Day 40 — Friday, July 26, 2024
8:00 Had a shower 8:30 Had therapy 9:00 Had breakfast during our phone call. He needed to pause the call to thank the nurse. And as they took the breakfast tray, he said they needed to save something for Vanessa.
12:00 I came in and he was trying to pronounce my name. He said…”Tell me, what is the noun for you?” I told him “Do you mean my name, Vanessa?” He said, “Yes” He closed his eyes and said, " I have to repeat this, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa.”
12:10 #
During lunch he was trying to remember my name again. I felt so happy that he was giving himself a goal. By the end of the day he said it in conversation a few different times. And most often, he called me by my nickname.
He asked me for the thing to clarify pointed to the nightstand for his glasses.
1:30 in PT They put some low obstacles on the ground, like hurdles and he walked through the course, stepping over them. They had him switch leading with his left leg first, then leading with his right leg next. Then he did the same course, by side stepping. Also switching the leading leg. After doing the hurdles, he sat back in the chair and said, “It feels good to have some fulfillment.”
He used the standing walker for several laps around the floor.
During the PT he chatted with the therapists S-Are you ready for the weekend? Pascal-Oh yes Laurel-I’ll be working S-Aww really? L-Yea, I’ll work on the 2nd floor which is spinal cord injuries.
Today he told Kristine the RN. “You’re a really good nurse, I mean that.”
Kelsey Pellicone PA came and gave an update. Today she reached out to Dr. Wainwright, the original neurosurgeon. They have ordered a CT scan to prepare measurements for the prosthetic replacement piece of skull. The scan will be scheduled at Good Sam. She said it could take a few weeks to get the scan. The surgery will be at Westchester. That is not scheduled yet, but ETA was 3 months after the surgery on June 18, so tentatively, September 18.
The peg will come out this coming week
She also said she will check about his vision with Dr. Seliger, his current Neurologist. Shane says sometimes he sees double when using both eyes. But that he sees clearly when he looks out of only one. She says it’s possible he may use a patch for a period of time to strengthen whichever eye is weaker.
He is making huge progress with words. He started doing ‘sounds like’ or describing it with more detail to try to get to the word he wants.
When he wanted ear plugs he asked, “Can you get me airbuds?”
When he asked for the helmet, he asked for the “H” because that’s the letter it starts with.
Another example of how he got to the right word was this conversation with me and Uros: S-There’s a department. I can’t say it correctly…”Pes”… I can’t say it right, but it’s about when they’re gonna do something new and he needs more people to help. V-Personal Committee? S-Yes. They were working on something V-Yes you worked with Nathan Lafort S-Yea, I know. I like him. V-Yes, in fact, when you were in ICU, and he got Doctor’s permission to go somewhere after his foot got better. One of the first places he came was to see you. He came with Steve Javarina and Javi Hernandez. S- Really? He did. He’s always gonna do something.
He continued chatting with Uros and me and said: S-If I had more energy I could respond to everything you said in this conversation. U-You do remember lots of stuff, don’t you? S-Yea, there’s a lot of stuff down there. But we don’t know if they’re gonna keep us. U-You don’t have to worry Shane-Yea, you can’t worry about that. Just try.
Paula from HCD came to visit. He said, “So glad to see you” He was very interested when she talked in general about claims, medicare, how they help SFTS. She said, “I work with Reggie Dennis” He said “Yes, he’s a good brother”
I was taking notes because he was using many different words as he spoke with her…he noticed I wasn’t paying attention and said “Why are you looking at your phone? I think it can wait.” I should have known that would bother him. 😅
Before Paula left she wrote on the poster board and he started to read it from across the room! He got a few words right.
7:00pm Kati said, “The Olympics just started in Paris” Shane said “But that would have been in the middle of the night.”
Shane’s roommate leaves Saturday at 11:00. The gentleman says he will visit Bethel. His wife is a sister in Spring Valley Spanish. (I forgot the new congregation name) and he was very pleased that a brother who visited on Sunday, invited him to come tour Bethel when he is better.
He also told me we should start a documentary of Shane’s recovery. He said it would be inspiring. He said she will keep an eye on us kids, to see how we do. ☺️
We don’t know if/when Shane will get another roommate.
If you want to help us pray for something these are our main concerns. We have been praying these consistently. So maybe we can also ask Him to make it clear if he has answered this prayer. 💓
- Please, if it’s necessary to prevent a future fall, please help us know the original cause of the fall.
- Please help the therapists to show Shane ways to prevent falls in the future
- Please help us Thank Jehovah!!
Remembered Debi S-How did you get here? D-Betty gets here sometimes with Vanessa. And I come by Car S-Is that hard? D-Not and too hard
S-the brothers know what is best for us
S-When did you last see me? D-The other hospital. But you weren’t talking yet. But now you’re talking. D-do you remember that I used to live in New York? S-yes D-my friends from here are taking me to Georgia S-Thats nice
S- How are your parents? V-Dad is sad because Grandma died
S-Why can’t she come up? U-only 2 people allowed S-boo! U-How are you? S-No one has ever asked for this. But on the flip side soon they will fix this. U-Jonathan Shafer said it’s good. He used to work here in n Helen Hayes. S-I like him, did something happen? Do they need to go somewhere? V-And he’ll probably be arranging your Physical Therapy when you get back to Bethel S- really you think so?
S-If I had more energy I could respond to everything you said in this conversation. U-You do remember lots of stuff? S-There’s a lot of stuff down there.
S-We don’t know if they’re gonna keep us. U-You don’t have to worry S-Yea, you can’t worry about that. Just try
S-There’s a department. I can’t say it -Pes— …You know, I can’t say it right, but it’s about when they’re gonna do something new and he needs more people to help. V-Sounds like Personal Committee S-Yes. They were working on something V-Yes you worked with Nathan Lafort S-Yea, I know. I like him. V-Yes, in fact, when you were in ICU, and he got Doctor’s permission to go somewhere after his foot got better. One of the first places he went was to see you. He came with Steve Javarina and Javi Hernandez. S- Really? He did. He’s always gonna do something.
S-Anything new for your….it’s not gonna come out right…Con-er-gation? U-Congregation S-Yes U-We go to … S-You go as a normal bethelite or Watch? U-Yea, they are paying tolls for us. Otherwise it’s $200. S-That would be so much
Using a stimulant medication to help get him energy for therapy. Will request the psychiatrist to see him starting Monday.
Said he needed to use the restroom…2…thought he hadn’t gone in like 3 days.
He has been able to pull himself up in the bed for a while.
Tell Shane Col 1:15 First creation was His greatest. Most inventors or artist make many prototypes or studies before they can get it just right. Jehovah does it right, the first time, just because he can.
Congo 23,000 baptized 1.2 million memorial 2000 major KH projects Not about numbers, the kind of people that are being drawn. Angola Convention, sound system failed. 3.5 hours sat there…waiting patiently.