CliffordK

That may well be a good idea, although I've observed that most visitors aren't that rambunctious and go by the patient's needs, and are also cognisant of others around them. Single or double rooms?

The biggest issue is the intrusiveness of patient monitors. Taking vitals, and checking in on the patients (which is why they're in the hospital). Fortunately many of the basic vitals can be monitored remotely.

Reynolds 

Glad to hear he's been moved from ICU! That place is needed of course, but the sooner you get out of it, the better.

Maelochs

yeah ... i expected good news but it is still a relief when it arrives.

LAJ

Thank you for keeping us updated, Machka. Positive and healing thoughts to you and Rowan.

Machka 

BTW - Rowan's medical staff were quite pleased with his progress regarding breathing on his own.

The first day they had him breathing on his own for an hour, but he was very tired by the end of that. They've explained to me that breathing actually does take some effort.

By the next day he did 8 hours on his own, and then the following day, he started breathing on his own and has just continued.

I've chatted with them about it, and we think that Rowan's fitness level (all the cycling!) helped.

DougRNS

HardyWeinberg

Outstanding!

Wanderer

Our prayers for both of you. May He hold both of you Dear!

Carbonfiberboy 

Great news!

CliffordK

It is pretty early now, but keep the bike forums community in mind if you need help finding trikes, tandems, or have other accessibility needs.

Of course, shipping big stuff down-under could be an issue.

Hopefully you're at least able to get in some bike commuting. Don't forget to take care of yourself.

fietsbob

Tracheotomy, does mean he has a breathing tube opening in his neck, into the trachea.

so as i see other survivors , have to cover it to direct air past the vocal chords to talk .

but might be able to ride the bike after a bit of Physical therapy , just a little slower..


Best wishes from Astoria...






...

CliffordK

Usually a Tracheotomy/Tracheostomy following trauma is a temporary procedure, and is less invasive than intubation for awake/alert patients. It likely will be closed before Rowan is released from the hospital.

fietsbob

we shall see.. at least he wasn't smoking, sometimes those folks are bypassing permanent tissue damage ..

I'm Not in the medical field, My mother was a Surgery RN, I'm certainly getting my 'frequent flier' miles in,
between the coast and Portland VA in the shuttle van, provided for Vets..
I see folks from Eugene using the one from there , in the entry lobby..



...

BobbyG

Machka, I have been following your thread about Rowan's fall and recovery so far. I don't know what words would help, but I wanted to let you know I was wishing for both of you the best outcome possible, which I am hoping is a full recovery.

Cougrrcj

Seriously, keep the spirits up!
Milo

Midland

God speed on your family's journey to recovery.

Machka 

Yes ... that's it.

I think they're actually hoping to have it out in the next 2-3 weeks but there will be several steps to accomplish before that point.

Theoretically, I think they could attach something so that Rowan could talk with it in, but he isn't at that level yet. He hasn't shown any interest in trying to communicate.

He's also still very dependent (he's in the high dependency section of the neurosurgical ward ... 1 nurse to 2 patients) ... so he's being tube fed etc. And while he will does move his legs and the left arm, it's random, he doesn't do it on command. So there's a long way to go yet.

Machka 

Thank you ... that's what I am hoping for too.

a1penguin

It is rewarding to hear that Rowan is making progress! I continue to send you and Rowan healing energy and strength.

md11mx

Machka,
My prayers to my indigenes Gods are for both of youall repeatedly daily.
Cheers,
David
Way up North

79pmooney

Good news! My first memories were something I heard in ICU (from a lifelong friend who was studying me for his Phd! No visual at all to go with it. I remember nothing else from that week, thankfully especially the room which was a glass walled empty, bare box with a back wall of floor to ceiling electronics. My next memory was in the ward and included visuals. My memories of people were 3 after hearing those words in ICU; my housemate who I barely knew, my riding partner (whose house I was riding to when I crashed) and my charge nurse. They did not include any family. (My mom was practically living at the hospital.)

Machka, don't take offense if Rowan's early recognitions and memories don't include you. There is a huge random factor after brain injuries. The analogy I use for mine is that I was running an ancient DOS computer (my brain) when my accident occurred. The accident was someone pulling the plug. At the time I was running a program I loaded from a friend's floppy disk. He had to leave, so I gave him his disc back and was still running the program in RAM. Plug pulled, that program was gone, all except a few things I happened to save to the hard drive. (For me, that morning, everything was gone but a note my housemate left for me regarding the club we went to the night before to hear music. I remember the note but nothing of the night before.) When the computer got plugged back in, there was some hardware issues that had to be fixed (I came out of the coma but not all my brain's wiring was repaired until one weekend 4 months later I visited a childhood friend. More on this later. I got home and the next morning it was obvious all the wiring was back.)

Now the other huge thing that happened is while the computer was unplugged, the DIR (directory) command disappeared. Now I had a hard drive (brain) full of a lifetime of facts, all stored in directories but no road map to either find or recall all these lost files or even the directory tree. Now, bumbling around on the keyboard, I would occasionally open a directory by accident and stumble on a file. This would start hours or days of recalling that part of my life. (Great to get the memories back, but the process was VERY draining.)

40 years later, I am still stumbling on directories. It doesn't happen often and now a lot of those directories no longer have much significance but the early years it happened a lot, often in such concentrate4de numbers that having an escape that was completely familiar was an incredible Godsend. For me, it was the bike. My first escape was at the end of my first outpatient PT. After the session I asked if I could ride the exercise bike. It was awful! So not my racing bike! And I was so weak I had to turn the resistance down to zero. But after about 5 minutes, I was spinning the pedals at race speed and forgetting about all the new stuff being thrown at me every minute of the 16 hours I was awake each day. The bicycle never stopped being that escape.

Machka, all head injuries are very different. Rowan's won't look remotely like mine. I just spelled out some of my journey so you will be a little more prepared for the crazy non-sequiturs you are going to witness. Hang in there. I'll be praying for both of you.

Ben

OldTryGuy

My wife suffered a "closed head" TBI in our being rear-ended 2007 car crash. To this day she has no recollection of me being at her side at the hospital. Other family members, friends and co-workers......UP she recalls, ME----diddly squat. Only 45 years of marriage this June 2nd and our crash was to the minute we were saying "I DO" exactly 1 week after our anniversary in 2007.

Machka 

Thanks for all of that. I appreciate it and may have more questions as time goes on.

Right now we're going through one or two good days where there seems to be some progress, and one or two days where he either doesn't change or seems to take a step back.

Sleep seems to make a difference. I really do appreciate the strict visiting hours here because he was not sleeping in ICU - so many people coming and going and noise all the time, but apparently he is getting more rest in this next ward, and today for the first time in about 3 days he stayed awake for more than about 10 minutes.

Heathpack 

Thanks for the updates, still sending positive vibes your way.

kaos joe

Machka,

Best wishes from New York. Stay strong.

There is a very small simple device which can be attached to the tracheostomy tube, called a Passy-Muir valve. This is essentially a one way valve which re-directs exhaled air out of the mouth and thus through the vocal cords, rather than out through the tracheostomy. It gives the patient a much improved ability to speak, before the step of actually closing the tracheostomy (decannulation). It can also improve secretion management and oxygenation, by restoring a more normal pattern of airway pressures. Of course Rowan's physician would have to concur that he is ready.