Our family would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers throughout the past year. Thank you for visiting Steve. Thank you for texting, writing, sending cards, attending the Golf Outing, posting e-mails and doing what you do to help Steve and our family.
Things continue to roll along here. We are doing some sort of therapy every day. Horseback riding just gets better and better. He is up to about 25 laps of the arena while sitting upright, holding on with both hands, and smiling! We continue to invent things to do in the pool, and usually stay in the water for about 1 1/2 hours each session. His strength and stamina in the water is much improved and noticed by many people there. We also have PT, OT, and Speech Therapy, as well as tennis, on the calendar.
Insurance coverage has been challenging and often changing, but we are hopeful that January 1st it will all settle down and things will fall into place. One of the reasons Linda retired was that she could not cover Steve as an employee, but could as a retiree...one more good reason for that decision!
We are embarking on new therapy for Steve. It deals with certain hormone replacement and has shown promise in the few studies that have been done, on TBI patients, so far. We were referred to an Endocrinologist who has been doing this type of therapy on un-injured patients for years. It has just been determined that this therapy does work for TBI patients and Steve's PM&R doctor suggested it.
We started the therapy about a month ago (daily injections). In that time things have started happening--we think.... We have to continually question ourselves as to what is real and what is possibly "wanted". We are always asking ourselves, "did that really occur?", "did Steve really do that?" We document everything but are still wrestling with what we "want" to happen and what did actually occur. All we can say at this time is we are asking ourselves those questions a lot more frequently these days! Hopefully a good sign.
One thing that is definitely improving is speech. Steve doesn't speak loudly but we can understand about 60% of what he says. After he repeats a couple of times we usually get the rest. Credit Stacey his speech therapist and all the students that work internships at Willowbrook for this improvement. We have learned that if Steve can speak and have someone understand his voice that doesn't know him, that is the real accomplishment.
Willowbrook gives an Annual Award to one client for: "Demonstrating the ability to persevere toward personal goals and enjoy life to its fullest despite the challenges you have been faced with." It is presented at the holiday party each December. There are hundreds of clients that are treated annually at the facility Steve attends. Most attend every day in the morning and afternoon sessions and interact with the staff. The staff numbers over 50, not including support personnel. Steve attends only twice a week for the afternoon session only.
At the party, the following was read about the recipient of this year’s award:
This person gives 100% effort all of the time.
This person never refuses a task their therapists ask, no matter how hard it may be or how much they do not like it.
This person always has a smile for everyone and a joke ready at all times to make you laugh.
You can tell where this person got his determination and love of life; this person has a family that centers their life on helping him achieve his goals.
This person never gives up - he works on therapy tasks not just at Willowbrook.
Although this person only works with 4 therapists at Willowbrook, everyone knows him and his infectious joy for life has spread throughout Willowbrook.
Sound like someone you know???
Of course it is Steve. But he could not have achieved this award without his “family".... all of you who read this blog.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Steve, Beth, Linda, and Rob
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Update 126 from Linda and Rob
Hello, Friends!
Well..... the golf outing has come and gone with great results. We had the most golfers ever. Steve was able to visit with most and again drove the cart. We cannot say enough about the generosity of those who come out, show support in other ways, or the people that work to put it on. We hope we didn't miss thanking anyone, but just in case we're attaching our thank you note at the end of this post.
We had hoped that a Low Vision specialist, who uses prisms in the lenses, could have helped with Steve's vision but it did not work out. Steve's left neglect issues did not respond to the correction that the prisms provided. Since Steve can scan the 2 inches of his cell phone with no problem, the doctor suggested we try moving to something a little bigger like an iPad. We have purchased one, but have yet to try it out. We'll keep you posted!
Steve continues to improve with his core strength when horseback riding. He did 6 laps of the arena last session without having to stop and adjust his posture. This is a milestone for him and we hope something to build on.
Although at first glance Steve appears to have plateaued in speech, nothing is further from the truth. Some have said they feel Steve has even gone backward. What has changed dramatically is Steve's ability to formulate an answer and then get it out with clarity. Steve could always "parrot" back words when spoken to him. We don't even practice that anymore. The issue was and always will be having to interpret what is going on and responding to it. Steve is working to reduce the time it takes for him to interpret a scene or situation and explain what it is all about in a complete sentence. For example, Stacy, (Steve's Speech Therapist) will show him a picture (that she doesn't see) of something (like a pair of ice skates) and he will have to say a sentence to her in such a way that she knows what the picture is. His sentence for ice skates was, "Trying to ice skate in any season but winter is kind of difficult." His sentence for a picture of a key was, "I miss my car keys." The response time in this exercise is dropping dramatically.
We are also trying another form of therapy two days a week. It deals with vibration and seems to reduce the tone in his muscles. Steve has done great things at this new place while being "vibrated". We are hoping the progress continues. They are also working on core strength and left arm strength, with the hopes that he will be able to use a walker more effectively as those things improve.
At Willowbrook we're back to using the "RJO" walker which is big and heavy and supports Steve's elbows. He routinely does four laps (over 1200 feet) with someone in front of him and someone behind, nudging his feet along if he gets stuck. Yesterday we discovered that we no longer need the person in front (who steers and keeps the RJO from getting ahead of him), which is a great improvement!
We went to Saugatuck for a few days and got our feet in Lake Michigan, which is one of our favorite forms of therapy! We rented a wheelchair that goes in the sand, and it worked out great. Great beach, beautiful weather, out for a couple nice dinners...a good time.
PLEASE join me (Rob) in wishing Linda a great retirement. YES LINDA is now retired!!! We feel it is in the best interest for Steve to have both of us around and it sure helps with the workload. The retirement will allow Steve to be once again covered by Linda's health insurance as well as Vision and Dental. Having two people evaluating Steve's progress is also good for his recovery.
As always, we thank you for reading this and being patient with the large time gaps between posts. As always, we promise to try to do a better job! Take care of yourselves, and thanks for continuing to keep Steve in your thoughts. They weren't kidding when they said this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we're so grateful that you understand that!
Love,
Rob and Linda
Golf Outing Thank You:
Dear Friends,
Once again we search for the words to thank you for being part of Steve’s golf outing. “Thank you” never seems like enough, but we hope you know how sincerely it’s meant! Unless you’re on the receiving end of such an event, we don’t think you can comprehend the emotional support it provides.
The other day we dropped some things off at the golf course and one man there commented to another that they were for “Steve’s Army.” That stopped us in our tracks. Even though we still say that and have shirts with that printed on them, it has been awhile since we really thought about what it means. If you look up the word “army” you’ll get all the predictable definitions, and then one that says, “a large body of people united for a specific purpose.” That’s a good start, but you are much more than that.
Families who find themselves in situations like ours walk a fine line between asking for help and not wanting to impose on others or make them feel obligated. Please know that it’s something we take very seriously and think about and worry about.
Then things happen to reassure us. You call and ask when the outing is, say how much you’re looking forward to it, tell us you have friends who we have never met coming with you, say that you treasure your outing pictures, send notes and gifts to help support it. We arrive at the golf course and see so many old and new friends. We see names of people who aren’t there, but are helping in many other ways to make it a success. We feel the power of people present and not present, all hoping for nice weather and a wonderful day. When the golfers drive off in the carts, and the realization of how many of you are there hits us…to say that moment is overwhelming is such an understatement.
We always tell people that the outing is fun. We hope you had fun! But you can’t imagine how much more it is than that. It opens up so many doors for Steve, and makes us able to consider so many other ways to help him. Right now he has a busy schedule that includes traditional therapy (PT, OT, Speech), horseback riding, tennis, swimming, massage, and working out at the gym. This year we were also able to purchase a type of seated elliptical that is used in hospitals and many rehab facilities, which is a great cardio workout for him. New ideas come up all the time and they are slowly but surely working. Thankfully they ARE working and we hope you know that you are a huge part of that.
There are many ways to define great people. Their names might be found in newspapers, books, or on television. Or their names might be found on a list at a golf course in Hartland, Michigan. That’s what our family thinks. That’s what our family knows.
As always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of Steve’s Army. We treasure you and your friendship and your support.
Sincerely,
Rob, Linda, Beth, and Steve Percha
Well..... the golf outing has come and gone with great results. We had the most golfers ever. Steve was able to visit with most and again drove the cart. We cannot say enough about the generosity of those who come out, show support in other ways, or the people that work to put it on. We hope we didn't miss thanking anyone, but just in case we're attaching our thank you note at the end of this post.
We had hoped that a Low Vision specialist, who uses prisms in the lenses, could have helped with Steve's vision but it did not work out. Steve's left neglect issues did not respond to the correction that the prisms provided. Since Steve can scan the 2 inches of his cell phone with no problem, the doctor suggested we try moving to something a little bigger like an iPad. We have purchased one, but have yet to try it out. We'll keep you posted!
Steve continues to improve with his core strength when horseback riding. He did 6 laps of the arena last session without having to stop and adjust his posture. This is a milestone for him and we hope something to build on.
Although at first glance Steve appears to have plateaued in speech, nothing is further from the truth. Some have said they feel Steve has even gone backward. What has changed dramatically is Steve's ability to formulate an answer and then get it out with clarity. Steve could always "parrot" back words when spoken to him. We don't even practice that anymore. The issue was and always will be having to interpret what is going on and responding to it. Steve is working to reduce the time it takes for him to interpret a scene or situation and explain what it is all about in a complete sentence. For example, Stacy, (Steve's Speech Therapist) will show him a picture (that she doesn't see) of something (like a pair of ice skates) and he will have to say a sentence to her in such a way that she knows what the picture is. His sentence for ice skates was, "Trying to ice skate in any season but winter is kind of difficult." His sentence for a picture of a key was, "I miss my car keys." The response time in this exercise is dropping dramatically.
We are also trying another form of therapy two days a week. It deals with vibration and seems to reduce the tone in his muscles. Steve has done great things at this new place while being "vibrated". We are hoping the progress continues. They are also working on core strength and left arm strength, with the hopes that he will be able to use a walker more effectively as those things improve.
At Willowbrook we're back to using the "RJO" walker which is big and heavy and supports Steve's elbows. He routinely does four laps (over 1200 feet) with someone in front of him and someone behind, nudging his feet along if he gets stuck. Yesterday we discovered that we no longer need the person in front (who steers and keeps the RJO from getting ahead of him), which is a great improvement!
We went to Saugatuck for a few days and got our feet in Lake Michigan, which is one of our favorite forms of therapy! We rented a wheelchair that goes in the sand, and it worked out great. Great beach, beautiful weather, out for a couple nice dinners...a good time.
PLEASE join me (Rob) in wishing Linda a great retirement. YES LINDA is now retired!!! We feel it is in the best interest for Steve to have both of us around and it sure helps with the workload. The retirement will allow Steve to be once again covered by Linda's health insurance as well as Vision and Dental. Having two people evaluating Steve's progress is also good for his recovery.
As always, we thank you for reading this and being patient with the large time gaps between posts. As always, we promise to try to do a better job! Take care of yourselves, and thanks for continuing to keep Steve in your thoughts. They weren't kidding when they said this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we're so grateful that you understand that!
Love,
Rob and Linda
Golf Outing Thank You:
Dear Friends,
Once again we search for the words to thank you for being part of Steve’s golf outing. “Thank you” never seems like enough, but we hope you know how sincerely it’s meant! Unless you’re on the receiving end of such an event, we don’t think you can comprehend the emotional support it provides.
The other day we dropped some things off at the golf course and one man there commented to another that they were for “Steve’s Army.” That stopped us in our tracks. Even though we still say that and have shirts with that printed on them, it has been awhile since we really thought about what it means. If you look up the word “army” you’ll get all the predictable definitions, and then one that says, “a large body of people united for a specific purpose.” That’s a good start, but you are much more than that.
Families who find themselves in situations like ours walk a fine line between asking for help and not wanting to impose on others or make them feel obligated. Please know that it’s something we take very seriously and think about and worry about.
Then things happen to reassure us. You call and ask when the outing is, say how much you’re looking forward to it, tell us you have friends who we have never met coming with you, say that you treasure your outing pictures, send notes and gifts to help support it. We arrive at the golf course and see so many old and new friends. We see names of people who aren’t there, but are helping in many other ways to make it a success. We feel the power of people present and not present, all hoping for nice weather and a wonderful day. When the golfers drive off in the carts, and the realization of how many of you are there hits us…to say that moment is overwhelming is such an understatement.
We always tell people that the outing is fun. We hope you had fun! But you can’t imagine how much more it is than that. It opens up so many doors for Steve, and makes us able to consider so many other ways to help him. Right now he has a busy schedule that includes traditional therapy (PT, OT, Speech), horseback riding, tennis, swimming, massage, and working out at the gym. This year we were also able to purchase a type of seated elliptical that is used in hospitals and many rehab facilities, which is a great cardio workout for him. New ideas come up all the time and they are slowly but surely working. Thankfully they ARE working and we hope you know that you are a huge part of that.
There are many ways to define great people. Their names might be found in newspapers, books, or on television. Or their names might be found on a list at a golf course in Hartland, Michigan. That’s what our family thinks. That’s what our family knows.
As always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of Steve’s Army. We treasure you and your friendship and your support.
Sincerely,
Rob, Linda, Beth, and Steve Percha
Monday, May 30, 2011
Update #125 from Linda and Rob
Good morning, friends. Happy Memorial Day!
Thank you for checking in on this blog, despite the fact that we're so bad about updating it!
Things continue to roll along here. People ask all the time if Steve is getting better and the answer is yes, but it just takes a VERY long time. Sometimes the progress is so slow and small that it catches you off guard when you realize it has happened. All of a sudden we'll notice something and wonder when THAT started. One example is the use of his left arm. It still has a very long way to go, but often he'll lift it or use it without even thinking about it, and that's quite amazing considering where he started!
We are back to horseback riding and the past two weeks have been the best ever. His posture, balance, and ability to hold on with his left hand have greatly improved. We love the horse he rides (Malabar) and make him a special "horse granola" every week. When the lesson is over and we bring the wheelchair in, you can just watch Malabar's eyes as he realizes who Steve is and what treat awaits him! It's hard to describe how wonderful the people there are, too. Many of them are "kids" and show such a level of maturity and support that it's mind boggling. He has so many cheerleaders and friends there...it's a long drive, but we look forward to going every week.
One swimming activity has ended for the summer, so we now take Steve to the YMCA twice each week. Gail and Grams often come with us. We terrify people as we walk him into the pool by going down a ramp...I'm sure they're sure we are going to fall! We make up exercises to do in the pool - nothing you'd find in a therapy book, but they work for us!
The Nu-Step is proving to be a wonderful thing. He often pedals very slowly or just sits for awhile, so it's a time-consuming but valuable activity. We have given him "ownership" of this and rely on him to say when he's ready to stop, take a break, etc. The machine counts the length of time you are actually working out, and he's now up to over 40 minutes. That means he's probably been on the machine for about twice that long. Six months ago his doctor said she didn't know if he'd be able to use that machine, so we're more than a little happy with how things are going!
We've been spending lots of time with a low vision specialist trying to figure out if Steve's eyes are working together. Just when she thinks she's on to something, something changes and we're back to square one! The last visit we just pretty much gave up on the idea of prisms and talked about ways to strengthen his eyes and encourage more scanning without turning his head. Many of these things are simple and we do them already. We also have a computer program to use and are going to try some things with Beth's Kindle and possibly get something like an I-Pad.
We continue on with therapy at Willowbrook two afternoons each week, despite issues with our insurance. Those people are blessings in our lives! Therapy with Steve is hard work, and everyone is exhausted by the end of the day. You can imagine walking the halls with Steve in a walker, someone nudging his feet along, someone keeping his shoulders straight and his hip in, etc., and everyone else cheering him on. Quite a sight! He had an MRI on his shoulder and it showed no injury (probably just a "frozen shoulder" from lack of use), so now they're beating him up in therapy even more than ever!
The wonderful Uncle Dave and his wonderful helpers are busy planning the golf outing. We really can't express to them or to those of you who participate how grateful we are for your support. Without it so many of the things we do for and with Steve would not be possible. Thank you all.
Also...Steve always loves hearing from people, whether by text message or through the mail. Email is a little trickier, but we're working on that. His phone number is 248-770-6092 and our address is 1629 Commerce Pines Dr., Walled Lake, MI 48390. He (and we) would be thankful for any communicating you do with him!
Take care of yourselves and each other. Thanks so much for reading this! Have a wonderful Monday.
Love,
Linda and Rob
Thank you for checking in on this blog, despite the fact that we're so bad about updating it!
Things continue to roll along here. People ask all the time if Steve is getting better and the answer is yes, but it just takes a VERY long time. Sometimes the progress is so slow and small that it catches you off guard when you realize it has happened. All of a sudden we'll notice something and wonder when THAT started. One example is the use of his left arm. It still has a very long way to go, but often he'll lift it or use it without even thinking about it, and that's quite amazing considering where he started!
We are back to horseback riding and the past two weeks have been the best ever. His posture, balance, and ability to hold on with his left hand have greatly improved. We love the horse he rides (Malabar) and make him a special "horse granola" every week. When the lesson is over and we bring the wheelchair in, you can just watch Malabar's eyes as he realizes who Steve is and what treat awaits him! It's hard to describe how wonderful the people there are, too. Many of them are "kids" and show such a level of maturity and support that it's mind boggling. He has so many cheerleaders and friends there...it's a long drive, but we look forward to going every week.
One swimming activity has ended for the summer, so we now take Steve to the YMCA twice each week. Gail and Grams often come with us. We terrify people as we walk him into the pool by going down a ramp...I'm sure they're sure we are going to fall! We make up exercises to do in the pool - nothing you'd find in a therapy book, but they work for us!
The Nu-Step is proving to be a wonderful thing. He often pedals very slowly or just sits for awhile, so it's a time-consuming but valuable activity. We have given him "ownership" of this and rely on him to say when he's ready to stop, take a break, etc. The machine counts the length of time you are actually working out, and he's now up to over 40 minutes. That means he's probably been on the machine for about twice that long. Six months ago his doctor said she didn't know if he'd be able to use that machine, so we're more than a little happy with how things are going!
We've been spending lots of time with a low vision specialist trying to figure out if Steve's eyes are working together. Just when she thinks she's on to something, something changes and we're back to square one! The last visit we just pretty much gave up on the idea of prisms and talked about ways to strengthen his eyes and encourage more scanning without turning his head. Many of these things are simple and we do them already. We also have a computer program to use and are going to try some things with Beth's Kindle and possibly get something like an I-Pad.
We continue on with therapy at Willowbrook two afternoons each week, despite issues with our insurance. Those people are blessings in our lives! Therapy with Steve is hard work, and everyone is exhausted by the end of the day. You can imagine walking the halls with Steve in a walker, someone nudging his feet along, someone keeping his shoulders straight and his hip in, etc., and everyone else cheering him on. Quite a sight! He had an MRI on his shoulder and it showed no injury (probably just a "frozen shoulder" from lack of use), so now they're beating him up in therapy even more than ever!
The wonderful Uncle Dave and his wonderful helpers are busy planning the golf outing. We really can't express to them or to those of you who participate how grateful we are for your support. Without it so many of the things we do for and with Steve would not be possible. Thank you all.
Also...Steve always loves hearing from people, whether by text message or through the mail. Email is a little trickier, but we're working on that. His phone number is 248-770-6092 and our address is 1629 Commerce Pines Dr., Walled Lake, MI 48390. He (and we) would be thankful for any communicating you do with him!
Take care of yourselves and each other. Thanks so much for reading this! Have a wonderful Monday.
Love,
Linda and Rob
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Update 124 from Rob and Lin
We have thought long and hard about how to start the first update of the new year. Now it is already past the 3 year "anniversary" of Steve's injury. Hope this note finds you enjoying springtime!
The winter has been a trying time for Steve, as he gets better, he also seems to "get better" at catching whatever is going around. Through it all, Steve's determination is unwavering and he is making gains, especially in speech.
Looking back at the statements that were made when Steve was at Med-Rehab: "he will always need a speech machine," " he won't progress much past what he is now" we see just how wrong any prognosis can be, and it gives more proof that people do recover from injuries like this. Steve's massage therapists have also made their mark in his vocal improvement. Just another reason to encourage people with brain injuries to attempt interaction with others.
The left arm and hand are becoming more useful and definitely not as "tight". Unfortunately as these parts "come back" the associated cramps and muscle pain accompanies. This is just what happened when Steve's legs started working again and we look forward to continual improvement.
We appear to have curbed Steve's continual weight gain as he has stayed stable for two months now. Steve has always lacked cardio exercise and we have tried several types of equipment that have all proven unacceptable. We cleaned house and sold them all and finally bought a seated elliptical called a NuStep. Steve is using this regularly now and we hope it will help all of us lose some weight. We also have a Mat Table now thanks to our neighbor Steve C and it allows us to get Steve into stretching positions on his stomach that were previously not possible and to allow for a better massage.
We still believe that the weight has been the single factor in hurting his progress in walking. We now have a floatation vest that Steve wears when swimming at the YMCA and it allows him to almost walk without assistance.
After a 3 month hiatus from horseback riding, Steve is now back at Banbury Cross riding Malabar. We do this on Tuesdays now. We can tell his core strength diminished somewhat when he was away from this and are sure it will return once we get a few more sessions under our belt. His instructor had to take time off to have her first child and seems more determined than ever to make up for lost time. We should also report that "Mom" and new baby are doing fine. We realize that it takes special people to balance their personal life with patient responsibilities and we are forever grateful for those that can do this. Thanks Jess, but also Thank You to all of you that interact with Steve! Please know that whatever you do- text, visit, provide therapy, swim, golf at the outing........ these gifts you provide have helped Steve immeasurably and we would be lost without You!
We have also noticed gains with the "left neglect issue." Just last month we noticed that Steve is able to hold his head straight and move just his eyes fully left. This is a marked improvement as before, to see anything on the left, he had to turn his head left but his eyes would stay to the right. Steve is also able to recognize items on his left when he does this. For example, he can look left and hit or throw a tennis ball to Rob, or match playing cards that are put on his left with those in his hand. We have to coach him to do these things but before the last two months they were impossible.
Beth managed to come in last month and we all went to dinner at a restaurant in Brighton. Imagine our surprise when she came over to us and said that Steve ordered a beer!! The first one in 3 years! He only took a few sips and said that he liked the idea of it more than the taste, but we always enjoy those "normal" moments.
Steve's aunts, uncles, and grandma have informed us that there will be another Golf Outing this June on the 25th. We look forward to seeing all of you again and thank you for your support of our son.
Please take care of yourselves and each other, and know how grateful we are that you continue to read this blog! Love, Rob and Linda
The winter has been a trying time for Steve, as he gets better, he also seems to "get better" at catching whatever is going around. Through it all, Steve's determination is unwavering and he is making gains, especially in speech.
Looking back at the statements that were made when Steve was at Med-Rehab: "he will always need a speech machine," " he won't progress much past what he is now" we see just how wrong any prognosis can be, and it gives more proof that people do recover from injuries like this. Steve's massage therapists have also made their mark in his vocal improvement. Just another reason to encourage people with brain injuries to attempt interaction with others.
The left arm and hand are becoming more useful and definitely not as "tight". Unfortunately as these parts "come back" the associated cramps and muscle pain accompanies. This is just what happened when Steve's legs started working again and we look forward to continual improvement.
We appear to have curbed Steve's continual weight gain as he has stayed stable for two months now. Steve has always lacked cardio exercise and we have tried several types of equipment that have all proven unacceptable. We cleaned house and sold them all and finally bought a seated elliptical called a NuStep. Steve is using this regularly now and we hope it will help all of us lose some weight. We also have a Mat Table now thanks to our neighbor Steve C and it allows us to get Steve into stretching positions on his stomach that were previously not possible and to allow for a better massage.
We still believe that the weight has been the single factor in hurting his progress in walking. We now have a floatation vest that Steve wears when swimming at the YMCA and it allows him to almost walk without assistance.
After a 3 month hiatus from horseback riding, Steve is now back at Banbury Cross riding Malabar. We do this on Tuesdays now. We can tell his core strength diminished somewhat when he was away from this and are sure it will return once we get a few more sessions under our belt. His instructor had to take time off to have her first child and seems more determined than ever to make up for lost time. We should also report that "Mom" and new baby are doing fine. We realize that it takes special people to balance their personal life with patient responsibilities and we are forever grateful for those that can do this. Thanks Jess, but also Thank You to all of you that interact with Steve! Please know that whatever you do- text, visit, provide therapy, swim, golf at the outing........ these gifts you provide have helped Steve immeasurably and we would be lost without You!
We have also noticed gains with the "left neglect issue." Just last month we noticed that Steve is able to hold his head straight and move just his eyes fully left. This is a marked improvement as before, to see anything on the left, he had to turn his head left but his eyes would stay to the right. Steve is also able to recognize items on his left when he does this. For example, he can look left and hit or throw a tennis ball to Rob, or match playing cards that are put on his left with those in his hand. We have to coach him to do these things but before the last two months they were impossible.
Beth managed to come in last month and we all went to dinner at a restaurant in Brighton. Imagine our surprise when she came over to us and said that Steve ordered a beer!! The first one in 3 years! He only took a few sips and said that he liked the idea of it more than the taste, but we always enjoy those "normal" moments.
Steve's aunts, uncles, and grandma have informed us that there will be another Golf Outing this June on the 25th. We look forward to seeing all of you again and thank you for your support of our son.
Please take care of yourselves and each other, and know how grateful we are that you continue to read this blog! Love, Rob and Linda
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