Mom's birthday is tomorrow. We are so blessed to have her with us. The doctors are amazed with her progress.
We are waiting to hear back from insurance regarding whether they will cover the residential rehab facility that is our first choice for mom's next set of therapy. If they do not cover it, Mom will enter the challenge program at TIRR.
After the challenge program, she will be moving back to Orange where she will stay will several family friends so that she has someone making sure she is safe.
Stephen
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Rehab Update
Mom is having her monthly rehab assessment this week. Will know more about her progress when they give us the results next week.
We met with one of the social workers from TIRR today and discussed long term plans for mom. The ultimate goal is to have her back at her house in Orange with Aunt Maxine.
To do this we will need to get several things in place. Mom and Aunt Maxine will need someone there to keep an eye on them 24 hours a day.
They are recommending mom do one more level of therapy in Houston before returning to Orange full time. We are not sure how long this will last.
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers,
Ramona, Stephen and Sonya
We met with one of the social workers from TIRR today and discussed long term plans for mom. The ultimate goal is to have her back at her house in Orange with Aunt Maxine.
To do this we will need to get several things in place. Mom and Aunt Maxine will need someone there to keep an eye on them 24 hours a day.
They are recommending mom do one more level of therapy in Houston before returning to Orange full time. We are not sure how long this will last.
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers,
Ramona, Stephen and Sonya
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Update
Hello everyone,
Sorry for being silent for so long. Life is incredibly busy.
Mom has moved in with Sonya and I. She stays with us Sunday evening through Friday afternoons. On the weekends, she goes back to Orange and stays with either Johnny or Sheryl.
Sonya takes mom to outpatient therapy on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She receives Speech, Occupational and Physical therapy each day.
Mom can not be left alone so Sonya takes care of her during the day. When I get home from work, I take over. Sonya is incredible and I know mom is doing so well because of her constant care.
Mom is making improvements. We have seen them ourselves. But I must warn you, it is still going to be a long road.
Several of the therapists say Mom will never be the same. It may take more than a year or two for her to be close to who she was again.
We are very uncertain about the future. We are just taking it one day at a time.
Stephen
Sorry for being silent for so long. Life is incredibly busy.
Mom has moved in with Sonya and I. She stays with us Sunday evening through Friday afternoons. On the weekends, she goes back to Orange and stays with either Johnny or Sheryl.
Sonya takes mom to outpatient therapy on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She receives Speech, Occupational and Physical therapy each day.
Mom can not be left alone so Sonya takes care of her during the day. When I get home from work, I take over. Sonya is incredible and I know mom is doing so well because of her constant care.
Mom is making improvements. We have seen them ourselves. But I must warn you, it is still going to be a long road.
Several of the therapists say Mom will never be the same. It may take more than a year or two for her to be close to who she was again.
We are very uncertain about the future. We are just taking it one day at a time.
Stephen
Monday, June 1, 2009
Quick Word from Mom
We started Outpatient Therapy today. Mom is doing okay overall, but the therapists did note there is still lots of room for improvement.
She likes her therapists overall and we are hopeful they will continue to help us improve.
Her is a quick word from Mom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Kv2j_lE2I
I will keep posting on the blog.
There has just not been a lot of change recently and we have had our hands full with Mom and work.
She likes her therapists overall and we are hopeful they will continue to help us improve.
Her is a quick word from Mom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Kv2j_lE2I
I will keep posting on the blog.
There has just not been a lot of change recently and we have had our hands full with Mom and work.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
A Sunday afternoon with Mom
We had a day pass today so we could have a practice run. The social workers wanted us to go to a post acute care facility and I think this was their attempt to scare us so we would give up and send her to a post acute facility.
We were not thrilled with that idea and wanted to get the neurologist's opinion. Once Dr. Chen saw Mom, he told us that she should do outpatient therapy and stay with Sonya and I.
We know the coming months will be difficult. Mom needs 24 hour supervision and while I can see her memory improving, she still asks questions over and over again.
Today has been great. Mom is in good spirits because she is out of the hospital. She wanted Coconut Shrimp for lunch, so we went to Outback and had a wonderful meal. She is currently stretching out her left arm and doing some exercises on the couch.
Sonya is going to be trained be the therapists tomorrow. Tuesday Mom will be moving in with us. Once we get settled, we would like her to spend weekends in Orange.
Just keeping you in the loop.
We were not thrilled with that idea and wanted to get the neurologist's opinion. Once Dr. Chen saw Mom, he told us that she should do outpatient therapy and stay with Sonya and I.
We know the coming months will be difficult. Mom needs 24 hour supervision and while I can see her memory improving, she still asks questions over and over again.
Today has been great. Mom is in good spirits because she is out of the hospital. She wanted Coconut Shrimp for lunch, so we went to Outback and had a wonderful meal. She is currently stretching out her left arm and doing some exercises on the couch.
Sonya is going to be trained be the therapists tomorrow. Tuesday Mom will be moving in with us. Once we get settled, we would like her to spend weekends in Orange.
Just keeping you in the loop.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Visit with Dr. Chen
We went to see Dr. Chen today. He was amazed at Mom's progress. It is rare for a patient to be so responsive in such a short time.
In 3 months, we will return to Dr. Chen. He expects her memory and left neglect to improve significantly. The next surgery will be performed after she has recovered more completely.
He recommended that Mom stay with Sonya and I so she can receive outpatient therapy from TIRR. We are fortunate to live so close to one of the best rehab centers in the country.
Mom should be released from TIRR within the next two weeks.
We are making preparations for Mom's arrival.
Read more about TIRR below
http://www.memorialhermann.org/locations/tirr/default.aspx
In 3 months, we will return to Dr. Chen. He expects her memory and left neglect to improve significantly. The next surgery will be performed after she has recovered more completely.
He recommended that Mom stay with Sonya and I so she can receive outpatient therapy from TIRR. We are fortunate to live so close to one of the best rehab centers in the country.
Mom should be released from TIRR within the next two weeks.
We are making preparations for Mom's arrival.
Read more about TIRR below
http://www.memorialhermann.org/locations/tirr/default.aspx
Monday, April 27, 2009
April 27
We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Dr. Chen will evaluate her progress and determine when he will operate on the other two aneurysms.
We have a few options for our next step. Mom may come live with Sonya and I to receive outpatient therapy or she may enter a residential brain care facility. The therapists do not believe she is ready to move back to her house.
I read last week that most healing after a stroke takes place during the first 6 months. Most patients do continue to improve, but not as quickly. I believe we are best served to "suck it up" and do as much as we can to help her improve during this period.
We all want Mom to be in her home, but we want to her to be home in the best shape possible.
There are lots of variables right now, but wanted to put the options here for you to see.
We have a few options for our next step. Mom may come live with Sonya and I to receive outpatient therapy or she may enter a residential brain care facility. The therapists do not believe she is ready to move back to her house.
I read last week that most healing after a stroke takes place during the first 6 months. Most patients do continue to improve, but not as quickly. I believe we are best served to "suck it up" and do as much as we can to help her improve during this period.
We all want Mom to be in her home, but we want to her to be home in the best shape possible.
There are lots of variables right now, but wanted to put the options here for you to see.
Monday, April 20, 2009
16 Days
The current plan is for Mom to be released from the TIRR Center on May 6. That is in 16 days. Her progress will determine what we do from there.
She is ready to get out of the hospital, NOW. A fact she reminds you of regularly.
Mom will definately need additional therapy. She gets confused very easily and has trouble remembering things.
The neurologist told me that she will need constant supervision for between 6 months and 1 year. We are hoping that with the best therapy possible, she can make a full mental recovery.
Will keep you posted as we prepare for the next step on the long road ahead.
She is ready to get out of the hospital, NOW. A fact she reminds you of regularly.
Mom will definately need additional therapy. She gets confused very easily and has trouble remembering things.
The neurologist told me that she will need constant supervision for between 6 months and 1 year. We are hoping that with the best therapy possible, she can make a full mental recovery.
Will keep you posted as we prepare for the next step on the long road ahead.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Easter
Here is an Easter present for all of you. Mom has made great physical improvements. We are hoping that her short term memory improves as well.
Please note that she is tying her left foot using both hands, she just tied her right shoe and I was able to take this with my cell phone.
She still suffers from left neglect but is improving. I know it sounds silly, but I was excited to see this and thought you would too.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
April 7th
Went to see Mom for lunch today.
She was able to walk from her room to the common area with my arm around her for support. After eating a few bites of lunch, she was able to walk back to the room with minor assistance.
The biggest obstacle right now is Mom's attitude. She is tired of being in the hospital. I do not blame her, but we need to keep her motivated and focused on recovering.
Please send her your well wishes either on this blog or via mail.
Here is a picture of Mom with Johnny from about two weeks ago.
She was able to walk from her room to the common area with my arm around her for support. After eating a few bites of lunch, she was able to walk back to the room with minor assistance.
The biggest obstacle right now is Mom's attitude. She is tired of being in the hospital. I do not blame her, but we need to keep her motivated and focused on recovering.
Please send her your well wishes either on this blog or via mail.
Here is a picture of Mom with Johnny from about two weeks ago.
Friday, April 3, 2009
April 3
It is amazing to see how well mom is doing.
She is able to do so many things with minimal assistance. Every morning she is able to get dressed, brush her teeth and eat breakfast with almost no help.
I will try to post some pictures soon.
Stephen
She is able to do so many things with minimal assistance. Every morning she is able to get dressed, brush her teeth and eat breakfast with almost no help.
I will try to post some pictures soon.
Stephen
Sunday, March 29, 2009
March 29
Mom is doing really well.
When she wakes up she still is confused for a little while.
Today we stepped out of the room to grab lunch while Mom was asleep. We received a call that Mom had tried to walk to the restroom on her own and fell. She did not even bruise her arm.
We are working with her to use the nurse call button when she needs anything. Learning to ask for help when she needs it is part of the rehab process.
Because of today's incident, I would like to have someone stay at the hospital everyday until she leaves the rehab center.
If you have been interested in visiting Mom, now would be a good time to do so. If you can stay for an afternoon, overnight or even for just a few hours, we would greatly appreciate the help.
Mom remembers people very well and is quite talkative when she is awake. Please let me know when you would like to come so we can make sure there are not to many visitors (the room is not big enough for more than a handful of people).
Stephen Hunt
713-725-2759
sewhunt@hotmail.com
When she wakes up she still is confused for a little while.
Today we stepped out of the room to grab lunch while Mom was asleep. We received a call that Mom had tried to walk to the restroom on her own and fell. She did not even bruise her arm.
We are working with her to use the nurse call button when she needs anything. Learning to ask for help when she needs it is part of the rehab process.
Because of today's incident, I would like to have someone stay at the hospital everyday until she leaves the rehab center.
If you have been interested in visiting Mom, now would be a good time to do so. If you can stay for an afternoon, overnight or even for just a few hours, we would greatly appreciate the help.
Mom remembers people very well and is quite talkative when she is awake. Please let me know when you would like to come so we can make sure there are not to many visitors (the room is not big enough for more than a handful of people).
Stephen Hunt
713-725-2759
sewhunt@hotmail.com
Saturday, March 28, 2009
March 28
Mom walked 45 feet during physical therapy on Friday. She is able to do more and more things on her own.
Sometimes after she wakes up Mom is a little groggy and gets confused. But that is the exception, not the rule.
Our biggest challenge now is trying to keep her positive and motivated. She is the kind of person who keeps moving constantly. Every 5 minutes she asks, "What do I have to do next to go home?" We try to tell her just to rest or relax unless she is having a meal or in a therapy session. That answer is never good enough. According to Mom, there is always something to do.
Sometimes after she wakes up Mom is a little groggy and gets confused. But that is the exception, not the rule.
Our biggest challenge now is trying to keep her positive and motivated. She is the kind of person who keeps moving constantly. Every 5 minutes she asks, "What do I have to do next to go home?" We try to tell her just to rest or relax unless she is having a meal or in a therapy session. That answer is never good enough. According to Mom, there is always something to do.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
March 22
Mom is much more mobile. She was able to stand for a very short time today and is able to do many more parts of her daily routine with less assistance.
We brought Hamlet, her black dog, up to the hospital to see her yesterday and today. He behaved very well. Everyone in the hospital enjoyed having him around.
She has come a long way in the past week. Seeing her stand even for a second was great.
We brought Hamlet, her black dog, up to the hospital to see her yesterday and today. He behaved very well. Everyone in the hospital enjoyed having him around.
She has come a long way in the past week. Seeing her stand even for a second was great.
Friday, March 20, 2009
March 20
Mom is making improvements in speech, occupational and physical therapy.
She is back to her strong willed self. Getting her to eat regularly is a bit of a challenge, but we are making it.
We received approval for all of the dogs to come visit at the hospital. Sheryl will be bringing Hamlet to see her today. Mom was very excited about that.
She looks great and is getting better everyday.
If you would like to send her anything, send it to here:
Ramona Hunt
c/o Stephen Hunt
315 Hadley St #1323
Houston, TX 77002
She is back to her strong willed self. Getting her to eat regularly is a bit of a challenge, but we are making it.
We received approval for all of the dogs to come visit at the hospital. Sheryl will be bringing Hamlet to see her today. Mom was very excited about that.
She looks great and is getting better everyday.
If you would like to send her anything, send it to here:
Ramona Hunt
c/o Stephen Hunt
315 Hadley St #1323
Houston, TX 77002
Thursday, March 19, 2009
March 19
It has been a long week.
Mom is doing well. She has been very stubborn about eating, but is doing well in her therapy.
I spoke with her case worker and he expects her to be released from TIRR sometime in May.
As we stand now, I would like to keep someone at the hospital everyday and night to help take care of Mom and motivate her during her therapy sessions.
I will be putting together a schedule so that we can let people know in advance when we need help.
If you would like to stay with Mom sometime during the next two months, please let me know by emailing sewhunt@hotmail.com When I have the schedule a little more filled out, I will let you know.
Stephen
Mom is doing well. She has been very stubborn about eating, but is doing well in her therapy.
I spoke with her case worker and he expects her to be released from TIRR sometime in May.
As we stand now, I would like to keep someone at the hospital everyday and night to help take care of Mom and motivate her during her therapy sessions.
I will be putting together a schedule so that we can let people know in advance when we need help.
If you would like to stay with Mom sometime during the next two months, please let me know by emailing sewhunt@hotmail.com When I have the schedule a little more filled out, I will let you know.
Stephen
Monday, March 16, 2009
March 16
Mom did well on Sunday. They do not have any therapy on Sundays, so she was able to rest for most of the day.
Mikki and David came to visit her. Mikki gave Mom a message Sunday evening and Monday to try and relieve some of her pain. Mom is having lots of pain in her knees and hips.
Monday they moved us to the 3rd floor. Sonya and I had some major problems with the staff. Sonya asked for help cleaning Mom several times between 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. She spoke with several staff members and all of them said, your nurse is taking care of someone with cardiac arrest, we will have someone come down there in just a second. It was not until I showed up at 7:15 p.m. and asked one of the nurses to either come clean her now or I was going to do it myself that they cleaned her.
After that they were more attentive. I am still quite frustrated about that and refuse for Mom to be alone until we have this issue fixed.
Mikki and David came to visit her. Mikki gave Mom a message Sunday evening and Monday to try and relieve some of her pain. Mom is having lots of pain in her knees and hips.
Monday they moved us to the 3rd floor. Sonya and I had some major problems with the staff. Sonya asked for help cleaning Mom several times between 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. She spoke with several staff members and all of them said, your nurse is taking care of someone with cardiac arrest, we will have someone come down there in just a second. It was not until I showed up at 7:15 p.m. and asked one of the nurses to either come clean her now or I was going to do it myself that they cleaned her.
After that they were more attentive. I am still quite frustrated about that and refuse for Mom to be alone until we have this issue fixed.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
March 14
I was able to see Mom do her Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy.
She did well. The PT assisted Mom with standing up for several seconds at a time. It hurts, but her muscles will respond in time.
During speech therapy, she answered several questions correctly. A few times she got stuck on some answers.
Most of the day she was in the wheelchair. This was a great change of pace. Mom has been in a hospital bed for the majority of the past 6 weeks.
She was able to help me open the wrapper to a piece of chocolate I brought her. Mom also raised her hand to her mouth and took several small bites by herself.
Tomorrow is her day of rest, no therapy scheduled on Sunday.
There is a small chance I will be able to bring one of Mom's dogs to see her in the hospital. I am still waiting to hear back from TIRR. One of her nurses suggested this and we have seen several pets in the hospital.
Will keep you posted.
Stephen
She did well. The PT assisted Mom with standing up for several seconds at a time. It hurts, but her muscles will respond in time.
During speech therapy, she answered several questions correctly. A few times she got stuck on some answers.
Most of the day she was in the wheelchair. This was a great change of pace. Mom has been in a hospital bed for the majority of the past 6 weeks.
She was able to help me open the wrapper to a piece of chocolate I brought her. Mom also raised her hand to her mouth and took several small bites by herself.
Tomorrow is her day of rest, no therapy scheduled on Sunday.
There is a small chance I will be able to bring one of Mom's dogs to see her in the hospital. I am still waiting to hear back from TIRR. One of her nurses suggested this and we have seen several pets in the hospital.
Will keep you posted.
Stephen
Friday, March 13, 2009
March 13
I went to see Mom at lunch. She was a little stubborn, but was able to eat all of her food for lunch.
They moved Mom to a private room on the 6th floor, room #605. It is a secure floor, so a nurse must let you out.
They have moved her up to small chunks of food.
We have another full day of therapy tomorrow.
Will keep you posted.
They moved Mom to a private room on the 6th floor, room #605. It is a secure floor, so a nurse must let you out.
They have moved her up to small chunks of food.
We have another full day of therapy tomorrow.
Will keep you posted.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
March 12
Big improvements today.
Mom is wearing regular clothes during the day. TIRR requires patients wear regular clothing for all rehabilitation excercises. This also helps the patient feel more comfortable.
She also has been eating very well and they may remove the feeding tube soon.
We start a regular TIRR rehabilitation schedule tomorrow.
Stephen
Mom is wearing regular clothes during the day. TIRR requires patients wear regular clothing for all rehabilitation excercises. This also helps the patient feel more comfortable.
She also has been eating very well and they may remove the feeding tube soon.
We start a regular TIRR rehabilitation schedule tomorrow.
Stephen
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
March 11 part 2
Mom was admitted to TIRR last night. She ate most of her dinner. She took the cup out of my hand while I was giving her a drink of water and started drinking on her own.
For those not familiar with TIRR, I have included a link below. TIRR received attention for treating Kevin Everett, the Buffalo Bills Tight End who received a severe spinal cord injury.
http://www.khou.com/news/health/stories/khou080131_mh_kevineverettoprah.77fe008e.html
Here is the link to more information about TIRR
http://www.memorialhermann.org/locations/tirr/default.aspx
For those not familiar with TIRR, I have included a link below. TIRR received attention for treating Kevin Everett, the Buffalo Bills Tight End who received a severe spinal cord injury.
http://www.khou.com/news/health/stories/khou080131_mh_kevineverettoprah.77fe008e.html
Here is the link to more information about TIRR
http://www.memorialhermann.org/locations/tirr/default.aspx
March 11th
I received a call from Mom's social worker at Memorial Hermann last week. She sent me a list of facilities for Mom to move to for the next stage of her rehab. It was a list of nursing homes that had rehab facilities in them. TIRR, the best and most intensive rehab center in the USA, was not on the list.
Joyce and I started calling people at both TIRR and Memorial Hermann to see if we could get into TIRR. The Memorial Hermann social worker, Kim, was very difficult to work with. She was adamant that Mom should go to one of these facilities and not TIRR.
After asking several questions and making several phone calls, we were able to get a TIRR rep to come see us. She could not believe that the social worker at Memorial Hermann thought Mom was not ready for TIRR. Linda, the TIRR rep, requested that Physical Therapy re-evaluate Mom because of the significant progress she has made since putting in the shunt on Friday.
This morning I received a call from TIRR's financial department. They are moving Mom there for 7 days to develop a plan of care and determine if she is ready for the level of care TIRR will provide.
I will let you know when they move her. Visitors are only allowed in TIRR from 9am to 9pm and are encouraged to help with Mom's therapy. We are opening our apartment to anyone who would like to visit Mom. We would like people to stay with her during the day to help her recovery.
Stephen
Joyce and I started calling people at both TIRR and Memorial Hermann to see if we could get into TIRR. The Memorial Hermann social worker, Kim, was very difficult to work with. She was adamant that Mom should go to one of these facilities and not TIRR.
After asking several questions and making several phone calls, we were able to get a TIRR rep to come see us. She could not believe that the social worker at Memorial Hermann thought Mom was not ready for TIRR. Linda, the TIRR rep, requested that Physical Therapy re-evaluate Mom because of the significant progress she has made since putting in the shunt on Friday.
This morning I received a call from TIRR's financial department. They are moving Mom there for 7 days to develop a plan of care and determine if she is ready for the level of care TIRR will provide.
I will let you know when they move her. Visitors are only allowed in TIRR from 9am to 9pm and are encouraged to help with Mom's therapy. We are opening our apartment to anyone who would like to visit Mom. We would like people to stay with her during the day to help her recovery.
Stephen
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
March 10th part 3
Mom is very talkative, makes jokes every now and then. She gets fixated on certain things when she speaks.
For example, earlier today the answer to every geography question was Lake Charles. Where do you live, where did Stephen go to college, where are we now. Mom responded to each with, "Lake Charles".
The speech therapist compares it to a skipping record. We finally got her to answer Orange. Then the answer to everything became Orange.
I want to make sure there is someone here to talk with her, keep her oriented and remind her when she is speaking inappropriately. The speech therapist said we need to keep her grounded in reality.
If anyone is available to stay with Mom during the day and night this week please let me know. We would like to keep someone in the room at all times. I would prefer it to be family or close friends so that she will not be confused.
Let me know if you are able and willing to stay with her this week. Sonya and I can fill in the gaps. sewhunt@hotmail.com
For example, earlier today the answer to every geography question was Lake Charles. Where do you live, where did Stephen go to college, where are we now. Mom responded to each with, "Lake Charles".
The speech therapist compares it to a skipping record. We finally got her to answer Orange. Then the answer to everything became Orange.
I want to make sure there is someone here to talk with her, keep her oriented and remind her when she is speaking inappropriately. The speech therapist said we need to keep her grounded in reality.
If anyone is available to stay with Mom during the day and night this week please let me know. We would like to keep someone in the room at all times. I would prefer it to be family or close friends so that she will not be confused.
Let me know if you are able and willing to stay with her this week. Sonya and I can fill in the gaps. sewhunt@hotmail.com
March 10 part 2
Mom was able to swallow today. They gave her water to swallow and she made a funny face. Sonya told the therapist that Mom rarely drinks water without some sort of flavor in it. They gave her a Gatorade like mixture and she swallowed it happily.
She was able to swallow apple sauce, but also made a funny face. The therapist reminded us that Mom has not had food in her mouth for over a month and it will be a new sensation.
She has started talking quite a bit more. A common side effect of brain trauma is that people will become fixated on specific things and sometimes say inappropriate comments.
We are now in that stage. If you come to visit, please remember that she could say something you would not be expecting from Mom.
She was able to swallow apple sauce, but also made a funny face. The therapist reminded us that Mom has not had food in her mouth for over a month and it will be a new sensation.
She has started talking quite a bit more. A common side effect of brain trauma is that people will become fixated on specific things and sometimes say inappropriate comments.
We are now in that stage. If you come to visit, please remember that she could say something you would not be expecting from Mom.
March 10
Just wanted to thank all of YOU for your comments, prayers, cards and flowers.
Mom has a wall of beautiful cards and lots of wonderful flowers. She has a few balloons as well that she noticed last night.
Thank you for all these. I appreciate the words of encouragement. We need them. Seeing the progress of yesterday was revitalizing.
TIRR, one of the top rehab hospitals in the country, will be sending someone to see Mom this afternoon. We are hoping that she will go there for rehab. Pray that the visit goes well.
Stephen
Mom has a wall of beautiful cards and lots of wonderful flowers. She has a few balloons as well that she noticed last night.
Thank you for all these. I appreciate the words of encouragement. We need them. Seeing the progress of yesterday was revitalizing.
TIRR, one of the top rehab hospitals in the country, will be sending someone to see Mom this afternoon. We are hoping that she will go there for rehab. Pray that the visit goes well.
Stephen
Monday, March 9, 2009
March 9th part two
When I went to the hospital this evening, Mom was asleep.
She woke up around 6:30 p.m. and was very talkative. I asked if she knew who I was, she nodded and said, "I love you, we all love you, that's why we keep you in the family."
I took down some of the pictures that people have brought in and started asking her if she recognized people. She recognized some of the people and said some of their names.
She was very responsive and talkative. It was getting late, so I told Mom, "I love you, be good." Mom made a puzzled face and slowly pointed to her chest, "Me... be good?" she laughed. She seemed more like herself than ever.
We will be visiting rehab centers tomorrow afternoon. They are hoping to move her to one of them Wednesday.
I will keep you posted. Praise God for the improvements she has shown.
Stephen
She woke up around 6:30 p.m. and was very talkative. I asked if she knew who I was, she nodded and said, "I love you, we all love you, that's why we keep you in the family."
I took down some of the pictures that people have brought in and started asking her if she recognized people. She recognized some of the people and said some of their names.
She was very responsive and talkative. It was getting late, so I told Mom, "I love you, be good." Mom made a puzzled face and slowly pointed to her chest, "Me... be good?" she laughed. She seemed more like herself than ever.
We will be visiting rehab centers tomorrow afternoon. They are hoping to move her to one of them Wednesday.
I will keep you posted. Praise God for the improvements she has shown.
Stephen
March 9th
Sorry for the lag in updates. There has not been much change. Mom seems to be doing okay.
We are stretching her arms and legs to keep them from getting stiff.
She spoke to me a little bit Saturday and Sunday.
Sonya stayed with her last night. Mom recognized me in a photo. That was good news.
Today they are going to put the feeding tube in her stomach. This will allow them to get her more calories. Hopefully, this will increase the rate of healing.
We are stretching her arms and legs to keep them from getting stiff.
She spoke to me a little bit Saturday and Sunday.
Sonya stayed with her last night. Mom recognized me in a photo. That was good news.
Today they are going to put the feeding tube in her stomach. This will allow them to get her more calories. Hopefully, this will increase the rate of healing.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
March 6
The doctors put in a shunt today. Dr. Chen called to let me know the surgery went very well. He believes this procedure should help her be more responsive and recover more quickly.
In the next few days, they will put a feeding tube in Mom's stomach. They are concerned that the feeding tube in her nose will cause sores to form in her stomach or throat. This is a minor procedure and is fairly routine.
Will keep you updated.
In the next few days, they will put a feeding tube in Mom's stomach. They are concerned that the feeding tube in her nose will cause sores to form in her stomach or throat. This is a minor procedure and is fairly routine.
Will keep you updated.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
March 5
Mom will be having two procedures soon. They will be putting in a shunt tomorrow morning. This is to aid the body in removing fluid from the brain.
Information about shunts:
http://www.yoursurgery.com/ProcedureDetails.cfm?BR=4&Proc=44
They will also be moving her feeding tube from her nose to her stomach. They are concerned she may be forming ulcers in from the nasal tube.
Both of these procedures were expected at some time during the recovery process.
Keep praying, God is good.
Information about shunts:
http://www.yoursurgery.com/ProcedureDetails.cfm?BR=4&Proc=44
They will also be moving her feeding tube from her nose to her stomach. They are concerned she may be forming ulcers in from the nasal tube.
Both of these procedures were expected at some time during the recovery process.
Keep praying, God is good.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
March 4
They moved Mom from (4th floor) to a neurological rehabilitation floor (3rd floor). We are one step closer to getting home, but not sure how many steps are left.
Mom is still talking everynow and then. Her voice is scratchy and weak. She recognizes people and is making complete sentences.
The nurse told me the doctors may need to put in a shunt Friday. I am not sure why, as the nurse told me the doctor will give me acall tomorrow. This surgery might require Mom to go back to one of the ICU floors for a while.
Will keep you posted
Mom is still talking everynow and then. Her voice is scratchy and weak. She recognizes people and is making complete sentences.
The nurse told me the doctors may need to put in a shunt Friday. I am not sure why, as the nurse told me the doctor will give me acall tomorrow. This surgery might require Mom to go back to one of the ICU floors for a while.
Will keep you posted
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Birthday Present
I finally felt well enough to visit the hospital. Also, it was my birthday and I really wanted to see Mom.
They had moved her to the 4th floor (intermediate ICU) from the 7th floor (regular ICU).
When I arrived she was obviously tired, but managed to speak a few words to me before falling asleep. It was great to see her, hearing her voice was a great birthday present.
Thank you all for the birthday wishes. All of your comments were greatly appreciated.
They had moved her to the 4th floor (intermediate ICU) from the 7th floor (regular ICU).
When I arrived she was obviously tired, but managed to speak a few words to me before falling asleep. It was great to see her, hearing her voice was a great birthday present.
Thank you all for the birthday wishes. All of your comments were greatly appreciated.
March 3rd
Johnny told me that Mom is moving her left side much more. She spoke a little bit today and was awake for much of the day.
They are also thinking she will move to another location for therapy soon.
Things seem good.
Love,
Stephen
They are also thinking she will move to another location for therapy soon.
Things seem good.
Love,
Stephen
Monday, March 2, 2009
March 2, 2009
They moved Mom to the 4th floor of the Jones wing of Memorial Hermann Medical Center. You can use the same elevator to reach her room.
This unit is an intermediate ICU. There are 4 patients per nurse and I believe she has her own room. My doctor says I am not contagious, but I am still not feeling well and do not want to risk getting Mom sick.
She is talking a bit more and doing quite well. Johnny will be staying with her this evening, so I will have another update for you when he gets there.
Happy Texas Independence Day,
Stephen
This unit is an intermediate ICU. There are 4 patients per nurse and I believe she has her own room. My doctor says I am not contagious, but I am still not feeling well and do not want to risk getting Mom sick.
She is talking a bit more and doing quite well. Johnny will be staying with her this evening, so I will have another update for you when he gets there.
Happy Texas Independence Day,
Stephen
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday and Sunday
Several folks came in to town Saturday to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Hobby Center. I suggested last year that Mom and some of her friends buy season tickets near ours. It gives us an excuse to visit and gives the ladies an excuse to go shopping. Sometimes I think Mom enjoys Harwin street as much as seeing me. Just kidding.
It was nice to continue the tradition. Mom was still part of the fun. Those who were well enough went to visit Mom. She was able to speak a little and was very responsive. I am sick and have not seen her in a while, so I must rely on second hand information to keep you all informed.
Mom is doing very well. She has been getting out of bed and sitting in a chair. Her breathing is improving. The CT scans look normal and the nurses tell me she will be moving soon. Right now we are waiting for a room to open up in the intermediate care center. Once she moves, I will give more details.
It was nice to continue the tradition. Mom was still part of the fun. Those who were well enough went to visit Mom. She was able to speak a little and was very responsive. I am sick and have not seen her in a while, so I must rely on second hand information to keep you all informed.
Mom is doing very well. She has been getting out of bed and sitting in a chair. Her breathing is improving. The CT scans look normal and the nurses tell me she will be moving soon. Right now we are waiting for a room to open up in the intermediate care center. Once she moves, I will give more details.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday Update
Mom is doing very well.
They moved her hospital bed to a chair configuration and she is currently sitting chair style. She has been more responsive today.
They are working toward moving mom out of the ICU and into a less intensive unit. The nurse told me that by Monday, Mom will be in a different hospital unit. This is more proof of her slow steady improvement.
The CT from this morning looked good. She has no signs of hydrocephalus, so hopefully they will not need to put in a shunt.
They moved her hospital bed to a chair configuration and she is currently sitting chair style. She has been more responsive today.
They are working toward moving mom out of the ICU and into a less intensive unit. The nurse told me that by Monday, Mom will be in a different hospital unit. This is more proof of her slow steady improvement.
The CT from this morning looked good. She has no signs of hydrocephalus, so hopefully they will not need to put in a shunt.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday Update
Sorry for taking so long to update. It has been a busy couple of days.
Mom is doing very well. The pressure in her brain has been stable without the ventricular drains. This is great.
Her breathing is steady and getting stronger.
Heart rate is normal and regular.
Temperature is stable.
The nurse I spoke with this afternoon believes that she will be moving to an intermediate room. Mom does not have many ICU issues remaining as she is getting stronger and more stable everyday.
Will keep you posted.
Stephen
Mom is doing very well. The pressure in her brain has been stable without the ventricular drains. This is great.
Her breathing is steady and getting stronger.
Heart rate is normal and regular.
Temperature is stable.
The nurse I spoke with this afternoon believes that she will be moving to an intermediate room. Mom does not have many ICU issues remaining as she is getting stronger and more stable everyday.
Will keep you posted.
Stephen
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Progress
I quit the last post to stand by mom's bed because she was moving her arm. Her eyes were open and she was glancing around the room.
I have been trying to stand on her left side as much as possible. This is the side she has been neglecting. We are hoping that by standing on this side, she will turn her head that way to see us.
I was trying to catch her attention and see if she would turn her head toward me. I asked, Mom can you see me? She very slowly and deliberately turned her head a few inches and made a coughing sound. I leaned in to hear if she was trying to speak. Although it was scratchy and very soft, she definately said, "I can see you."
That was worth staying up for.
Goodnight,
Stephen
I have been trying to stand on her left side as much as possible. This is the side she has been neglecting. We are hoping that by standing on this side, she will turn her head that way to see us.
I was trying to catch her attention and see if she would turn her head toward me. I asked, Mom can you see me? She very slowly and deliberately turned her head a few inches and made a coughing sound. I leaned in to hear if she was trying to speak. Although it was scratchy and very soft, she definately said, "I can see you."
That was worth staying up for.
Goodnight,
Stephen
Tuesday Night
Mom opened her eyes tonight and was able to communicate with me for a few minutes before she got tired and went back to sleep.
The nurse told me that this afternoon she said Hi to one of the nurses aides who was adjusting her arms.
They removed the drain in her skull and her brain seems normal.
Still making progress. We have another CT scan in a few hours to check for excess brain fluid.
She is moving a little right now, so I am going to go spend some time with her.
Stephen
The nurse told me that this afternoon she said Hi to one of the nurses aides who was adjusting her arms.
They removed the drain in her skull and her brain seems normal.
Still making progress. We have another CT scan in a few hours to check for excess brain fluid.
She is moving a little right now, so I am going to go spend some time with her.
Stephen
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday Morning
Around 3 am, the breathing insert they are using to supplement Mom's oxygen fell out. Her oxygen levels fell to 85%. The nurse quickly put insert back in. We were hoping that her oxygen % would be higher when breathing on her own. Hopefully, this will improve soon.
At 4am, her heart rate jumped from 93 to 150. They gave her medicine to relax, but the heart rate would not go down. This is a huge concern, as none of the doctors or nurses know why her heart rate is so high. Some suggested she could be becoming more aware of her current situation.
When we left the ICU to give the nurses time for their shift change, her heart rate was still high. I will let you know if it goes down soon.
At 4am, her heart rate jumped from 93 to 150. They gave her medicine to relax, but the heart rate would not go down. This is a huge concern, as none of the doctors or nurses know why her heart rate is so high. Some suggested she could be becoming more aware of her current situation.
When we left the ICU to give the nurses time for their shift change, her heart rate was still high. I will let you know if it goes down soon.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday Night
Mom seems well. The CT scan showed that her brain is doing well. They are still considering removing the other drain tube from her brain.
Her breathing has been fairly steady and the temperature has stayed regular.
She responds to stimulus when she wants to. We are hoping this becomes more regular.
Her head is leaning to the left, which is good because her neck had been to stiff to allow movement in that direction.
Her breathing has been fairly steady and the temperature has stayed regular.
She responds to stimulus when she wants to. We are hoping this becomes more regular.
Her head is leaning to the left, which is good because her neck had been to stiff to allow movement in that direction.
Monday Morning
Mom's temperature is still stable.
She is more responsive when she is awake. Her left side is moving a bit more.
They are sending her for another CT scan this afternoon. Once they get the results, they may remove the other tube that is draining fluid from her brain. This is good news because it means she is healing well in the brain.
Still making slow and steady progress.
Stephen
She is more responsive when she is awake. Her left side is moving a bit more.
They are sending her for another CT scan this afternoon. Once they get the results, they may remove the other tube that is draining fluid from her brain. This is good news because it means she is healing well in the brain.
Still making slow and steady progress.
Stephen
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday Night Update
They removed the breathing tube. Mom is doing very well breathing on her own.
She was a little more responsive today. Her eyes were open for most of the evening. While the breathing tube was in, they had her under sedation. She is now completely off the sedatives and is waking up slowly but surely.
The doctors have called for lots of rest this evening. Her temperature is down, she seems to be doing very well.
As I have said so many times, remember we are not out of the woods yet.
Love,
Stephen
She was a little more responsive today. Her eyes were open for most of the evening. While the breathing tube was in, they had her under sedation. She is now completely off the sedatives and is waking up slowly but surely.
The doctors have called for lots of rest this evening. Her temperature is down, she seems to be doing very well.
As I have said so many times, remember we are not out of the woods yet.
Love,
Stephen
Sunday Update
Mom is doing pretty well. She is a bit more responsive than she was yesterday. The doctors are hoping she will continue to improve her responses over the next few days.
The fever has stayed pretty constant today.
All the cultures came back negative.
The doctors are hoping to remove her breathing tube this evening.
Will update again this evening before going to bed.
Stephen
The fever has stayed pretty constant today.
All the cultures came back negative.
The doctors are hoping to remove her breathing tube this evening.
Will update again this evening before going to bed.
Stephen
Saturday Night
Mom was a bit more responsive tonight.
She opened her eyes for a few seconds when I spoke to her. She was also able to give me a thumbs up when I asked her to several times. Mom nodded slightly when we spoke to her.
They took her for another CT scan a little while ago. Hopefully everything looks good.
Will keep you updated,
Stephen
She opened her eyes for a few seconds when I spoke to her. She was also able to give me a thumbs up when I asked her to several times. Mom nodded slightly when we spoke to her.
They took her for another CT scan a little while ago. Hopefully everything looks good.
Will keep you updated,
Stephen
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Saturday Morning
Mom seems to be doing well.
They have clamped her final ventricular drain. (The tube they put in to drain fluid from her brain.) This is more good news from a neurological perspective.
I spoke with Dr. Chen, our neurologist, last night. He is very pleased with Mom's progress neurologically. He described the infection as a small bump in the road.
Mom is showing signs of movement on her left side. This is great news!
We still do not have the results of the bacterial cultures. They did a chest xray and found a small spot of fluid in Mom's lung. Her brain scan looked good this morning.
Keep reading and praying,
Stephen
They have clamped her final ventricular drain. (The tube they put in to drain fluid from her brain.) This is more good news from a neurological perspective.
I spoke with Dr. Chen, our neurologist, last night. He is very pleased with Mom's progress neurologically. He described the infection as a small bump in the road.
Mom is showing signs of movement on her left side. This is great news!
We still do not have the results of the bacterial cultures. They did a chest xray and found a small spot of fluid in Mom's lung. Her brain scan looked good this morning.
Keep reading and praying,
Stephen
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday Update
Mom's infection has caused a slight difficulty breathing. They put the breathing tube back in to aid her in breathing while she fights the infection.
They have not received any results from the cultures.
The good news is that her brain is right where they want her to be. Now we just need to fight the secondary infections.
If you are considering coming to visit... please make sure you are feeling well. The worst thing we can do is pass on germs to mom. I can not stress that enough.
They have increased the antibiotics to try and help her fight until they determine what type of infection she has.
Love,
Stephen
They have not received any results from the cultures.
The good news is that her brain is right where they want her to be. Now we just need to fight the secondary infections.
If you are considering coming to visit... please make sure you are feeling well. The worst thing we can do is pass on germs to mom. I can not stress that enough.
They have increased the antibiotics to try and help her fight until they determine what type of infection she has.
Love,
Stephen
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thursday Night
Our nurse this evening is named Allan. He is a very pleasant fellow and a good nurse. He is very proactive and seems to check on mom every 15 minutes.
This evening, Allan drained some fluid from Mom's sinus cavity. She had been breathing rapidly for several days and the fever has continued. After her breathing began to sound a little like snoring, he quickly identified that she had lots of sinus drainage.
Allan decided to drain the sinuses and send the fluid away for a culture. He believes mom has a sinus infection. This would explain the rapid breathing, fever and exhaustion. I hope the results will be in tomorrow so we can begin treating the infection.
This made me feel alot better because now we have a good idea what is going on. Now we can take action and fix it.
Thank Jesus,
Stephen
This evening, Allan drained some fluid from Mom's sinus cavity. She had been breathing rapidly for several days and the fever has continued. After her breathing began to sound a little like snoring, he quickly identified that she had lots of sinus drainage.
Allan decided to drain the sinuses and send the fluid away for a culture. He believes mom has a sinus infection. This would explain the rapid breathing, fever and exhaustion. I hope the results will be in tomorrow so we can begin treating the infection.
This made me feel alot better because now we have a good idea what is going on. Now we can take action and fix it.
Thank Jesus,
Stephen
Thursday Morning
Still no answers. Mom's vitals look good, temperature is good, but she remains very unresponsive.
They started her back on the feeding tube. She got sick this morning and vomitted a little. The doctors are hoping this is because she did not have food for so a little more than a day, or is a reaction to one of the medicines.
Wish we knew why.
They started her back on the feeding tube. She got sick this morning and vomitted a little. The doctors are hoping this is because she did not have food for so a little more than a day, or is a reaction to one of the medicines.
Wish we knew why.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Two Week Anniversary, One Step Back
Today, mom was not responding to stimulus until around 1:30 p.m. She was responsive for about an hour, then went back to a deep sleep.
In the morning the doctors performed several tests to determine why she was not responding. All the test results were negative. Some even showed that she is improving.
When I went to the hospital after work, she woke up for about 30 minutes. Before the 6pm shift change, she went back to a deep sleep. Sonya and I returned at 8:15 p, after the shift change and she was still unresponsive.
The doctors and nurses say this could be the body needing to rest after a long day of tests. The exhaustion combined with the fact that they stopped feeding her for a day because of nausea could make her very tired.
It was hard to see her not responding to us after being spoiled for the past 3 days.
Please keep praying. Today was tough.
Stephen
In the morning the doctors performed several tests to determine why she was not responding. All the test results were negative. Some even showed that she is improving.
When I went to the hospital after work, she woke up for about 30 minutes. Before the 6pm shift change, she went back to a deep sleep. Sonya and I returned at 8:15 p, after the shift change and she was still unresponsive.
The doctors and nurses say this could be the body needing to rest after a long day of tests. The exhaustion combined with the fact that they stopped feeding her for a day because of nausea could make her very tired.
It was hard to see her not responding to us after being spoiled for the past 3 days.
Please keep praying. Today was tough.
Stephen
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tuesday Night
The tube is out and mom is breathing really well. I can not wait to hear her voice again.
We practiced moving her left side. She is stiff, but understands that she needs to stretch and practice moving.
She is keeping her eyes open frequently and is very responsive.
We practiced moving her left side. She is stiff, but understands that she needs to stretch and practice moving.
She is keeping her eyes open frequently and is very responsive.
Tuesday Morning
They removed the breathing tube. Mom is breathing well on her own. That is something to celebrate. We may hear her voice soon.
Temperature is still fluctuating.
Left side still not moving very much.
She has a rash on her leg. We are not sure if this is an allergic reaction. Remember this is why they stopped giving her the first antibiotic last week.
Stephen
Temperature is still fluctuating.
Left side still not moving very much.
She has a rash on her leg. We are not sure if this is an allergic reaction. Remember this is why they stopped giving her the first antibiotic last week.
Stephen
Monday, February 16, 2009
Monday Part 2
Mom's temperature is up again. It was 101 when I left the hospital. We still do not know why.
She is moving her left side so little that I am becoming very concerned. Please keep this in your prayers.
Mom is very responsive on the right side.
She is moving her left side so little that I am becoming very concerned. Please keep this in your prayers.
Mom is very responsive on the right side.
Monday Morning
This morning, Johnny told me that they will remove the breathing tube from mom's throat sometime today. This is awesome news! Over the past few days they have lowered the strength of the breathing tube. Yesterday she was breathing almost completely on her own.
Her fever was down to 98.5 this morning. Hopefully the new antibiotics are working. Also, the strange rash that was on her skin is going away.
Her fever was down to 98.5 this morning. Hopefully the new antibiotics are working. Also, the strange rash that was on her skin is going away.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunday Wrap Up
Mom is doing pretty well. She had her eyes open for almost an hour today.
She is bit more responsive and looks good.
The issues we need to be concerned with are her fever, the spasms and using her left side.
Her fever fluctiuates between 102 and 98 throughout the day. When her temperature is 98, Mom communicates and moves around very well. Anything over 100 and she is basically asleep. The doctors are still not sure what is causing the fever. They have done several cultures to check for bacteria and have not found anything. They ran another set of cultures today.
We still have another week and a half to worry about brain spasms. These can cause severe damage and occur in a significant number of patients. The best I can explain them is to say that they are like a muscle cramp in an artery. The cramping causes the artery to close, thus shutting off blood flow. Mom has already had two minor ones operated on. They monitor her daily for other spasms.
Finally, she definately favors her right side. We are trying to force her to use the left more. The doctors believe this is because of the swelling on the right side of the brain.
Keep these things in prayer.
Also, met a woman this afternoon whose 25 year old grandson was involved in an accident while trying to stop an intoxicated friend from diving. Somehow, the young man fell very hard on his skull and suffered lots of damage. He is moving all his extremities, but they had to open his skull to allow his brain to swell. Keep Justin and his family in your prayers.
Love,
Stephen
She is bit more responsive and looks good.
The issues we need to be concerned with are her fever, the spasms and using her left side.
Her fever fluctiuates between 102 and 98 throughout the day. When her temperature is 98, Mom communicates and moves around very well. Anything over 100 and she is basically asleep. The doctors are still not sure what is causing the fever. They have done several cultures to check for bacteria and have not found anything. They ran another set of cultures today.
We still have another week and a half to worry about brain spasms. These can cause severe damage and occur in a significant number of patients. The best I can explain them is to say that they are like a muscle cramp in an artery. The cramping causes the artery to close, thus shutting off blood flow. Mom has already had two minor ones operated on. They monitor her daily for other spasms.
Finally, she definately favors her right side. We are trying to force her to use the left more. The doctors believe this is because of the swelling on the right side of the brain.
Keep these things in prayer.
Also, met a woman this afternoon whose 25 year old grandson was involved in an accident while trying to stop an intoxicated friend from diving. Somehow, the young man fell very hard on his skull and suffered lots of damage. He is moving all his extremities, but they had to open his skull to allow his brain to swell. Keep Justin and his family in your prayers.
Love,
Stephen
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Saturday Update
Mom was very responsive today. She had her eyes open for several minutes. She was able to respond to questions with very weak nods. It is amazing to see the change between today and two days ago.
Her fever still comes and goes. When she drops below 100, she moves more and is responsive. Around 101, she stops moving and rests. We need to figure out whether there is an infection or if her body is just responding to all the tubes inside her.
She has developed a rash. To determine what is causing it, they are taking her off of the antibiotics and dilantin (anti seizure medicine). We need to figure this out so she can get this medicine again.
Currently, there are no spasms in her brain. We need to keep it that way.
She prefers to move her right side. We have been trying to work with her on moving the left side. The doctors believe this could be because the right side of her brain suffered the trauma. The right side of the brain controls the left side.
If you want to send cards or photos, send them to us at:
Stephen Hunt
315 Hadley Street #1323
Houston, TX 77002
These will help mom recover, especially pictures. Please send us copies, as I can not promise we will get them back to you.
Stephen
Friday, February 13, 2009
Good News for Friday
Mom was very responsive this evening. For Sheryl and Johnny she touched their face, did the Hook'em Horns sign and made weak nods for yes or no. She is frowning and had her "teacher look" back. Big signs for us today.
I did not get to see any of this. It seems like everytime I go to see mom she has just finished moving and is tired.
So tonight Sheryl and Johnny came back to the waiting room and were cheering and excited. I was sad because I had missed another episode.
I went back to see if she had any energy left. Of course, I walk in and she looks asleep. We were finally able to wake her and she nodded when I asked if she knew me. She gripped my hand. The ultimate Valentine's gift was after she seemed to get tired. I told her we were going to leave and let her sleep. I kissed her hand and said, "Goodbye Mom." She raised her right hand and waved goodbye with her fingers.
Throught this whole process, I have only broken down twice. When I heard that she was bleeding on the brain and was in serious condition. I put down the phone and told Sonya I needed about 5 minutes to just let it out. When 5 minutes was up, I said, "Alright, lets get going."
Seeing Mom wave goodbye cracked my resolve a little bit. It was big sign and a great Valentine's present.
We still have a long way to go. This was only about 2 hours worth of activity in the whole day. Much of the day was spent watching her rest.
Happy Valentine's Day,
Love Stephen
I did not get to see any of this. It seems like everytime I go to see mom she has just finished moving and is tired.
So tonight Sheryl and Johnny came back to the waiting room and were cheering and excited. I was sad because I had missed another episode.
I went back to see if she had any energy left. Of course, I walk in and she looks asleep. We were finally able to wake her and she nodded when I asked if she knew me. She gripped my hand. The ultimate Valentine's gift was after she seemed to get tired. I told her we were going to leave and let her sleep. I kissed her hand and said, "Goodbye Mom." She raised her right hand and waved goodbye with her fingers.
Throught this whole process, I have only broken down twice. When I heard that she was bleeding on the brain and was in serious condition. I put down the phone and told Sonya I needed about 5 minutes to just let it out. When 5 minutes was up, I said, "Alright, lets get going."
Seeing Mom wave goodbye cracked my resolve a little bit. It was big sign and a great Valentine's present.
We still have a long way to go. This was only about 2 hours worth of activity in the whole day. Much of the day was spent watching her rest.
Happy Valentine's Day,
Love Stephen
Friday Update
Mom came through her test and surgery fine. The doctors treated the two spasms. There is a chance they come back within the next week or so. That is why mom will be in ICU for a while.
She seems to be doing better. Will update when I get back from the hospital tonight.
Stephen
She seems to be doing better. Will update when I get back from the hospital tonight.
Stephen
Friday Update
Quick recap of this morning.
Mom's temperature is hovering around 99.
Mom will have her angioplasty today around noon. I spoke with Dr. Suzuki this morning. He explained that the spasms are basically a cramp in the brain. To treat this, they have two options. The first and least risky is to inject medicine into the cramped artery. The second method is only used in a situation that is used for more severe spasms is a balloon angioplasty. They insert a small balloon into the artery and actually inflate it to spread out the walls of the artery. The risks associated with procedure are small, but any surgery carries risk. Pray for Dr. Suzuki and his team this afternoon.
Depending on the results of the exam, they may remove the tube that is draining the right side of her brain.
Also, she will have a chest xray and a CT scan this afternoon.
Stephen
Mom's temperature is hovering around 99.
Mom will have her angioplasty today around noon. I spoke with Dr. Suzuki this morning. He explained that the spasms are basically a cramp in the brain. To treat this, they have two options. The first and least risky is to inject medicine into the cramped artery. The second method is only used in a situation that is used for more severe spasms is a balloon angioplasty. They insert a small balloon into the artery and actually inflate it to spread out the walls of the artery. The risks associated with procedure are small, but any surgery carries risk. Pray for Dr. Suzuki and his team this afternoon.
Depending on the results of the exam, they may remove the tube that is draining the right side of her brain.
Also, she will have a chest xray and a CT scan this afternoon.
Stephen
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thursday Night Update
Mom was moving a little bit more tonight and was able to give a thumbs up and two fingers upon request.
The fluid in her lungs has gone down. They are doing another chest xray to double check this.
The spasms have reduce a little further.
Things are slowly and steadily improving.
We put up several cards in her room yesterday that she received in the mail. Thank you for sending them, they make the room feel more comfortable and will be a blessing when she wakes up.
Stephen
The fluid in her lungs has gone down. They are doing another chest xray to double check this.
The spasms have reduce a little further.
Things are slowly and steadily improving.
We put up several cards in her room yesterday that she received in the mail. Thank you for sending them, they make the room feel more comfortable and will be a blessing when she wakes up.
Stephen
Thursday Update
Mom opened her eyes this afternoon for about 30 seconds. It was in response to the nurses moving her. She did not recognize anyone, but this is progress!
They still are running tests to know what is causing the fever.
She is slowly progressing in her responsiveness.
More to come when I see her this evening.
Stephen
They still are running tests to know what is causing the fever.
She is slowly progressing in her responsiveness.
More to come when I see her this evening.
Stephen
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
One Week Anniversary
One week ago today, I heard that Mom had been taken to the ER. If you are just joining this blog, read some of the previous posts to see where we have been.
In high school I read the autobiography of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington. He was a Marine Corps pilot in WWII. He was shot down in 1944 and spent the next 20 months in a POW camp. Boyington makes an interesting observation about some of the men in the camp.
All of them were confident they would be rescued. But some of them would become fixated on specific dates. Boyington noted that these men would become very discouraged when their hopes were not realized. Often, these were the men who lost heart and fell ill. Many of them eventually passed away. The men who kept the mindset that someday they would be rescued had a higher survival rate.
I thought about this story often in the past week. I am try to avoid putting a time stamp on a recovery date. We must keep focused that someday Mom will get better. Hoping for a specific date can only lead to disappointment. Remain confident that God will make it happen.
Good news, the two spasms they discovered in Mom's brain yesterday are going down. The one on the left has reduced noticably, the right one has reduced a very small amount.
In high school I read the autobiography of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington. He was a Marine Corps pilot in WWII. He was shot down in 1944 and spent the next 20 months in a POW camp. Boyington makes an interesting observation about some of the men in the camp.
All of them were confident they would be rescued. But some of them would become fixated on specific dates. Boyington noted that these men would become very discouraged when their hopes were not realized. Often, these were the men who lost heart and fell ill. Many of them eventually passed away. The men who kept the mindset that someday they would be rescued had a higher survival rate.
I thought about this story often in the past week. I am try to avoid putting a time stamp on a recovery date. We must keep focused that someday Mom will get better. Hoping for a specific date can only lead to disappointment. Remain confident that God will make it happen.
Good news, the two spasms they discovered in Mom's brain yesterday are going down. The one on the left has reduced noticably, the right one has reduced a very small amount.
Wednesday Update
There is less fluid in Mom's lung today. Her fever is still moving up and down, but she has responded well to the Tylenol. Also, her tests came back negative for a bacterial infection. She continues to improve slowly but steadily.
They are begining physical therapy to stretch her muscles a bit. Things are still looking positive today.
I have not seen or heard from the Ramirez family in several days. Last I heard, they were hoping Victoria would be moved to a rehabilitation hospital. Perhaps this is the case. Please continue to pray for them.
They are begining physical therapy to stretch her muscles a bit. Things are still looking positive today.
I have not seen or heard from the Ramirez family in several days. Last I heard, they were hoping Victoria would be moved to a rehabilitation hospital. Perhaps this is the case. Please continue to pray for them.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Last Update for Tuesday
Mom's temperature is down to 99. This is really good for someone in Mom's situation.
She is also moving her limbs much more. This evening, she flexed her leg and Joyce had a hard time moving it back. Her strength is improving.
She is also making little movements more often.
Not bad for a day that looked like a step back this morning.
Stephen
She is also moving her limbs much more. This evening, she flexed her leg and Joyce had a hard time moving it back. Her strength is improving.
She is also making little movements more often.
Not bad for a day that looked like a step back this morning.
Stephen
Tuesday Good News
The nurses moved mom a little this afternoon. Joyce said that she opened her eyes a little bit when they moved her. They only opened a little bit, but we will take it!
This is the first significant good news of the day. Most of the news today has been neutral.
Also, if you want to send cards. Feel free to send them to our address. We will try to bring them in a few at a time so we do not overwhelm her.
Thanks,
Ramona Hunt
c/o Stephen Hunt
315 Hadley Street, #1323
Houston, TX 77002
This is the first significant good news of the day. Most of the news today has been neutral.
Also, if you want to send cards. Feel free to send them to our address. We will try to bring them in a few at a time so we do not overwhelm her.
Thanks,
Ramona Hunt
c/o Stephen Hunt
315 Hadley Street, #1323
Houston, TX 77002
Another Tuesday Update
Mom is having some mild spasms in two areas in the brain. These occur in 70% of patients after this procedure, but can be dangerous.
There is still fluid in her lungs and they are making plans to remove the fluid. It has not developed into pnemonia, just some fluid.
Her temperature is down to 101. Which is an improvement.
They did an EKG on mom and another CT scan. Will give you results when we get them.
To quote Joyce, "Yesterday was two steps forward, today looks like one step back."
There is still fluid in her lungs and they are making plans to remove the fluid. It has not developed into pnemonia, just some fluid.
Her temperature is down to 101. Which is an improvement.
They did an EKG on mom and another CT scan. Will give you results when we get them.
To quote Joyce, "Yesterday was two steps forward, today looks like one step back."
Tuesday Morning
Everyone keeps telling me that I should go back to work because Mom is stable and we still have a long way to go.
So today, I will head in to work.
Joyce told me that Mom is running a fever and has a small amount of fluid in her lung.
The doctors put her on antibiotics and are trying to cool her down.
She will have another CT scan this morning. They are also performing tests regularly to check for the spasms I told you about yesterday.
Stephen
So today, I will head in to work.
Joyce told me that Mom is running a fever and has a small amount of fluid in her lung.
The doctors put her on antibiotics and are trying to cool her down.
She will have another CT scan this morning. They are also performing tests regularly to check for the spasms I told you about yesterday.
Stephen
Monday, February 9, 2009
Any Questions
I know that over the past few days there have been many questions. I am not ignoring any of them on purpose.
Please post your questions as comments to this post and I will try to answer them.
Stephen
Please post your questions as comments to this post and I will try to answer them.
Stephen
Another Monday Update
When I left the hospital, she was starting to move just a bit. Mom is improving and doing well.
Just want to keep us prepared because there are tough days ahead. One of the common issues assosciated with subarachnoid hemorrhages is spasming in the vessels of the brain. These can significantly affect how Mom will recover in the long run.
These typically start between 6 and 14 days after the original surgery. Which means that pretty soon we will be in the danger zone.
Keep these in your prayers,
Stephen
Just want to keep us prepared because there are tough days ahead. One of the common issues assosciated with subarachnoid hemorrhages is spasming in the vessels of the brain. These can significantly affect how Mom will recover in the long run.
These typically start between 6 and 14 days after the original surgery. Which means that pretty soon we will be in the danger zone.
Keep these in your prayers,
Stephen
Monday Afternoon
They are backing off the sedatives. Mom is slowing showing more movement. Her brain pressure is good and we are blessed.
Thank you all for posting. It is very helpful for me and will be great for Mom when she wakes up.
Stephen
Thank you all for posting. It is very helpful for me and will be great for Mom when she wakes up.
Stephen
Let Me Know You Are Reading
I spoke with Joyce this evening about this little blog. She told me it was a great idea and would be helpful for my mom during the recovery process.
Joyce has worked in health care for many years, the majority of that time in Neurology. She told me that Mom will probably forget everything that happened the day she went to the ER.
It is amazing to me that God designed us so well that our brains are hardwired to block out traumatic expereinces and protect us.
To that end, I would ask you to write messages to Mom on this blog. We plan to let her read this when she recovers to help her piece together the time she has lost. Also I must admit, that when I see a message from someone it makes me feel like this blog is worthwhile.
Joyce has worked in health care for many years, the majority of that time in Neurology. She told me that Mom will probably forget everything that happened the day she went to the ER.
It is amazing to me that God designed us so well that our brains are hardwired to block out traumatic expereinces and protect us.
To that end, I would ask you to write messages to Mom on this blog. We plan to let her read this when she recovers to help her piece together the time she has lost. Also I must admit, that when I see a message from someone it makes me feel like this blog is worthwhile.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
God is Good
Mom's pressure is down to 1 on one of her tubes and 3 on her other tube. This is amazing news!
They want to keep the pressure below 20 to keep her from having any brain damage.
To help you understand what is happening let me explain the basic procedure. Mom has blood in her brain. To remove the blood, the doctors have cut two small holes in her skull and placed a tube that drains the fluid her body produces. They keep a steady supply of fluids going in through her IVs and keep her blood pressure at a safe, but high rate.
Her body then takes the IV fluids, reprocesses it and sends it to her brain. Because her blood pressure is slightly higher, it pushes through her brain faster and flushes out the blood that is still there.
They are quite literally working with her body to flush the brain and remove the blood.
Each tube fills a seperate container and it is amazing to see that the tube that was put in on Thursday night is draining a pale yellow fluid, while the newer one is a bright red. This means that most of the blood is out of one side of her head.
I must admit that I teared up when I saw the pressure fall to such low levels. Everyone keeps telling me that this is a long process and we will be in ICU for weeks. I know that we still have a long time to go, but to make so much progress in one day was a bit overwhelming.
They want to keep the pressure below 20 to keep her from having any brain damage.
To help you understand what is happening let me explain the basic procedure. Mom has blood in her brain. To remove the blood, the doctors have cut two small holes in her skull and placed a tube that drains the fluid her body produces. They keep a steady supply of fluids going in through her IVs and keep her blood pressure at a safe, but high rate.
Her body then takes the IV fluids, reprocesses it and sends it to her brain. Because her blood pressure is slightly higher, it pushes through her brain faster and flushes out the blood that is still there.
They are quite literally working with her body to flush the brain and remove the blood.
Each tube fills a seperate container and it is amazing to see that the tube that was put in on Thursday night is draining a pale yellow fluid, while the newer one is a bright red. This means that most of the blood is out of one side of her head.
I must admit that I teared up when I saw the pressure fall to such low levels. Everyone keeps telling me that this is a long process and we will be in ICU for weeks. I know that we still have a long time to go, but to make so much progress in one day was a bit overwhelming.
Good News
Mom's pressure is holding pretty steady at 10. Which is a big improvement. She also is responding more to stimulation.
Everything looks good.
Thanks for the prayers,
Love Stephen
Everything looks good.
Thanks for the prayers,
Love Stephen
The Book of Job
I went and read to Mom for a little while this morning. I found myself reading Job, the same book of the Bible I read when Dad passed away.
One of the hardest things for us (me especially) is the fact that bad things happen to good people. The reason we struggle with this is that we look from at things from our perspective.
Yes there are people who do more good than bad, but on our very best day, we are not blameless in the site of the Lord. In all honesty, God could call each of us sinners, punish us and be completely justified in doing so.
It is only because of his amazing love that he has not judged us for the bad things we have done. God does not see good or bad people, just his children who have made mistakes.
The whole book of Job deals with these questions. I have wrestled with them my whole life. I think that Job says something very profound in the book. What right do I have to complain when bad things happen that I "do not deserve"? I never once complained when a good thing happened that I did not deserve.
Deserve has nothing to do with any of this. God knows why this is happening and his wisdom is greater than ours could ever be. Read through Job chapters 38, 39, 40 and 41. He is in control and knows what he is doing.
In all honesty, we are better off not asking God for what we deserve. We should be happy that God sent his son Jesus Christ to pay for our sins so that we can share in his perfection before God.
Love,
Stephen
One of the hardest things for us (me especially) is the fact that bad things happen to good people. The reason we struggle with this is that we look from at things from our perspective.
Yes there are people who do more good than bad, but on our very best day, we are not blameless in the site of the Lord. In all honesty, God could call each of us sinners, punish us and be completely justified in doing so.
It is only because of his amazing love that he has not judged us for the bad things we have done. God does not see good or bad people, just his children who have made mistakes.
The whole book of Job deals with these questions. I have wrestled with them my whole life. I think that Job says something very profound in the book. What right do I have to complain when bad things happen that I "do not deserve"? I never once complained when a good thing happened that I did not deserve.
Deserve has nothing to do with any of this. God knows why this is happening and his wisdom is greater than ours could ever be. Read through Job chapters 38, 39, 40 and 41. He is in control and knows what he is doing.
In all honesty, we are better off not asking God for what we deserve. We should be happy that God sent his son Jesus Christ to pay for our sins so that we can share in his perfection before God.
Love,
Stephen
The Hospital
We can not put anything in her room because it is ICU. Right now there is little anyone can do. If you would like to visit, wait until she is a bit more responsive. When she is responsive, we will want people here to read to her and speak with her to keep her brain stimulated.
Memorial Hermann Hospital
Neurological ICU
6411 Fannin
Houston, TX 77030
Memorial Hermann Hospital
Neurological ICU
6411 Fannin
Houston, TX 77030
Coasting
I spoke with both Dr. Chen and Mom's nurse. They both said that right now we are coasting. Mom's brain pressure is still there, but it is responding to medication and the ventricilostomies are working.
She still has a large blood clot in her brain and we are waiting for her body to break it up.
Things are good but slow. This is not even the hardest part of the process. Mom is receiving constant attention right now from nurses. When we leave ICU, we will need to start working with her to get her back to 100%.
Stephen
She still has a large blood clot in her brain and we are waiting for her body to break it up.
Things are good but slow. This is not even the hardest part of the process. Mom is receiving constant attention right now from nurses. When we leave ICU, we will need to start working with her to get her back to 100%.
Stephen
Pray for the Pressure to Go Down
Spoke with Mom's nurse this evening. The pressure on her brain is not staying as low as they would like.
We need this pressure to go down or they may be forced to perform an invasive surgery on her skull.
I spoke with my friend Mason who is a doctor at Memorial Hermann and he explained it this way when I asked him how worried I should be that her swelling has not gone down.
"Anytime you have a patient in ICU, you are concerned about them. Given the choice between brain pressure and no pressure obviously we would rather have none. The fact that there is still pressure is a cause for concern, but this is not the end of the world. Your mom's recovery is not an F, but it is not quite an A either. Depending on the brain scans, we are probably looking at B."
Stephen
We need this pressure to go down or they may be forced to perform an invasive surgery on her skull.
I spoke with my friend Mason who is a doctor at Memorial Hermann and he explained it this way when I asked him how worried I should be that her swelling has not gone down.
"Anytime you have a patient in ICU, you are concerned about them. Given the choice between brain pressure and no pressure obviously we would rather have none. The fact that there is still pressure is a cause for concern, but this is not the end of the world. Your mom's recovery is not an F, but it is not quite an A either. Depending on the brain scans, we are probably looking at B."
Stephen
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Pressure Going Down
Spoke with the nurse. Mom's pressure is dropping and they have been draining lots of fluid from the other side of her brain.
They are putting in a line that will allow them to get blood without pulling from her arms.
Good news, less brain pressure is always good.
They are putting in a line that will allow them to get blood without pulling from her arms.
Good news, less brain pressure is always good.
Another Ventricilostomy
Spoke with the nurse this afternoon. There are two areas in Mom's brain that have fluid in them. On the CT scan they look like little empty spaces because they are filled with fluid. One has been drained of all the fluid. The other still needs to drain.
They are currently putting in another tube in Mom's head to allow this other side to drain. We will go check on her once they finish up. This will allow the other space to drain as well.
For more info on this procedure:
http://www.upstate.edu/uhpated/pdf/ventriculostomy.pdf
Keep praying,
Love Stephen.
They are currently putting in another tube in Mom's head to allow this other side to drain. We will go check on her once they finish up. This will allow the other space to drain as well.
For more info on this procedure:
http://www.upstate.edu/uhpated/pdf/ventriculostomy.pdf
Keep praying,
Love Stephen.
Saturday Morning Update
Mom stayed constant last night with one brief exception. For a few minutes the pressure in her brain raised above the level they wanted. This was most likely due to her medication wearing off. The nurse quickly gave her another dose and we were back to normal levels.
Mom's skin color has returned and she looks much better. Still on a breathing machine and under sedation, but doing well.
I spoke with Donna, the Physicians Assistant for our floor, and she told me everything was good.
The Ramirez family went home for some rest. Continue to pray for Victoria Ramirez and Dee's mother. They are our neighbors here. You can read more about Victoria in my other blogs.
Love,
Stephen
Mom's skin color has returned and she looks much better. Still on a breathing machine and under sedation, but doing well.
I spoke with Donna, the Physicians Assistant for our floor, and she told me everything was good.
The Ramirez family went home for some rest. Continue to pray for Victoria Ramirez and Dee's mother. They are our neighbors here. You can read more about Victoria in my other blogs.
Love,
Stephen
Same Old Same Old
The ICU asked that all the families leave tonight at 10:00 to give the patients a break.
As of right now everything is the same as before. Steady pressure and vitals. Just waiting till she is stable enough to bring out of anesthesia.
Will update after we see her in the morning.
Love,
Stephen
As of right now everything is the same as before. Steady pressure and vitals. Just waiting till she is stable enough to bring out of anesthesia.
Will update after we see her in the morning.
Love,
Stephen
Friday, February 6, 2009
Slow Day
The hustle and bustle of yesterday are a sharp contrast to today. We have been holding pretty constant.
The pressure in Mom's brain is stable. Her breathing is being regulated and her vitals are all fine.
Sorry for the long time between posts. We have all been sleeping this afternoon.
This is the hardest part... waiting.
Thanks for checking on us.
The Ramirez family has had lots of good news today. Pray that continues.
I also met another one of our neighbors. Their mother has had the exact same surgery and is in the same part of recovery. Please pray for Dee's mother as well.
Love,
Stephen.
The pressure in Mom's brain is stable. Her breathing is being regulated and her vitals are all fine.
Sorry for the long time between posts. We have all been sleeping this afternoon.
This is the hardest part... waiting.
Thanks for checking on us.
The Ramirez family has had lots of good news today. Pray that continues.
I also met another one of our neighbors. Their mother has had the exact same surgery and is in the same part of recovery. Please pray for Dee's mother as well.
Love,
Stephen.
Good News
Praise Jesus,
Just received the results of this mornings CT scan.
No new blood in Mom's brain. This means the bleeding has stopped.
Still the same treatment. Keep Mom under anesthesia and a breathing machine to keep her from straining. Wait for the remaining fluid to flow through the tube.
Praise him for the things he is doing. A miracle for the Ramirez family and one for us today.
Love,
Stephen
Just received the results of this mornings CT scan.
No new blood in Mom's brain. This means the bleeding has stopped.
Still the same treatment. Keep Mom under anesthesia and a breathing machine to keep her from straining. Wait for the remaining fluid to flow through the tube.
Praise him for the things he is doing. A miracle for the Ramirez family and one for us today.
Love,
Stephen
FYI
The neurosurgeon who did mom's ventricilostomy is named Suzanna. Donna was the Physicians Assistant on staff who answered every question I had and let me stay with Mom during all of the procedures they were doing (once she realized I didn't pass out easily).
Doctor Chen has come by to check on us several times and keep us updated even though he is very sick.
The nurses who worked from 6:00 am yesterday until Lord knows when (they may have stayed later, when I left they were still doing paperwork at 2:30 am) are name Natalie and Candice. They stayed on without being on the clock to help stabilize Mom. I overheard them talking to a supervisor saying they were volunteering to help out and did not want any overtime.
If you have a chance, send a message to Memorial Hermann and tell them how much we appreciate the team at Neurological ICU. The staff that worked on bed #10 on Thursday evening, February 5th were dedicated, personable and were top notch.
Doctor Chen has come by to check on us several times and keep us updated even though he is very sick.
The nurses who worked from 6:00 am yesterday until Lord knows when (they may have stayed later, when I left they were still doing paperwork at 2:30 am) are name Natalie and Candice. They stayed on without being on the clock to help stabilize Mom. I overheard them talking to a supervisor saying they were volunteering to help out and did not want any overtime.
If you have a chance, send a message to Memorial Hermann and tell them how much we appreciate the team at Neurological ICU. The staff that worked on bed #10 on Thursday evening, February 5th were dedicated, personable and were top notch.
Friday Morning Update
They gave mom another sedative to keep her pressure regulated. Still draining blood from her head. The blood is getting lighter in color, which is a good sign.
All seems good, she wiggled her toes for Ann Pipes and me this morning. Johnny said she was giving thumbs and opened her eyes this morning.
We should be getting results from her morning CT scan soon. Will keep you in the loop.
Thank you for praying for Victoria Ramirez. She had feeling in her arms this morning. I told Mr. Ramirez that we are all praying for his daughter and he is very thankful. I personally believe that having feeling in her arms is a miracle. They gave Victoria a 5% chance of recovering. Please continue praying, as she does have a high fever.
We are blessed to have so many people praying and supporting us. We still have a long road ahead, but as Johnny said "We may not be on the high road, but we're on the road and still driving." Right now that is as much as I can ask for.
Love,
Stephen
All seems good, she wiggled her toes for Ann Pipes and me this morning. Johnny said she was giving thumbs and opened her eyes this morning.
We should be getting results from her morning CT scan soon. Will keep you in the loop.
Thank you for praying for Victoria Ramirez. She had feeling in her arms this morning. I told Mr. Ramirez that we are all praying for his daughter and he is very thankful. I personally believe that having feeling in her arms is a miracle. They gave Victoria a 5% chance of recovering. Please continue praying, as she does have a high fever.
We are blessed to have so many people praying and supporting us. We still have a long road ahead, but as Johnny said "We may not be on the high road, but we're on the road and still driving." Right now that is as much as I can ask for.
Love,
Stephen
Done for the Night
The CT showed more bleeding in the brain. They put a tube in Mom's brain to release some of the pressure. Details about the procedure can be found below:
http://www.upstate.edu/uhpated/pdf/ventriculostomy.pdf
I stayed with her during the entire procedure. It was very quick. Within a few minutes Mom was more responsive. She was struggling to breathe a little, so they decided to put her under anesthesia and a breathing machine. This way her body is not wasting energy on struggling to breath.
In the morning they will wake her up and we will see where we are. We are going to bed.
Keep praying,
Love Stephen
I must tell you about the extraordinary job the staff did today. Candace, mom's nurse, worked from 6 a.m. to just a few minutes ago because they were short staffed and they needed some extra hands working with Mom. Also, Natalie the LVN worked the same ridiculous overtime to help with mom and was very helpful. The Neurologist, Clarissa (not 100% sure of her name) did a fabulous job on the ventriculostomy.
http://www.upstate.edu/uhpated/pdf/ventriculostomy.pdf
I stayed with her during the entire procedure. It was very quick. Within a few minutes Mom was more responsive. She was struggling to breathe a little, so they decided to put her under anesthesia and a breathing machine. This way her body is not wasting energy on struggling to breath.
In the morning they will wake her up and we will see where we are. We are going to bed.
Keep praying,
Love Stephen
I must tell you about the extraordinary job the staff did today. Candace, mom's nurse, worked from 6 a.m. to just a few minutes ago because they were short staffed and they needed some extra hands working with Mom. Also, Natalie the LVN worked the same ridiculous overtime to help with mom and was very helpful. The Neurologist, Clarissa (not 100% sure of her name) did a fabulous job on the ventriculostomy.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
PRAY
We returned at 8:00 p.m. to find that mom was having trouble coming out of the anethesia.
For a while, she would squeeze my hand when I asked her to. After about 30 minutes, she stopped doing that. The nurses were concerned that there could be problems in her brain. They are doing a CT scan.
Will update you when we know something.
Keep praying, we need it desperately.
For a while, she would squeeze my hand when I asked her to. After about 30 minutes, she stopped doing that. The nurses were concerned that there could be problems in her brain. They are doing a CT scan.
Will update you when we know something.
Keep praying, we need it desperately.
Test Results
Received the test results.
The doctor called from the angiogram room. They are taking her immediately in to surgery. Mom has three aneurysms in her brain. One has ruptured and is bleeding. They will try to block off the one that has burst and worry about the other two after surgery.
Best case scenario, they stop the bleeding with the coil they are putting in. Worst case scenario, the coil does not work and they are forced to clip out the bleeding vessel. This would cause her to lose vision in her left eye.
Keep praying for the doctors and nurses here. We are in good spirits and know that no matter what happens, God is soveriegn and that is enough.
Please keep the Ramirez family in your prayers, their 18 year old daughter was in a car wreck. She is parylized from the neck down and only can communicate by blinking. They are sitting next to us in the waiting room and are nice people. I was able to loan my Bible to the mother and hope to continue encouraging the family.
Love,
Stephen
The doctor called from the angiogram room. They are taking her immediately in to surgery. Mom has three aneurysms in her brain. One has ruptured and is bleeding. They will try to block off the one that has burst and worry about the other two after surgery.
Best case scenario, they stop the bleeding with the coil they are putting in. Worst case scenario, the coil does not work and they are forced to clip out the bleeding vessel. This would cause her to lose vision in her left eye.
Keep praying for the doctors and nurses here. We are in good spirits and know that no matter what happens, God is soveriegn and that is enough.
Please keep the Ramirez family in your prayers, their 18 year old daughter was in a car wreck. She is parylized from the neck down and only can communicate by blinking. They are sitting next to us in the waiting room and are nice people. I was able to loan my Bible to the mother and hope to continue encouraging the family.
Love,
Stephen
Good News
We spoke with Dr. Chen a few minutes ago. The coil procedure was successful. This is great news because now they will not need to cut into the skull.
The anyerism that burst has a coil of metal wire wrapped around it. Now we are waiting for the body to remove the fluid and blood that is in her brain. The doctor sounded very optimistic and we thank God for good news.
Now the recovery process begins. We are not out of the woods yet, but we are at least headed in the right direction. There are still two anyerisms that will need surgery. We still have several weeks for Mom to recover her strength. She will still be in ICU for several days. But the Spirit of the Lord is in the place.
The Ramirez family has gone to a friend's home for a much needed few hours of sleep. Their are no visits allowed between 6-8 in the morning or in the evening. So we are entering some downtime.
Heading out for some food.
Praise him for the work he is doing.
Love,
Stephen
The anyerism that burst has a coil of metal wire wrapped around it. Now we are waiting for the body to remove the fluid and blood that is in her brain. The doctor sounded very optimistic and we thank God for good news.
Now the recovery process begins. We are not out of the woods yet, but we are at least headed in the right direction. There are still two anyerisms that will need surgery. We still have several weeks for Mom to recover her strength. She will still be in ICU for several days. But the Spirit of the Lord is in the place.
The Ramirez family has gone to a friend's home for a much needed few hours of sleep. Their are no visits allowed between 6-8 in the morning or in the evening. So we are entering some downtime.
Heading out for some food.
Praise him for the work he is doing.
Love,
Stephen
Information About Aneurysm
We have been doing some research on Aneurysms.
The websites below have been very helpful.
This is the coil they are currently working to put in. Mom is still in surgery and we are waiting to hear something from the doctors.
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=dc-embol
If that is not successful, then they will try this procedure.
http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-Clipping.htm
One of my good friends from college, Dr. Mason Mileur stopped by to talk with us. He works in the Memorial Hermann System. Mason looked over her charts and explained everything to us.
There are several positive things surrounding us. I know that this is because of your prayers. God is good and we are still in good spirits.
Please pray for Victoria Ramirez and her family. They are our neighbors in the waiting room. They are from Bay City and have been here since Saturday. We are becoming good friends and are trying to help them during their stay. I have been talking to them about Jesus. We are praying that the paralysis is temporary because of the swelling in her spine. Keep them in your prayers.
Love,
Stephen
The websites below have been very helpful.
This is the coil they are currently working to put in. Mom is still in surgery and we are waiting to hear something from the doctors.
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=dc-embol
If that is not successful, then they will try this procedure.
http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-Clipping.htm
One of my good friends from college, Dr. Mason Mileur stopped by to talk with us. He works in the Memorial Hermann System. Mason looked over her charts and explained everything to us.
There are several positive things surrounding us. I know that this is because of your prayers. God is good and we are still in good spirits.
Please pray for Victoria Ramirez and her family. They are our neighbors in the waiting room. They are from Bay City and have been here since Saturday. We are becoming good friends and are trying to help them during their stay. I have been talking to them about Jesus. We are praying that the paralysis is temporary because of the swelling in her spine. Keep them in your prayers.
Love,
Stephen
Angiogram
Spoke with three doctors this morning. All signs lead to an aneurysm. They want to know exactly where the bleeding occurred. Once we have results from the angiogram, we will know how to proceed.
She will probably be in the hospital for 1 to 2 weeks. Mom was feeling well enough to tell us that she really does not need any visitors right now. She would rather have people come when she can enjoy them.
A few minutes ago, they took mom back for her angiogram. So much for first thing in the morning.
Will keep posting. Please pass this address around so others will know how she is.
Love,
Stephen
She will probably be in the hospital for 1 to 2 weeks. Mom was feeling well enough to tell us that she really does not need any visitors right now. She would rather have people come when she can enjoy them.
A few minutes ago, they took mom back for her angiogram. So much for first thing in the morning.
Will keep posting. Please pass this address around so others will know how she is.
Love,
Stephen
The Waiting Game
Mom was admitted to a room in Neuro ICU last night around 2:15 am.
Since then not much has changed. This morning's test (that was supposed to be first thing in the morning) is now scheduled for between 10:00 am and 10:45 am.
This test can not come soon enough. They are not giving her any food water or any more medication until after the test.
This test should let us know where the bleeding is and how it started.
Mom is very nauseous and is still complaining about her headache.
Thanks for the prayers, keep them coming.
Stephen
Since then not much has changed. This morning's test (that was supposed to be first thing in the morning) is now scheduled for between 10:00 am and 10:45 am.
This test can not come soon enough. They are not giving her any food water or any more medication until after the test.
This test should let us know where the bleeding is and how it started.
Mom is very nauseous and is still complaining about her headache.
Thanks for the prayers, keep them coming.
Stephen
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Life Flight from Orange
I received a call this morning that Mom was headed to the ER. Ellen, a friend of ours was at the emergency room with her.
They ran several tests, but had not discovered anything. Around 5 this afternoon, they told me she was being moved to Neurology in Port Arthur, TX because she had some bleeding in her brain.
Sonya and I through everything in the truck and drove toward Port Arthur. Just as we left the Houston city limits, we learned that Mom would be on a helicopter to Houston.
She arrived at the emergency room of Memorial Herman hospital in the Houston medical center. Initially, she did not realize where she was and had trouble identifying the date or that she had been in a helicopter. This might have been because of the pain medication she received in Orange.
She was complaining of a bad headache, telling me about every 5 minutes that her head hurts. The doctors gave her some morphine, which allowed her to sleep for a few hours.
The neurologist requested a new CAT scan and told me there were some spots that looked like there could be an aneurysm in her brain. That was around 9:00.
It is nearly midnight and we are still waiting for a room in neurology ICU. In the morning, they will run another test to get more information about the damage. From there we will decide on treatment.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Please pass this blog information on to anyone. We are trying to use this to keep everyone up to date.
Love you all,
Stephen
They ran several tests, but had not discovered anything. Around 5 this afternoon, they told me she was being moved to Neurology in Port Arthur, TX because she had some bleeding in her brain.
Sonya and I through everything in the truck and drove toward Port Arthur. Just as we left the Houston city limits, we learned that Mom would be on a helicopter to Houston.
She arrived at the emergency room of Memorial Herman hospital in the Houston medical center. Initially, she did not realize where she was and had trouble identifying the date or that she had been in a helicopter. This might have been because of the pain medication she received in Orange.
She was complaining of a bad headache, telling me about every 5 minutes that her head hurts. The doctors gave her some morphine, which allowed her to sleep for a few hours.
The neurologist requested a new CAT scan and told me there were some spots that looked like there could be an aneurysm in her brain. That was around 9:00.
It is nearly midnight and we are still waiting for a room in neurology ICU. In the morning, they will run another test to get more information about the damage. From there we will decide on treatment.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Please pass this blog information on to anyone. We are trying to use this to keep everyone up to date.
Love you all,
Stephen
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