Seth-n-Jode's Adventures

I honestly don't know where to start today.

How do I tell you that Seth started talking today. Sentences not just words. Not many yet but I see the torrent continuing.  Or that he ate his own lunch using his right hand, slowly bringing his food to his mouth.  Or that he played badminton knocking a balloon back and forth between he and the Occupational Therapist.

How do I tell you that he had his first "walk" today outside.  The nurses slid him over to his rolling chair and we went outside together for the first time in nearly 2 1/2 weeks and just enjoyed the sun on his face as we walked up and down the block three times.  And then he quietly told me he was tired and wanted to go back in.

How do I tell you that he wrote his name on a whiteboard.  That he read an email I printed out for him. (not out loud but I saw his eyes moving across the text) and then looking at me with complete understanding in his eyes of what he had read when he handed me back the page.

Or that he played a practical joke with my mom and the occupational therapist. The occupational therapist told him to pick the yellow cone among 4 different colors which he did.  She then instructed him to give the yellow cone to my mom.  As he was handing the yellow cone over to my mom and just as she was about to grab it, he pulled it away with a wry smile!   Just like Seth.... 

The neurologist came in and was amazed at Seth's progress including his left arm which has more strength now.  He ordered another MRI of his brain as well as of his left shoulder which was severely dislocated at the accident and may also have some tendon damage and eventual surgery necessary.

We did get the results of the MRI on his left knee.  The neruologist couldn't say if it needs to be operated on.  We will know for sure when the bone docs look at him but it does look like there might need to be something done based on what the report said since there was evidence of some tears in the ligaments.  Seth has an appointment with the bone docs next week.

Seth had to have his catheter put back in as he had stopped draining.  The docs said this could be normal since he has been on his back so long.  They had taken the catheter out after his surgery last Tuesday and everything was going ok until last night / today.  But they said a urologist would look into it just to make sure everything is fine and will leave the catheter in for a few days.

But really, these are minor things.  Repairable or fixable things.  The key is that Seth's konk to his head is fixing itself and I'm telling you, it is happening in a quantum leap sort of way.

Joel and Terryl came to visit today.   We've done many a bike or ski trip with them as they live in Durango too.  Last week, Joel and some of his buddies road biked up from Durango about 20 miles to a mountain bike trail that leads up to Engineer, the peak you see in this picture.  They had stashed mountain bikes at the trailhead and then mountain biked about 10 miles up to the meadows just below the base of Engineer Mountain.  They then hiked up to the top of Engineer Mountain (it about 13,000 .  Joel brought Seth a rock from the top of Engineer Mountain and gave it to him today and said that he must return it to the top of Engineer Mountain.  Seth nodded that he would do this.  I think we should be about ready late fall or maybe next spring.  Who wants to go with us?   :)

Hey guys, just a quick note to update you.  Mom is making me go to sleep so I can't write more.  But just quickly, Seth is doing well and is still alert and awake.

He had some speech therapy today where he hummed and said a couple words.  We also learned how to work with him on getting him to say words.  He knows the words, its just not coming out of his mouth yet.  He also pointed to most of the words that the speech therapist held out on a card for him.  But he didn't say them.  They did move him up from pureed diet to a soft diet with chopped up meat so that is some progress.

He also isn't continuously on the feeding tube anymore during the day since he is eating so well.  So the feeding tube will only be used for the nighttime. And hopefully can come out soon.

I did shave him today since he said some words yesterday.  He didn't like that too much since we were pulling on his face with these little razors.  It was really hard to get that beard off of him!  I'm going to make sure he gets shaved every couple of days now.

I did a Hot Yoga class with Keith and Linda this evening that really helped my stress level.

Good night all!

Good Morning.   That is what Seth said to the nurse this morning!  So I'm passing on this message to you all from Seth.

Mom and I went to the Unitarian Universalist church service this morning with Judy before heading to the hospital.  It was a particularly pertinent topic on Suffering.  The speaker was so on point.  He said that, in any life lived, pain is inevitable yet suffering, or more particularly how we suffer, is optional.   We can't necessarily control the pain that happens in our life.  I did not control that Seth was hit by a car while riding his mountain bike.  But we all very much control our reaction to him being hit by a car.  And in fact, our own actions or reactions are, at the end of the day, the only thing we ultimately do control.  I've found this a very hard thing to learn in this life. It is a simple yet powerful concept that helps me, when I'm feeling strong, to actually feel empowered.  To know that this too shall pass.  To be strong for Seth.  To let the worry about what I do not control slide off my back.  I'm by no means perfect and I slip and fall letting the worry and unnecessary suffering take over.  But I just have to pick myself up again and remember that I get to decide how I react!

Seth was even more alert and active this morning when we came in.  I told him about the service and all the various stories that the speaker related.  He listened intently and nodded often.  It is so nice to get to talk to him again and know that he is understanding even though he is not responding verbally yet.  His facial expressions and nods or shake of his head say thousands of words in the meantime.  I did ask him to say my name.  He closed his eyes and concentrated very intently and then opened them and looked at me and shook his head.  I just reassured him that it was fine.  That the speech would come and not for him to worry. 

I have a routine where I get a washcloth and wash his face each morning.  This morning he grabbed the washcloth from me with his right hand and washed his own face.  He also seems a little worried about his left wrist / hand.  He keeps grabbing it with his right arm and tries to move it.  I did some of his therapy today on his left arm but he did nod when I asked if it was painful.  We meet with the Physical Therapist tomorrow and I want to be sure I understand his exact PT plan so we make sure we are doing all the right exercises.  His nurse thinks he won't be at Kindred too long with the progress he is making.  If that comes to pass, then we will most likely move to Spaulding for his acute rehab once he is able to withstand 3 hours of therapy per day.  Mom and I are going to tour both Spaulding and Craig this next week to see if we need to lobby for him to get into Craig if we think that will be better.  Although I've gotten reports that both are very good.

I did have a little scare this afternoon.  Seth loves for me to feed him ice chips which he crunches and then swallows.  I think he is just dry as a bone and likes the coolness in his mouth.  So I was feeding them to him and he started chewing very aggressively.  I thought he was just getting agitated or maybe getting an ice headache so I stroked his chest.  And then I saw this tube in his mouth.  His feeding tube had come up from his tummy.  Yikes.  My mom grabbed the nurse and they pulled it out.  Since he is eating so well, we hoped that they wouldn't have to put it back in.  But the nurse consulted with the doctor and they ordered it to be put back in.  Its a very painful thing as it has to be put in through his nose.  I prepared Seth by explaining what had happened and that what they were going to do to him was going to hurt.  I asked him if he understood and he nodded yes.  I asked him if he was scared and he shook his head no.  The nurse asked us to leave the room.  When we came back in, Seth just looked drained but they had successfully reinserted the feeding tube.  The nurse thought he would probably have it until Wednesday but couldn't say for sure until the nutritionist and the doctor agreed that Seth was getting enough calories with just eating.

Seth had lots of visitors today.  Hooray!  Thanks again to all of you who are visiting, writing, and calling.  Seth just lights up with each new person and I love to see it.  As I left him today, I told him I loved him and he pushed out the words, oh so lightly, 'love you'.

The picture for today is Seth and our dear friends, Darren, Mark, Patti, and Erinn.  We were just heading into the Blue Lakes for a weekend ski trip.  I don't know why I picked this picture for today's blog.  I like Seth's silly hat.  I love the smiles on all the faces.  As the speaker at the church service related today in one of his stories, life can be an ocean of love.  And that's what today and this picture means to me.

Seth is eating! When we got to the hospital, they had just set out his lunch tray.  I asked him if he was hungry and he nodded his head "Yes".

It was all pureed food but I fed him noodles, beans, and meat.  He drank nearly all of his milk by sucking it through a straw as well as some tea.  And he ate ALL of the ice cream.  When he had arrived at Kindred yesterday, they weighed him and he was down to 137 pounds.  He has weighed 145 pounds since college whether he's just had a 7 course meal or he's been climbing a mountain for a week.  So that's a bit of weight he dropped.  No wonder he is so hungry! I am hoping that we can remove the feeding tube soon since he is really eating and swallowing well.  A couple of nurses commented that he is strong as an ox.  One thought he should be talking in no time.

Seth did need to get two units of blood today.  His blood count (hematocrite) was 21.  They say normally it should be 40.  The doctors weren't too worried about this though since he had just had such major surgeries and had gone into the surgeries a little low to begin with.  Plus with the extra blood, that should get his heart rate down (its been up from about 80 prior to the surgery to in the 115 - 120 level) and help with the healing.  When I ask him if he is in pain, he says no.  They have been giving him tylenol.

We had tons of visitors today and it was so great.  Seth recognizes everybody and often raises his right hand to hold their hand.  He also moved his left hand some today which is encouraging.  Mark and Patti (who we were biking with on the day of the accident) came up from Durango bringing me a load of files and things I'll need while staying here on the east slope.  They brought a basket of strawberries from my strawberry patch, spinach, as well as tomatoes from my garden.  I asked the nurse if I could blend it up and let Seth eat it and they said sure.  So we put it in the fridge and I've ordered up my blender from Joel who is coming on Monday.  I'll now start making raw food green drinks for Seth everyday which will really help him heal.

Johnny P and his girlfriend Amy also came.  John and Seth and I have had many adventures together kayaking and road and mountain biking.  John was recounting many of these adventures in his typically very animated fashion, to his advantage of course :), and Seth was just smiling and smiling.  But at one point Seth raised his right arm and hand to try to stop the tale because he thought the story had just gone way off course.  Since he's not talking yet, he can't cut in and say anything but it was clear he was dying to set the record straight!

Amita, my ayurvedic doctor from Durango, also visited.  She brought me some natural stress reliever medicine. Linda and Keith, our Durango friends who are staying in Boulder for a month also came by.  Greg and Marse stopped by...Johnny P and Amy came back and fed Seth in the evening and said he drank two cartons of milk and ate heartily again.

The love, laughter, and friendship in Seth's room today was simply overwhelming.  It makes my heart sing to see these dear friends and laugh again together and to see Seth recognize them, smile, and hold their hand.

I also experienced the outside world today for really the first time in two weeks.  Life beyond the hospital and a worry so deep that I don't want to try to touch the bottom of it.  My nephew JP had a hockey camp in south Denver this weekend.  So Mom and I and my sister Wanda went down to this huge Sports Plex to watch him learn hockey for a couple of hours.  It really looks like a fun sport.  I even may want to try it someday!  The whole experience felt kind of surreal to me really.  To watch other people enjoying their lives and being with their friends and families doing normal things.  And to hope and perhaps deep in my soul, to even know, that one day Seth and I will be like them again.

We finished up the evening by moving up to south Boulder.  We are basecamping with June and Carl who have so graciously offered us their guest quarters in their home.  Another set of angels watching over us.

I also want to let everyone know how simply amazing my Mom has been in helping me through this.  She gets the title of Super Angel.  She makes sure I eat.  She takes walks with me.  She makes sure I get to sleep.  She holds me when I am shaking.  We laugh together. We celebrate when there is a good day.  She has been with me 24/7 since the day after the accident.  She was a nurse for 42 years and so she also really helps me understand what is happening as well as helps me learn to take care of Seth or ensure that we are asking for the right care for Seth.  I hit the big time lotto with her as my Mom!

The picture today is of our friend Eric and Seth eating ice cream in Bedrock, CO.  It was a beastly hot day.  If some of you remember the movie, Thelma and Louise, this is the store where Thelma called the police from as they were fleeing to Mexico.  We had just finished this heck of a day biking on our Durango to Moab mountain mike trip.  I had a titanium seat post rack which I had very unwisely put a seat post bag on and with all the bumps in the trail the seat post cracked essentially making my bike unrideable for any length of time.  We arrived in the town of Bedrock which has a population of about 10 people so the chances of finding a specialized seat post for my mountain bike was about 1 in 10 billion, I figure.  Anyway, as I was explaining my dilemma to the store keeper, a couple of kids road up on dirt bikes.  We asked if they had any bike parts and they said they had an acre of bike parts!  So Seth and I road with them on their dirt bikes up to this field where literally there was piles and piles of piece parts from every kind of metal vehicle, bike, tractor, etc you could imagine.  And they had a machine shop to boot with all sorts of tools.  So Seth, being the master fixer that he is, quickly located an old handlebar off some BMX type bike that would fit in the interior of my broken bike seat post and we fashioned a workable seat post with some cutting and welding.  I asked these kids if we could pay them but they refused and said they were just glad to help.  Anyway, they drove us back to this little store in Bedrock and this picture was taken shortly thereafter.  The kindness of strangers!

We cleaned out the ice cream bars from that little store.  Just like Seth did today!

Seth was successfully moved to Kindred Hospital today.  This is a really important step in his recovery.  He is now out of a "trauma" type environment and is in a "rehab" type environment. 

Kindred is absolutely beautiful.  And it is so quiet and peaceful compared to Denver Health.  Denver Health had helicopters landing and ambulances going and doctors and nurses rushing around 24/7. And they most certainly helped Seth get through his trauma stage. 

On the other hand, Kindred is surrounded by these stately trees.  You walk into a lobby and it is quiet and peaceful.  The rooms are nice. Everyone seems calm and very competent.

They transported Seth by ambulance to Kindred and my mom and I followed shortly thereafter.  By the time we got up to his room, the speech therapist had already seen him and they had started giving him ice chips and pureed food so they can start to prepare him to get off the feeding tube.  The nurse, Deena, came in and gave us an orientation of what to expect with Seth's daily care and his rehab program.  I then spent about an hour with Dr. Yarnell who is the neurologist.  We went through all the details of what happened.  He kept asking me what date this happened or that happened. 

And I finally told him I've really been in a time warp and all this has run together in my mind but that I had it all logged in this blog.  So we went down to his office, opened up the blog, and I was able to give him exact dates of when Seth was awake and talking and when he become nonresponsive and then when he came around again.  I also gave him details about the accident and how responsive Seth was immediately after the accident and even in the emergency rooms in both Durango and Denver.  He did a very thorough evaluation of Seth and seemed pretty positive in that Seth is awake, alert, responsive and can follow most commands and the fact that he was responsive immediately after the accident.  He did comment that he thought there might be some nerve damage in his left wrist (due to Seth's dislocated shoulder) and maybe in his right leg since he's not moving his toes in his right foot yet.  He said he was going to take the CD of the MRI and take a good look at it.  So hopefully we'll know more tomorrow but he did say he did not think the diffuse axonal injury was why Seth wasn't talking yet.  He also said that he thought the fatty emboli had dissolved.  He was going to stop the Ritalin Seth was getting.

Seth has been improving from an alertness perspective each day although he didn't say any words today.  He lifted his left leg when the nurse was putting on his immobilizer and she had to admonish him NOT to bend his knee!  He is awake and knows what is going on until he gets tired and then he seems to get confused.  And he is trying so hard to talk and then you can see he gets frustrated when the words don't come.

I want him to speak so much that sometimes I want to jump out of my skin.  I find that I can barely breathe.  And I must remember to focus only on getting to the next rock or ledge on this mountain we are climbing. And then resting when I get there and congratulating us on getting there.  We will only get there from here if we take one step at a time.  In fact, I think we should celebrate the steps so far!

Look at what Seth has accomplished.  Man, will you look at this list!  Its impressive.

1) He's alive.

2) He doesn't have any spinal cord injuries.

3) He's strong, athletic, young and healthy.

4) He is improving with his alertness and movements every day for the past few days so far and has said a few words and sentences. Plus he kisses me each day!

5) He had a successful set of surgeries with one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the country.

6) And he was able to move to a rehab hospital within two weeks of all of this happening.

Wow. 

I had a really good conversation with Judy today who has been a brain injury physical therapist for 20 years at Craig Rehab Hospital.  She really made me realize how complicated the healing process is for the brain.  And in addition, Seth has had such injuries to his bones too.  Its like he was on a super fast CPU and right now he is on a slower CPU.  He needs time to heal and speed up his CPU.  She helped me understand that me jumping up and down and demanding sentences wouldn't make them come.  Seth will heal and he will heal in his own time.  And he is in the right place, for now, to start making that process happen.

Also, I want to thank everyone again for your emails, cards, flowers, gifts and visits to see Seth and I.  I am sorry I have not been able to respond to many of you individually but do know that I very much appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers you are sending our way.  For those of you visiting this weekend, I'll be at the hospital from about 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and then again for most of Sunday afternoon.  Seth really appreciates his visitors and most people get a smile out of him when they crack any jokes.  Visitng hours go from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and you just have to check in at the front desk before you go up to his room which is 309.

The picture for today is Seth looking over Chicago Basin.  Its not far from our house in Durango.  He's just contemplating his next step and how he is going to get to that peak.   If you could pan around, you'd see he's smiling.  He's up for this challenge or any challenge.  He always has been.