Fw: Daniel's coming home
Topic: Daniel
SeNT: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 8:52 AM
SubjeCT: Daniel's coming home


It has been another week of progress that defies the 'norm'.
Daniel will be discharged from the Acute Rehab Unit today! We'll be bringing him home around noon.

Yesterday was the big teST: One of the therapists accompanied us on his first "outing" from the hospital.
We picked him up at about 10:30 and drove a couple miles to a Food Court at a local shopping center. The time of day was chosen so that the crowds would be at a minimum and not overstimulate his battered brain.
Daniel decided that Chinese food sounded good.
As we walked from the van to the restaurant I was nearly overcome with emotion as I watched my son moving under his own power. (A couple of days earlier he was given permission to walk to the restroom and dining hall without assistance, which were HUGE steps in his progress -- and great confidence builders for a very independent and self-reliant young man.) His slight unsteadiness is probably not even noticeable to the casual observER: it's similar to most folks after a couple drinks at happy hour. = )

Daniel walked up to the cashier and ordered from the take-out/dine-in menu. After all five of us had ordered and taken our seats, the therapist tested hIM:
*Do you remember how much your lunch cost? (yes, $7.48)
*If your dad hadn't paid, how much would you have given the cashier? (I have two $5s, I'd have given her both of them.)
*And how much change would you have received? ($2.52. I'd have put the two dollars in my pocket and the 52 cents in the tip jar on the counter.) Short-term memory and problem-solving skills are improved when he's not tired. Silly overachiever....

When the meal arrived, the therapist asked the server if we could have chopsticks. "How many?" Daniel added his request to the total.
Do you have any idea how it feels to sit and watch what followED: A young man who, two weeks ago could hardly use the right side of his body, eating lunch with chopsticks!?

The stress of the outing was fatiguing for Daniel but he did quite well. It was the longest period of activity that he'd had so far -- and his first ride in a vehicle. The therapists have been playing with his schedule during the past week, sometimes doing back-to-back sessions (OT and/or PT & ST) to simulate the increasing stresses of life 'on the outside'. The goal was not to exhaust or push him, but to measure his progress. They always end a session early if he shows signs of Brain Fatigue. REST is the best remedy and TIME is the healer.

Last week it was planned that he'd have home-therapy for the first few weeks or months and then graduate to three-hour outpatient sessions at the hospital. That has changed. He'll go in for an evaluation at the rehab tomorrow morning and they'll set up his schedule for M/W/F beginning next week as an outpatient!

All of us, including the medical staff from Trauma and Rehab, are amazed at his incredible progress. Our 'favorite' trauma nurse came down to visit him twice last week. She mentioned that it's so rare to see an outcome this good, this fast, and the entire Trauma Team is taking great encouragement from his case. (And she's a cutie, too. Bright, articulate, caring... but enough with the matchmaker stuff!) = )

I'll post some photos a bit later. They'll give a time-compressed view of the past month.

Again, our thanks to everyone for your prayers, emails, cards, phone calls....

Time to shower and go bring home our Miracle Man.