Family Meeting

Mike and I met with the therapists at Mt. Vernon yesterday and had a lengthy discussion about their goals and expectations for his rehabilitation.  His official discharge date is May 23 with a report to the insurance company that they would like to re-evaluate his progress within the calendar year.

They feel a 12 week hiatus from the clinical environment (fewer professionals involved with Mike’s recovery) putting more responsibility on the family and friends but in particular Mike himself, will add fuel to the recovery fire.  It is time to re-join life outside rehab. 

They emphasized that therapy doesn’t stop just because he will not be attending the Bridge Program.  It is important that each day is structured and includes a schedule for exercising and challenging memory, initiation, planning and sequencing with continued focus on regaining independent thinking.  They have always empowered us with tools for home use and in the remaining couple of weeks they will be there to answer any questions we may have. 

You can tell that they really care about Mike and realize that he has the potential to take this all the way.  From a clinical standpoint however, there needs to be time for us/Mike to work on recovering in “real life” and outside of the therapeutic environment.  We just have to make sure we understand and are ready for the responsibility we’re about to take on.  We’re a long way from what anyone would consider “recovered” but healing from a severe traumatic brain injury isn’t quite like recovering from a broken leg.  We knew from the start that we were in it for the long haul.  We also knew that Mike was in it to win it.

It will take a village.  We can do it.  Michael can do it.
xxoo