URGENT- Don Souden Has Had A Stroke

[Robert]

He may fear the outcome of eating - the lack of control would feel fairly humiliating.

[Archaic]

Errata, would you please post or email me some links to the phone you mentioned that is designed for stroke victims, etc? The one that has a way to insert photos by speed-dials?

I looked online late last night but didn't see it.

I'm thinking maybe we could get him a simple push-button speed-dial phone of some kind, cover up any extraneous dials etc, and paste photos to it ourselves.

I'm trying to figure out whether he could use a Voice Dial phone, but it probably can't be a touch-screen cell phone as he's used to a flip-phone.

I'd appreciate any links or suggestions anyone might have.

Please bear in mind that Don only has use of right hand, and cannot read numbers, letters, or other abstract symbols. His coordination with right hand is limited.

Thanks very much,
Archaic

PS: If somebody can invent a simple easy to use phone solution for stroke, dementia, and other patients with neurological damage, whether it's reworked old phones or a brand new invention, they will get rich quick.

[Archaic]

Your Cards For Don Are Arriving!

Good news, finally got to talk to Don for first time this week. He called me about 10 times in a row, but every time I picked it up there was no one there. It went to my voicemail but it was just just his voicemail recording saying it was full. I kept calling back but he didn't pick up: he might have had his flip-phone open. Then he texted me some shortcut preloaded phrases like 'Be there soon' and 'Call you right back' and rang a few more times. I persevered & with help of staff I finally got to talk to him.

Don sounded a little slurred and rapid at first, but told me about an old friend of his from Columbia University visiting him. He told me a number of random anecdotes from college.

Then as he spoke his focus improved and he told me he received cards from Carol, Cris (Hunter) and Ally. He remembered some details like that Cris lives in Tennessee.
I asked if he had a reply for his friends, and Don said everybody "said too many nice things about me". But I could tell he was pleased, and the cards had really given him a lift.

Don is working on being able to read the cards himself, so everybody's efforts to print large and legibly are having a good effect! now that he knows what they say, when he tries to read them it will be easier for him to make the connections in his head that will help him to read on his own.

I told him more cards are coming and he's looking forward to them.
(I'm so relieved the zip code error didn't prevent him from getting his mail, I've been so worried about that! God bless the US postal workers that hand-corrected the zipcodes and delivered the cards.)

Don asked what the news is on Casebook. (If anybody has news please send it to him.) I told him I've been working so didn't know all the news, but told him the news I do know is that everybody misses him and needs him to get back to writing and publishing.

Then Don suddenly said very clearly, "I bet they're waiting for cctv of Aaron Kominsky in Mitre Square!" I almost fell out of my chair. That was sure unexpected. Then he said, "Tom wants to catch Le Grande..."

He got a little fuzzy again and asked me numerous times in rapid succession how I am, how's my wrist, how's my health, but asked the next question before I could answer, so I just waited for him to zero in on a subject.

He asked about Jane Coram, and suddenly told me clear as a bell "I'm writing the forward to her next book in my head." (!!!)

Then he wandered a little and talked again about his college days at Columbia in NY.

Suddenly he told me somebody's "nephew is studying Graphic Design." I said ''Oh yeah?" He said, "Yeah. I'm gonna ask him to do the layout for the next magazine". So he's already planning his next Ripper publication! Wow!

Don said, "How are you doing Bunny? I worry about you. How's your neck?... Take care of yourself...Don't overdo it." I told him I'm doing pretty well, and I worry about him. I suggested we make a deal, that he will work at eating, doing his exercises and getting stronger, and I promised I'd eat, keep my weight up, and "not overdo it" working. Then we sealed the agreement in a handshake over the phone. I said, "OK, it's a deal then; we shook on it." He said "OK, it's a deal." Hopefully he will really try to eat.

After that he was pretty tired, so I asked him what message I should post for his friends, and he said, "Tell them thank you."

Don has a long road ahead. Please keep the thoughts, prayers & cards coming.

Thanks everyone,
Archaic

[Robert]

Thanks for that, Bunny. Don sounds like he's making great progress.

If he wants the news, tell him his get well thread is one of the few threads that hasn't seen a punch-up.

[Michael W Richards]

Sorry to hear the news.

I wish him all the best in his recovery, always had great respect for Don and have enjoyed our digital conversations over the years.

My Best Regards and Positive Wishes Don.

[Carol]

Thanks for the update on Don, Bunny. I'm grateful that our post has been reaching him, in spite of the zip code problem.

[Errata]

Errata, would you please post or email me some links to the phone you mentioned that is designed for stroke victims, etc? The one that has a way to insert photos by speed-dials?

I looked online late last night but didn't see it.

I'm thinking maybe we could get him a simple push-button speed-dial phone of some kind, cover up any extraneous dials etc, and paste photos to it ourselves.

I'm trying to figure out whether he could use a Voice Dial phone, but it probably can't be a touch-screen cell phone as he's used to a flip-phone.

I'd appreciate any links or suggestions anyone might have.

Please bear in mind that Don only has use of right hand, and cannot read numbers, letters, or other abstract symbols. His coordination with right hand is limited.

Thanks very much,
Archaic

PS: If somebody can invent a simple easy to use phone solution for stroke, dementia, and other patients with neurological damage, whether it's reworked old phones or a brand new invention, they will get rich quick.

http://www.amazon.com/Future-Call-FC-1007-FutureCall-Phone/dp/B000MG8BHQ/ref=sr_1_8?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1379784162&sr=1-8&keywords=large+phones

one with speakerphone might be more ideal, but thats what I found. I think smartphones are killing these things off.

The problem with voice dial is that it has to learn the way you speak, and you have to say it the same way every time or it doesn't work. His voice and inflections sill be all over the place for a while, so when he is tired and slurring, he won't be able to make the phone work. Which is frustrating. Hell I can't use voice dial, for no apparent reason, so when I try my phone just rejects me over and over again.

[Archaic]

Updates

You're welcome, guys.

Got another couple of texts from Don...this morning he even sent me a blank slideshow (no pics). He's trying hard to re-learn how to use his phone, which is good to see, so more power to him! I know technology is very frustrating after Brain Injury; i saw it with my own Dad when he developed Alzheimer's.

Apparently the health care facility Don is in has undergone a change of ownership, and has a new name.
The address is the same, which is why your cards are reaching him- the post office goes by address. (Don's older brother gave me the old name & zip code, but yesterday I double-checked the details myself and then confirmed them with the facility.)

Just for the record, here's the official name: "Fairview Healthcare Center of Fairfield". (Which makes little sense to me as it's in Southport, not Fairfield, but oh, well...I'm sure some marketing genius thought up that one.)

I was told the name can be written in its shortened version as "Fairview Healthcare Ctr". That way it won't take up half your postcard.

Again, the address is the same, and the old name will still reach him, but this is the positively correct updated name:

Fairview Healthcare Ctr
930 Mill Hill Terrace
ATTN: DONALD SOUDEN
Southport, CT 06890
USA

Don would really love some news, scuttlebutt, jokes, anything to break up the monotony.

Anyone who's been hospitalized a long time knows how boring it is, and when you're already physically weak that boredom drain's one's energy like crazy. Being ill, bed-ridden, and having Physical Therapy is exhausting, and it all combines to create lethargy, which is such a downer. Being kept "in the loop" and INTERESTED will aid Don in his recovery.

If anyone is working on a Ripper research project or article, Don would love to hear about it. It will be good for his brain, jogging his memory and giving him something interesting to think about.

Hopefully, if all goes well, somewhere down the road he'll hit you up for an article for his next magazine issue.

Thanks,
Archaic
PS: If anybody has any news I can tell Don the next time we speak, any news Ripper or otherwise so long as it's positive, please pm or email me & I'll pass it along from you. I'll probably talk to him this wkd. As always I'll try to read him the posts on this thread. Thank you.

[Hunter]

I talked to Don this afternoon and updated him on some if the topics being discussed. He sounded good and offered some sage opinions as well. He was very happy to get the cards.

[Ally]

Had a thought regarding retraining in reading. If there is a television in his room, tell them to turn on the closed captioning. Hearing and seeing the words at the same time might help his brain make those links.

[Natalie Severn]

Thanks Bunny-will do-so glad Don appears to be pulling through .Please give him my warmest wishes---Norma x

[Archaic]

Talked To Don

I just talked to Don.

He sounds worse today. His voice is weaker and more slurred; I had trouble understanding smuch of what he said even when he repeated it.

He told me his therapy to try to learn to move his paralyzed side is "hard".

Don said he was in pain. I asked his nurse to check on him.

He said he didn't get any mail today. It would be great if Don's friends could stock up on postcards & send maybe one a week so he gets mail regularly. It really helps cheer him up.

Thanks everyone,
Archaic

[Suzi]

Soooo sorry to hear about Don......sending all my love and thoughts xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Suzi]

Just building a Dids card for Don xxxxx

[Archaic]

Update on Don

Thanks Suzi, I just spoke to Don and read him your message.

Don doesn't sound good. Cris said the same thing when he talked to him the other day, and Don didn't sound good the previous time I spoke to him either.

His voice was very slurred, weak and muffled. I was unable to understand quite a bit of what he said. T

When once in a while his voice and mind would become clearer. I read him some personal messages others asked me to pass along, and he was very touched and grateful.

Sometimes I could follow him & converse on a subject, and other times he suddenly jumped from the topic to other random topics. That's normal with stroke patients. Speaking over the phone is especially hard for them because its so difficult for them to focus on a person they can't see.

I asked Don if he got some more cards and he said Yes, thank you. He really enjoys them. He also works at reading them himself, so everyone's careful block printing is proving helpful to his therapy.

After that he was jumping from topic to topic with his voice so slurred i was having trouble following him, when suddenly he said very clearly, "I'm thinking of going to the conference." (!) Of course he means the 125th Anniversary Ripper Conference in London! Bless him. (He's in Connecticut, near NY, 3400 miles away from London.)

I told Don it would be really cool if he goes to the conference. Then Don asked me "Are you going?" When I replied "No, I can't this year" he wanted to know why. But I told him again it would be really cool if he goes, and he said in a thoughtful tone of voice, "Yeah, I'm thinking about it".

Then told me again he was paralyzed on his left side and couldn't move it or walk, and said "my left hand is useless".

Don suddenly said he was going to try to get on a walker (Zimmer frame) and start walking. (I doubt his Physical Therapy has gotten that far, as he needs 2 hands or at least one strong hand and better coordination to use a walker even if he's going to drag his paralyzed leg, but he gets an A+ for attitude!)

I got the impression that Don had made the connection in his mind between his idea of "going to the Conference" and "Using a walker."
I hope those goals will inspire him to work hard at his therapy.

I also wish by some miracle he could go to the conference... Sigh.

ATTN: ANYBODY WHO LIVES IN OR VISITS LONDON- Is it possible for you to send Don some kind of Ripper-related or London-related postcards? He will enjoy them so much and they will help him feel connected to both his friends and his old interests.

Thanks very much,
Archaic