sorry it has been a few days since i posted. i went back to work. Yuck!! But what has spence been up to? lets see, there was the walk of 60 feet he took (the stamina he needs for this is amazing). he had a little movement in his bicep which until this time had been dormant. the triceps seem to work better. no races to report but he did play dodge ball with his GF. spencer passes along that she is awesome. today he and his mother practiced doing transfers using only a quad cane and not the wheelchair. just another thing he needs to do before he can come home. he is getting there though.

I screwed something up yesterday because i posted a message but yet there was nothing there. The floor had their spring fling party yesterday all caught on videotape by donna. they has some thinking events (ie crossword puzzles,word searches) for prizes. they had an egg hunt. that was kind of cruel getting them going on a sugar high just before visiting hours began. Somehow i see it as pay back for all those years of sugar highs from our egg hunts. The culmination was the hallway 4 x 4 relay. does not sound exciting but when you see the effort it is priceless. all the kids using walkers,quad canes,wheelchairs,or those who could walk but had no balance, doing what they had to do to go forward. BTW (that's "by the way " for anyone over 25 trying to figure out computer lingo) Spencer Rocked. He kicked butt against his former roommate and i am told did a little trash talking to boot. GO SPENCE

Spence made it to the ICU of MGH. He saw a few of the people who were part of his first treatment. He told me it was weird because they all knew him but he did not remember any of them. That is no big suprise considering his condition at the time. Spence was able to talk to the surgeon who did the original clot busting surgery. Spence told him thanks for saving my life. He talked to a nurse who took care of him those first few days and she reminded him of his flipping me the bird. Spence now knows i have proof. I think it is hard for Spence to fully comprehend the journey he has been thru. he does know with all the help from his friends and family the outcome will be positive

Spence had his CT scan although as I said before we wont have the results until next week. No stairs today but extra work on that lazy left arm. He needs some help but there is a little movement in the shoulder and elbow. actually he did a couple of exercises today that his therapist was very pleased with. tomorrow he plans to go to the MGH ICU where he spent his first 2 weeks. He is bringing his video camera to tape the scene of the start of his recovery.
Go SPENCE and Go SOX

today is day 60 that spence has been in the hospital. the improvement from day 1 to day 60 has been phenomenal. on monday he tried going up and down stairs for the first time. the going up part was extremely hard but the coming down part was a little easier. just the first day of this so i am sure it will get a little easier as he goes along. in his OT spence did some exercises with his left arm and had a little more movement in his elbow and shoulder than usual. this is an encouraging thing for him. tomorrow he is off for a CT scan which will hopefully show the swelling has gone down enough that they put his bone flap back. Unfortunately we won't know the results until a week later. Keep positive that he gets good news and i will let you know whenever we hear anything

Sorry Ted,those gals just make it over the legal limit or minimum. Actually this photo is from the Jaime Lee Curtis AARP bare your breasts photo shoot. This is only their first glass of wine,but what happens after the next couple? We will just say what happens in N. Carolina stays in N. Carolina!!!

Anyway yes Spencer made it to Harvard Square for Easter bunch. It was awesome. He had been talking about eating bacon for about a month and got the OK from the therapist to do so. I was surprised because he was never a big bacon eater,but i guess the one place he loved it was Henrietta's table where we always had Easter dinner. Its a good thing he is taking Zocor (a cholesterol lowering med.). He ate the bacon off his plate,his mother's and mine also. Spence did mix in some strawberries and an eclair too. At one point he was waiting for his Sprite and i asked him jokingly if he wanted a sip of my Amstel Light. His response was "No thanks Dad, I am in Rehab" As always keeping us on our toes.
Thank you to all for everything and keep up the good work!

the red hair has reached the south!

Spencer's fans at Saint James in NorthCarolina joined the red hair team! this week! A shout out from Spence to all of them! you guys rock! we love and miss you all!

Bolting the Joint part 2. Spence made it outside for the 2nd time today. This time he had to work at it though. There was no bus to take him, he got to ride in style!, hehad to get into his mother' s van. It was a trial run for his outing on Easter. Getting in the van took some thought as how to transfer him from wheelchair to van seat but with his improved strength and a little help it was not a big obstacle. Once he/we passed that test we took a mini excursion around boston. we went to WGBH to see his grandfather (he has a great story to tell) while the show "THE WORLD" was on the air. from there we took a tour thru the allston section of boston where his mother and I used to live. Funny i saw a place i used to work at, it was an OSCO drug then but is now a Rite-Aid. We travelled Comm. Ave to BU land where we saw the JONAS BROS bus. They must have been playing at the Agganis Arena or Paradise. Of course we found another TACO BELL and had to get a #6 with cherry pepsi before heading back to the hospital. the fresh air is always amazing no matter how windy it was!

Spence had a bunch of cool things happen today. he was able to move his knee a couple of different ways. the first was when he walked during PT. he usually does a "hip swing" where he takes a step with his good right leg and then would swing his hip so the bad left leg would catch up. the therapists would help extend and plant the left leg to a steady position so he could start the process again for the next step. today he was able to do a knee swing where the process is the same but he did the swing further down the leg. the next thing he did was kick me with his left leg while lying down. this was pretty cool to see the movement,although put that on my list of things he is getting away with now but will be paying for in the future. spence also could provide resistance when you pushed on his lower left leg. he also had movement in his left thumb today, not a whole lot but something. OMG he wants to wake that left arm and hand so bad!!
Day by Day, Little by Little he is getting there.

ok something changed when i wrote that last post. the first picture is Maria,the second is Missy and the third is Renee

The people you meet during a long journey. The first picture is of Missy a nurse from his days at ICU. He did not remember her at first but after hearing her voice awhile something clicked in. She was with him those first few days when he was sedated most of the time. Spence videotaped an interview with her,asking a million questions i'm sure. Just the start of his movie.

The second picture is with Maria a nurse from Spaulding Rehab who has taken care of Spence alot and as you can see takes care of Carter from time to time.

The third picture is with Renee his primary nurse at Spaulding. She looks out for all the Nuttall's wellbeing. If we need anything done she is the one to go to. And believe me,it gets DONE!

This is just 3 of the many wonderful people we have met along our journey of the last 53 days.

no green beer for spence today, it just wasn't on his list of choices. O'well,he did have tacos again today made for him personally by the O'McFriends mother who made him his first one. It was delicious he told me. He tried to get the holiday off by telling everyone his name was really Sean McNuttall but they weren't buying it. I think they doubled his PT (physical torture).

not a whole lot going on this weekend. on friday spence tried walking with no cane but 2 therapists guiding him with his right hand behind his back. I'm told this is all about getting a sense of balance. On saturday optimus prime and flavor flav visited one left his mask and the other some bling. now that would be some reality TV: Optimus vs Flavor Flav vs the Poison dude in a Rock of Lovefest. Winner battles Spence with his new sword. Back to real reality, on sunday he had a feast of his mom's cooking. as always the smile was priceless! almost as priceless was his mom trying to heat up everything in a 2 x 2 kitchen while all the other parents came in to heat up their dinners. just another thing we will laughing about in a few months.

He Made IT!! Real clothes,outside for fresh air.the "short bus". this smile lasted for the whole 2 hours out. What we all take for granted!! Spencer had a new doctor today interview him about his trip out, i think his name was Dr. Phil.

Dr Phil: How many days have you been in the hospital?

Spence: "way to many" (48 actually)

Dr Phil: How does it feel to wear real clothes?

Spence: "pretty awesome"

Dr Phil: What was it like when you got the that first breath of fresh air after 48 days in the hospital?

Spence: It was amazing, the best air yet!!

Dr Phil: you mean to tell me that todays air was better than the first breath you took at birth.

Spence: Well DUH!! I dont remember my birth

Dr Phil: good point!

Dr Phil: What was it like to be out and having to get around in a wheelchair?

Spence: It was pretty cool to be independent but I never realized how many turns and corners there are in the stores of a mall

Dr Phil: What was your favorite part of the day?

Spence: finding a sword at KB toys to battle the nurses and greg back at the hospital, and getting a soft taco at TACO BELL.

Dr Phil: let me get this straight you go to the mall and are satified with basically a happy meal? you know a toy and fast food.

Spencer's Dad (from the audience) : Why cant it be this easy with his sister!!

Spence: Not quite, someone promised me a CRUNCH RAP SUPREME from TACO BELL and I am looking forward to that day.

Dr Phil: any last thoughts for your adoring public

Spence: Yes 2 things. 1. thank you for reading and come back soon. 2. i have know idea what uncle teds last latin message says, but i do know blogum is not a latin word.

Spencer today played a series of games with all the kids on the floor. Not sure who won or lost but Spence got Voted off the Floor and a Get Out of Jail Free Card. What does this mean?? As long as everything goes well (weather,medically etc.) he will go outside tomorrow for the first time in 48 days. The plan is for him to go to the mall in Cambridge. He heard there is a Apple computer store in the mall so he may jump right out of that wheelchair.
A couple of firsts today. Spence was able to move his elbow and 2 fingers today. He did this during therapy. The therapist must know how to relax certain muscles and stimulate others to get this movement.
Slowly we are getting there! Keep up the good work to everyone!

spencer today got a new wheelchair,one that he can maneuver himself. not very well but he can get around. he had his usual therapy and his first actual tutoring session. it was in latin,something he learned last year but he was pleased he remembered it. to go with his AFO he now has a UFO (universal foot orthotic). this is a brace he uses when lying down to keep the muscle tone in the ankle and foot. to everyone keep everything going we are getting there.

An interesting day today, donna and i,and spence had a meeting with all of his therapists today. they each had their turn to tell us of spencer's progress and their hope for his future progress. i think every one started with "i have never seen anyone with so many visitors and friends". some of the therapists and nurses see all the pictures,some visit the blog,some are there to see everyone. that being said,you guys are awesome and a big part of his recovery.
we saw some movement in spencers leg today, it was side to side and not one foot in front of the other but we will take it. he walked a bunch today.
during the meeting we found out the docs have a new theory on why the clot travelled to his carotid artery. something about a vein and artery connecting in the lung. this is not normal as veins and arteries are seperate from each other. i guess it explains the travel part but not why an 18yr old kid has a clot that size.
during the meeting spencer learned of a guesstimate of his release date. this is if he has no setbacks, he continues to progress at his current rate,and the docs are happy with the medical part. i want to tell you when it is but you will have to ask him.

not a lot going on therapy wise this weekend. he had occupational therapy on both days to try to get him to start doing things as if he was home. he used a bench in the shower as opposed to the shower wheelchair. he tried dressing himself etc,etc.
today i got to see the wave twice and did not even realize it was happening until spence told me. his left hand (the one with no movement,or "lazy hand) just raises up and waves hi. i forgot to ask the doc but this has to be a good thing. he says it justs happens but i say there has to be some kind of impulse being sent from the brain.
i have noticed and the occupational therapist also, how spencer's speech is improving and his stamina also. he stays up much longer before tiring. Oh and he has been able to read the computer so keep the posts coming.
we will see what tomorrow brings.

Today Spencer did his usual walking plus he tried kneeling for the first time. They had him do this using a ball to balance to himself. The therapists really gave him a good workout because he was exhausted. I know that they see how much he wants to get better,so they push him to the max.
Although he hasn't started with her yet, his tutor came in today to talk to him. From what i am told i am not sure which one would be the tutor and which one would be the student. As i said before, previously she was a Latin teacher and was looking forward to tutoring this with Spence. I guess she saw the material they are covering in AP Latin and now is not so sure. His AP calc. and programming she said forget about it. (Mrs Chaves and Mrs DeSousa you may be earning frequent traveler miles to Boston....lol).
thank you to all

here they are: the 3 siblings,amigo's,muskateers however you want to put it. its not a stretch to tell they are all related.

spence got his own room today,they moved him on up (as the jefferson's would say-sorry bad 80's reference) to his own room. probably just a coincidence but the room he moved to, the girl was discharged on monday, i saw it as ,he is just a little closer to being out that door.

today he did more walking with his new orthotic (he loves that word). he played a game in group therapy today called "apples to apples" . i had seen the box but never played the game before.

seems like a simple game but as spence explained it to me i could see where the various thought processes came into play. they thought they were playing a game but i see how the therapists were actually testing them.

today one of spencer's best friends made his day. she had made a video for him of all you guys (and she is sorry she missed a lot of you) from THS wishing him well. i know myself and mrs Nutt had a tear in our eyes while watching and spencer loved every minute of it.

so thank you to everyone,again good thoughts and prayers

Spencer got his AFO today (ankle-foot-orthotic) this is a brace for his left or "lazy" leg as he calls it. he was hoping for a UFO (his words) but had to settle. this brace gives him some support in his left leg to make it easier to walk. he did walk 15 steps today.
his sense of humor increases every day too. today i arrived to find a ransom note telling me to pay up or i would not know where to find his wife or eldest son. luckily i was able to cajole one of the nurses into fessing up where he was. actually i should have known he be down if the cafeteria for ice cream.
oh i almost forgot,they also took away the canopy thing from his bed. to those who have visited you know what i mean. but it was this weird thing around his bed that they would zipper him it at night. seemed like being caged to me but the nurses explained that sometimes stroke victims forget (that seems redundent) and try to get out of bed and end up falling and injuring themselves further. a necessary evil i guess.
again everyone, thank you for the posts,cards,prayers,thoughts,calls and etc.

a couple of pictures. the first is spence walking with a cane for the first time and the second is spence with 2 of his favorites teachers.

I guess its settled now, I always told spencer that i was Mrs. DeSousa's favorite student but i will admit defeat i have been replaced by you Mr Spencer Robert Nuttall.

Timing is everything, I walked in today to learn from spencer that he had just experienced the 3 P's all at one time. (he peed,pooped and puked). remember that taste test i mentioned about the pizza the floor was making,lets just say i am glad i missed it. the making of the pizza was fun for him,the first time he ate it was good,but not so much the second time around.

as far as PT went today, he walked again with a cane which he is most proud of. also he tried more of standing on his own. the therapists had him let go of everything while tossing a ball into a bucket. the purpose of this is for him to keep his balance.

to the red hair brigade: you guys rock!!!!

"beauty is painful....and takes forever" spence got this biggest chuckle out of this. his comment was thats priceless and only Carter would think of it that way.
Sunday was a pretty quiet day, spencer practiced getting up out of the chair and standing on his own. his equilibrium is out of whack so not an easy task with only one leg working. he also practiced putting on his clothes which seem to make him happy. the occupational therapist had a whole routine for him to go thru to get the job done. we are still working on that though.
It sounds like they have a busy week planned for him so i am glad he got some rest today. Oh yeah and his favorite ...donna's chicken salsa,he had quite the appetite tonight.

thank you to all and i will keep you posted

As of tonight, spencer is not the only one with kickass hair. The girls of Team Spence (and carter) all dyed some piece of their hair red today in honor of his red mohawk to be.

Spence wants to thank everyone who has stopped by this weekend. Special shout out to Mrs. DeSousa and Mrs. Chaves for making his day.