Paul update - Day 25

Day 25 – Sunday 7 December

Another relatively quiet weekend day.

As there is no physio or anything at weekends there is very little for Paul to do so we tried to get in a little earlier today. Paul and Pat played a couple of games of pairs; a number of pairs of cards are put face down on the table and each player has to look at 2 cards in turn and try to find a pair. If the 2 they pick are not a pair they are put back face down. This is quite a simple game, but is good for exercising Paul’s memory as he has to try and remember where the cards are.

The nurses recommend that Paul sits in his wheelchair for a couple of hours every day so we took him over to the WRVS cafe for an hour or so and then Andrew, Eilidh and Amy arrived. Pat and I left them to it and then it was time for supper again!

One or two of you have asked for the address of where Paul is, which is as follows:

Maidencraig Rehabilitation Unit
Woodend Hospital
Aberdeen
AB15 6LS
Tel: 01224 556216

The other thing that has happened is that yesterday Paul asked for his phone which we took in this morning; he read his text messages OK and started to send the odd text so all being well you should be able to send him text messages if you want to. With his double vision he got quite tired looking at the phone and it was obviously a bit of a strain, so I guess he won’t be it using that much but I am sure he would welcome the odd text but it may take a little while for him to reply.

Final thing to note is that Paul has a couple of appointments at the ARI on TUESDAY 9 DECEMBER so he won’t be at Maidencraig during the day. The first appointment is at 1000 (X-Ray) and then he has an appointment with the ophthalmologist at 1400 for his double vision. It is therefore quite likely that he won’t be back until quite late and will probably be quite tired so it might be better to avoid visiting that day if possible.

Not really much else to report today except that once again Paul seemed relatively quiet and subdued today, but I guess that might be because he is tired?

Paul update - Day 24

Day 24 – Saturday 6 December

As mentioned yesterday, Mark and I left just after 6 to go to the Haughton for Mike’s 25 year dinner leaving Pat with Paul. After we had left, Eilidh, Neil (Eilidh’s brother), Andrew and Tom came in to visit and as promised, Andrew brought him a kebab! They stayed with him until the end of visiting and by the time they left he had managed to eat most of the kebab.

The weekends at Maidencraig are similar to the ARI in that there is no physio or any other activities going on so we arrived to find Paul watching Star Wars. One of the nurses spoke to us and said that Paul needs to do some exercises to improve his short term memory and suggested some simple memory card games that would help. We didn’t have any normal playing cards with us so we played a couple of games of Uno and then started to watch Kung Fu Panda!

Paul dozed off after a while and then Ben (Ward) and David (Murdoch) popped in to see him. Pat and I left them to it for a while and when we got back Bill Roadnight (from the Museum) and Eilidh and Anna arrived. We sat chatting until it was supper time and Eilidh and Anna left, so Mark, Pat and I went for ANOTHER cup of tea (and a plate of chips to help get rid of the taste of the tea!) Supper tonight was Turkey casserole followed by semolina (double yuk!) but apparently he ate it??!! Mind you, once he got back to the room he had his now usual fare of chocolate, cake, strawberries, chocolate, biscuits, chocolate.....

We took in the Aberdeen version of Monopoly but didn’t get around to playing it today, so we might have a go tomorrow.

One of the nurses pointed us at a couple of web sites about brain injuries so if you want more information you should find it here:

www.neuroskills.com or www.headway.org.uk

Paul update - Day 23

Day 23 – Friday 5 December

Not much to report today; we arrived at our usual time to find Paul asleep following a busy morning of occupational health and physiotherapy. We let him sleep for a while but he still had his specs on so I tried very carefully to remove them without disturbing him, but he woke up. This is one major change we have noticed with Paul – it no longer takes the detonation of a thermo nuclear device beside his bedside to wake him, he now wakes quite readily, is wide awake virtually straight away and is not grumpy; let’s hope this remains! He had managed to shave himself this morning but used his wet razor rather than his electric one and had managed quite well with only a couple of minor nicks!

We chatted for a while about what he had done that morning and then Anna and Amy arrived so we left them for a while to chat without us; they left around 1530 and then Liz (from work) arrived armed with a bag of cakes and drinks, and then Carolyn and Alan (Stu’s Mum and Dad) arrived armed with some J2Os for Paul – that should all keep him going until tomorrow!

He is now talking quite well and we are noticing small but positive improvements every day. We were discussing the days before the accident and his recollection is getting better; he can now remember the day of the accident and remembered that we had to get part of the engine management system on his car replaced on the day of the accident (which I have just paid for!) and then he told us that he wanted to see what the car looked like. We asked him if he was sure and he said yes so we showed him the pictures, but we were not sure at the time whether he registered that it was his car and that he had been driving it. It was very difficult to know whether to show him or not but I guess if it helps him to understand why he is in the situation he now finds himself then it is OK? He said later that he didn’t think the car looked as bad as he expected so that shows that it probably had sunk in and he asked to see the pictures again. His short term memory is still not very good though so it will be interesting to see if he remembers tomorrow; unless he asks we don’t intend to let him see them again.

Supper tonight was Chicken Tikka Masala and chocolate mousse – and this was after cakes, tea, chocolate etc. during the afternoon.

I left a little early today with Mark as we were going to a dinner to celebrate Mike Ward’s 25 years as curator of the Transport Museum so I am not sure what else he had to eat after I had left or who else came to visit.

So, in summary, another good day with slow but steady improvement.

Paul update - Day 22

Day 22 – Thursday 4 December

Bit of a harrowing morning today – we were up early as Pat had a dental appointment in Aboyne so we took the opportunity to drive up to Huntly to collect the few personal possessions that Paul had left in the car; a few CDs, glasses case and the like so this was the first time I had seen the car. It only reinforced how lucky Paul has been.....

He was quite tired when we arrived today but he was sitting up in bed watching the Simpsons Movie again as he wasn’t able to get up and change the DVD! I bought a few more in for him so he sat and watched a few minutes of Tinselworm – the new Bill Bailey DVD; Paul had been to Glasgow with Stuart and his Dad to see the show a few weeks ago so he was quite pleased that I had managed to get the DVD. No sooner had it started though when they came in to take him off for more physio. He is getting steadier on his feet already and gaining in confidence so I reckon that within a few days he might be able to get in and out of his wheelchair unaided and become a little more independent – there’ll be no stopping him then!

His speech is also improving, his voice is getting louder and he is now able to string sentences together quite well but often forgets words. As far as we know he hasn’t had any speech therapy yet, so once that starts it should improve even more.

When he got back from physio we took him to the WRVS cafe for a cup of tea and his face lit up when he saw the Ginsters chicken & mushroom slices on the shelf (yuk!) and even more so when he saw a box full of Pepperamis! So he munched his way through those (the chicken slice and one pepperami, not the box of pepperamis....) and a cup of tea (his appetite is definitely unaffected!) and then Amy joined us. Shortly afterwards Stuart’s Mum Carolyn popped in briefly to see him on the way into town and after we had finished our tea we went back to his room and played a couple of games of Uno. He managed very well so be warned that if you visit you may get roped in for a game! This will be good for Paul as he needs to concentrate on what he is doing and holding the cards helps his co-ordination and dexterity so there are lots of benefits. He won 2 out of the 3 games we played so he obviously hasn’t lost the knack of playing!

And then it was supper time – as usual we had to go away so guess what – we went and had a cup of tea! (I’m getting fed up of tea!). His supper tonight was Stovies, beetroot and oatcakes with jelly and ice cream for pudding. Enough, you would think, to feed a horse but no...

When we got back we found him sitting at the sink in his room brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed and he asked us to wash his hair, which was quite tricky in the sink and we all ended up getting quite wet!

No sooner had he got into bed (with a clean T shirt on) when he announced he was hungry. He then munched his way through 2 M&S jellies – half of which ended up on his clean T shirt - the Tuna and Sweet corn sandwich that we bought for lunch but didn’t eat, the last cake that Naseem made for him yesterday (there were 6 last night!) and a bottle of apple juice!

Andrew and Scott then arrived and brought him some grapes and apple turnovers, but even he couldn’t manage them at the time but I guess they might be gone by the morning!

He seemed a bit subdued today, but I guess he was tired with all the physio, so we spent the rest of the evening watching Bill Bailey and then left him to go to sleep.

Oh, and he had a chocolate donut before we left....

Paul update - Day 21

Day 21 – Wednesday 3 December

Three weeks on and everyone is amazed at how well Paul is doing. One of the occupational therapists said today that Paul had gone to Maidencraig far earlier than they would have expected following the severity of his injury, and this evening one of the nurses said that after 10 days in a coma and having been conscious for just over 10 days Paul has made remarkable progress. His speech is improving every day and the physio he is getting is already starting to help.

As he is in a private room on his own, Paul is allowed a television and although the hospital provided one, it was relatively old and could only receive terrestrial stations. Also, it had no remote control and as it was over the far side of the room and Paul is not able to get up on his own, he could not change the channels or volume. We therefore called in at Tesco on the way in and got a small TV with built in Freeview and a DVD player which he was very pleased with – he was starting to get bored so he can now watch Dave / Top Gear and some DVDs as well – he has The Simpsons Movie, Wall E and QI to watch and Andrew has lent him a few, so with the physio and stuff he does in the morning and the TV / DVD he should have plenty to keep him occupied.

When we arrived at Maidencraig the occupational health nurse and doctor were with him so we went into the day room and met Suzanne. Shortly afterwards Euan arrived and Paul was on good form, chatting, laughing, joking and reminiscing with everyone.

He had been for physio during the morning and they had concentrated on his arms and legs so with this consistent attention he will continue to gain strength. They have also given him some more special cream for his arm and this is working really well and looks a whole lot better.

We spoke to the doctor this afternoon and he said that over the next couple of weeks they will continue to assess Paul to determine the extent of the damage that has been caused. Once they have made their assessment they will then have a formal discussion with us to let us know what sort of rehabilitation he requires, for how long and what the long term picture looks like.

Andrew and Donald arrived around 3 and spent most of the afternoon with us, and they left with Suzanne just as Paul was getting ready for supper.

I know we keep saying it, but he truly has made remarkable progress so we are gaining confidence that he will make a good recovery and we will do whatever it takes to help him along. The support that we have received from everyone has been truly amazing and I am convinced that having so many friends visiting has contributed significantly to his progress so thanks again to you all. Thanks too for the comments on the Blog – keep them up - especially Stuart who always manages to make us smile!

We are still hopeful that we will get him home for Christmas even if only for the day so if we do, we will probably have open house rather than take him out and about so we will let you know nearer the time how things are going. If he is still at Maidencraig, we can bring in Christmas dinner for him but hopefully he will be home!

We left him munching a pink iced cup cake that Suzanne bought in for him, watching the Simpsons Movie and looking quite at home!!

With any luck the adverse weather forecast for tomorrow won’t be too bad and we will be able to get in and see him.....

Paul update - Day 20

Day 20 – Tuesday 2 December

The ARI rang this morning to confirm that Paul was moving to the Maidencraig Rehabilitation Unit at Woodend today, but they could not get an ambulance so he would be transported in a hospital minibus.  As a result, they wanted one of us to accompany Paul so we went to the hospital around 11 and sat with him until after lunch. He left the ARI around 2 and Pat went in the minibus with him and I took the car. 

This was the first time Paul had been out since the accident and he chose one of the coldest days of the year so I think he felt the cold – especially after the heat in the hospital!  He was very uneasy in the back of the minibus because although his wheelchair was secured, it still moved around a little and he wasn’t too happy.  Nonetheless, they arrived safely and he was put into a nice bright single room; this will be his new home for the time being so it will be a pleasant change from the hustle and bustle of the ARI.

The Unit seems very relaxed and very friendly; Paul was introduced to a lad of around 19 who has a similar but possibly more serious head injury so it will be good for both of them to have someone of a similar age and in a similar situation to chat with.

The next couple of hours was taken up with the process of admission – Paul managed to answer all of the questions such as his name, date of birth, address etc. without help which was brilliant – and then the physios and occupational health nurses came to assess him.  I think they were all impressed at the progress he has made but it was quite a shock for us to see exactly how difficult he found standing and taking a couple of steps from the bed to the wheelchair; he couldn’t really move his right leg very much at all and was very unsteady on his feet. I think that seeing him and chatting to him in bed for the last 10 days or so has given us a false sense of how the injury has affected him; we are still confident that he will be able to learn to walk again but as I have said before, it will take a long time. 

Charles popped in to visit during the afternoon and was pleased to see his progress.

Rather than have meals in bed, they encourage the patients to sit at the dinner table in the day room so Paul was taken off for dinner at 5 which I think both he and us found quite difficult; we had to lose ourselves for an hour but it is good for him to integrate with the other patients so I guess this will be a regular occurrence.

After all this excitement though Paul was extremely tired and dozed off soon after dinner.  Unfortunately Eilidh, Anna, Andrew and Aaron arrived just after Paul had gone to sleep and he remained fast asleep for the majority of the time they were there. Although he half opened his eyes, he was absolutely shattered so we all left him to sleep for the night. Sorry guys!

Visiting: Maidencraig is a separate Unit within Woodend hospital off the Lang Stracht; the building is virtually opposite the main entrance to the hospital and Paul is currently in Room 1 – the first room on the left as you walk in.  Parking seems to be slightly easier than at the ARI – having said that there weren’t many spaces when we arrived but I didn’t have to wait for 45 minutes to get in – and it is free.  Visiting times are 1400-1700 and 1800-2000. He has supper between 1700 and 1800 so we will probably go to the staff canteen (in the Nurses home) where we can get some food and tea / coffee so if you arrive between 1700 and 1800 that is probably where we will be.  As he is in a room on his own, they don’t seem to worry about the number of people at his bedside as long as we are not too rowdy and don’t disturb anyone!

So, the next stage of his recovery is underway but if today is anything to go by, he has some hard tiring work ahead of him!        

 

Paul update - Day 19

Day 19 – Monday 1 December

GOOD NEWS – PAUL IS MOVING TO WOODEND (Maidencraig) TOMORROW – so don’t come to the ARI to see him ‘cos he won’t be there!!

More of that later though....back to today. We arrived at around 1130 – the same time as Andrew – to find Paul wide awake and quite alert. Over the weekend he had been very tired but evidently he had a good night’s sleep last night so he was back to his near normal smiley old self!

He chatted to Andrew for a while and then one of the speech therapists arrived and spoke to Paul.  She gave him some tips about how to speak more clearly; his mind is working quite quickly now but his mouth is struggling to keep up so if he is trying to say a sentence, it tends to merge into a mumble. The speech therapist gave him some tips about how to pace himself such as tapping a rhythm with his hand as he speaks to regulate what he is saying and although she was only with him for a few minutes, it definitely helped.  Once he gets up to Maidencraig and gets more dedicated therapy, he should come on leaps and bounds.

Andrew left a short while before lunch, which was tuna salad with a croissant; seems like a strange mix but he thoroughly enjoyed it.....he seems to eat anything and everything that is given to him and things that he wouldn’t touch before like coleslaw and tomato, he now eats without a second thought!

After lunch we had to get him ready for his trip to the gym for some physio and just as he finished getting dressed he announced that he needed a s**t!

Erm, NURSE – HELP!

Anyway, that was satisfactorily dealt with so it was off to the gym.

The plan before the decision to move him was that they were concentrating on his torso to build some strength and they also tried to get him walking a short distance today, but this is still a struggle for him.  They were going to print off some sheets for him tomorrow detailing some exercises that he can do in bed and for us to work through with him so that they can concentrate on the standing exercises in the gym, but we will have to see whether the plan at Maidencraig is the same?

His concentration span is also much improved and he was listening to Mark’s iPod for quite a while this afternoon; he was even changing tracks and turning the volume up and down without help so his co-ordination and dexterity is definitely improving.

We saw the neurosurgeon this afternoon and he gave us the results of the MRI scan.  Basically he said it showed exactly what he expected which was a number of areas of bruising but the main injury is to the left hand side – there was a technical term for this but neither of us can remember what it was.  He added that Paul is making an excellent recovery and estimates that within about 6 months Paul should be able to do pretty much everything he could before.  The swelling should take about 6 weeks to go down so he will improve steadily over that time; the rest of his recovery will come from the rehabilitation programme. 

Although it is clear that Paul’s injury was extremely serious – every time we have a conversation with the neurosurgeon it brings us back down to earth with a bump about Paul’s injury – the good news is that there is nothing in the MRI that gives any cause for concern so we continue to thank our lucky stars and remember back 3 short weeks and how far we have come.

So, just to confirm, all we know at the moment is that Paul is being moved to the rehabilitation unit at Woodend / Maidencraig sometime tomorrow.  The care he has received at the ARI has been excellent and all of the nurses and doctors have been first class, having said that though it is good news that he is now moving into the next stage of his recovery.

Unfortunately we don’t know what time he is moving or what the visiting times are (we have to ring in the morning) but I will stick the info on here as soon I can once we find out. Whilst we (and Paul) would be delighted to see you I would hate you to have a wasted journey so it might be best to wait until Wednesday to visit? I will try and send a text message as well but please can you pass this message on to anyone who may not look at the blog and who may want to visit. 

Thanks.