Brian.

Now, for some things we talked about:

When I walked in, he said right off the bat, "Hey Benjamin." I figured that was a good sign. Due to my blase nature, most people don't remember me, and if they do, they soon wish they could forget they ever met me.

We talked about how Grandma and Grandpa were in Florida. He said "Did I drive them away?" (joking of course). He guessed that "they peeled out of the parking lot, burning rubber, anxious to get outta here as quick as possible."* We both laughed.

*editor's note: Jokingly, I told Brian that the REAL reason Grandma had to get to Florida was because she had a Colony Cove shuffleboard league game to get to against their fierce rivals, the Boca Breeze shuffleboard squad. She was itching to get her game on down in the Florida sun.

The conversation turned towards talk of Grandma as we imagined her in baggy mesh shorts, a headband and a Colony Cove Basketball jersey, talking trash to next-door-neighbor Ethel as she shuffles a puck, or whatever those things are, closest to the circle. We were both laughing pretty hard at that thought.

Just kidding Grams and Gramps you know I love ya's!

I asked him how his vision was. He said good. Marcy prompted him, "how about your left eye?" He closed his right eye and said "I see moving shapes and colors." He didn't seem all that concerned about it, seeing as it was only his left eye, and overall problems with the left side of his body (arm, leg, etc.) seem to persist. He attributed that to something the Doctor told him: he has 'left side neglect.' That got him singing "N-E-G-L-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me" to the tune of RESPECT by Aretha Franklin. Man, he's a regular Hennie Youngman over here!

We discussed the March Madness tournament. I told him State went out in the 2nd round. A game was actually on the television in Brian's room while I was there - Florida vs. Oregon. He remembers Joakim Noah (that "guy" that plays on Florida - you know, the "guy" with a huge ponytail who looks like a cross between Juwanna Mann, the Predator, and a Chia Pet). He asked right as I was leaving about an hour later, "Did State win?" That gives you an idea of where his short-term memory currently is at.

But like everyone said, interestingly enough, his long term memory is on point. Marcy was talking about St. John's and something the kids had to do in "3rd or 4th grade" (maybe Greenfield Village?) and Brian piped in with "3rd Grade." He said it definitively...I was convinced anyway.

He couldn't believe that A.) Aunt Marcy was "blogging" and that B.) people were actually reading it. Well Aunt Marcy, welcome to like, the 20th century, and stuff. But he couldn't believe people wanted to read about HIM.

I asked him where he was at, and he said "RIM." I said "yeah, and the next stop is home." He said, "I'm going HOME???" I said in a couple weeks, but the smile on his face at the mention of home was unmistakeable.

The conversation turned to art, and Kelsey's amazing achievements. For those who don't know, she is a regular Vincent Van Picasso (you know, that great artist that painted soup cans and stuff), and Marcy was talking about how all the accomplishments and awards she is winning will only help get into an art school.

Somehow, we began talking about how much money ar-teests make (because it costs like 3 trillion dollars a year to go to a good art school, or something like that), and Brian says "if they made money, they'd be called Well Fed Artists, not Starving Artists." I giggled like a school girl and high fived him.

Um, Kelsey: ignore the above paragraph - this was just two idiots (me and Brian) trying to be funny. You can make TONS of money as an artist if you're good, and you sir, are good.

I mentioned the Mexicali fundraiser at Trinity-Utica. Brian responds NOT with "awesome," or "sounds fun," or "cool." He actually says, "hmmm, our mortal enemy." I guess Trinity-Utica is a big rival to St. John's in Rochester (the Beckett's church). I could relate to that, if they were having the fund raiser at Pewamo Westphalia, arch rivals to Our Savior Lutheran, I wouldn't go. Or maybe I would, but I would most likely complain the whole time. And Sarah would be annoyed at me. But that's neither here nor there.

I told him what has been going on with him, from his coma to where he is now. He was honestly surprised about it all. I mentioned how obvious it has been that God has been with him every step of the way because he continues to surprise us with his healing process. He said "that's good" which made me laugh for some reason.

And that's about it.

One other thing: My mom, Kelly, and myself have been tossing around the idea of setting up a Bowl-a-Thon (Brian's favorite sport, next to underwater basket-weaving)as a fundraiser for Marcy, Brian, and medical expenses incurred. Nothing is concrete yet, we are still just talking. HOWEVER, the wheels may be in motion, and be on the lookout for further updates. I am shooting for late April, early May...anything later than that, and everybody will most likely be gone every weekend because it's summer.

This is just a alert to be on the lookout for further info. And a prayer request that if this Bowl-a-Thon does go down, it goes down BIG TIME.

Alright, that's officially it.

BK...out.

Saturday and Sunday

When I arrived Saturday, I could tell that someone had been there. A telltale McDonalds container was on his tray. I found the note that Kuraps had left so I asked him about it. He recalled that Kuraps had visited and I told him that their names were Kathy and Mickey. "Mickey"? Yes, Brian, Mickey. "M I C...K E Y...K U R A P" Yes, Mick, we sang your name on and off during the day much to Brians delight. He loved how it just fit right into the tune. Thanks for the visit, the note with the darling pics and the email, too!
I happened to have brought a McDonalds grilled chicken sandwich, lettuce only and a chocolate shake. Wow, was that the right purchase. They had served a pretty good beef dish but he's not too keen on beef. This hit the spot.
It was a beautiful day outside so he put on his sweatshirt and we went right outside the building to enjoy. I'm not sure how far to take him so we went on the sidewalk to John R and then back to the valet lot. This is usually where the inmates...I mean patients go to have cigarettes, etc. We sat outside for about half an hour. By the time I left at 8 pm he got into bed and could barely keep his eyes open. Slept well that night!
I visited on Sunday after church. Kelsey did not come because she doesn't want him to catch the tail end of whatever it is she's been "virusing". Good sister. Stacey was in the room yakking with Brian when I got there. Thom was already getting the car. This time I had brought him a Wendys spicey chicken sandwich, lettuce only. (Notice any pattern?) He dug into that and commented on how they got spicier since the last time he had one. I asked him if it was too hot and he said no. Thom had brought him some slim jims for snacking. Again, good thing I had food because the meal was chicken cordon bleu. Yucky cheese again. I found out that I can call the food service people to make sure that he gets non cheesie stuff. So I called and ordered him the fish (which he had already ordered) but they were going to leave off the swiss cheese/broccoli sauce. Good thing I called.
Stacey said that he was up walking with a PT using just a walker and a brace on his weaker left leg. I haven't seen this yet, but it sure sounds interesting. Stacey left and Ben showed up. Now the real guffawing began. Grams and Gramps called and Ben was background music. He was taking notes so I'm very interested to read his blog...or whatever he called it. Left about 3:15 to go to Mexicali dinner with Kelsey. Got to go now...more later Love, Marcy :)

Sunday, March 25, 2007

A Note from Gramma & Grampa

Grampa and I talked to Brian today. He sounds so good. I talked to
him last week one day and his voice was very weak sounding - but today
it sounded strong. Can't tell you how happy both of us were to talk to
him. Every so often Grampa would say, wasn't that neat to hear his
voice ?" Ben was there, I could hear him in the background - he was
laughing in that quiet laugh of his. Marcy and Kelsey were going to be
at the Mexicali dinner tonight - I'm sure they will have a ball with all
the Kamms and their friends there. Love to all you guys. Gramma/Grampa
Mom/Dad

Friday, March 23, 2007

Thursday

I managed to get to RIM in time to watch quite a bit of therapy. I was an assistant on the strong side of Brians body as he walked (still wobbly) a total of 150 feet. He moves so fast! Amy held his weak side...she's about 5ft. nuthin'. I don't know how these tiny little women hold up these big people. He did some pedalling and we worked on transfers from wheelchair to the car, the shower, the toilet. I helped him, by myself, to transfer to the "commode". He lists a bit like a tall sapling and I was amazed at how heavy he felt. After two transfers he told Sarah he had to use the toilet and all went well so that was a great thing. He also had ultrasound treatment on his shoulder. Robyn was there for a lot of the time and was amazed by him. She brought us some food. He had a pizza in his lunch tray and devoured it. Robyn left, Stacey arrived! Around this time, Salva and Christy showed up for speech. They were asking him problem solving questions...If you ate a meal at a restaurant and realized that you forgot your money at home,,,what 2 different things could you do to solve the problem. Most of the questions were real thinkers. At the end of the session, Christy asked him what the date was. He answered, the 22nd. What month,,,March. The 2 women just about fell off their chairs. This was the first time that he remembered the date without just being told. He also remembered the names of all of his therapists when I asked him that morning. He remembers who his Dr. is and who Ali (another therapist) is. He and Ali have a great, funny relationship going on. Lots of teasing and laughing and "Ahnold Schwartzenegger" talk. Dr. Rabe (aka Dr. Babe) actually brought a group of doctors to meet Brian in the gym because he is so funny. He is definately the comic relief for a lot of people there. Everyone who walks past his room comes in to say hi, what's my name, how you doing, remember me? One popular dude! So, obviously, we also talked and laughed a lot.
Stacey and I left after he devoured his hamburger. He was on his way to watching a movie on the 7th floor with his sitter. Gotta keep him busy. Rachel talked to him on the phone the night before for an hour. I don't know how she did it. Her voice is interrupted every 5 seconds with coughing. Sure hope she's feeling better soon.
Brian asked constantly who has been visiting and where is his mail!! Salva is going to have him keep a journal of activities and visitor sign ins so the PRESSURE IS ON TO VISIT!!!! No, seriously, if you have not seen him in a while, you will not believe the change. Stacey could not stop shaking her head. He will lift your spirits with his humor...just ask the staff!
Off to work, Love, Marcy :)

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Quickly

Kelly and I both saw Brian on Tuesday and I was there on Monday. He was so much fun. He was rolling all over the room, talking constantly, cracking jokes, one time he laughed so loud it was just like 4 months ago. What a blessing. He ate his entire meal of white fish (it was good), mixed veggies( even though he calls the lima beans frog kidneys), yellow rice, vanilla wafers, chocolate cake and pop. He needs reminders to stay on task and has a very difficult time seeing the plate. He told us that the left eye sees shapes and colors but they flick like a TV used to do. The right eye is not seeing well either. The docs want to wait on the Kresge Eye visit but I'm hoping to pull an eye doc in for at least a quick consult. Don't want it to get any worse. He wears his arm brace even though it "hurts like hell". He doesn't complain and will only tell you that if you ask him. It's doing the job for now and they are still talking about casting it.
They had changed his "wake up" medicine just this morning and they obviously hit on the right med and the right dose for Brian.
Oh, he is also taking all of his meds by mouth now. The stomach tube is not being used at all so I'm hoping that it is removed soon.
Got to go to work...Til later, Marcy :)

Monday, March 19, 2007

Sunday

Kelsey and I got to RIM just after Brian had finished 2 hours of therapy. Even on Sunday they keep him moving. He had had a shower and had washed his hair. We chatted and he was in good spirits but tired. Lunch arrived. He demolished a hamburger with lots of mustard, had apple juice, a few fries and a pudding cup. I mentioned that I thought there might be ice cream sandwiches and something on a stick downstairs in the canteen, his eyes lit up. Ice cream!! (He managed to crack us up with all sorts of jokes about the "something on a stick") Scarfed down the ice cream sandwich. Then, the mom of Frank gave us 3 twinkies. I tossed one at him and he caught it, and devoured it too. Eventually, he ate all three.
His memory is changing in that he is constantly wondering why he is there, where is he, where am I going and why, who's at home, etc. The nurses seem to think that this is a great thing. More aware that he is not at home. Still, he cannot remember in 5 minutes what he did 5 minutes ago.
Ali, OT, decided to hook up his left arm in that splint I got at Clarkston. It's very state of the art. We all joked about how he was going to figure it out without reading the directions. Brian said, "here, give me the directions and I'll pretend to read them". Yuk, yuk. So, it fits great and keeps his arm open. Ali was really liking it. It has adjustments so they can open his arm more and more. Brian said that it didn't hurt at all. We also talked with Brianna who is a recreational therapist. Her job is to help get him back to doing the fun stuff that he likes to do. Probably will take him on a restaurant field trip. Neat.
So, got to go to work...talk later
Love, Marcy :)

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Saturday for Friday

Kelly tells me that I can change the time on this crazy clock that is like 3hours and 22 and a half minutes off but I cannot find the doohickie that might change it. AAArrrggghhhh! It is 8:58 pm on Saturday and I am watching MSU vs. UNC. Thought I might need to catch you up. One biggie that I never posted was regarding Brians last day at Clarkston. Stacey and Thom were already there when Kelsey and Greg and I got there. Brian was awaiting a shower since the water was once again cold for his regular scheduled time. Finally, Liz appeared to whisk him away. While he was gone, Sally Shryock and her fiance John arrived with their malamute, Nick. Sally is, if you need a refresher, one of Stacey's oldest friends and the gal I helped get a job at Chevy. Her folks lived next door to Jim and I in Birmingham when we first got married. Brian came out of the shower and was truly excited to meet the dog. Malamutes are his favorite "brand" of doggie. The dog is so sweet and smart! He obeys and performs on command. The best part was tossing treats around and watching him leap around after them. Thank you Sally and John for such a nice day. Nick is welcome at our home anytime...you two too!
Back to the present. I visited Friday after work and Rachel was there and had been most of the day. She got to go with him to Harper for the LONG awaited swallow test. She said that she actually got to view the "x-ray" of the swallows as they happened. Salva proclaimed him a perfect swallower and ordered him a real lunch for when he got back to the room. YaaaaaaaaY! Nothing like food. I stopped at Kruse and Muer's for a bag-o-bread, ate one loaf on the way down, and presented him with the bag when I got there. His jaw dropped, he dug out the bread, ripped off the end and began to munch away with glee. Everybody loves K and M bread! He was very chatty and goofy and funny. Rachel and I were constantly cracking up over the stuff he was telling us. I think that he may have been insulting me once or twice but I loved every minute of it. We called Grams and Gramps and Brian talked to Grammy for about 5 minutes. Voice got quiet once in awhile but the love was obviously flowing. He was confused about where he was...wanted to know why we weren't going into the family room...but so far he doesn't seem to get upset when he is corrected. After Rachel left he was a little bit quieter but also very tired. Julie, (nurse) came in for meds. Really like her. She wanted the whole Brian story so I told her everything. She decided that since he was eating he could start taking some meds by mouth. He took 2 coumadin pills with absolutely no problem. Everything else that he takes is liquid so I'm sure they will be changing those to oral meds shortly.
When it was time for me to leave he was in the bed. He wasn't sure where he was and wanted to know why I was leaving. I told him that I had to go home to sleep so I could go to work on Saturday. I hate leaving him. I would prefer to leave him after he was asleep but I can't. Kelsey and I hope to see him early on Sunday and catch some of the therapy sessions. He's working so hard! I am so proud of him. Til next time...Marcy :)

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Thursday, PM

When I showed up at 2 pm, Brian was in his chair by the bed watching TV (sort of), with the sitter close by. I thought he looked tired and he was talking pretty quietly. I checked his schedule and found out that his day began at 8am. By the time I arrived he had seen OT and PT 5 separate times! That's grueling. Salva, (speech), came in and we went to a room for 45 minutes. She talks, he answers. Lots of repetition i.e. ---what year is it, where are you, why are you here, what day is it, did you see the doctor today? She will ask some of the same questions only minutes later and some he remembers some he doesn't. The new ones like "where are you" take a bit longer to remember but she said that he is already improving. She would show him a picture of a ladder and underneath it says, ladder leader dealer. He has to point to the correct word. Unfortunately, most of the correct answers are on the left. He really isn't seeing those at all. If she points to each word, he is always correct. I imagine that being so fatigued makes concentrating even harder. BUT, he never complains or refuses to do the work. He would stretch his legs out and then lean forward, then repeat. I have learned that this is surely a sign of fatigue. When we got back to the room Kathy was there with Mary (is it Reikel?). Wow! Two PT's at once! Dr. Rabe came in to answer questions and Kathy was firing all the good ones at him. They started talking some crazy kind of hospital jargon and I had to keep asking, "huh?" I won't get into the details but it was about the arm casting and leg thingies. That's the best I can do. Also found out that the swallow test is tomorrow at 1 pm. Rachel is spending the day and they said she is welcome to come along. They will wheel over to Harper and it should take about 1/2 hour. Salva also wants to see Brian at an earlier time to see if there is a big difference in his abilities. I'm sure that after he gets used to all of this work, he will do just fine in speech in the afternoon. I asked about the eye problem and the doc said that that is usually a long day at Kresge Eye Institute and he will most likely do that after he is released so that he doesn't miss any therapy time. When I left, he was snuggling the "Rachel cow" looking pretty pooped. I'll see him later tomorrow. Til then, Marcy :)

A couple more details about B

I got to visit Brian last night for about an hour after work. RIM is really amazing - definitely more modern than the rehab place in Clarkston. Totally state-of-the art and clean as can be. Marcy and I marveled at the clean bathroom, and there's a checklist to keep track of the cleaning schedule. Nice to know they try to control passing germs. Anyone concerned about Brian's recovery can really feel confident that he's getting the best possible therapy and care here.

Brian looked great, definitely fully alert as Auntie Marcy said. He showed us how they had him shooting hoops to work out his arms. And when it was time to go, Marcy just had to page the "sitter" who showed up within one minute to stay with Brian. He was yawning a little bit, but from what I know of Brian, he's not used to waking at 8 am. I'm thinking of July Birthdays up north when we were all up and swimming and running around by 10 am and Brian didn't crawl out of Joyce's cabin until like 1 in the afternoon!

And visitors, definitely get your ticket validated if you park in the Wayne State garage. I tried to sweet talk the attendant into giving me a break, since I had left my ticket in the car and couldn't get it validated. He wouldn't budge. $6 for an hour ain't easy to stomach.

Love,
Kelly

P.S. CONGRATS, KELSEY!!!!!!

A weely wonderful Wednesday

First of all, directions to RIM and parking instructions. Drive I-75 south to the Mack exit. Turn right on Mack and go a couple blocks to Brady. There will be a sign on the lamp post pointing right to RIM. Turn right and the building is right in front of you. If you arrive after 4 pm, park in the lot just right of the building. There is a booth because it is the valet lot until 4. After 4, FREE! If you park yourself, turn left at the building and go straight ahead to the WSU parking garage. Bring your ticket with you and validate it in the RIM lobby. This will bring the price down from $6 to $2.50. If you choose valet, it is $4.
Now, some very exciting non-Brian news. Kelsey's artwork has earned a National Silver Key award!!!!!! This is tres prestigious. She (and I) will be invited to the national ceremony in early June (we think). She will walk across the stage, with all the other winners, at Carnegie Hall. How cool is that? Her teacher Diane Heath is beside herself with happiness. Two other girls earned silver key portfolio awards and Dianes own 8th grade son Austin earned a gold key photo award. I'm so excited for Kelsey!
I visited Brian after work and he was in bed with the sitter watching him. He wasn't sleeping, just hanging. He was talkative and very alert. His left arm looked much more relaxed. He never pulled it up tight to his chin the entire time I was there. This was a first. The nurse, Amanda, came to give him his meds and asked him to help push the plunger on that big ol' syringe. It's not like a needle, it holds about 1/2 cup of liquid, is 6" by 1" around. It was difficult but he tried to push. I looked at his sitter chart and noticed that they monitor his activity every hour. Day and night. Sleeping, sitting, therapy, quiet, cooperative etc. I think he earned a gold star. Very cooperative as far as I could tell. Dr. Zamorano had a consult with Dr. Horn today but I don't know when I get any results. Brian finally remembers the name of Clarkston and now has to unremember that and remember that he is at RIM. Let's hope that he gets that swallow test soon so the food can start flowing. I can get there at about 2 today so I'm hoping to catch some action. Gotta go to work, Love, Marcy :)

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Hey, Kelly, another new address!

Apparantly Brian has moved again. He is in room 437, bed 2 because the young man in that room also needs a sitter. Kathy and Rachel both went down today. From what I gather, therapy started at 7 AM!!!! By the time they got there he was seeing the speech gal and was already exhausted. I was told on Monday that he would be wiped out for a few days as he gets used to all the work. Maybe this will finally put Brian on a non vampire schedule. We'll see. The social worker called today and in her mind he will be there 2-3 weeks. That seems pretty short to me. If they are casting him every couple of days, I don't know how he'll walk much. There hasn't even been a conference of the minds over him yet. That happens on Thursday. Dr. Zamorano is supposed to see him and have a consult with Dr. Horn on Wednesday.
One of the other things I am concerned about is his vision. Nurse Alfre Woodard said that his pupils are sluggish and don't contract all the way with bright light. I knew that he wasn't seeing correctly. He holds things real close to read them. He had a lot of pressure on his optic nerve when he had the bleed and I remember Dr. Steele saying twice that he "blew a pupil" and then that it was "back". Not sure what that all means but obviously they will look into it.
I'm hoping to catch up a little tonight on all of the paper work. It is absolutely endless! I'm going to see him after work tomorrow. Got some papers to give to the doctors. Til next time, Marcy :)

Brian's new address

I took a guess at Brian's address; see info in column on the right.
Such great news about his new digs. Glory be to God!
Kelly

Success!

Wow! What a day! The move to RIM in the wheelchair van went very smoothly. I got to Clarkston at about 9 and he was on the move by 11. We were greeted by Miss Juanita who took us both up to Room 423, Bed 2. I'll get the address today. Everyone was very friendly. Almost immediately a student nurse and her advisor came in to take down all of Brians info into the computer. (The advisor looks like Alfre Woodard, one of my favorite actresses) He was talkative and helpful for questions that I was unsure of. After about half an hour, I could hear Rachels Florida flip-flops coming through the curtain. Well, you would have thought there were angels and rainbows and little cartoon bluebirds flying around! Brian lit up like a firecracker. Love was in the air. They were so happy to see each other!!! Rachel looked so rested and even TAN. Soooooo glad to have you home, Rachel. We met with Dr. Horn (main therapy doc) and Dr. Rabe (resident or something). They had Brian laughing and eager to get started. They will use a lot of ultrasound on his shoulder to free it up. They will cast his elbow and ankles into better positions and change the casts every 3 days or so. Dr. Horn had seen him at Harper and seemed pleased with his progress. Brian will have a "sitter" with him at all times when he is in the bed so there will be no falling out on to the floor. Genius idea. Kathy the OT came in to assess him and asked him if he was up for a shower. He said yes and off they went to the bathroom he shares with Mr. Green. It's huge and has no barriers. She let him do all the work and observed his skill level. She also encouraged him to dress himself. He needs a lot of assistance but this is obviously the place that will teach him the ropes. All in all Rachell and I were VERY happy with what we witnessed. Got to go to work...more later, Love, Marcy :)

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Friday

Real quick before work...Stacey visited yesterday and there was a lot of commotion about Brian leaving. People coming and going and saying goodbye and wishing him well. All sounds great but he was confused and I think worried. After the dust settled down, he wrote to Stacey, call my mom, which would have worked but I had no phone yesterday. He then wrote, I want to go home. When Greg and I got there, he was done with dinner and everyone said he was tooling around in the chair all afternoon looking for his family. I had brought homemade tater soup and after he said hello to us he ate some and said ," wow, there's bacon in the soup". Greg shared some music from his phone which is called a chocolate phone. It looks like an I-pod. He loved the tunes and told me that he wanted a chocolate, too. He already has a phone on a plan with Rachel so I'm going to get him some kind of I-pod thing but not at RIM. He talked quite a bit in a strong voice. That was great to hear. I told him about the move in 3 days. That we would be with him and that they will help him to get ready to go home. As we were leaving, he stole my water bottle, uncapped it and started chugging away. I'll bring him another today. Til later...Marcy :)

Friday, March 9, 2007

The move is on!

Today, Sheila called me at 2:00 to tell me that bc/bs has approved the move to RIM. Hallelujah! It couldn't happen today because they can only accept new people by 3:00 and there was not enough time to order a wheelchair van. BUT, Monday is the day. I will find out for sure if the move is at about 11 am. He should be all settled in by 1:00 or so. I hope that Rachel can come along...I'll find out later.I will see how early I can leave work to join in on the move. We will have to pack all of his wonderful letters, cards and pictures and his ton of clothes. Looking forward to the move!!! Love, Marcy :)

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

A move is in store

Today, Sheila informed me that Brian has been approved for RIM. This seems awful fast since just yesterday a woman from RIM called and told me that he would not be approved unless I could tell her that I have 24 hour care at home for when he is released from there in 4 to 6 weeks. She assumed that I would tell her that there is plenty of family around to take shifts. I told her that there was no family capable of helping and that I would have to look in to some sort of home health care. I didn't think she would approve the move without my guarantee. It's hard to determine what kind of help is needed when he still has so much time to improve. He has been at Clarkston for about a month and a half and even with the pneumonia setback, he has gone from a ragdoll to a wheelchair dude. When I left today, he was checking in on June, across the hall. He's very adept at going backward but his long legs make forward progress more tedious. Kathy said that the chair is actually a little to low to the ground for his legs. It's the 9000 XT which we assume means extra tall, just not tall enough! He was in good, quiet spirits. When we started singing cartoon theme songs, he named the shows, out loud. This is good. Kathy told us about a bicycle racer guy that had to recoup from a brain injury. He talked about how he felt as if he was listening through water or a quagmire or something gloopy like that. She asked Brian if that was how he felt and he said yes. It must be awful frustrating to not have full command of how your brain is processing. I think he does a darn good job of staying positive through this very difficult situation. He had a little dinner and more of Judy's crazy good cheesecake (yes, I tried it and it was indescribably delicious!!!) and I had to go after that to feed me, Greg and sick Kelsey....she has a bad sore throat virus. Tonight is shower night, Hallelujah! His hair gets so dirty and so itchy!
Gotta go cook. Til next time, Marcy :)

Monday, March 5, 2007

Monday

Brian was a little bit quiet today. I found him outside his room when I got there. He has a new chair that is much more compact. He no longer needs the soft foam seat, the slanting back, or the head support. This one is much lighter and will be easier for him and the rest of us to maneuver. We sat in the hallway to talk to George and Larry . As usual, George does most of the talking. Nice guy. Brian was silent but paying attention. He backed himself into the room so we watched TV for awhile. Dinner came and the fruit was actually real pieces. Pineapple and mandarin oranges. He ate them by himself and had no problem chewing or swallowing. He also had hot chocolate and some sherbet. He told me that he had a headache. 3 on a scale of 1-10. Matt gave him tylenol with his other meds and the bolus. He wanted to lean back in the chair...not possible any more so he relaxed in bed. I 'm pretty sure he misses Rachel. Maybe we will do a countdown til her return. Come visit! Til next time...Marcy :)

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Sunday Funnies

I wish that I was smart enough to post pictures like my sister-in-law is! What a wonderful picture of Brian with Connie. He has asked about her and I am positive that he was overjoyed to see her. It doesn't always show, but these visits are awesome!!!
Today was the first time that Greg had seen Brian since Harper Hospital. I haven't asked him for his opinion on the day but I am pretty sure that he was impressed. Justyne was with us, as well as Stacey, Kelsey and Rachel, of course. He was in his room in the bed lookin good. When Rachel got there, he was on the floor and the bed WAS NOT in the low position that it should have been. He was quietly calling for help and his left arm was sore. The nurse ordered x-rays of both arms but when I got there he seemed perfect. Both hands were working just fine so I'm pretty hopeful that he was just bruised. Nevertheless, heads will roll for not informing the new aide that the bed should always be low, low, low!!! I wanted to put him in his chair so we could all go to the lounge. He seemed to be fighting the aide and didn't want to go down there. I told him that he would be able to sit next to Rachel on the couch and that got him moving top speed. The seven of us just sat around and talked and laughed and laughed and tossed a superball around. Once he starts getting relaxed in a situation he really opens up to join in the conversation. We talked about movies, sports, Bobeth...anything. When the talk got to that Borat movie he was right in it talking and laughing. What a joy!! When I show up and he is alone, I usually start with a hug and he always hugs me back. I'll ask him very directly how he is feeling and he will usually give me a thumbs up. As I talk, I will ask him a question that has two options so that he has to give me an answer and not just a nod or a yes or no. This is usually all that it takes to get him to open up and start talking a bit. Humor is definately the best way to go. He loves to laugh!
Anyway, the visit was just wonderful. There is so much more "Brian" coming to the surface every day. He is such a fun guy to be with (just ask Rachel). If you haven't visited him in a while, please try to do so this week. Especially during the day. Rachel is taking a much deserved vacation to Florida. She leaves Monday morning and returns Saturday. Brian will surely miss her so I'd like to distract him as much as possible. I am usually there by 4 pm every day. He usually has his therapy in the morning and it's pretty cool to see it.
Please call me if you want to meet me there! Til next time...Marcy:)

Hugging Cousins

I finally got to see Brian!!! It had been a really long time since I last saw him, and I was amazed at how much he has improved! He didn't talk much when we were there, except for when Kelsey's new boyfriend came up?!?!?! :)
He was smiling a lot when we were talking to him, especially when I told him how beautiful Rachel's ring is. It was so nice to see him.
~Connie

The three of us were watching Myth Busters and Brian kept turning and looking at Connie with his famous Smirk on his face. ~Kathy

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Snowy Saturday Visit

Hi ya'll, Brian's cousin Kelly reporting live.

The last conversation I had with Brian before his AVM bled was on Thanksgiving. He had arrived late to our family dinner and was nibbling at a few foods after eating many delicious delights at Rachel's home. We talked about his job with a catering company, and about he and Rachel, of course. =)

Looking back, I can't really recall the subject of too many of our conversations over the years, except for the time we bonded about our crazy ear piercings and the gross ear wax smell that results from having large holes in the lobes.

Today when I stopped by to visit Brian around 3:30 pm, I realized just how little I know about my cousin. It was just the 2 of us, Brian sitting in his chair staring out the window, and me commenting 3 or 4 times on the snow swirling around outside. Brian was shaking his head "yes" and "no" to my few questions, and in the silence I struggled with the desire to make him smile, to engage him in some way, but not knowing how.

After about 20 minutes, Judy and Ron (Rachel's parents) swept into the room like a ray of sunshine. Brian's face brightened as they surrounded him, saying hello to him and chatting happily. Ron asked Brian to say his (Ron's) name, and Brian said it.

I, Kelly, have not witnessed Brian speaking, and it was awesome to hear that quiet voice. And he kept speaking. He said my name (yeehaw!). Judy is so sweet, she asked Brian if he wanted some chicken and said she'd sneak it in for him. Kissed his hand, asked lots of questions, made him smile so much. Ron and Judy brought Brian a black t-shirt with a big flashy silver and red Superman "S" on it, and Brian said "Superman" when prompted.

Judy and Ron obviously know Brian very well. They were able to ask him lots of questions and tease him about different things, like tv shows, music, food, etc. Judy called Rachel on a cell phone and held the phone up to Brian's ear. He talked with her in a quiet voice and told her he loves her.

Brian ate some dinner (smashed tators, bean puré surprise, cake with a splash of milk) and it was time for me to leave. I leaned over and grabbed Brian's hand and told him that I love him so much. Immediately Brian said he loved me, too. There is a slight possibility that I have told Brian that I love him once before, like when I was 5 and he was a newborn and I was allowed to hold him as long as I sat still on the couch with a pillow under my arm for added support. However, just because there has been a 22 year gap between expressions doesn't mean I love my family member any less.

I praise God for this beauty in Brian's recovery: giving this family a new opportunity to express love for each other. To God be the glory!

"Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts." 1 Chronicles 16:9

Thursday, March 1, 2007

A fun Thursday

I started the day by going to Social Security to apply for disability for Brian. They are very nice there and Mrs. Ortiz told me that I did a great job of gathering all the info they needed. Still,it took almost 2 hours to complete everything. Now we wait for approval.
Brian was waiting in the hall when I got there. It was close to lunchtime/medicinetime. He ate a full pudding cup before Matt gave him the bolus and his meds. He was nice and full for therapy. Rachel and Judy showed up a bit after me. Therapy started with a lot of heat and stretching. The heating pads make him itchy and the stretching is painful. But he endures it without complaint. When he was perched on the end of the "mat-table" Stacy made a comment about his long legs. I started to regale them with stories of Brian when he was about 4 and he had the shortest legs and this big ol'head. Alien boy! AND, the contrast to Greg who was 1 and soft and fat with crazy long legs and arms. He would wave those arms around when he walked to keep his balance. As I was demonstrating this Brian was laughing as much as the rest of us. It really put a sparkle in his eyes. Then, Stacy and Kristy got him up and walked with him right out of the room. Rachel followed right behind with the wheelchair in case he tuckered out. He did such a great job keeping his feet straight and didn't step on himself at all. The girls were so happy with him that they wheeled him to the nurses station so he could do it again with everyone watching. After all that bending and stretching and walking he was really ready to sit. We all went to the lounge and Brian and Rachel sat together on the couch again. Well, between Judys stories and my stories and Rachels laughing, you could see how much fun he was having. He was laughing and joining in and answering questions when asked. I mentioned how I accidentally held the shift button down on my keyboard for more than 8 seconds, and before I could say anything else, he yells out "sticky key". I had never heard of this until I did it, and Danny and I had to figure out how to get me out of it! So, the entire visit was a real blast.
Sheila was going to contact bc/bs about transferring to RIM. She had letters from the therapists and even Dr. Salloum is recommending it. I spoke later to a gal from California and explained to her the differences and how RIM has a lot of younger people and more advanced therapy and more to do so he won't get as bored. I told her it was farther but we didn't care because we all feel he will benefit so much from the move. Let's pray that this all works out for Brians good.
All for now, we're getting hungry!! Love, Marcy

Post from G & G

Just looked at the blog and saw the pictures you posted , Clyde. They are great. Scott's shoes look very good, too.

And reading about the visit with Julie, Steve,Kath and Dan - Just can't express how much these messages mean to us.

And of course, Ben and Sarah's report was great. Ben, maybe you should think about writing a novel some day - you have a way with words. What did you call it - a Bleezy???

Marcy - you sure are writing long and informative messages - I know you must be tired when you get home, so sure appreciate your input. Loved the part about Brian and Rachel sitting on the couch and you exiting so they could have some privacy.

And thank you, Rachel, Judy and Ron for loving Brian so much - and Judy for making all those goodies for the staff.

Just 2 more months and we will be heading home - anxious to see our family.

love from Gramma and Grampa

Uncle Clyde and Brian...and Scott's feet

Scott and Brian