Richard looked much better when we arrived at his room this morning. He was alert but not talking, drinking but not eating yet. He was plagued by a headache and the nurse was trying to get just the right combination of medications for him without knocking him out. By late afternoon she had succeeded. He was alert, pain-free and even smiling at times as Laura and I conversed to tell him our day's adventure. One adventure was in finding a bra shop that had a drive-thru window.
The word from the doctor is that Richard is doing okay. Richard is experiencing a delay in getting his speech back but that is called "supplementary motor syndrome." It is a normal post-op effect when the surgical incision is through the dominant side of the brain. Dr. Matz said Richard is a stong candidate for rehab especailly in light of the fact that he has episodes of speech - such as telling the doctor his name this morning, naming the doctor's coat color and the type of writing instrument the doctor was carrying.
Richard's brain pressure readings have been low all day indicating he is re-establishing the flow of fluid around his brain without apparent obstruction. His drain was clamped off all day with no problems. Tomorrow morning he will have a CT scan to verify everything is fine and then they can assess if the drain should come out. Once the drain is out he can start moving more, even getting out of bed with help. Doctor feels that stimulation and movement will help him regain his speech and move his recovery forward faster.
The game plan right now is:
+ get moving and
+ wait for time to heal.
Oh Lord, grant us persistence and patience.
God is merciful. You are in my prayers.
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