# 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:** 18
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/341 "2009-07-28T06:46:19Z")
> [@SantoRuggersMom](#): > > He’s apparently skipped stage 4 which is the agitated crankiness. I think that’s a good thing. My wife would throw a party if she knew I’d skip over the “agitated crankiness” stage. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/342 "2009-07-28T08:31:52Z")
> [@SantoRuggersMom](#): > > I got carried away and I hope this is not TMI. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. Absolutely not TMI; I for one am happy to know. My youngest brother did “Sustitutive Social Service” instead of military service (the program was part of the process of phasing the draft out of the Spanish army), working with people who’d sustained brain injuries. Mostly he’d take them out for walks (which may have gone from “she walks on her own but has vertigo” to pushing a wheelchair) or spend time sitting with them, going over exercises, learning to communicate with them (some could talk clearly, but most couldn’t or were in the process of relearning). He was told that one of the things he and the other volunteers or draftees needed to keep in mind is that it takes a child several years to learn to speak; re-learning when your speak centers have broken isn’t a matter of days either. There was a man who could play chess and sign but not talk. For some, progress was being able to eat one more spoonful on their own before handing the spoon to the caretaker; for others it was one more word; for some it was a smile. Things as “mundane and pointless” as showing pictures from vacations had a huge impact (the supervisors were amazed at the patient’s reactions when one of the other guys did exactly that, but many patients had been going from their house to the center and back for years, those pictures were a new and amazing input). We know it’s going to be long. Please, anything we can do, let us know. For some reason, “agitated crankiness” doesn’t seem compatible with “bike-riding rugby player who blows up stuff for a living.” “Redirected anger,” yes. “Agitated crankiness”? Naaaah… ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/343 "2009-07-28T11:58:38Z")
It’s so wonderful to be hearing more good news about his progress! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/344 "2009-07-28T12:03:07Z")
I think about your son \*every day \*and wish I could send a dumptruck full of hundreds to help your family out during this very long stretch of road you are on. I would send your son a slab of bacon and some hot swedish nurses to help out, cause everyone knows that Hot Nurses serving Bacon is just what a rugby player like him needs to expedite his full recovery. Bacon. Is there anything it can’t do? Until I win the lottery any day now! I am keeping Patrick and your family in my thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/345 "2009-07-28T16:41:32Z")
That’s some of the best news I have heard in a while Ruggermom. I miss Rugger and hope he continues to recover. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/346 "2009-07-28T17:47:54Z")
I don’t know how I missed this thread. Please know that I am pulling for **Santo** and hope he does get to Denver. A coworker of mine has a daughter who also suffered TBI at the age of 18. She is at home now, getting PT and OT etc, but they are looking into a live in place for her where she can get intensive therapy (which she does need). It is indeed a long, hard slog. Thank you for posting here and keeping us updated. Does he have a Pasey\* valve for his trach, so that he can talk (when he’s ready)? \*not sure if I spelled that correctly. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/347 "2009-07-28T18:41:31Z")
> [@SantoRuggersMom](#): > > First of all, I love reading all the posts. I’m sure Santo is feeling the good vibes by now. Secondly, because I’ve been in my own brain fog - here’s a slight correction. > Santo is a 3 - 5 on the RLA scale. Meaning he fluctuates between a level 3 and a level 5. He’s apparently skipped stage 4 which is the agitated crankiness. (All this time I thought he was a 3 1/2). Duh! > > Now for the GOOD news. His doctor told me today that he is being reevaluated by Craig Rehab hospital in Denver. He has been rejected by them before because he wasn’t functioning at a level where he could withstand rehab for three hours a day. The fact that they are looking at his case this week is a huge improvement! And it’s probably the best news we’ve had in three months. > > I’ll keep you posted. I’m in Denver, so if you guys need anything, just let me know. My info is in my profile. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/348 "2009-07-28T19:19:43Z")
> [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](#): > > Most excellent news indeed! > > Thank you so much for the information and continued love to Pat and your whole family. > > Wild snow bunnies in need of taming, Rugger. Snow bunnies… :smack: Ski bunnies. Sorry, my vaguely misogynistic slang is a little rusty…but I will risk having my tires slashed by the lesbian separatists for a good cause, and Pat is definitely a good cause. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/349 "2009-07-28T19:23:58Z")
Glad to hear it. I hope the care in Denver works out for him, and works out well. Good luck to all of you, especially Pat. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/350 "2009-07-28T20:15:41Z")
Thank you, **SRMom**. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/351 "2009-07-29T06:15:02Z")
Wow. I stopped following this thread so long ago - I checked in just now thinking, “I bet he’s back on the field, almost!” I had no idea it was so serious. I never knew Santo here, other than just recognizing his name, but I’m glad he’s recovering, and send all my best wishes! Joe ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/352 "2009-07-29T10:26:45Z")
I’m glad there’s been improvement, especially the change that could get him into the new rehab facility. Good luck to **SantoRugger** and to all of you, **SantoRuggersMom**! ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/353 "2009-07-29T19:54:41Z")
His progress sounds impressive. All good wishes to get him into the Denver rehab place. Indestructible guy! ---
**Author:** ![SantoRuggersMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@SantoRuggersMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SantoRuggersMom)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/354 "2009-07-29T22:01:19Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > I don’t know how I missed this thread. Please know that I am pulling for **Santo** and hope he does get to Denver. > A coworker of mine has a daughter who also suffered TBI at the age of 18. She is at home now, getting PT and OT etc, but they are looking into a live in place for her where she can get intensive therapy (which she does need). > It is indeed a long, hard slog. Thank you for posting here and keeping us updated. Does he have a Pasey\* valve for his trach, so that he can talk (when he’s ready)? > \*not sure if I spelled that correctly. His trach is capped and he is breathing room air. He is very vocal and occasionally will say something we recognize. He was yawning once and I said, wow that was big yawn. He said YAWN! He’s made comments to the nurses like “easy now” or “hey” when they are moving him. A few weeks ago I had spent the day with him and could not get him to look at me. His nurse came in and he whipped his head around so fast. I told her my problem and she said, well you’re just him mom. I’m his hot nurse! So you see, the real Santo is in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![SantoRuggersMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@SantoRuggersMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SantoRuggersMom)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/355 "2009-07-29T22:06:06Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Absolutely not TMI; I for one am happy to know. > > My youngest brother did “Sustitutive Social Service” instead of military service (the program was part of the process of phasing the draft out of the Spanish army), working with people who’d sustained brain injuries. Mostly he’d take them out for walks (which may have gone from “she walks on her own but has vertigo” to pushing a wheelchair) or spend time sitting with them, going over exercises, learning to communicate with them (some could talk clearly, but most couldn’t or were in the process of relearning). He was told that one of the things he and the other volunteers or draftees needed to keep in mind is that it takes a child several years to learn to speak; re-learning when your speak centers have broken isn’t a matter of days either. There was a man who could play chess and sign but not talk. For some, progress was being able to eat one more spoonful on their own before handing the spoon to the caretaker; for others it was one more word; for some it was a smile. Things as “mundane and pointless” as showing pictures from vacations had a huge impact (the supervisors were amazed at the patient’s reactions when one of the other guys did exactly that, but many patients had been going from their house to the center and back for years, those pictures were a new and amazing input). > > We know it’s going to be long. Please, anything we can do, let us know. > For some reason, “agitated crankiness” doesn’t seem compatible with “bike-riding rugby player who blows up stuff for a living.” “Redirected anger,” yes. “Agitated crankiness”? Naaaah… The progress is minute some days, but progress just the same. If you don’t spend lots of time with him I don’t think you’d get all the little nuances and understand that he can do much more than he did at the beginning. Thanks for sharing that info. I added the crankiness part. It’s not the technical term. (ha!) ---
**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 29, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/356 "2009-07-29T22:30:02Z")
i do hope he gets to denver soon. thank you for the updates and detail on his condition. brains are tricky things and they do take their own good time to recover. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/357 "2009-07-29T22:43:33Z")
I hope all the best for Santo’s Recovery. He’s a tough guy, and you’re a great mom for keeping an interest in his own interests and all by keeping us updated. I and I’m sure the others all appreciate it very much. I can see where Santo get’s his toughness from. 😃 Best Wishes to both of you! ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/358 "2009-07-30T22:42:07Z")
> [@](#): > > If you knew him in person, you would know that cleanliness was not very important to him. We online buds could kind of noodle this out for ourselves…He once told us about the snot on his rugby jersey in graphic detail.🙂 Fingers crossed on the Denver rehab. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/359 "2009-07-31T00:46:30Z")
Thanks, **SRMom** , for the update. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579/360 "2009-07-31T00:56:20Z")
Do you have any rugby DVD’s of him or recorded games that you could put on the TV to give him something that you know he loves ( besides you and hot nurses) . Thank you for keeping us informed! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santo-rugger-rip-santo-rugger/495579.md?page=19)