For those of you who have been wondering what has happened to the Blackhursts? Why haven't they been postings on the blog? Has Will been making in any progress? Has he reached any new milestones? The answer is that progress is being made. Will's speech is becoming more amplified and less slurred. His short-term memory is coming back and his spirits are improving. He has been approved for getting his driver's license back.
The first time he took the test he passed with an 85, but was not granted his license. The second time he took it, his score was a 91. This was deemed acceptable. He grateful for the return of this priviledge which will be useful as he continues his pursuit of job opportunities. He has applied for a number of positions in the medical field, but has not received a specific offer yet. While he is waiting for that, there have been plenty of things going on at home.
Will's younger brother Chris returned from his mission to Brazil on the 18th of July. His sister Lizzie arrived four days later on the 22nd from New York, bringing her baby Simon, and whole family came together again for the first time in three and a half years.
Will is the oldest and has watched over the flock like a tender shepherd from day one, so he has been pretty animated about these reunions . As long as your have your family, you have everything that's truly important.
There is healing in togetherness and we have witnessed that as we have caught glimpses of the old Will surfacing. We have seen it in his eyes that have become brighter and more twinkly, in his speech that is more full throated and animated, in his prayers which have been more thoughtful and reflective, and in his humor which has been filled with mirth mingled with memory. Little children seen to be especially capable of evoking responses from him that suggest a full and complete recovery.
In a recent conversation with his Rehab Doctor, Steven Edgley, Will asked him the question, "What motivated you to get back to your residency after you had your stroke?" Dr. Edgley replied, "There were two things. One was all the time and effort I had put into getting through medical school. I didn't want all that work to be wasted. The other one was I had a wife and children. I wanted to be able to provide for them."
Discovering what it is that you will cross the I-Beam for is a very critical component in the healing process. For Will, as for Dr. Edgley, the answer seems to be found in the family.
Posted by Mom
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Insights Into the Neuro-Psyche Exam
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
In his Tuesday visit with Dr. Mayer on July 22nd, Will asked some questions regarding the upcoming neuro-psyche exam. Happily, Dr. Mayer was open to sharing with him the main areas of focus in this assessment which Will is scheduled to take on the 25th and 26th of August. This time frame was chosen because it will give Will an opportunity to get back into speech therapy during September, should he need further assistance.
The exam is broken up into segments dealing with Attention, Concentration, and Memory. Memory is broken down into Visual memory, Auditory memory, Delayed memory, Recall and Recognition. They also test Executive Function to see if the frontal lobe has been affected in its ability to stay on task and deal with distractions such as starting and stopping. There is also an assessment of Verbal function including amplitude of the voice, Perceptual function and Motor function. Mood and coping styles are also analyzed. Strengths are assessed with an eye to using those strengths to help compensate for any weaknesses that may be noted.
To help Will prepare to take this exam, Dr. Mayer suggested we work on Semantic memory (recalling the Presidents of the United States etc.) Episodic memory (what did you have for lunch yesterday.) And Prospective memory (what are your appointments for tomorrow.) He also encouraged him to keep up his journal writing and to work on getting those words that are on the tip of his tongue out of the files and onto the air waves.
Will has some significant work ahead of him, but the time table for executing it seems manageable. For those of you who are following his progress, we make mention of this exam in some detail because of the importance of it. The results of this exam will be heavily weighed in terms of assessing the impact of the stroke on Will's abilities to perform the work of a doctor. If you are still remembering him in your prayers, we would ask that you specifically mention this exam and his ability to perform it well.
Posted by Mom
In his Tuesday visit with Dr. Mayer on July 22nd, Will asked some questions regarding the upcoming neuro-psyche exam. Happily, Dr. Mayer was open to sharing with him the main areas of focus in this assessment which Will is scheduled to take on the 25th and 26th of August. This time frame was chosen because it will give Will an opportunity to get back into speech therapy during September, should he need further assistance.
The exam is broken up into segments dealing with Attention, Concentration, and Memory. Memory is broken down into Visual memory, Auditory memory, Delayed memory, Recall and Recognition. They also test Executive Function to see if the frontal lobe has been affected in its ability to stay on task and deal with distractions such as starting and stopping. There is also an assessment of Verbal function including amplitude of the voice, Perceptual function and Motor function. Mood and coping styles are also analyzed. Strengths are assessed with an eye to using those strengths to help compensate for any weaknesses that may be noted.
To help Will prepare to take this exam, Dr. Mayer suggested we work on Semantic memory (recalling the Presidents of the United States etc.) Episodic memory (what did you have for lunch yesterday.) And Prospective memory (what are your appointments for tomorrow.) He also encouraged him to keep up his journal writing and to work on getting those words that are on the tip of his tongue out of the files and onto the air waves.
Will has some significant work ahead of him, but the time table for executing it seems manageable. For those of you who are following his progress, we make mention of this exam in some detail because of the importance of it. The results of this exam will be heavily weighed in terms of assessing the impact of the stroke on Will's abilities to perform the work of a doctor. If you are still remembering him in your prayers, we would ask that you specifically mention this exam and his ability to perform it well.
Posted by Mom
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