Update: AD, Leg Muscles, Fingers + the St. Francis Novena!

Straight from Natalie:

Since arriving at rehab, we have been learning a lot about a syndrome, common to all SCI (spinal cord injury) patients, called autonomic dysrefelxia (known as AD).  AD is very dangerous and can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.  AD can be triggered by any persistent irritant, such as full bowel or bladder, being too hot or too cold, restrictive clothing, stress, or pain. 

Around 3am Monday morning Thomas experienced his first episode of AD.  The irritant  was successfully identified, and eventually they were able to get his blood pressure down, but his headache persisted and he was taken to the emergency room for a CTscan, as a precautionary measure, to ensure that no brain damage occurred.  By the time everything was resolved, Thomas had lost the night's sleep and was too fatigued to participate in therapy that day. The following day Thomas had a normal day of rehab, but later, Thomas and Natalie were enjoying a quiet evening when he had another episode of AD.  After a painful and concerning 2 hours, the trigger was once again identified. 

AD is very serious, but it is common among SCI patients.  The doctors and nurses at rehab are very familiar with it and are educating Thomas and Natalie about what to do when it occurs.  These episodes are unsettling, but they are a blessing in disguise: the couple is glad they are experiencing this before being discharged.  Every person's system has different triggers and their body reacts differently.  They are learning what triggers AD for Thomas and what his symptoms are.  This will be life-saving in future episodes.

Some exciting news to share -- Thomas has some new muscle groups waking up!  His adductors (inner thigh muscle) and his left calf muscle.  Muscle strength is tested on a scale from 1-5; Thomas' are at a 1 on the scale, but it's one more group of muscles his therapists can begin working on! 

A special thank you to all of you who have joined us in our novena to St. Francis for the recovery of Thomas' fingers (which is still on-going).  This week he has seen some return!  He now has slight independent movement of his left thumb, pointer finger, ring finger, and pinky!  Again, he is a 1 on the scale of strength, but this is incredibly exciting to see!  Today his therapists started stimming his left hand to encourage these new muscles!

Thomas and Natalie continue to have days of training together, focusing on different types of transfers, bed mobility, bathing, and weight lifting.  They have also been busy making preparations for Thomas' discharge home.  There are numerous details to sort out between his therapists and the insurance company to make sure their new apartment is prepared to meet the needs of his care. 

Join us in prayer!