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
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Slings and Arrows
This week Dr. Mayer observed that Will has put a buffer around himself to protect himself from the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"* and that have continued to plague him. He suggested he needs to "take up arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them." Meaning, he would like to see a little more fire in the belly.
His recommendation to achieve this fire was that we as his friends and family be as pro-active as possible in engaging him in conversation, games, and other cognitive exercises. We are to be clever too, disguising our therapies so that he doesn't resist them but moves happily from the familiar, to the unfamiliar, from the simple to the complex. He suggested exercises like saying the months of the year forward, then backward, then backward, adding sixes to the ends. To December you add a Zero, to November, a six, and so on until you end up at January with a 66. Will loved it. We recommend it to anyone wanting a quick little brain work-out.
It is our hope that success in these and other areas of cognitive recall, will have the same effect as his successes in the physical realm of climbing up to Angel’s Landing in Zion’s National Park and wading through Zion’s Narrows. Such natural highs appear to be the keys to his continued recovery.
As for the "slings and arrows?"
*The bike shop lost his bike and all the records relating to it.
His mom put his cell phone through the wash. (Needless to say it is now toast.)
He has come down with a very infectious rash called Molluscum Contageiosum. (A rash similar to Chicken Pox for which there is no vaccine.)
Otherwise things are going well.
His recommendation to achieve this fire was that we as his friends and family be as pro-active as possible in engaging him in conversation, games, and other cognitive exercises. We are to be clever too, disguising our therapies so that he doesn't resist them but moves happily from the familiar, to the unfamiliar, from the simple to the complex. He suggested exercises like saying the months of the year forward, then backward, then backward, adding sixes to the ends. To December you add a Zero, to November, a six, and so on until you end up at January with a 66. Will loved it. We recommend it to anyone wanting a quick little brain work-out.
It is our hope that success in these and other areas of cognitive recall, will have the same effect as his successes in the physical realm of climbing up to Angel’s Landing in Zion’s National Park and wading through Zion’s Narrows. Such natural highs appear to be the keys to his continued recovery.
As for the "slings and arrows?"
*The bike shop lost his bike and all the records relating to it.
His mom put his cell phone through the wash. (Needless to say it is now toast.)
He has come down with a very infectious rash called Molluscum Contageiosum. (A rash similar to Chicken Pox for which there is no vaccine.)
Otherwise things are going well.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Dr. Gregory Mayer
Tuesday afternoon Will and I went to Ogden to have Will’s second visit with the neuro-psychologist, Dr. Gregory Mayer. Will went in alone and then I went in after he did. Will discovered that Dr. Mayer is from Bountiful and Dr. Mayer discovered that Will loved to play with Transformers when he was little. He thought it would be highly commendable if Will would participate in things like the triathlon and working as a volunteer at a free medical clinic. Dr. Mayer encouraged Will to talk on the phone as much as possible. Will's phone service has been restored, so those of you who would like to talk to him, can reach him at his old phone number. Though speech is the top priority, Will's continued participation in physical and occupational therapies were encouraged. Dr. Mayer said Will could develop new neurological pathways by repetition, like working out with a Hacky Sack or practicing the piano.
Dr. Mayer said neuro-psyche exams, which he did his dissertation on, are fairly good predictors of one’s capabilities for future success, but not always. Just like SAT and ACT scores used to be looked at along with GPA’s to predict success in college, now they are looking at other things like leadership, verbal skills, community service, etc. He wants us as a family to commend Will on any progress we note, like if he initiates activities such as mowing the lawns or taking out the trash without being asked. I thought those were great suggestions.
Will acknowledges that he is constantly thinking about the stroke and the impact that it has had on his life. He is very aware that life as he knew it has pretty much been put on hold and the support that he is receiving from others is critical to picking up that life and going forward with it.
He participates willingly in therapies which we have initiated such as going to the temple, studying his medical texts, swimming, doing spring cleaning, writing in his journal, reading and commenting on scriptures, and doing jigsaw puzzles. The visit with Dr. Mayer was very pleasant. He seems to be of a mind to let things unfold as they will and to enjoy the journey along the way.
Dr. Mayer said neuro-psyche exams, which he did his dissertation on, are fairly good predictors of one’s capabilities for future success, but not always. Just like SAT and ACT scores used to be looked at along with GPA’s to predict success in college, now they are looking at other things like leadership, verbal skills, community service, etc. He wants us as a family to commend Will on any progress we note, like if he initiates activities such as mowing the lawns or taking out the trash without being asked. I thought those were great suggestions.
Will acknowledges that he is constantly thinking about the stroke and the impact that it has had on his life. He is very aware that life as he knew it has pretty much been put on hold and the support that he is receiving from others is critical to picking up that life and going forward with it.
He participates willingly in therapies which we have initiated such as going to the temple, studying his medical texts, swimming, doing spring cleaning, writing in his journal, reading and commenting on scriptures, and doing jigsaw puzzles. The visit with Dr. Mayer was very pleasant. He seems to be of a mind to let things unfold as they will and to enjoy the journey along the way.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Call for help to Columbus friends
We took Will's bike in to the shop for a major tune-up to get ready for the triathlon. Now the shop can't find it. Even though Will's sisters and dad have handled it, they are pretty vague on its description. This is the second bike Will owned in Columbus and his current memories are focused on the first bike he owned there, so he's not able to give as much help as we'd like.
So if any of you have a picture of Will's second bike--we're pretty sure it has a gray frame and shocks on the front wheel--please send it to us. If you have a picture of a black Schwinn mountain bike, thanks anyway, but that's the one we don't need.
So if any of you have a picture of Will's second bike--we're pretty sure it has a gray frame and shocks on the front wheel--please send it to us. If you have a picture of a black Schwinn mountain bike, thanks anyway, but that's the one we don't need.
Triathlon Training
Will has decided to do a triathlon in August. He was going to do a half-triathlon Saturday, but it rained cats and dogs, so he skipped the swim and the bike ride and just ran the 5K.
Summer is his coach and made the key decisions.
Summer is his coach and made the key decisions.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
May Summary
Will's evident grief at his situation continued into the first half of May. But then, about mid-May, he seemed to begin to come to terms with his stroke and to accept and acknowledge that it really did happen.* It began with some unexpected remarks by Will to his parents on May 16th, and gathered steam with a "we all need to sit down and talk this out" session the last week of May. It feels a little like Will crossed a high, barren mountain pass and began his descent down the other side to a green valley below. It will be a while yet before he gets to the valley, but the destination seems reachable.
* Will has begun sessions with a neuropsychologist, Dr. Mayer. Dr. Mayer says that common symptoms of thalamic stroke are that the patient often doesn't believe he had a stroke, and the patient is not aware that the stroke has placed any limits on him (see next post).
* Will has begun sessions with a neuropsychologist, Dr. Mayer. Dr. Mayer says that common symptoms of thalamic stroke are that the patient often doesn't believe he had a stroke, and the patient is not aware that the stroke has placed any limits on him (see next post).
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