We Love Steve

SPRING

2007-04-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

STEVE IS DOING GREAT. We took the hospital bed out and replaced it with his old bed. He is not using the wheelchair at all. He walks with a cane and we go out in the car. We can park for free at meters with his disabled parking placard! I have not been able to update the blog in many months. The room is actually STILL available!!
ANY TIME people want to drop by for a visit I know Steve would like it. He is into listening to new music and has been going to the record store on occasion to buy, He would totally dig any old friends showing up with something cool on CD

ROOM AVAILABLE

2006-10-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Steve needs a ROOMMATE! rent reduction offered for the right person who can spend a few hours a week helping him out, or straight rent. Nice sized room with 2 closets and own bathroom, near Mormon Temple in Oakland - great neighborhood!
Contact me by clicking on to the link to my name on this blog home page or in a comment here......thank you SPREAD THE WORD

We Love Steve

all hail mikhail

2006-09-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

we're going to mikhails' 30th birthday tomorrow at the HazMat and Steve will be there.....
also trying to go to the Oakland A's game Sept. 22 and maybe go see Celtic Frost Oct. 3 at the Fillmore
whoopeeeeee

AUGUST 7

2006-08-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

Well it is ONE YEAR ago today that we got that terrible phone call that Steve was in the hospital. That was one LONG night and days of frightened waiting afterward to see what would happen. His odds were not good at all on August 7, 2005. I cried so many tears I thought my heart was splitting open. Now when I see Steve I can never be mad at him for anything because I just have to think back to when I thought I might never see him again. Each day is a gift to enjoy and savor. We had lunch today and I brought him a Slayer 6/06/06 t-shirt. He replied "EPIC". And thank you. So I said thank you back. I'm glad he is around!
Then we listened to Celtic Frost. EPIC.

METAL heads

2006-06-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

new pictures and we didn't leave the cane behind on the sidewalk!

get up and go

2006-05-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

standing around will never have the same meaning

We Love Steve

2006-05-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

moving along with life, therapies and spring cleaning....we planted a vegetable garden yesterday and Steve is sorting his closets and wheeling himself around the house in his wheelchair. He stood up to reach for stuff on the shelf in his closet and is starting 1:1 with a speech therapist at the Aphasia Center this week. I think we'll try to go in the car to an A's game soon and we;'ve been taking walks around the neighborhood in which his right leg starts bouncing up and down like it used to when he was antsy......pretty wild! They need a new stove at the house and I've been paying some extra help a few days a week out of the donation fund......donations are always welcome and we still have t-shirts available. Happy mother's day to anyone reading who's a mom!

YAHTZEE

2006-04-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

hey thanks to the comics and Rusty and everyone who made it out in the rain last night. It was not a huge turn out but it was INTIMATE and I did enjoy myself......Doctor Larry from Highland also came out which was very cool. For anyone who is going through something similar, what has seemed to work really well is varying home care workers to the extent possible and having on-call people (WHICH Steve still needs by the way); a day program to get therapy and socialization while living at home; and in Steve's case he cn benefit from the Aphasia Center in Oakland which has support groups for people with aphasia and also 1:1 speech therapy. The next step in his care plan will be to get him started with services there. He can do home speech exercies also, even just repeating numbers of the alphabet is good and fun too.

New Photos

2006-03-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

I just added some new photos of Steve and friends during his recovery to the photo gallery. Siobhan says she'll be sending more soon, so keep checking back for more in the near future!

We Love Steve

2006-03-25T20:26:00.000-08:00

STeve is starting a program during the day for therapy at Summit Hospital in oakland. We are trying to keep him really upbeat about going cuz it's scary to go to a new placed where you don't know anyone, especially when you can't answer people's questions. I am proud of him that he went 3 days last week and rode on the program van alone! He really is a trooper.

BENEFIT

2006-03-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

Alcoholocaust Presents A Stand-up Comedy Showcase:

Sunday April 2nd
7 to 10 pm @ the Golden Bull- A Steve Chinn Benefit
412 14th St, Oakland, 94612
$5

John Hoogasian
Kristopher Tinkle
Jacob Sirof
Sherri Sirof
Justin Scales
Big Al Gonzales
Kurt Weitzmann
Julian Vance
Nato Green
Justin McClure
Alex Koll
Nelson Martini
Big Reg
Stroy
Samantha Chanse

Hosted and Organized
by Rusty Mahakian

APRIL 2 GOLDEN BULL

2006-03-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

ANOTHER BENEFIT coming up on April 2 at the Golden Bull in Oakland - comedy showcase thanks to Rusty and Alcoholocaust presents -
A Stand-up Comedy Showcase:

Sunday April 2nd
7 to 10 pm @ the Golden Bull- A Steve Chinn Benefit
412 14th St, Oakland, 94612
$5

John Hoogasian
Kristopher Tinkle
Jacob Sirof
Sherri Sirof
Justin Scales
Big Al Gonzales
Kurt Weitzmann
Julian Vance
Nato Green
Justin McClure
Alex Koll
Nelson Martini
Big Reg
Stroy
Samantha Chanse

Hosted and Organized
by Rusty Mahakian

We Love Steve

AUCTION and SHOW Wed. 3/8/06

2006-03-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

come on out and bid on some really cool stuff and see some cool bands

BLOG delay

2006-02-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

I can't believe no one has blogged this since JANUARY so anyway here goes. Steve is doing well overall. If you want to visit him show up and go back to his bedroom or go around back to see if he's outside (if it's nice out) - I think a lot of people feel weird about visiting but he and I have a lot of fun every time I visit and it's not a chore to make him laugh. ANYWAY - he still needs more relief workers and it is not really hard work. UPCOMING BENEFIT show, go to Steve's main page for the flyer.
We Love Steve

Paralyzed 'NOT!'

2006-01-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

I just got back from visiting steve for the past three days and it seems like he has regressed a bit since last I saw him three weeks ago. He is only able to get therapy a couple times a week and has one more week of this before he goes out for therapy at two local centers. Slow going eh.

It seems that the music therapy has been working really well for him. Steve does not appear to be totally paralyzed though. Some movement occured in the right leg and arm several times while I was there. I picked up both his wrists/hands to dance with him to music while he sat in bed and he pushed his whole right arm forward with a stretch to meet my resistance and fully flexed his hand to push me. This was very exciting. He also expressed himself appropriately with words I've never heard him say before.

I am hoping that the therapy he gets in a couple weeks will help restimulate whats been neglected since he's returned home. Sheila has been absolutely awesome but she can't do it all. If anyone would like to come by and do some light mindful stretches with him that would really help.

He unfortunately caught a cold this past week and has almost fully recovered but this is so tricky for him because his immune system if compromised can hinder A LOT of healing. He has also developed GOUT again...which gives him unrelenting pain at times and has made him not want to get out of bed. This is so not good. All the nurses at the hospital have told me that the bed is the enemy. He has been resting to get over the cold and the gout seemed to be disipating by the time I left.

What I see is that his diet has to be really watched. The diet for stroke recovery and gout conflict a little in regards to oatmeal and eggs but besides that seem pretty right on.

Sooooooooooo.....
If you bring food to steve PLEASE, I know its tempting, but NO SWEETS, CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, CAFFEINE, BEER, RED MEAT, WHITE SUGAR. We need to keep him on a low spice whole food diet through the cold and flu season and avoid gout so he can do his therapy. thanks guys. nutritious snacks are great!

ciao for now

LATEST

2006-01-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

It is hard to write these days as time seems to blend into itself and each day is much like other days but overall our Steve is holding up very well. He has what is termed severe expressive aphasia so he can say various words and sing but full sentences are all garbled and frustrating for him. he points to things and says no or yes and usually we can figure out what he's trying to say. Good thing we're such good friends too so we can laugh together afterward when it takes a while to understand, and it's a relief for him when you finally get it. The right side of his body is still totally paralyzed but he is adapting and learning ways to move around, and therapy at home has helped to strengthen the right arm/shoulder and leg. With help, Steve can go from the bed to the wheelchair and to a chair and he mostly does it himself but for safety he needs one person right there and it helps if you cue him verbally and make sure he's ready for the motion. His dad is slowly having the btahroom remodeled for better accessibility and the wheelchair ramp is not quite finished. Also, he still needs home health care workers to relieve his brother and cousin so anyone who might like to work for him even a few hours a week or weekends please e-mail me or Sheila.......a lot of what he needs is company and supervision in case he needs help......cooking and changing the album!
cheers
We Love Steve

sex bomb baby yeah!

2005-12-29T16:51:00.000-08:00

today is thursday and i went to visit steve for a bit. sheila had just made him lunch and he was watching a spanish soap opera. he is very happy today, we were both laughing a bunch. he is looking really good. he is doing better and better every time i see him, and he's always smiling. i was spinning some vinyl for him and he had me straighten out some of his records which were out of their covers or backwards or upside down. it seems like he has them almost classified in different genres. he sang almost all of the words to "highway to hell", we listened to venom, fang and flipper and we sang along to that too. then he had me put on vivaldi: bolero and he just sat back humming the tune. then it was time for physical therapy, so i left. i just have to say sheila is such a nice person and she is so great with steve.

i'm looking forward to going on an excursion hopefully in the near future.

YEAHHH Happily Home

2005-12-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

Steve got home thursday fine and the new ramp is excellent, professional and couldn't be better. Mark has just the rails to put on and its finished. Steve was "omigodding" all over the place especially when he saw his cat donnie and the SHACK. The first few days were pretty hecktic with getting steve settled in so its probably a good thing that he had only a few visitors. Kevin came over on friday and hooked up his stereo which was key...its just wrong that the boy had no music right away - but now he do.

Kate and Patrick came by one night and we all played blackjack. It may seem like he doesn't understand much but thats not true. Its just hard when he gets confused and can't say what he wants to say. He's doing better everyday though.

Steve got his second acupuncture treatment this morning and it went really well. He was looking forward to it all week. His aphasia is going away but because of the new environment he gets overstimulated really fast so....talk slow one person at a time. Try to ask him simple questions. Having to make a choice over this or that sends his minds reeling a bit. He's practicing walking with Sheila, Doug and Mark and getting stronger everyday. He's on a waiting list for therapy now that he's left the hospital. So all the therapy he was getting all day long has now halted to whenever it can be fit in the day.

He is hungry for speech therapy for anyone game enough to do some with him.
and we woke up this morning listening to ACDC, the Ramones, OZZI, and Aerosmith, which blew his mind. He can sing much easier than talk so this is awesome practice for him.

He doesn't have a nurse and the family has been told that it may take months to get someone in there. So if anybody has nursing/home care skills we need you. Contact Sheila at locationmakeup@aol.com

Its been recommended that if you have the slightest cold/flu come by to visit but pick up one of those hospital masks if you can. If steve gets a secondary infection that kind of setback can really do alot of damage for him now.

WEll, lots more happened but dem is the highlights.

what up?

2005-12-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

i just got back into town, has anyone been over to visit at the house? how are things going? do doug or steve need anything that y'all know of. i wanna go visit maybe tomorrow, anyone wanna come with?
robin
yomamahar@earthlink.net

this is NUTS

2005-12-13T20:42:00.000-08:00

Steve is coming home Thurs. 12/15 during the day....and hopefully he'll get some acupuncture soon after (Sunday?) and start going to some outpatient therapy......his phone # will be the same - not sure if he'll want to use the phone but maybe we can help him to take calls at set times and he'll be able to hear people talk to him! Keep your fingers and toes crossed.

We Love Steve

2005-12-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU all for coming out to the show last night and to the bands and Jay!! We can buy steve a folding metal wheelchair ramp now for his steps - Merry Christmas STILES - also got some good pics so I'll try to pots those on the site later.

benefit 12/8/05 OAKLAND meeeoooowwwwww

2005-12-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

don't forget the benefit
I played some guitar for Steve tonight and he said "awesome". He was not in the cafeteria but was wearing his flannel pj's. The ramp is ON for this weekend for sure but I think there's enough help. Anyone who wants to haul bags of yard waste away is more than welcome to bring a truck on OVER to the house on RHODA

steve said my naaaame! reowr

2005-12-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

i visited steve yesterday evening (monday) and brought him some more Tu Lan for dinner. he was especially stoked about the emperial rolls. he is eating really well, but he doesn't like taking pills, but he needs them for pain. the thing is he will take them if given to him but i don't think he will take them on his own. (i think they are giving him motrin but i'm not sure.) i didn't realize until after we'd eaten that he has been doing his meals in the cafeteria area, i didn't think to help him up until later, because other times i visit, the first thing he wants to do is get up and out. he is looking fucking great! he showed me the scar on his head and the scar on his stomach. the new thing that i noticed about him in his speech, is that he likes to make this sound "reowr" sort of like a meow but like what you would say to a sex kitten. it is really cute. his vocabulary is expanding and he sure likes to swear! considering the pain he's having he is still in great spirits. his right leg was bothering him and he was showing me the places that hurt, he told me "pain" and "hurts" but the whole time he smiled and shook his head like no biggie. he really likes his privacy. he kept having me make sure that every inch of his curtains were closed. it makes it a lot darker in his space, but i think he likes it that way. so when i had to go i was making sure his curtains were all straight and his "roommate" directly across from him said, "goodbye ms. chinn!" to me. i said "see ya later! but i'm not ms. chinn, my name is robin." then from behind the curtain i heard steve call my name, "robin!". i thought he was calling me back, so i peeked back in, and he was smiling. he didn't need anything, i think he was just happy to have an old word back.

HOMEWARD BOUND

2005-12-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Discharge date from the hospital is set for Dec. 15. EXCITING and also kind of overwhelming. It is the realm of the unknown for Steve and his family......hopefully all will go well.....and we're looking at enrolling into a day program in Oakland where he can be during the weekdays, also aphasia center support groups. Then he can be busy and supervised and get therapies ongoing!!!

"Look No More Staples"

2005-11-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

yesturday Steve had the staples taken out of his head and stomach, it was painless. He was really glad to have them taken out, sayin "awwwwww" and "YES" and smiling very enthusiastically! I'm glad they did it there and we did'nt have to go all the way to Highland for it. Steve was in an excellent mood yesturday, wearing his new winter sweater my mom got him. He even wanted to go outside to see the rain and said "fresh smelling"..

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

2005-11-27T10:11:00.000-08:00

Please encourage Steve to drink water when you're visiting. he is not getting enough fluids, I think he forgets to drink water during the day. ALSO we still need just a couple of people with trucks to haul out maybe one load each of bagged up yard debris from Steve's yard. A link to my e-mail is on the main page of this web site if you can help with this!! THANKS

Kareoke Thanksgiving

2005-11-25T17:51:00.000-08:00

Sheila and I shared time with steve for his thanksgiving dinner and he was really happy and in great spirits. He hasn't seemed to be in any pain for the last few days...lots of pain meds. The best thing was a fellow patient had her husband and family show up during dinner and in the dining room he set up two mikes and a sound system to entertain and playback some old mexican ballads. They both sang and steve seemed to really enjoy the music. Apparently, she used to be a recorded singer and he let us listen to one of her old recorded songs. I think she's recovering from a stroke too?

Anyways, at one point the husband was singing a song in spanish and put the mike in front of steve who didn't miss a beat and finished the line in spanish and seemed to pull if off very well. I don't know if he had the right words but it sounded great! He continued until he couldn't and started to laugh. It was amazing and surreal. I'm so glad we were there.

The other news is ....
Somehow his helmet was lost in the move back to fairmont. Fingers are crossed that there's no more falling down. Does anyone have access to a large hockey helmet to bring steve?

If you do the best thing to do is to check it in at the desk as personal items and then bring it to him. The therapist says its up to "family" to supply one. They have him standing alot in therapy now which is great but a little scary. Better safe than sorry at this point.

pick ups

2005-11-25T12:38:00.000-08:00

We need a couple of people with trucks who are available today or tomorrow to haul out some yard debris in garbage bags from Steve's house. Otherwise we have people already I think who can do the construction work at the house. Anyone can call me to check in though, my # is (510) 759-2810
thanks!!

SHOW

2005-11-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

IN TRANSIT

2005-11-22T06:33:00.000-08:00

well Steve is back at Fairmont for more rehab, this time in room 38. Bldg. H . Scroll WAYYYY down thru the blogs for directions.....he refused to go back into the old room for some reason but he has the same bed spot in the new room. I brought back the little TV and a couple of movies. Almost forgot that everything you bring should be logged with the nurses. He looks really good. More later

OUCH

2005-11-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

COUSIN SHEILA WROTE

"Steve was doing well yesturday until the IV nightmare from Hell...he'll probabley try to tell you about it when you see him..the right arm had an iv that hit a nerve and he was in extreame pain then the other one they put in his left foot was'nt in the vein so when they put the medicine in it and flushed it with saline he was in extreme pain...it took forever for them to figure out what was wrong with him...poor steve he was really tramatized by that and didnt want any other iv's..the night nurse said she would change his antibotics and sezure med. to oral pills instead. If you visit and he has an IV in or there trying to give him one complain to them and tell them that is not his wishes to have one, or nobody will know"

OTHERWISE he is at HIGHLAND (not sure the room #) and doing well following the last part of a CRANIECTOMY (I think it's called) - probably at Highland through Monday and maybe longer so check back for updates....
I am thinking RAMP building and house work to resume next SATURDAY Nov. 26 as a long weeekend maybe people will be around?? COOL, more later

Back Together

2005-11-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

well Steve made it through another one..I was able to see him at about 4pm yesturday he was still in the recovery room being watched...when I walked in he was totally awake and smiled and said "hi"when he saw me..I said "welcome back"..his head was all bandaged up , they did'nt shave all his hair because some of it was still long in the back..he was motioning to his head pointing at it like "look what they did"..the nurses said everything went well and his vitals were good..I did'nt stay too long because he needs to rest, but he looked really good considering what hes been through..Go Steve!

Whole Enchilada

2005-11-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

I'm sending my intention out there to the universe that Steve goes through surgery today with all positively going well. I've been told by the nurses that this is a pretty common surgery and that they do it all the time so Steve should fair well considering his attitude, health and his support system.

so just to push things over the edge, like I like to do...hee hee...
Lets pray that Steve come out of this WHOLE in every way. Mind Body and Spirit.
I believe Our visualization of him Whole is very powerful.

and I want to send big thanks to everyone involved in getting his home ready for him last weekend. I am amazed and grateful for steve. He is one lucky hombrey!

Skull Surgery

2005-11-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

finally a date is confirmed for Steve's skull surgery, its thur. Nov. 17th, time not confirmed. It will be good to get that piece out of his stomach and back on his head. Overall Steve was in good spirits for his dr. appt we went to at Highland yesturday..he expressed to the dr. that he was bothered by how his head was and wanted the surgery. He will be at Highland for about a minute (1 day) then they will transport him back to Fairmont to be re evaluated to see if there can be an extension for his stay. All the Therapists at Fair. have been really great working with steve,they want him to stay on longer to continue with therapy because he's making good progress..so lets hope Medi cal will think so too...

WORK IT

2005-11-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

thanks to everyone who made it to help in the yard yesterday, you guys rock. ANd folks that didn't make it, you can come to the next one HAHAHA. We are making progress, will keep everyone posted this week when I know more about steve's surgery and whereabouts - I think it's still on for this week.
THE yard looks gorgeous and also, the guys that picked up the ramp and drove it back, you are awesome and thank you so much!!

tu lan

2005-11-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

my last visit with steve was on tuesday the 8th. we went out for a walk/roll out in the parking lot and it started to rain. steve didn't care and wanted to keep going. there was another patient out catching some fresh air, and i asked steve if he thought we should try to race them, he said yes and laughed. i brought some vietnamese food from tu lan and he was really excited about that, he said "awesome!" like three times. i handed him a fork and chopsticks and he threw away the fork and ate using the chopsticks. i had brought three movies for him and he chose "the filth and the fury" sex pistols documentary, so i stayed and watched most of it with him. at one point, the nurse had just left and he wanted her to come back so he yelled "AAAAAHHHH!" to get her to come back. my friend lorna called me while i was there, so i put him on the phone with her and he talked a little bit with her, mainly words like: "hi, yes, yeah, oh my god". he is moving around good and can adjust the bed with the controls himself and he really likes doing things on his own. he doesn't really want to be helped. my last several visits he has been in really good spirits.

so, i'm going to the work party at his house on sunday and i will be driving from SF in my truck if anyone needs a ride, give me a call (415) 531-6250. i can't stay late though, cuz i have to work later.

work it

2005-11-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

we'll be gathering at Steve's house Sunday 11/13 around noon for a couple of hours at least to clean up and haul some junk away - as well as set up a hospital bed for him and see what else needs to be done in preparation for some remodeling. Word is that some home adaptation people will come over Tues. 11/15 to make recommendations and we can assist to follow those - including purchasing a couple of the big items as gifts from all of his friends. THANKS to all who have offered help and already provided it also.....Steve has a lot of really good friends. His family is eternally grateful for the support, they have told me that they think he wouldn't be recovering like he is without his loving friends.

NEWS FLASH!

2005-11-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

hey Ya'll, Good news, yesturday in PT Steve walked the parellel bars (assisted for support) 3 times back and forth, his stamia was really good yesturday, but the best news of all..when steve steps with his left foot he can drag the right foot to take a step "all on his own"!! its slow and a little shaky but its a good start, we cheered him on and he was proud of himself!

WORK PARTY

2005-11-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

HELLO THERE :
Steve will be going home soon after Nov. 18 sometime and will need help with some home remodeling - are you knowledgeable about plumbing, home repairs or landscaping? I will be trying to organize a work party in the next couple of weeks at Steve's house to clear the path along the side of the house and build a ramp up the back steps to his bedroom. ALso he might need his bathroom remodeled somehow. Anyone with knowlege of this type of thing is helpful - but we need help clearing the yard as well - weedwackers etc. and to haul out some junk from the back yard. Contact me via the link to my e-mail if you are available/able etc.

thanks
Siobhan

New Yorker article

2005-10-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

There's a fantastic article on aphasia by neurologist Oliver Sacks in this week's (Oct. 31) New Yorker. Unfortunately, the article is not in the magazine's online edition, but it should be available at most decent libraries.

The article discusses the isolation that aphasia patients can sometimes feel, as well as discussing the ways that they are able to both recover from and work around their aphasia:

"Many [aphasia] patients develop a remarkable compensatory heightening of other, non-linguistic powers and skills, especially the ability to 'read' other's intentions and meanings from their facial expressions, vocal inflections, and tone of voice as well as all the gestures, postures, and minute movements that normally accompany speech. Such compensation may give surprising powers to aphasics--in particular, an enhanced ability to see through histrionic artifice, equivocation, or lying...

"It is often said that after a stroke or a brain injury whatever recovery is possible will occur within twelve to eighteen months. While this may often be so, I have seen this generalization proved false in many individual patients. And in the past few decades neuroscience has shown what physicians have often observed: that, provided the initial damage is not too great, the brain has more powers of repair and regeneration than was formerly believed."

The article also echoes Melinda's observations about the value of singing for aphasia patients:

"Music therapy is invaluable for some patients with expressive aphasia, who, finding they can sing the words to a song, are reassured that language is not wholly lost, that they still have access to words somewhere inside them."

Very interesting stuff.

Iggy, Teri and I went to see Steve earlier this week. It seems like every time we see him, he's physically stronger and knows a few more words. Siobhan's comment in her post about his falls made me feel very guilty, though, because while we were there, Steve wanted to get out of his wheelchair and back in bed. We waited for the nurse for a while to assist with this, but then Steve got impatient and somehow convinced us to just help him do it ourselves, even though none of us knew what we were doing! Luckily, he was fine...I guess it's a good thing that he's anxious to be independent, but now I feel like it was a stupid thing for us to do!

NEW INFO

2005-10-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

Steve's discharge date from the rehab hospital is moved to Nov. 18 now, but still subject to change. He is in such good spirits most of the time, but he has had a couple of falls now while trying to transfer himself from the wheelchair. No apparent injuries but scary!! We'll check on him later!!

meow meow and news

2005-10-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

I hung out with Steve last night and we went outside for a while to get fresh air, and this adorable kitty cat came and hung out with us....he/she let me put her up on the tray that is on Steve's wheelchair and she was lolling about and rubbing up all over him! IT was really sweet, he loves cats and petting animals is therapeutic also. He was wheeling himself in the wheelchair, I just walked along side and helped him out of the elevator but he did the rest. His cousin told me that they had a very long day at Highland on Fri. and the surgery is postponed until Nov. 17 now. The family is asking for an extension on the stay at Fairmont rehab so that he'd return there after the surgery to recup and then go home from there. Keep your fingers crossed for an approval on that. Steve is almost able to transfer himself from the chair to bed but needs a bit of stand by assist. - he probably could get in/out of a regular car too. I brought in a virtual ping pong game that hooks up to the tv so I will try to get that set up tomorrow - it looks cool and good for hand-eye coordination and stimulation of the brain. It is hard to leave, as he doesn't want you to go - last night he actually went back to the elevator, pressed the button and got in it while I was telling him that I had to leave. So we went back downstairs and we went down the hall to where the speech therapy is held. When he realized everyone was gone for the day I think that helped to know it was a good time to back to his room and rest.

Please Press On and Sing

2005-10-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

Its been a few days since steve got his first needling. His father, cousin Sheila and I were there for support. He was in a good mood and quite into getting the help from Jacques the acup. Jacques has worked with stroke recovery before so it seemed quite natural for him. Steve expressed to Sheila and I that he felt more energy in his body. About 20 min. after Jacques left Steve tried to sit himself up higher in the bed and I saw his right hand move to push his body up. It lasted for a while then stopped when he did. This is so great and evident that it works!

Unfortunately, the risk management folks at the hospital have had second thoughts and pulled the plug on more acup. visits. While Steve is there they refuse to give this to him. BUT! If anyone out would like to know how to give steve acupressure please contact me at lavarain@hotmail.com and I will guide you through some simple steps.

I will send a chart of points from the acup. to hold and what they do. We can put up on the wall near his bed. Everyday counts. They say after six months whatever he gets back is probably all he will get. This is probable outcome not definite.
So let's press on.

On a lighter note....I listened to some music with steve monday night and sang occasionally to the music. When it came to a song he's heard alot he sang part of it to me. Crystal clear! It was awesome. One of the nurses was telling me that singing can help recovery from aphasia. I think she's right. So don't be shy.

thank you all

2005-10-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank the bands 3 Weeks Clean, Laudanum, and Kalas for playing last night and sounding great! also thank you to everyone that came out to the show and to Jay for organizing it and doing all that work on it. All funds will be going toward a "gift" for our friend Steve which we can decide upon as he gets ready for discharge from the rehab hospital - tentatively scheduled for Nov. 11. He has a pre-op appointment with the neurosurgeon at Highland hospital tomorrow and then I think surgery likely next week for the craniotomy skull flap replacement. If he then does get discharged Nov. 11 he will be going home but will need home modifications for wheelchair and accessibility as well as in home health services for his Activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, transportation, transfers, meals etc.) He will probably be looking for a caregiver who could be his employee and get paid by IHSS (county) - so keep it in mind. He could have more than one person split the hours also.
More updates as I get them. LOVE TO ALL of you

show tonight call everyone you know

2005-10-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

the show is Wed. 10/19

2005-10-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

for some reason it has been confusing what night the benefit is...WEDNESDAY Oct. 19 - just in case anyone has the wrong date! OK FRIENDS? See you there!

Steve visits this Saturday & Sunday

2005-10-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

ok people I finally got an appointment scheduled with the acupuncturist for sunday morning early so I am amending my request for steve visits. It would be best if folks let him rest saturday night and sunday morning and came to visit him after 1pm on sunday.

thanks again!

reminder of a gift

2005-10-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

today we went for a spin! woo!

2005-10-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

today (thurs.), the second i came in the door, steve propped himself up all by himself and made it clear he wanted to go OUT. he was getting frustrated because i wasn't getting it that he wanted to get into the wheelchair and go outside. he was all smiles and he looks great. i told the nurse that i thought he wanted to go out, so she helped him into his chair, (he is able to help himself to a certain extent moving around). as we were approaching the sliding doors to go outside, he kept saying "oh, man, oh, man" and then "yay!" when we made it out into the sunshine. after i pushed him up the hill, he pointed out which direction he wanted to go and at one point i had to turn back because i felt that it was getting too steep, i was afraid i wouldn't be able to control the chair on the way down. there are lots of bumps and cracks and i was scared of pitching him out. as we came back down the hill, steve kept going "woo!" and i felt bad i couldn't go faster. when we went over the bumps and cracks he said "whoa, whoa!". when we got back to the room, it seemed like his spin had taken it out of him a bit, one nurse told me he has neck pain. after he was back in bed, he moved his stuff around and indicated that i should sit on the bed. he really likes hugs and holding yer hand. he gave me a big hug when i left. it is so great to see him moving around so much, and propping himself up with his right arm, even though he can't use his hand yet.

acupuncture sunday

2005-10-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks. Just wanted to let you all know that we are coordinating with the family to have steve try to get a treatment on sunday. We made a first attempt last sunday and he was way too exhausted to participate. He has expressed a clear desire and actual enthusiasm to do the acupuncture, however he had too many visitors last sunday and could barely open his eyes to meet with the doctor. He did a brief assessment and initial intake with steve and they both got along well. However, when he comes out to the hospital again IF steve can't participate again he said he won't come back. So it would be great if any visits on sunday could happen after 5pm. Thanks everyone.

just for STEVE

2005-10-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

"F - yeah"

2005-10-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was visiting last night with Melinda and decided to make a protein shake - whey protein powder that tastes like vanilla in Steve's milk carton with dinner. If people are visiting at dinner time, you can put a scoop of that in the milk and mix it up, super nutritious and low fat too! ANYWAY Melinda brought some California rolls and when Steve ate some sushi and then drank that milk shake he was so into it that he said "fuck yeah". It was such a profound moment! Also the nurse asked if he'd try his pills whole now, instead of crushed and he agreed and then took the medications without hesitation. He so far has had them crushed and hasn't liked taking them; maybe the taste is so bad that they're yucky.....so this was also a big deal. He wanted to introduce the nurse to us I think, and also he tried to ask us to pull up a chair and sit down.....so we're learning to decipher better what he's trying to say. Hopefully he'll be starting the acupuncture on Sunday afternoon.

OCTOBER 19 SHOW

2005-10-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

UPCOMING SHOW at the OAKLAND METRO, shirts will be available there too. See flyer for details on the show
Steve will be starting some acupuncture very soon and some of the money raised will help to pay for this....it has been shown to really help stroke patients so thanks to all that have donated and bands who've played and are going to play and to Mitch and Rotten Cotten and Apparel Source for their very kind contributions of shirts and labor.

dreaming of Steve

2005-10-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

I will update more later on my visit last night but I dreamed all night about Steve. The details are sketchy.
But he was enjoying a skateboarding video when I left the hospital last night. It was like a film/music video/skate video which was cool. I will try to bring more like that. More later on specifics. He is trying to talk a lot.

VDOs

2005-09-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a physical therapist and she recommended giving steve some videos of things he likes to do. This will stimulate brain activity and help reconnect nerves in those areas of the body. Also pictures of him or someone else playing guitar, drumming, skateboarding, snowboarding will help remind him and his body what it used to do and may be able to do again!

Besides sports I know he loved watching cooking shows (especially Lidia) and latino soap operas with beautiful women....ha! the truths out now.

rock star

2005-09-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

Steve does have a large fan club including many hot chicks! When people visit, check that his water is within reach and maybe whether he's had any. we've noticed that sometimes it is not readily available to him. His cousin brought a special bottle that he can drink from very easily that should be right by the bed. Also, if we can remind him that his medicine is preventing seizures at this time, which may be crucial for him to get better so he should not refuse it. (the nurse brings it in a little cup of applesauce).
He has an ankle brace for the right foot that will help to maintain the skin integrity and prevent foot drop. The nurse says he doesn't want to wear it at night. Putting a pillow under the right foot so that the heel is not touching the bed, can help his skin in the same way if you are there. It seems that the gentle reminders of why he's asked to do these things might reassure him overall.
FYI: benefit upcoming October 19 at the Oakland Metro 201 Broadway. More details forthcoming.
also More videos are great! Keep em coming!! movies, cool tv shows, etc.

i think steve likes girls!

2005-09-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

yesterdays visit was cool. when i got there he was watching "father of the bride". he smiled and gave me a one armed hug, a big one. i asked him a bunch of questions and he responded by either shaking his head for yes or saying no. when i told him about getting hit by a car he said "wow". he smiled alot during the visit! he is making sounds and moving his mouth and is very expressive. when i left, i told him, i'd bring him some movies and he shook his head, (he's got a vhs player in his tv). rachel wanted to come but she was catching a cold. a bit later siobhan and some other friends were visiting him, so i went back to the hospital to pick up some t-shirts from her. i go in and there is steve grinning from ear to ear surrounded by women! they had brought him a black sabbath video and that was playing. he was in really good spirits.

aside: i wore my stiles "donny will rip you to shreds" t-shirt to work last week (the t-shirt printed for his benefit). i had a bunch of people wanting them, and two people donated $ on the spot. so now i've got t-shirts to sell with me at work. so you can get one from me too on the nights i work at zeitgeist thursdays and sundays after 8pm or email me: yomamahar@earthlink.net

oops

2005-09-27T23:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry I meant Acupuncturist in the blog below.
thanks again.... ;)

Right Foot Twitched

2005-09-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

This is the best news yet. I was visiting steve on Monday and while I was doing some acupressure on him his right foot moved along with his left as if he was drumming. It was repeated after a minute or so. I couldn't believe my eyes. This is such a great sign. I'm wondering if he still needs to have his foot put in a brace at night to prevent "dropsy" Can someone ask the nurse or therapist if its still necessary? I was there for the past six days and never saw it on him in the evening....hmmm...just wondering. His right arm is subluxed (sp?) which means it becomes dislocated extremely easily. So check when you're in there to make sure he has a pillow under it. The tendons and muscles aren't strong enough to support it yet. I'm so hopeful for steve. He also is speaking in fragments and mini-sentences. We may be able to get him an Acupressurist to give him some treatments. Does anyone know of someone great in the area? Send the info to lavarain@hotmail.com and I'll follow-up on them for steve. Thanks!

good day

2005-09-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday seems to be a day of rest for our Steve, we brought beef and broccoli, as well as some fresh tomatoes right from Steve's home garden, and dates. It seems to be good to show him what you have and also name it for him. The nurses have been asking us to help encourage him to take his medications lately, he has it in applesauce and one of them is a seizure med. which is pretty important. He hasn't wanted to take them all the time. We encourage him to take it in order to get better and be able to go home sooner. Also, to stay really positive about continuing to do the therapies even though it's hard and probably frustratingly slow at times. I brought in some oat oil and left it in the top drawer of the little table by the bed. It is supposed to be really good for rejuvenating brain cells. "Oat straw and the grain are prescribed to treat general debility and a wide range of nervous conditions. They are mildly antidepressant, gently raising energy levels and supporting an over-stressed nervous system. They are of particular value in helping a person to cope with the exhaustion that results from multiple sclerosis, chronic neurological pain and insomnia. Oats are thought to stimulate sufficient nervous energy to help relieve insomnia."
P.S. we have benefit shirts now ready on the main site, you can order one to be shipped to you or e-mail me and I can arrange a way to get them to you if you live locally.

Helping Steve with his Aphasia

2005-09-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

I sat in for Steve's speech therapy yesterday afternoon. The speech therapist, (Debbie) gave me an informational handout on what Aphasia is, and what we can do to help Steve with his communications. I've transcribed the pamphlet into a web page and posted it here: http://www.defiance1.com/aphasia.html I think it will help everyone help Steve get his language skills back.

I think Steve and I had a good first chat in his room after this therapy. I'm looking forward to many more.

Steve talked!

2005-09-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Kate and I brought him a copy of Bad News (he put it in himself, and rewound the tape before pressing play) on Sunday morning, and as we were watching it, I asked him if he wanted to be in a Bad News cover band with me and he said "No."

:)

BENEFIT SHOW and shirts

2005-09-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

please take note and advertise FREELY
thank you. We'll have a flyer up hopefully soon as well!!

PyratePunxPresents:
Steve chinn'z Dr. bill benifit,
DEATHTOLL,
ONE IN THE CHAMBER,
SHORT CHANGED.
Sunday September 18th, year o' no lord 2005
@ the GOLDEN BULL
412 14th @ Broadway, OAKLAND.
6 p..m. door, 7 p.m. show
21+ (no baby's)
-Chief Blackdawg out

SPEECH

2005-09-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

Sheila said...

Hi Rachel. Today I talked more with the Speech therapist. Steve has whats called "Aphasia" as a result from the aneurysm. Aphasia can affect all the language areas -speaking, understanding, reading and writing- in varying degrees. Steves intelligence has not decreased...aphasia is a "language" problem.
As far as Speech therapy right now there testing his cognitive abilities with flash cards, direct yes/no type questions and other excercises. She said there trying to keep things very simple for right now, until he is able/ready to try an make some sounds. For right now he is not able to make any sounds. Tips she gave me for communicating with Steve :

Use simple, direct statements to not confuse Steve.Its difficult for him to understand long sentences.

Ask short questions that require only a "yes" or "no" answer.

Gesture when you speak.

Talk about familiar subjects.

Decrease or eliminate distractions, turn tv/radio off while talking to Steve.

Watch for body language, facial expressions may indicate if your message or question was understood.

Steve seemed to be more relaxed today and not as restless. I think all the therapy there doing is helping. And of course all the love his friends are giving him :)

brain hasty pastry

2005-09-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

this web site is a real trip, here is the pathway:
http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/archive/index.php/f-80.html

one of the posts on there had this response to a question:

"Technically 3 months is very early on in a rupture recovery. She essentially took 1 giant step forward by making it thru the surgery, and then many steps backwards with the ARDS and other setbacks. The skull flap was left out probably on purpose to allow the brain to swell, as it always does in ruptures of that degree. If the flap was put back in too early, and the brain was not done swelling, it could have caused many other life threatening problems. This is the patience testing time for all of you. Recovery now will be in baby steps, but she's taking them and that's a good thing. She had an awful lot of blood in her brain (where it should not be) and blood is an irritant to the brain - kind of like sandpaper. It takes TIME to reabsorb, and until it does, she'll have headaches, tremors and she won't move ahead as quickly as everyone would like. Alot of trauma has occurred in her brain and the brain has it's own agenda for healing. Time, patience and love will be very important to you. She'll no doubt need some physical and occupational therapy. Recovery time for any injury to the brain is USUALLY 12-24 months. She'll look fine, but it will take her some time to FEEL fine. Keep us posted, and know that she and your family will be in my prayers

very very interesting, this was talking about a "she" but it could be about our friend also, who is a 'he"

more new days

2005-09-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

the helmet is only worn for therapy and times when
steve might hurt his head (like if he fell)....if he's resting in bed he won't be wearing it. also, I read about the dent that:
The dent is due to the pulling back of muscle in order to remove the skull for surgery and also it is very very common, mostly anyone who has had a craniotomy has dents in their head... it is from the temporal muscle being cut and then atrophying.... as far as i know it doesnt ever really go away but isnt that noticeable after time!
It could later be more like a 'Divet' than a dent and people say it's more noticed by the person who has it than other people.....but that'll be after rehab and surgery.

We Love Steve

new days

2005-09-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

cousin Sheila wrote on 9/9/05

We went with him today for the move to Fairmont.Today the doctor told me Steve could be there for several months for rehab therapy...depending on how fast he improves. They advised family/friends to visit him later in the evenings because he will be very busy with therapy for most of the morning/afternoon hours. P.S if you see him with a green helmut on when you visit him, please don't joke about it, it really pissed him off and got him upset to wear it. He kept trying to rip it off. Thanks :)

(p.s. maybe later somehow the helmet can be made "cool" somehow)

MOVING AGAIN to SAN LEANDRO

2005-09-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

Steve is now at Fairmont Hospital rehab.
It is building H room 32 on the 2nd floor.
Nurses station phone # is 510 667-7933
visiting hours there are 9 AM to noon and 2 Pm to 9 PM
directions below

here are the #'s to Fairmont Main # 510-667-7800,and
central appointments 510-667-3218
Fairmont Hospital
I-580 EAST toward HAYWARD
Take the 150TH AVENUE exit toward FAIRMONT DR - go 0.2
mi
Turn Left on 150TH AVE - go 0.1 mi
Turn Right on FOOTHILL BLVD - go 0.3 mi
Arrive at 15400 FOOTHILL BLVD, SAN LEANDRO, on the Left

we love food and the raiders

2005-09-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

steve is super into fresh fruit and regular food (probably kinda soft) like Pho, noodles with meat and veggies, other soups, pie etc. he is not on food restrictions at this time. He may be moving soon to Fairmont hosp. or another rehab so we'll update this page as soon as there's any word on that. The nurse thought it might be today or tomorrow but I tend to believe that they'll do the surgery prior to a move, I hope so anyway! The Raiders were winning when I left so hopefully that kept up Steve's spirits. There is a notebook with a pen in the bottom drawer of the nightstand in the belongings (white plastic) bag. I noted what he ate (banana, tangerine, berry smoothie) in addition to the full hospital dinner. Also showed him the communication board.

STILES BENEFIT by PYRATE PUNX

2005-09-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

power bracelet

2005-09-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

I brought steve back his power bracelet which he loved. It was cool with the nurse. And then I asked him if he wanted me to put it on him and he nodded yes quickly, so I put it on him. He kept picking up his wrist and checking it out. I hope it makes him feel more like himself again and sparks some memories.

Over the past four days I saw Great Signs:
he's really hungry and eating e v e r y t h i n g on his plate, I showed him a card and he took it from me, his eyes scanned it as if he was reading it, he's into communicating more now and definitely more aware of his predicament. I had a chance to work with the physical therapist and he was trying really hard. The therapist says his muscle tone is coming back. I heard his skull flap will be replaced this week!

I left him some slippery elm chewable tablets for his throat that he really liked. I told him they will help heal his throat from soreness and he's into that. If you visit steve, give him a couple. After seeing the hospital cuisine for days, I think it would also be great to bring him something thats actually nutritious like a snack that he could eat while you're there. I've read that Oats are great for regenerating brain tissue.

He's understanding so much more now and its really encouraging.

Aneurysm Porn

2005-09-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time (when I should be working) reading this website, which is just a series of mostly first-hand accounts of people who have had brain aneurysms.

The range of experiences is tremendous; some people have seemingly miraculous recoveries after aneurysm, some die, and others recover partially but struggle with serious depression and other problems. I feel it has given me a greater sense of what the possibilities are for Steve's recovery, and accounts like this one are encouraging. But be warned, these are real, unedited accounts of people's experiences and not all of them are happy stories. Anyway, just wanted to post the link in case it is of interest to anyone else.

SOSA

2005-09-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

I've got a few old SOSA song posted for those who might be interested in listening:
http://www.defiance1.com/sosa.html

GO STEVE!!!!!!

Better, stronger

2005-09-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Iggy and I went to go see Steve yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks. It was the first time we'd seen Steve since he'd had his bandages off, and even though we knew he'd had a craniotomy, it was a shock to walk in and see him with a big crater in his head where the skull was removed. It must be weird for him, too, because he kept running his fingers over his head in that spot. I know it's just temporary and cosmetic, but it caught us both off guard.

Overall, though, I felt good about this visit. He's only got one tube in him now, and he seemed much more strong, energetic, and dexterous than he had two weeks ago. The aforementioned stuffed cat was sitting on his bed, and when we talked about it, he reached for it and picked it up with ease.

I have always found it hard to tell what Steve is thinking, and that is certainly the case now. Hopefully, he'll be able to tell us soon! Physically, he shifted around a lot and seemed restless and fidgety, which is understandable after nearly a month in the hospital. It was heartening to see him getting so much stronger in a relatively short period of time.

it was a good visit

2005-09-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

last monday visit was good but uneventful. jess and i visisted in the early afternoon and he was asleep. he opened his eyes for a brief moment and went back to sleep. we stayed for a few minutes longer but wanted to let him rest. he had other visitors earlier and the nurses had him sitting up, which i heard is exhausting for him.

but yesterday's visit, (saturday) was especially good. rachel royce and i went in together and steve was sitting up in bed watching a football game. he looked really good. when he saw us come in he seemed pleased. he opened his mouth and made a sound. (it has like a hmmm.) when i reached out my hand, he reached out his hand to grab mine. rachel was great, she had lots of stuff to tell him and you could tell steve really likes her by the way he was shaking his head and opening his mouth. he is drinking out of a cup with a straw and he can reach it and grab it just fine with his left hand. after a bit, we let him get back to watching the game.

aside: there is a guy who comes into the bar i work at, and he had been chatting with iggy and a few others. apparrently, he had gone through something similar himself, and he suggested that people go to visit him often, but to keep visits brief.

lotion feels nice

2005-09-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

I got a communication board at work, that the speech therapist uses and i'll see next week if he wants to try it. It has an alphabet so he can pick letters, and then pictures of some different emotions and basic needs with the names, that he can try pointing to. It is probably good to minimize distraction while trying to help him communicate, as it will be overstimulating to have tv, music and talking so maybe one at a time.

We love toys

2005-08-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

I stopped by to see Steve after work and found him alert and watchful, holding a stuffed, nearly life-sized toy cat. Steve was just sitting still, holding the cat by the middle, looking intently into its blue glass eyes. During the rest of my visit, he held on to the cat, and seemed to enjoy its furry texture, touching it to his face now and then. Anyway, to the person who gave Steve the cat: it’s a hit!

Steve’s feeding tube is out, and he’s eating way more than he was just three days ago. Oh, and he's in a different room, just adjacent to the nurses' station. Noisier, but this time he's got a great view out the window.

beautifully bewildered

2005-08-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

I love the word bewildered to describe how Steve looks a bit right now, he is so awake, alert and alive that I could cry (and have and will!!) but also bewildered......we all come pouring into his room eager to shower him with love, affection and help and he watches it all with bright eyes. And bewilderment.

He pays close attention and was eating more yesterday which means that soon he will not have to keep that feeding tube in his nose. He had a "Craniotomy" when they did they surgery and the "Skull flap" is not yet re-attached.....but it will be. Really, the whole thing is such a fascinating journey and the concept of consciousness and cognition is so amazing and miraculous!!! I am in AWE of the power of the human spirit to persevere.
He grabbed my purse yesterday and listened intently to the story of the southern California Ozzfest fiasco.....then we listened to some music while he ate. It was a very good day.

from a friend

2005-08-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

reposting an email message from another long time friend of Steve:

I went to see steve at the ICU, so im sooo glad hes doing way better now. we hadn't talked for over a year because of unsolved mysteries in our relationship which made me feel really bad both before, but really even more after this whole thing happened. i told him im sorry for whatever friendship issues we couldn't resolve and if he still wanted to be mad at me, that he would have to get better first. i kept thinking of seeing him at bobfest just a few weeks before even tho we didnt pay any mind to each other. quinn or esther said i should go see him in the hospital cause he was so nonresponsive at the time. the theory was that if he saw me he might just get mad and maybe he would snap out of it. they said this jokingly of course. when i saw him there was really nothing funny about it cept that he had short hair which was so not like steve at all. also tina showed up while i was there and i remembered her from back in the day when she was blonde and i first met steve at a sosa show in west oakland!! i told him the As were kicking ass and he had to get well. and I told him i'd never make anything with cilantro in it for him! and i thanked him for teaching me how to play the limited guitar chords i know. i felt really scared for him, and it helped that she was there too. those who have done it, good idea to take music into the room, i think it will speed his recovery. love, ruxana

puddin

2005-08-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

LATEST good news is that Steve ate for the 1st time today, with the Occupational Therapist. THAT IS so awesome.
More later.

Steve, You Fire Me Up!

2005-08-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

WOW so must change since I last saw Steve in ICU five days ago and I'm inspired by how much he's regaining. I'm sorry for the delay in sharing but I am computer challenged. So here goes....

When I last saw him I watched him smile several times, move his left arm slowly in front of his face and then slowly check each finger, his wrist, elbow then shoulder for movement. He also nodded his head TO THE BEAT while I played some Al Green for him. He was moving both eyebrows and left side of his mouth to express likes and dislikes. The nurse came in on day two of my visit and said he was moving out. So I took down each card, picture, etc. and showed/read each to him. I moved the images around to exercise his eyes. He was able to fluidly move them 360... He seemed really interested in them. He had many expressions as we went thru all the messages.

Anyway, thats my belated updatey. . .

I also wanted to share that as Steve's friend for the past six years, I've practiced alot of my bodywork/massage techniques on him - he was a willing guinea pig, eternally grateful with excellent feedback. So, I'm here to tell you that Steve is sensitive to touch more than most people. He responds to it deeply with a lot of Spirit involved. If you're visiting him I want you to know that every time you touch him You are helping to heal him. Simple touch - It's profound. I know, I've been there (but that's another story). I live too far away to visit him often, but it helps to know he has such a great family and family of friends pulling for him.

As most of you know Steve has a really strong body as well as a strong will to fuckin' take control and take care of business. Let's keep playing him music!!! F**k Yeah!

top of the morning

2005-08-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

I think we can post the web site in his room and also we'll put a notebook in there so that we can encourage him to try some of the things he might be doing with the therapists and write to each other as we visit.
Here's a message received via e-mail:

Hi Siobhan, yeah Steve does have a big ol' scar, but its okay it will be covered when he grows his hair out long again :). Yesturday he lifted his left arm up close to his head unassisted and raised his eyebrows up and down when I went to visit with my mom. I'm so glad they have him sitting up and starting Phy. Therapy now. Everyday a little more Steve comes back :)
Cousin Sheila ~

updates...

2005-08-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

you guys are great the way you keep this blog thing updated daily. i'm in new york visiting my sister for our birthday and shows at cbgb. will be here for the next week, so i'm keeping up with steve's progress by reading all of your updates. can someone print steve's web page and post it in his room with the website address for people who don't know about it? steve sounds like he's making steady progress, that's great! keep the updates flowing.

We Love Steve

2005-08-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

I visited today and we found the cassette player and cd player. I saw the steely dan tape there and we put on a cd for Steve.....the stuff is right next to his bed so anyone can look at the music selection and put some on for him. He seemed really tired. He sure does have a big ol scar.

Steve has moved again

2005-08-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

I just got back from visiting Steve. He is still on the 7th floor, but now in room 306. It is a very small room with two beds. None of his stuff was in there (CD player, cassette player, pictures etc.) but I assumed that they had just moved him so I didn't ask where his stuff was.

They have also removed the bandages from his head. His hair is growing back *really* quick!

He was very alert and seemed to be able to move his head/neck some now. He did this a few times trying to get comfortable.

I brought the Steely Dan tape I made, but didn't bring the cassette player since someone (can't remember who right now) mentioned he already had one. Hopefully the tape won't vanish before he gets a chance to listen to it.

We Love Steve

2005-08-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

from Steve's brother MIKE via e-mail today: received at 2:45 pm
you go bro!

I saw Steve this morning and they moved him from the TCIU to a regular
hospital bed (room 7316-D, 7th floor). They also started on his
physical therapy.

This morning they had him sitting up in his bed (or at least trying
to).
Steve still needed help sitting up on his own but he was able to sit
up assisted. The therapist said that they are working on his
trunk/upper-body area strength and coordination. And they are working
on stimulating his right arm.

He was VERY active in that we was looking at me and tracking me.

i think he was flashing me the devil sign

2005-08-23T00:06:00.000-07:00

my first BLOG let's see if this works, and i am no writer so bear with me..... so it was my third visit to the hospital to visit steve today and every time there seems to be improvement. today i held steve's hand and talked to him about everything i could think of. his eyes were open and moving around, i really felt like he was aware. he kept squeezing my hand with a lot of force. at one point when i was talking, he raised his left hand and it looked like he was trying to flash the devil horns. i left a cd walkman with tiny speakers so people can play him cd's, there is a radio/cassette player in his room too. i think he got upset when i mentioned his birthday, his eyes started tearing and so then i got upset. then iggy and some others came in so i left.

in the grand scheme of steve's friends, i am a pretty new friend, i've known him less than two years, so it is so awesome to see so many people coming together for him. i swear he has probably had more visitors than anyone else on his floor combined.

i think that is it for now...

Bringing music to Steve

2005-08-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

We all know how much Steve loves music. When I visited him, I couldn't help but think he might like to have some tunes at least once in a while. I mentioned that to Wes on Saturday and he said the problem was that the hospital doesn't like people plugging things into the wall. I can understand that, so I was thinking about leaving this little cassette player/radio I have that takes only batteries. Since it can't be plugged into the wall, they shouldn't mind (should they?).

Then when people visit, they could bring music that they have shared with Steve in the past.

What do you all think?

2005-08-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Steve :)

We Love Steve

2005-08-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

steve is in a different room, a private room with a tv....i think it's room 11 now. it was weird to go up there and go into the old room, a sudden shock when there was someone clearly NOT him in the bed, oh, hello!! he's watching the tv for sure and has been able to respond when the doctor asked him to raise 2 fingers he put up all 5 fingers, and he wiggled his toes on his left foot when asked to do that. he can't change the channels or anything on the tv so we put it on some skateboarding competition for him. the nurse is super nice, she said if we can get past the guards she doesn't care how mnay visitors are in there if we close the door. however, the guards usually let 2 at a time. we had 3 people in this morning because I think the guard that let me in went on a break and it was different guard. I was feeling like maybe I should take a break from the blog but then I got this awesome e-mail from Germany and so I know that it's helping people keep in touch who aren't able to be here, I will repost the message below:
from e-mail - 8/21/05
Hi so many thanks from Bremen. I heard from Marco what happen. I don´t know
what to say. I was so sad that I wasn´t able to come to the BOB fest,and I
had the idea to come as soon as the flights are cheaper.Now I know there is
always a reason for stuff like this.I was so hearbroken that I wasn´t able
to come,but now I have the chance to come over as soon as possible.And
to be there for a friend in bad times means more to me than to be there just
ingood times.Maybe my german accent will do something good and maybe the
typical german mistakes will make him laugh. ( Make party..a.s.o.) What you
guys are doing is so much more BOB for me ,you not even know. It is not
toplay in a cool band ,drink the most kümmerling or stuff, it is all
aboutfriendship.You gave me and all people in Bremen and Bath the chance to
knowwhat going on with Steve. Thank you so much.I called Marco today to let
himknow about this side. - P.S. When my sister layed in a coma ,we played
musicfor her.After she woke up ,she told us a lot what happend.She still
asked mymother to finish the story she started to tell her, and she wanne know
howthe story ends.- My mother needed months to find out ,what my sister
meant:when she was laying in a coma ,and my mother get interrupted by a
nurse while telling her a story.My sister is doing well today,and I am
sureno matter what Steve will do good someday ,as long as he will have
friendslike you and all people from the BOB family.
Thank you again .see you in Oakland ..Carola ( corolla )
We Love Steve

The More, The Merrier

2005-08-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

If anyone else would like to be a contributor to this blog, please send me an e-mail at jenwade@earthlink.net and I'll send you a blogger invite.

Success story

2005-08-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

There's an article in today's Chronicle about a Stanford University freshman, Joe Kay, who in his senior year of high school had a tragic, aneurysm-like accident. Immediately after the accident, he was unable to speak and paralyzed on his right side (sound familiar?) Now a year and a half later, he has re-learned how to walk and talk, and despite having initially lost the ability to read and write letters and numbers, has academically reached the point where he is ready to enter Stanford.

Article here.

Kay has had to work incredibly hard to get to the point where he is now, but it's pretty amazing to see the potential for recovery after such an injury.

Eye contact

2005-08-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

Iggy and I just got back from seeing Steve and various other Chinn family members. Even though this was the second time I'd been to visit him and I think the fourth time Iggy's been, it was the first time we'd seen him awake. While it was great to see the progress Steve has made so far, I have to admit that in a way, it was tough finally seeing for ourselves how far he still has to go.

We stopped over at Steve's house before heading to the hospital and hung out with Doug a bit. I invited him to join the blog, so maybe you'll see something from him here soon. And then in the lobby of the hospital we ran into Steve's dad and chatted with him a bit. Iggy recognized him because he'd met him before, but even though I hadn't met him, I could tell right away that he was Steve's dad--he looks so much like him! He told us how much he appreciates the outpouring of support they've had from Steve's friends. "I didn't realize that Steve was so well-liked!" he joked, "I guess he gets it from me!"

Even though he was joking, Steve's dad actually is quite a charmer, and he even managed to get the grumpy security guards at the front desk laughing and smiling with him. (By the way, if you're planning on visiting, I suggest you read the instructions Siobhan posted below, because the hospital security staff are, generally speaking, not the most helpful people in the world).

As others have reported, Steve was alert and moving his left side a lot. Iggy and I both stood on his left side while we visited with him and held his hand. His head was slumped over towards his right side, and I realized when we were leaving that we probably should have stood on his other side so that he could see us, because he can move his eyes but not his head. I know that I should have known better since others have posted here that Steve was looking at them, but I guess it didn't sink in until we were leaving. When I turned to wave to him, Steve clearly looked at me, and then moved his eyes and looked at Iggy. That eye contact was so reassuring for me that the Steve we all love is really in there. I'm bummed I didn't get to experience more of it today, but now I'll know for next time!

2005-08-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

one more thing:

yo I am playing a radio show tonight in north oakland/berkeley area on 104.1 fm from 6-8 pm, tune in to catch a bunch of metal, hardcore, etc. the show will be dedicated to my bro steve chinn "stiles" so music he's played and likes will be featured.....
dj "miss anthropic"

We Love Steve

2005-08-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

new info on steve.
room is 10B on 5 floor. it is not "trauma" unit but "transitional care unit". He looks really good. When you check in with the guard desk they'll' assign a pass and when you come out please let the guards know that you're done so that they can let 2 more people in.
We probably have to do this like a relay race, where we "pass the baton" between us. Steve is able to follow some instructions now but tires easliy. his cousin Sheila and I put the pictures and cards back up on the walls so it is more personal for him.
cheers

2005-08-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

Steve is moved now to the trauma care unit, it's on the 5th floor and visiting hours are 11am to 8pm. still only 2 visitors at a time, and you have to check in at the main desk when you 1st come in through the automatic doors to get a pass. when people are finished visiting they go back down and tell the desk then the next 2 can go in. he is sharing a room with 2 other people but apparently this floor is supposed to better suited for recovery than the intensive/acute care room. i got to see him when he was being wheeled out of icu into the elevator.I think he saw me too. I am going to do a pirate radio show tomorrow and play all stuff that Steve will like. It has been a while since I did any radio. He has come with me to the show many times and we've had lots of fun being obnoxious on the air. This one's for you stiles.

2005-08-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

news today, steve is moving to "TCU" sometime today....we'll provide room # as soon as we know it. A cd player will be with him and some AL GREEN is in order.......

2005-08-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

reposting from Mel's visit to highland as so eloquently described in a mspace.com bulletin
My first trip to Highland!
Body: A different kind of "highland" than the type that I'm used to(!), but I just went to see Steve in the ICU this morning...... Here is my first real "bulletin"................

In my life to date, I've been graced with the good fortune of never having had to be in an ICU. I've also never been in a regular, in-patient hospital since I've been in this country. So, feeling a bit intimidated by not knowing the US hospital jargon, passwords, or peculiar tests that I may have to be aware of or be subjected to, I contacted Mikhail earlier in the day requesting help in this matter. Thankfully I received eloquent and precise tutelage on the "Beginner's Guide to Highland hospital". (Thanks so much Mikhail!)

So! Armed with my newly learned and memorized instructions, I left the studio where I do my sculpture, down by Pete and Paula's house, at about 2.30 this morning and went and visited Steve, in hospital. I figured that there probably wouldn't be any other visitors there at 3.00 in the morning and that it would have probably been a while since he had seen anybody.

I found my way to his wee room without any problems. He was about to be bathed, so the nurse who was writing in his charts, said that I only had a few minutes. I said that was fine and that I just wanted to give him a hello and a smile.

As I walked into the room, I thought Steve was alseep, so I remained quiet, but then I saw his eyes open and turn towards me. I piped in with "hey Steve, it's me, Mel, I just stopped in to say hello and to make sure they're treating you well". I held his hand and said that he needed to be strong and to come back to us soon. I passed on Mikhail's message that we all love him and told him that he was dearly missed but loved even more. That was then pretty much time-up for me, so I kissed him and said goodnight, then went on my way. (Walking completely down the wrong corridor, ending up in some wierd, barely lit "emergency exit only" place, then having to retrace my steps!)

As this was my first visit, I have nothing to compare his level of recovery to, but given that the man was in surgery for how many hours(?), undergoing MAJOR surgery in his HEAD, less than two weeks ago, I think his recovery is pretty fucking amazing! Lest we not complain about the humble hangover ever again!!

I firmly believe that I SAW Steve this morning. We had good, strong eye contact and I'm positive that he knew that it was me that was with him. He's in there; just fine. His body needs to heal. Not only from the stroke, but from the insane battering that he has endured from the surgery. Even a simple tooth extraction is an invasive surgery that the body needs time to recover from. Multiply that by about one million and you might get close to the trauma that Steve's body has undergone. The simple fact that he has made it this far, is testament to his strength (or plain stubborness!).

My 95 year old grandmother had a massive stroke when she was 46 and she fully recovered. That was 50 years ago! She told me, that the worst thing about it (latterly), was once she was home from the hospital and she was aware of everything; the frustration of not being able to physically function properly, of knowing that those inherrant actions required to feed yourself; to take your spoonful of food; bend your elbow; sup your mouthful; chew; swallow and smile; were so alien to the body's ability, almost everything seemed impossible.

She said that she had to mentally re-teach her body to move in the she wanted it to, that inherrant action was no longer there, even for something like scratching her nose. She felt the itch but she had to make her hand scratch it.

Over the next year and a half she re-educated her body in how to move, to talk, to write etc. It was all through frustration, stubborness and perserverance.

She also said that it was really important not to be treated or talked to like a child or some stupid oaf, because that only fuelled the negative fires!

I was 27 when she told me about that part of her life. I had no idea that she had been through all that!

We need to be strong for Steve and help him to learn how to make his body work again. We have to be ourselves when we are with him and further down the path, not to worry too much about upsetting him, by playing music, or not, or telling him about the Raider's losing (sorry!) or whatever!

Let's face it, I think one of the common factors that we, as a group of friends share, is that we're all pissed-off about something. Another is that we ALL need to be challenged in this life. Otherwise what's the fucking point?!

Because Steve's challenges have now taken a drastic change of course, our have in part done so too. We must all support one another, always. Most of us have no children! WE are all WE have.

On a total tangent, I also noticed probably for the first time, what amazing green eyes, Steve has. Quite beautiful really!

Well, that kind of went places I didn't expect! Whewwww! I am now giving in to my body's natural urge to PASS THE FUCK OUT! at 5.30am! Thankfully I do not have to work today! Yeah! Lie in!! My favourite!

Sleep well my friends - Mel

Holy Shit! Did I write all that?

2005-08-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

well here it is day 11. the feeding tube is still there as is a small fever. steve was trembling on and off, the nurse says there are deliberately trying to make him cold to lower his core temp. i have read that artificially creating hypothermic type conditions in stroke 'victims' (ugh what a horrible phrase) has shown promising results in recovery. his temp is fluctuating though between 98.9 and again up to 100 and 101. he had a cooling blanket on. he was sleeping and then woke up later while we were there. he listens to us, it seems. fuck it is hard to tell. we want to play music for him but every little thing is like an agonizing decision because he can't say whether he likes it or not and what if it is torturing him instead of making him feel better?? he loves music so much, it might be helpful or just depressing for him, how to know?? if only he could somehow express what he'd like. that is the next thing to wait and hope for. he is in icu still. his left hand has to be strapped down because he has been trying to pull out the tube in his nose and mess with other stuff.
we love you dear friend

We Love Steve

2005-08-17T22:36:00.000-07:00

repost a comment from Quinn;
"I dreamt of Steve fully recovered last night."
dreams can come true!!

We Love Steve