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Dave’s Story

Site created on September 27, 2021

DAVE’S STORY

On the morning of August 27, Dave was in a horrific bicycle accident while riding his bike in a nearby town. He was riding in the bike lane when a van turning left drove into him.
He suffered multiple fractures (including 4 to his C-spine, 1 to his lumbar spine, his left femur and left tibia) and head trauma. He had 3 surgeries in 3 days. A CT scan done after the third surgery showed he had suffered a stroke due to a damaged vessel in his neck. The result of the stroke is he will have no visual field of vision on his left side.
After he had stabilized at the hospital, he was transferred to a rehab facility. After 5 days he was becoming more restless, agitated and confused so he was rushed back to the hospital. He had suffered another stroke which would have affected his right side, but there seems to have been no lasting affects, thankfully. He also had a UTI, which has been treated.
He had to remain at the hospital to make sure he could tolerate his new medication, a blood thinner. This wasn't given earlier, due to his head trauma, but was necessary to prevent future strokes. Once he was cleared, he was transferred to a different rehab facility, St. David's Rehab in downtown Austin. He is expected to remain here until October 19.
Currently, Dave has a lot of cognitive deficits which he needs to work on. He's often confused, unaware of where he is and why, and doesn't understand why he can't just get up and go home. This confusion, we were told, could last up to a year. He is also working on retraining his brain to move his eyes and head to the left so that he can see the left side of the world. In addition, he is still non-weight bearing on his left leg due to the fractures. The bones will heal, though, thankfully, and he will walk again. In this regard, he was very lucky.
Through all of this, Dave has not lost his long term memory, his personality or his sense of humor. He continues to entertain those around him with his wit and determination to get home to his sweetie. He has loved reading cards people have sent him (or having them read to him) so thank you so much for your love and encouragement. This is a challenging time for all of us and your thoughts and prayers have meant the world.
You can check this website for updates on his progress.
Thank you all so much!
Barb and family

Newest Update

Journal entry by Barbara Green — Dec 29, 2021

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Ours was quiet for the most part but Dave kept his beard for Christmas. He is continuing to progress and is improving with his walking. I just have to watch out for his impulsiveness. Cognitively, there are some good days but he still sometimes has trouble finding certain rooms like the bathroom. He finally really got weighed and he’s lost 30 pounds. With the hair and beard gone, you can really see the weight loss in his face. But he looks more like himself now. We wish everyone a bright, happy and healthy new year. 2022 has got to be better.

Read More of the journal titled "December 29, 2021"

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