July 21 Health Update
This has been a very trying time for all of us. Tristan’s recovery has not followed a straight linear path of “better-better-better”, but rather has gone up and down. He has suffered and come back from several very serious complications including hemorrhaging, pneumonia, swelling, meningitis, and unusually large leak of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); as well as periodic fevers and more minor infections.
Tristan is conscious. He understands what people are saying around him and can respond. He recognizes the people and objects around him. He is responsive and affectionate with those he loves.
Tristan can not speak. As of writing he still has a tracheotomy, which means that he is physically unable to make vocalizations. When he transitions out of the tracheotomy, we will know more about his status with regards to natural speech. In the mean time, Tristan communicates with hand signals, gestures, and “selection”: we write choices on a dry erase board and Tristan points to the correct or preferred one. We also use real object selection, whereby he points to or reaches for a preferred object.
Tristan is easily tired and overwhelmed. In the last two and a half months, his energy level has dropped significantly. Our doctors are unsure exactly how the CSF leak is affecting him, but we understand that at the very least there is a strong correlation between this period of extreme tiredness and the period of the CSF leak.
A surgery is planned for the coming weeks which we hope will stop the leak.
Tristan suffered serious brain damage as a result of being shot. He faces deeper obstructions than the fatigue alone. However, until we can move past this time of extraordinary tiredness, it is unclear how far we can go with the rehabilitation. We, like everyone here at the Rehabilitation Center, hope for a very good recovery. We expect this process to move very slowly.
Gabby and Tristan,
My thoughts and prayers have been with you consistently since this tragedy, and will continue to be. If there’s any way the Solidarity community can better help you guys, please let me/us know.
Lisa VanNostrand-Frangello
Thank you for the update!
From a fellow alterglobalization activist who’s known Tristan since Scotland (and maybe even Seattle), we’re all pulling for him, and have been eager to hear news of his status.
Thank you for the information; continue to let us know how we might be of assistance!
Very appreciative to hear this update. Tristan and each of you there will continue to be in my thoughts. I am really glad to hear that he is conscious and responsive. That is such an improvement from when I was there 6 weeks ago. I know it is so hard to find the perspective to feel hope… but as for hope, I will look forward to hearing some good news about the procedure date and how Tristan continues to respond to your love and compassion, and the medical attention he is receiving there. Please do keep us informed. Thank you again for the update, and as we all will continue to offer, please let us know how we can support you and Tristan. Sending lots of love. -Lisa
Thanks for sending this out…i, too was with lisa 6 weeks ago and visited with tristan, gabby and mom and dad…let’s all keep pulling for tristan’s full recovery and for strength for gabby and nancy and mike. i will await the next update with regards to any surgrey that tristan undergoes and let’s hope that some of the mystery dissipates so that tristan can begin on a clear path to a full recovery. tristan is a constant part of my thoughts and prayers as are all of you who are there with him and surrounding him as he recovers. all my love and blessings,
tracie