Formerly "Neil Stone Updates"

Saturday, March 28, 2009

A Changed Perspective

Lori is staying late tonight with Neil so it seemed like the right thing to offer to update the blog tonight. Back to your regularly scheduled (and no doubt preferred) programming tomorrow.

Today was a good day up at Kessler. As it was Saturday, Neil only had one session of PT but was able to go outside again for it. He and Kirk took a walk, climbed some stairs and even walked on some unlevel terrain. After that, they went back inside to the gym to work on balance. The therapists do such a great job and we are so appreciative of them. The two that Neil has worked the most with are rotating down to the spinal cord injury floor next week and we will surely miss them but are confident that their replacements will do a great job, also. A highlight tonight was that Neil was able to brush his teeth while standing at the sink in his room. Although tomorrow is Sunday, Neil has a full schedule of therapy to make up for some lost time during the week when we went to visit the ENT doctor.

Being up at Kessler most of every day, there is opportunity to greet and interact with the other patients that are on the same floor as Neil. Folks from all ages and walks of life find themselves in the situation of trying to recover from brain injury. Not surprisingly, I feel a very close connection to these people and my heart aches for them. Some have relatively minor injuries and they come and go quickly. Others with more serious issues stay longer. Some are awake, alert, and communicate. Others not so much. I often wonder what their lives were like before and when possible and appropriate, I try and get to know them. For example, in a sad bit of irony, there is a patient on Neil's floor currently who happens to be a rehabilitation physician. I pray for this man that he might be able to return to the great work he was doing. Another fellow, referred to as "Rock Star" by many (including me) was discharged recently to go home. Although he always told me "you look tired" (very accurate BTW), I looked forward to bantering with him a bit each day. I wonder what he did for a living before his injury and what his life was like and what it will now be like? I think of him often. Stepping into Kessler each day from a world where things that shouldn't matter much sometimes do, has taught me much and I hope I can carry with me some of the things I have learned about love, caring, hope, struggle, relativity, and the list could go on. Although I wish we had never had to go through this, the learning experience and more importantly the "feeling experience" has left me changed--hopefully not soon to be forgotten.

6 comments:

Molly said...

I don't know Uncle Scott, your entries make me cry more than Aunt Lori's, not sure why, but I do appreciate your perspective.

Glen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Glen said...

Thanks for a great visit today Neil. I look forward to every visit. Can't wait until next Saturday! Dude, you're doing wicked awesome!

Good job Scott. Told you, just put your fingers to the keyboard and the words will come. State the facts and speak from the heart.

Artie's Aunt Nancy said...

I think from the moment I got the call from my sister about the accident, we were changed. No doubt driving to the scene, everything felt changed. Things that as you say shouldn't matter much but sometimes did, just didn't matter or at least not as much. I think we all became more aware of a reality that none of us ever wanted to face....but most importantly, a faith, many of us never knew we had. With Neil and through you and Lori, we too have learned about hope, struggle and relativity. About victory, about determination....about perseverance. About the love and caring that comes.....even from strangers....when we need it most. So we too wish that you all had never gone through this....but are grateful for the "feeling experience", for small successes that we would have once taken for granted to huge milestones that were once perhaps thought impossible and for the power of prayer and God's faithfulness.....

Artie's Aunt Nancy said...

PS.....I just went to check that I had spelled
perseverance correctly and found this definition:

Perseverance is commitment, hard work, patience, endurance. Perseverance is being able to bear difficulties calmly and without complaint. ...

Perseverance = Neil :)

Meredith said...

Whether it is Aunt Lori or Uncle Scott writing, we just love that you even DO this blogging and that you both feel compelled to share your pain and triumphs with us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I think the trials we endure give us a perspective that (hopefully) live with us for a while. It helps us to even better mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort when we have been there before, in one way or another.