Dear Everyone – difficult day today for Matthew – with head trauma…good days, then days after needing rest & quiet. Today Matt needed quiet. He had a very stimulating day yesterday. Lots of people, loud roommate visitors, etc. Then they moved him to a new room. Today….well, we read below….
Have Courage, Matthew! l
We are all praying for you, Matthew! love, Judith /Risa & everyone

From Eve Wagner. Speech Therapist
Morning/afternnon shift – 10am – 1pm – July 27

Matt today-
Sundee and I arrived at the same time. Matt had a grimace on his face. Sundee washed his face. Sundee and I repositioned him. We worked his legs gently with massage and movement.
Matt did not have the energy to produce a voice today.

He had fewer automatic swallows and greater difficulty managing secretions. Sundee suctioned his mouth. He needed lip balm. He pleaded for water or ice for his mouth. He can’t have any. This new set of nursing staff is very professional.
I held up word cards to see if he could read them- he did not. Single noun- bike, compound noun – Batman- to see where his vision is seeing. No response. Maybe vision, maybe fatigue, maybe reading. I held up a picture of a bike. No engagement. I held up a picture of a cat. “Cute” he mouthed.

The OT wanted to see him, but he needed a clean up, so she will come back in the afternoon she said.
Matt seemed to be in pain. He couldn’t say where. We did a body scan- I touched his head. Does your head hurt? No.
and we moved down the body part by part. He had pain in his knee, calves and feet. What level? 10. The RN will bring meds.
So- start thinking about if you can offer time for this type of care.
It’s the art of being present and helpful to Matt and the staff. It’s about stepping in without stepping on. Whelming – not over- or under-. Just whelming. Reading Matt and intuiting a solution. Mind reading. Sundee is willing to train people.