Well, Matt’s been home since Monday the 25th in the pm.  We were scrambling a little in the begining  but it’s all starting to settle in a bit now.  Matt has had a couple of rehab people that earlier this week but finally we had  a therapist in today that really knew what was going on and it was amazing to say the least!  He asked allot of questions then spent about an hour stretching Matt’s body.  He brought in a bench and then things really got interesting.  We first put shoes and socks on Matt and that was about a 10 minute adjustment.  Then we got Matt up onto the bench and sat him up.  What an adjustment but after about 10 minutes you could see Matt start to relax and hold himself up, it was amazing.  Every time Matt was pushed, he’d stress over it at first then you could see him adjust and start to take over on his own.  Then Spencer, the therapist, had him put some weight on his feet, slowly and very patiently.  Matt tolerated this increasingly well.  Then Spence looked over and said we are going to stand him up and that we did, all the way up standing while Spencer was supporting him, all 6 feet 2 inches.  It was spiritual.  What a moment after 5 months on his back, outside of when we all had him up in a chair, Matt was on his feet with a little help looking right across at Lindsey.  We did this twice then sat Matt back down and he sat there like sitting now was not such a big deal, holding his head up, looking a bit tired but after 2 1/2 hours of working like that, he deserved to be a bit tired, we all were emotionally exhausted.  Spencer was just amazing but I think as he saw what was happening, he had to keep pushing and Matt kept going.  What a feeling and what a relief!  We have all been saying that if Matt gets pushed he will do it.  It’s been a long and frustrating road to this point but now seeing that having him home and having control of what Matt is receiving as far as care and therapy and having someone like Spencer who is truly interested in helping Matthew and not being directed by some corporate bean counter, is just such a day and night contrast.  We have scheduled 3 more sessions for the next week to give Matt a rest in between because we all know he will be a bit sore and give us time to pick up more equipment for the next session.  Lisa and I are still looking for a van to transport Matt out of the house in the coming weeks so if anyone has a lead we are in the market for a handicap minivan and a speech therapist also that can help us out at the house with Matt.  Thanks again for all the positive thoughts and please keep Matt in your prayers because we all know that Matt’s real doctor is not of this world, we are all only the tools for doing his work.

Sincerely,

Lisa, Mario, Brittney, Lindsey, Joan, Jerry and Matthew

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Well, we tried but Matt is not quite ready for inpatient rehab now even though the doctors and therapist all agree on one thing, Matt has made and is continuing to make amazing progress.  The doctors report is stressing that we continue doing whatever it is that we are doing and to keep asking for follow up evaluations because as he put it, there is definitely some healing going on here.  Therapist have said that the more intelligent someone is the better the outcome as well as youth and heath all factor into what everyone sees an a potentially good outcome.  Matt has all of this in his favor, it just takes time and allot of love and attention.  That’s why we have all decided that what’s best for Matt is to come home and with the therapist Kaiser provides and what we learn from them we can provide much more than what’s happening at the Kaiser hospital.  Lisa and I also have professionals from the outside as well as equipment coming in the next week to provide a constant program of rehab to keep things moving in the right direction.  It will be allot of work but we won’t have the constant issues of commute times that are time that we could and should be spending with Matt as well as the constant love and in home environment that will all help Matt in a positive way.  It’s all about providing the best possible care and highest quality time for Matt now.  We thank you all for your work and effort in keeping Matt’s best recovery in mind and ask for your continued prayers and positive thoughts and energy flowing in our direction.  We all know that Matt feels the love.   We will keep you posted on when he will be home as well as how we work out visitation times once we are at home and settled. 

Love you all,

Mario, Lisa, Brittney, Matthew, Lindsey, Joan and Jerry

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Matt had a visit and evaluation by a well known physical medicine Dr. Stenehjem from Sharpe Rehab. The doctor introduced himself to Matthew and asked Matt to do different things. Matthew did what the doctor asked him to do confirming what we the family, friends and other professionals and concerned hospital staff that have been watching Matt over the past several weeks are observing.  Matt is making definite progress even from just 3 weeks ago when Sharpe’s Debra Morebello was out during Sharpe’s last evaluation.  Yeah Matt!  Doctor says there is definitely some healing, rewiring so to speak, going on.  Dr. Stenehjem did tell Lisa  after the he had been in the room for about an hour that reading Kaiser’s chart and their evaluation of Matt is quit different than what he sees visiting with Matt.  Dr. Stenehjem said Matt is right there and not unresponsive or vegetative as the Kaiser charts indicate.  As Lisa explained to the doctor what she sees when the Kaiser doctor does in the 2 - 3 minutes he spends with Matt during his quick evaluation asking Matt to perform 3 or 4 different tasks in that short period of time it’s apparent there is a lack of brain injury understanding in regards to assessment and treatment.  Dr. Stenehjem we’ve heard from other rehab facilities in the area has a very solid reputation in the brain injury rehabilitation community.  He is a very well-respected PMR (physical medicine/rehab) physician.  There does seem to be a definite buzz on the floor now that a Sharpe Rehab doctor has been in and walked away with such positive comments and upbeat outlook.   A hopefully independent and objective report now will be submitted to Kaiser and I would guess to the State for review.  We’ll keep you posted as things develop.

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Just to make it a little easier for everyone, Mario and Lisa have drafted a letter for you all to send to our officials, if you are having trouble - or don’t have a lot of time to come up with your own. Simply Copy and paste the following letter and then use the following contact links to raise your voice!

Fax above signed letter to for fast response:

• Senator Dianne Feinstein  (D - CA)  202-228-3954
• Senator Barbara Boxer    (D - CA)  202-224-0454
• Representative Darrel Issa  (R - 49)  202-225-3303
• Representative Brian Bilbray   (R - 50) 202-225-2558
• Rpresentative Bob Filner  (D - 51)  202-225-9073
• Representative Duncan Hunter  (R - 52)  202-225-0235
• Representative Susan A. Davis  (D - 53)  202-225-2948

Also Email:

• comments@help.senat.gov
• http://gov.ca.gov/interact

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Hey everyone.  We have had more than one therapist and 6 rehab centers from the outside that have Lisa and I have contacted and become aware of Matt’s progress and level via visits and consultations from the outside.  They have all come up with the same general conclusion.  Matt does respond very well with just a little professional stimulation and would benefit greatly to inpatient rehabilitation.  Ya Matt!  The issue has become apparent in the past week that if Matt is denied inpatient rehab at this point, he would have a near zero chance of ever receiving inpatient rehab. All he would receive is  limited to very little home therapy provided by Kaiser and as an only possible option down the road would be limited therapy as outpatient and that would be dictated by an insurance company down the line.  All the “professionals” outside of the “Kaiser Network” agree that Kaiser is being neglectful and doing Matt much more harm by holding him captive in the non rehab oriented Kaiser Medical Center that he is now in.  All have acknowledged that Matt needs and would benefit greatly now from “intensive Physical, Occupational and Speech therapies managed by a Physiatrist not a General Practitioner of Family Medicine that has been the case since June 11, 2008 when Matt was first admitted to the Kaiser Medical Center under over whelming pressure and threats from Kaiser case managers and doctors at Palomar Medical Center.  The same pressures were being applied in regards to Matthew coming home without therapy and Kaiser insisting that therapy would be provided by Kaiser Home Health once he was brought home.  The urgency to bring Matt home now has lessoned this week because of an appeal I filed with the State of California and a grievance filed with Kaiser.   Matt’s electronic chart at Kaiser which I have read on occasion is all scripted for Kaiser to achieve the goal of just moving Matt through the system in what they are continually trying to do we all know in the most cost effective manner to minimize costs and maximize profit.  Matt is a very young, achieved, educated, talented and motivated young man.  All that have ever met Matt know this.  Kaiser has this, as it was put to Lisa and I in the very beginning “wonderful and efficient “3 Billion dollar networked computer system that allows doctors and administrators the ability to manage patients efficiently”.  One would have to conclude: at a distance without ever, or at the very least, very minimally, ever visiting a patient and getting to know a person like Matt.  We feel that something has been lost in this distant, don’t get to personally involved way of ”HMO Health Care Management”.  This approach we feel along with the monetary motivation is what is driving the decisions being made and directing the lack of therapy that Matt needs.  Matt needs your help at this very critical time in his life.  We are asking that you send an appeal to the California State Governor’s Office and show your support and concern for Matt’s care.

Send Appeals to:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

State Capitol

Sacramento, CA 95814

governor@govmail.ca.gov

Thank You,

Mario and Lisa Ruiz

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Hey everyone, It’s time.  After 2 weeks of going round and round within the Kaiser system we’ve come to the conclusion that they just won’t and can’t provide at the Kaiser Hospital, San Diego the appropriate therapy.  They have him there as a captive withing their system and because of the lack therapy he recieves we will have him brought home.  Lisa and I are in the process of buying equipment and setting up therapy for Matt at home as well as buying a van for his outpatient care.  We all feel, along with 4 rehab facilities from the outside of the Kaiser system that this is important  at this time for Matt.  We will probably have to contract a physiatrist on our own if one is not in the order for Matt when he leaves.  Matt is doing very well on his own now with all that we are doing, he continues to do things from one day to day the next that seem to indicate it’s all coming back together.  The nurses and Lindsey now have seen Matt repostion him self twice on his own from his back to one side and that’s huge from where he was just 4 months ago at the time of his injury.  We had Matt outside yesterday for an hour and a half and he did very well with that.  He watched the sunset on the clouds and you could see and only imagine what must have been going through his mind at the time.  We have our house almost ready for Matt’s home coming and are setting up furniture and equipment as we recieve it.  Thanks for your continued interest and support.  We will post a date of discharge when that is available.

Mario

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