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From: Lee Tolentino <lee.tolentino@yahoo.com.au>
To: List
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2014 7:58 AM
Subject: Update on Lee #4
Hi Everyone! Sorry it has been awhile since the last update.
Summary:
Dad has improved a lot in the last few months. He is now aware of his condition and is actively trying to work through it and will be starting rehab soon.
Eating:
He can now eat and drink pretty much whatever he wants, though he still needs to be careful of choking. He likes the burgers and ice cream that he is able to eat. Mom also brings him food from home. He is also able to feed himself with his left hand.
Speech:
He can now speak whole sentences though words that require the back of the throat (eg. “daughter”, “steel”) to sound still give him difficulty. When he gets tired it is harder to understand him. The speech therapist is getting him to do many exercises and word practice – he continues to improve.
Awareness:
From being mainly asleep for large parts of the day – he is now awake for the whole day and aware. His eyes are also open – rather than halfway shut from a few months ago. He is also able to watch (and therefore see!) tv and talk to mom about the news or whatever else is on. He is also able to read (though he usually skips the words on the rightmost part of the sentence and goes on to the next line).
He has forgotten many things that he needed to be shown how to do again. He understands the words – just can’t connect what they mean. For example, he forgot how to “press the button” – until someone showed him. He knew what a faucet was – but not how to use it (again until someone showed him). He seems to have forgotten how to count - this is a work in progress – but he knows most numbers (eg. There are 2 people in the room). He remembers most colours.
Realising this is all with his left hand: He can write – but past the first few letters the script becomes illegible. Still a big improvement from a few months ago. He doesn't usually have the patience to write in block letters – but he can do it if pushed a bit. Drawing is passable – he can still draw recognisable things – like a drawing of a man with a pipe – but obviously nowhere near the skill of what he had before.
Physical:
His left side continues to be ok and strong. His right side is the one that is paralysed. So on his right side, he has regained a little bit of strength in his right leg. While lying down, if someone lifts his right leg, he can push forward with it and also exert downward pressure. He can’t lift his leg up by himself. He can also wiggle some of his toes – but not all of them. From a raised (almost sitting – 70 degree angle) position, he can pull himself up to a sitting position. It is getting better – he was unable to do this a few weeks ago, and even when he did he was sagging/leaning into his right side. Now he is sitting up straight for longer periods of time – though still under a minute.
Treatment:
Dad has physiotherapy and speech therapy once a week and acupuncture twice a week. Mom spends every day with him and helps him practice his speech and physio exercises every day. He had improved enough by a few weeks ago to be able to attend an assessment to see if the rehabilitation centre at Mt. Wilga would take him on. He passed the assessment – the doctors think they can get him to at least learn how to sit in a wheelchair and also improve his speech further. He is on a waiting list for a spot in the centre – indications are it will be just a few weeks wait.
When he starts rehab, the doctors are concerned his weak heart will mean that he really can’t be “pushed” too hard. The way rehab works is that he will have a 3 week stint and then to see if he can still take more, and if he can still improve more a decision can be taken to extend longer.
Challenges
All of the above sounds really positive- and it is. However, we want to make sure everyone realises the situation and challenges still ahead.
For all the positive signs of recovery – Dad is still very paralysed on his right side. He cannot move his arm at all and while he has some control over his leg, at the moment it would be around 10% (or less).
People should not forget that Dad has lost 50%-60% of the left side of his brain and so there is still a very real possibility that there has been brain damage: While Dad seems to be mostly there mentally, he still has some ideas that are illogical (e.g. Joe joining the Katipunan) and he doesn't seem to always understand cause and effect (e.g. If I do this, this will happen next). He also he sees things that aren't there. He has ‘escaped’ at least once (he says twice) from his bed – thinking he can walk. And the nurses have found him on the floor (he managed to put down the guardrail with his left hand and roll off the bed). For some reason he can’t remember the number 9 when counting to 20. However, when telling the time, it is always 9 o'clock – regardless what the clock actually reads.
Dad still stutters when he talks and can’t get particular words out.
He has forgotten quite a bit and his focus isn't really there. For example, he could not read this email in its entirety – he may get a few lines in and then lose interest. He would also not be able to read every word in the email as he has forgotten some of them, not to mention ignoring the words on the rightmost of the screen, and going onto the next line.
Given the above, he will continue to require a high level of care for quite a while more, if not ongoing.
Picture
There is a picture of Dad attached to this email taken after mass on Sunday at the high care facility he is in.
Regards,
Tolentino Family
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In an email sent by members of his family we are told that classmate Liwabag “Lee” Tolentino has suffered a heart attack followed by a stroke. We are also informed of Lee’s condition in the email: