The Lastest Update On Stephen Langman

August 25, 2008

Dear Friends;

It has been awhile since I have written but we have just been plugging along on this road to recovery. I was also waiting for Friday to come as Steve and I had a meeting with all of his therapists and doctors. There wasn’t much that we didn’t know since we have been well informed all along and I accompany Steve to most of his therapy sessions.

Some of the highlights are that he is doing well with his balance and has now graduated to a cane. He is feeling good about this for obvious reasons but mostly because he was able to cut loose the rolator. At his grandfather’s 98th birthday on the 17th of this month, many of his senior relatives were sporting rolators He was anxious to get out of the rolator club! This gives him greater mobility as he doesn’t have to try to fit in doorways or run over things.

His talking is still loud, flat and some what slurred but he is becoming more aware of it and has begun some exercising in breath control and enunciation. A lot of his speech problems are related directly to the damage done to his brain which needs more time to heal. For those of you who have had a chance to talk to him, you know that he talks a lot! Thankfully, he has begun to recognize that dead air space can be good and he is learning turn taking. He also has a roommate now (who is not a brain injury patient) which will help him to practice his communication skills.

He is still weak on the right side but I can see that he is gaining more control with his right arm and hand. This, again, is related to the brain injury and will take time. He is learning to write again and it is actually more legible now than before the accident.

Amazingly enough, testing by his occupational therapist revealed that his thinking skills are in the average range for his age group! The physiatrist commented that he is a smart man and the more you have to work with the better the outcome. There are some behaviours that are amplified now such as his need to be a neat freak and his desire to be punctual. (You who are close to him will see that as a small miracle in itself! He was always late for everything!) There are many things that he still needs to learn, things that we would find easy to figure out but are perplexing to him. As he has new experiences and time to heal he will begin to figure it all out.

There was one fact from that meeting that Steve found disturbing and that was that he would not be driving for about a year. I had been preparing him for that bit of news but he didn’t realize that it would be for so long. (It may be even longer but we didn’t tell him that.) And of course, in character of his giving nature, he was most concerned for those that he plows snow for in the winter.

Something that I have been worried about is his emotional health. He has become very flat. He tells jokes but doesn’t laugh much and rarely smiles. He never seemed to be sad either. He would at times get frustrated and angry which was at least some emotion. Last week, after seeing some pictures of him in the coma, surrounded by his kids, he broke down and cried. I think it is the start of some emotional healing and as funny as it sounds, I was glad to see it. Please pray for his emotional healing. That may be an even longer road to travel.

The big finale news is his discharge date from Bridgepoint Hospital. It is planned for him to return home on October 2nd. After that, he will begin therapy here at home and will continue that until needed. Please pray for a smooth transition home. When he is home for the weekends I tend to get exhausted. I am hoping that he is far enough along in his recovery that I will be able to handle it.

Once again, thank you for your prayers, support and practical demonstrations of love. You are wonderful people and we are truly blessed by knowing you.


In His Grace,
Donna Langman