Help for My Daughter….

UPDATE: 1/23/17

It’s been quite a day. The appointment at Raleigh Neurology went well. They conducted a comprehensive including verbal & written memory, visual motor speed and reaction time. We were shocked to learn that “normal” is the 10th-90th percentile and that Anna scored <1% for motor speed and reaction time. Her other scores were below 10% as well. However, this isn’t uncommon in concussion patients and should improve as the concussion improves. They were able to obtain the results of the MRI from Friday and there’s no indication of trauma and no damage to her brain! The speech issue is an emotional response, not a neurological response. However, this doesn’t mean she can control it. The great news is that through some therapy and hard work, she can break through the barrier and regain her speech! The prognosis is very good. It may take a month or more, but that is great news to Heather (my M) and I! Anna will return to school on Thursday with some modifications and restrictions (e.g. no tests or exams, PE, etc.). She has a follow up a week from today when they’ll repeat the tests she had today to measure progress. My wife is a school teacher and has already reached out to a speech therapist and has already worked with Anna for awhile tonight, and when she focuses, there is noticeable improvement! Praise God!

Praise God is what we’ve been doing! Praising Him for our friends, our family, our own health and abilities, the doctors, and for the men of F3 Nation. It is impossible for me to put into words and adequately describe how humbled and grateful I am. Dozens of F3 men emailed, texted and DM’d me providing contacts, resources, words of encouragement, and prayers. I have chills (and tears) writing this, because I am overwhelmed by the love, the concern, and the support of men across F3 Nation whom I’ve never met. Some told me their own children have had one or even multiple concussions and they understand our concerns and fears. Others told of their children who have seizures, dizziness, or other issues for which they have been or are being treated. Anesthesiologists, oncologists and others have reached out to their colleagues, seeking a path and recommendation for us. Many have sent me their phone numbers and offered to just talk and share their stories and experiences in hopes that it will help guide us and give us the tools to cope. WOW! From the bottom of my heart, I thank each of you who not only emailed, texted or DM’d, but also those who Retweeted to keep the message moving across the Nation as we were searching for answers. To all of you I’m truly grateful.

While our faith never waivered, this has been a mental and emotional rollercoaster for Heather and I. Trying to be obedient to God and not worry, placing everything in His hands is easier said than done, particularly when it comes to those we love. For me, the strength and support of my F3 Brothers in the gloom, the power of the response from F3 Brother across the Southeast, and the prayers and support of my F3 Brothers across F3 Nation helped me be strong for my family these past 10 days. That doesn’t mean there weren’t tears, or sleepless nights, or fears. But I had no doubt who my wingmen were….those Brothers I could call at 2 am if things got bad. I never had to make that call, and for that I’m grateful. But I’m also grateful for knowing that they are there when needed.

Indeed, I’m grateful for F3. You know the one…..the one that’ll never work…..the one that’s “just another workout”…..yeah, I’m grateful for that one. The one that has changed my life in so many ways….physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually…that one…you know the one with the Circle of Trust…the Ball of Man…the one that brought men together in the gloom who took a knee and prayed for my daughter and my family at the end of their beatdowns. I’m grateful for that one and all of the men in it! THANK YOU, BROTHERS! May God Bless each of you!

1:19 pm UPDATE:  WOW!  When you put the call out to a bunch of #HIM, you get a lot of high-quality information in a short period of time!  I’ve received many recommendations that have been tremendously helpful. As an engineer, I always have a vision in mind of what I’m looking for. I’ve been in touch with Raleigh Neurology and felt like they are who we’re looking for. We have an appointment at 7:30 Monday morning!  This certainly doesn’t minimize the capability of the other recommendations and we have them logged in case they are needed.  I can’t  begin to explain how humbled and grateful we are. Tears filled my eyes as the emails and texts came in.

God is good!  God is at work in this situation and this thing we call F3 Nation!  I’m humbled and grateful and will post updates as we know more, as requested by several PAX. Please continue to lift is in prayer and we promise to do the same for the men and families of F3. To God be the Glory!

Original Post

This is not a typical Post, but this isn’t a typical situation, so I’m reaching out to my F3 brothers in other Regions in hopes of finding some help for my daughter…..

My 15 year old daughter  sustained a blow to the back of her head on Jan 11 when she fell during a impromptu skit in her theater class.  The fall was part of the act, but hitting her head on the stage was not.  That night and the next couple of days she had typical concussion symptoms, including headache and blurred vision.  For the sake of everyone’s time, I won’t go into all of the details, but on Sunday Jan 15 she began stuttering, which got worse throughout the day.  She had a CT scan that night that showed no lesions or bleeding.  She also has difficulty “finding” the right word to say.  It takes her 30 seconds to a minute to say her first and last name.

Yesterday we saw concussion specialists at ECU Sports Medicine and they told us they’ve never seen a case like this.  They are confident in treating the concussion, but unsure why the speech center has been impacted.  They offered the options of “wait and see” and the option of an MRI to see if there’s some other damage to her speech center.  While I understand that concussions take time and rest to heal, their sense of urgency regarding the speech issue doesn’t align with my sense of urgency.  We will have a MRI today and have a follow-up on Tuesday and then potentially see a Neurologist. Our preference is to find a professional or clinic somewhere that has seen and treated patients that have have experienced speech loss and/or stuttering as a result of a concussion.

Thus, my wife and I are reaching out, looking for someone who may have had personal experience or knowledge of someone who has gone through a similar situation.  We’re also looking for recommendations on who to see for a second opinion, hopefully finding a professional or clinic that has experience treating concussions that are accompanied by stuttering or speech loss.  

Finally, we are asking for prayers for Anna.  She is a bright, energetic, God-loving young lady.  She is strong in faith, as my wife and I are.  We’ve seen and felt the power of prayer in our lives and would be grateful for any information, recommendations or prayers that you can offer.

You can reach me by any of the following:

• email:  filterengineer@gmail.com
• text or phone:  252-227-9706
• Twitter:  @F3TBone

Thanks for taking the time to read this……

T-Bone (F3ENC)