Hey gang, you'll have little difficulty figuring out from the ugly appearance of this post that this is richard, unaided by my dad's purtifying efforts, here to give you the mostly positive news from today.
Dr. Kwasnica confirmed today that the worsening of Lisa's spasticity has stopped since she's begun the new mix of meds in her pump and that she's showing definite signs of improvement in the rigidity that has plagued her, not enough yet to get her back to actively participate in therapy but at least heading in the right direction.
The fear I expressed to you all earlier this week about Lisa being prematurely discharged appears to have been resolved as a result of Dr. Kwasnica hitting a trifecta for Lisa today by getting the adminicrats, the insurance company and the other doctors on the same page for Lisa's treatment plan. Lisa will remain in neuro rehab while her current medical issues resolve (she's quickly beating back another infection under the careful care of our favorite bug doc, Dr. Kume) and continue here until Dr Kwasnica is satisfied she's getting the pump mix to an optimal level for Lisa. Next, Lisa will remain in BNI while she completes enough of the hyperbaric treatments to get an idea if they're going to help, 20 to 40 sessions probably 3-6 weeks. Again, this assumes Dr. Fracica is successful in obtaining approval from St. Joe's internal review board for the hyperbaric as I discussed earlier in the week.
Dr. Kwasnica has also continued to consult with other colleagues for other treatments to help Lisa. Dr. Kwasnica has told me that Lisa's downturn is the result of the profound injury she's suffered. One possible contributing factor in that injury may be a slight increase in pressure in her brain caused by fluid replacing the space left by dead cells her body has discarded. Scans show any increase is small but possibly enough that if relieved might lead to an improvement. Dr. Theodore, the neuro surgeon who implanted Lisa's pump, will be briefing me in on this in more detail and on treatment strategies to relieve pressure if it's found. Dr. Kwasnica advises that this condition is common in serious brain injury cases and medical research shows that successful treatment can bring improvement in the patient. I'll keep you posted.
Dr. Kwasnica spent 45 minutes with blue cross's medical director, an old colleague of dr. k's, bringing him up to speed on Lisa's condition and progress and pressing him to do the right thing on covering the cost of the hyperbaric. While he's reserving judgment on that he agreed that Lisa needs to stay under dr. k's care till we've had a chance to get her medically stable and work through these anti-spasticity strategies. Everyone is now in agreement that if Lisa does respond to this game plan and can take advantage of the rehab crew at BNI that we'll gladly jump back to the beginning and put her to work.
We'll also begin serious discussions and planning if Lisa doesn't respond to these therapies. As I mentioned earlier in the week, the neuro rehab staff will help us plan home modifications and training to care for Lisa while she continues her recovery, whether that's in another rehab facility without the acute medical care Lisa won't need or here at home. Some have suggested I consider looking at insurance options other than my liquor store robbery plan, and, in the interest of keeping my options open, I'm prepared to include this in my ever-expanding list of things to do.
For those who've been spoiled by your regular reporter/editor, Dad is driving back to Illinois; Sherry is flying with Michael where they'll close on the sale of their home of the last 25 plus years so that they can make the permanent move to Tucson to help with Michael and Lisa after she's ready to come home. They've also abandoned their intended retirement plan of driving their recently purchased motor home (think aircraft carrier) around the country; it's going up for sale when they get back. Dad and Sherry have purchased a small but cool place that is being built nearby that'll be ready in November so the sale of the Illinois home is just in the nick of time.
I don't have good words to describe their good works. I appreciate all the kind things folks say about what I'm doing, but I've gotten the benefit of being chosen by the best person I've ever known to be her husband and the father of her child. I have to do these things because I'm the only one who can make the decisions Lisa's choosing me means I have to make. But, for me to do anything for Lisa, I have to have….time, time to meet and talk with doctors, nurses, therapists, nurses aides, family members of other folks with Lisa's type of genetic condition and injury, insurance folks and laboratory representatives to gather information, seek advice, form opinions and strategies and then implement them. I have to have time to read medical journals and other publications that help me understand what'll help and what the heck these docs are talking about. I have to have time to do these things and the other stuff only I can do- work, pay bills and spend the time a husband and father gets to spend with his wife and son to be a family, even if it's in a neuro rehab room. This simply doesn't leave time for a lot else. The family and friends who've put aside their own time-consuming agendas, needs, opinions and judgments and chosen to simply ask me "what can we do to help?" and then done exactly what they promised are the real heroes for Lisa and Michael.
So, thanks to all who are helping me help Lisa! r
