Test Results

I got my test results back from the Neuropsychlogist today. She started off by telling me that I did well in most areas, and I was intelligent. Always nice to hear after they have used the word "brain damage" in various appointments! However, the brain is very complex and I'm learning something new weekly about my brain. The area that I have a problem in is attention. The testing revealed that I have difficulty in the "frontally-mediated aspects of cognition" This includes sustained attention, speed of informatin processing, sequencing, inhibition, and novel problem solving. These problems are typical for me to have since my brain bleed was in the midbrain close to the brain stem, and there are several canals that help fire all of this stuff off. Bottom line the problems are similar to a person who has ADHD/ADD.

Here is the plan:

1. Weekly cognitive rehabilitation therapy for as long as possible to help improve sustained attention, mental organization, and executive functions of the brain. A psychlogist and speech-language therapist will do this. Thankfully both are in place and the psychlogist who I see works closely with children and adults who have ADD/ADHD. Once again I saw God's hand in my life! I feel very blessed that I do not have to go out and find the right psychlogist and speech therapist.

2. They will also work on the emotional distress this whole event caused. The recovery is a roller-coaster ride, and the bleed has changed a lot of life dynamics. The biggest hurdle is personally as well as my family adapting and embracing my new brain. It takes a lot of time and patience. Kirk and I now have a quiet spot near a local lake that we go to and just sit down and reflect. Often times in life and death situations you live moment to moment and you do not have time to stop and reflect about what happened because you are just trying to get through the day. Now close to a year we are realizing what happened and how it has impacted us as family for the good and the bad, and it is important for us to talk about it and process. We also recognize and are grateful for what could have happened, but did not.

3. Physical Therapy will continue as well. Evidently the bleed impacted my neck so there is more therapy that needs to be done.

4. I will have eight to ten hours of sleep a night plus a 2 hour nap once a day. "The Napping House" as Isabella has coined it will remain in place.

5. Various accomodations will be added to my life. Dr. Lundy will help me in this area. The Neuro-Psy has given me a list of 15 accomadations.

6. Last but not least time will continue to fly by for me I now have speech, PT, psychlogy, a neurologist, and a internal med doctor. I'm planning on an average of four appointments a week.

The Neuro-Psy has given me another year for my brain to continue to make progress and by next year the brain goes into a flat line so I need to make the most of it in the next 12 months. Not to say that after this I cannot continue to progress it will just be a lot more challenging.

Will update and report all of the therapies progress!