The speech therapist came this morning, not having been for a few weeks. After a bit of chat on how Pete was I told her we weren't doing too well on letters and sounds - her response? What we are doing is a complete waste of time and Pete will now never improve on the communication side, not even slightly. A devastating statement to say the least. I told her he could now write my name, to which she shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'you wish'. I asked why then had the consultant said his aphasia will improve slowly over the next 2 or 3 years? (We hadn't asked him if it would improve) Apparently he shouldn't have said that and he only did so to make us feel better! Bearing in mind that he is a very direct person and usually says it like it is, I find that very hard to believe.
She spent quite a time explaining the brain cells are now destroyed (what, really???) and so can never be repaired. Does she think we are total fools living in a fantasy land? WE BLOODY KNOW THAT!!! But as the consultant, and also the previous speech therapist, spent time explaining that, hopefully, repetition, repetition, repetition will eventually stimulate other parts of the brain to take over these tasks.
I am so very very angry that she sat there and thought it was perfectly alright to destroy us so bluntly. I think she was out of order and, no matter what her personal thoughts on the situation, she could have possibly said she was 99% sure we wouldn't make any more progress but there is still that 1% chance. At least we would still have hope. After she had said it was a waste of time several times I told her I thought she had made her point. She said she wasn't going to give us false hope and did we want her to leave? Too right we did!
I can't really understand why she set out to destroy us as she has previously been very supportive but, so be it, she won't be coming again.
Several hours later I still think she was out of order to say that to us. I have had several messages of support from friends and family and, despite her, we are going to continue as we were. At least others don't think we are wasting our time.
I appreciate we are never again going to have an in-depth discussion on politics (!!!!) but just a couple of words would do.
Obviously Pete can't tell me what he thinks but how would you feel to be told that? This could send him back down again but he does agree she shouldn't have said it and he still wants to carry on, but tonight he is very quiet.
Wasting our time? We have all the time in the world. As my sister said, never say never.
I can't live without hope - it's all we have.
You're right to ignore what she said Shirley, how very ignorant of her to suggest such a thing, how does she know anyway? You've made such massive progress since the stroke occurred, you'll continue to do so, and she can keep her thoughts to herself, how insensitive.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading a really good book at the moment about a man who has a severe stroke and learns to communicate by blinking his left eye, it's how the book was written. I'll send it down when I've finished it if you'd like to have a read? Stay strong and keep going, you are amazing xxxx