Sean has a large multi-doctor panel review tomorrow at the Denver V.A. hospital. I took the day off of work because his appointment is at 12:30 pm and that's my normal in time on Mondays. I knew that it would be better for Omee (my mom) and Uncle Sean to have a Mommy/daughter day with Miss Delaney than to have them both try to juggle her and possibly lose focus on his tests. I have no idea what all is involved but it just really hit me that tomorrow is a big day for him. It will be 2 years since his emergency open heart surgery and resulting hypoxic-anoxic brain injury on January 15th. I am so grateful, blessed, honored and thankful to everyone for their thoughts, prayers well wishesm distractions and events of joy you have shared with us that have helped us all get through this challenging time in our lives.
It's hard to believe that's really been almost 2 years. My parents have found out through our research that it's a general rule of thumb that with traumatic brain injuries, generally 2 years is the benchmark for progress and recovery. Anoxic brain injuries or those that are the result of a lack of oxygen to the brain are more unpredictable in their progress and recovery path. Sean began working with the V.A. at the end of October doing Speech therapy via video conference at the facility here in the Springs and meeting with a Physical therapist. From what I understand this multi-panel review will help determine where Sean is in his recovery and where we go from here.
Initially after he came home in May of 2009, he was receiving Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy multiple times a week. When his approved visits were done for the year, I thought we were waiting for his insurance company to re-approve him for the remaining months of his Cobra coverage in 2010 but that never seemed to happen. Not that his insurance company didn't pay more than it's share for his emergency admittance, diagnostics, emergency open heart surgery, stay in the CCC at the Medical Center of Aurora, stay at Triumph, return to the CCC, additional surgery, and finally his stay at Spalding Rehabilitation Center before coming home in May of 2009. I don't believe my parents ever saw a bill for his Hospital stay and the Cardiac Critical Care Unit is not cheap by any means. I think we were told he was in the 5- figure a day cost bracket.
As a thank you to all the doctors, therapists, nurses and administrators that helped take care of Sean during his long 5 months, my parents and Sean hand delivered Edible arrangements to each department, office and care center. Even though Sean didn't necessarily remember all of them, they definitely remembered him. Sean's definitely never has been or probably ever will be your average patient. They all were touched by the gesture and happy to see him up and moving around instead of how he was when he was in their care. It's one thing to see the patient that you're taking care of and another to see them after they've been back in "the real world I guess.
So tomorrow is a big day for him and my parents. Delaney and I will be visiting with my best friend and goddaughter up in Firestone. It doesn't hardly seem like it's about to be Christmas in 6 days. Probably because of the lack of snow except a day here and there in Colorado Springs and abnormally warm temperatures aren't helping. Also we've been short staffed at work so I've been working LOTS of Overtime. Half the time I don't know what day it is. Tomorrow is basically my 1 day off this week and I have 1 day next week . Hopefully tomorrow will help put me back in the Holiday spirit. Cross my fingers, say some extra prayers for him and will keep you updated =S
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