Originally emailed 1.30.2011 @ 943pm - Kristin Reihman
Dear all,
Jon's day was another full one, with visits from family (Kimmy, Courtney, Beth, Susan, Becca, Nathan, James, Sarah, Bella, Ally, Sofia, Vinny) and friends (Dusty, Leslie, Josh) that kept him awake and engaged most of the morning and afternoon. He bathed himself with minimal assitance (way to go, Jon!) and got a welcome massage from his sister, Beth, which greatly relieved the back pain he's been having from lying around for three weeks. He saw his girls again, and remembered some details about their previous visits, which was very encouraging. Because today had no scheduled therapy, my sister Courtney, cousin Kim, and I spent about an hour peppering him with questions designed to help him remember things that he knows, including his daughters' birthdates, the places he's lived, and so forth. An sample of that conversation:
me: Tell me something about your father. What does he do, what's his job?
Jon: I believe he should be retired by now.
me: Fair enough. What did he do before he was retired?
Jon: He operated on brains. A brain surgeon.
me: Yup. There's a fancy word for that, do you remember it?
Jon: "Fancy Pants."
me: There's a medical term for that, do you remember THAT?
Jon: (After a pause, and with a French accent) "Neurosurgeon."
So one thing we are learning is not to let Jon get away with faking his way through conversations. His speech therapist encourages us to help him find his way to the information that is all still there in his brain by giving him hints and clues to help him get to it. Note that in the above example Jon had the word for his father's profession stored in his brain, but it was not readily accessible until gently and persistently prompted to "look" for it.
Another thing which will prove useful is the Memory Book mentioned by Jackee in a previous email. If and when you spend time with Jon, please do take a moment to list a detail or two about your visit in the book for future reference by the therapy team. The book is a blue folder that hangs on the back of the wheelchair in his room. The more Jon is reminded about the details of past events, the faster his brain's recovery will be.
One thing that is proving to be a challenge about Jon's rapid progress is that as he becomes stronger and more comfortable moving around, he is wanting to get up and out of bed and when there is no one there to walk with him or push him in the wheelchair, the nurses get sort of anxious. I don't think they are used to people functioning at such a high level physically on that floor without commensurate awareness and orientation. This morning when I arrived at 9 he said, "Boy, am I glad to see you...I feel like no one really knows me here, and you know me, and apparently there is some sort of problem here with me getting out of bed, and I don't really understand why, or what this place is...." As encouraging as his rapid progress has been the truth is that until his brain has had more time to heal, he will continue to have these moments of feeling quite lost and confused. Jackee has been coming down Weds nights through Saturday mornings (THANK YOU, JACKEE!!), and tonight he has a friend who offered to stay with him (THANK YOU, JOSH!!), but Monday and Tuesday nights of this week he will have no one. Please call me tomorrow if you feel like taking the Overnight in Rehab with Jon challenge: 610-704-1294, or if you feel you can stop by before work some morning. It would be a great help to him, and immensely comforting, all around.
Some of you have asked where to send cards. Fow now, the safest place is probably his house. Someone checks the mail there periodically, and even though the doctors predicted 3 weeks at his current location, his rapid progress may mean a modification of that once they revisit the question on Tuesday of this week. For now, send cards to Jon Clague, 8243 N. 8th Street, Fresno, CA, 93720, and I or someone else will make sure Jon gets them.
Happy Sunday night. Rest well,
Kristin
Originally emailed 1.30.2011 @ 10pm - Sarah Naccarato
Thank you so much Kristin for these detailed updates. Jon (and all of us) are so fortunate that you are able to spend this important time with Jon.
I wanted to point out what a huge improvement I saw in Jon just from
Friday to today - his eyes were much more present and focused; he was initiating conversations rather than just responding and he appeared to remember events from the day before. Sooo encouraging. I can't wait to see him again next weekend!
- Sarah
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