Hello everyone. I know I have not been very good in keeping my monthly updates, partly because I did not feel like there was much to share. However, please feel free to email me at Ivy-Vetor@tmail.com if you want to contact me directly to get more information about my brother.
So far Drew is adjusting to life at home very well. It has not been easy on my family. Sadly, it's a very slow recovery instead of the quicker recovery we had hoped for. When he was truly on the way to improving between mid-October to sometime in January, we thought it would continue. His doctor believed that he would have a full recovery but now no one really knows what will happen now. All we can do is give it a lot of time. There IS hope. It just will take time.
My brother continues to go to rehab everyday from 8 to 5 pm Monday to Friday with Ranken Jordan. From my visits with him (April for Easter break and May for Mother's Day), he has not changed much. He is walking more though with the help of someone and is still working on trying to move his right side better. It is a very slow recovery. He is taking more tests to determine how long it would take for him to recover and to better understand his condition to understand what he needs to improve on. He has short term memory, which means, when you sit with him, you can start to have a conversation with him but then he starts to repeat things over and over.
It will be a very unpredictable time for Drew. Please continue to show your support in any way you are able. You are more than welcome to visit Drew at home or to give him a call on VP (video phone), he will love that. He absolutely loves company.
God Bless,
Alex
Sunday 7 June 2009
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Saturday 7 March 2009
Drew is home!
A quick note to let everyone that Drew has come home! The author of this blog just moved to Kansas City for a new job, so sorry for being out of touch!
Drew continues to have a very good recovery. He is now staying at mom's house in St. Louis. He will continue to go to rehab for physical therapy Monday to Friday during the day.
He is SLOWLY doing promising things such as talking more and more about topics with his left hand. Some walking with the help of a special walker! I heard from mom that is he on the VP more often... which is good news so he can talk to some of his friends who are out of reach!
Again thank you for checking back to this website... I will try to write more once I get more details from mom!
God bless all.
Drew continues to have a very good recovery. He is now staying at mom's house in St. Louis. He will continue to go to rehab for physical therapy Monday to Friday during the day.
He is SLOWLY doing promising things such as talking more and more about topics with his left hand. Some walking with the help of a special walker! I heard from mom that is he on the VP more often... which is good news so he can talk to some of his friends who are out of reach!
Again thank you for checking back to this website... I will try to write more once I get more details from mom!
God bless all.
Sunday 25 January 2009
Superbowl Party with Drew at Ranken Jordan on Feb 1st, 2009!
Details can be found on:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=50339831882
Please email silverfirz@hotmail.com if you have any questions!
Hope you can make it!
Alex
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=50339831882
Please email silverfirz@hotmail.com if you have any questions!
Hope you can make it!
Alex
Sunday 18 January 2009
January 19th 2009 - Almost home...
Drew continues to improve everyday! So far he continues to attend physical and speech therapy (includes feeding) everyday Monday to Friday - between 8 am and 5 pm. I have been to a few of his sessions - they make him work on sitting flat on his belly and lower arms to hold up the body while on a flat platform; sit up with his hands holding the edge of the platform, with someone besides him to make sure he doesn't fall back; machine that helps him stand up - in intervals of 45 minutes; etc. This is all being done to help him build his strength and increase his mobility.
A few days ago, the feeding tubes have stopped for the most part, to make him eat real food more - by hunger. I believe they told me that they feed him only once a day instead of intervals all day - to try to get him to eat more on his own. He is starting to eat more but hates it since he is not used to it.
About 2 weeks ago - he starts to move his RIGHT hand!! So far he can move it a bit... but just like his whole recovery has been... it is a bit and a bit at a time... we keep encouraging him to keep moving it as much as possible - he tries to "stretch it" by using his left hand to bring it out.
He is aware of everything around him, can communicate by signing - but it's difficult to understand some of his signs (can only sign with left hand) unless you're used to them; uses the sign language ABC, the erase board or the ABC poster to create words/sentences out of them. He tends to be a bit lazy and won't say much but YES or NO and make you guess a million things that leads to a YES or NO answer - drives me mad sometimes! Sometimes I will be like, "stop that, tell me a sentence" - then he will.
What else, oh the MAIN news!!! Last but not least! So far it is hopeful that he will be coming home in March because he has constantly signed "home, home, home" but he isn't able to take care of himself yet, so another reason for him to work extra harder everyday. He will continue be picked up by someone to take him to therapy everyday Mon to Fri when he comes home.
Will continue to report anything newsworthy in the meantime....
Godbless...
A few days ago, the feeding tubes have stopped for the most part, to make him eat real food more - by hunger. I believe they told me that they feed him only once a day instead of intervals all day - to try to get him to eat more on his own. He is starting to eat more but hates it since he is not used to it.
About 2 weeks ago - he starts to move his RIGHT hand!! So far he can move it a bit... but just like his whole recovery has been... it is a bit and a bit at a time... we keep encouraging him to keep moving it as much as possible - he tries to "stretch it" by using his left hand to bring it out.
He is aware of everything around him, can communicate by signing - but it's difficult to understand some of his signs (can only sign with left hand) unless you're used to them; uses the sign language ABC, the erase board or the ABC poster to create words/sentences out of them. He tends to be a bit lazy and won't say much but YES or NO and make you guess a million things that leads to a YES or NO answer - drives me mad sometimes! Sometimes I will be like, "stop that, tell me a sentence" - then he will.
What else, oh the MAIN news!!! Last but not least! So far it is hopeful that he will be coming home in March because he has constantly signed "home, home, home" but he isn't able to take care of himself yet, so another reason for him to work extra harder everyday. He will continue be picked up by someone to take him to therapy everyday Mon to Fri when he comes home.
Will continue to report anything newsworthy in the meantime....
Godbless...
Thursday 18 December 2008
December 18th, 2008
Hi everyone! I posted a couple pictures from last weekend and Thanksgiving Day to see how Drew looks! Quite normal I assure you! :) Still handsome as ever... please go on and visit him anytime between 9 am and 8:30 pm (Visiting Hours) at Ranken Jordon off Dorsett road near Lindbergh! He will love the company... he's been bored a lot and gets sad when we leave him! Just sign your name in at the front desk, grab a visitors badge and they will tell you where his room is! It's a small hospital so you can miss it! Hugs, Alex.
Thursday 11 December 2008
Time for a new update!!!
Drew continues to do great! He had his bouts of being sick on and off... the most recent one was pretty long which prevented him from really doing anything for almost 2 weeks. Poor thing. Neverless, he seems to be back in good health and slowly improving a bit day by day! Recent Sunday, he was in a good mood, my family and I made jokes, he would show the BIGGEST smiles as if he was almost trying to laugh along with us... with twinkles in his eyes... very cute!
Today I went with Drew to St. John's Mercy with his nurse and therapist for a "swallow" test to make sure he was eating down the right tube... Don't jump yet! He can't eat yet, still on feeding tubes, BUT he can take in a bit of food and swallow it... but because he hasn't really used his tongue/mouth to eat, the food can be NASTY to him... and he tries to spit it out! The therapists will continue to try to feed him a couple times a day to help him progress to bigger stages! Today I kept him company during the whole appointment. While waiting, I would work on asking him questions, making jokes, and telling him to stop putting his head down or I'll (threatening) put a neck brace on him. He will smile and put his head down in defiance and grin... making his nurse, therapist and I laugh.
He is able to finally say NO! If you see him trying to rub his finger and thumb together, tell him NO! That he can sign "NO" perfectly as well "YES." His signs for no and yes are very good now! Sometimes he will move his head in a yes or no position instead. I tend to ask him the same question twice to make sure I understood which YES or NO he meant! Every time I visit him, I have him pick a movie he wants to watch... he always picks out something... He does TRY to sign with his left hand but it's REALLY hard for me to understand... takes time... if you ask him to sign something... he will TRY even because remember he does not have FULL control of his hands/arms/body parts.
He can fingerspell but he tends to fingerspell in skips. If the word is small/short, he will fingerspell the full word... but today for example, I asked him to say his name, forming perfect sign language letters: A N D W. I noticed this pattern a couple days ago, then I would guess the word he was trying to spell then ask him to confirm it... sometimes it's not the right word - then I will ask him to spell again! Can be exhausting but you have to PUSH and ENCOURAGE him that he CAN spell the word and communicate with us!
He can say the international symbol I LOVE YOU almost perfectly with a crooked tiny index but neverless if you say I LOVE YOU, he will certainly repeat it back! It's touching. :)
That's about it for now... til next time... give me a couple weeks... if anything worthy to report - I will try to get back on here! :)
Alex
Today I went with Drew to St. John's Mercy with his nurse and therapist for a "swallow" test to make sure he was eating down the right tube... Don't jump yet! He can't eat yet, still on feeding tubes, BUT he can take in a bit of food and swallow it... but because he hasn't really used his tongue/mouth to eat, the food can be NASTY to him... and he tries to spit it out! The therapists will continue to try to feed him a couple times a day to help him progress to bigger stages! Today I kept him company during the whole appointment. While waiting, I would work on asking him questions, making jokes, and telling him to stop putting his head down or I'll (threatening) put a neck brace on him. He will smile and put his head down in defiance and grin... making his nurse, therapist and I laugh.
He is able to finally say NO! If you see him trying to rub his finger and thumb together, tell him NO! That he can sign "NO" perfectly as well "YES." His signs for no and yes are very good now! Sometimes he will move his head in a yes or no position instead. I tend to ask him the same question twice to make sure I understood which YES or NO he meant! Every time I visit him, I have him pick a movie he wants to watch... he always picks out something... He does TRY to sign with his left hand but it's REALLY hard for me to understand... takes time... if you ask him to sign something... he will TRY even because remember he does not have FULL control of his hands/arms/body parts.
He can fingerspell but he tends to fingerspell in skips. If the word is small/short, he will fingerspell the full word... but today for example, I asked him to say his name, forming perfect sign language letters: A N D W. I noticed this pattern a couple days ago, then I would guess the word he was trying to spell then ask him to confirm it... sometimes it's not the right word - then I will ask him to spell again! Can be exhausting but you have to PUSH and ENCOURAGE him that he CAN spell the word and communicate with us!
He can say the international symbol I LOVE YOU almost perfectly with a crooked tiny index but neverless if you say I LOVE YOU, he will certainly repeat it back! It's touching. :)
That's about it for now... til next time... give me a couple weeks... if anything worthy to report - I will try to get back on here! :)
Alex
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