By Lisa Ansay —
L: “What should I do for a Caring Bridge Journal Entry? What should I say?”
T: “Another interview.”
L: “What kinds of questions do you think folks would ask you?”
T: “The simple stuff, like, What did you eat today?”
L: “Can you chew food?”
T: “Soft foods. I don’t have teeth that line up for chewing. My teeth are good, but my jaw is out of place.”
L: “Will that be fixed with the reconstruction?”
T: “Yes.”
L: “Are you missing any teeth as a result of the accident?”
T: “Yes one, I think it’s my canine.”
L: “What are some of your favorite things to drink these days?”
T: “Strawberry milk, Cherry Dr. Pepper, ice water when I’m outside.”
L: “You have been told that you cannot drink alcohol ever because of the traumatic brain injury, and the serious risks associated. Are you okay with that?”
T: “Hell yeah!” He laughs… “Most people have more trouble with it, than without it!”
L: “What can you do now, that you had trouble with before that tells you you’re getting better.”
T: “Meditation. And my walking stamina has increased a lot.”
L: “Many people want to know about your vision right now. What can you see?”
T: “I see light, and shadows and stuff, and it fades in and out. Sometimes it’s very clear. Mostly in morning time. When I can see, and we’re driving, and I see things up close, like trash cans, or trees, or signs, – they flash by and it makes me sick. I get motion sickness. Bad. But the doctors say that’s a good thing. I think it super-duper sucks.”
L: “Is it very hard to get around sightless?”
T: “Yes.”
L: “What makes it easier?”
T: “Having ropes, or countertops or walls to run along, and I count steps. I follow people to guide me.”
L: “What’s the worst part of having to return to the hospital?”
T: “ All the pokes in the arm!”
L: “Is there anything good about going back into ICU?”
T: “I know everybody – and they all know me. They’ve been with me through all of this.”
L: “What are you working on most now?”
Twirling a finger around his mouth he said, “Speech and swallow.”
L: “Have you been spending time in the pool to beat the Phoenix heat?”
T: “Hell yeah!”
