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July 12, 2002 through February 14, 2003 Mikey's Recovery Update Archive: The Greenery - 22.14.03: This Valentine's Day, I found that International Sweetheart of Rhythm, Mikey Dee, asnooze in his chair in the very quiet hallway. He awoke when I put my cold nose on his, and tried to act like he hadn't been napping. Anyway, we proceeded to his room where reminisced about our misadventure-filled first date (V-Day weekend 1993), and paged through the latest MOJO magazine (this month's feature: English Eccentrics), and listened to a little XTC in honor of aforementioned. I noticed a new cache of CDs, thoughtfully sent by someone at Kimchee Records, perhaps? Whoever it was, THANK YOU--Mikey was riveted by all of the fine selections: Seana Carmody, Blake Hazard, Mona Elliot (sorry I forget the name of the band), Thalia Zedek, et al. Mikey loves the ladies, especially when they are fantastic songwriters. It's nice to see him get excited over new music--its a thrill that never goes away for him, and let me tell you, thrills are hard to come by in that place. Tucked him in with some Jon Stewart on ComedyCentral, with the cds cued for bedtime. Lots of water under the bridge, Dee, but you'll always be my Valentine. M.A Ricciardi magritte@attbi.com 02/04/03 I just got back from seeing Mike at the hospital...he's being moved back to The Greenery today. The nurse said that he was actually well enough to be moved back a couple of days ago but there was some mix up. Mike was in really good spirits today...lots of laughing and no congestion...we used that new spelling board thing and I asked him to spell out his favorite drummer and I got a very fast RINGO... right as I was about to ask him something more meaningful the nurse came in to tell me they were moving him shortly so I left... it was a very encouraging visit tho! Valerie 02/04/03 Mikey is back at The Greenery and doing well. Go Dee! 02/02/03: Mikey has been moved out of the CCC and is now in a semi-private room. He is in room H-503-B. He is off oxygen and his nurse said he is doing really well... wanted to watch the news... So hopefully in a few days, he'll get to go back to the Greenery. More later. Tina 01/31/03: Mikey seemed pretty okay yesterday and was in fairly good spirits I asked him to spell how he was feeling, and he spelled "GOOD." I asked him to spell why but couldn't get a clear answer. [ed note: we think now it was because he'd just had a massage from the lovely Naama]. Told him some jokes, gave him a foot massage, generally hung out. The repiratory therapist gave him some lung inflation treatment: kind of the anti-suction -- this time, a mask pushing air into his lungs to expland them and help clear out the last of the congestion. It was pretty uncomfortable for him, I could tell, because he had a vise grip on my hand just like he used to when they'd suction him. But he bore it well, and they said he's healing up nicely. He says he's looking forward to getting back to his "home," the Greenery, where all of his stuff is. M.A.R. Quick update from Tina: According to Mikey's nurse, he will still be in the hospital through the weekend. He was congested this morning and is still on IV antibiotics. She says his color is good and he is comfortable. So, that's the latest. 1.27.03. Drove up to see Mikey on Saturday with Ruby in tow. His room is really hidden away at the Lawrence Hospital and though he is getting good care - it is in a loneley, quiet, out of the way spot. I was there for almost two hours and no one popped in to check on him which had me concerned but...when I checked in with the nurses they said that he was doing much better although there was nothing in his chart about sending him back to the Greenery yet. Mikey is on oxygen and there are all kinds of tubes etc. hooked up to keep him on his way to recovery and it was painful to see him like that. He had his glasses on thank goodness and this time the volume on the TV was up so he could at least hear, but he must really miss movies, cable TV, and his stereo and music! At this point the Greenery is at least "home," with its photos of friends, posters, and surrounded by the music he loves so much. But as Eleanor mentioned in her posting, in spite of the rather gloomy surroundings, Mikey IS getting good medical care, and also was communicating VERY well. His yes/no nods were so clear, we were able to have a pretty good conversation, and that is so so satisfying! Mikey was very calm, very sweet, and did not seem as teary or depressed as the last visit. We reviewed the "Golden Globes" issue of People Magazine, did some wonderful hand squeezing excersizes, and shot the shit as they say. I told him about a very exciting article I had read in the New Yorker recently about a man working on communication techniques with "locked in" patients, getting results with people who are MUCH worse off than Mikey!!! It was the most hopeful thing I have learned about in ages! Eleanor is also getting very good results with the spelling board again. I know it's a haul, but if you have even a half hour, take a ride and bring some cheer to the dearest most patient patient in the world - our Dee!! Stay warm all... Linda V. <linda.viens@eudoramail.com > 1.26.03: Mikey remains at Lawrence Hospital recovering from pneumonia. Despite the drearyness of his current hospital stay, one ray of light is that his spelling has been very accurate. When he gets back to the Greenery, and gets his health and stamina back, we'll be working on keeping this communication going, and get him using a switch again, this time with accuracy. They did have him using a switch at Lawrence, to signal for a nurse. And he can use it... but then someone comes on the intercom when he does saying "can I help you?" -- which must be just so frustrating. We reminded them to just go to his room and see what he wants!! Eleanor 1.24.03: Eleanor and I drove up to Lawrence to see Mikey in the hospital today, and we were glad we did. He was in bed with the tv on, but it had no sound and his glasses were tucked in a drawer. He was staring listlessly into space, and god only knows how long he'd been lying there like that. Its moments like this that I wonder where he is in his mind--reliving happy memories, regretting missed opportunities, or concentrating on navigating his way through the hell that he lives every day. When we entered, he looked as though he couldn't believe we were there for a minute before bursting into a grin. His room is far from the nurses station--the reason they gave is that his oxygen equipment is too large to fit in one of the rooms nearer them. The room is clean but cheerless. He is getting better--the pneumonia is only in one lung, and his fever is gone, but his spirits are badly in need of some propping. We asked him to spell out something that could make his life better right now, hoping it might be something we could do for him then and there: discomfort, an itch, pain, too hot or cold, etc He spelled: V I S I T O R S. M.A. Ricciardi 01/20/03 Mikey is at Lawrence hospital being treated for pneumonia. He's doing well and should be back at The Greenery by mid-week. His sprits are good and he is receiving excellent care. But we think he'd be really psyched to find a mailbox full of new cards. If you have a moment, drop him a well-wish or two to let him know your still thinking about him. Especially since the three-year mark since his stroke is only a few weeks away. Mikey Dee Linick 01.17.03 Mikey is in the hospital. Here is a note from Mary explaining the situation. We hope he'll be back at the Greenery by Monday at the latest. Please send a few good vibes and well wishes his way. Subject: The scoop on Mikey I just got back from Lawrence General, where Mikey will be remaining through Sunday (at least). He is currently in the Cardiac Care Unit, which also treats respiratory issues--that's what he has, not a cardiac problem. They expect to move him out of the intensive unit tomorrow, if he continues to improve. His fever has been down since noon, and he continues to receive antibiotics. He is receiving oxygen to boost his blood oxygen level--it was 92 when I got there; 96 when I left--98-99 is optimal. He's a bit dehydrated, due to the fever, and says he feels pretty crappy, but better than he did yesterday. Lawrence General Hospital is located on General Street in Lawrence, and easy to get to. Take exit 45 off of 495 (north or south). Basically, the exit ramp leads up a hill. Follow the "H" signs and make a left, which is General Street. While this was/is a scary episode, I think we can all take comfort in the fact that he has been through worse, and is now in a place where he is getting more attention. His color is good, skin clean, lips moisturized--all testament to the good care he is receiving. And that's the scoop. 1.10.03: Found Mikey chilling in his room today. He got rather emotional as we discussed how I've had to reschedule some visits lately, and so I asked him to spell out what was on his mind. He agreed, and I asked him what we could do to make his life a little better here. This is what he spelled: V I S I T O R S You've heard it from the horse's mouth, folks. I know that the facility is nigh impossible to reach without a car. I know that everyone leads busy lives, and I know that there is a small cadre of people who make it up there fairly regularly, and I thank them. But frankly, that knowledge does little to efface the numbing boredom and isolation that Mikey feels stuck up there on these grey days. won't you please mark out an afternoon or a weekend morning for him? For those of you wondering what you can do with Mikey on a visit, I had a breakthough in our communication this day. I had bought him Trivial Pursuit: The 20th Century Edition, and previously, we'd had little success playing. But perhaps the frustration he feels these days has finally overcome his spelling difficulties of old. Using the Frequency Of use spelling board (letters arranged in order of usage, not alphabetical), he was able to spell out his answers to the questions, and he went 4 out of 5. I stick mainly to the Arts questions, but anyone who knows Mikey knows that he was quite well-read, both in literature and in current events, and so can answer most of those questions too. Just stay away from sports. It's also poignant to know that there IS a cutoff date for things you can ask him. Basically, anything that happened in 2000 or later is out, since he had his stroke in February of 2000. But before that: he answered correctly questions about a Jane Fonda movie, Irving Berlin, Fran Lebowitz, and Andy Warhol. He only missed one: an obscure quote from Pauline Kael about Meryl Streep. But he did spell out Kate Hepburn in response to it, which was a logical guess. All in all, a bittersweet visit, but one that ended with a ray of hope: if Mikey can communicate his original thougts, not merely nod yes/no, then we may have finally found the way into his world. MAR <magritte@attbi.com> 12.22.02: Linda, Ruby, and I had an incredibly sweet and cozy afternoon with Mikey yesterday. Possibly due to some mixed info as to the date, we had a small turnout yesterday: the guys from Popgun Seven, Toby from Magic 12, and Ramona Silver and her two sons. But it was quality, not quantity, and we had a great time. According to the staff, Mikey had been very down all morning, crying and being very lonely. This is a tough time for him to be so isolated from friends. His face lit up at the sight of the The Popgun guys, who sang a bunch of Christmas carols and some of their own material for him. About halfway through their set, Ramona Silver showed up with her two ridiculously adorable sons, Hays and Free, in tow. Later on, Toby showed up, bearing new copies of his cd, and homemade rice krispy treats. We opened presents, Toby the Kid Magnet blew bubbles (one of Mikey’s presents), and we tried out Mikey’s new Trivial Pursuit 20th Century game. Mikey got his test question, about Dan Quayle, right. We can use the game to test Mikey’s signaling, keep his brain sharp, and just pass the time. Linda, Toby, and Ramona each did some songs for the Dee, and then Ramona’s boys each sang songs for him. It was, quite possibly, the cutest thing I have ever seen. Mikey was thrilled, especially when Free sang him a song in Hebrew. After a while, everyone was getting tired, so we brought Mikey up to his room, laid in some new cds and movies (thanks, Sarah Rodman!), and got Mikey comfy. Thanks to the Popgun Seven, Ramona, Free, and Hays, Toby, Linda, and Ruby for making the shortest and darkest day of the year a little brighter for Mikey. The holidays are a crazy, busy time for everyone, but if you can spare an hour, the best gift you can give Mikey this season is a little of your time. Won’t you drop by? MAR Due to a server crash the Dee update board has been down... but we'll get it back up soon. Drove up Thursday afternoon with Mary to visit with Mikey and to do a little communication work. Since I can't see Mikey with the regularity that I could while he was at Spaulding I haven't been doing much real therapy with him lately. But, since we're actively seeking to hire a speech therapist to go to the Greenery and work with him once or twice a week (he's not getting any professional speech therapy currently) we wanted to test his reading, eye tracking, spelling, picture recognition, signaling, etc. Dee had just been put to bed when we arrived around 3pm and was looking pretty comfortable and relaxed. Mary read him an article from The Herald about a townie brothel that had just been busted, to guffaws, especially when he got a look at the photo of the lovely ladies of the night, and then we got down to work. First I checked his eye tracking to see if there were any changes. He can track accurately for a short time but, due to the stroke, cannot move his eyes side to side and tires quickly. Eye tracking/signaling software continues to improve so we wanted to look at that option again. While his eyes may still tire too quickly to accurately use it yet, he still did better than expected. He did much better, though, moving his head to trigger a switch. This simple signaling method has become much more feasible for him, since he's plagued far less by the muscle spasms and repetitive motion that has always tripped him up in the past. We were all quite pleased with his accuracy and promised to get him a new switch to work with. Next we did picture recognition and various signaling methods (mouthing yes/no, an eyes up yes/head shake for no or tongue out for yes). He did great with this, 100% accuracy, good association skills, good concentration. However, when I produced the dreaded letterboard... Mikey simply lost it and got goofy on us. I know he can't help it and it must frustrate him as much as it frustrates us, but the mere sight of it produces gales of laughter and repetitive spelling, which, anyone who's read earlier updates about his spelling work knows, is fixated on the letter M. So we abandoned that and worked with the pages from the phrase book instead. Mikey had no trouble with them,again 100% accuracy, which was encouraging. He can read and can combine phrases, so that's probably the way we'll go for now. Mary had him show off his amazing left arm strength too, not sure just yet what he can use it for. Still, it's pretty impressive. Mikey was starting to tire out so we stopped working and tuned into the "Strongwoman of the World" contest on ESPN. Mikey was rooting for the Finnish milkmaid (actually I think she was an elementary schoolteacher) who could flip a monster tire like it was no one's business. We suggested just hiring her to haul Mikey around on her back which he thought would be just fine. Mary then set about tidying up a bit and picking out movies and CDs for the weekend. We left Mikey, eyes half mast, watching Comedy Central (Conan's on at 7pm!) and stepped out into the dark Andover evening. When I got in today Mike was in bed, which gave me the opportunity to give him a foot massage, and also lift his legs up and down and give them a little exercise. After doing the motions a few times, Mike was amazingly able to push down on my hand a bit with his foot--Mike did this very intentionally and was able to repeat it several times before getting too tired. Mike was in fairly decent spirits today and he was up for some the usual speech therapy type exercises, along with hand and finger stretches etc. He also responded very accurately to some triva type questions. A few visits ago I was there when someone brought in a dog (not quite a therapy dog but heading in that direction) and it's always sooo nice to see Mike respond enthusiastically whenever he gets a visit from an animal. Mike gave me a big yes when I asked him if I should bring in my dog next time, and he would also love anyone who knows him to bring their pets for a visit--it's an absolute guaranteed icebreaker for those who haven't visited in a while. One thing to note is that dogs are welcome as are cats but cats need some paperwork from your vet ... call the Greenery to get specifics. As I was leaving I gave Mike a bunch of video choices, and he selected Hedwig and the Angry Inch, so I left him comfortably in bed waiting to be entertained. Keep those videos coming: it keeps him occupied. 10.24.02: The golden boughs arching over Route 125 are a welcoming herald on the way up to Dee-Ville. Itâs still strange to me how I can mark the seasons on the journey to visit Mikey: tracking the ãprogressä of the Big Dig from Spaulding, or natureâs cycle from burgeon to decay along the sides of 93; has it really been almost three years? Surreal that this blow is a part of our daily lives and yet remains so unfathomable. Enough philosophy for now·.Mikey was abed when I arrived, and glory be, was actually wearing headphones and watching tv! We chatted a bit, and I laid in a fresh supply of cds. I put on the Pipeline double cd he got for his birthday, and played ãName That Band.ä Happy to report that Dee nailed all but one (Green Magnet School), with only a snippet of intro music for his hint. Almost caught him on a Morphine song when I made Treat Her Right one of his choices·.he paused, screwed up his face in thought, and then gave an emphatic no headshake. Its heartening to see that Mikeyâs memory remains fully intact. I asked his roomie Bill to keep an eye on his videos, and to pop one in if thereâs nothing on, and he agreed to do so. Thanks, Bill! 10.18.02: Joined the Tail-light Parade up Route 95 to 93 today÷coming up from Medfield is, as Mikey would say, a schlep. But who wouldnât schlep for The Dee? He gave me a big greeting when I walked into his darkened room÷the staff had just put him to bed, but as per usual, had left his glasses, his tv, and his stereo off. I donât know what to do about this÷Iâve asked the staff repeatedly about this, weâve put up notes on the walls for them, but it just seems all in vain, and Iâm afraid if I complain too much (letâs face it, my people skills are a diamond in the (very) rough), theyâll get annoyed and then Mikey will suffer in some way. Still, lying in a dark room bored out of your mind and unable to do anything about it is already suffering. Aargh!! What positivity can I share with you? Well, Mikeyâs looking really good÷skin pink, eyes alert, and his hadn strength continues to improve. In fact, he showed me how he can flex his right wrist now, pushing my hand down several times on command. He also turned his head all the way to the left to get a smooch on the schnozz; guess itâs all about the motivation, if I do say so·and I know heâs reading large-print text, since I brought him a Sunday ãMuttsä comic which cracked him up. So we had a cozy visit, and he seemed very relaxed. Weâre glad for the little things, since right now, thatâs all weâve got.
10.13.02: TOP FIVE REASONS TO VISIT MIKEY DEE : 5: Itâs Foliage Season! The Road to Dee takes you through the Parker State Forest, which is turning some lovely rds, gold, and oranges, and itsâs only 25 minutes from Boston! 4: Mikeyâs CD collection: Deeâs got over 350 cds in his room, some of which you are dying to hear! 3: Mikeyâs movie collection is unrivaled in its breadth and depth! Whether its Woody Allen, classic B&Ws, goofy comedies or indie flicks, youâll find it, and heâll be happy to watch it with you! 2: Mikey WILL remember you! And frankly, if he didnât, heâd act like he did. That hasnât changed! 1: Youâll make his day. Wouldnât YOU get bored deprived of your scintillating company? But seriously, folks. The Greenery is nigh impossible to get to by public transportation, but if you have a car, or some friends have one, why not make a trip up to see Mikey? Donât worry if you werenât ãthat close,ä or about filling your visit with conversation÷itâs nice for him to just sit with someone for a while. You'll be glad you went. 10.5.02: They say that music has the power to transport us to other places and other times. I needed no proof of this, but I got it anyway last night. Last night, the third installment of Mikeyâs 40th birthday celebration, was truly a magic time÷it was as though seven years had melted away, if only for one evening, and thing were as Okay as they have ever been in a long time. We picked Mikey up at the Greenery around 8, bundled him into a new fleece sweatshirt, and strapped him into the van. Driver Angel took us straight to the Kirklandâs door, and as we approached, Mikey began to look all around at Somerville as he glided through his old stomping grounds. Once inside the club, he received another round of applause, and a warm greeting from his old pal, Mickey Bliss. As Toby Ingalls began a solo set of new Magic 12 material, I noticed Mikey slowly relaxing. The van ride and the submersion into the intense atmosphere of a club (dark, smoky, loud) can be a little unnerving for him, but Tobyâs sweet songs, always a comfort in Mikeyâs room at the Greenery, were just the thing to help him adjust to his surroundings. Various friends, old and new, stopped by to pay obeisance to their long-lost pal, and a few cds exchanged hands, as well as kindness, encouragement and love. It was A Pop Fans Reunion as members of the Barnies (and their eager fans) arrived. Despite weeks of nudges, winks, and hints (not to mention a few careless mentions within his earshot), Mikey remained unaware of the surprise that awaited him. When the boys assembled onstage, however, all was clear to him, and his face lit up with surprise and joy. The band turned out an incredible set÷it was as though they had been playing together all along, instead of pursuing the different paths life has taken them on for the last seven years÷Nathanâs drumming is as crisp and precise as ever, Avram is in fine voice and still puts lyrics together like nobody I know, and yes, Pete still plays bass, as Mikey once wrote, ã·like Shemp with his ass on fire.ä Back in the day, Mikey and I must have seen every home gig the Barnies played, and at each one, he air-drummed along, mugged at me during lyrics we especially loved, and always yelled for ãONE MORE!!ä no matter what time it was. Last night, he kept twisting his neck to catch my eye during our favorites. He would always take my hands and make me drum to ãHold My Horses,ä so I was only too happy to return the favor last night. Recordings of the Barnies are the one thing that has never failed to reach Mikey when heâs been lost in his post-stroke world, even back in the scary Childrenâs Hospital days. What a joy it was to see it live one more time, and to experience Mikeyâs delight with him, as he returned to the land of Hook Shop Pop. I only wish we could have stayed there. But once again, Harry taped the show, so he can enjoy it over and over. Deepest thanks to all of the bands who played (Mickey Bliss Organ Combo, Toby from Magic 12, Avram, Pete and Nathan, Clayton and Steve from Francine, and Baby Ray); the club for having us; Eleanor for wielding the clipboard; Joel for sound; and all the dear dear friends who got their pop on with the Dee, One More Time. 9.27.02: Crawled through ridiculous amounts of traffic to make a late visit to the Dee tonight. He was still up when I got there (Iâd called ahead and asked that he be so), and I gave him a trim in preparation for his next night out. He indicated that he had a great time on Saturday at the Kirkland, and in true Mikey love-em-all form, nodded at every band name when I asked ãWho was your favorite? Was it ______? -- Like he could ever choose between all of the fabulous talents who serenaded him that night! We listened to some of the cds his friends gave him at the show (Thanks, Toby, Robert, and Drew), and cued up some videos for later (Thanks, Bates Sisters!) We also had a good talk about the isolation factor. I asked him if he realized that the reason he has fewer visitors these days is NOT due to the fact that people have forgotten about him or given up on him, but that it is genuinely difficult to get to the Greenery during the week, and also that many of his friends rely on public transportation (of which there is a distinct lack in the suburbs). He nodded, agreeing, but began to cry when I asked him if he gets lonely. Itâs so heartbreaking÷saying, ãThere, there, I know,ä seems so pathetically Not Enough. He brightened, however, when I brought up his next Big Night Out, which is this coming Friday. I picked out a fetching t-shirt and sweatpants combo, and placed it on the table for the staff. Heâs excited to see then bands, and VERY curious about the still-unnamed-to-him band, which we know of course is The Barnies reunion. I have been dreaming for weeks of the look thatâll be on his face when they take the stage. Come on down and bask in the glow, Friday, October 4th! 9.22.02: The second of Mikeyâs 40th birthday celebrations went off beautifully last night. Thanks to everyone who helped to make the evening a success, from the club, to the bands, to the organizers, to the people who came and partied with the Dee. Linda and I picked up Mikey at 7pm; he was dressed and waiting in the hall, and according to the staff, very excited. Van driver Joe was great, despite getting lost on his way to the Greenery. He made up for it by blazing us down 93 until we had to slow down for a traffic jam. Mikey bore it all calmly, and when we arrived, fashionably late, he received a round of applause from the crowd in the club. As always, the sensory input was intense for him: smoke, music, bright lights; but it is, despite the events of the past two years, still his element. He got some lovely presents (keep your cdâs a-coming, people!), and received a lot of love from folks who canât get all the way up to the Greenery to see him. I think that Mikey feels his most normal when he is surrounded by people, giving him handshakes, hugs, and the latest gossip. Please feel free to come right on up÷trust me, heâll recognize you! Mikey craves lots of tactile stimulation÷thatâs why weâre always hanging all over him! So donât be shy; share the love! At various points during the evening, the music got him to a very emotional place, and he cried and laughed as he experienced waves of feeling. Unfortunately, this deep connect can be exhausting for him, and we had to cut the evening shorter than weâd planned. We called up Joe, who zoomed right over and took us back up to North Andover. Luckily, our pal Harry was videotaping the show, so he can catch the performers he missed. Mikey had a great time seeing and hearing old friends and new. Heâs really looking forward to the next show÷Friday, October 4th, featuring that surprise band reunion we keep teasing him with. Come on down and help us pick his jaw up off the floor when he sees who it is! 9.20.02: Here's your last heads up for tomorrow night's festivities --come down and shake it at the Kirkland Café for the Penultimate Mikey Dee's Kirkland Klubhouse! The show begins at 8 o'clock SHARP with a tasty buffet and the equally toothsome Ad Frank in an acoustic set. Other luminaries include: The Mascara Soul Trio, Mick Mondo and Streaker, Pony, Lucky 57, Emily Grogan, and the Colorforms. I'm heading up to see the Dee today, to give him a haircut, pick out a nice outfit for him (hmmmn, seems like old times), and get him generally Ready To Rock. Can I tell him he'll see you there??
M.A. Ricciardi Spent some of Mike's b'day with him, and he was mostly in good spirits. Luckily, it was gorgeous out so we hung out in the semi-private shady area of the courtyard. I asked Mike lots of yes/no questions about his b'day party; his short term memory seems to vary from day to day but today Mike gave me very accurate responses. I read Mike an article from Time magazine about the progress that Christopher Reeve has been making lately and, while they have very different injuries, the point that I wanted to get across to Mike was that there are no limits to how much any one person can improve. Doctors are often wrong when it comes to predicting how far any one person can go ... Mike understood that and nodded enthusiastically when I asked him if he thought he had it in him to keep trying to improve. With that said, we got to work! One thing we've neglected lately are eye exercises. Mike needs to keep his eyes moving accurately for any future possible eye gaze system that would enable him to type with his eyes in a sort of computerized letterboard format. Mike of course is desperate to communicate with everyone, so he didn't need to be coaxed into doing these exercises. I took a pen and had Mike follow it using his eyes but without moving his head (which he tends to do). He did very well, following the pen up and down and from side to side. This gets tiring quickly so we do this in two minute spurts, probably about 8 or 9 times per visit. Mike's very up on doing this so when you visit feel free to use a pen or even your finger (a pen works better for some reason, though). Do a few reps, it'll be great practice. Also it'll help to get him ready for his re-evaluation at Spaulding next month. Since his strokes, Mike lives almost completely in the moment, so despite the horribleness of his situation he can seem to intensely enjoy something in the "now." However, he also can sob intensely at the thought of being alone again, and often cries whenever I start to talk about my visit winding down. It helps to distract him, and this time I told him that he had some fun times ahead in the upcoming days and weeks and to try to imagine those moments of joy he would have. That seemed to help a little and I left him with that thought. 9.12.02. Saturated with NPR coverage of the 9/11 tragedy, I left work early and headed to N. Andover for a visit with Mr. Mikey Dee, an experience guaranteed to take one from the macro to the micro and back again in big lurching swoops. The world suffers, Mikey suffers, and so, we suffer. But not in the same way. Mikey's personal tragedy is so great, and so continous, as to be a constant reminder of the duality of life, right here, right now. Being with Mikey forces our eyes and hearts to bear witness to suffering, and in spite of that to trancend, as he must, and then carry on. I know I've said it before, but the thing about witnessing Mikey's suffering is that simultaneously one has the privilege of also witnessing enormous courage, many moments of pleasure, silliness, yes, even joy - especially if you can make him laugh, or make him forget, or help him to do something amazing that he could not do the day before! There is so much to do, so much help and kindness and attention to be given, that every person who can give just a tiny piece of their time - oh what a difference it makes in the quality of Mikey's everyday life! Alright, I have babbled and cajoled enough..how WAS Mikey yesterday anyway?? He looked cozy and clean and comfy in his bed, smooth-shaven and handsome and calm. He seemed in decent to good spirits and expressed excitement about all the upcoming birthday festivities planned (altho the 4th is a surprise, he does know he's going out that night). His yes/no nodding/communicating was clearer than I have seen it in a while and his hand strength was remarkable and very controlled. I kept exulting: "THIS is how you will use the computer - this is how Mikey!!" everytime he squeezed my hand fiercely or moved his thumb up and down. We went thru his many facial expressions/exercises and something both comical and intense happened. When I said, "make a crazy face" - he went nuts, tongue out, eyes rolling/bugged out and kept going and making me laugh, and then, kept going, til I said "are you trying to tell me that you are losing your mind?" and he nodded YES! and kept on, punctuating the faces with maniacal laughter which at first scared me but then I said "you realize you are totally sane because you are able to tell me how crazy you feel being in this damn situation" and he nodded yes, and began to calm down. Whew! But it was a good release, and hey, that's what communication can provide - and right on!! So folks, the Dee is alive and well, and still passionate. Come on down to see him at one of the upcoming events, or take a ride out to N. Andover on an off day for the hell of it. You'll laugh, you'll cry, but you sure won't be unrewarded. Rock on all! xox. Linda S. Viens <linda.viens@eudoramail.com> USA - Thursday, September 12, 2002 at 12:23:36 (EDT) 9.6.02: When I arrived, Mikey had just come in from some time outside with the other patients, and was looking pink and alert. He spotted me far down the hall, and his face lit up in his trademark wide-eyed, crooked grin. A volunteer was just padding his knees with pillowcases where the leg-rest of his chair tend to chafe. I appreciated her efforts, but since I told the staff weeks ago about making sure this was done every day, Iâm not sure why someone was just getting to it at that moment. Likewise, I was dismayed to see that he had no hat, sunglasses or sunscreen on. Itâs frustrating÷I donât like to complain when the volunteers do something nice like take him out, but I donât get why the staff is not all on the same page about simple, necessary care procedures. Anyway, we went into his cool room to do some hanging, and I saw that Tina had bought him a new DVD player, along with several movies. Iâve been waiting for Dee to get on the DVD train for a while÷as a movie buff, things like extra scenes, directorâs commentary, and digital remastering are right up his alley. While we were getting settled, I noticed a therapy dog out in the hallway, so I ran out and asked the aide to bring her in. A tiny miniature pinscher÷ridiculously cute, and sweetly patient. She perched on Mikeyâs lap pillow and I stroked his hand over her soft skin. Mikey erupted with shouts of joy and laughter. Thee Dee has always loved the pups. After shuffling through Tinaâs selections (Ben Folds Five, Our Man Flint, 2 Pink Panthers and 2 seasons of Simpsons, we settled in for Ben Folds. So many of the songs are bittersweet÷I asked Mikey if he remembered when we used to listen to ãForever and Ever Amenä at Spaulding, and he nodded. How could we forget? It was his first summer there, he was racked by spasms, and weâd just sit in the bed holding him, trying to keep him from twisting up with the neuron-impulse flood going on in his body. I wish he didnât remember. After a while, he was getting pretty dozy, closing his eyes for stretches of song, so I got ready to leave, after setting him up with ãThe Royal Tennenbaums,ä a Mikey movie if there ever was one. I left him chortling at the insanity., P.S. Donât forget about Mikeyâs birthday parties! The first one is next Sunday, September 15th, at the Greenery. Come on up and have some cake for Mikey. You know he'd eat a piece for you, if he could. Just a quick note. Here's the skinny on Mikey's upcomming 40th Birthday festivities. On Sept 21st and Oct 4th Mikey's Kirkland Klubhouse returns for 2 special shows! (follow the link for details). And, Don't forget! Party at the Greenery, Sunday, Sept. 15th from 2-4pm. Hope to see you there! Eleanor <eleanor@rockopera.com> USA - Tuesday, September 03, 2002 at 14:09:15 (EDT) 8.23.02: I brought Mikey the Herald today, knowing he loves to flip through ãThe Sceneä and to keep up on the latest news. He chuckled ruefully through the latest headlines (pervy priests, budget cuts on the poor, etc.) and grew very interested as I read that the Kirkland was moving towards booking more mainstream acts, a la Fanueil Hall. The article mentioned Mikeyâs monthly Friday showcases, so he was pleased to see his name in print, and got excited when I reminded him of his two upcoming shows there. ãKinda appropriate, isnât it, that you should close out the club, eh?ä I asked. He nodded gravely. Popping on some pop, we went through our new exercise, called ãSqueeze my thumb when you hear the crash cymbal.äHe had good success with this, especially on a Velvet Crush number, and the requisite Barnies tunes. By the way: if anyoneâs wondering what Dee would like for his birthday, hereâs some suggestions: ãmore visitorsä was his first choice; next best things would be any Mel Brooks videos except Young Frankenstein and The Producers; The White Stripes, Strokes, Hives, Vines, or any of those new pop-punks kids tearing up the charts; Jimmy Stewart movies; and also more visitors. Yesterday was finally cool enough to take Mike outside, and as long as we stayed in the shade it wasn't too hot. The past few visits we've sat in his air conditioned room so this was a nice change of pace. During the past few weeks I've noticed that it's easier to get Mike laughing and along with the increase in frequency he's also making a deeper sound when he laughs...sounding more like his pre-stroke laugh. I actually remembered to bring my tape recorder yesterday so I did one of our classic schticks that never fails to crack him up and got some of Mike's deeper laugh on tape. Often, when I bring out the tape recorder he becomes completely silent so this was a treat to get something on tape. Upon hearing the tape Mike laughed some more and he tried to vocalize a word or two in the middle but they weren't clear enough to understand. Mike was wiped out afterwards so we just finished the day with some hand exercises and I rewarded him by reading sexy letters from an adult magazine. I always describe the females in the letters as red-headed amazons (his favorite type) which is also a guaranteed way to get a laugh! I brought him back to hang out in the hallway and he was already nodding off on the ride back so hopefully, he quickly fell asleep dreaming of tall redheads. 8.16.02: Celebrated Elvis' death today with the Dee. We always found it a bit poignant that the King would go out on the hopper÷or ãthe studyä as Dee used to call it. We had a mellow visit, listening to tunes, doing tongue exercises, the usual. The reason Iâm posting is to give you an early heads up on some events youâll be hearing more about soon: Sunday, September 15th: Mikeyâs birthday party at the Greenery. Yes, it's that time again, though in keeping with the tradition of parsimonious Jewish entertainers (see Jack Benny), Mikey has decided to remain 39 years old. Come on up to North Andover from 2-4ish pm, for singing, cake, and the like. Bring some love up to the Dee! Saturday, September 21st and Friday, October 4th: For two dynamite nights, itâs the triumphant return of ãMikeyâs Kirkland Klubhouseä! Drop by Mikeyâs old hangout for more food, bands, and fun. The festivities begin at 8pm, and among featured artistes are Ramona Silver, Lucky 57, Pony, Chris Mascara, Ad Frank, and Mick Mondo, Magic 12, Baby Ray, and others, as well as a secret surprise (for Mikey, so donât tell him!) reunion of a beloved Somerville pop trio·See local listings, as well as our home page, for more details in the coming weeks. Come on out and get your pop on with the Dee! Attend all three events and earn our eternal esteem at no extra charge. 8.2.02: Hung out in air-conditioned comfort with the Dee·he was looking good (clean-shaven with no nicks, moisturized) except for a bit of bleeding gum from his toothbrushing, which the nurse apologized for. We did a lot of tongue exercises, first a round of imitation, then I got a couple of Dum-Dums from his toolbox and we practiced sticking out the tongue to touch it. I had to keep warning him not to bite, since he wants to, but we cannot give him anything by mouth for fear of his choking. Feel free to do these kinds of exercises with him, but do not actually put anything in his mouth. Make him reach for it with his tongue. I had loaded the cd player with some guaranteed favorites (Elton, Queen, Roxy Music, etc.), and when we got to ãBicycle Race,ä Mikeyâs face lit up. I knew he was remembering a long walk he and I had taken with James Apt one sunny afternoon. He and James had decided to give a dramatic reading of the song at some Noise show, so they practiced all the way from Allston to Harvard Square. Over and over again, until I contemplated jumping off the JFK bridge. As the song built to its [insane] crescendo, Mikey straightened up in his chair, struggling to mouth the lyrics to his part. Iâm convinced that Mikey can break through to speech with the help of a professional therapist and continued exposure to songs like this, that have left such a deep imprint on his brain. On a more somber note, when we got to ãSomeone To Love,ä Dee got a bit weepy. Moving on to a hand massage, I popped in the other guaranteed-to-get- the-Dee-going CD, the Barnies ãB to Z.ä If Mikey seems checked out during a visit, this never fails to bring him round. He bopped his head in perfect time to the beat, and smiled every time Pete chimed in on backup vocals.
M.A. Ricciardi <parkdale@mindspring.com> 07/29/02: We seemed to collectively get the singalong off to a late start yesterday (too much fun on Saturday night I guess) but that didn't slow down the performers at all once we got rolling. Found Dee in the hallway getting the latest dirt from Lexi. Mikey was looking pretty pink from being outside without sunscreen. I think the staff takes him out for the fresh country air but doesn't think to slather the lotion on his sensitive skin. Mikey was happy to see the usual crew and the sight of 'MFO comrade Adam Conn and his therapy-dog-in-training Panda invoked some howls of delight. Thanks to Chris, Deb, Mondo, Stan, Moon and Ad for the singing and everyone else for just being there. We had a few other residents hanging out with us yesterday too. I've concluded that all of the men at the Greenery are named Bill. I got a laugh and a nod from Mikey when I asked him if they'd started to call him Bill too. Another successful singalong but WE NEED YOU TO COME ON UP SOMETIME TOO! Mix it up a little, let Dee know he's not forgotten. You won't regret it. That said, we're not sure if we'll be having our regular singalong next month or a beach trip instead but we'll post info as soon as we know what's up. And more info about Dee's 40th birthday party coming soon too! 7.26.02: As I walked down the hall to Mikeyâs room, an older gentleman in a wheelchair, with whom Iâm on a ãhi, howyadoinâä basis, stopped me and said that Mikey was outside. He also said that Mikey had been crying earlier, and that he had tried to comfort him---had sat with him holding his hand. What moments of caring and beauty one can find in this place, where people with problems of their own will take the time to give comfort to a near stranger. As I went outside, I saw that Mikey was not with a visitor, but sitting in a circle with some other patients, taking the air and getting hand massages from an aide. Mikey seemed subdued, though glad to see me. He began crying then, and nodded when I asked if he wanted to go inside for some one-on-one time. Though Mikeyâs the most social person Iâve ever met, he does seem to be having some trouble relating to the other patients. I think he fears being in that place for the rest of his life÷that making connections is not only hard (when you canât speak), but also lends a kind of permanence to his placement there, that is hard to accept. Time will tell if we can get Mikey into an apartment again÷I still have hope. We went in and watched an Elton concert Iâd taped, along with the Elton ãBehind the Music.ä Thatâs a show tailor- made for the Dee. Mikey again grew emotional during both the concert and the documentary, particularly during songs that he loves and Eltonâs troubles. He was fairly weepy all afternoon, and agreed that it was ãjust one of those days.ä Iâm hoping Sundayâs Singalong will cheer his heart. PLEASE COME UP this Sunday from 2-4, to visit, sing, and just show Mikey youâre still out there and havenât forgotten him. Itâs always a good time, and if youâve never visited the Dee before, a good no-pressure way to get some time with Mikey.
Hey all you singers and friends o' the Dee... The next "On the Green with Mikey Dee" will be July 28th (rather than our usual second Sunday). Hoping to see some new and old faces. 2-4pm, in the dining room of the Greenery. Come on by, hang out and maybe join in singing some tunes for Mikey. Also, save this date! On September 15th we'll be celebrating Mikey's 40th (!!) Birthday. We'll post more details about the party later this summer. Eleanor <eleanor@rockopera.com> USA - Friday, July 12, 2002 at 12:46:30 (EDT)
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