In the last chapter, Rand was being tested for possible seizures, which occurred intermittently. The neurologist found no evidence of seizures now or in the past. Whoopie!! He has no idea what occurs and Rand has not had an episode since the one on July 4. If he should have another one, the neurologist has flagged his medical record to indicated that an EEG be done immediately. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Rand’s use of Max, the speech-generating device, has come to a screeching halt. After he stopped seeing the speech pathologist, he also stopped using Max and it has been sitting idle in his room since August. He is not willing to give it up, to use it or to donate it just yet, so it collects dust. I hope he will make a decision soon as the technology is getting older as we speak. I don’t want to force the issue but it needs to be resolved. The speech pathologist said that there is no point in Rand continuing with her services as, once again, she is not seeing any progress. She said that his brain is like Swiss cheese and it will never recover. Yet, I can see/hear improvement in his speech – it is slow, uneven, halting, but always improving. Others who have not seen or talked to him for some time also note improvements. I guess it will be for us to encourage and celebrate his progress, as the professionals have to devote their time to those who will benefit most. For instance, Rand had swallowing lessons several times daily for seven months after his stroke and before he could eat again. That issue alone made it possible for him to leave the hospital and live in assisted living.
The big news is that Rand can now walk on his own!! He will always need his quad cane, but he no longer needs Thuan or me holding on to him and no longer needs to wear a gait belt. He can get up from his recliner (which pushes him up into a near standing position) and take off across the room and down the hall! I never thought I’d see the day! I still hover around him, ready to steady him or catch him if he stumbles, but he walks well with good balance and a steady stride. He hasn’t walked outside yet as the sidewalks pose too many hazards – but that will come. It has taken three and a half years for him to get to this point, with therapy every day. I bet the next “step” is not that far away!
Rand’s Adapted Bowling sessions started again last month. It is so fun to watch Thuan, who had never seen a bowling alley before, compete against Rand. They have a great time together and I am the go-fer, ball girl, cheerleader, coach and driver. Think of Rand every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. PST, as he and Thuan are bowling, hooting, laughing and high-fiving each other!
Earlier in this blog, I mentioned Rand’s physical therapy sessions. Below are some photos of him as he goes through the paces. His legs are tied together just above his knees with a strong plastic band and he has to kick sideways, backward and at an angle 100 times on each leg. Then he has to walk the length of the parallel bars ten times each way. All of this is after he has walked the long course at the PT facility. You can see the determination on his face, the orange band around his legs as well as the struggle he has to complete the session. But he has never given up, never complained, has endured the pain for over three years. The photos are self explanatory and do not need captions.
Keep Rand close to your hearts and in your thoughts. He is remarkable.
Love,
Connie
