Christmas 2008
Well, it's been more than three months since I have updated Josh's blog. I have to get used to this new format since AOL closed their journal service. This blog is presented by Google. All you have to do is open a Google email account and you're good to go.
The holidays have come and gone, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years... We survived and actually had some fun! Natalie was home from college for nearly a month and the house was full of kids coming and going. Natalie is truly the organizer. She brings people together and it is a wonderful gift. Natalie and Josh's pre-injury girlfriend, Brittany, arranged a get together at the house for Josh's 22nd birthday. Natalie made a few phone calls and voila...lots of Josh's college buddies came over and hung out. It was fun for Josh. They brought him a Charger hat and slippers and lots of lottery tickets. He was delighted. They hung out for a bit and played xbox downstairs. I left them alone.
Brittany was home for the holidays and she came to visit Josh several times. She handled things very well and Josh was genuinely happy to see her. He oftens asks me, "Mom, am I still going out with Brittany?" He's trying to sort things out. They haven't been together in several years, but when she heard of Josh's accident, she immediately was in touch wtih Natalie and followed his progress. Josh was shy and cute in front of her and Brittany said, "Wow, Josh is shy now. He's sweet."
Joshy and Brittany, December 2008
The post-injury Josh is sweet and lovable, very different from before.
Natalie and I went to NYC from the 17th of December to the 21st. We had an incredibly fun time, shopping, going to restaurants and shows and of course going to Rockefeller Center to see the infamous xmas tree with all its glitter and glamour. The city was decorated to the nines in spite of the economy. The department stores were all gorgeously adorned and the sales were incredible, 75% off with scanners all over the stores. Natalie and I had to buy another suitcase for all our purchases. We saw Liza Minnelli at the Palace. They serve wine in tipee cups so you don't spill the stuff all over the place. You're allowed to bring the wine to your seat. So I sipped wine and watched Liza sing and dance. She got a standing ovation. The girl can sing like there is no tomorrow, a real entertainer. We saw In the Heights which won a tony award for best musical last year. We both loved it.
These long weekend excursions are good for me because when I return I am refreshed and ready to handle Josh and his craziness. On the flight to NYC I hit the jackpot. I sat next to a neuropsychologist. He was wildly typing on his laptop and glanced over at me and said something about "reports". I asked him what type of work he did and he said he was a neuropsychologist. He was working on IEP's. We talked about Josh and his injury. We talked about hyperbaric oxygen therapy and various medications. He asked me specifically what Josh's symptoms were and I told him about the maddening perseveration and how he asks me over and over again the same questions, "When am I going back to college?"... "Where's Dad?" He said Josh was experiencing anxiety and said for this type of anoxic injury that Josh should be on twice or three times the dose of Lexapro. He said all antidepressants regenerate brain cells. When I got home from NYC, I googled this guy, checked out his credentials, then called Josh's rehab doctor, Dr. S. Dr. S. increased Josh's dosage to 20 mgs. of Lexapro and guess what? Josh is calmer and more focused. He still asks the questions, but less frequently. I also notice small, subtle changes in him. For example, he'll say, "I really miss Dad" or "I wish Dad were here." This is better than "Where's Dad?" Sometimes before he goes to bed, he'll say, "I miss Dad and Armen. I miss Mary, too." I think Josh's mind is flooded with memories of them and he's still sorting things out. He knows they are gone, but thinks about them all the time. One time after having a cranial sacral massage, Josh just sobbed for about one minute and said, "I really miss Dad..." I thought this was a breakthrough... who knows?
Josh stayed up until 1:30 a.m. after the inauguration. He said "Good" when he saw Bush get on the plane to head to Texas. He thinks Obama is "cool". I asked Josh who the vice president was and he said "John McCain"... Josh definitely makes you laugh. Josh was petting Ruffy on the couch as he was watching the events of the inauguration. He says, "Is Ruffy a negro?" -- crazy Josh. When practicing his speech, his tutor gets a hand mirror and asks Josh, "What do you think this mirror is for?" and Josh says, "To admire myself." "No," Mike says, it's to watch your lips when you talk so you'll learn to open your mouth and enunciate clearly." Josh just laughs. He says to Mike, "Is that your car?" Mike says, "yeah." Josh says, "It's okay for a girl." Then he laughs.
Josh is happy and much sweeter, especially to me. He'll say, "Mom, I love you so much. Thanks for everything." Suddenly, Josh thinks I hung the moon. The other day I took Josh to work with me. He hung out with the guys at Reliable while I went to see my psychologist, Dr. B. When I returned to work and opened the front door, Josh was so happy to see me, he came up to me and hugged me, just like a child again. It's definitely different...
Josh is having HBOT again. We really see a change in Josh after the treatments. He read a book for about 15 minutes after having the treatment. He then went downstairs, turned the television on and was watching the news. This was a first. It's not just flipping on the tv. He had to shut off the xbox, go into the input menu and change from one screen to another. Later that evening, he was watching a movie in his room. He's doing more than just playing xbox. Josh also remembered that he went to HBOT the next morning! This is particularly huge! Remembering what you did the next day is pretty amazing since most of the time Josh's working memory is about 20-25 minutes long. It's weird how he'll remember certain things and not others. Why would he remember going to HBOT but not remember going to an entire Charger game which is so much longer and exciting? Who knows?
Josh knows that Natalie is going to college at Boulder and will always say, "Why aren't I in college?" I'll say, "You know why," and Josh will say "Because of the brain injury?" Josh always asks questions he knows the answers to. Sometimes he'll just look at Zack or Mike Jones and say, "What's your name?" He sees these guys every day. They'll say, "Oh come on, Josh." Then, he'll say, "Mike" or "Zack".
I am working on getting Josh into a swimming program. When he was a kid, he completed the junior lifeguard program and received his certificate. He used to love to boggie board. I play golf with a gal whose son owns the Noonan Family Swim School in Del Mar...so I am working on getting a male instructor for Josh. We need to get that kid in the water again. Josh hasn't been in the water since the injury. He needs to get his fluidity back and swimming would be great therapy.
Josh is taking a class in FeldenKrais yoga which is designed to increase your range of motion. Josh is such a team player. Don takes him to the class on Monday nights. Josh never says, "I don't want to go." He's a sport. Don's been working out with Josh practically every night. Josh is pretty fit. He comes home from the gym soaked. Josh is continuing with his Cognition Ignition program which is helping him cognitively. He's also tutored every day from 3:30 to 5:30. I couldn't ask for a better tutor than Mike Jones. He works with Josh on all kinds of programs including the interative metronome program which helps Josh with his speech and coordination. You set the metronome to a certain speed and as it ticks away, you recite various exercises to the beat. It's all about speech and coordination.
That's it for now, folks! Thanks for listening and Happy New Year!!! xo
