Thursday

[From Rod Dow]

Just got back from a great trip to Salt Lake to visit Steve Baker.  After a huge funding benefit for his family at Gig Leadbetter’s cider brewery in Garden City, I drove down with one of Steve’s friends, Eric Straubhar. Bubba’s recovery is progressing extremely well.  On the second day we were there he started eating real, chewable food for the first time.  He can pivot in and out of his bed and needs only minor help getting from there to his wheelchair now.  He steers the chair mostly on his own and wheels around without assistance some of the time.  

We went outside for a nice, chilly outdoor trip as well, several loops around the landscaping next to the rehab center.  Maybe the biggest improvement, among several, is his speech.  He carries on extended conversations now (not whispering a couple words at a time, like before, but actually speaking), and of course, his mental capacity and memory and cognition are all intact. He plays banjo, both clawhammer and modern, and sings with the music.  

His physical therapy is also moving forward very strongly.  He has a long road to go before full walking ability, but has made huge progress in that direction and shows enormous guts and tenacity in the daily PT sessions.  The water session was particularly encouraging.  They have a treadmill in the bottom of a tub of water.  The water level is adjusted depending on how much flotation the patient needs and the side is a viewable window.  Steve’s legs were doing a full fledged walking motion just like you or me, the knees and everything working normally.  Extremely encouraging.

The only thing holding him back is the function of his eyelids.  That is still a work in progress, but his sense of humor is great and his attitude is stellar.  It was all very positive and hopeful. 

Steve is scheduled to return to his home in Boise soon where the rehab will continue.  A giant thank-you goes to Paul Bannister who is with Steve almost every day and who acts as the Logistics Chief for jumper Bros visiting.  Paul and Todd Jinkins (and many others from the Boise community) have been rock-solid throughout this whole episode.  It gives me great pleasure to be a part of all of you. GO BUBBA!