Dear Jeffy: Welcome Home

So, two weeks ago was the post of how my brother came to be in Neuro ICU. Since then, he managed to pull out every tube he was connected to, moved out of ICU and to the Neuro floor, switched to a Private Room, uttered my name, uttered many incoherent sentences, mixed incoherent with preposterous sentences and finally... made many sentences that actually mean something.

His recovery once he moved to his Private Room was as fast as lightning. He had to have a sitter 24/7 because they were afraid that with all of his movement, he would hurt himself. Last weekend, he started packing every time I or my mom went to see him because he believed we were there to pick him up and take him home.

This past Tuesday, my mom was informed that his application for a Neuro Rehab facility was declined because he was "too well". I don't know who made that call, but on Wednesday, my mom had no choice but to take him home to her house.

I've had a couple of long conversations with Jeff and his status as of now is this: He can dial a phone, he has cut a lawn, he gets confused and slurry the later in the day it is and he remembers his email password. He is depressed because a lot of the things he had forgotten are coming back to him (no word yet on HOW this happened, he says he really does not remember) and some memories are probably a little painful for him to re-experience. Yesterday we spent the day with him at my moms and he started many sentences only to have forgotten what he was saying by the end of the sentence. He still remembers how to get to the store and home by himself.

He seems very angry with my mom, and I'm not sure why. I could guess, but I don't want to slander or destroy anyone. Today he's gone bowling with my mom's husband and some of his family.

Overall, his recovery is progressing fantastically, he could probably do a few more things, or, rather, NOT do some things, to mke it even better, but he's so close to being back to himself that even if this is the best we get, we're lucky. He has some problems understanding that there are things that he does that he thinks are funny, that are not. (Like beating Husband with a dirty paper plate)... he does seem more outwardly mean than he ever was before the accident for sure.

I am glad this part of the process is over. There are still many battles ahead for him. He still has to have that part of his skull put back together and he still has to come to terms with many of the things he has forgotten that come back, all over again. He has a long road and, as of yet, he has not begun to look forward. I want to look forward for him, but I can't make him see. I hope he sees it soon.