For Taylor it’s a little different. He enjoys the days filled with activity and challenge. He likes his rest too, but getting back into the swing of things for the week is never met with disdain. Taylor is up and atom (Los Alamos joke) very early, and ready to get the day started. Physicians do their rounds generally before 7 a.m., and as per UJ’s suggestions, Taylor is greeting them with a smile and a “good morning, Dr. so-and-so..!” It’s been nice to see the surprise in their faces. Taylor never really tried to do much speaking in front of the doctors before. They usually approach him with quick, gratuitous pleasantries, ears already plugged with their stethoscopes. Now as he hears them coming he turns to face them and speaks directly to them, “I’m doing well, how are you doing?” LOL It is a quiet voice, but he is shaping his words and they are clear.
Dr. Kwasnica is his rehab doctor; Traumatic Brain Injury is her medical specialty. She came in this morning with news she directed to Taylor, as he sat on the edge of his bed pulling on his shoes. She explained that she had heard there were mutterings that Taylor’s rehab stay at Barrow’s was nearing its end, and he was out in a couple weeks. (We had heard last week that they were looking at discharge in two weeks.) She went on to say that she was “T-boned” by this news on Friday, and wanted to assure Taylor that was not her intent at all. He was obviously relieved. He sat up and gave her his undivided attention.
Dr. Kwasnica explained that she had spoken “at length” yesterday with Dr. Aiello, the oculoplastics/opthalmologist Taylor saw last week. They believe after consulting with the retinal specialist, and reviewing the previously taken MRIs and CTs, that it would be possible to correct the position of the left eye/orbit with major surgery. This surgery would involve the oculoplastic surgeon, a cranial floor surgeon and a neurosurgeon, in concert, but it was possible.
Taylor was to be scheduled this week for a Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) test, which evaluates the visual pathways of the brain. St. Joseph’s EEG department picked him up for that test at 2:00 this afternoon, so it is done. No final report on results of VEP yet. I can tell you from experience that results from that test can change over time, as things heal, so it won’t be anything concrete, but I guess it will be a starting point.
Surgery would most likely be at least a couple weeks out, and in the meantime it’s business as usual for Taylor in rehab. Dr. Kwasnica will not even look into discarge until the situation with his eyes is addressed. And that’s going to be a while.
OT is placing kinesiotape on his right eye for blocks of time now. It is placed over the brow and onto the eyelid, to actually hold the eye in an open position. The patient then closes the eye against the resistence of the tape which works a bit like lifting weights for the eyelid muscles. Also, it was explained that when the eye is exposed to light, it helps the cranial nerves heal. When the eyelid is closed and all is dark, it essentially tells the brain not to worry so much about that eye, it’s in the dark. When there is light coming into the eye, it’s a trigger for the brain that the eye is open for business.
Taylor has managed to work that right eye and surrounding facial muscles to the point you can hardly tell he was once paralyzed on that side of his face at all. Especially now, with both eyes blinking in unison. That just started last week.
Nutrition is still a priority and he is beginning to put his weight back on. It will be slow, but steady.
The wheelchair is only used for longer jaunts, like to the garden, etc., which can be a fifteen minute walk. Otherwise, he uses his walker, or simply a gait strap which wraps around his torso and simply affords a place to help with balance, if he needs it.
Leaps and bounds. He is a warrior.
Prayer is powerful. Indeed, the Lord is the Great Physician.
