[blatz]

Great news!  Keep at it Jeff - u can do it

[bluesman]

Nice results. It's good to see this positive report.

Thanks Brian and Frank.

[denny]

I got chills reading that.  Go for it, Jeff!

[frankw]

Another email from Brian.  Our brew club is on a pub crawl in Boston today and he went over beforehand to visit Jeff.  Kicking myself now for missing the crawl...
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I just hung out with the big man for an hour.  He was sitting in a wheel chair when i walked in.  I woke his ass up and told him he needed to look at me and talk to me since I had come all the way in to see him on the train. 

He was awake almost the entire time and talking a lot.  The only problem is he still has a tracheotomy an it is brutally hard to hear and understand him. 

I asked him if he remembered my name and he nodded yes and said, "Brian". He was having trouble opening both eyes yesterday but had them both open today.  He tried to scratch his right ear and got his hand up to about his nose and he couldl't lift it anymore.  I asked him if he had an itch and he said "yes" and then he said "my right ear".  I scratched it for him and asked if I got it and he said "yes". 

His right hand is still a bit swollen from not being used (according to the therapist).  The therapist said to just move it for him so i kept opening and closing the hand and then made him lift his left hand and grip mine...  Which he was doing well. 

At the end i told him i had to go, "ok".

"i'll see you on monday".....   "ok"

"you gotta keep working. You have to keep moving your hands, arms, head and any other body part because the more you work the easier it is going to get". And he said "i will"

It was great because while i havent been to see him that many times, that was by far the longest he had his eyes open and he was looking right at me. It was also the most words i've heard him say...   And there were a ton of other words i couldn't hear/understand.

[hopfenundmalz]

It reads to be good progress.  This is one nasty virus.  I wish Jeff a full recovery.

[boulderbrewer]

Thank goodness he is making more progress. This is great to hear.  Maybe some more of the club can show up and help!

[redbeerman]

It's great to see Jeff making progress.  Hang in there, bro!

[frankw]

Update 12/8/2010

His wife called me this afternoon to report that Jeff's sarcasm muscle is fully functional.  He had her laughing.  She said to him today that she missed being able to really talk to him and she asked him if he missed talking to her.  His response, "Sort of."  This morning he had Speech Therapy and Physical Therapy and they decided to give him some time to rest before Occupational Therapy this afternoon.  They're cutting him some slack 'cause he's fighting a urinary tract infection right now and is on some antibiotics.  

His wife and the nurse were talking in his room and out comes a big "SHHHH!"
"Oh, I'm sorry are we keeping you awake?"
Nods his head, "yes"
"Want us to keep quiet so you can get to sleep?"
"SHHH!"

By the way, he got his tracheotomy tube removed the other day and that situation is working out well.  He's able to speak a bit better, but it's still pretty quiet.  He had a good speech therapy session and a good PT session.   They put an empty pint glass in front of him and asked him to pick up the "mug."  He shook his head, "no."  "Jeff pick up the mug."  Again shook his head.  Maureen interjected, "Jeff pick up the pint glass."  He did.

They also had him picking up one of his son's toy cars and one of his toy NASCAR guys.  They had him pick up a Dale Earnhardt Jr. guy a few times.  His wife asked him who it was.  Jeff thought for a while.  She asked "is it Jimmy Johnson?"  Jeff replied, "no...Junior."    

He continues to make daily progress and has had a few more visitors lately.  If you can fit it in, try and make it up to see him.  

Keep up the positive thoughts and prayers.  Our Jeff, the "real" Jeff is definitely emerging and can use all the help he can get.


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[theDarkSide]

Excellent news...and funny too.  I don't know Jeff but he sounds like a great guy.

[EHall]

'His response, "Sort of."'

He's going to be just fine!

[bluesman]

Things are looking up and up for Jeff.

Thanks for the update Frank.

[hamiltont]

Thanks Frank!!  Will continue positive thoughts & prayers for Jeff.  I don't know Jeff or his family personally but I'd be there in a heartbeat if I could.  For those of you who are close enough, please pay Jeff a visit!!  Cheers!!!

[Kaiser]

They put an empty pint glass in front of him and asked him to pick up the "mug."  He shook his head, "no."  "Jeff pick up the mug."  Again shook his head.  Maureen interjected, "Jeff pick up the pint glass."  He did.

I was hoping he would say: "Put in some beer first"

But I'm very glad to see that he is making good progress.

Kai

[rabid_dingo]

Right on! Keep up the fight, Jeff. Thanks for the info Frank and Brian.

[Pawtucket Patriot]

I've been silently monitoring Jeff's progress via Frank's updates for the past month or so, but this latest one deserves a "woohoo!"  It really sounds like he's coming out of this!