Seth-n-Jode's Adventures

Put one down for David today!  Dr. Ripley went to bat against Goliath and convinced them to allow Seth to stay in inpatient rehab until 8/29 and then we get to come home!  So we will now for sure be home either 8/29 or 8/30.  Finally to have a set plan!  Hooray!

Dr. Ripley is really an amazing doctor.  We met a cast of 100's over this ordeal and he is by far the most attentive and detailed.  Plus he is human. (By way of contrast, there is one doctor at Denver Health that I nicknamed "Dr. Death" for his horrid bedside manner). Dr. Ripley, on the other hand, really cares and it shows.  And he lets us ask our hundreds of questions, answers what he can and says when he doesn't know but will find out.  And he laughs at Seth's jokes!  Seth and I both respect him immensely. 

Seth had his vision assessment today.  He still has been complaining that in sunny environments, the words aren't as sharp as they should be.  But he can read a book or newspaper or sign just fine in more quiet light.  First off, one huge relief is the eye doc said there is no structural damage to his eyes.  He has 20/25 vision both near and far.  And he said that the contrast issue has been documented in people who have had PRK (which Seth had about 15 years ago to correct his vision) and then hit their head.  He said it will heal over time and in the meantime, they are going to give him some tinted reading glasses to use which should resolve the problem.   Huge sigh and one worry that just slipped off my shoulder.

We also met with Seth's neuropsychologist who has been running a series of tests on him in regard to advanced cognition and problem solving.  Seth has been scoring at or above average on the majority of the tests which is great news.

This neuropsychologist did say as did Dr. Ripley that it is imperative that Seth not hit is head again for at least a year to avoid reinjuring himself.  So once he's back on both his feet, I figure we'll do more hiking, snowshoeing, and cross country nordic skiing this year just to make sure he doesn't konk his head again.  Although if its an epic powder day, I'll head up with Patti to make the first lift (we'll be lift groupies) and then hook up with Seth in the afternoon to snowshoe.  The saying in Durango is that there are no friends on a powder day which I've seen first hand to be true!

The photographer for today's picture is Darren.  He needed a bike model for one of Erinn's magazine articles and so they chose Seth.  But they had to completely reoutfit him so that the picture would get published.  You see, Seth isn't very image conscious.  At the time of this photo, he was sporting a baby blue Fisher mountain bike that he picked up at a bargain basement price for obvious reasons and he always wears these red, white and blue leggings that came from a thrift store that looked straight out of a 70's film.  That just wouldn't do!  So here he is looking pretty spiffy, if I do say so myself, on a Turner mountain bike with stylish pants and backpack.  The picture kind of reminded me of David running between Goliath's legs and in a very stylish manner!  If you look closely, you might see the rock and the slingshot!

WE ARE HEADED HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  finally......10 more days of good acute rehab which was the plan to get us to The Plan!