Reflections on my return to the RIC campus - a letter of thanks

Trip report & letter of thanks submitted for publication in the RIC 2007 Annual Report
Flew up to Chicago for follow-up evaluation and treatment of on-going problems with spasticity. Had made what has proven to be a very significant and positive decision back in December to suspend the treatment by orally administered baclofen and other anti-spasm medication which failed to provide a favorable balance between relief and side-effects - the latter included significant fatigue and diminished fine-motor and cognitive function.
In conjunction with a return to fairly rigorous cognitive therapy and signs of improved performance in areas of concern: short-term memory, visual processing and executive functioning my therapist Shilpa and I agreed it was a good time to contemplate an increase of volume and complexity of my current part-time work-load. So, the trip to Chicago included two meetings with clients. Over four days I managed:

• to fly on my own from Austin to Chicago,
• coordinate logistics of meeting with client on Thursday afternoon;
• to take the commuter train out to suburb campus of RIC to meet with and provide an informal presentation of my recovery experience to small group of patients and therapists on friday morning;
  
• to then, take commuter train back into the loop and cab to client site to participate in a conference call and follow-up meeting with client on Friday afternoon;
• to coordinate logistics of meeting family friend ( and generous RIC supporter) Tad Ecket early Monday morning who drove me to RIC and joined me at a series of photo shoots for use in presentation of my recovery success story in the RIC Annual Report;
• to receive botox injections along the left lateral hamstring
• to meet with aphasia expert at RIC to discuss research projects involving functional MRI's to document and understand the physiological process within the brain by which cognitive and speech function is recovered
• to open a dialogue with this individual as to how this type of research could help inform and possibly secure funding for therapies that demonstrate both behavioral and physiological improvements in brain function lost due to stroke or traumatic brain injury

I composed the note below on monday prior my day at RIC, retained safely[though exhausted] to Austin Tuesday both proud and humbled by the experience - had several "near disasters" and many reminders that although my physical and cognitive impairments have been miraculously improved through hard work, world-class treatment, and great advice from folks at St. David's and RIC, that fatigue and stress will amplify my remaining deficits.

So on-going therapy, careful management of my schedule& medications , and now, self-monitoring the signs of decline in motor and cognitive performance will be required to avoid what could be serious risk to both health, career, and financial security.

Dr. Harvey,
I wanted to share a few thoughts regarding my return to RIC this week. As
befitting a recovery as advanced as mine has been, I touched and was
touched by several core aspects of the integrated, inter-disciplinary
Prime of Life Program design: Friday, I met for a lunch discussion group
arranged by Lori Bravi Occupational Therapist with whom I had worked as
an In-patient to rehabilitate my left affected arm and hand to the point
where I was ready for discharge and to manage the daily activities such
as cleaning and cutting strawberries for my breakfast etc).

In my talk with current rehab patients and their therapists, I shared my insights on the keys to my success. I emphasized the value of the Teaching and Research Environment at RIC from which I have learned so much.
I am certain that I have been successful due to an education that is equivalent to course work at the Masters level in applied physiology and neurology-acquired through my experience as a participant in the Prime of Life program.

I concluded my remarks [mercifully, within the prescribed hour scheduled for my session( impulsivity not aphasia continues to be the nemesis of my right-hemisphere insult;-)with two calls to action:

1. To think big, but to plan carefully- promising them that Amazing things WILL HAPPEN IF you ask:"what are the steps I need to take, before I can?" Instead of listening to the voice in you that says: "I can't do that."
2. To take full advantage of the wealth of knowledge available to them through the programs and people at RIC. I explained my personal passion for and faith in the healing power of a understanding of physiology beneath the process a specific therapy is designed to produce – call it the power of positive thinking or the potential of the placebo effect. In reality, the complexity and magnitude of the challenges we’re taking on are such that progress
will come slowly and its manifestation so subtle that watching with
an informed eye is invaluable :
a. for those of us that grow impatient over the time it might take for a miracle to unfold and,
b. particularly so for the latter stages of recovery where progress towards the goals of
trying to regain fine-motor control or attempting to recapture and reliably perform high-level
cognitive function is so subtle and difficult to measure.

So those are the thoughts I wanted to share with you this morning before
returning to RIC to submit this letter for possible publication in the RIC
Annual Report.

I'm thrilled to be at a point in this journey where I am able to share
my experience with both patients and staff and to present my story
in this forum as a beacon to shine a bright light on, applaud, and
encourage the on-going philanthropic efforts that support
the life-altering work of The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

With thanks, and a respectful acknowledgement (please picture a celebratory, hard-earned fist-pumping salute) to all who have and continue to provide financial support to Hope and Healing!


John O' Brien Murphy