Morning

A video message from Mark to all his friends: <http://mychamp.com/Mark.html>

Evening

I told Mark to do something for the camera, so he put his arm around his cute young therapist. See, I told you not much has changed.

Evening

Mark had his therapy sessions cut short today because he developed a fever of 102.5. It didn't last long and was down to 100.8 within an hour even before they gave him Tylenol. They don't mess around, they sent him for a chest x-ray, took a urine sample and tried to get blood, but I think he left his veins at Jefferson. So they hooked up his IV fluids to his peg (stomach) tube and his temp was down to normal and he was resting comfortably when I left at 7:15.

Mark has been working on his PT evaluation for the past few days. They're testing him on regular everyday movements like walking over to something on the floor, picking it up and handing it to someone. I think this is the final exam before they send him home. After his inpatient discharge he will be attending day treatment 3 days a week.

Evening

Mark had his long awaited appointment with the neuro ophthalmologist this morning. Seems they didn’t have him on the appointment book but fit him in anyway. To make a long story short, he didn’t get any sort of corrective lenses today but the doctor feels that his double vision should resolve on its own in about three months at which time he thinks Mark will only need regular corrective lenses. I didn’t write it down, but I seem to remember (as does Mark) that one eye is 20/70 and the other 20/800. On an odd note, he said that Mark should wear the eye patch only if he feels that it helps his double vision and that the theory of the brain tuning out one eye to compensate is nonsense. He also said (and he put it in writing), and I quote “no need for eye exercises, they are of no value”. Looks like Mark will have to fill a couple hours per day with something more interesting. Mark gave thumbs up on this one!

Mark also seems to have passed the plateau and had an enormous amount of stamina today. It also helped that he hasn’t had a full day of therapy since Friday, but I noticed a great improvement in his memory and conversation. He keeps up with a conversation especially if it’s just one person.

Mark has decided that everything he drinks tastes like lipstick or he complains it’s sour. Not sure what to try next.

His favorite part of the day was riding in the transport van with the sun shining on him. I don’t know how they did it but it seems there’s no south side of the rehab hospital and I’ve never seen the sun shining in any of the windows. Hopefully we’ll have a warm spell soon and I can take him out to sun himself.

The one date Mark remembers is March 6th, his tentative discharge date.