This is difficult for me to write, so I am just going to give it to you as close to the doctor's words as I can. Today in a meeting with Libby's primary Critical Care doctor, Dr. Stephen Koch, we learned that Libby has lost her center for speech, which was located on the right side of her brain (not unusual for left-handed people) where the major stroke damage occurred. This affects not only her ability to speak, but also her ability to understand what is being said to her. This is why she has little response to verbal commands - she literally does not understand what is being said. She can respond to visual things - If you smile at her she can smile back, if you demonstrate raising your right thumb she can raise her right thumb. The "intelligence" part of her brain is still intact. But he likened her situation to a computer without a keyboard or monitor. Therefore one of the main focuses of her rehab will be on speech therapy. It is possible for her left side of the brain to learn from scratch the cognitive and physical speech requirements, but it is much like a baby learning to talk. We will learn more about this when she is transferred to a Rehab hospital, hopefully as early as next week. The good news is that the swelling in her brain is way down and they removed the trach today. Ellen will give a report on her PT today, which went very well. Please pray for strength and patience.
Think about taking a minute, and posting a message of encouragement for Libby on her CaringBridge link.
Original post is here, in case you're not sure what happened.
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