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PRAISE REPORT from Lisa....

I have been meaning to write an update for a while now but I have had a trip to Texas planned for the last month, so I wanted to see things first-hand before I sent this to you. I actually just returned from my week-long trip down to see him, and have been able to visit him at St. David's Rehab in Austin. I can definitely say that he has made some really good progress! Every weekday, Dad goes to Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy, and I was able to see that some good things have happened. Over the few days that I was able to go visit with my mom, I saw the following:

Physical Therapy: In conjunction with the Physical Therapists, Dad has been able to stand up from his wheelchair with assistance. The therapists then stand on each side of him and help him walk, usually around the halls. He does have trouble controlling his feet and his balance, so walking unassisted is not an option for fear of him tripping or falling, but I have seen significant improvement from the last time I visited. I used to watch him go only 20 or 30 steps over an hour (heavily assisted), and would say that now that number is easily in the hundreds of steps (200-300) over the PT hour - still quite assisted, but not as much as before. He has also been able to help do the transfer from the bed to his wheelchair with much more success, which is great. This task used to take 2-3 people to help, but now usually 1 person can help him to do this in the morning.

Occupational Therapy: The OT therapists have told us that Dad has been able to help dress himself a little bit more, things like helping to pull pants up, shirt down, etc. When he does go to occupational therapy, he does well in a quiet, calm environment; one major side effect of the brain injury is his tendency to get distracted very easily.... he's curious about what those sounds are from across the room or what those people are doing over there! In one of his sessions, we watched him stick the 1-12 numbers on a wooden clock with help from the therapists. Some of them he got right the first time, some of them ended up wrong, but with assistance and talking-it-through they got moved to the right place. In the end the clock was completed correctly... again, with a lot of direction and help. The OT staff was happy with the clock activity the day he did this, because he was able to stay relatively focused on a task for a full 25 minutes. All-in-all, they told me they were thrilled with how far he has come since he arrived.

Speech Therapy: I wasn't able to see speech therapy while I was there, but did meet his speech therapist. One of the things she has worked on with Dad is speaking up - when he talks, he has a tendency to whisper which makes him very difficult to understand. Occasionally he will talk louder, and the understanding is better, but that continues to be one of his hurdles right now. He is still not able to swallow correctly, so cannot get off of the feeding tube just yet, but that may come with time. I've noticed that I can understand him more and that when asked a question, he does seem to answer logically most of the time. Overall, his speech is an area we have seen a notable improvement in.

St. David's Rehab has been a fantastic place for Dad, and everyone there has been incredibly kind to our family. Dad has been there for 2 months now, which is longer than most rehab patients, so we're told that he's the floor's "celebrity." He hates to stay in his room so as often as he can, he pulls himself around the halls in his wheelchair and just moves about. The doctors, nurses, and therapists know him and interact with him as he makes his rounds, and just let him roam and ask him how he's doing as he goes by. (He can't get to the stairs or the elevators - they lock-down when he gets close with one of the bracelets he wears.) Whenever my mom and I got to the hospital, we always had to play the game of "Wonder Where John Is Today" and we would always find him in the halls, the common area, behind the nurses station, or occasionally just hangin' out in someone else's room!

Last bit of news: we have received word that Dad has made enough progress that he has been approved to go to a special brain injury rehab program, called CORE Health Care Rehab in Dripping Springs, TX. He will have long days of therapy during the week, going from 2-3 hours to I believe 5-6 hours a day - woo hoo!! He will be moved to that facility on July 6th and has been approved automatically for 90 days, with the possibility of staying for up to 180 days depending on how the first 90 go. This is absolutely, positively AWESOME news and we are all really excited about it. If anyone would like more information about that facility (mailing address, hours, etc.) I can surely get that information for you - Mom still reads all of Dad's cards to him as she gets them, and he has them hanging in his room.

My apologies for this long email, but I'll end with a story: In my visits with Dad, I've had moments where he gets angry or frustrated with me or with one of the nurses, but it is always a good thing! It is usually during these frustrated moments that he has ah-ha moments. On the last day I was visiting, it was time for lunch and his nurse Molly was trying to get to his feeding tube. She must not have been doing it exactly as Dad wanted, because he stopped her, looked her right in the eye, and said, "Now hold on - there are certain ways that you are supposed to do certain things!" I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. The day before, one of the therapists said that he told them to "just wait a cotton-pickin' minute" because they were asking questions too fast. He certainly hasn't lost that special brand of John-attitude, which I'm sure you know very well!

Thank you all again for the continued support from afar - we really can "feel" it. :) Have a wonderful week.

With Love,

Linda, Lisa, John, and the Schwausch Family

FReepmail me for his home address. Please keep those prayers and cards flowing.