We have finally been advised of a retrial court date …. 8th April 2013
It’s been an amazing struggle to support and manage Jake. Just from one “king hit” Jake has the following disabilities. We have to deal with them everyday:
- APHASIA: Difficulty remembering things that have happened, specially new things
- ATTENTION: Length of time a person can remain focused on a task (short attention span)
- ATROPHY: shrinking of body tissue (calf muscle) or organs
- AUTOMATIC SPEECH: Words and sayings that happen with little thought, such as sayings “hello”, or “how are you?”
- COGNITIVE COMMUNICATION: Difficulty with many language skills including spoken and written expression ( he can not read higher than a 3 year old) and understanding, verbal and non verbal aspects of communication such as facial expression.
- CONFABULATION: Incorrect information when responding to questions to fill in memory gaps. This is not done on purpose. (he makes up stories)
- CONTRACTURE: Increased muscle tension causing the muscle to shorten
- DISINHIBITION: Reduced ability to control own behaviour, resulting in inappropriate or unsafe actions
- DISORIENTATION: Inability or difficulty remembering information about people, places and time. (doesn’t even remember what he did at day care that same day and his carer he has had for 12 months still cone remember his name [all the carers are called dude])
- DYSPHASIA/APHASIA: Reduced ability to understand and use words in speaking or writing ( you have to breakdown the wording for him to understand)
- HEMIANOPIA: Loss of sight in one half of the visual field in one or both eyes (exactly half on the right side of his eyes he is blind)
- HEMIPARESIS: Weakness on one side of the body ( with jake it’s the right side)
- INSIGHT: A persons understanding of their situation, such as changes in ability and difficulties ( he has some understanding that he was hit and this is whats happened to his body)
- LABILE: Rapid changes in emotional expression, such as laughing or crying ( this is constant everyday all day)
PERSEVERATION: Constant repetition of words and phrases and movements - PTA: Stands for Post Traumatic Amnesia – difficulty making new memories and remembering what has happened from one day to the next (jake doesn’t remember anything from his life prior to his assault and still finds it hard to remember what was done the day before)
- SEIZURE &TREMORS: Convulsion or fit caused by an increase in normal brain activity ( this is kept under control by his medications)
- SPASTICITY: A state of increased muscle tone, causing resistance to movement
- VERBOSITY: Uses an excess of words, talking to much ( and yes he does) heheheh
- INFARKED: Part of the brain that has died (1/3 of jakes brain has died). The left side has been damaged ½ has been badly damaged and a 1/3 of that has died…