(For those of you are unsure about the title Fat Bastard was a heavily overweight yet amusing character played by a presumably padded Mike Myers in a couple of recent movies.)
Wednesday (15 June) represented a particularly good day for me. Firstly, I had enough weight to be taken off drinking a protein drink called Fortisip. I was somewhere around 65 kg before the accident and at my lightest measurement I came in at 52 kg. That represents a weight loss of around 20%. If I figured out some way of converting this head injury into something that could be taken I could make a lot of money.
On Tuesday I weighed in at 62 kg. While this represents a big weight gain I tried on a pair of my old trousers over the weekend. The trousers used to fit comfortably. Now, I wouldn’t say they were falling off me, but there is substantially more room than there was before.
I am close enough to my previous weight and my ideal weight that they decided to take me off Fortisip. While I didn’t think Fortisip tasted bad, depending on which flavour you had, the high protein content disrupted my skin and gave me more red rashes and more pimples than normal.
Secondly, and in keeping with the weight thing, I got a trolley on Wednesday. While this represents a minor step in the scheme of things it allows me to cook breakfast for myself and is the first time I’ve been independent in this.
Right. Happy eating.
Kind regards,
Mike
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
15th June: Mike and the success factors
Hi again. Lee again.
Those of you who were there at the beginning of Mike's long saga will remember the factors we were told that would give Mike a better chance of comingn out of the accident ok. The factors were high intelligence; good interpersonal skills; strong family support; good physical fitness and a previous optimistic attitude to life. This week I have clearly been seeing two in action -previous physical fitness and interpersonal skills.
I was watching Mike's progress at Physio today and talking with his physio. Mike accident has affected him greatly physically, but he is making such good progress. I can see that he understands muscle groups and what muscles are where. The physio can explain what she needs him to do and Mike knows what is involved, even if the muscle messages are weak. He also really concentrates on what is required. I am sure it is because this physical focus is familiar territory to him.
On Monday Mike started having breakfast in the day room and attending the half hour current events session afterwards. For various reasons this time of day brings much more interaction. Up till now Mike has related a lot to people visiting and not much to other patients. In that three days I have seen him really increase his involvement in the group and show much more awareness of the other patients needs and difficulties. Presumably this is like an old behviour that is warming up too. Some of it must be due to increased exposure to the other patients, some due to his improved energy and some the old Mike reappearing.
It is very interesting to see some of those factors mentioned right near the start actually coming into play in microcosm.
Regards
Lee
Those of you who were there at the beginning of Mike's long saga will remember the factors we were told that would give Mike a better chance of comingn out of the accident ok. The factors were high intelligence; good interpersonal skills; strong family support; good physical fitness and a previous optimistic attitude to life. This week I have clearly been seeing two in action -previous physical fitness and interpersonal skills.
I was watching Mike's progress at Physio today and talking with his physio. Mike accident has affected him greatly physically, but he is making such good progress. I can see that he understands muscle groups and what muscles are where. The physio can explain what she needs him to do and Mike knows what is involved, even if the muscle messages are weak. He also really concentrates on what is required. I am sure it is because this physical focus is familiar territory to him.
On Monday Mike started having breakfast in the day room and attending the half hour current events session afterwards. For various reasons this time of day brings much more interaction. Up till now Mike has related a lot to people visiting and not much to other patients. In that three days I have seen him really increase his involvement in the group and show much more awareness of the other patients needs and difficulties. Presumably this is like an old behviour that is warming up too. Some of it must be due to increased exposure to the other patients, some due to his improved energy and some the old Mike reappearing.
It is very interesting to see some of those factors mentioned right near the start actually coming into play in microcosm.
Regards
Lee
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
June14: He's big, he's bad and he's still an economist
Hi there Everyone
It was a real progress today. Mike was asked to talk briefly about the write-off of Third World Debt to the morning orientation session at the Rehab Unit. what a request. Little did they know the threat of being subjected to hours of economics. Little did they know all the literature Bryce immediately down-loaded as a contribution. I was amazed. BUT that old economics brain was still there chugging away. Sometimes there was a bit of a wait for the next idea, but the interconnections, the mindset, the familiar old increasing complexity ..still all there. I would have burst into tears, except that people might have thought it was in sorrow at still being stuck with an economist after all that shaking around of the grey matter. Those of you who saw Mike comatose in Auckland Hospital will understand how exciting the progress is, even if it does all lead to more economics.
Other progress. Mike is now having breakfast out in the day room and is able to sit in a chair. This brings him into more social interaction with the other people at Cavitt. He and I think his energy levels are improving. He can last longer in activities and it does not take as long for him to recharge his batteries.
We got a general report today on Mike's Occupational Therapy testing and he had done better than either of us had expected. It looks like most of his abilities are still there, just the time taken to do thing is a bit slow at present. Some of the exercises we think he would have done about the same level pre-accident. One was the sort of skill required to rummage around in a handbag and find things like a mobile phone or a comb. Just as well it's not a blokey activity.
It was a real progress today. Mike was asked to talk briefly about the write-off of Third World Debt to the morning orientation session at the Rehab Unit. what a request. Little did they know the threat of being subjected to hours of economics. Little did they know all the literature Bryce immediately down-loaded as a contribution. I was amazed. BUT that old economics brain was still there chugging away. Sometimes there was a bit of a wait for the next idea, but the interconnections, the mindset, the familiar old increasing complexity ..still all there. I would have burst into tears, except that people might have thought it was in sorrow at still being stuck with an economist after all that shaking around of the grey matter. Those of you who saw Mike comatose in Auckland Hospital will understand how exciting the progress is, even if it does all lead to more economics.
Other progress. Mike is now having breakfast out in the day room and is able to sit in a chair. This brings him into more social interaction with the other people at Cavitt. He and I think his energy levels are improving. He can last longer in activities and it does not take as long for him to recharge his batteries.
We got a general report today on Mike's Occupational Therapy testing and he had done better than either of us had expected. It looks like most of his abilities are still there, just the time taken to do thing is a bit slow at present. Some of the exercises we think he would have done about the same level pre-accident. One was the sort of skill required to rummage around in a handbag and find things like a mobile phone or a comb. Just as well it's not a blokey activity.
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