Matthew's Rehabilitation Journey Week 15

Monday, July 21, 2008
I have changed the blog format a little, hope everyone likes it. From now on I will be posting through the week and each week will be archived. You will notice to the right of the screen where it says Blog Archive. If you want to read older posts, just click on the Blog Archive and the week you want to view or you can go to the end of the current posting and click on older blogs. Hope you enjoy the new look.

The trach didn't come out today, no problems, just didn't get the order done.



Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The trach came out today at 1:00. It went great, he didn't even cough this time when they removed it. He also received his new glasses today, so maybe he can see more of what he is doing. LOL

In physical therapy today, he added another first and was put on the tilt table. He wore his glasses for the first time and was pretty preoccuppied with looking at a picture that said "Never give up", so much so that the therapist finally had to take it down so that she could get his attention. Other than that diversion he did great and was able to stand up on the tilt table for 25 minutes. The therapists said that this was awesome, that some people can't stand it for more than 5 min.

We are still experiencing some sypmpathetic storming issues. The doctors have decided to wait on the Ritlalin until these have subsided or gotten fewer and further between. They have changed his blood pressure med and changed the pain med for break through storming symptoms. Hopefully, this will help to get rid of them and we can get started on the Ritalin.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support. Matthew's miracle grows bigger everyday and it means so much to have all of you supporting us in our journey to this great miracle.


Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Matthew had another good day. Physical and occupational therapy went well, with his feet and legs bending better, as they seem to do everyday. He has had a little problem with his right eye being lazy and not tracking as well as the left, so we covered up his left eye and it really helped, They are going to get him a patch tomorrow and we are going to start taking turns building the strength in his eyes. His medications and splints really seem to be working extremely well at correcting the tone in his legs and feet. The therapists are really impressed with just how well he has done. I see him everyday but the people who come to visit that haven't seen him for awhile are amazed at how well he looks and how much better he has been doing. His stoma (the hole in his throat from the trach) is healing fast, it seemed to have closed almost halfway since yesterday. It should take around 5 days or so to close completely. Well, tomorrow is another day and I can't wait to see what he does next. The ST asked him this morning if she could come back later to see him and he told her no. It wasn't really loud or anything since there is air coming through his stoma but it was a definite no. She did come back later anyway. LOL


Thursday, July 24, 2008
I was gone quite a bit today, trying to get Matthew's wheelchair accessible van ordered, so didn't get the on the scene action today. I came in on him at his afternoon therapy session and they had him lying on his back with his hips rolled to the right and his legs bent at the knee. When they let him go, he retained that position which was very good. He was tracking well today.

I will give you readers something to laugh about. Picture me standing on the bed, helping to transfer Matthew from the wheelchair to the bed. I had a nurse at his head and a tech at his feet. We went to move him (I was pulling on a sheet that was underneath him) and as I pulled on the sheet it came out from underneath Matthew. I fell backward toward the edge of the bed. As I was falling Matthew was landing on the bed, catching my feet and legs under him as I fell backward off the bed. Now the gymnast that I am (hee hee), landed on my rear end, which we all know has lots of padding, and my arms arched back behind me holding my back and head off the floor. I just raised up and waved at the video camera that is in Matthew's room (they have cameras on the brain injury floor aimed at the patients in their beds so that they can watch for falls etc...). Thankfully though, they didn't have the camera on Matthew's room at that time or I'm sure I'd be on America's Funniest Home Videos. Matthew's nurse, turned to tell him I was alright and said something about me being silly and he rolled his eyes up as if it was normal for me.

Well, if that wasn't enough of a bad day, I was getting ready to eat my dinner and was holding my tray on the edge of my bedside table. While trying to open it to get some sweet and low for my tea, one of the techs walked by my room and acted as if he was going to say something and as I looked at him, my tray tilted and fell to the floor, breaking my glass bowl of chicken and dumplings and ending up on my bed, the wall, the blinds and of course the floor. Needless to say, I was the talk of the hallway and was even part of the shift-change updates.

NOTE: I was not injured as a result of my mishappened day. LOL! I took an Ibuprofen immediately after falling and I am fine.



Friday, July 25, 2008
Matthew was tracking better today from side to side and following movement, he seemed to be very alert while awake. PT and OT found a way to make him mad enough to talk, they talked about me jokingly and noticed the look on his face and mouthed what seemed to be stop and mom. Gale said, "Oh, I think I found the key". So she got in his face and said she didn't care for his mama and she didn't want me in the room. I followed suit and said, "well I guess I'll leave then". I left and when I returned, Gale told me that he called my name while she was talking about me and she told him that he had to say yes before I could come back. He finally nodded his head and mouthed and pushed air through to say yes. I told them they could talk bad about me all they wanted if it got him to talking. Later, they put the bolster pillow behind his back and tried to get him to say stop, he tried, so they finally said, say Mom or anything and we'll quit. He finally said Mom and I missed it, so we asked him to say it again so that I could hear it and he did. They removed the bolster pillow and he let out a sigh.

Everyone here, are just amazed at how he is doing. You can tell by listening to them and watching them that they are all pulling for him. Other patients, see him in therapy and they all are pulling for him also. His regular nurses and techs that are with him the most are all attached to him. Most of them are so good that they are attached to all their patients, but Matthew probably feels that he is their top priority, because that is how they treat him when they are talking to him. This place just has such a good atomosphere and I know that is a big part of why Matthew has done so well here. I know that God chose these people to be in Matthew's life, of course, he has to remind me sometimes what he's done by giving me some that are not so good. LOL I guess he just wants to make sure that I don't take the good ones being here for granted. I do appreciate them so much more when I don't have them here with me to help.

I do know that God is working his miracle through the people here. I see so many patients coming back to visit them which lets me know that they are special people. Because, let me tell you after seeing the things they put Matthew through and to see these returning patients come back to visit after having gone through the same things it sure tells me that they know that the therapists are only pushing for the maximum rehabilitation of their patients.