Storming

Well, Jim has been less aware these last few days because he is storming. If you really want to know about it, you can read this. But basically, he needs to be kept quiet and in a dark room. For now. Any loud noises, too much handling by the nurses, pain, bright lights, anything can set him off. He'll sweat profusely, shake, and become very agitated. His heart rate soars. His eyes are so dilated that you can barely see any color. It is basically his nervous system and brain over reacting to stimuli. It's becase of the Traumatic Brain injury.

Remember, nobody has told me excatly how severe or not severe it is. They say it's a wait and see type of thing. The storming might go on forever or just a few weeks, and the longer it goes on usually the more sever it is. They know that there's some injury there, but they have to wait and see and wait and see and wait and see.... sometimes I think the wait and see part will never stop.

Anyway, there is a possiblity that he will recover. That's what I'm trying to say, and what I'm hoping for and praying for and believing in. That he will recover.

The doctors are trying different medications to see if they can help, and they are helping somewhat, though it's not completely under control. It's kind of like a double edged sword, a good and bad thing. Good in the sense that his brain is awakening and trying to make new connections, though in the process totally over reacting. Bad in the sense that it needs to be managed, because if the storming gets out of hand, then it can cause more damage.

Today is the first day that Jim has been able to actually get any kind of true rest. In any case, he looks like he is feeling more comfortable at the moment.

Ther are times when he is awake and he looks at me. I talk to him about all kinds of things, and talk to him about things we've done together in the past or things he's done with the kids to help remind him.

Today or tomorrow there will be a doctor coming to unwire his jaw, which I am very glad about. And hopefully an oral surgeon will come to see what might be done for his teeth. There have been physical and occupational therapists in to see him, and they spend a little time with him each day though right now he's not able to tolerate much.

I have found that I can help to bring Jim's heart rate down just by being there beside him. I talk to him quietly and he likes to look at me. I rub his arms and legs and his feet, and his heart rate will come down even more. It's nice to know that I can help him in some small way. The nurses here are really good about letting me do all I want to help him. Today I got to cut his fingernails, something they wouldn't let me do previously at the other hospitals. They were getting pretty long. I put a nice thick lotion on his hands because they're pretty dry and cracked from being in bed for over a month.

Oh, and twice now I've asked him to lift his hand up so I can hold his hand, and he lifted up his hand for me. Then I asked him to squeeze my hand and he did. Then I asked him to let go (that's something the nurses say is very important) and he did. So... for me anyway, he will follow simple purposful commands. Not every time, because I think the storming is interfering sometimes, but he's done it a few times for me.

Slowly but surely.