One week later--
Benjamin had his neurotrama clinic evaluation and testing at Gillette today and it was very revealing. The neuro nurse was able to show Ben his 9mm temporal bone fracture (about a half inch in length) and his small epidural bleed on the CT scan. He was tested via a computer program on his cognition, his processing speed, his spacial relationship awareness, and his reaction time. He scored in the 91st percentile on cognition, but other areas showed deficits. He was kinda shocked (we all were)! Overall Ben feels "healed" and fully functional, but the testing clearly revealed areas of his brain that shut down a bit from the impact of the hard hit to his head last Thursday.
The result: Ben has been put on 8 weeks of REST! No sports, no running, no weight-lifting, no exertion: these are the doctor's orders. Essentially he has been told that he cannot risk re-injury to his brain or skull and that he needs to avoid doing anything that will increase the pressure in his head/skull. If he has pressure return or headaches, he needs to stop whatever activity induced the symptoms. In 7 weeks he will return to Gillette to have his CT scans repeated and we hope we will see NO remaining hematoma on that scan and he can return to his usual activities.
Please pray for Ben! To miss out on many fun activities this summer will be hard on the guy. Nonetheless, I am sure this will bring growth to our son in the areas of patience, trust, fortitude, and self-control. He also will likely gain compassion for others who suffer injury.
Today we remain very thankful Ben was not more severely injured. He will likely have a 100% recovery. We are thankful for excellent healthcare that can help direct and advise us. While at Gillette, we received warm greetings from neurosurgeon Dr. Pardington, nurse Tami, and many of the 4 North Rehab staff. These folks are wonderful friends to our family and provide such terrific support.
As for Bethany, tonight she is swing dancing at the Caves with her friend Tom, her long-time friend Britta, and Britta's boyfriend Sean. I'm sure she is having a blast! Ben's baseball team won their games both last night and tonight and Ben was there to cheer them on. The weather is glorious and it is a mighty fine night in Minnesota overall.
Much love from the Pearsons,
Sharon
