[Driver901055]

Hello all...My 43 year old son has a c4 injury from a motor bike accident.In the following weeks the injury spread up 3 notches taking his arms. at the moment the only thing he can move are his eyes. There were other complications which resulted in what the doctors call subtle brain injury.We are trying to communicate with him via eye movements.We think he is slowly coming back.Any advice or tips would be useful...
Thank You..

[Merrill]

Driver901055, on Dec 14 2009, 12:49 PM, said:

Hello all...My 43 year old son has a c4 injury from a motor bike accident.In the following weeks the injury spread up 3 notches taking his arms. at the moment the only thing he can move are his eyes. There were other complications which resulted in what the doctors call subtle brain injury.We are trying to communicate with him via eye movements.We think he is slowly coming back.Any advice or tips would be useful...
Thank You..

I am 20 years post injury from a gun shot wound leaving me a C5 injury. The present state of your son is reminiscent of my first four months of the injury. Thankfully after the 2nd month I gained upper movement and could speak again. At present I am in wheelchair and typing this to you.

Steven Hawking, the physicist does not move except for his eyes also. He uses a computer system which you might be able to track down.

Those were hard and frustrating times but graciously short lived. One method to communicate was slow. On a board was the alphabet. Someone would run their finger over the letters, when finger was over the correct letter I would blink. And so on until I spelled the word.

Feel free to write me by locating my user name Merrill

[Martha]

Hi,

During the time that my husband was on a ventilator we used the alphabet on cards as well. He also would blink when we got to the correct letter. We found it easier, though, to split the alphabet into 4 quadrants, and then he would blink when we got to the right quadrant (for example A,B,C,D,E,F,G was in the first quadrant), and then we would only have to go through 6 or 7 letters. I found it helped to write the letters down as he said them and hold it up so he could refer to it... and also when an obvious vowel was next ask if the next letter was a vowel, and go from there. I hope that helps. Peace and love to you and your son!

[GLENDA]

Driver901055, on Dec 14 2009, 02:49 PM, said:

Hello all...My 43 year old son has a c4 injury from a motor bike accident.In the following weeks the injury spread up 3 notches taking his arms. at the moment the only thing he can move are his eyes. There were other complications which resulted in what the doctors call subtle brain injury.We are trying to communicate with him via eye movements.We think he is slowly coming back.Any advice or tips would be useful...
Thank You..

My son has a c4 c5 injury he is currently in a nursing home.... this is a new injury for us as well!! He was on a vent in ICU (in the US) we did the blink letter quadrant thing as well...I played music talked to him prayed stayed cried whined ...this is a very tourchous time for you! Watch out for the ulcers...my son had a 4-5 stage decubis ulcer from him not moving even though he had one of those air mattress. Which I have found out the alternating pressure mattress, movement, and diet are the main things to prevent ulcers. My son lost movement and to this date has not regained it because of contractions in both arms. He has never been able to move his fingers or hands. Please email me if you would like. My thoughts are with you...I am in the US Houston Texas. Glenda

[Driver901055]

Merrill, on Dec 14 2009, 09:41 PM, said:

Driver901055, on Dec 14 2009, 12:49 PM, said:

Hello all...My 43 year old son has a c4 injury from a motor bike accident.In the following weeks the injury spread up 3 notches taking his arms. at the moment the only thing he can move are his eyes. There were other complications which resulted in what the doctors call subtle brain injury.We are trying to communicate with him via eye movements.We think he is slowly coming back.Any advice or tips would be useful...
Thank You..

I am 20 years post injury from a gun shot wound leaving me a C5 injury. The present state of your son is reminiscent of my first four months of the injury. Thankfully after the 2nd month I gained upper movement and could speak again. At present I am in wheelchair and typing this to you.

Steven Hawking, the physicist does not move except for his eyes also. He uses a computer system which you might be able to track down.

Those were hard and frustrating times but graciously short lived. One method to communicate was slow. On a board was the alphabet. Someone would run their finger over the letters, when finger was over the correct letter I would blink. And so on until I spelled the word.

Feel free to write me by locating my user name Merrill

Thanks for your reply Merril.. What is breaking my heart is not knowing what my son is thinking and what his emotions are. Does it really help....us just sitting there talking. Some insight would be great...Thanks Rich...

[gordonr]

Does it really help....us just sitting there talking. Some insight would be great...Thanks Rich...
**********

Oh yeah,

It really helps.

I used to fight off sleep, because I knew that when I fell asleep visitors would leave. And what I really liked best was to wake up with someone there.

Remember these golden words: It isn't what you say that matters. It isn't even what you DO that matters. The only thing that really matters is just BEING there.

All the best to you,

Gordon

[Tetracyclone]

I second that. Each time I woke up in ICU, if there was a friend or loved one there, I felt unafraid. Otherwise the drugs they gave me took me to hallucinations.

[Driver901055]

Thanks for your replies..Makes us feel a bit more useful. It helps to know we are helping and that yourselves are getting a life .I will tell my son about this web site. Thank you ...Rich..