By the time you all read this, Mike will have turned 25. Mike had thought about what might be good for his quarter century celebration. It's fortunate that we'd never imagined anything like this. We have to just hope that his next birthday will be better.
A quiet day at the office for Mike. The hospital decided to replace Mike's food line with something called a plug. The tube down through his nose is just too irritating to have in for long periods of time. This plug thing is a neat hole in through his stomach with a tube and valve on it so they can use it to feed him, or not. Apparently it can even take fruit juice, soup or beer, which I am sure would cheer Mike up if he knew. It required an operation, so he was still very dozy through the day.
Many many thanks for all your suggestions of people who can help us understand this brain injury world. We will follow them all up gradually. It is amazing all the interconnections between people and it does feel like a whole support crew out there.
Andrew (Tracy's husband) and I have spent the evening following up on Christine Archer's music therapy suggestions and we now have a temporary version of a discman, with two sets of headphones, and a cd of the more mellow forms of Mike's music taste on it. We've made two cds, one of reallly mellow and a more noisy one for later when he is better. So tomorrow we start in on exploring it with Mike, using Christine's suggested system of pulsing our hand with Mike's hand to the beat of the music, watching for a response and so on. We'll start there and then later follow Christine's suggestions for taking it further.
It will be great to have another means of trying to reach him aside from touch and talking. The hospital said to talk about childhood memories and familiar people. We are all running out of stories about that period of time and getting bored with the ones we do remember! Much as we love you all of course!! I presume Mike doesn't remember it from day to day anyway.
Every day Mike receives at least five or six cards from friends and family. They all mean so much to us. We read them all out to him several times and talk about the people who sent them. I'm lucky Mike always talked so much about all of you as it means I can remember where you all fit in and remind him. we have to believe that at some level he absorbs all that warmth.
Regards
Lee
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26 comments:
Happy Birthday Mike
Our thoughts continue to be with you all, especially on Mike's birthday. Continue to be strong as a family, for Mike and for each other.
Kia kaha
Troy and Colette (EnduranceCoach team members).
Happy Birthday Mike!
Lee, Bryce, TJ and Phil, you will do the birthday celebrating this year. Although some guys who celebrate their birthdays don't remember them after either!!
Interesting to hear of the music therapy, sounds wonderful, way to go.
Doug and I are thinking of you every day and sending hugs and lots of love.
Suzanne and Doug (Nelson, Canada)
Happy Birthday Mike. Great to hear the progress and that things seem to get a little better each day. Good luck with the move home.
To the Wilkinson family,
Thank you for taking the time out and keeping this site going. It is great to keep in touch with Mike's progress.
Cheers
David Gaiger
Bryce, Lee and family
Happy Birthday to Mike. We think of you all each day and hope and pray for everyone especially Mike. It is great to have this 'blogspot' to be able to keep track of progress each day. He seems to be making encouraging progress so there appear to be grounds for optimism.
Best wishes
PG
Happy Birthday Mike, we're all waiting patiently for the day we can celebrate with a beer :-)
Scott
Ditto to what Scotty says - and the beer is hankering to have a good conversation with you too Mike. Super happy 25th Bday! Hugs and back pats - from cousin James.
Happy birthday Mike,
thinking of all of you, look forward to seeing you in Wellington before long.
Much love Janne
Dearest Mike,
Happy 25th mate! I was hoping to visit you in Wellington before I leave on my travels, hopefully there is still a chance you're down here before I go. If I don't see you, stay strong and when I get back I expect a big hug and a smile and to hear you've completed your Iron Man. I promise to write so you can hear about my adventures in Big Bad London.
Lee, Bryce, Phil and Tracy
Thank you so much for setting this website up, I look forward to hearing about Mikes progress everyday. My thoughts are with you all.
Love
Davinia van der Sar
Hey Happy!!
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to Happy. Happy Birthday to you. Welcome to the 25 club. We have a little suprise present on the way. It will meet you in Wellington. Enjoy!! Talk to you soon.
Lots of Love!
Kent & Amanda.
Happy 25th Mike,
Great names must think alike as i endorse what the other Scott says above re looking forward to celebrating with you over a beer.
To the Wilkinsons - i'm sure the Townsends could muster up a stirring version of Pussies and Doggies to add to the music therapy or perhaps a reindition of the Brown gumboot classic from the wedding... not sure whether our voices would help or hinder however.
Cheers from balmy palmy,
Cousin Scott
Happy Birthday Mike
May the progression of this new year only commence with good. Our wishes for your health and happiness will continue to hold strong.
Lee & Bryce, Andrew & Tracy, & Phillip our thoughts and prayers continue for your strength to continue to stand strong at Mike's side.
Kay & John
Kay and Hallam say
Yes a BIG hug to Mike for his birthday and I could well do a rendering of pussies and doggies for him.
Grandma Yvonne,Uncle jack and I voyaged to Palmerston yesterday to check out steel-rod Scott and found him and Jo in very good spirits just like we want you to be for your 26th next year Mike.
Kay and Hallam say
Yes a BIG hug to Mike for his birthday and I could well do a rendering of pussies and doggies for him.
Grandma Yvonne,Uncle jack and I voyaged to Palmerston yesterday to check out steel-rod Scott and found him and Jo in very good spirits just like we want you to be for your 26th next year Mike.
Happy birthday Mike from the Nahkies...and lets include Chloe in the doggie choir - I'll try to train her to bark on command....
Natasha
Happy Birthday Happy!
I've been watching your progress closely over the last few weeks on this site, my thanks to Phil for getting in touch with myself and the other old HIBS boys so quickly. I've been very impressed with your progress to date I'm sure that being back in your home of "da Hutt" will only speed you towards recovery!
To the rest of the clan, thanks for keeping this site up to date - it's great! I've come up with one anecdote from the school days if you want to go back to 5th form english, when Warren and Dallas (just mentioning him should get a rise) and co. acquired the remote to the VCR and had all sorts of fun fastforwarding etc etc whilst the teacher had her back turned!
Thanks again, i'll continue to watch the site closely and look forward to visiting Mike when the time is right,
Mike Hartevelt
Happy Birthday Mike
Am thinking of you everyday, but today especially.
Libby
Happy 25th Mike,
Enjoy the music ...thinking of you
Dave and Irena
Happy 25th Mike
Have been thinking about you and your family particularly today on your birthday.
Chris
(EnduranceCoach team)
Big Happy Birthday Mike! Have been thinking about you and your family loads, especially today on this special quarter century milestone! Continue to feel all the warmth and strength from those around you.
Olivia.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lou
Happy b-day cuzzie bro, no doubt i'll be catching up with you in welly soon.
your little cuzie - Greg
PS don't know about barmy palmy scotty
Happy Birthday Mike,
With your mum deciding to try out music therapy we thought we might come in and sing Happy Birthday to you, but with Beks' singing that would be the antithesis of therapy! So we're sending you our love and best wishes instead.
To Lee, Bryce and family our thoughts are with you.
Love Mel and Beks
Happy Birthday Mike!
As your eldest cousin (on the Brown side) I feel I should have lots of words of wisdom to give you on your birthday ... so ... Be strong! Remember the stories our Mums told us when we complained about anything - about them having to walk 10 miles to school through rain and snow, up at 4am to milk the cows, us city slickers not knowing how easy we've got it, etc etc etc ... so look at the strong "stock" you come from ... I know you can do it!
And this advice will be especially relevant if a recording IS made of pussies and doggies or the gumboot classic - and they're played to you - they are painful enough the first time around! Music therapy sounds like a fantastic idea though.
Keep it up Mike ... you're doing awesome.
Arohanui, Katie xox
Hey Mike, Happy Birthday. We have been thinking of you and your family today.
This afternoon we saw a guy in a tux in the middle of Vancovuer and thought of you standing at our wedding !!! We miss you heaps, especially your great emails. Ben Blundell arrives tonight and we begin our road trip around BC/Alberta.
Lee, Bryce, Tracey and Phil thank you so much for your amazing website.
Lots of love and birthday wishes
Rach and Jerms
Happy birthday Mike, keeping you and your family in our thoughts as you traverse this rollercoaster! Hope tomorrow goes a bit better, especially with the music therapy. Suspect my African music is not quite to your liking so I'll resist burning a cd for you!
Take care
Robbie and Alex
Happy Birthday, Mike! Another letter on the way and if Mum and Dad think reminiscences will help,this is where they're at! Next March we'll have so much to remember it will be amazing. And a great deal will be about all these wonderful friends who are not only gunning for you but also supporting T.J., Phil, Andrew and Mum and Dad. Hugs, Gran.
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