Hi Everyone,
I hope your Thanksgivings were wonderful. Ours was. However, I am writing with some bad news. Mom had a mini stroke (or strokes) today. Here is her status: She used to be weak on the left side only but now is weak on both sides. She used to be able to speak and be conversational but now her speech is predominantly jarbled and slurred. She became very disoriented and confused when she first woke this morning---didn't know any of our names or where she was. Terry and dad found her this way and called Claudia. Claudia and John called the ambulance and mom was brought to the hospital.
We all arrived there together to be with her. Once we arrived there, she was starting to improve a bit...spoke in understandable words (but slurred) maybe 15-20% of the time, began to move her right arm and leg...but then regressed back to jumbled speech and no movement and then progressed back to moving and talking somewhat understandably again.
Blood work came back good, she had a minor urinary tract infection (not the cause of her condition at all this time), and her CAT Scan came back fine (which means no bleeding, clots, aneurysms...). MRI is planned for tomorrow (tried today but didn't have the exact name and brand of the coil in her head so radiology wanted to be safe and wait---compatibility of machine and coil vary and can result in further injury if not the right match). MRI is expected to show where the stroke occurred, how bad it is, and how many occurred. Then...on to rehabilitation... (as I write this, I realize I didn't ask about the shunt malfunctioning and/or fluid on the brain again). They hydrated mom and this should help her recover more because the neurologist explained that there is a lack of fluid in the body and brain following such an occurrence. The neurologist also said that it is a good sign that her abilities are inconsistent because it means she is progressing and not regressing.
We kept mom active and alert all day...taking turns being with her (only 1 person at a time allowed). My philosophy was that we needed to keep what was functioning well already, functioning; so that what was dysfunctional could 'kick in' and come alive again or so that other parts of the brain could begin to 'kick in' and compensate for permanently damaged areas. We kept her talking (in her own way), counting, playing games, naming items and people...even reading! She did all that midday and into the afternoon. As the day went on, she was tired and agitated and upset and cried a lot about being in the hospital. She was inconsolable.
Mom's receptive language (ability to understand others) is good. It is her expressive language that is lacking (her ability to talk, point, gesture...to communicate). She was able to lift both legs and arms on command for the neurologist when he came. And she was also able to smile (she couldn't do that all day until he came). She couldn't stick out her tongue though. She kept asking (in her jarbled way) why she was in the hospital and what happened to her and when she could go home. She told dad she loved him and was sorry for putting him through all this.
I don't need to ask for prayer because I know you all will pray...but here's a specific list, if I may be so bold to ask... pray (obviously) for mom to heal, for God to hold her in the palm of His Hand, for comfort for dad, and for the strength for all of us to do what we need to do to help her recover (whatever that may be) and to not quit 5 minutes before the next miracle happens.
I won't do a daily email post, just an occasional one to update you. Thanks for the support and prayers.
"Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me." Psalm 23:4
I hope your Thanksgivings were wonderful. Ours was. However, I am writing with some bad news. Mom had a mini stroke (or strokes) today. Here is her status: She used to be weak on the left side only but now is weak on both sides. She used to be able to speak and be conversational but now her speech is predominantly jarbled and slurred. She became very disoriented and confused when she first woke this morning---didn't know any of our names or where she was. Terry and dad found her this way and called Claudia. Claudia and John called the ambulance and mom was brought to the hospital.
We all arrived there together to be with her. Once we arrived there, she was starting to improve a bit...spoke in understandable words (but slurred) maybe 15-20% of the time, began to move her right arm and leg...but then regressed back to jumbled speech and no movement and then progressed back to moving and talking somewhat understandably again.
Blood work came back good, she had a minor urinary tract infection (not the cause of her condition at all this time), and her CAT Scan came back fine (which means no bleeding, clots, aneurysms...). MRI is planned for tomorrow (tried today but didn't have the exact name and brand of the coil in her head so radiology wanted to be safe and wait---compatibility of machine and coil vary and can result in further injury if not the right match). MRI is expected to show where the stroke occurred, how bad it is, and how many occurred. Then...on to rehabilitation... (as I write this, I realize I didn't ask about the shunt malfunctioning and/or fluid on the brain again). They hydrated mom and this should help her recover more because the neurologist explained that there is a lack of fluid in the body and brain following such an occurrence. The neurologist also said that it is a good sign that her abilities are inconsistent because it means she is progressing and not regressing.
We kept mom active and alert all day...taking turns being with her (only 1 person at a time allowed). My philosophy was that we needed to keep what was functioning well already, functioning; so that what was dysfunctional could 'kick in' and come alive again or so that other parts of the brain could begin to 'kick in' and compensate for permanently damaged areas. We kept her talking (in her own way), counting, playing games, naming items and people...even reading! She did all that midday and into the afternoon. As the day went on, she was tired and agitated and upset and cried a lot about being in the hospital. She was inconsolable.
Mom's receptive language (ability to understand others) is good. It is her expressive language that is lacking (her ability to talk, point, gesture...to communicate). She was able to lift both legs and arms on command for the neurologist when he came. And she was also able to smile (she couldn't do that all day until he came). She couldn't stick out her tongue though. She kept asking (in her jarbled way) why she was in the hospital and what happened to her and when she could go home. She told dad she loved him and was sorry for putting him through all this.
I don't need to ask for prayer because I know you all will pray...but here's a specific list, if I may be so bold to ask... pray (obviously) for mom to heal, for God to hold her in the palm of His Hand, for comfort for dad, and for the strength for all of us to do what we need to do to help her recover (whatever that may be) and to not quit 5 minutes before the next miracle happens.
I won't do a daily email post, just an occasional one to update you. Thanks for the support and prayers.
"Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me." Psalm 23:4
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