Here is an update for all of you who have been asking about how Chris has been doing.

Chris had his neurology follow up in St. Cloud on 1/24/23.  I feel like most all appointments come with good news and bad news.  The good news is Chris is progressing and coming along well.  If any outsider would see him and converse with him, they would probably think he is just fine.  He can walk, talk, cook, perform daily tasks & drop a good line of B.S. just fine.  As a family, we were all prepared by the neurologist that outsiders would not be able to see his mishaps and how a Traumatic Brain Injury will be like an invisible injury.  

The bad news is the invisible injury and the leftover of symptoms that may or may not go away. Chris continues to experience a ton of dizziness or “fog” that he often has difficulty explaining the feeling.  Some might say, in a drunken state at all times.  He is still working on vision therapy daily; however, he feels some days are at a standstill because the dizziness or blurred vision doesn’t subside.  He continues to have some difficulty with his memory and at times cannot find the right words to use.  He was cleared for driving, however with his dizziness he doesn’t feel completely safe driving.  

He had a follow up MRI which showed his bleeding has resolved, however it noted microvascular changes which would indicate damage to his small blood vessels.  Unfortunately, his taste also has not returned, and he does not have much of a desire to enjoy meals.  In return, Chris also has been working hard on his diet regimen and has lost 48 lbs since his injury.  With his weight loss and managing his carbohydrate intake, his last primary care follow-up gave him the good news that he is no longer considered a diabetic.  All in all, Chris’ journey has been great in many ways, but I’m sure he would disagree with all of the other daily challenges and being told he still cannot return to work for at least another 6 months.  His brain still needs a lot of TLC and his brain needs to work way harder just to process a task.

As always, thank you all for keeping Chris and his family in your thoughts & prayers.  It has been, and continues to be, a long journey and all of you help with the healing process in one way or another.

 I have attached a link to a “Letter From Your Brain”.  If you haven’t read this letter before, please do, it is a good read.

www.braininjurymn.org/library/ALetterFromYourBrain.pdf

We are also still asking for donations for Chris as he is unable to return to work for at least 6 months yet.  Time will tell on that.  Thanks again for all of your love and support during this time.

Click the link below to make a donation through GoFundMe.
Fundraiser for Tammi Hart by Tonia 'Koep' Doble : Chris Koep Fundraiser (gofundme.com)

Or you can mail cards to:
Chris Koep
10423 Highway 59
Dalton, MN 56324