August 24, 2017 10:20 pm
It's a party now. Not only did Paul come home from Cali earlier today, but Grandma Beecroft flew in from the Tri-Cities, and Heidi and Passion, two of Josh's friends, flew in from Portland. We are all just going crazy here at Craig now!!!!
Josh started the day again throwing up. No one knows why, but Mary suspects hydrocephalus. Paul thinks it might have been just because he was laying nearly flat on his back when they were pumping food and medicine into his stomach tube.
Our best friend at the hospital, Stacey, was discharged today. 😢 Her son, Matt, left Josh his Roku so we can enjoy some HBO and Netflix here. Thanks to the Ortiz/Margulies family!! We wish them well as they continue their "adventure" in Miami.
We (Paul by telephone) met with our case worker this morning and she gave us a new discharge date of Sep 28 (but this may still slip). She also again recommended that we take Josh to an in-patient rehab center in Portland after he is discharged from Craig. We are working on that paperwork now.
Mary met again later with "the team" today to discuss Josh's situation. We reviewed Josh's MRI film and discussed his hydrocephalus. The film clearly shows that fluid buildup in the front of his brain, which is why they are allowing the hydrocephalus to run rampant in his ventricles. By "inflating" the ventricles, they are hoping the fluid outside of his brain in the front will be forced to drain. If not, we'll have to consider more drastic medical intervention. There is also now a question as to whether Josh's amnesia is post-traumatic or caused by the hypoxia (lack of oxygen) he experienced at the time of the accident. We hope the former because there is a much better chance of recovery in that situation.
We got a little excited tonight when Josh was apparently able to subtract five from 24 to come up with 19 (his birth day) but then we quickly deflated when he couldn't add seven and three. When Paul asked him how old he is, he said "I have hydrocephalus," which surprised us all.
It's a party now. Not only did Paul come home from Cali earlier today, but Grandma Beecroft flew in from the Tri-Cities, and Heidi and Passion, two of Josh's friends, flew in from Portland. We are all just going crazy here at Craig now!!!!
Josh started the day again throwing up. No one knows why, but Mary suspects hydrocephalus. Paul thinks it might have been just because he was laying nearly flat on his back when they were pumping food and medicine into his stomach tube.
Our best friend at the hospital, Stacey, was discharged today. 😢 Her son, Matt, left Josh his Roku so we can enjoy some HBO and Netflix here. Thanks to the Ortiz/Margulies family!! We wish them well as they continue their "adventure" in Miami.
We (Paul by telephone) met with our case worker this morning and she gave us a new discharge date of Sep 28 (but this may still slip). She also again recommended that we take Josh to an in-patient rehab center in Portland after he is discharged from Craig. We are working on that paperwork now.
Mary met again later with "the team" today to discuss Josh's situation. We reviewed Josh's MRI film and discussed his hydrocephalus. The film clearly shows that fluid buildup in the front of his brain, which is why they are allowing the hydrocephalus to run rampant in his ventricles. By "inflating" the ventricles, they are hoping the fluid outside of his brain in the front will be forced to drain. If not, we'll have to consider more drastic medical intervention. There is also now a question as to whether Josh's amnesia is post-traumatic or caused by the hypoxia (lack of oxygen) he experienced at the time of the accident. We hope the former because there is a much better chance of recovery in that situation.
We got a little excited tonight when Josh was apparently able to subtract five from 24 to come up with 19 (his birth day) but then we quickly deflated when he couldn't add seven and three. When Paul asked him how old he is, he said "I have hydrocephalus," which surprised us all.
Miami! More reason for y'all to visit.
ReplyDeleteWow, Josh is full of surprises. Hydrocephalus isn't a word you just pull out of thin air. Does this mean he is more aware of what's happening, or is it not a good idea to feel hopeful due to that?
Good question, Emily. (This is Paul.) At times it seems that Josh knows what is going on with him, but he usually seems oblivious. He has recently taken to studying himself in the mirror. We think this is more than just narcissism. We think he is noticing his bad eye the scar over his right eye, and the MASSIVE scar that goes from ear to ear over the top of his head. One of the hardest things about this situation is that we're never sure what is going on inside his head.
DeleteWish I could be there with you guys again. Stay strong, my man!!!! We love you.
ReplyDelete