I was going to start with a heart warming story about how Justin came to my rescue several years ago after I had a motorbike accident in Nepal, it's a funny story but I'll save it for another time. I just wanted this update to simply be about the huge leaps forward that Justin has made in the last 3 weeks. Has it been three weeks since my last update? Where does the time go?
We've accepted that Justin's progress cannot be measured in days or even weeks, realistically we're looking at a month on month basis to notice any real significant improvements. Thats not to say things are not happening daily, they are and no matter how small, a movement of a toe, a new memory, a followed command, a flex of the ankle, a laugh and even a little wave goodbye, they are all milestones for Justin.
I've been procrastinating over this latest update for many reasons. The last few weeks have been 'emotional' for want of a better word, especially for Justin. It was inevitable that as he moved closer to the surface, he would start to realise the severity of his situation. We all have them occasionally, but I would imagine that Justin's 'moments of clarity' are not filled with the joyous wonders of life and all things bright and beautiful. He wakes up daily to the horrifying fact that he can't move his arms or legs, feels pain where he didn't before, can't remember names or places, can't express himself or communicate in the way that he should be able to and feels frustrated that we can't understand him, I could go on. For Justin his awakening is proving to be the nightmare come true that we all fear for ourselves and our loved ones.
But we shouldn't dwell on the negative, the big changes from 3 weeks ago is that Justin is now able to express his emotions, he has dug deep and found the strength to challenge his paralysis, his brain is working overtime firing new signals, making new connections, performing new functions and taking over old ones. He is trying to communicate more using his voice, the faint whispering is slowly being replaced with a more coherent chatter, words and sentences flow at times, conversations can even be held, with a little prompting here and there. However, he doesn't always make sense, there's a lot of guesswork, the gap between what Justin is thinking and what he is actually saying still needs to be bridged but there's definitely more comprehension. Justin is now well aware of his situation and knows that he's got mountains to climb to overcome it. And that is the big breakthrough!
I now look back at the video of the first thumb wrestling in sheer wonderment, it's astonishing what the human body can go through and even more so, how it can repair. We were told some cold hard truths about Justin's condition and the bleakness of his prognosis, and yet he seems to be defying all the odds. We've heard the doctors say "He's doing better than expected" and "…better in 6 weeks than other patients in 6 months…", I've even heard Dr Doom, who I'm warming too a little, confess "…I didn't expect this!" after he was told about Justin talking. I shouldn't mock Dr Doom, he, like all of the staff at the hospital are incredible (I now know they read this blog :) and I'm so grateful to them for all that they are doing, not just for Justin but for our entire family.
One of the toughest things we've had to consider over the last few weeks has been when to introduce new visitors for Justin. We had come close several times and when presented this to him, he had either been very negative or his reaction was difficult to gauge, so we've backed off and waited for a different moment. We wanted to ensure that it was for all the right reasons. It needed to simply be for Justin, to know that his friends are there for him, to offer him comfort, support and reassurances and to tell him they loved him, which they all obviously would, but he needed to be comfortable with his own self. In the last week, Justin seemed a lot more receptive to the idea, and as a result a couple of Justin's closest friends have spent some quality time with him, it was magical to see the spark of recognition in his face as soon as he set eyes on them. It's also brought a lot of emotions to the surface and there has been a few tears from all involved. But hey, there's nothing wrong with a couple of grown men crying, sometimes it's good to let the boo hoos out.
At some point soon, Justin will require less hospitalisation and more specialist therapies. As much as we admire the hospital, the facilities and all the staff here, it's important that Justin return to the UK soon to continue his treatment there. Our parents obviously need to get back to their lives in the UK, and myself, Anita and Talo will most likely take a year out of our lives in Nepal and return to the UK with Justin too. Plans are currently being made for his repatriation and admission to a hospital, this could happen in about 4 weeks from now.
Today after probably one of the most most grueling physio sessions he's had, we got Justin into the wheelchair where I wanted to take him outside for a bit of fresh air. Two days ago I had brought in his favourite purple shirt, as he sat in the chair, I draped it around his shoulders and we set off for the great outdoors. In truth, there wasn't a great deal of fresh air, it was humid and sticky and the sun was beating down on us but it didn't matter, Justin looked good, the best he's looked in weeks. But there was still something missing, then I realised, he would never have left the house in broad daylight without his sunglasses. What was I thinking? Sorry Justin, my mistake, I'll remember tomorrow, I promise
444 Fundraiser.
Justin's friends are holding a special charity event in London on the 25.08.12 to raise a glass and a few quid for Justin's medical and rehabilitation needs.
They have put together an incredible collection of prizes that can be won won via a raffle or auction.
If you're in London the night before Notting Hill Carnival, get yourself over to Westbourne Studios where none other than Justin Robertson will be rocking the tunes for the cause.
If you can't make the event, you can still buy raffle tickets or place a bid to win an amazing prize.
Please click on the link to find out how it all works and see the list of prizes on offer.
http://444justin.blogspot.in/p/444-fundraiser-250812.html
C'MON JUSTIN...
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