Navigating the Bunny Slope on the way to The Giant Slalom...

YEAH!!! Go Jeremy Go!!!  Jeremy has graduated from the Neuro Intensive Care Unit to a Neuro step down unit.  In the last couple of days he has been finding his way back to the level of functioning prior to his surgery.  He is beginning to express himself again…he has mastered yes and no…and has articulated that he is “frustrated” at times.  Jeremy (with assistance) is sitting on the side of his bed and working to re-establish some movement on his right side.  To date there is still some degree of swelling on the left side of his brain which could therefore have an effect on the maneuvering of his right side.  As Jeremy is only seven days out of an extensively invasive brain surgery, it is within reason to hope that as the swelling abates the functionality will return to the baseline prior to surgery.

            It is difficult to ascertain how much of Jeremy cognition has been affected.  His present day to day memory seems to be maintained; however, his memory of the events leading to his hospitalization is quite limited.  These memory challenges create for Jeremy a sense of frustration and confusion in trying to understand how and why he is in this position.  It is also difficult to assess any effect on his long term memory until he verbal abilities improve.

            Six weeks of a hospital bed would create a challenge for most of us.  Being confined to a bed without the ability to articulate emotion or reasoning and without a firm grasp on how you got there is a daunting task.  While Jeremy has his days of “frustration”, there are certainly indications that he is still up to the challenge of building his skills to move off the “Bunny slope” and progress up the mountain toward the gates of “The Giant Slalom” of communication and navigation.

            Your cards, letters, and messages are a constant reminder of how many people are behind him and supporting him in all his efforts.  Thank you again for all of the prayers, thoughts, and warm feelings.  As each of these cards are read to him, they ABSOLUTELY make a difference in his approach to the day.

            Keep up mantra going…GO Jeremy GO!!!