Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Perry Lee Landsberg's LiveJournal:

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Monday, February 2nd, 2004
7:46 pm	Last Posting We've been asked by our dear friend Manny to please update this site. Perry has been home now for two and a half months and has improved quite a bit, although in small steps. He is using his voice more often and walks quite well on his own. He still receives visits from various therapists although those visits are tapering off. Perry has adjusted well to being home. He goes on regular walks in the neighborhood and to the jetty at the marina. He's gone on a hike to Inspiration Point and the Huntington Gardens. Some days he surprises us with his conversational skills and lucidity, other days he is quiet and unresponsive. Although he still suffers from short term memory loss, he has not forgotten his love for his family and friends. We try not to dwell on what was lost, instead we celebrate each part of him that returns and find joy in his capacity to express humor and affection. Zack was home from college for a month and Perry enjoyed seeing Zack everyday. Zack is now freezing in New York but having a ball. Paul continues his hockey activities and outdoor adventures. Cynthia is juggling multiple roles of motherhood, caregiving, cook, handyman about the house and LAUSD bureaucrat. This is our last post to this journal as everyday pressures seem to zap all of our collective energies. We thank everyone who visited this site and offered their comments and good wishes. We read them all and appreciate all your support and thoughts. Feel free to call to talk to Perry -- he loves to talk on the phone! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2003
8:13 pm	Update Perry has been home now for over a week. He was very dazed initially, probably due to the change in environment. After a week, he is more settled and seems very comfortable at home. He wakes with a smile on his face everyday. He has speech, occupational and physical therapy several times a week at home. Therapists also take him on trips around the community. During the week, Leonard is Perry's caregiver and accompanies him on walks around the neighborhood and to the beach. We are encouraging him to use his voice more often which he does when he answers the phone. If you'd like to visit Perry at home, give him a call. You may want to confirm with Cynthia or Paul or Leonard, as Perry does not always remember his phone conversations. It is great having him home. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, November 22nd, 2003
1:43 pm	He's Home!!! Perry was discharged from Casa Colina last night and is now home for good. We are delighted to have him home again and relieved that we do not have to drive to Pomona to see him. On his first day home, we met the occupational therapist from his in-home and community program who will be working with him on functional skills at home. It looks promising. He will also receive speech and physical therapy. Perry fell into normal home routines without much trouble, he ate lunch out at Subway, went to the video store and watched the last period of Paul's hockey game. We hired a caregiver who starts on Monday. Cynthia will be home all week to ease the transition. Zack will be coming home on Thanksgiving day and we look forward to a Landsberg reunion. So far, it's been a smooth transition home. Perry says, "Go Kings!!" as he settles himself in front of the TV. "It's nice to be home." (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 11th, 2003
12:20 pm	Update Perry spent a longer weekend at home; staying from Saturday through Monday. He had a cardiac stress test on Monday and withstood 4+ grueling hours of lying still and having images of his heart taken. We won't know the results until later this week but he was speaking in a clear voice the whole time and followed directions very well. He was even inquisitive with the medical staff, asking what they were doing at each step and why it was necessary. The long weekend at home was great for his spirits and alertness. He went to the marina to check on his boat and was agile enough to climb aboard. He ate lunch out and kept Cynthia company while driving Paul to his various social and athletic engagements. The involvement in everyday activities and being in his familiar environment seemed very therapeutic for him. He seemed more alert and cognitively aware than he has been in months. He read some of the updates and comments on this website, in small chunks because he "can't remember when it's too long." Although we will miss the loving care he is receiving at Casa Colina, it will be great to have him home. We are actively interviewing potential caregivers so if you have any great leads, let us know. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, October 30th, 2003
9:56 pm	Update Cynthia and Paul have been too busy to update this site in the last week or so. Here is a quick recap: Last Saturday, Perry came home for his second overnight visit. It was much smoother than the first. He went across the street to have dinner with our neighbors and was animated and jovial the whole evening. After returning home, he promptly went to bed and slept for 12 hours and was still dazed the next day. He is acclimating to being home and enjoying familiar surroundings but he finds it "disorienting" and "strange" at times (Perry's words). His flyfishing experience was a success. The leaders of the excursion could tell Perry was an experienced fly fisherman by his casting skills. Perry was able to remember many of the day's events in the evening, which is an encouraging sign of retaining memory. Perry's therapists all agree that he has made progress in the last month. His attention span is increasing and he uses his voice more frequently. However, he still has periodic episodes of confusion and agitation. It will still be a long road along the recovery process but we remain optimistic and hopeful. Tonight, Perry mentioned that he felt "disconnected" from his old world. Cynthia is able to visit Perry on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings. If anyone would like to visit Perry in Pomona on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, feel free to do so after 3:30 pm. We are expecting that Perry will be discharged from Casa Colina on November 21. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, October 20th, 2003
9:08 pm	Update Perry had his first overnight stay at home last weekend. The home environment proved to be soothing because he slept for 12 hours. Maybe he is coming back as a lazy teenager. During his visit home, he took a long walk around the neighborhood and watched Paul and Cynthia do outdoor chores. We tried to interest him in weeding in the garden but he preferred to enjoy the warm weather in a lounge chair. He enjoyed watching a video and eating home cooked meals. On Tuesday, Perry will go on an outing with Casa Colina to a flyfishing pond! With all this stimulation, Perry continues to make steady, although slow progress. We plan to have him home again next weekend after Paul and Cynthia have rested up from last weekend. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, October 9th, 2003
10:41 pm	Update After a discouraging evening on Tuesday where Perry was dazed and unresponsive, tonight he was alert and cheerful. When asked if he knew who the governor of California was, he said, "Sure, Mondale." He was very dismayed to hear who our newly elected governor is. He viewed the powerpoint slides of friends and colleagues from Sidley & Austin and was very touched. It was wonderful to see Perry smile and laugh as each familiar face flashed on the screen. We offer a heartfelt thank you to all who contributed and please know you are playing an integral role in his recovery. He enjoyed riding in his car and is looking forward to another visit home this weekend. (Comment on this)
Sunday, October 5th, 2003
10:21 pm	Home Visit Perry got to visit his home today for the first time in four months! In preparation for his eventual discharge from Casa Colina in November, we can now bring Perry home for the day on weekends. We plan to have several overnights before his discharge date. Today he was delighted to be home and got an enthusiastic welcome from Drake who didn't leave his side all day. Perry admired the new fence in the backyard and the new landscaping. Although he seemed bewildered at times, he managed to take a walk around the block and visited with our neighbors Manny and Nancy. After a refreshing nap, he ate a hearty home-cooked brisket dinner and had a contented smile on his face the rest of the evening. He looks forward to coming home again next weekend! (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, September 29th, 2003
9:15 pm	Update Perry is much less lethargic these days now that his medications have been adjusted. He is still making progress slowly but is retaining some new memories. His attention span has increased. This past week, he has been jovial and alert. The highlight of the week was a car ride to In-n-Out for a burger and shake. He enjoys going for rides in the car to get take out food. He is joking with us again which is a positive sign that his sense of humor is intact. We hope for continued improvement. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 16th, 2003
10:04 pm	Update Perry's progress has been up and down on a day to day basis. Some days, he walks with little difficulty and is very alert and attentive. Other days, he seems to be in a daze and walks with little sense of balance. Overall, we feel he is improving and when we look at his progress over a month, we can see a lot of positive change. He's very affectionate towards his family and is always happy to see us. He enjoys reading the letters and cards from friends. The doctors and therapists tell us it is still early to tell how well he will fare in the recovery process but for us, it has seemed like an eternity. It will be a long, slow process on the road to recovery. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, September 5th, 2003
10:10 pm	Update Perry is progressing very well at Casa Colina and as you can see from the picture, is looking lively. We have noticed that his periods of agitation are subsiding and he is much calmer. The therapists and neuropsychologist confirm that he seems to be moving through this phase of recovery and are pleased with his progress. His attention span is increasing and he enjoys listening to his favorite rock and roll tunes. He's even singing along with them. Unfortunately, his singing voice hasn't improved. But we are happy to see that his taste in music hasn't changed. Perry is in therapy or structured activities Monday through Saturday until 3pm. If you are interested in making the long trek to Pomona, let us know so we can coordinate our visits. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, August 28th, 2003
9:51 pm	Update Zaq is now a carefree college student in New York and will no longer be updating this site. Paul and Cynthia will try to update weekly as Perry progresses but we lack Zaq's frankness and fluid writing style! Today we had a family conference and heard encouraging news of Perry's potential for recovery. He is retaining more new information, is more cognitively alert and his agitation periods are lessening. Today we played a game of Crazy 8's with Perry and he did very well. He is in good spirits and is always happy to see his family. He enjoys just having us near him as he reads his magazines and newspapers. He is walking a lot these days, we take regular strolls around the grounds and parking areas and his balance is much improved. Perry is still easily distracted and we try not to overwhelm him with too many people at one time. We think he may be ready for more visitors soon. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 20th, 2003
6:40 pm	Update Perry is settling into his new surroundings and seems to like it. He still has periods of agitation, especially in the late afternoon after a full day. But he also has moments where he is very lucid and alert. He is reading a lot and we think he would enjoy receiving letters and well wishes. His mailing address is: Casa Colina Transitional Living Center 255 E. Bonita Ave. P.O. Box 6001 Pomona, CA 91769-6001 We're not sure what to do about visitors at this point because of the new environment. When he gets settled more then we'll firm down a visitor plan. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, August 15th, 2003
9:19 pm	Update Perry was transferred today to Casa Colina in Pomona, a residential rehabilitation center that specializes in spinal cord and brain injuries. He is under close, supervised care around the clock and will receive intensive rehabilitation therapy. We are disappointed that we couldn't bring him home but feel this is the best placement for him at this time. We won't be able to visit as frequently but know that he is receiving the care he needs. We'll keep you updated on his progress once he gets oriented to his new surroundings. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 12th, 2003
2:44 am	Update Everything is in flux right now. Last week they were preparing to discharge Perry this Wednesday but things are very much up in the air at this point. Perry has had some incidents in the past couple of days where he's gotten really agitated, he's been walking into other people's rooms and sitting down, disobeying commands and on the whole has not been an ideal patient. Home would most likey not be a good place for him right now with me going off to college and Cynthia working and Paul starting up school in a couple of weeks, and if he did come home we would have to get 24 hour care. Today we looked into a neuro rehab place in Bakersfield, where it would be a residence and rehab place, they specialize in neuro cases which is good and then if he did become agitated he wouldn't be a threat and or hassle for the family at home. There is a lot of red tape to go through and everything is very much up in the air at this point, the next few days will tell what will happen. Perry is lucid a good portion of the time, but there are episodes where he's very confused and will wander around, not obey commands, and make it difficult for anyone who's around him. He's more mobile at this point, so he's able to walk with minimal assistance, this may contribute to his behavior, like he thinks he can do certain things but can't, I think he's becoming more self aware. This stage of agitation is common in brain injury victims, especally in cases like Perry's so hopefully it'll be a matter of time before this phase will pass and he can continue with the healing process. Because he's agitated sometimes, if you're a casual visitor you might want to think about seeing him some other time if you feel you might not be comfortable around Perry while he's agaitated. In fact, visitors might not be the best thing for him now because when he's agitated he loses focus and during those times we need to get rid of all distractions. I should have a more concrete update in the next couple of days. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, August 4th, 2003
12:14 pm	Update Perry still continues to improve. Over the past couple of days his speech has gotten clearer and he's walking almost by himself, in fact he keeps trying to walk without assistance. It's been hard to update the journal because I mostly see him at the end of the day when he's tired, and also he doesn't show a tremendous amount of progress every hour of everyday, he has more ups and downs now. Rather than updating every day, it will be more like every couple of days. We took him to the park behind the hospital again, this time with a lot of visitors. We threw a football around and Perry was catching really well, actually better than i ever remember him catching a football. His throwing was not very good, but I think that has a lot to do with being in a wheelchair, and it's hard to throw from a chair regardless of the condition. Also yesterday the physical therapist worked on his balance, he threw a beach ball to Paul and I while walking. At first he threw and caught it but eventually he just started getting fancy and doing the volleyball hit back and forth. He's able to go up and down stairs now with a good amount of help. Paul, Cynthia and I were all trained to stand him up and walk him so now we can have him walk off his excess energy at the end of the day. His walking looks really good but he seems to think he can do more than he's able to because he tends to just start walking up stairs or whatever and sometime loses his balance because he's not concentrating and taking his time. He is way more lucid these days, he's reading a good deal and I think he's comprehending it. He's gotten quite good at wheeling himself around in his wheelchair, which means we have to follow him around to make sure he doesn't go into other paients' rooms and such. Compared to a week ago he is doing very well and hopefully he will continue to do so. -Zaq (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 31st, 2003
1:03 am	Update Perry's getting quite active now. He's learned how to get around in his wheelchair and is wheeling himself all over the ward. This makes it a little harder to be around him because we have to make sure he keeps out of trouble. He seems to be getting a little better, the past couple of days we don't think he got a whole lot of sleep because of his roommate, but his roommate moved out recently so he is looking better. The other day his long time friend and hair stylist came in and gave him a hair cut. He looks sharp even though he can't remember that his hair was cut because his short term memory is still poor. He's talking very clearly, some what softly but not making a whole lot of sense, at least when i'm around him. He gets distracted really easily and is very restless. He's been able to read for awhile and he does so now very well, we even think he might be comprehending some of what he's reading. Last weekend we were able to wheel him into a park outside the hospital and he got to see Drake, the family dog, for the first time in several months. Both seemed to enjoy it, Perry really liked being out of the ward. He walked incredibly far that day, on uneven surfaces and up a slight incline. Physically he's doing tremendously well. His therapy continues to go well and he is eating well too. A couple of days ago we had trouble getting him to eat, now he eats just about everything on his tray. Hopefully his progress will continue to improve. -Zaq (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, July 26th, 2003
12:19 pm	Update There hasn't been a whole lot to report lately. He's been pretty much in the same condition. For the time being, his progress seems to have leveled off the past couple of days. When I see him he is tired, and when he gets tired, he starts to whisper and becomes less coherent. He is still walking a lot with help, and his therapists report that he is doing well. This process will not be steady progression, there will be some times where he doesn't seem to be progressing. He recognizes people very well, he was able to identify all the visitors that came this week and knew who they were. When I was around him he didn't make much sense, but his language is clearer and his speech is more like normal discourse than before. We still remain optimistic, it will be difficult but we believe that Perry can pull through. -Zaq (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, July 21st, 2003
12:33 am	Update Today Perry's made the most sense since the heart attack. He was talkative and jovial, he was awake and aware for almost the whole day. He has a tendency to speak nonsense sometimes, but there was not a whole lot of that today. He walked incredibly far, with and with out his walker. He is strong, but his balance is not as good as it should be. He has started shaving himself, which amazed all of us, i personally haven't seen him do it, but last time he shaved at least half his face. The difference between today and yesterday is amazing, he is making distinct progress in his clarity and strength. He is getting clearer, but with the therapy he also gets tired and that's when he loses his focus and gets distracted and fixated. So hopefully not only will his clarity and strength get better but also his stamina. -Zaq (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, July 19th, 2003
1:19 am	Update There is not a whole lot to report. Perry steadily gets stronger, today he walked (with therapist help) 60 feet. He's undergoing 3 hours of rehab a day and is kept busy. He's also eating 3 meals of solid food each day. He's still confused, he still has trouble remembering things, especially recent things because his short term memory is just not there right now. This is not unusual because people who go through what Perry went through tend to be mixed up and have memory problems at first. Hopefully Perry will get it all back. When i saw him in the evening he was really tired, he is most wakeful in the mornings. We still don't have the specifics of Perry's rehab schedule but we'll have that figured out really soon. -Zaq (1 Comment |Comment on this)