Sunday July 12

I was able once again to hang out with John this morning and a bit into the afternoon. He became so active yesterday afternoon that for fear that he might squirm his way out of his bed, the staff brought in this sort of large net which is soft and makes like a safety canopy over his bed. It is very sturdy and should keep him safe in the event that someone might not be watching him for a few minutes. A lot of patients at TIRR have this around their beds. TIRR does not believe in restraining patients chemically or otherwise so this is a safe way to keep patients from hurting themselves and give family members peace of mind!

John had each of his therapy sessions today because he is new at TIRR. Most of the time on Sundays, patients get a chance to rest and recuperate from the 6 previous days of intensive therapy but John is still in the evaluation phase and is therefore given special treatment. His speech therapist spent some time with him this morning. They work with more than his speech which I found interesting. They work with his swallowing, cognitive skills development and even his gestures and unspoken cues. A few weeks back, Holly taught John that he could say yes by closing his eyes for an extended period of time so consequently I find myself explaining to everyone that when he closes his eyes, he might be thinking or he might be saying yes! Overall, his responses are fairly appropriate and it seems that the focus will be on his short-term memory. At times, John will answer that he is in San Antonio if you ask where he lives (which seems appropriate since he was born and raised there) and at times he does not recognize that he is in a hospital but the next few weeks should help stimulate parts of the brain which support short term memory and hopefully enable him to experience each day and remember it the next. John will truly be having to relearn many things which we take for granted including toileting, hygiene, walking, etc. He seems to be a willing student and I firmly believe that the rolling and squirming which happened last night were simply his attempt to practice what he had learned earlier in the day!

Today, John and his physical therapist Stephanie and I went to the big gym and because it was a weekend we had it all to ourselves. He was able to sit for extended periods of time unsupported and stand up with some assistance but was essentially holding his body weight with his legs. This is a big deal because it could lead to him standing and walking sooner that we originally anticipated. In the next few days, John will be custom fitted with fiberglass cast-type boots to counteract any problems which might have occurred since he has been sedentary for the past five weeks. When we walk, our calf muscles go past our feet (hope that makes sense) so the foot must be given some help to stretch those walking muscles back out. These "casts" support weight and can get wet and just give him an added tool to walk sooner. As he progresses, they will be cut shorter and shorter until they are removed forever.

Holly and Paulette have relocated to the medical center area and are literally two blocks from John. They are on a shuttle route in case parking becomes problematic and have been able to bring their beloved pooches with them. Honeygal will be returning to San Antonio tomorrow with our eternal gratitude! This is a great move because it is the first time since June 2 that they will be this close geographically to John. During this phase of his treatment he will require some involvement from those closest to him and TIRR supports a familial-based treatment approach which helps patients reintegrate back into their "normal" lives more easily. Needless to say, we are all excited about this portion of John's treatment and seeing him support himself and almost stand upright was enough to reassure me that he is exactly where he needs to be right now! He will begin extensive and intensive therapy tomorrow which will encompass most of his days so please keep him in your prayers and think...Go John!!!