Look Out! ... He's Back on the Road

Kent had his follow-up appointment on Thursday (2/24), and things are looking pretty good. The doctor feels he is healing, but remains concerned about the sutures closing up properly on the top of his head. He will check it again on March 17th at the next appointment.

Kent still has swelling on the right side of his face and this should decrease as scar tissue breaks down over time. His overall progress is where he should be (at this point) and some slurred speech, and the other symptoms he experiences when he begins to get tired, are to be expected. Kent is not to climb ladders, ride his bike or do anything that could result in a fall, but he should continue building his strength, little by little.

Look out on the roadways, he has been cleared to drive short distances - but only to very familiar places. He can also go up and down the stairs and even do a little yard work, as long as someone is with him at all times, while doing these activities, and he stops as soon as he begins to feel tired or dizzy.

It's a long road back to health, but his CT Scan looked good and they didn't see anything to worry about. More news on the 17th ...



Recent photo of Kent and Mary at Memphis' birthday outing to the Wildlife Park.

Kent has Hair!

Kent is continuing to recover and his hair is growing back ... he's starting to look like OUR Kent again.
















Luckily the weather held out and Kent was able to see his doctor on Thursday, February 3rd. Following is a brief recap - not all questions have been discussed, but he will have a new CT Scan at the next appointment on February 17th.

Recovery:
It's too early to tell, but it is likely that he will recover 100%
It will take at least 3 to 6 months - maybe longer - for a full recovery
He will be on leave from work for "a few months"
He should continue trying to rebuild his strength a little each day - walking and exercising his left hand/arm

Speech & Motor Skills:

Although his speech has improved, it becomes slurred later in the afternoon or if he is tired. Now and then it takes a few seconds to find the right words. The doctor said that this is normal and should continue to improve with time.

When he is tired, Kent sometimes experiences episodes of not being able to effectively use his left hand. For example, he may need to use his left hand to hold a fork while cutting up food and this can be a real challenge. The doctor said that this is also normal for this stage of his recovery.

Check back for updates - maybe we'll get a few action shots in the coming weeks!