So, today was day 2 of rehab for Dad. Mom and I visited him twice today to see how things were going. Yesterday, Dad had rehab scattered all throughout the day. Today they switched it up to put all of his therapy in a short time period and then let him rest for the remainder of the day. His case worker said they were doing "co-therapies", and from what we understand they put the occupational and physical therapists with him at the same time to keep him active and alert as long as they could before letting him rest. From his schedule on their board, it looks like he was with them for about 2 1/2 hours before we arrived. When we got there, Dad was in his wheelchair sitting right across from the nurses station. They wanted to keep a close eye on him after yesterday! He was kind of fidgety and a little grumpy, and we figured he was worn out from all the rehab he had just finished. The nurse got him back into bed, and he fell asleep almost instantly. But before he went to bed, we gave him a card Barb and Bill sent, and he opened it and READ IT OUT LOUD! We were pretty excited to hear that. We have been wondering if words look jumbled to him or not, so now we know that he can see and understand the words!
After the nurse got him back into bed Mom and I left, had some lunch and did some errands, and went back late this afternoon to try to be there for dinner time. When we arrived, the staff had already offered him dinner, and he apparently refused. Mom wasn't too thrilled with that, especially since we know he didn't have dinner last night, so she hunted down the nurse who brought back a few things for Dad to nibble on. With us sitting there he ate just about all of it, so we think our new plan is to skip the afternoon visits, so we stay out of the therapists' way, and be there when it's time for dinner. We know he's so tired after his early therapy, and probably doesn't want to get out of bed again in order to eat. But we want him to be eating as much as he can on his own so we can get rid of the feeding tube. They're not using it at all now, but they won't take it out til they are confident he'll continue to eat enough on his own.
We had a good visit after he ate. We watched a little tv together and chatted. He seemed to be talking a bit louder, and was mostly making sense. He does still drift off and mumble some, but it's getting better all the time.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
11/29 PM - day one of rehab
Good evening everyone -
Dad had a super busy day today. We hardly got to see him because of all of his therapy sessions! Mom and I stopped by around lunch time, right when his new speech therapist was doing an evaluation on him. We walked into his room and saw him dressed and sitting in a wheel chair! That was a first! We left for a while so we wouldn't interfere with what the speech therapist was doing, and when we came back, Dad was back in bed. Apparently, he managed to "houdini" his way out of the wheelchair and seatbelt and shimmy his way down to the floor, which is where his nurses found him. He wasn't hurt, but they decided to get him back in bed so he could rest. He had been up and dressed and sitting in his chair since 7 am. That's a long time for him, since he had only been out of bed and in a chair a handful of times, and only for short periods of time while he was in the hospital.
We hung around and talked to Dad for a while, but he was clearly beat. So, we left him to get some rest. We doubt they got him up for his 4 PM session. Mom and I decided to take the evening off from visiting to let him get some good sleep. His nurses told us more than once that he did really well today. His eating was good, and he handled all the transferring and dressing well. It was just a lot of new stuff all at once, and it's going to take him a little while to acclimate.
This morning before we went to see Dad we picked up Sydney. She looks great, and will be back to her old self in no time!
BJ and Heather will be coming sometime tomorrow for the weekend. I think they'll be surprised to see how well Dad is doing!
Dad had a super busy day today. We hardly got to see him because of all of his therapy sessions! Mom and I stopped by around lunch time, right when his new speech therapist was doing an evaluation on him. We walked into his room and saw him dressed and sitting in a wheel chair! That was a first! We left for a while so we wouldn't interfere with what the speech therapist was doing, and when we came back, Dad was back in bed. Apparently, he managed to "houdini" his way out of the wheelchair and seatbelt and shimmy his way down to the floor, which is where his nurses found him. He wasn't hurt, but they decided to get him back in bed so he could rest. He had been up and dressed and sitting in his chair since 7 am. That's a long time for him, since he had only been out of bed and in a chair a handful of times, and only for short periods of time while he was in the hospital.
We hung around and talked to Dad for a while, but he was clearly beat. So, we left him to get some rest. We doubt they got him up for his 4 PM session. Mom and I decided to take the evening off from visiting to let him get some good sleep. His nurses told us more than once that he did really well today. His eating was good, and he handled all the transferring and dressing well. It was just a lot of new stuff all at once, and it's going to take him a little while to acclimate.
This morning before we went to see Dad we picked up Sydney. She looks great, and will be back to her old self in no time!
BJ and Heather will be coming sometime tomorrow for the weekend. I think they'll be surprised to see how well Dad is doing!
11/29 AM
Hi all -
This isn't an official update, but I realize in all the craziness of the past couple of days that I missed some things.
On Sunday, Dad had some special visitors at the hospital. His cousin Loren and his wife Sandra, who live in Alaska but are in Florida for a bit, came by for a visit. Mom says she's pretty sure Dad knew who they were. He was pretty talkative, but was speaking very quietly so it was difficult to know what he was saying. Loren and Sandra brought some of their own canned Alaskan salmon as a present. I'm sure Dad will enjoy that when he's able to eat it!
Also, Sydney, Mom and Dad's dog, had surgery on Tuesday. She has had a cancerous tumor growing on her jaw for a while now. Initially Mom and Dad had decided to just let nature take it's course and not treat it, but the family decided it would be best for everyone to have it removed. It was a pretty major surgery, as they removed the front part of her jaw. But we've been assured by a couple of veterinarians that most dogs do very well and can eat and have a normal life after this kind of surgery. Dad is Sydney's best buddy, and I know she will be an integral part of his recovery, so we're glad to say the surgeon feels she got all the cancer, and Sydney is recovering well thus far. Mom and I will be picking her up sometime today. Special thanks to Aunt Jean for making this possible.
Mom and I were at the rehab hospital when Dad arrived last night. He was in good spirits, and seemed happy to meet the new nurses who were taking care of him for the night. He was definitely tired, and I can understand why - he had a really busy day yesterday! They got him a special bed to keep him safe. Basically it looks like it has a tent over it, so we told him he was camping for the night. When we left he was all zipped in and falling asleep. It was great to see him rolled onto one side. He hadn't been able to get in that position in the hospital bed, and it's his favorite sleeping position. So, already he looked more like himself!
Dad has a pretty tight schedule today, with therapy sessions at 7 am, 9:45 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 4 pm, so we won't get to see him until a little later. Please pray he can keep up with everything they have planned for him! More later....
This isn't an official update, but I realize in all the craziness of the past couple of days that I missed some things.
On Sunday, Dad had some special visitors at the hospital. His cousin Loren and his wife Sandra, who live in Alaska but are in Florida for a bit, came by for a visit. Mom says she's pretty sure Dad knew who they were. He was pretty talkative, but was speaking very quietly so it was difficult to know what he was saying. Loren and Sandra brought some of their own canned Alaskan salmon as a present. I'm sure Dad will enjoy that when he's able to eat it!
Also, Sydney, Mom and Dad's dog, had surgery on Tuesday. She has had a cancerous tumor growing on her jaw for a while now. Initially Mom and Dad had decided to just let nature take it's course and not treat it, but the family decided it would be best for everyone to have it removed. It was a pretty major surgery, as they removed the front part of her jaw. But we've been assured by a couple of veterinarians that most dogs do very well and can eat and have a normal life after this kind of surgery. Dad is Sydney's best buddy, and I know she will be an integral part of his recovery, so we're glad to say the surgeon feels she got all the cancer, and Sydney is recovering well thus far. Mom and I will be picking her up sometime today. Special thanks to Aunt Jean for making this possible.
Mom and I were at the rehab hospital when Dad arrived last night. He was in good spirits, and seemed happy to meet the new nurses who were taking care of him for the night. He was definitely tired, and I can understand why - he had a really busy day yesterday! They got him a special bed to keep him safe. Basically it looks like it has a tent over it, so we told him he was camping for the night. When we left he was all zipped in and falling asleep. It was great to see him rolled onto one side. He hadn't been able to get in that position in the hospital bed, and it's his favorite sleeping position. So, already he looked more like himself!
Dad has a pretty tight schedule today, with therapy sessions at 7 am, 9:45 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 4 pm, so we won't get to see him until a little later. Please pray he can keep up with everything they have planned for him! More later....
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
11/28 - a very exciting day!
Hey everyone -
Mom and I have had a crazy, but really great day! We started out going to the nursing facility we really wanted Dad to go to. It's super nice, sits right on the water (which Dad would LOVE) and has a great reputation. They don't have a spot for Dad right now, but we learned that it may be possible to get him transferred there from a different facility when they do have space available. We left disappointed, and headed off to another facility that has a good rehab reputation. They don't have a spot for Dad either, so Mom called another facility she and BJ had previously investigated. Its called The Rehabilitation Hospital, and is part of the Lee Memorial Health System. When they evaluated Dad last week, he didn't meet their criteria for admission (i.e., they didn't feel he would be able to keep up with the rigorous schedule they hold their patients to). After that, we pretty much put them out of our minds, but yesterday I asked Mom when they last saw Dad, because he's made huge progress in the last several days. When Mom spoke with Wende, their admissions coordinator, she had already heard from Dad's case manager at the hospital, and was gathering information to see if she could get him admitted. Shortly after we arrived at the hospital to visit with Dad, Wende stopped in to tell us she got him in! Right now, as I type this, Dad is on his way there! We're all really excited to have Dad take this next step in his recovery. It's been 4 weeks to the day since the stroke, and he's gaining ground everyday. Now that he'll be getting some intense rehab, we expect his progress to skyrocket!
Dad also had a good day at the hospital. He was able to talk with BJ and Kate on the phone, and spoke loud enough for them to hear him. And he graduated to the next level in his swallowing tests. They've had him eating what they call "honey thick" foods, and now he's graduated to "nectar". He's also been much better about leaving his tubes alone now.
Thanks so much to all of you who have been praying for Dad. Please continue to pray that he will be able to keep up with all the therapy he'll be receiving while he's in the rehabilitation hospital. We're all looking forward to seeing him improve by leaps and bounds now! We'll let you know tomorrow how his first day goes!
Mom and I have had a crazy, but really great day! We started out going to the nursing facility we really wanted Dad to go to. It's super nice, sits right on the water (which Dad would LOVE) and has a great reputation. They don't have a spot for Dad right now, but we learned that it may be possible to get him transferred there from a different facility when they do have space available. We left disappointed, and headed off to another facility that has a good rehab reputation. They don't have a spot for Dad either, so Mom called another facility she and BJ had previously investigated. Its called The Rehabilitation Hospital, and is part of the Lee Memorial Health System. When they evaluated Dad last week, he didn't meet their criteria for admission (i.e., they didn't feel he would be able to keep up with the rigorous schedule they hold their patients to). After that, we pretty much put them out of our minds, but yesterday I asked Mom when they last saw Dad, because he's made huge progress in the last several days. When Mom spoke with Wende, their admissions coordinator, she had already heard from Dad's case manager at the hospital, and was gathering information to see if she could get him admitted. Shortly after we arrived at the hospital to visit with Dad, Wende stopped in to tell us she got him in! Right now, as I type this, Dad is on his way there! We're all really excited to have Dad take this next step in his recovery. It's been 4 weeks to the day since the stroke, and he's gaining ground everyday. Now that he'll be getting some intense rehab, we expect his progress to skyrocket!
Dad also had a good day at the hospital. He was able to talk with BJ and Kate on the phone, and spoke loud enough for them to hear him. And he graduated to the next level in his swallowing tests. They've had him eating what they call "honey thick" foods, and now he's graduated to "nectar". He's also been much better about leaving his tubes alone now.
Thanks so much to all of you who have been praying for Dad. Please continue to pray that he will be able to keep up with all the therapy he'll be receiving while he's in the rehabilitation hospital. We're all looking forward to seeing him improve by leaps and bounds now! We'll let you know tomorrow how his first day goes!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
11/27 update
Hi all -
Sorry for the delayed update. The last few days have been crazy for me, and I haven't had much new news to share, so I decided to wait til I arrived in Florida to write another one.
Dad had a good day today. Last night he ate dinner, and this morning he ate breakfast, and then most of his lunch this afternoon. We're all really encouraged to see him ready to eat! I brought Aunt Jean some of her favorite candies from Gowell's in Brockton as an early Christmas present today, and Dad tried to swipe the box right out of her hands! He's quick!
Mom says yesterday he was talking pretty well, but today he was back to whispering. We can at least understand most of what he's saying now, but it's very quiet. And he doesn't always make sense, but I think he understands what we're saying, but can't quite find the right expression to communicate what he means. Like today, I was telling him about my flight, and how this airline just started service from Boston to Ft Myers and I got a pretty good deal on my ticket. He had a big smile, and held my hand and said "congratulations". I think he really was trying to say "that's great", but couldn't really get that together in his head. Anyway, he made his point, even if the words weren't exactly right.
Tomorrow afternoon Mom and I have a meeting with his care team to discuss what the next steps are. The case manager told us today that they have medically discharged him, but we need to find the right facility for him to move to from here. Hopefully that will be worked out very soon.
Lastly, here's a picture I took of Dad this afternoon. I told him to smile, and after a couple of minutes of goofy faces, we finally got this one. It's great to see that smile, isn't it?!?
Sorry for the delayed update. The last few days have been crazy for me, and I haven't had much new news to share, so I decided to wait til I arrived in Florida to write another one.
Dad had a good day today. Last night he ate dinner, and this morning he ate breakfast, and then most of his lunch this afternoon. We're all really encouraged to see him ready to eat! I brought Aunt Jean some of her favorite candies from Gowell's in Brockton as an early Christmas present today, and Dad tried to swipe the box right out of her hands! He's quick!
Mom says yesterday he was talking pretty well, but today he was back to whispering. We can at least understand most of what he's saying now, but it's very quiet. And he doesn't always make sense, but I think he understands what we're saying, but can't quite find the right expression to communicate what he means. Like today, I was telling him about my flight, and how this airline just started service from Boston to Ft Myers and I got a pretty good deal on my ticket. He had a big smile, and held my hand and said "congratulations". I think he really was trying to say "that's great", but couldn't really get that together in his head. Anyway, he made his point, even if the words weren't exactly right.
Tomorrow afternoon Mom and I have a meeting with his care team to discuss what the next steps are. The case manager told us today that they have medically discharged him, but we need to find the right facility for him to move to from here. Hopefully that will be worked out very soon.
Lastly, here's a picture I took of Dad this afternoon. I told him to smile, and after a couple of minutes of goofy faces, we finally got this one. It's great to see that smile, isn't it?!?
Friday, November 23, 2012
11/23 - great day!
Hi all -
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Dad had a good day yesterday, and today was even better. He's making great strides!
Today Dad was cleared to eat some real food - it was mushy, but it was real. And he did well! He was alert and interactive with Mom, BJ and Heather all afternoon, and was great for all the therapists who were working with him today. He even thanked one of the nurses for taking such good care of him, and she could understand all of what he said. He also had all of the electrodes removed from his chest today, and is now wearing one of his own t-shirts. He seems to be more comfortable, and is paying less attention to his feeding tube - and we're hoping he won't need that for much longer!
Tomorrow he may be getting out of bed and sitting in a chair. I'm sure he'll be happy to do that!
Mom and BJ are still working on finding the right facility for him to go to next. They've been talking with lots of places, and we'll probably know early next week where he'll be going. We'd all like to see him get to a rehab facility where he can get into a regular routine and have more time with the various therapists. The folks at the hospital have been great, but we know he'll have to work more, and improve more, at a rehab facility.
Special thanks to my awesome brother BJ, who has been there since this all happened on Halloween. He's been right there every step of the way, and the rest of us are grateful for that. He'll be heading home on Sunday so he can get back to normal life and work. Mom will be on her own on Monday, but I'll be flying back down on Tuesday for the rest of the week. I'll be sure to keep everyone up to date!
Have a great weekend!
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Dad had a good day yesterday, and today was even better. He's making great strides!
Today Dad was cleared to eat some real food - it was mushy, but it was real. And he did well! He was alert and interactive with Mom, BJ and Heather all afternoon, and was great for all the therapists who were working with him today. He even thanked one of the nurses for taking such good care of him, and she could understand all of what he said. He also had all of the electrodes removed from his chest today, and is now wearing one of his own t-shirts. He seems to be more comfortable, and is paying less attention to his feeding tube - and we're hoping he won't need that for much longer!
Tomorrow he may be getting out of bed and sitting in a chair. I'm sure he'll be happy to do that!
Mom and BJ are still working on finding the right facility for him to go to next. They've been talking with lots of places, and we'll probably know early next week where he'll be going. We'd all like to see him get to a rehab facility where he can get into a regular routine and have more time with the various therapists. The folks at the hospital have been great, but we know he'll have to work more, and improve more, at a rehab facility.
Special thanks to my awesome brother BJ, who has been there since this all happened on Halloween. He's been right there every step of the way, and the rest of us are grateful for that. He'll be heading home on Sunday so he can get back to normal life and work. Mom will be on her own on Monday, but I'll be flying back down on Tuesday for the rest of the week. I'll be sure to keep everyone up to date!
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
11/21 update
Happy Thanksgiving eve all!
Dad had another good day today. He's really making progress with his swallowing, and was able to to drink some apple juice and eat some pudding today. And the PT had him sitting up on the edge of his bed for a while, and he managed to keep his balance pretty well.
He's been medically cleared to leave the hospital at this point. Right now Mom and BJ are working on finding the right place for him to go from here. They've seen several good options, but we obviously want a place that Dad would be happy with. We're hoping he'll be moving on in the next few days, and will update you when we know more.
On an administrative note - a thought for those of you who are reading this daily. I think if you subscribe to the blog (there should be something about that at the bottom of the page), you'll get a notice when we post something new. Then you don't have to hop on and check it all the time. Just my two cents!
We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are thankful for each one of you; for those who care enough to read all of this, and for those who have taken the time to call and text and email us to show your love and support. We can't thank you enough. And we are obviously all thankful that Dad is still with us to celebrate this year. I wish we could all be together tomorrow, but knowing he will be with Mom, BJ, Heather and Aunt Jean is enough! And maybe if he's lucky Mom will sneak him some of her famous candied sweet potatoes :) Ok, probably not, but I'm sure he'll be wishing he could have some!
Thank you again, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
11/20 update
Dad's had another couple of good days, which is definitely what we like to see!
Yesterday Dad had some visitors from home. Vin and Tara were on vacation in FL and made a special trip down to see him. Tara got the first official hug since this all happened, and it sounds like it was a pretty good one! Special thanks for making a trip to see the big guy!
He's been very active the last few days, with both arms, and this morning he did really well on his swallow test. Today he was cooperative and was able to eat a whole serving of apple sauce and the staff member who was helping him was very pleased with how he was doing. They'll be back tomorrow morning to work on it again.
When he's awake and alert, he understands what BJ and Mom say, and they've been reiterating to him that he needs to stop pulling at the various tubes and sensors that he still has connected to him. But, when he kind of zones out he is still picking at things and setting off all the alarms in his room.
Mom and BJ have continued to look at rehab/skilled nursing facilities today so they would have a good idea of what might be the best place for Dad. They have a definite favorite, but right now we're all hoping the hospital gives him a little more time there. He really needs to be alert and awake more of the time so he'll stop trying to remove his tubes. It's definitely a problem, and we're concerned that if they release him to a different facility he'll be back to the hospital right away because he pulled out something he shouldn't have.
Sorry this update seems a little disjointed - it's tough to sort out and summarize all that's going on, especially when it's time for bed! BJ or Kate - if you're reading this and I missed something, feel free to edit away....
We'll continue to update as we know more. Thanks again for all the love and support!
Yesterday Dad had some visitors from home. Vin and Tara were on vacation in FL and made a special trip down to see him. Tara got the first official hug since this all happened, and it sounds like it was a pretty good one! Special thanks for making a trip to see the big guy!
He's been very active the last few days, with both arms, and this morning he did really well on his swallow test. Today he was cooperative and was able to eat a whole serving of apple sauce and the staff member who was helping him was very pleased with how he was doing. They'll be back tomorrow morning to work on it again.
When he's awake and alert, he understands what BJ and Mom say, and they've been reiterating to him that he needs to stop pulling at the various tubes and sensors that he still has connected to him. But, when he kind of zones out he is still picking at things and setting off all the alarms in his room.
Mom and BJ have continued to look at rehab/skilled nursing facilities today so they would have a good idea of what might be the best place for Dad. They have a definite favorite, but right now we're all hoping the hospital gives him a little more time there. He really needs to be alert and awake more of the time so he'll stop trying to remove his tubes. It's definitely a problem, and we're concerned that if they release him to a different facility he'll be back to the hospital right away because he pulled out something he shouldn't have.
Sorry this update seems a little disjointed - it's tough to sort out and summarize all that's going on, especially when it's time for bed! BJ or Kate - if you're reading this and I missed something, feel free to edit away....
We'll continue to update as we know more. Thanks again for all the love and support!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
11/18 Evening Update
Hi Everyone,
Dad showed such good progress today that I thought I'd add a little more to Kristen's update from earlier this morning.
When we arrived at the hospital this morning, Dad was laying in bed with his eyes wide open and his right leg hanging off the side of the bed (a sign that he's probably anxious to get out of that bed). It was significant to us because it was the first time he's moved his right leg that much. When we approached the bed, his eyes lighted up and he gave us a big smile. Sure was a great sight to see. We of course didn't hesitate to hover over his bed and overwhelm him with questions and comments.
It wasn't long before the nurse came in and reported that Dad had been talking to her since she arrived at 7am. He was responding well to all of her commands including a thumbs up and a showing her 2 fingers - both with his right hand (all of his responses have been on his left hand so far).
The speech therapist came in later in the morning and asked him his name - you could hear him say "Brad" and after asking for his last name, you could hear "Hall". He went on to tell her his birthday (I could only make out "11" and "13" - if you didn't know his birthday, you might not have gotten it). That was the first time I'd heard him say his name or his birthday since he's been in the hospital so it was pretty cool to hear.
Before today, Mom had been opening each of the cards everyone has been sending and reading them to Dad. Today, I set a "previously opened" envelope on his lap and he immediately grabbed it with his left hand. It took about a minute but he pulled the card out of the envelope and held it up to read it (whether he was able to or not - I'm not sure). The next envelope wasn't opened but that didn't stop him - he worked his finger in the envelope and tore it right down the side.
We were getting ready to hit the Hospital cafeteria for lunch and Mom told Dad that we were going to grab a bite. He replied "Why don't we all go?" Mom re-capped that story to the Neuro surgeon when he came in. The neuro surgeon said that was nice - he commented that his wife would have just asked for his credit card and gone to lunch by herself. Without hesitation, Dad looked up at the Neuro Surgeon with a huge smile on his face (lips raised, teeth fully exposed kind of smile) and a raised brow and started laughing (a full body kind of laugh). He pointed at the Neuro surgeon and grabbed his hand as he laughed. The Neuro surgeon was quite pleased with Dad's response, especially the quick timing - no hesitation at all. His comments were all positive. I asked him if it looked like Dad needed a shunt - the short answer I'll leave you with here is no. Not that he'll never need one but he felt Dad was doing too well for a shunt. The next CT-scan is scheduled for tomorrow (Mon) morning - we'll see what it reveals then.
I'll leave you with a nice story. As we're in the room with Dad this morning, a man and his wife (who we've never seen before) show up at the door to the hospital room. The gentleman says "Hi, my name is Brad Hall." He goes on to explain that they received a card at their home that was forwarded from the hospital. As it turns out, this was a card that Dad's cousin Loren had mailed to Dad and it ended up in a different hospital within the same network. Since this other Brad Hall had been in that particular hospital in recent months, the hospital assumed the card was for him and forwarded it on. When he opened it, Loren had written his local contact # in Florida (they're visiting from Alaska and hoped to see Dad and Mom during their visit) so the other Brad Hall called Loren and got the scoop on Dad. That's when he and his wife took it upon themselves to hand deliver Loren's card directly to Dad's room. They were such kind people and it was so nice to meet them both. Turns out they live about 2 miles from Mom and Dad so I'm sure they'll reconnect again soon.
Well, that's all for now. Mom is over my shoulder telling me not to write so much but it was a positive day and I thought I'd share some of that positive energy that we felt with all of you who have been so kind and supportive through all of this.
Thanks again everyone - more later.
Dad showed such good progress today that I thought I'd add a little more to Kristen's update from earlier this morning.
When we arrived at the hospital this morning, Dad was laying in bed with his eyes wide open and his right leg hanging off the side of the bed (a sign that he's probably anxious to get out of that bed). It was significant to us because it was the first time he's moved his right leg that much. When we approached the bed, his eyes lighted up and he gave us a big smile. Sure was a great sight to see. We of course didn't hesitate to hover over his bed and overwhelm him with questions and comments.
It wasn't long before the nurse came in and reported that Dad had been talking to her since she arrived at 7am. He was responding well to all of her commands including a thumbs up and a showing her 2 fingers - both with his right hand (all of his responses have been on his left hand so far).
The speech therapist came in later in the morning and asked him his name - you could hear him say "Brad" and after asking for his last name, you could hear "Hall". He went on to tell her his birthday (I could only make out "11" and "13" - if you didn't know his birthday, you might not have gotten it). That was the first time I'd heard him say his name or his birthday since he's been in the hospital so it was pretty cool to hear.
Before today, Mom had been opening each of the cards everyone has been sending and reading them to Dad. Today, I set a "previously opened" envelope on his lap and he immediately grabbed it with his left hand. It took about a minute but he pulled the card out of the envelope and held it up to read it (whether he was able to or not - I'm not sure). The next envelope wasn't opened but that didn't stop him - he worked his finger in the envelope and tore it right down the side.
We were getting ready to hit the Hospital cafeteria for lunch and Mom told Dad that we were going to grab a bite. He replied "Why don't we all go?" Mom re-capped that story to the Neuro surgeon when he came in. The neuro surgeon said that was nice - he commented that his wife would have just asked for his credit card and gone to lunch by herself. Without hesitation, Dad looked up at the Neuro Surgeon with a huge smile on his face (lips raised, teeth fully exposed kind of smile) and a raised brow and started laughing (a full body kind of laugh). He pointed at the Neuro surgeon and grabbed his hand as he laughed. The Neuro surgeon was quite pleased with Dad's response, especially the quick timing - no hesitation at all. His comments were all positive. I asked him if it looked like Dad needed a shunt - the short answer I'll leave you with here is no. Not that he'll never need one but he felt Dad was doing too well for a shunt. The next CT-scan is scheduled for tomorrow (Mon) morning - we'll see what it reveals then.
I'll leave you with a nice story. As we're in the room with Dad this morning, a man and his wife (who we've never seen before) show up at the door to the hospital room. The gentleman says "Hi, my name is Brad Hall." He goes on to explain that they received a card at their home that was forwarded from the hospital. As it turns out, this was a card that Dad's cousin Loren had mailed to Dad and it ended up in a different hospital within the same network. Since this other Brad Hall had been in that particular hospital in recent months, the hospital assumed the card was for him and forwarded it on. When he opened it, Loren had written his local contact # in Florida (they're visiting from Alaska and hoped to see Dad and Mom during their visit) so the other Brad Hall called Loren and got the scoop on Dad. That's when he and his wife took it upon themselves to hand deliver Loren's card directly to Dad's room. They were such kind people and it was so nice to meet them both. Turns out they live about 2 miles from Mom and Dad so I'm sure they'll reconnect again soon.
Well, that's all for now. Mom is over my shoulder telling me not to write so much but it was a positive day and I thought I'd share some of that positive energy that we felt with all of you who have been so kind and supportive through all of this.
Thanks again everyone - more later.
11/17-18 update
Hi all -
Kate traveled back to VA last night, and the rest of the FL crew was pretty beat after a very busy, long day yesterday, so no one got around to writing an update last night. I'll do my best to give today's report from MA!
I spoke with BJ a little while ago, and Dad is having a super day. He's very responsive, talking a lot, and even got a joke that the neurosurgeon told and smiled and laughed out loud! I can't tell you how great that makes all of us feel. We all know how Dad likes stories and jokes, so to see (or in my case hear) that he understood one and found it funny shows us that Dad really is still Dad! He's also been moving around, and was able to clasp both of his hands together. He picked up a card and took it out of the envelope. These are all things we haven't seen yet, so we're encouraged.
Mom and BJ visited a few few rehab/skilled nursing facilities yesterday, and plan to see some others today. All are very close to Mom and Dad's condo, which is helpful. Mom has been pleased with what's she's seen so far. We're all glad to hear that, since she was concerned about what they might find, given her experience working at some similar types of facilities up here.
Please continue to pray for Dad's recovery. We know we have a long road ahead, but the doctors are pleased and the signs thus far are encouraging, and we are all looking forward to the day when Dad is 100% again!
Kate traveled back to VA last night, and the rest of the FL crew was pretty beat after a very busy, long day yesterday, so no one got around to writing an update last night. I'll do my best to give today's report from MA!
I spoke with BJ a little while ago, and Dad is having a super day. He's very responsive, talking a lot, and even got a joke that the neurosurgeon told and smiled and laughed out loud! I can't tell you how great that makes all of us feel. We all know how Dad likes stories and jokes, so to see (or in my case hear) that he understood one and found it funny shows us that Dad really is still Dad! He's also been moving around, and was able to clasp both of his hands together. He picked up a card and took it out of the envelope. These are all things we haven't seen yet, so we're encouraged.
Mom and BJ visited a few few rehab/skilled nursing facilities yesterday, and plan to see some others today. All are very close to Mom and Dad's condo, which is helpful. Mom has been pleased with what's she's seen so far. We're all glad to hear that, since she was concerned about what they might find, given her experience working at some similar types of facilities up here.
Please continue to pray for Dad's recovery. We know we have a long road ahead, but the doctors are pleased and the signs thus far are encouraging, and we are all looking forward to the day when Dad is 100% again!
Friday, November 16, 2012
11/16 update
Hi all,
Today was a busy day for Dad. He was still groggy from the procedures of the last couple days but the afternoon brought plenty of activity! We had a few visitors from ICU come by to say hi and Dad seemed elated to see them. Of course, he was smiling and winking at all the nurses.
In terms of his recovery, he had occupational, physical, and speech therapy today. The speech therapist worked with him swallowing; he showed improvement with some deliberate swallowing. The physical and occupational therapists started work but shortly after they began we realized that Dad was leaking a small amount of spinal fluid from his stitches. Not to worry-- the neurology PA came in and determined it was only minor! One would think that leaking spinal fluid was a big deal but apparently not! All of the therapists will continue pushing him on Monday and if they have some extra time, will also stop by over the weekend.
We were able to talk to a case manager about moving him to a rehab/skilled nursing facility today. Hopefully tomorrow we will be touring some locations to determine our top few choices since it looks as though Dad may be moving as early as next week! He has one more CAT-scan on Monday that will tell the doctors whether or not he will receive a shunt before leaving the hospital. Fingers crossed that all will turn out 100%! So far the doctors are very pleased with his scans!
One final note, he was moved into room 2262 from 2266 earlier today. A patient with chicken pox came in and they needed Dad's room because of the separate ventilation.
Thanks for all your love and kindness,
Kate
Today was a busy day for Dad. He was still groggy from the procedures of the last couple days but the afternoon brought plenty of activity! We had a few visitors from ICU come by to say hi and Dad seemed elated to see them. Of course, he was smiling and winking at all the nurses.
In terms of his recovery, he had occupational, physical, and speech therapy today. The speech therapist worked with him swallowing; he showed improvement with some deliberate swallowing. The physical and occupational therapists started work but shortly after they began we realized that Dad was leaking a small amount of spinal fluid from his stitches. Not to worry-- the neurology PA came in and determined it was only minor! One would think that leaking spinal fluid was a big deal but apparently not! All of the therapists will continue pushing him on Monday and if they have some extra time, will also stop by over the weekend.
We were able to talk to a case manager about moving him to a rehab/skilled nursing facility today. Hopefully tomorrow we will be touring some locations to determine our top few choices since it looks as though Dad may be moving as early as next week! He has one more CAT-scan on Monday that will tell the doctors whether or not he will receive a shunt before leaving the hospital. Fingers crossed that all will turn out 100%! So far the doctors are very pleased with his scans!
One final note, he was moved into room 2262 from 2266 earlier today. A patient with chicken pox came in and they needed Dad's room because of the separate ventilation.
Thanks for all your love and kindness,
Kate
Thursday, November 15, 2012
11/14 and 11/15
Hi all!
Sorry for the delay. Everyone fell asleep watching tv after an exhausting (but good!) day. Dad had a g-tube for feeding inserted and he's been a bit more alert than the preceding few days. In the middle of the afternoon, he woke up and said to Amy, "where the heck am I anyway?" Needless to say, we were very pleased we could understand him! He's also been humming quite a few tunes with the nurses!
Today, Thursday, is shaping up what looks to be another good day. Dad just got back from having a filter put in his lower abdomen to catch any blood clots from reaching his heart/lungs. He's still a bit groggy but we are hanging out and waiting for him to fully wake up.
Lastly, he was moved out of ICU after the filter procedure. He is now in room 2266 on the neuro floor. This is great for his rehab but we are going to miss the wonderful staff of ICU.
Thank you for all your love and kindness!
Kate
Sorry for the delay. Everyone fell asleep watching tv after an exhausting (but good!) day. Dad had a g-tube for feeding inserted and he's been a bit more alert than the preceding few days. In the middle of the afternoon, he woke up and said to Amy, "where the heck am I anyway?" Needless to say, we were very pleased we could understand him! He's also been humming quite a few tunes with the nurses!
Today, Thursday, is shaping up what looks to be another good day. Dad just got back from having a filter put in his lower abdomen to catch any blood clots from reaching his heart/lungs. He's still a bit groggy but we are hanging out and waiting for him to fully wake up.
Lastly, he was moved out of ICU after the filter procedure. He is now in room 2266 on the neuro floor. This is great for his rehab but we are going to miss the wonderful staff of ICU.
Thank you for all your love and kindness!
Kate
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
11/13- Happy Birthday, Dad!!
Hi all,
This is going to be a brief update because frankly, we are all exhausted!
It was another sleepy day for Dad. He didn't respond too well to commands and it caused us all to be on the edge of our seat waiting for Dr. Alvarez. The neuro PA came in, consulted with us, and removed the two ventrix tubes around 10am this morning. Knowing the building pressure in his brain, we were concerned about the decision, particularly where no shunt surgery date had been scheduled.
This is going to be a brief update because frankly, we are all exhausted!
It was another sleepy day for Dad. He didn't respond too well to commands and it caused us all to be on the edge of our seat waiting for Dr. Alvarez. The neuro PA came in, consulted with us, and removed the two ventrix tubes around 10am this morning. Knowing the building pressure in his brain, we were concerned about the decision, particularly where no shunt surgery date had been scheduled.
This afternoon we were finally able to relax after our meeting with the neurosurgeon. Dr. Alvarez explained his interest in removing the ventrix as soon as possible to remove the risk of potential infection. The latest Catscan indicated Dad's ventricles were unobstructed (pressure is there but ventricles are clear) and he wanted to "push Dad's system" to process the spinal fluid on his own. He explained the benefits of waiting as long as possible to put a shunt in place - if at all. Right now, the main focus is to limit the risk of infection. If ultimately he needs to release pressure in his head, he'll likely place a single temporary ventrix first (before putting a shunt in).
Tomorrow afternoon Dad will have a G-tube for feeding inserted in his stomach. This way it will be removed from his nose (and throat) and will hopefully reduce any irritation he's currently experiencing. It was an easy decision to make after learning that it sometimes takes stroke patients months to regain swallowing ability. Who knew?! Luckily the G-tube insertion should take all of ten minutes and is very similar to a simple endoscopy.
BJ and I went back to the hospital around 10 for a quick visit just to check on his breathing and general condition. Dr. Alvarez impressed upon us the need to note any particular changes to his condition. Needless to say, we have been overly aware of Dad's every movement all day. We are resting easy tonight knowing he is breathing well and all his stats are good.
On a happy final note, we met Aunt Jean at the hospital to celebrate Dad's 73rd birthday today! Mom made her legendary jiffy chocolate cake and we enjoyed it together (saving Dad a piece). He ended up with quite a few happy birthday songs, cards, hugs, and kisses today!
Thank you for your love and kindness!
P.S. This is not my definition of brief. I ended up writing WAY more than I thought I would! So much for being concise!
Monday, November 12, 2012
11/12
Hi all,
As many of you know, Dad had the ventrix clamped last night at midnight to see if his brain would drain his spinal fluid properly. He went down for a CAT-scan at 6am; the results weren't quite ready when we arrived at 7:30. Around 8, Carol (one of his many awesome nurses) popped in to let us know that the ventricles had swelled and the pressure in his brain was building. This was a bit of a downer for everyone. We were hoping that everything would go smoothly if only to prevent Dad from having to be re-intubated for shunt surgery. Though we haven't spoken to Dr. Alverez yet, the nurses, PA, and ICU staff all informed us on various occasions today that Dad will very likely have a shunt or shunts put in this week.
Though he was a little sleepier than he was yesterday, he was still happy and upbeat. Carol, Marie (his night nurse), and Dad all sang "You are my Sunshine" for us this morning. It was really sweet. We wanted Dad to rest so we didn't stay too long this morning.
Later in the afternoon we came back for a couple hours. Dad was much more alert and was somewhat responsive to the commands we've been giving him (lift your arm, thumbs up, squeeze hands, wiggle toes). His right side was a bit more sluggish today. We've noticed that he seems to have one up day and then one sleepy day. After yesterday, we should have expected him to need some additional rest. I think we were all a little disappointed with the CAT-scan results so we ended up wearing him out plenty this afternoon! All in all, he was pretty much the same. We are looking forward to catching Dr. Alvarez tomorrow to determine if and when the shunt will be put in. As I mentioned yesterday, either way, the ventrix should be coming out in the next few days.
On a more positive note, Dad's breathing has been great! He's kept up his oxygen level all day without too much help and is sleeping soundly with the Bi-pap mask. This is a welcome relief!
Thank you for your love and kindness!
As many of you know, Dad had the ventrix clamped last night at midnight to see if his brain would drain his spinal fluid properly. He went down for a CAT-scan at 6am; the results weren't quite ready when we arrived at 7:30. Around 8, Carol (one of his many awesome nurses) popped in to let us know that the ventricles had swelled and the pressure in his brain was building. This was a bit of a downer for everyone. We were hoping that everything would go smoothly if only to prevent Dad from having to be re-intubated for shunt surgery. Though we haven't spoken to Dr. Alverez yet, the nurses, PA, and ICU staff all informed us on various occasions today that Dad will very likely have a shunt or shunts put in this week.
Though he was a little sleepier than he was yesterday, he was still happy and upbeat. Carol, Marie (his night nurse), and Dad all sang "You are my Sunshine" for us this morning. It was really sweet. We wanted Dad to rest so we didn't stay too long this morning.
Later in the afternoon we came back for a couple hours. Dad was much more alert and was somewhat responsive to the commands we've been giving him (lift your arm, thumbs up, squeeze hands, wiggle toes). His right side was a bit more sluggish today. We've noticed that he seems to have one up day and then one sleepy day. After yesterday, we should have expected him to need some additional rest. I think we were all a little disappointed with the CAT-scan results so we ended up wearing him out plenty this afternoon! All in all, he was pretty much the same. We are looking forward to catching Dr. Alvarez tomorrow to determine if and when the shunt will be put in. As I mentioned yesterday, either way, the ventrix should be coming out in the next few days.
On a more positive note, Dad's breathing has been great! He's kept up his oxygen level all day without too much help and is sleeping soundly with the Bi-pap mask. This is a welcome relief!
Thank you for your love and kindness!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
11/11 update
Hi all,
My sister, Kristen, left late this afternoon so you are stuck with my brother and me for the next several days! I'm sorry to say that I'm likely not going to be as prolific or comprehensive as Kris has been but I will do my best!
First thing this morning Beege and I went to the hospital and found Dad resting very comfortably. It was his first night with the Bi-Pap mask and though it's a bit too small, it didn't seem to matter in terms of his breathing and comfort. During our visit, Dad was still a bit drowsy. Dr. Savage came in to update us on events of the upcoming days and tested his responsiveness. He was only somewhat responsive but when Melinda asked him to give a thumbs up, he happily smiled and stroked her hand *with his thumb.* She took it as a win.
Later in the morning, we all went back to the hospital so Kris and Heather could say bye to Dad before leaving. It took him a little bit to wake up but when he did he was in great shape! He was very talkative and moving all four limbs. At one point, Melinda was again testing his right arm responsiveness and he ignored her only to lift it straight up in the air moments after she turned away. He looked a little surprised at first but then proceeded to move it all around, lifting it up and down, and even trying to get his tubes out. Minutes after, that arm had to be restrained. :) Right now the doctors and nurses are mainly focused on distinguishing between spontaneous and purposeful movement. They're also trying to distinguish between what Dad wants to do and what he's annoyed with us asking him to do for the 7800th time. One of the things that surprised us the most occurred in a conversation he was having (remember we can't understand about 95% of what he says) with Heather. Heather told Dad that she would be back in 5 days. In a separate conversation more than 5 minutes later, everyone was heading out and BJ said he'd be back. Dad said, "see you in 5 days too?" So we learned that not only did he understand Heather but he was able to reference that memory in a later conversation. Needless to say, we felt great leaving the hospital!
We stopped back by the hospital late afternoon and it honestly seemed like Dad was getting a little tired of seeing us! He kept saying, "all right!" Like...okay...if you have to go, no worries. We asked him, "do you want us to go?" "No...nah.........all right!" We stayed for a bit but it was clear he wanted to have some alone/rest time.
Tonight we called for an update to see if he was awake and we should head over for a visit. Marie, the night nurse, informed us that he was suited up in his Bi-Pap mask and was resting comfortably. On a side note, Marie worked special tonight so she could be with Dad. Apparently they were singing the tune to, "You are my Sunshine" together and he was right on with the melody! She let us know that she is "really going to miss him" when he is finally let out of ICU.
The big news for today: Tonight at midnight Dad is having the ventrix clamped. At 6am he will have his next Cat-scan. The doctors are looking to see if the size of the ventricles change; this will determine whether or not Dad needs a shunt. Either way, it looks like the ventrix will be removed in the next few days so that the risk of spinal meningitis is significantly reduced.
Thanks, as always, for your continued support of our Dad. We are forever amazed and grateful for all of the love and kindness you have all shown him and our family. Thank you again!
My sister, Kristen, left late this afternoon so you are stuck with my brother and me for the next several days! I'm sorry to say that I'm likely not going to be as prolific or comprehensive as Kris has been but I will do my best!
First thing this morning Beege and I went to the hospital and found Dad resting very comfortably. It was his first night with the Bi-Pap mask and though it's a bit too small, it didn't seem to matter in terms of his breathing and comfort. During our visit, Dad was still a bit drowsy. Dr. Savage came in to update us on events of the upcoming days and tested his responsiveness. He was only somewhat responsive but when Melinda asked him to give a thumbs up, he happily smiled and stroked her hand *with his thumb.* She took it as a win.
Later in the morning, we all went back to the hospital so Kris and Heather could say bye to Dad before leaving. It took him a little bit to wake up but when he did he was in great shape! He was very talkative and moving all four limbs. At one point, Melinda was again testing his right arm responsiveness and he ignored her only to lift it straight up in the air moments after she turned away. He looked a little surprised at first but then proceeded to move it all around, lifting it up and down, and even trying to get his tubes out. Minutes after, that arm had to be restrained. :) Right now the doctors and nurses are mainly focused on distinguishing between spontaneous and purposeful movement. They're also trying to distinguish between what Dad wants to do and what he's annoyed with us asking him to do for the 7800th time. One of the things that surprised us the most occurred in a conversation he was having (remember we can't understand about 95% of what he says) with Heather. Heather told Dad that she would be back in 5 days. In a separate conversation more than 5 minutes later, everyone was heading out and BJ said he'd be back. Dad said, "see you in 5 days too?" So we learned that not only did he understand Heather but he was able to reference that memory in a later conversation. Needless to say, we felt great leaving the hospital!
We stopped back by the hospital late afternoon and it honestly seemed like Dad was getting a little tired of seeing us! He kept saying, "all right!" Like...okay...if you have to go, no worries. We asked him, "do you want us to go?" "No...nah.........all right!" We stayed for a bit but it was clear he wanted to have some alone/rest time.
Tonight we called for an update to see if he was awake and we should head over for a visit. Marie, the night nurse, informed us that he was suited up in his Bi-Pap mask and was resting comfortably. On a side note, Marie worked special tonight so she could be with Dad. Apparently they were singing the tune to, "You are my Sunshine" together and he was right on with the melody! She let us know that she is "really going to miss him" when he is finally let out of ICU.
The big news for today: Tonight at midnight Dad is having the ventrix clamped. At 6am he will have his next Cat-scan. The doctors are looking to see if the size of the ventricles change; this will determine whether or not Dad needs a shunt. Either way, it looks like the ventrix will be removed in the next few days so that the risk of spinal meningitis is significantly reduced.
Thanks, as always, for your continued support of our Dad. We are forever amazed and grateful for all of the love and kindness you have all shown him and our family. Thank you again!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
11/10 update
Dad seems in good spirits today. He's talking up a storm, but we really can't understand most of what he's saying. Every once in a while he'll say something very clearly, like "I don't know" or "I guess so", and he said "exactly" to the nurse when she asked him if his name is Brad.
His breathing, while still much better than it was, isn't as good today as it was yesterday. We have been telling him to try not to talk so much and focus on the breathing, and he'll stop for a minute or so, but then starts again. His nurse Carol has him sitting up as straight as she can, but he keeps leaning over to one side, and that makes it harder on his lungs. He's been able to cough pretty well, and that's something he wasn't able to do much of the last time they took the tube out. Every time we hear him cough, we tell him to keep it up. We know he understands at least some of what we're saying, and he'll respond and (usually) do what we ask, but I think he's getting annoyed with us telling him what to do all the time. He makes faces at us as if to say "I'm fine...there's nothing to worry about."
We cut our visits shorter today so we can allow him to rest. His neurosurgeon impressed upon us yesterday that he will need quite a bit of sleep now that he's more active and will start undergoing some physical and speech therapy. We probably will make one more visit tonight, so we can see how he's doing and check in with the night nurse.
Heather and I are both leaving tomorrow. I think BJ will be here til Monday or Tuesday, and Kate is staying til the end of the week. BJ and Heather will probably be back before Thanksgiving, and I'll be back the following week. It's going to be hard to leave but obviously we all need to get back to some semblance of regular life. A special thanks to my friend Shea, who dropped everything that Wednesday to stay at my house with my furry crew so I could fly down that night to be with everyone. I'm sure she'll be happy to go home tomorrow afternoon!
I'm hoping that whoever is here will take on writing the daily updates, but if not, I'll do my best to write them from home.
His breathing, while still much better than it was, isn't as good today as it was yesterday. We have been telling him to try not to talk so much and focus on the breathing, and he'll stop for a minute or so, but then starts again. His nurse Carol has him sitting up as straight as she can, but he keeps leaning over to one side, and that makes it harder on his lungs. He's been able to cough pretty well, and that's something he wasn't able to do much of the last time they took the tube out. Every time we hear him cough, we tell him to keep it up. We know he understands at least some of what we're saying, and he'll respond and (usually) do what we ask, but I think he's getting annoyed with us telling him what to do all the time. He makes faces at us as if to say "I'm fine...there's nothing to worry about."
We cut our visits shorter today so we can allow him to rest. His neurosurgeon impressed upon us yesterday that he will need quite a bit of sleep now that he's more active and will start undergoing some physical and speech therapy. We probably will make one more visit tonight, so we can see how he's doing and check in with the night nurse.
Heather and I are both leaving tomorrow. I think BJ will be here til Monday or Tuesday, and Kate is staying til the end of the week. BJ and Heather will probably be back before Thanksgiving, and I'll be back the following week. It's going to be hard to leave but obviously we all need to get back to some semblance of regular life. A special thanks to my friend Shea, who dropped everything that Wednesday to stay at my house with my furry crew so I could fly down that night to be with everyone. I'm sure she'll be happy to go home tomorrow afternoon!
I'm hoping that whoever is here will take on writing the daily updates, but if not, I'll do my best to write them from home.
Friday, November 9, 2012
11/9 PM - good news!
Today has been a great day. This morning around 10 the respiratory folks removed Dad's breathing tube and he's been breathing on his own since with no problems! It's great to see him without that tube hanging out of his mouth. He's talking up a storm, though we can't really understand a lot of what he's saying. We know his throat is irritated because of the tube, and there's probably still some confusion going on, but we're able to understand words here and there. He knew the color of my shirt, and how many fingers we were holding up. He's not quite sure how he feels about the blue toenails, but he's smiling and trying hard to let us know he's ok.
We saw movement in both arms and both legs. His right side is still pretty weak, but he's moving all over the place with his left arm and leg. BJ tried to explain why he shouldn't touch the tubes he still has (a feeding tube in his nose as well as oxygen, and the two drains in his head) and we think he understood, but unfortunately his arms still need to be restrained when we're not all there. It obviously frustrates him, but the nurse can't be next to him every minute so that's how it has to be.
Next up on his road to recovery: the neurosurgeon plans to clamp the two drains very early Monday morning, and then will do a catscan a few hours later to check out the ventricles in his brains. If he can handle the pressure in his head, they'll remove the drains. If not, he may need a shunt put in. It's a little bit of a wait and see thing. It may be a week or two weeks before they'll know how he's doing with the pressure.
We're all feeling good. The stress level has come down some, and I think we'll all sleep well tonight!
We saw movement in both arms and both legs. His right side is still pretty weak, but he's moving all over the place with his left arm and leg. BJ tried to explain why he shouldn't touch the tubes he still has (a feeding tube in his nose as well as oxygen, and the two drains in his head) and we think he understood, but unfortunately his arms still need to be restrained when we're not all there. It obviously frustrates him, but the nurse can't be next to him every minute so that's how it has to be.
Next up on his road to recovery: the neurosurgeon plans to clamp the two drains very early Monday morning, and then will do a catscan a few hours later to check out the ventricles in his brains. If he can handle the pressure in his head, they'll remove the drains. If not, he may need a shunt put in. It's a little bit of a wait and see thing. It may be a week or two weeks before they'll know how he's doing with the pressure.
We're all feeling good. The stress level has come down some, and I think we'll all sleep well tonight!
11/9 AM
As I write this, BJ and Kate are at the hospital with Dad, and he is currently breathing on his own, still attached to the ventilator. They're encouraging him to stay quiet and not fight the tube. If he keeps it up for another hour or so, they're planning to pull the tube. Please be praying that he gets to that point this morning, and that his lungs are strong enough to stay working on their own! This is a big step in Dad's recovery!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
11/8 update
Today we went to the hospital in shifts. We started out there all together, because we weren't sure what the plan for the day was regarding Dad's breathing tube. There was some talk about potentially taking it out today, but they opted not to. Dad was sedated when we arrived, because he was apparently agitated and overly active early this morning. He's become very aware of the breathing tube and he appears frustrated by everything. His blood pressure, pulse and respirations all shot up, so the doctor decided sedating him was the best course of action. Of course, we all want to see Dad being Dad, but we don't want him to be uncomfortable. (As a side note, I did tell him that Kate planned to paint his toenails blue, and got an eyeroll out of him, even while he was sedated!)
Late in the morning, and again in the afternoon, his nurse, Amy, lifted the sedation for a while to try and find a "happy place" - where he's not so sedated that he's out of it, but sedated enough that he's not irritated by the tube down his throat. We all saw his agitation, and understand why he needs to be sedated right now.
The plan for tomorrow is to try to get the breathing tube out tomorrow morning. The respiratory specialists plan to lower his sedation, do some breathing tests to see how he's doing, and leave him breathing on his own for a little while with the tube still in to see how he does. We're all praying Dad can handle it. Please pray that his brain will tell his body to take deep breaths. That was the problem the last time they removed it: the doctors feel his brain was not telling his body to take deep enough breaths to cough up the secretions in his lungs.
Mom and I saw his neurosurgeon while we were there in the morning. He's onboard with trying to get Dad off the ventilator tomorrow. He also said, depending on how the ventrix in his head do over the next few days, he may clamp them off early next week. If Dad can handle the pressure in his head, they will try to remove them next week. If he can't, the surgeon may consider inserting a shunt in Dad's head.
Please be praying for all of us as well, as we try to figure out what the next weeks and months will look like for us. We don't have any type of timeline of what's to come, or even what to expect. None of us want Mom to be here to deal with everything on her own, but we also can't stay indefinitely. We're trying to come up with a plan whereby we can rotate being here, at least a good portion of the time, so she'll have some support, and so Dad will see all of us on a regular basis. I'm grateful that I have a job that will allow me to be away as much as I need to. But there are lots of other logistics, both for me and for everyone else, that need to be dealt with.
As we keep saying, thanks so much for the prayer and love and support. We are grateful to know how much you all care for our Dad and for us!
Late in the morning, and again in the afternoon, his nurse, Amy, lifted the sedation for a while to try and find a "happy place" - where he's not so sedated that he's out of it, but sedated enough that he's not irritated by the tube down his throat. We all saw his agitation, and understand why he needs to be sedated right now.
The plan for tomorrow is to try to get the breathing tube out tomorrow morning. The respiratory specialists plan to lower his sedation, do some breathing tests to see how he's doing, and leave him breathing on his own for a little while with the tube still in to see how he does. We're all praying Dad can handle it. Please pray that his brain will tell his body to take deep breaths. That was the problem the last time they removed it: the doctors feel his brain was not telling his body to take deep enough breaths to cough up the secretions in his lungs.
Mom and I saw his neurosurgeon while we were there in the morning. He's onboard with trying to get Dad off the ventilator tomorrow. He also said, depending on how the ventrix in his head do over the next few days, he may clamp them off early next week. If Dad can handle the pressure in his head, they will try to remove them next week. If he can't, the surgeon may consider inserting a shunt in Dad's head.
Please be praying for all of us as well, as we try to figure out what the next weeks and months will look like for us. We don't have any type of timeline of what's to come, or even what to expect. None of us want Mom to be here to deal with everything on her own, but we also can't stay indefinitely. We're trying to come up with a plan whereby we can rotate being here, at least a good portion of the time, so she'll have some support, and so Dad will see all of us on a regular basis. I'm grateful that I have a job that will allow me to be away as much as I need to. But there are lots of other logistics, both for me and for everyone else, that need to be dealt with.
As we keep saying, thanks so much for the prayer and love and support. We are grateful to know how much you all care for our Dad and for us!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
11/7 update
Another good day for Dad today! Mom and BJ visited early in the day, and he was alert and awake a lot of the time. When they arrived, his eyes were wide open, and he clearly recognized them as they walked in. He can follow commands, and communicates pretty well with facial expressions. He's actively trying to talk, even though we can't hear him. They shared emails and stories that some of you have sent, and played some music for him.
Kate, Heather and I went over and met Mom and BJ for lunch and then took over the afternoon shift. Dad was actively trying to talk to both of us, and winked and smiled several times. His neurosurgeon visited while we were there, and he was pleasantly surprised with Dad's condition. He said he looks great - the best he's seen him. Dad followed his commands, and made some typical-Dad facial expressions, which made the doctor chuckle. He said for now we're sticking with more of the same. He's moving in the right direction.
We've heard that the respiratory folks are thinking about weaning him off the ventilator tomorrow. They have some tests they want him to pass before that happens, so we'll see how that goes.
We're all really pleased with his improvement, even from yesterday, and are praying we continue in this direction!
Kate, Heather and I went over and met Mom and BJ for lunch and then took over the afternoon shift. Dad was actively trying to talk to both of us, and winked and smiled several times. His neurosurgeon visited while we were there, and he was pleasantly surprised with Dad's condition. He said he looks great - the best he's seen him. Dad followed his commands, and made some typical-Dad facial expressions, which made the doctor chuckle. He said for now we're sticking with more of the same. He's moving in the right direction.
We've heard that the respiratory folks are thinking about weaning him off the ventilator tomorrow. They have some tests they want him to pass before that happens, so we'll see how that goes.
We're all really pleased with his improvement, even from yesterday, and are praying we continue in this direction!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
11/6 update
Most important news of the day: today was a HUGE improvement over yesterday. The difference in Dad is astounding. We know it was the right thing to put him back on the ventilator. Dad responded well to us all morning. He grabbed my hand tight and winked. He wiggled his toes on both feet and made a lot of his usual facial expressions. When the pretty ICU doctor came in to check on his neuro activity, he was making eyes as if to say "she's pretty". I told her that if we was able, he'd give her a big hug and sing to her. He also rolled his eyes when we told him Kate was upset she wasn't able to be home in VA to vote for Obama. We all got a good chuckle out of that one.
BJ, Heather, Kate and I went over early this morning so we could be there when the ICU team did their rounds. Mom stayed home so she could have a little break from the whole hospital scene and get some stuff done. When we arrived they weren't seeing much activity in him, but it really increased through the morning. Speaking for myself, the tight hand grab and wink was a little overwhelming emotionally. We've all been on edge these past days, and have seen very little in the way of response from Dad since our great day on Friday. Just knowing Dad was trying to let me know he's ok really got to me. We've been trying to stay positive in the room and not get upset in front of him, because we know he can hear us even if he's not really awake and interacting with us. I told him I was crying because I was happy; hopefully it didn't upset him too much.
The neurosurgeon came in while we were visiting, so we won't be meeting with him tonight. He said we really just have to wait and see where Dad is going on this journey. He's hoping by the end of next week we'll have a good idea of what's happening. Until then, it's just wait and see. They are going to leave him on the ventilator for a few days to give him a chance to rest, and then try to wean him off of it slowly. Right now he's breathing almost entirely on his own with just a little assistance.
Because his breathing has been such a concern, we have asked everyday about propping him up so his head is elevated more. I've probably written this before, but Dad never sleeps on his back, and often sleeps sitting up in his favorite chair because he's had bronchial issues. The neurosurgeon said it was ok for his head to be elevated more as long as they keep the two drains in his head at the appropriate level relative to his head. Today's nurse, Melinda, worked on his position for a while and she seems to have gotten him to a place where he's relatively comfortable and isn't sliding down the bed. When she wasn't helping Dad, she was providing the comic relief we needed. If dad were able to talk, the two of them would be having quite the party in his room!
He has had a fever just about everyday. The nurses have been doing their best to keep them down. Today Dad was under an inflatable blanket blowing cool air on him.
We're still waiting on some info from the lab to know if the junk that was in his lungs is going to be a problem, but his daily chest xray shows improvement. They also did an EEG, and didn't see any evidence of seizure activity.
We're all feeling better, but we know we're on a roller coaster ride right now. We're all praying the good days continue, and we see less and less of the bad days. Thanks for your prayers! Keep them coming!
BJ, Heather, Kate and I went over early this morning so we could be there when the ICU team did their rounds. Mom stayed home so she could have a little break from the whole hospital scene and get some stuff done. When we arrived they weren't seeing much activity in him, but it really increased through the morning. Speaking for myself, the tight hand grab and wink was a little overwhelming emotionally. We've all been on edge these past days, and have seen very little in the way of response from Dad since our great day on Friday. Just knowing Dad was trying to let me know he's ok really got to me. We've been trying to stay positive in the room and not get upset in front of him, because we know he can hear us even if he's not really awake and interacting with us. I told him I was crying because I was happy; hopefully it didn't upset him too much.
The neurosurgeon came in while we were visiting, so we won't be meeting with him tonight. He said we really just have to wait and see where Dad is going on this journey. He's hoping by the end of next week we'll have a good idea of what's happening. Until then, it's just wait and see. They are going to leave him on the ventilator for a few days to give him a chance to rest, and then try to wean him off of it slowly. Right now he's breathing almost entirely on his own with just a little assistance.
Because his breathing has been such a concern, we have asked everyday about propping him up so his head is elevated more. I've probably written this before, but Dad never sleeps on his back, and often sleeps sitting up in his favorite chair because he's had bronchial issues. The neurosurgeon said it was ok for his head to be elevated more as long as they keep the two drains in his head at the appropriate level relative to his head. Today's nurse, Melinda, worked on his position for a while and she seems to have gotten him to a place where he's relatively comfortable and isn't sliding down the bed. When she wasn't helping Dad, she was providing the comic relief we needed. If dad were able to talk, the two of them would be having quite the party in his room!
He has had a fever just about everyday. The nurses have been doing their best to keep them down. Today Dad was under an inflatable blanket blowing cool air on him.
We're still waiting on some info from the lab to know if the junk that was in his lungs is going to be a problem, but his daily chest xray shows improvement. They also did an EEG, and didn't see any evidence of seizure activity.
We're all feeling better, but we know we're on a roller coaster ride right now. We're all praying the good days continue, and we see less and less of the bad days. Thanks for your prayers! Keep them coming!
Monday, November 5, 2012
11/5 update
Today was a tough day. After a late night visit last night, when we saw that Dad was again struggling to breathe, BJ decided to spend the night in his room with him. We know Dad has always had some bronchial issues, but it's gotten a lot worse these past couple of days, partly because of the brain injury, and partly because of his position in bed. They just can't get him in a good position to breathe well. BJ said they did a bunch of tests and xrays during the night, and Dad seemed more comfortable. He was able to talk to the neurosurgeon's PA when he came to do rounds early in the morning. The drain on the left side of Dad's head had stopped working. They made some adjustments during the day and finally got it fixed. We also learned that yesterday's catscan showed a significant reduction in the size of the ventricles in his brain, which is a very good thing.
When the rest of us arrived at the hospital at 8:30, Dad's breathing was labored again, and it deteriorated through the morning. By lunchtime the ICU doctor decided the best thing to do was to put him back on the ventilator. We all agreed. It was difficult to watch him struggling so much. It took them a while, but they were successful. They were able to get rid of a lot of the junk that was building up. The doctor did a bronchostomy and removed a lot of what was way down in his lungs. He's sedated now, and looks so much more comfortable. He's breathing easy, and we're hoping, even though it's a setback, that it will allow Dad to get the rest he needs to heal.
We tried to see the neurosurgeon this afternoon, but missed him by a few minutes. We now have an appointment with him tomorrow evening and are looking forward to hearing what he has to say.
When the rest of us arrived at the hospital at 8:30, Dad's breathing was labored again, and it deteriorated through the morning. By lunchtime the ICU doctor decided the best thing to do was to put him back on the ventilator. We all agreed. It was difficult to watch him struggling so much. It took them a while, but they were successful. They were able to get rid of a lot of the junk that was building up. The doctor did a bronchostomy and removed a lot of what was way down in his lungs. He's sedated now, and looks so much more comfortable. He's breathing easy, and we're hoping, even though it's a setback, that it will allow Dad to get the rest he needs to heal.
We tried to see the neurosurgeon this afternoon, but missed him by a few minutes. We now have an appointment with him tomorrow evening and are looking forward to hearing what he has to say.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
11/4 update
Today was a day of rest for Dad. We are all obviously hoping he'll be more and more active (especially during our visits) but we've come to appreciate his need for rest. We've had a lot of people with more experience tell us to expect days where he's more active and days where he isn't.
We continue to feel very good about the level of care he is getting in this ICU unit. The entire medical team has been very supportive and informative. They have been working hard to keep Dad comfortable and we think he is probably the most comfortable he's been since he's been there.
We've had some concern about his breathing. Dad's always had some bronchial issues, and he doesn't do well sleeping on his back. Of course, being in a hospital bed there are few options for sleeping positions. When he's on his back we can see that his breathing is labored. The nurses have been changing his position as much as they can every two hours. He seems much more comfortable when they have him rolled toward one side. Today they decided to put him on a BiPAP machine to help get some oxygen down into his lungs. After he had been on it for an hour or so, he was breathing much easier and seemed more comfortable. We're hoping that translates into Dad being more alert tomorrow.
While we were there one of the neurosurgeons came in to check on him, and because Dad is less active today he ordered another catscan. He doesn't expect to see much difference from the previous catscan, and feels that this is just part of the recovery journey for Dad, but he wants to be sure nothing has changed. He told us it could be that Dad is expending all of his energy breathing, since it's been so labored, so he is just too tired to respond when people talk to him.
BJ and I went back for another visit late this afternoon, and Dad is definitely breathing much easier with the BiPAP machine. His oxygen levels are great, and we both felt relieved to see him so comfortable. While we were there we told him a couple of jokes and read him some emails. He didn't respond, but we kept talking anyway. BJ explained how he plans to replace the kitchen faucet at Mom and Dad's condo. I was hoping that would illicit a response, because we know he would want to give BJ step by step instructions, but it didn't. But we'll see if he remembers that later on.
BJ and I went back for another visit late this afternoon, and Dad is definitely breathing much easier with the BiPAP machine. His oxygen levels are great, and we both felt relieved to see him so comfortable. While we were there we told him a couple of jokes and read him some emails. He didn't respond, but we kept talking anyway. BJ explained how he plans to replace the kitchen faucet at Mom and Dad's condo. I was hoping that would illicit a response, because we know he would want to give BJ step by step instructions, but it didn't. But we'll see if he remembers that later on.
We continue to feel very good about the level of care he is getting in this ICU unit. The entire medical team has been very supportive and informative. They have been working hard to keep Dad comfortable and we think he is probably the most comfortable he's been since he's been there.
We're all going to be here with Mom all week. We're trying to take care of some projects around the condo she needs done. Since they've only been here two weeks, there are still lots of little things that need to be organized and put away, and we're glad we can be here to help.
Some info on Dad's stroke
This isn't really an update, but we thought we'd jot down some of the info we've learned about Dad's stroke.
It was hemorrhagic, so instead of a clot, it was a blood vessel that burst after a gradual weakening of the vessel wall. The bleed was massive and intracerebral, so he basically has a big bruise and it's in the middle of his brain.
There are 4 ventricles in the brain that are usually full of spinal fluid. They're responsible for transporting spinal fluid from the spinal cord to the brain. Right now they are full of blood, so the spinal fluid is not moving around the way it's supposed to. It's normal for everyone to produce about 3/4 cup of spinal fluid everyday. In Dad's case, they're helping him drain that fluid which helps reduce the pressure on his brain. To accomplish this, the surgeon installed two "ventrix", or drains, which are small tubes that go down into the center of his brain. As the spinal fluid drains, it slowly flushes out the bruise which will reduce the pressure on his brain and allow things to return to normal. His nurse Carol said it could take up to 6 weeks to get the blood out and get the spinal fluid moving the way it should.
The center of the brain controls the speech center, which includes speaking, listening and writing. It also controls body temperature, so fevers are not uncommon.
It was hemorrhagic, so instead of a clot, it was a blood vessel that burst after a gradual weakening of the vessel wall. The bleed was massive and intracerebral, so he basically has a big bruise and it's in the middle of his brain.
There are 4 ventricles in the brain that are usually full of spinal fluid. They're responsible for transporting spinal fluid from the spinal cord to the brain. Right now they are full of blood, so the spinal fluid is not moving around the way it's supposed to. It's normal for everyone to produce about 3/4 cup of spinal fluid everyday. In Dad's case, they're helping him drain that fluid which helps reduce the pressure on his brain. To accomplish this, the surgeon installed two "ventrix", or drains, which are small tubes that go down into the center of his brain. As the spinal fluid drains, it slowly flushes out the bruise which will reduce the pressure on his brain and allow things to return to normal. His nurse Carol said it could take up to 6 weeks to get the blood out and get the spinal fluid moving the way it should.
The center of the brain controls the speech center, which includes speaking, listening and writing. It also controls body temperature, so fevers are not uncommon.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
11/3 update
This morning we decided to take the morning off from the hospital. We visited dad after dinner last night, and he was in good spirits, and was actually being a little "fresh", as Mom would say. We read him some emails we've received, and he responded with various appropriate facial expressions. We all got a kick out of some of the eyebrow raises and head bobs. Mom and I sang a song to him that he regularly sings, and he was making the facial expressions he would make if he were singing it himself. BJ gave him a stern talking to about not pulling out any of the tubes that are still connected. He really wants them out, and if they loosen the restraints on his hands, he immediately reaches up toward his head. So, BJ told him several times to leave them alone, then asked if he understood, and he nodded his head yes. Then BJ asked if he would give him his word that he wouldn't touch them; he started to nod yes, then stopped, and shook his head no. He certainly is stubborn!
I would love to tell you that we saw more progress during our visit this afternoon, but that was not the case. He apparently had a fever during the night, and they've put him on some antibiotics because they're concerned about some congestion in his lungs. Shortly before we arrived, his nurse (Carol, who has been an absolute blessing to all of us) was attempting to insert a feeding tube through his nose. They removed the tube he had in his mouth yesterday when they removed the breathing tube, so he wasn't getting any nourishment until today. She had a very difficult time, and he fought her the whole way. She ended up needing assistance from another nurse to get dad to hold still, and they gave him something for the pain they figured he was experiencing. When we arrived, he was exhausted. He had his eyes open at times, and he would turn his head when we talked to him sometimes, but he didn't respond to our requests to squeeze our hands or nod yes or no. The ICU doctor told us that we need to expect good days and bad days during the recovery from a head bleed. So, I don't want to say this was a setback, but we left feeling somewhat disappointed. Yesterday was so great, and we obviously want to see a straight line of progress from day to day, but it's not always going to be that way. It's going to be a bit of a rocky road for a while. On a good note, the one response we did see was Dad trying to tap his foot to some music Kate played for him. She also brought some pictures of home, and Sydney (the dog) and their place on the cape, as well as of people close to him. If any of you would like to email us some pictures, we'll gladly load them onto Kate's iPad and bring them to the hospital to show him.
For those of you who pray, please pray against any pneumonia that may delay dad's recovery. And pray for mom as well. She twisted her knee yesterday and has been in quite a lot of pain. Right now she's icing it and taking something for the pain. If it doesn't improve, we'll be making a detour to the emergency room on our way to visit Dad in the next day or so. She hasn't heard this plan yet, so pray I survive the lashing I'll get after I send this email!
We want to thank everyone who has sent encouraging emails and stories. I've tried to respond to everyone, but for those I've missed, I apologize. It's been tough to keep up! And regarding future updates: we've been trying to figure out the best way to keep everyone updated without bombarding people with emails. There are over 100 people on this list, and you range from close friends who want to know every detail, to acquaintances who would like an occasional update, to people who don't know Dad at all but are praying for him because you know one of us. We've decided the best thing to do is post our updates on a blog. That way, you can check in whenever you want, and you don't have to get constant emails from me if you don't want that much detail. The blog address is: http://www.bh1bglg.
Thank you again for all the love and support! We are blessed to have you all in our lives!
Kristen
--
If you'd like to email anyone else directly, here are their email addresses:
Debbie debhall313@gmail.com
Kristen khall222@gmail.com
BJ and Heather palmettohall@gmail.com
11/2 update
We spent the morning at the hospital with Dad, and are very encouraged with what we've seen. We were able to talk with the ICU doctor, and he confirmed what we've been speculating; Dad had a hemorrhagic stroke due to uncontrolled hypertension. They said it was a massive intracerebral bleed. The drains the surgeon installed are doing their job draining away the spinal fluid and blood to relieve the pressure inside his brain. The ICU doctor said he is very pleased with Dad's progress thus far. Many stroke victims have no response at all for weeks, and here we are two days out, and he's responding to commands and has some movement.
He is no longer sedated, and while we were there they removed his breathing tube and his feeding tube. For the first couple of hours he was only moving his left arm and left leg, which was discouraging. We had hoped to see movement on his right side. But after we had been there a while, all of a sudden he lifted up his right arm and put it across his chest! That was the first time anyone had seen more than just finger wiggling. Shortly thereafter, we saw him pick his right leg up and cross it over his left. His nurse described him as "getting rambunctious", because he's trying hard to pull out some of the remaining tubes. His arms are restrained so he can't lift them to his head to pull on anything. While we were out of the room, he managed to adjust his position to move his head closer to his hands and had a good grip around one tube when we came back in. It looks like Dad is still Dad!
Other little glimpses of the morning:
He can nod yes and no and respond to commands to move his arm or leg.
He is raising his eyebrows and tried to wink - a very "Dad" thing to do.
He reached up and puckered his lips when Mom asked him for a kiss.
He appears to be doing some of his usual body motions, like rocking his head from side to side, and hanging his foot down and moving it in big circular motions - things he regularly does when sitting in his easy chair in front of the tv.
He was ornery with the respiratory therapist when she tried to remove his breathing tube. He did not like one of the things she did prior to pulling out the tube, so he was determined to stop her from doing anything else. He grabbed the tube and held it down so she couldn't pull it out. After they pried his fingers off the tube, he bit down hard on it. They did eventually get it out but not without a fight!
He was making some vocal sounds, and we did hear him say "yeah" after the nurse brushed his teeth for him.
Everything was very encouraging. Right now it sounds like they expect him to be in the ICU for about two weeks. As long as he has the drains in his head, he has to stay there. We know he will have a long road ahead, but things are looking good for only 2 days out.
Based on some of the responses to yesterday's email, I realized that some of you may not know that Mom and Dad moved to Florida just two weeks ago. I know Mom is thankful that Aunt Jean, Dad's sister, is not far away, and that we've all been able to take time off and be here with her. If you'd like Mom and Dad's address, drop me a note and I'll send it to you.
Also, the nurse has told us that it will be helpful for us to talk to Dad about "regular everyday things" as he recovers. I know he communicates with many of you on a regular basis. If you have any stories (if you know him you know how he loves stories, though he's usually the one telling them!), even if they seem mundane to you, or if you come across a good joke you think he'd enjoy, we'd love to have you send them along so we can share what's happening in your lives with him. He's such an extrovert, I know he will appreciate staying informed on what's going on in the lives of those he loves. I've listed our email addresses below.
Thanks again for all the prayer and support. We are eternally grateful for the love you've all showed for us and for Dad. I know he would say the same if he were able!
Kristen
Gulf Coast Medical Center
13681 Doctor's Way
Fort Myers, FL 33912
Debbie debhall313 @ gmail. com
Kristen khall222 @ gmail. com
BJ and Heather palmettohall @ gmail. com
Kate treehugger313 @ gmail. com
BJ and Heather palmettohall @ gmail. com
Kate treehugger313 @ gmail. com
11/1 update
First, for those who have not heard, Dad is in the hospital because of some bleeding in his brain. It happened yesterday morning when he was home with mom, and she was able to get him to a great local hospital that specializes in brain injuries/strokes very quickly. He had surgery to insert two tubes in his head to drain the blood and fluid away from his brain and relieve the pressure. He has been sedated since coming out of surgery.
Hopefully this is an update for most of you. We appreciate all of your prayers on Dad's behalf. If you are just hearing about this for the first time, I apologize for sharing the news this way. If you would like more detail on what's happening, please email and we'll do our best to fill you in. We've had many people calling to express their concern for Dad, and we really appreciate all the love and support. But the past couple of days have been very hectic, and we haven't had the time to talk with all of you as much as we'd like. So, we'll do our best to keep you all updated this way. But please, if you want to call or text any of us because you're thinking or praying for us, don't feel like we don't want to hear from you! We'd love to chat if we're able.
Today we don't know much more than we did yesterday. There is still blood in his brain, and he is still sedated. The nurses are lifting the sedation every hour or two so they can check his movements. When Mom and I visited him this morning, they had just lifted the sedation, and he was moving both of his legs and his left arm pretty well. The nurse subsequently restrained his arms, because he was pulling at one of the tubes on his head, and another one taped to his chest. He had his eyes open, and lifted his head off the bed. He clearly knew Mom, and was looking intently at her, and raising his left hand. She knew he was concerned about his wedding ring, which they don't allow patients to wear in the ICU. In the 46 years they've been married, Dad had never taken it off. She has been carrying it with her, and she held it up and showed it to him, and told him not to worry. He clearly understood, and relaxed back onto his pillow after that.
Later in the day, after BJ and Heather had picked up Kate from the Tampa airport, we all went for a visit along with Aunt Jean. Dad was sedated and resting comfortably. It's difficult for everyone to see him hooked up to all the monitors with tubes all over the place, but the doctors feel things are going well. Thanks to Aunt Jean's friend, Dr. Casola, we've heard that Dad was operated on by a top notch surgeon, and he feels Dad will have some weakness on his right side, but that there is still much room for improvement. We won't know what we can expect for a while yet, as his brain is still irritated, but we are hoping things will begin to become clear over the next few days.
We'll update when we know more.
Love to you all -
Debbie, Kristen, BJ, Heather and Kate Hall
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)