From David Chen, husband of Theresa Wang, who is recovering from injuries sustained in the Nov. 19 car crash that also injured Colt Brennan:
Aloha to our Ohana,
A few weeks have gone by since the last update and we’re truly thankful to our Lord for all of the good news He has blessed us with since then. Theresa has called almost daily to chat and provide updates on her progress.
She’s started to walk/jog in the pool recently and finds that to be less tiring than walking on the treadmill. Theresa says she would much rather be swimming in the warm waters off the Kohala Coast, however that will follow in due time. I do sense a note of frustration in Theresa’s voice on occasion but who among us wouldn’t feel the same after spending over eight months in hospitals and rehab facilities far away from home.
That she is able to maintain her positive outlook and encourage others since before she could even remember doing so (because of her post traumatic amnesia) is a testimony to the healing powers of our Lord.
Bakersfield was in a prolonged heatwave for the last few weeks with temperatures soaring as high as 109F (43C) so it greatly limited Theresa’s outdoor activity time. Her therapies at the rehab clinic continue to improve her strength, endurance, dexterity and cognition, and when she is back at the residence, Theresa tries to stay cool by reading, writing to friends, and even coming up with new cooking ideas.
A few days ago, she called to say the recipe for a Moroccan-style chicken dish turned out so well, she froze some for me to enjoy.
Over the Independence Day weekend, the CNS residence held an afternoon potluck dinner and one of Theresa’s contributions was a tray of cupcakes with alternating red/white/blue frosting.
For whatever reason, only the blue cupcakes were taken so Theresa in her own inimitable way, rearranged the red & white ones to form a stylized flag of Canada. Since there’s no celebrating Canada Day down here, I think that was Theresa’s way to do so; always creative and a little mischievous at the same time, that’s what I love about her.
In early July, my return trip to see Theresa took a different tack as this was the first time using the Priceline service to bid for a ticket. With the next treatment conference scheduled for the upcoming week and quoted airfares stubbornly staying in the $1,200 range, I figured what harm could there be since Priceline guarantees a 1-stop connection and layovers of 3 hours or less.
Well, after bidding on and winning a $580 ticket, the itinerary turned out fine with one caveat — the puddle jumper to Bakersfield wasn’t scheduled to arrive until 11:59 p.m., but the car rental desk closed at 11:30 p.m. While waiting for the late connection at LAX, I phoned the car rental agency and explained the situation.
The nice lady said not to worry as they’re familiar with that late arriving flight and would wait until 12:15 a.m. Praise the Lord, the flight came in on time and I made it to the rental counter by 10 after midnight.
In my luggage was a bag of chocolate macadamia nuts intended for the rehab clinic staff that I gratefully offered to the rental agent. With both of us happy, it was off to the hotel for a few hours rest before the busy day ahead.
Fighting off the jet lag, I arrived at the CNS clinic early the next morning to find Theresa in the dark, literally. She was attending occupational therapy in the darkened Dynavision room, being retested for her peripheral vision and ability to read numbers flashed for less than 1/4th of a second.
These results showed some improvement in Theresa’s recognition and reaction times compared to two months ago.
At PT, Theresa walked on the treadmill up to 30 minutes at 1.5mph, almost twice the speed and endurance from a month ago. However when free walking with a cane, Theresa seems somewhat tentative and takes steps more deliberately and thus slower.
Following the group counseling session (that I didn’t attend), we wheeled over to the nearby shopping center and enjoyed lunch at El Pollo Loco, a Mexican fast food chain known for their chicken.
Aside from a street vendor in Tulum, this is the tastiest citrus grilled chicken we’ve ever had. While foodies may deem it the Mexican equivalent of KFC, our motto is if it tastes good and is semi-healthy, what’s not to like?
The afternoon rehab sessions went quickly, which was good because it was plain to see Theresa was tiring out and about ready to call it a week. Plus, CNS planned for Theresa to spend the upcoming weekend with me at the hotel so I could assess her abilities and let them know which areas to concentrate on over her remaining time here.
But before our romantic rendezvous could start, Theresa had previously booked the Friday evening dinner outing to Red Lobster. Now those of our friends who know us well are aware that I’m seriously allergic to certain shellfish (and beer & wine) so dining at RL is akin to someone with a nut allergy taking a tour of Planters.
I judiciously chose tilapia, the safest seafood item on the menu while Theresa went all out and ordered a dozen raw oysters for the more daring among us. Some of the rehab aides have never tried this delicacy so it was a surprise when several of them indulged, leaving just a couple to whet Theresa’s appetite as she waited for her main course.
When the whole Maine lobster platter arrived, it was a sight to behold as Theresa dove in methodically, doing her occupational therapist proud with her improved hand dexterity. It brought back the memory of our first road trip together in 1992, when at the Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island, I learned that when it comes to eating whole lobster, Theresa has few equals.
The next morning, Theresa met me for her weekly grocery outing at Trader Joe’s where the improvement from our first outing in April was entirely evident. This Saturday, Theresa was focused and determined and knew the store intimately well, wheeling herself directly to the aisles and shelves to get what she needed, plus a coffee and food sample as a reward for a shopping experience well-handled.
It’s too bad there isn’t a TJ’s back home, but I’m sure the vendors at the Waimea Farmers’ Market will welcome Theresa back with their own special aloha. Dropping off the groceries at her apartment, Theresa organized and packed a weekend bag by herself before we headed off to my hotel room.
On the way, she wanted to stop at Target for a few toiletries and while there, we checked the registry for an upcoming wedding to which we’re invited. This is the wedding of the oldest child of the family that readopted our daughter Rylie Ai-Lin and because it is being held only three hours from here, we fully intend to be there to celebrate their happiness.
That our Lord has blessed us with this wondrous opportunity on our healing journey is yet another miracle for which we offer our praise and gratitude.
After arriving at the hotel room, I helped Theresa to unpack as she checked out the bathroom. Women (at least ones I’ve known) seem to do that often, never really concerned about the bed, the TV or even the view as long as the bathroom suits their needs.
Apparently, it met with her approval because following a light dinner, Theresa announced she wanted to take a bath. I didn’t think much of it until I fully appreciated what she was asking. Instead of sitting on a bath chair and using a handheld showerhead, she wanted to soak in the tub up to her neck.
After considering the logistics for a bit, I helped Theresa sit down in the tub and then added foaming soap as the water level rose. She luxuriated in the warm bubbly bathwater and the look of satisfaction on her face brought tears to my eyes.
It was only then I realized the importance of this day, the first time Theresa has enjoyed a soaking bath in over eight months. Getting out of the tub took a little more ingenuity on both our parts but in the end, it was worth all we’ve been through to get to this point.
The remainder of the weekend was also a revelation as Theresa pretty much cared for herself, bathing, dressing, taking her meds on time, getting breakfast in the lobby, and making it through the night uninterrupted.
We also took in the movie Super 8 and Theresa stayed alert and engaged throughout, thoroughly enjoying the show. This is a big improvement compared to when we viewed X-Men a couple of months ago where she felt the need to leave halfway through due to fatigue & overstimulation.
Returning to the CNS residence Sunday evening on the heel of this successful trial, we kissed good night and looked ahead to the update conference the next day.
At the treatment conference, Theresa’s various rehab therapists presented updates on her progress with no real surprises. There is marked improvement in some areas with deficits still noted in others and although Theresa has benefited much from the specialized treatment at CNS these past four months, it’s time for her rehab to take the next step.
That will mean progressing back home to a truly independent living environment so with this goal in mind, a tentative discharge date was set for the end of July (is that cheering I hear from our Ohana?)
In preparation for her long anticipated return home (where there are far fewer brain injury rehab services), the discharge planning will involve contacting resources in Hawaii as well as seeing a number of neuro specialists in the Los Angeles area over the next two weeks.
CNS highly recommended I accompany Theresa to these appointments in case there were questions she or her aide couldn’t answer, so what was originally a short 4-day kiss & fly trip grew into an extended 2-week whirlwind of further testing & specialist consultations.
Over the next 10 days, we drove to Valencia, Northridge and other points on the compass to see a neuro-optometrist, a neuro-psychiatrist, an orthopedic surgeon, a neurologist, a neuro-psychologist, a neuro-neurologist (just kidding) and even a few imaging facilities for CT angiography, MRI and plain old x-rays. In cases such as with the neuro-optometrist, the diagnosis was very pertinent to Theresa’s complaints.
It was mentioned previously that Theresa walks well on the treadmill but not so freestyle. After testing her eyes and adding prisms to her glasses, Theresa was able to better converge the views from both eyes, improving her vision and balance.
It really is amazing how the interaction between our eyes and brain are so important to walking and we are truly thankful to our Lord for guiding us towards these healers.
The next day, another two hour slog on the Los Angeles freeway system led to a visit with a neuro-psychiatrist who prescribed a change in medication, schedule, and dosage to combat Theresa’s mid-morning fatigue.
Later on at the arthropod, it was discovered that the ongoing pain in the left knee is due to a previously undiagnosed meniscal tear, which will require a followup consult and arthroscopic surgery back home. This was also Theresa’s first opportunity to see detailed images of the wide assortment of rods, pins, plates and screws in her neck and other extremities.
Her off-the-cuff comment was “no wonder I ache all over after PT!”
On a positive note, the orthopod noted the majority of the fractures are healing well and perhaps in 6-12 months, we should consider having some of the supporting hardware removed.
With additional appointments scheduled following my return to Kona, I pray a solution will be found for Theresa’s continued inability to flex the toes on her right foot along with the sensation there of constant tingling.
Up until the day I had to leave, Theresa was still undergoing intensive neuropsychological testing, which will provide a good baseline measurement when she is reassessed in a year or so.
With all of this going on, I still needed to return home to make arrangements for Theresa’s eventual care in Hawaii. My return ticket was pretty much useless as the change fees and fare differential would have amounted to over $800.
Then inspiration struck and I found a $238 one-way flight from San Jose to Kona on Alaska Airlines. Bidding Theresa farewell and promising to return during the week of her expected discharge, I began the four hour drive leaving Bakersfield at roughly 2 a.m.
At that time of night, the roads are mostly quiet except for the occasional convoy of trucks, possibly driven by vampires according to my wandering thoughts (have to stop watching True Blood in the hotel room.)
Being the middle of the night, the temperature had dropped sufficiently that I could drive with the windows open. This not only kept me more alert but it also let in the varied smell of the counties.
Moving from the petroleum odor of Bakersfield, to the lush greenery of the Central Valley’s agriculture and onto the cow manure of the California dairy industry, it was an olfactory delight that kept me going until the harrowing mountain pass between I-5 and Highway 101.
Descents through fog-shrouded winding roads can be full of dangers but not to fear, even in the wee hours this day my guardian angel kept up and I made it safely and on time to the San Jose airport. Having never flown Alaska Airlines before, it was a pleasant surprise when they served a Kona coffee cookie upon departure and a mac nut sampler nearing arrival.
I was greeted by our dear friend Betty who Theresa first met over Konaweb even before moving here. She, along with a few others have generously provided me with rides to/from the airport since this began and I am truly grateful to them and to our Lord for sending these angels in our time of need.
Back home for the past week, I was able to confirm the services of not one but two homecare providers to support Theresa. A month ago, I had no leads and with the help of friends and associates at work, everything is quickly coming together in preparation for Theresa’s homecoming.
For this among all of the other miracles and blessings our Lord has graced us with, please join me in giving thanks.
Mahalo,
David
www.hulaterri.blogspot.com
P.S. With a tentative discharge date now in place, my plan is to bring Theresa home on the United flight from LAX arriving in Kona at noon Saturday, July 30.
It would be a wonderful show of support if some of our ohana could be there to welcome Theresa home following our 8-month journey of healing grace.
I just want to say that I applaud the positive attitude and lack of any bitterness, we can all learn how much easier it is to move forward through difficult times when you can approach it in this manner. I hope the return will be filled with Aloha.