From Mike Ruetschle. 14 July, 2010
Last time I saw my brother was as he was on a stretcher being loaded into the ambulance for medical transport to Seattle … that was almost two weeks ago. At that time Steve could not even sit up straight for 5 minutes without being in unbearable agony. Hearing the reports of him sitting up for 5 and 6 hours seemed unfathomable to me given his state just a short while ago. Like many of you I have been hanging on every post on the blog wondering how Steve was doing – and today I got to see for myself.
Bottom line is that I am awe of Steve’s progress over this short period of time. When my wife and I walked into Harborview Steve was perched atop his new ride. Today he was outfitted with an amazing electric wheelchair. The chair has a joystick of sorts that allows him to move in all directions while guiding the chair with his right hand. He showed me how he could move the vehicle in all directions with ease. It was my first sight of my brother exercising independence and making decisions about where he wanted to go, and just going there. What a beautiful site.
The wheelchair also has a feature that allows it to recline backward, a procedure that Steve is required to do every 15 minutes to reduce the risk of skin pressure points. These are called “tilt backs” and I am learning are a critical part of the skin care regime. Now Steve can do these independently while in his chair. The staples the sewed up his last surgery on his neck were removed today also.
Heather and I and my parents were able to join a class Steve was taking part in along with 3 other people suffering from quadriplegia / paraplegia. The class was led by a recreational therapist who discussed opportunities on how to live a healthy and active lifestyle within the spheres of their disabilities. There was a realism that I could feel in the room as all those suffering from paralysis were in various stages of grief over coming to terms with their new bodies.
For the first time (and expressing his new found independence with the wheel chair) Steve wanted us all to go outside with him. The medical center has a nice outdoor terrace where we were greeted by the beautiful Washington sun and fresh air. It was a party of sorts with friends and family gathered around and talking. Aiden and Jude arrived and greeted their papa on his new machine. The boys took turns riding on papa’s lap steering the machine, and going round and round the terrace. Steve seemed happy to connect with the boys in this way that was outdoors, active, and fun – a much welcome reprieve from the sterile hospital environment.
Steve talked about wanting to take Michelle out on a date night to a nearby Thai restaurant, and we are floating the idea of taking Steve on his first outing to the nearby Sounders soccer game late next week. While some of these ideas might be pushing it a little given that Steve is still suffering from a good deal of pain, his mind is clearly in a state of moving forward and making the most of his situation. Just seeing Steve in regular clothes and sitting upright made him look so much more human and alive to me. So today was a good day for Steve, family and friends, and for me. I felt a small lifting of grief for me personally because for the first time since the accident I could actually visualize what the new Steve might look like.
Mike Ruetschle