She had a very good night. She is able to eat in her room for now but may be able to go to the dining hall, which is right across from her room, soon.
I got there in the afternoon and she was in bed. She said she had been in bed the whole morning and wanted to get out. So we called the nurse and she got into a wheelchair. I had the kids with me and noticed there was a playset out in the courtyard, so I wheeled her outside to sit and watch the kids play. We sat out there for 45 minutes and then she had had enough.
She got her supper but didn't like anything so she didn't eat a whole lot. There are really no menu choices like the hospital.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tuesday, July 7
Day 20 - Well today is the day. She is going to be moved this afternoon to rehab in Zeeland. She will be going to Providence Rehab Center.
She is now on semi-solid foods, no more tubes or wires.
The ride went good and she does have a roommate, but we are trying to get her a private room. For now it's OK.
She is now on semi-solid foods, no more tubes or wires.
The ride went good and she does have a roommate, but we are trying to get her a private room. For now it's OK.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, July 6
Day 19 - Well it keeps getting better and better. She did however pull her feeding tube out again without realizing it, but she was scheduled to have a throat study done today anyway and she passed it. She can swallow pretty good.
She sat in a chair again, but it does seem to tire her out quite fast. But the more she wants to the better because she takes steps to get there.
They did start her on a special diet of pured food. She has her own menu that she can choose from for all three meals. She has mashed potatoes with gravy, roasted turkey and a strawberry smoothie for supper. She didn't like the turkey but ate most of the potatoes and smoothie. She said it tasted wonderful!
The doctor came in and said there was no reason to keep her at the hospital anymore, so tomorrow could be the day she moves on to rehab.
Thank you for all your prayers. I don't think her or us could have gotten this far without them!!!
She sat in a chair again, but it does seem to tire her out quite fast. But the more she wants to the better because she takes steps to get there.
They did start her on a special diet of pured food. She has her own menu that she can choose from for all three meals. She has mashed potatoes with gravy, roasted turkey and a strawberry smoothie for supper. She didn't like the turkey but ate most of the potatoes and smoothie. She said it tasted wonderful!
The doctor came in and said there was no reason to keep her at the hospital anymore, so tomorrow could be the day she moves on to rehab.
Thank you for all your prayers. I don't think her or us could have gotten this far without them!!!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sunday, July 5
Day 18 - Another good day. Mom was awake pretty much the whole time we were there today. The Nuerologist came in and said she was making good progress.
She wanted to sit in the chair today, so the nurses came in and helped her and said that she did very good getting herself in the chair with their help. The more she does that the stronger her legs will get. She sat there for about 45 minutes and that was about enough. She got very tired.
So we all sat around watching a movie and the next thing we know mom is sleeping.
Tomorrow there is a video schedules to watch her swallowing. Hopefully that is good enough to let her eat some solid foods.
She wanted to sit in the chair today, so the nurses came in and helped her and said that she did very good getting herself in the chair with their help. The more she does that the stronger her legs will get. She sat there for about 45 minutes and that was about enough. She got very tired.
So we all sat around watching a movie and the next thing we know mom is sleeping.
Tomorrow there is a video schedules to watch her swallowing. Hopefully that is good enough to let her eat some solid foods.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Saturday, July 4
Day 17 - Happy 4th of July!!!
Well it was a very good day today. My brother Randy went up to hospital this morning early to see mom and she was awake and talking.
My dad and sister Karen got up there around noon and she was still awake. Sam and I got up there around 1:30 and she was still awake and very happy to see us. She was very talkative.
So over all it was a great day!!!
Well it was a very good day today. My brother Randy went up to hospital this morning early to see mom and she was awake and talking.
My dad and sister Karen got up there around noon and she was still awake. Sam and I got up there around 1:30 and she was still awake and very happy to see us. She was very talkative.
So over all it was a great day!!!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Friday, July 3
Day 16 - Well I went and picked up my sister Karen from the airport at 1am and she plans on being here for the next 4 weeks.
We got up to hospital around 10:30 and found out that mom got a little wild during the night and pulled her feeding tube out along with the tube that was in to stop the nose bleed. Well right away they gave her a sedative to calm her down.
I left the hospital at 3pm and she was still sleeping.
Updated at 5:15pm - she is still sleeping. They won't put the tube back in her nose to feed her until she wakes up. They really wanted her to try and eat some more applesauce today to see if her swallowing has gotten better, but of course that didn't happen either.
Updated at 6:50pm - My brother Randy just called and they put the feeding tube back in and that woke her up and now she is talking very good. They are waiting for xray to come and make sure the tube is correctly positioned so they can start feeding her again.
We got up to hospital around 10:30 and found out that mom got a little wild during the night and pulled her feeding tube out along with the tube that was in to stop the nose bleed. Well right away they gave her a sedative to calm her down.
I left the hospital at 3pm and she was still sleeping.
Updated at 5:15pm - she is still sleeping. They won't put the tube back in her nose to feed her until she wakes up. They really wanted her to try and eat some more applesauce today to see if her swallowing has gotten better, but of course that didn't happen either.
Updated at 6:50pm - My brother Randy just called and they put the feeding tube back in and that woke her up and now she is talking very good. They are waiting for xray to come and make sure the tube is correctly positioned so they can start feeding her again.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Thursday, July 2
Day 15 - Well it's been two weeks now since she had her stroke.
I was eating lunch with my kids and got a phone call from my sister-in-law Barb saying someone wanted to talk to me. My mom got on the phone and I could actually understand most of what she was saying. She was sitting in a chair and was wondering when I was coming up with the kids and she looked forward to seeing us. WOW!!!
I got up to the hospital around 1:45pm and she was back in bed. She was wide awake though and was excited to see us. She was laying watching TV. We propped her head up a little bit more so she could see the kids better and she just talked our ears off.
We did try and get her to take a nap, so we went for a walk. I think she only slept for about 30 minutes though.
When she woke up a therapist came in to check her throat to see if she could swallow at all. The therapist gave her a little bit of water on a spoon and she seem to be able to swallow that OK, so out came the applesauce. Mom was able to feed herself and the therapist checked to see if she was swallowing that OK. Some swallows were very strong and some were not. She got to eat about a 1/4 cup of that. She said that tasted very good!
The therapist plans on being back at least 1 more time this weekend to try again and then they are going to do more on Monday.
She knew my brother Randy would be coming up to see her, so she wanted to get in her chair to surprise him and boy was he surprised. She actually took some steps to the chair herself with lots of help. Big improvement from last week.
Updated at 8:34pm:
Got a call from my brother Randy and they are moving her out of ICU up a floor to the intermediate floor, so that is a great big step forward. Of course she thinks she is going home, she even wanted to call everyone to tell them that they didn't have to go to the hospital anymore to see her.
She is still confused about a lot of stuff, but that may get better over time.
I was eating lunch with my kids and got a phone call from my sister-in-law Barb saying someone wanted to talk to me. My mom got on the phone and I could actually understand most of what she was saying. She was sitting in a chair and was wondering when I was coming up with the kids and she looked forward to seeing us. WOW!!!
I got up to the hospital around 1:45pm and she was back in bed. She was wide awake though and was excited to see us. She was laying watching TV. We propped her head up a little bit more so she could see the kids better and she just talked our ears off.
We did try and get her to take a nap, so we went for a walk. I think she only slept for about 30 minutes though.
When she woke up a therapist came in to check her throat to see if she could swallow at all. The therapist gave her a little bit of water on a spoon and she seem to be able to swallow that OK, so out came the applesauce. Mom was able to feed herself and the therapist checked to see if she was swallowing that OK. Some swallows were very strong and some were not. She got to eat about a 1/4 cup of that. She said that tasted very good!
The therapist plans on being back at least 1 more time this weekend to try again and then they are going to do more on Monday.
She knew my brother Randy would be coming up to see her, so she wanted to get in her chair to surprise him and boy was he surprised. She actually took some steps to the chair herself with lots of help. Big improvement from last week.
Updated at 8:34pm:
Got a call from my brother Randy and they are moving her out of ICU up a floor to the intermediate floor, so that is a great big step forward. Of course she thinks she is going home, she even wanted to call everyone to tell them that they didn't have to go to the hospital anymore to see her.
She is still confused about a lot of stuff, but that may get better over time.
Wednesday, July 1
Day 14 - Well today was another good day. The speech therapist came in in the morning, but couldn't do anything because she wouldn't stay awake long enough.
I got up there around 1pm again, and she still wasn't awake. The nurse and I finally had to try and roll her around to wake her up. Her feeding tube was in but not hooked up yet, so they took her down to xray to get the tube placed correctly in the intestines. Well that woke her up.
She was really tired even when she was awake, but at that time she had had no nurishment for almost 48 hours. Well when I left that evening they were starting to feed her which was good.
I got up there around 1pm again, and she still wasn't awake. The nurse and I finally had to try and roll her around to wake her up. Her feeding tube was in but not hooked up yet, so they took her down to xray to get the tube placed correctly in the intestines. Well that woke her up.
She was really tired even when she was awake, but at that time she had had no nurishment for almost 48 hours. Well when I left that evening they were starting to feed her which was good.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 30
Day 13 -- WOW what a fantastic day. She had a good night the nurse said. My brother Randy went up there this morning and just kept calling me telling how good she was doing.
I got up there around 1pm with the kids, because she asked if I was bringing the kids, and she was almost herself if not better. She was talking pretty good and she stayed awake the whole afternoon so she could talk to the kids. She even sat with her glasses on and watched the Bee Movie with Samantha.
She got her feeding tube put back in and then they took her off oxygen. They will however put her back on it tonight while she sleeps. She said she was hungry and wanted one of the cookies that were up there but we had to tell her she couldn't have it just yet. We had to explain that her throat needed more time to heal before she can eat solid foods.
My kids and I had her almost laughing, she was smiling so much. She had a great sense of humor today she even made us laugh.
They sat her up in bed this morning and she could kick her legs quite a bit. She is able to move her arms quite well to get up to her face and wipe her nose or scratch her face.
So over all it was a fabulous day and I hope we continue to have more like it.
I got up there around 1pm with the kids, because she asked if I was bringing the kids, and she was almost herself if not better. She was talking pretty good and she stayed awake the whole afternoon so she could talk to the kids. She even sat with her glasses on and watched the Bee Movie with Samantha.
She got her feeding tube put back in and then they took her off oxygen. They will however put her back on it tonight while she sleeps. She said she was hungry and wanted one of the cookies that were up there but we had to tell her she couldn't have it just yet. We had to explain that her throat needed more time to heal before she can eat solid foods.
My kids and I had her almost laughing, she was smiling so much. She had a great sense of humor today she even made us laugh.
They sat her up in bed this morning and she could kick her legs quite a bit. She is able to move her arms quite well to get up to her face and wipe her nose or scratch her face.
So over all it was a fabulous day and I hope we continue to have more like it.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 29
Day 12, Well today was a pretty rough day. No one stayed up there last night so I called this morning to see how her night went and they said she pulled her feeding tube out. They went to check on her and found that out so they put it back in and her nose started bleeding and they couldn't get it to stop.
So I got on the phone right away and called my brother Randy and he got up there right away. When I got up there it was a lot worse than I had thought.
With her being on blood thinners the blood wouldn't clot so everytime she tried to swallow it would come out her nose instead. I think between him and I we went through at least 24 washclothes in a 2 hour time frame. That's how bad it was.
Well we finally got her to sleep at least to keep her calm, then the ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor came in and took one look at her and started to clean her up. He got her throat and nose all cleaned out and found where the bleeding was coming from. He found out that the bleeding was coming from way down deep in the nose cavity so he couldn't really pack it and decided to pull the feeding tube out and put a little tube in with a balloon at the end that he inflated right on the ripped area to stop the bleeding.
While he was there he scoped down to her vocal chords and said that both her vocal chords were working unlike the last time when only one was. He also said that he thinks with time the tongue will strengthen more and she will be able to swallow better. She was swallowing some and nothing was getting into her lungs. So that's great!
When I left at 4pm she was sleeping again and calm.
Updated at 7:48pm:
I just talked to my brother Randy and he is still up there and said that she is still sleeping very soundly. The ENT doctor did come back to check on her and he said everything looked great, no more bleeding.
Well, prayer she has a better night tonight.
So I got on the phone right away and called my brother Randy and he got up there right away. When I got up there it was a lot worse than I had thought.
With her being on blood thinners the blood wouldn't clot so everytime she tried to swallow it would come out her nose instead. I think between him and I we went through at least 24 washclothes in a 2 hour time frame. That's how bad it was.
Well we finally got her to sleep at least to keep her calm, then the ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor came in and took one look at her and started to clean her up. He got her throat and nose all cleaned out and found where the bleeding was coming from. He found out that the bleeding was coming from way down deep in the nose cavity so he couldn't really pack it and decided to pull the feeding tube out and put a little tube in with a balloon at the end that he inflated right on the ripped area to stop the bleeding.
While he was there he scoped down to her vocal chords and said that both her vocal chords were working unlike the last time when only one was. He also said that he thinks with time the tongue will strengthen more and she will be able to swallow better. She was swallowing some and nothing was getting into her lungs. So that's great!
When I left at 4pm she was sleeping again and calm.
Updated at 7:48pm:
I just talked to my brother Randy and he is still up there and said that she is still sleeping very soundly. The ENT doctor did come back to check on her and he said everything looked great, no more bleeding.
Well, prayer she has a better night tonight.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, June 28
Day 11. My brother Randy told me he did end up staying the night last night because she asked him to stay.
He said that she had a pretty good night, pretty much slept through the night. She woke up for a little while and went back to sleep for a couple more hours.
Randy, Cody, Sam and I got up here at 3 and she was awake and was happy to see the kids. Dave, Julie and Juline were already up here. She is just laying there watching the kids very peacefully. She does have a feeding tube in her nose.
We think she is getting kind of depressed. She keeps asking when she can go home. Please pray for understanding on her part about why she cannot come home just yet and on our part on how to handle this and how to explain it to her.
He said that she had a pretty good night, pretty much slept through the night. She woke up for a little while and went back to sleep for a couple more hours.
Randy, Cody, Sam and I got up here at 3 and she was awake and was happy to see the kids. Dave, Julie and Juline were already up here. She is just laying there watching the kids very peacefully. She does have a feeding tube in her nose.
We think she is getting kind of depressed. She keeps asking when she can go home. Please pray for understanding on her part about why she cannot come home just yet and on our part on how to handle this and how to explain it to her.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday, June 27
I spent the night last night even though she told me not to with a very adimant nod of her head. But she didn't have a choice.
She had a very restful night. She slept completely through it, to the point that we had a hard time waking her up this morning. But we did with a little proding.
She dozed in and out for a while, but now the resprotory people are in and checked to see if she has a leak next to the tube and they did!!!!!!! She just told me they are going to pull the tube soon.
Thank you Thank you for all your prayers. Lets hope this time is a charm!
Updated at 9:14am:
Well the doctor just left and they are going to pull the tube in an hour. They have turned off her feeding tube during that wait time also. They will be ready in case they need to reinsert it again, but prayer they don't have to.
Updated at 11:18am:
Well the tube came out at 10:35 and all is good. She is breathing wonderfully and even trying to talk a little. Probably too much. She is asking all kinds of questions about why she is there and such. She is having some good coughs also. She is full of smiles too. She is not out of the woods yet, but things are looking good.
She had a very restful night. She slept completely through it, to the point that we had a hard time waking her up this morning. But we did with a little proding.
She dozed in and out for a while, but now the resprotory people are in and checked to see if she has a leak next to the tube and they did!!!!!!! She just told me they are going to pull the tube soon.
Thank you Thank you for all your prayers. Lets hope this time is a charm!
Updated at 9:14am:
Well the doctor just left and they are going to pull the tube in an hour. They have turned off her feeding tube during that wait time also. They will be ready in case they need to reinsert it again, but prayer they don't have to.
Updated at 11:18am:
Well the tube came out at 10:35 and all is good. She is breathing wonderfully and even trying to talk a little. Probably too much. She is asking all kinds of questions about why she is there and such. She is having some good coughs also. She is full of smiles too. She is not out of the woods yet, but things are looking good.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 26
I am here now and found out she had a very good night. She is still doing most of the breathing on her own with the tube in yet. The doctor's haven't made their rounds yet, so will update after that to see what will happen today.
Updated 11:41am:
The doctor was in this morning and because she is doing well on her breathing with the tube, they are going to leave it in over the weekend and continue with a couple more steriod treatments. They really don't want to do a trach if they don't have to. She is not too happy, but we just keep telling her it is better this way and hopefully she understands. They did take her off all the sedation meds and are just giving her some light painkillers that will keep her comfortable.
Another good thing is that her heart rate is back to normal as of yesterday afternoon. Hopefully that will stay that way.
Updated 11:41am:
The doctor was in this morning and because she is doing well on her breathing with the tube, they are going to leave it in over the weekend and continue with a couple more steriod treatments. They really don't want to do a trach if they don't have to. She is not too happy, but we just keep telling her it is better this way and hopefully she understands. They did take her off all the sedation meds and are just giving her some light painkillers that will keep her comfortable.
Another good thing is that her heart rate is back to normal as of yesterday afternoon. Hopefully that will stay that way.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thursday, June 25
My sister Karen stayed the night last night, but didn't get too much sleep. Mom has a pick line in her left arm where they go in and draw blood, give meds and is where her IV is. That way they don't have to poke her so many times.
Well she was getting quite a big red spot on her arm just below the pick line and the doctors were concerned. So during the middle of the night they came in and did an ultrasound on her whole arm and neck. Then they gave her a bath! In the middle of the night! I know it went in a little different order than that, but I know my sister was up all night until 4am. She just got to sleep and xray came in at 4:30am to do a chest xray as they do every morning.
Well I got up there just before 10am to relieve her, but she stayed for quite a while. Mom slept most of the morning after her rough night.
Karen finally left to get some sleep.
The doctor came in and told me that the spot on her arm was a blood clot and they wanted to move the pick line to the other arm. So a couple of hours later they came in to do that. She was a very good patient for that.
Mom did stay awake quite a while at different period of time. I asked her if she wanted her hair washed and she nodded yes, so the nurses assistant came right in and washed her hair. She nodded that that felt really good. I rubbed lotion on her face and hands. Boy she sure is getting spoiled!
My brother Dave is staying the night tonight, so lets hope he has a better night than Karen.
Keep the prayers coming, we can see the power of God among us in more ways than this every day. Thank you.
Well she was getting quite a big red spot on her arm just below the pick line and the doctors were concerned. So during the middle of the night they came in and did an ultrasound on her whole arm and neck. Then they gave her a bath! In the middle of the night! I know it went in a little different order than that, but I know my sister was up all night until 4am. She just got to sleep and xray came in at 4:30am to do a chest xray as they do every morning.
Well I got up there just before 10am to relieve her, but she stayed for quite a while. Mom slept most of the morning after her rough night.
Karen finally left to get some sleep.
The doctor came in and told me that the spot on her arm was a blood clot and they wanted to move the pick line to the other arm. So a couple of hours later they came in to do that. She was a very good patient for that.
Mom did stay awake quite a while at different period of time. I asked her if she wanted her hair washed and she nodded yes, so the nurses assistant came right in and washed her hair. She nodded that that felt really good. I rubbed lotion on her face and hands. Boy she sure is getting spoiled!
My brother Dave is staying the night tonight, so lets hope he has a better night than Karen.
Keep the prayers coming, we can see the power of God among us in more ways than this every day. Thank you.
Wednesday, June 24
My brother Randy and his wife Barb both spent the night last night. The nurses did keep mom pretty sedated through the night to keep her comfortable because of the tube having to go back in.
I went up just before supper time, and my family said that she was pretty much sleeping most of the morning and she was just starting to wake up. She was awake when I came in.
My uncle Ken was there when I arrived, this is her brother, and when he decided to leave, my mom turned her head to watch him walk to the door where he stopped. He said goodbye from there and mom waved goodbye to him. Small but significant.
She did stay awake for quite awhile after that. When she tries to talk the machine goes off, nothing to be concerned about, but she wants to talk so bad!
I left and shortly after that I received a phone call from my brother Randy who was still up there. The nose and throat doctor came in and put a scope through her nose down to her throat to see the damage from the tube and said that it was pretty swelled up. He said that there is a balloon toward that bottom of the breathing tube and stops air from going around the tube or something like that. He wants to try and deflate that balloon on Friday and have her take some deep breaths and see if she can exhale with air actually coming out of her mouth. That would determine if her throat is still really swelled up or not. If she can't do that very well, then they will do a temporary trake (sp?) so she can breath and try to communicate better with us.
They did start her on a higher dose of blood thinner and will eventually start her on Cummodin for blood thinning.
She also tried to open her right eye again, but just didn't have the strength.
I went up just before supper time, and my family said that she was pretty much sleeping most of the morning and she was just starting to wake up. She was awake when I came in.
My uncle Ken was there when I arrived, this is her brother, and when he decided to leave, my mom turned her head to watch him walk to the door where he stopped. He said goodbye from there and mom waved goodbye to him. Small but significant.
She did stay awake for quite awhile after that. When she tries to talk the machine goes off, nothing to be concerned about, but she wants to talk so bad!
I left and shortly after that I received a phone call from my brother Randy who was still up there. The nose and throat doctor came in and put a scope through her nose down to her throat to see the damage from the tube and said that it was pretty swelled up. He said that there is a balloon toward that bottom of the breathing tube and stops air from going around the tube or something like that. He wants to try and deflate that balloon on Friday and have her take some deep breaths and see if she can exhale with air actually coming out of her mouth. That would determine if her throat is still really swelled up or not. If she can't do that very well, then they will do a temporary trake (sp?) so she can breath and try to communicate better with us.
They did start her on a higher dose of blood thinner and will eventually start her on Cummodin for blood thinning.
She also tried to open her right eye again, but just didn't have the strength.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 23
Well last night my sister-in-law Julie spent the night at the hospital. She did not get any sleep, because mom was very restless during the night. She wants the tube out of her mouth.
We did meet with the Nuerologist today for quite a while and he answered alot of our questions. He was very helpful. He is amazed at the progress mom has made in just the 6 days. He said for her to come in here 6 days ago and to be almost not breathing and in a coma and for her to be at where she is now is fabulous! All I can say is the power of prayer is here!
Other than that, her vitals look great. She is very tired from lack of sleep last night, but once she wakes up, they plan to take that tube out!!!
I will update you later. Thanks for all your prayers.
Updated 5:17pm:
Well the tube is out. And boy did she give us a good smile. She does however have a lot of flem in her throat and is trying to clear that herself, which is good. Nice strong coughs. But nothing seems to clear. So they are going to watch her close. They are giving her a breathing treatment to help loosen that better.
Updated 7:50pm:
Bad news, she is having trouble breathing so they had to put the tube back in. They are going to however use a smaller tube that won't hurt her vocal cords so bad, which are swollen and why she is not breathing so well, and give her some steroids to help the inflamation go down. Pray she has a good night.
We did meet with the Nuerologist today for quite a while and he answered alot of our questions. He was very helpful. He is amazed at the progress mom has made in just the 6 days. He said for her to come in here 6 days ago and to be almost not breathing and in a coma and for her to be at where she is now is fabulous! All I can say is the power of prayer is here!
Other than that, her vitals look great. She is very tired from lack of sleep last night, but once she wakes up, they plan to take that tube out!!!
I will update you later. Thanks for all your prayers.
Updated 5:17pm:
Well the tube is out. And boy did she give us a good smile. She does however have a lot of flem in her throat and is trying to clear that herself, which is good. Nice strong coughs. But nothing seems to clear. So they are going to watch her close. They are giving her a breathing treatment to help loosen that better.
Updated 7:50pm:
Bad news, she is having trouble breathing so they had to put the tube back in. They are going to however use a smaller tube that won't hurt her vocal cords so bad, which are swollen and why she is not breathing so well, and give her some steroids to help the inflamation go down. Pray she has a good night.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Monday, June 22
Last night my sister Karen spent the night at the hospital. I talked to her this morning and said that mom had a pretty good night again. She's even more responsive when asked questions.
I will update you again later today.
Updated at 3:48pm:
Well some more good things are happening. She opened her right eye just a little this morning and closed it. Then tried again with keeping her left eye closed. It's small but very significant. That means there isn't any paralysis on that side of her face.
Updated at 10:26pm:
This afternoon they turned down the ventilator a little bit more because she is pretty much breathing on her own. Hopefully tomorrow will be the day they can take the tubes out of mouth. I know she wants them out badly!
I will update you again later today.
Updated at 3:48pm:
Well some more good things are happening. She opened her right eye just a little this morning and closed it. Then tried again with keeping her left eye closed. It's small but very significant. That means there isn't any paralysis on that side of her face.
Updated at 10:26pm:
This afternoon they turned down the ventilator a little bit more because she is pretty much breathing on her own. Hopefully tomorrow will be the day they can take the tubes out of mouth. I know she wants them out badly!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday, June 21
Happy Father's Day everyone.
Well I spent the night up here last night. Didn't get much sleep at all. When I think about, it was a pretty uneventful night though, I just seem to jump at every movement she made.
Last night, just after everyone had left, she was quite alert and opened her eye again and knew I was here.
This morning she did manage to get her head down far enough to her hand and tried to pull out her feeding tube. She was starting to get agitated with laying down, so we did decide to sit her up more in a sitting/reclining position and she nods that that way is good. She does sleep a lot of times in her chair at home.
The Neurologist has sounded very positive, things are moving in the right direction.
Hopefully I will be able to post again later today on her progress. Thanks for all your prayers.
Updated 12:28pm: Good news, the neurologist came in and had her answer with a yes or no nod, a bunch of questions and asked her to do some mobility exercises, and she did everything really good and only got 1 question wrong, but she wasn't concerned about that. She asked her if she knew if it was night or day out. Not a big deal.
Well I spent the night up here last night. Didn't get much sleep at all. When I think about, it was a pretty uneventful night though, I just seem to jump at every movement she made.
Last night, just after everyone had left, she was quite alert and opened her eye again and knew I was here.
This morning she did manage to get her head down far enough to her hand and tried to pull out her feeding tube. She was starting to get agitated with laying down, so we did decide to sit her up more in a sitting/reclining position and she nods that that way is good. She does sleep a lot of times in her chair at home.
The Neurologist has sounded very positive, things are moving in the right direction.
Hopefully I will be able to post again later today on her progress. Thanks for all your prayers.
Updated 12:28pm: Good news, the neurologist came in and had her answer with a yes or no nod, a bunch of questions and asked her to do some mobility exercises, and she did everything really good and only got 1 question wrong, but she wasn't concerned about that. She asked her if she knew if it was night or day out. Not a big deal.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Saturday, June 20
Amen for prayer! My mother woke up during the night and opened her left eye and she recognized my brother. He asked her if she knew where she was and she nodded yes. They also asked her to squeeze her hands and she did that also. She also pushed both her legs and they were pretty strong.
Another good thing is she seems to be comfortable and she is breathing mostly on her own. So hopefully the ventilator can be weened soon.
She is not out of the woods yet by far, but the power of prayer is apparent here.
Another good thing is she seems to be comfortable and she is breathing mostly on her own. So hopefully the ventilator can be weened soon.
She is not out of the woods yet by far, but the power of prayer is apparent here.
Friday, June 19
She seemed to have had a good night, no changes, which is better than going backwards. My sister-in-law spent the night up there and was able to talk to the doctors and nurses as they came in and out.
I spent the day up there after picking up my dad, and there wasn't much change during most of the day.
They did start her on a feeding tube later in the afternoon and she is accepting that very well, which is real positive.
They did put a Pick line in her for ease of drawing blood, giving her meds and her IV. She won't get so many pokes now.
My sister and her family drove in from Pennsylvania and got here tonight around 7pm. Just before she came up to the hospital, they got my mom to cough and she lifted her head up and opened her eyes just slightly, but that is more than she had done in the last 36 hours. The nurse also asked her to move her left foot and she did. She didn't move her right one as good though, but that doesn't mean anything yet.
My brother is spending the night tonight. For awhile there will be someone up there at all times.
Please keep saying lots of prayers for her and our family. Thank you!
I spent the day up there after picking up my dad, and there wasn't much change during most of the day.
They did start her on a feeding tube later in the afternoon and she is accepting that very well, which is real positive.
They did put a Pick line in her for ease of drawing blood, giving her meds and her IV. She won't get so many pokes now.
My sister and her family drove in from Pennsylvania and got here tonight around 7pm. Just before she came up to the hospital, they got my mom to cough and she lifted her head up and opened her eyes just slightly, but that is more than she had done in the last 36 hours. The nurse also asked her to move her left foot and she did. She didn't move her right one as good though, but that doesn't mean anything yet.
My brother is spending the night tonight. For awhile there will be someone up there at all times.
Please keep saying lots of prayers for her and our family. Thank you!
June 18, 2009
If you have not heard yet, my mother, Donna, was brought into the hospital (St. Mary's) via ambulance Thursday morning after she fell out of bed and was unconscience when my dad went to see what happened.
All day the doctors couldn't figure out what was going on. They did a CAT scan and found out that she had a stroke which put her in a coma. They did check for any more possible blood clots, but came up negative. Praise the Lord!
She is in ICU and on life support. She has not responded to anything very well yet. The doctors say the next 24-48 hours are critical and she will be watched around the clock for any swelling or bleeding on the brain.
All day the doctors couldn't figure out what was going on. They did a CAT scan and found out that she had a stroke which put her in a coma. They did check for any more possible blood clots, but came up negative. Praise the Lord!
She is in ICU and on life support. She has not responded to anything very well yet. The doctors say the next 24-48 hours are critical and she will be watched around the clock for any swelling or bleeding on the brain.
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