Plumbing

Regular blog readers may have noticed that one of the most infuriatingly unresolved aspect of Robb's case is the part that relates to things urological. The fact is, a urologist who accepts worker's compensation insurance is rarer than some of the birds I've photographed. Both Robb and his case manager at the insurance company have been unsatisfied with the care he has been getting, and today Robb went down to Stanford University, to meet with a new doctor.

I got a call from Robb, as he was waiting for his cab back from the appointment, and he said, "I'm so happy that I could cry."

Finally.

A doctor who gets it. Finally, a doctor who regularly works with patients with spinal cord injuries. Finally a doctor whose appointments last more than (no exaggeration, here, four and a half minutes). Finally, a doctor who will actively pursue this case. This doctor has ordered a new series of tests (he considered the last set really shoddy, despite the fact that they cost more than most of the cars we've owned). He believes that while mistakes were made as a result of the care Robb received in the first nine months after the injury, there is hope for a good outcome.

Most excitingly, he believes that the discomfort and spasticity that Robb has been experiencing is actually a very good (if unpleasant) thing. He believes that it means that the nerves aren't dead, and are merely responding to the messages they are receiving, as the neural pathways heal. He thinks that biofeedback may be a good therapeutic avenue for Robb to pursue, as a method of retraining these neural pathways.

All of this is very, very good new!