Hi all,
My dad went to the doctor today and the fake bone they put in his head over the summer is infected so he has to have surgery to remove the piece. We are very sad about this news because he has made so much progress, particularly within the last month or so. We feel awful that he has to go through another invasive surgery...a terrible "reward" for all the progress he has made.
The surgery will probably occur sometime in November...we will post when an official date is scheduled. It will be at Strong again and they will remove the problem piece and he will be back to having a "sunken head" again for 9ish months, when the doctors will try to put another piece in and hopefully achieve better results.
The positive is that we know he can definitely bounce back after the surgery since he has done so well since his surgery in June. Yet, hospital infections and facing another surgery in 9 months are definite concerns for us so please send any and all positive thoughts his way!!!! Thanks for your support!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Fall Fun
Patty says: Sorry I did not blog in Sept. As you know, my days are Walter-filled and busy.
Walter is doing wonderful!! He speaks 99% in English now (rare aphasia). He is very alert and sweet (? Walter, yes really). We have conversations ex-Turn it on Channel 21, I will go out with the girls and come home and he will say "how did it go?", his favorite show is now
2 1/2 men and he makes sure he does not miss it. I ask him what his cat's name is and he says "Sterling" or is that the boy cat. I saw a kitty on Channel 13 on Thursday for adoption and I asked him if we could get another kitty and he said "no we have enough kitties." We do lots of music therapy and he recognizes lots of the oldies. He now knows his birthday, the year but not the President of the US. He said that the President was Stephen (his brother.) He still has a tremendous appetite. He would eat all day if I let him. When I get up every am, I always get a little Walter smile and Good Morning.
Tom, Lynn and Tommy joined us for a movie and dinner. Walter did very well considering that we were gone for 6 hrs. He does not sleep all the time which is great too! The only negative report that I have is that Preferred Care has stopped his therapy even though he was making gains. Don't we all love our health care system. He only goes 1 day to Nazareth. The other problem is that his head has been draining slightly since the June surgery. The Dr. said that if by the end of Oct. the head is still draining he will need another surgery to take that bone out and will have the crushed head and helmet again. 9 months later they will reinsert the bone and hope that it will not get infected again. Remember I said a long, long, long, long, road. So, please pray that the draining stops so he does not have to have surgery.
I want to thank Marcia for helping me with Walter's therapy and Kelly, I will call you soon. Walter does very well with Marcia and he beat her in Battleship the first time they played. We love you Marcia!!
Thanks to Walter's buddies for their weekly visits and to share a beer or 2. That is the best time for him (besides eating). And he always remembers who came (short term memory).
Thanks always for my "Special girlfriends for their support and laughter" I will never forget you guys. Thanks to Cheryl for her special visit. (Walter loooooved your tattoo and did ask to see it again).
Feel free to stop by and say hello to Walter-he loves visitors!!
Walter is doing wonderful!! He speaks 99% in English now (rare aphasia). He is very alert and sweet (? Walter, yes really). We have conversations ex-Turn it on Channel 21, I will go out with the girls and come home and he will say "how did it go?", his favorite show is now
2 1/2 men and he makes sure he does not miss it. I ask him what his cat's name is and he says "Sterling" or is that the boy cat. I saw a kitty on Channel 13 on Thursday for adoption and I asked him if we could get another kitty and he said "no we have enough kitties." We do lots of music therapy and he recognizes lots of the oldies. He now knows his birthday, the year but not the President of the US. He said that the President was Stephen (his brother.) He still has a tremendous appetite. He would eat all day if I let him. When I get up every am, I always get a little Walter smile and Good Morning.
Tom, Lynn and Tommy joined us for a movie and dinner. Walter did very well considering that we were gone for 6 hrs. He does not sleep all the time which is great too! The only negative report that I have is that Preferred Care has stopped his therapy even though he was making gains. Don't we all love our health care system. He only goes 1 day to Nazareth. The other problem is that his head has been draining slightly since the June surgery. The Dr. said that if by the end of Oct. the head is still draining he will need another surgery to take that bone out and will have the crushed head and helmet again. 9 months later they will reinsert the bone and hope that it will not get infected again. Remember I said a long, long, long, long, road. So, please pray that the draining stops so he does not have to have surgery.
I want to thank Marcia for helping me with Walter's therapy and Kelly, I will call you soon. Walter does very well with Marcia and he beat her in Battleship the first time they played. We love you Marcia!!
Thanks to Walter's buddies for their weekly visits and to share a beer or 2. That is the best time for him (besides eating). And he always remembers who came (short term memory).
Thanks always for my "Special girlfriends for their support and laughter" I will never forget you guys. Thanks to Cheryl for her special visit. (Walter loooooved your tattoo and did ask to see it again).
Feel free to stop by and say hello to Walter-he loves visitors!!
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