# Santo Rugger (RIP Santo Rugger) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 6, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579 "2009-05-06T19:54:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/301 "2009-07-07T01:10:03Z")
Thanks for the update! I was just wondering the other day how he was doing. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/302 "2009-07-07T01:19:18Z")
🙂 _San-to! San-to! San-to!_ ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/303 "2009-07-07T03:18:07Z")
Wow. What a journey he’s traveled so far. Good news all around. Sending more healing mojo his way. ---
**Author:** ![SantoRuggersMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@SantoRuggersMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SantoRuggersMom)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/304 "2009-07-24T18:02:46Z")
Just wanted to give you all an update. Santo is still hanging in there. He continues to make small improvements for which we are grateful. He continues to try hard in therapy. We see subtle improvements that show he’s coming back to us. Such as tolerating therapy for longer times. But some days he is just too tired. We continue to pray and have faith. We thank you all for your continued support. He has many volunteers that come each week to check on him. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingCowOfDoom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyingcowofdoom/32/21776_2.png) [@FlyingCowOfDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingCowOfDoom)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/305 "2009-07-24T18:04:00Z")
Thank you for the update, I was just thinking about Santo this morning and wondering how he’s been doing. –FCOD ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/306 "2009-07-24T18:17:51Z")
Continued improvement. Great news!! ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/307 "2009-07-24T18:37:29Z")
Thanks for the updates – I’m always peeking in on Facebook, waiting for the day I see _him_ posting. Still pulling for ya over here, Pat! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/308 "2009-07-24T18:38:44Z")
C’mon **Santo** , you can do it! ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/309 "2009-07-24T18:55:29Z")
Thanks for the update. We’re still pulling for Pat, as you can see. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/310 "2009-07-24T19:23:58Z")
So…if it’s not too crass to ask (and I know I’m not the only one here wondering), what sort of head injury did he end up with? What can he do? Can he speak? Converse? Speak in haiku? Is he as mentally sharp as before or substantially less so? Can he get around on his own? How’s the rest of him–are his breaks healing up well without significant complications? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/311 "2009-07-24T23:57:45Z")
**Santo** I started work today, and looked out over the Salt Lake from my office–made me remember that you’re in a similar area, and I’m hoping you get back on your feet soon! Tripler C’mon **Santo**! We nerds need you back! ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/312 "2009-07-25T00:09:06Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > So…if it’s not too crass to ask (and I know I’m not the only one here wondering), what sort of head injury did he end up with? What can he do? Can he speak? Converse? Speak in haiku? Is he as mentally sharp as before or substantially less so? Can he get around on his own? How’s the rest of him–are his breaks healing up well without significant complications? I was wondering the same thing. Is he talking at all? What’s the poop on Santo? ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/313 "2009-07-25T00:11:53Z")
thank you for updating us. i was wondering how things were going. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/314 "2009-07-25T01:12:48Z")
Thank you so much, **SantoMom** for updating us! I know you have other things to focus on, but we’d really appreciate it if you’d let us know what and how he’s doing! If it’s any help at all, I’d say he’s got hundreds of Dopers pulling for him! (Including me, of course). ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/315 "2009-07-25T03:47:58Z")
Thanks for the update. We’re all still pulling for you **Santo**. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/316 "2009-07-25T04:12:28Z")
I haven’t posted to this thread before, but I’m one of the Teeming Millions who has been reading and following, sending good thoughts. Thanks for keeping us posted. We’re all pulling for **Santo**. You have been a tower of strength to all of us, but, as one mom to another…{{{{{{{{{{ **SantoMom** }}}}}}}}}}. ---
**Author:** ![SantoRuggersMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@SantoRuggersMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SantoRuggersMom)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/317 "2009-07-27T00:50:24Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > So…if it’s not too crass to ask (and I know I’m not the only one here wondering), what sort of head injury did he end up with? What can he do? Can he speak? Converse? Speak in haiku? Is he as mentally sharp as before or substantially less so? Can he get around on his own? How’s the rest of him–are his breaks healing up well without significant complications? I don’t mind you asking. Santo sustained a severe DAI (diffuse axonal injury) also known as a brain shear. His broken bones have healed nicely as far as we can tell. He moves his arms, legs and head and often tries to sit up in bed. He started out on the tilt table at 20 degrees for just a few minutes. Last week he was at 60 degrees for 30 minutes; on Thursday he was at 70 degrees. He remains at a Level 3.5 on the Rancho Los Amigos (RLA) Cognitive Level Functioning scale. He responds occasionally to commands. He vocalizes and sometimes we can make out actual words. This week it sounded like he was actually moaning; a different sound than he has made before. He is still on the capped trachea tube (meaning he breathes completely on his own through his nose and mouth) and has difficulty managing his oral secretions. He swallows but is still working on developing this fine motor skill. He does feel pain and has recently started making ugly faces at the nurses when they give him injections, etc. He tolerates stimuli much better in that he is better able to manage his heart rate, etc. more than before. It’s difficult to put all this in writing because to a person who hasn’t been there since the beginning, it might not seem like progress. But in three months time, he has made leaps and bounds. He started out barely opening his left eye and feeling no response to pain. He kept his legs completely straight and couldn’t even feel when I put lotion on his ticklish feet. He stayed completely still when I cut his nails, etc. Now he wiggles and wriggles and moves and is tired of the whole hygiene routine. If you knew him in person, you would know that cleanliness was not very important to him. He was happiest on the rugby field with all the sweat and dirt and everything that goes with that! The hardest part for us is that there is no way of knowing when he will recover. Santo will have to write his own story. However, I can tell you with complete certainty as his mother, this kid CAN make a full recovery. He’s just too tough and too smart not to have the ability to rewire pathways in his brain. It is a testament to his character that he continues to have visitors from all over. He has a network of volunteers who selflessly give of their time each week to stay with him at the hospital. Some of these people have never even met him before. Then there is his amazing network of on-line friends from all over the world. The SDMB community has been a huge help in keeping us motivated. We appreciate the kind words and support from each and every one of you. Santo needs to progress to a 4 on the RLA scale to be eligible for in-patient rehab. There are only two programs in the country that offer brain injury treatment for someone who is not quite ready for rehab. Please send your good energies this way as we work toward getting him to the best place possible. I got carried away and I hope this is not TMI. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/318 "2009-07-27T01:19:18Z")
It’s not TMI and thank you so much for sharing all of this with us. As has been said from the beginning, we are all pulling for him and are grateful that you are sharing his progress with us. I look forward to each tiny victory in his recovery, because they’ll add up to one big one. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/319 "2009-07-27T01:21:48Z")
> [@SantoRuggersMom](#): > > I don’t mind you asking. Santo sustained a severe DAI (diffuse axonal injury) also known as a brain shear. His broken bones have healed nicely as far as we can tell. He moves his arms, legs and head and often tries to sit up in bed. > > He started out on the tilt table at 20 degrees for just a few minutes. Last week he was at 60 degrees for 30 minutes; on Thursday he was at 70 degrees. > > He remains at a Level 3.5 on the Rancho Los Amigos (RLA) Cognitive Level Functioning scale. He responds occasionally to commands. He vocalizes and sometimes we can make out actual words. This week it sounded like he was actually moaning; a different sound than he has made before. He is still on the capped trachea tube (meaning he breathes completely on his own through his nose and mouth) and has difficulty managing his oral secretions. He swallows but is still working on developing this fine motor skill. He does feel pain and has recently started making ugly faces at the nurses when they give him injections, etc. He tolerates stimuli much better in that he is better able to manage his heart rate, etc. more than before. > > It’s difficult to put all this in writing because to a person who hasn’t been there since the beginning, it might not seem like progress. But in three months time, he has made leaps and bounds. He started out barely opening his left eye and feeling no response to pain. He kept his legs completely straight and couldn’t even feel when I put lotion on his ticklish feet. He stayed completely still when I cut his nails, etc. Now he wiggles and wriggles and moves and is tired of the whole hygiene routine. If you knew him in person, you would know that cleanliness was not very important to him. He was happiest on the rugby field with all the sweat and dirt and everything that goes with that! > > The hardest part for us is that there is no way of knowing when he will recover. Santo will have to write his own story. However, I can tell you with complete certainty as his mother, this kid CAN make a full recovery. He’s just too tough and too smart not to have the ability to rewire pathways in his brain. > > It is a testament to his character that he continues to have visitors from all over. He has a network of volunteers who selflessly give of their time each week to stay with him at the hospital. Some of these people have never even met him before. Then there is his amazing network of on-line friends from all over the world. The SDMB community has been a huge help in keeping us motivated. We appreciate the kind words and support from each and every one of you. > > Santo needs to progress to a 4 on the RLA scale to be eligible for in-patient rehab. There are only two programs in the country that offer brain injury treatment for someone who is not quite ready for rehab. Please send your good energies this way as we work toward getting him to the best place possible. > > I got carried away and I hope this is not TMI. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. Wow. Sounds like he’s cut from the same cloth that you are: tough. I hope to hear about his progress as he continues his path to recovery. Good luck and Godspeed to you, Santo and the rest of your family. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/320 "2009-07-27T01:42:09Z")
Thanks for sharing. Best wishes for his continuing recovery. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579.md?page=17)