That’s a good question. I’m not sure how he interprets what we say. I like to think that he remembers certain things even though he can’t tell us. We are on the verge of communication with him. By that I mean, if he is not too tired or overstimulated he will occassionally respond to our questions. For me, asking him to blink his eyes or squeeze our hands doesn’t seem that reliable. I usually ask for a thumbs up or ask him to raise his eyebrows. He seems to be responding better since he got the shunt - but since he’s had other issues he’s been battling, it’s hard to tell. His muscles, however, are much less contracted. Meaning that his brain is more able to control his body. This is an excellent first step. We are really looking forward to seeing his progress in the next few weeks.
sounds like good forward movement. i’m sure an outing would really give him a boost.
Like Naja andkopek, I’ve not posted before because I don’t know if Santo would recognize me, but I’ve been following the thread. Best wishes for his recovery!
Thanks for the update! Continued good thoughts headed toward your whole family.
Are there any updates, SRM?
Santo followed commands today during occupational therapy. He was able to squeeze a bulb to play the radio. He wouldn’t do it until “American Pie” came on the radio; then he held the bulb so he could hear the song. He continues to gain better control of his limbs. I wasn’t able to fly up this last weekend so I can’t wait to see his progress when I see him Thursday.
Hooray, Santo! Hooray, Santo’sMama, and hooray, Santo’sRecoveryCrew!!!
But mostly, hooray for** Santo**, great news 
That is very good news. I’m glad to hear it. I am sure he will improve greatly in time. I’m assuming also that he’s over the illness he had before, which is good to know.
So, during most of the day, what kind of state is he in? I know this is a confusing question but I’ve been wondering about it for a while. Is it that he retains the same level of intelligence and, for that matter, consciousness that he had before the accident, but just is unable to make his body respond to the commands of his brain? Or does he spend long periods of time in a sleep-like state, or a state roughly equivalent to someone who has been drugged or is drunk?
Glad to hear the news SRM. You tell him we said “keep on squeezin’ that bulb”.
Just another guy who doesn’t know your son but liked his posts saying – vaya con Dios.
Yay for good news! Yay for American Pie! 
Clearly a man of immense taste. All the best to you, him, and your family. I’m sending out the best vibes I can.
Woohoo for bulb squeezins!
Hooray for progress.
That’s great! I’m glad to hear he’s making continued progress.
StG
By the time Pat is out of the Woods and his situation is more knowable, you will be a PhD in this field. Kinda funny how if someone came to you six month ago what you knew about Traumatic Brain Injuries could have filled a thimble with room left over.
I call this the University of Hard Knocks Graduate Program Crash Course.
I love your questions; they make me dig deep! It’s so complicated. I will be so ecstatic when I walk in and feel like he recognizes me. In my mind, it’s almost like he’s still in a coma. His injury is a diffuse axonal injury. It can be equated to shaken baby syndrome. The damage is widespread and the connectors are torn. Some say that the recovery process is not linear; others describe it as islands of recovery. He is alert at times and other times he is extremely sleepy. Fatigue is common because his brain is working so hard to process so many things - pain, infections, trying to follow commands, etc. He gets tired very easily and when he’s tired, he can’t process commands. My hope is that he will retain his same level of intelligence, but we won’t really know until he responds more consistently and is able to communicate reliably with us. The shunt helped relieve some of the pressure and the doctor feels that’s why he’s able to relax his limbs a little more. We know that he can hear and understand us at times, because he does respond occasionally. If he’s too tired, he just shuts down. He has a long way to go. He vocalizes sometimes and has even said a few words, but he is far from being the same Pat we know and love. However, none of this stops his health care team from falling for him. He manages to draw people in without even speaking. It’s really strange, but wonderful. I guess this best describes him - he has severe cognitive deficits at this time.
Good news. I hope he pulls through, this thread is a testimony to the strength of humanity, on both ends, yours and his. I find it hard to read this thread in a sense, as I cannot imagine what Santo and you are going through. OTOH, everyone is rooting for him.
Go Santo GO!
It’s amazing that you’ve taken up an account here on the SDMB and bared your and his souls. Sometimes strangers are more supportive than people realize. We’re all onboard, pulling for your son. It’s enriching that you have taken the time to support an internet community that he deemed important.
Anyway, God Bless Santo and I hope that more encouraging improvement comes soon.
Life is weird these days…
It seems weird for me to bare my soul to perfect strangers, but I feel comfort in knowing that Pat has so many people who are concerned about his progress. Plus, it’s a connection to my beautiful boy. When he was first injured and we started receiving dozens of cards in the mail from people with such strange “names”, we were very curious. Then we discovered this entire network of friends that Pat has. My prayer is that Pat will get back to the boards someday. He may be mad at me for being on them - my job will be done then and I look forward to that day!!