Tim Butterworth Tim butterworth

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Friday 9/21/18
As many of you know, Tim has been dx with epilepsy. He had a severe seizure on August 25 in the town of Oakland, CA, where he was planning on playing a dueling piano gig in nearby Danville. Paramedics brought him to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, CA as they have an outstanding trauma center.   Once evaluated, doctors determined that he had sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and it was necessary to perform brain surgery to remove a portion of his skull to allow his brain to swell with no restrictions. 
He spent 3 weeks in their Neurosciences ICU, 2 of those weeks mostly unconscious and on life support with a breathing machine and more IV bags than we could count.  After about 7 days, doctors were thankfully no longer worried about his survival.  The breathing tube came out on the 11th day, and the number of IV bags diminished. Evaluations and observations revealed paralysis on the right side, aphasia, and apraxia, meaning he is unable to talk or understand much of what is being said to him.  
Frank, Debbie and his devoted girlfriend 
Natalie have been here since August. Brothers Andy, Jeff, and Jonathan have been here several times and have return trips planned.
He has been moved to a neurology step down unit in the same hospital and has started 
therapies: speech/language, OT and PT.  We have seen glimmers of hope like slight movement of his right leg, toes and fingers, he was able to say his name and count to 5 mimicking the speech therapist, sing a few letters of the alphabet, and after Nat sang the Lion King’s Circle of Life”, he sang those 3 words at the end of the song.  He’s also sat up on the side of his bed with support from OT and PT therapists.
He had his NG feeding tube removed today and replaced with a surgically inserted 
stomach “peg” through which they can give him food and meds as he is unable to swallow. (for now)
He is moving to a long term rehab facility , in Kentfield, CA, tomorrow, where all therapies will continue and increase.
His location here and in Kentfield is about 6 hours from his home in Los Angeles.  Our long- term goal will be to transfer him to a 
rigorous facility, hopefully in Boston,  perhaps LA, once his skull piece is reinserted . There he would  receive the very best therapies that will give him the best chance to recover as much as possible. 
We will update this periodically so his friends and family can keep up with his progress. We deeply appreciate texts, emails, and. cards we have received. They really keep our spirits up.