and life goes on

I found out yesterday that a previous client died at her home in Nokesville without warning.  This seemingly healthy young wife and mother home-schooled her two young sons and lived life for her family. Apparently while taking her morning bath, she just stopped breathing.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband and two young sons as they try to cope with their family’s tragedy.

I guess dealing with so much loss over the last few weeks and the accompanying sadness has left me feeling at a ”loss” for words.  For all of us it is challenging to act like everything is ok when it isn’t, and as much as we wonder how we move forward, we do. We must, because life does go on.

With no updates for a while – where do I begin?  How about the visit to the Neuropsychologist…

Seventeen pages of assessment and commentary of Michael’s brain after the six page preliminary questionnaire and a four hour testing appointment. It is worth what it’s worth.  Hopefully an avenue to receiving some sort of disability assistance for Michael.  As the pile of medical bills continue to rise, we are still praying that his application for assistance will be reviewed and approved. 

This is no joke. The life he had planned, the life he knew before is over. My very intelligent son made a horrible decision one night to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking and he will never be the same. BUT again, life goes on.

With this blog we have been able to keep you up to date with his progress.  We’ve been able to share the journey from day 1.  Through this blog we are able to reach out to you and ask for prayers for healing.  We are so grateful for the support we have received and thankfully, I hear that the video and Michael’s story are touching and possibly changing people’s lives.  A way to pay it forward.

Along the way, I have often invaded Michael’s privacy by sharing details that aren’t always what we want to hear about his injuries.  I think it’s important though to share the neuro pysch test.

The injuries Michael sustained to his brain were undeniably debilitating but what we learned was the measure of damage. The numbers on the tests reveal an almost unrepairable decrease in brain function in the right  hemisphere.  The report says that although Michael’s overall intelligence still tests above average, the functionality of that intelligence has been significantly reduced.  The tests show that he may have an inability to analyze and synthesize information, that processing information is at an impaired level, at a reduced rate. Reasoning has been greatly affected – without balanced hemispheres, a stronger left hemisphere results in convergent thinking – rigid, single conclusions.

Pragmatic problems like impaired social judgment and poor comprehension of abstract conversation – jokes, sarcasm, etc. The affects being an inability to understand what people are feeling and with little awareness of how his behavior affects others. The report says that Michael may have difficulty maintaining relationships with family and friends because of a diminished self-awareness and social insensitivity. If you ask Emily, Michael’s lack of sensitivity at times makes him difficult to live with. 

The neuropsych tests exposed many things we already knew – for example, lacking the self-awareness of impairment and setting unrealistic goals.  For now though, this lack of self-awareness helps fend off depression.  The doctor said however when it does develop, it can be more chronic, debilitating, and difficult to treat.

He said at this point in his recovery, Michael would not be able to hold down the most menial job. That his memory would prohibit him from learning or retaining  new information. That he is probably having a hard time keeping friends because the injuries he sustained can be so misunderstood.  The left hemisphere single mindedness that would cause him to be egocentric, the inability to initiate or join in conversation makes him seem disinterested.  Friends will tire of trying to figure him out or bring him out.  Basically, lose patience and go on with their non-brain injured lives. He said it was the expected course after brain injury.

Not the news we were hoping to hear of course, but neither was the news we heard at Fairfax Hospital in October, a little over nine months ago.  “If your son survives, he’ll most likely be in a coma – up to or at least six months.  If he comes out of this, he’ll probably be a vegetable. Don’t get your hopes up”.

Well, he was in a coma a little less than 30 days.  He’s not a vegetable (far from it) and we DID get our hopes up….and… guess what, HOPE IS STILL ALIVE!

We read in the Intellectual Devotional every day.  Ask Michael, he’ll tell you about some of the “new information” he’s learned.  He may not be able to remember everything he hears or reads, but he’s getting better.  He is driven and engaged in his own recovery. He is learning skills to help him remember.  He plays brain exercising games, does work sheets to relearn math skills.  He believes in himself.  Friends are you done?  Have you given up on him?  I think not. 

As I said back in November when they kept telling us not to have too much hope for recovery, that what we saw as hopeful, what we felt meant nothing…”you don’t know us, you don’t know Michael Rosner”  We LOVE. We HOPE. We BELIEVE. 

xxoo

LIVESTRONG Michael