August 1

 

6:30pm: neurosurgeon confirms lumbar/thoracic MRI shows nothing that would explain the left leg issue.  Diagnosis is perional nerve damage and foot drop, and time will tell how well the nerve repairs itself.  Rehab will focus on two areas: mental/cognitive and physical to walk with brace and adapt to foot drop.  This is doable!!

Monday.  A very busy day of tests, PT, visitors, etc....

Laura's cognitive state is unchanged.  She can hold a conversation but remember little of what she has told you.  She asks questions that follow each other and make sense based on your responses.  But still no short-term memory.  Megan successfully nurses.

Morning MRI of lumbar/thoracic to rule out spinal cause of left leg nerve issue.  No results to date.

PT visit puts Laura in leg brace and practice of assisted "marching" in place.  Speech (or was it occupational) therapy visits and Laura does very well on long questionnaire, though struggles on short-term memory questions (what state are you in, what is the date, ....) but can name more states and fruits and such than anyone reading this.

Kyle is very frustrated with the bedside manner and level of communication of her official doctor, the trauma surgeon who saw her upon admission.  No reason to second guess the quality of care provided, but unhappy with the level of information he is providing and other aspects of his bedside manner.  Unimportant though the fracture may be, I am not happy to have to learn from a plastic surgeon consult reading Laura's charts that she has a fracture in her face.  Maybe the trauma doc is a great with a knife, but his bedside manner is for shit.  This is a Traumatic Brain Injury case, we deserve 5 minutes of explanation even if you didn't have the privilege of cutting her open.

Haig and Sam return to DC.  Katie arrives from State College to assist Tom and Judy.  Much appreciated flowers and balloons arrive from SMH and Book Club crowd to liven up the room.  Too many supportive emails and text and facebook posts to count are coming in, thus this status blog.  Thanks to everyone for all your concern and support!

- Kyle