Hi all! My dad was moved to St. Mary's brain rehab on Friday. I got to spend Friday night with him and he was very talkative, though most of what he was saying was not as clear as our interactions on Wednesday. He did call me "Lindsay" several times during the night and we called my mom a few times so he could talk to her. He seemed to respond well to Bennett and I and liked "conversing" with us. He even told us he wanted to call the mayor! Maybe he will have political aspirations after this whole experience ;)
He spent much of the night trying to touch his head and thinking that he was going home. We had to keep explaining to him that he has to keep healing in order to go home but that didn't seem to stick in his brain. He also says his favorite four letter "Walter words" every once in awhile - those of you who live in our neighborhood or have attended family parties or gatherings know what I am talking about ;)
On Saturday, they took the trach out of his throat so he is breathing on his own now. Tonight (Saturday) his breath was raspy because the hole in his throat is not completely closed yet. The procedure also made his voice weaker but this is normal because of the type of procedure. He also got a bed called a Posey Bed that basically zips him in and prevents him from escaping. It looks like a regular bed with a kind of bug net around the top. I asked him if it was comfortable and he nodded :)
He slept more tonight than I normally see him sleep but he did wake up a few times. He had the big white mitts on his hands to keep him from scratching his head and he kept trying to bite them off. He asked us to "open them" and "solve them." It is cute to hear him say things but with a little twist.
He will be doing physical, speech and occupational therapy at St. Mary's. I think his schedule will be different every day and his weekends will be lighter than during the week. He can definitely still have visitors - he is on the 5th floor of St. Mary's on Genesee Street. We try to talk to him like normal and he will often nod or shake his head no or even respond. Just remember if you see him that he is probably experiencing aphasia, a condition where he knows what he wants to say but has a hard time actually getting it out. Aphasia often explains when words are out of order or if he says something that doesn't make sense. The nurses at Strong and St. Mary's have told us that this is normal for patients with brain injuries.
More soon...
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