Day Sixteen - Monday - Part Three

December 6, 2010:  What a tremendous day.  Brandon has been hovering around a seven on his post traumatic amnesia scale.  Today he was a 23.  He increased three times his previous score in one day.  There remains a distance to go but it has been great progress today. 

I believe the most touching part of his remembering today was that he remembered he was in an accident and was the driver.  He exhibited a great deal of concern.  He kept saying, "Can you believe that" over and over.  He felt true concern for everyone who was in the car with him and wanted to make sure they were alive and well.  He called Megan to make sure she was alright and to apologize for getting her into an accident. Kassi was in therapy when he called.  When Kassi came to visit it was touching to watch him. 

He had been alert most of the day.  He took a nap prior to Kassi coming to visit.  She spent a good portion of the day getting her workout in physical therapy.  She said she kept sending signals to her leg, but it did not want to respond. She also still has some neuropathy in two fingers in her right hand. She arrived pretty beat and tired. 

If you haven’t experienced broken ribs and a broken collar bone, I can tell you from personal experience, it is miserable.  It is almost impossible to find a position of comfort and by nighttime, you dread getting into bed and experiencing another painful attempt at sleep.

When Brandon woke from his nap he was confused and counting.  He counts, correctly I might add, when he has become agitated or simply worn out for the day. His eyes lit up and he responded much better when Kassi, Branson and Kim came in the room.  He talked and talked and talked.  After awhile he started to become more and more quiet.  Kassi finally had to leave while she had the energy to get home. 

After Kassi left, Brandon kept telling me to be quiet and pulled the covers over his head.  He even wanted to lock the doors.  He kept saying “Shhh” and with every noise asked if it was Kassi.  Every time there was a noise in the hall he would pull the covers over his head and pretend he was asleep.  He was overly concerned that he had injured her and needed some time to deal with the emotion of it.  As with all things, there is good and bad with remembering.  He kept saying, "Holy cow," "I don't know," and "Oh my." 

He had a full day of therapy.  He climbed two flights of stairs with his therapists, passed a basketball back and forth while walking, and then kicked a soccer ball while walking around the halls later this afternoon. When he came back from his second round of PT he kept telling me how out of shape he is and that he had never worked so hard.  He devoured everything fed to him and had me go to COSTCO to get muffins. 

This evening he once again became very lucid.  His eyes lit up as he Skyped with his brothers and sisters in Hurricane.  He teased and talked with each of them.  When we hung up he kept saying, "I've got to get out of here," "I want to go home."

And home we hope for.  Today has given everyone more confidence that he will go home and return to a full and productive life.  The doctor believes that he will be out of here in 5 to 10 days. We are hoping his memory will continue to improve and that with the improvement he will be able to deal with the psychological impacts that come with it.  His voice is becoming stronger and he is swallowing much better. I hope for another swallow test on Wednesday - one that he will pass.  I am confident that by Friday, he will either be walking unassisted or we will all be worn out by his efforts.

Thank you again for your continued prayers and fasting. It is amazing the strides he makes the day after his loved ones fast for him to improve.  We are grateful for all you angels and miracle workers who are petitioning in his behalf and for a loving Father and Savior that make this all bearable. 

The next miracle I pray for is a nurse and staff that is able to do their work with their inside voices and stop waking Brandon up every time they enter the room to give him something to help him sleep.