A quiet and restful day for us all. Donna gets healthier physically and we see signs of things we would like to believe are her developing toward consciousness. As they don't meet the minimum thresholds explained to us by the Neuro team, we will reserve optimism. Rest assured that when we do see these big events, we will trumpet loudly. We've started a physical exercise campaign to music that I call "music aerobics" she and I do it 3 times a day as guided by the therapy experts. We also started reading a book together (i'm doing the heavy lifting here). I have carefully selected the book as one she will either love or hate. Either way I should get a reaction which is what we are after.
I have decided that part of the grand plan here must involve developing more patience in a man who is known to usually have little (me). I am working hard to measure up.
Barring anything unforeseen, we may not write anything here tomorrow as we expect another uneventful day prior to what may be a big monday that may even involve a move to another hospital. Sarah will be rejoining the team in Houston Wednesday. She has done a great job of staying well connected from Alaska.
Donna looks great.
Yours in patience,
Bob
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
June 29 Update
Well today was a day of recovery and decisions.
Donna had a great health day shaking off the low grade fever she had yesterday, stabilizing all of her health measurements and looking so much more relaxed and better. The negative impacts of her surgery are disappearing, she again looks good. Hence the hospital was ready for us to make a decision about where she goes next after she leaves Ortho trauma . The hospital has done a great job of getting all of the Donna's parts, that they can directly influence, well. She no longer fits the needs profile of a short term acute facility. She also does not quite meet the requirements of a full scale rehabilitation facility as she remains unconscious with two extremities (her arm and lower left side) that while fixed are not really ready for action. As such, we spent the better part of the last 24 hours touring and evaluating facilities. This is hard work that I hope none of you ever have to experience but I can say that we approached it the way Donna would (tirelessly and thoroughly).
After much deliberation John, Sarah and I agreed on our top choice and we await confirmation (hopefully Monday) that this outcome is doable. If so, the next move may be out of the Medical Center and likely will cause us to alter our plans for a Med Center apartment, at least for now. Subsequent rehab, if necessary, may bring us back there. Donna's move could happen as soon as Monday. This decision process made me realize how the last 2 weeks have been hard but that the pain had been lessened by the quality medical professionals making all of the decisions regarding her care. We are most grateful for them. Those that have helped us in this subsequent decision effort we can never thank enough.
Our forward hopes are for a quiet weekend of expanding Donna's physical health and who knows, maybe more (please Lord). Donna has made a few new subtle movements and we optimistically hope these are precursors but we have been informed by the neurological team what constitutes real step change and we probably won't say too much till we get there. I must say that today during "music therapy time with Bob" (this is when I play her some of our favorite music) she was really into it as only I can tell.
On closing, I want to thank you all for the many notes, voicemails, visits and other forms of encouragement that we have received in such abundance. The vast majority of these have gone unanswered in a direct way out of necessity, but rest assured that they have all gotten through, they lift us up and they remind us how blessed we are in times of difficulty. I will never be able to thank you all but you are all angels on our shoulders. I have often said that the Lord doesn't give us challenges we can't handle. I think the proper version of that phrase should be "the Lord doesn't give us challenges we can't handle with the support of others"
Have a great weekend, and hug your spouse and children. I am.
Deepest regards,
Bob
Donna had a great health day shaking off the low grade fever she had yesterday, stabilizing all of her health measurements and looking so much more relaxed and better. The negative impacts of her surgery are disappearing, she again looks good. Hence the hospital was ready for us to make a decision about where she goes next after she leaves Ortho trauma . The hospital has done a great job of getting all of the Donna's parts, that they can directly influence, well. She no longer fits the needs profile of a short term acute facility. She also does not quite meet the requirements of a full scale rehabilitation facility as she remains unconscious with two extremities (her arm and lower left side) that while fixed are not really ready for action. As such, we spent the better part of the last 24 hours touring and evaluating facilities. This is hard work that I hope none of you ever have to experience but I can say that we approached it the way Donna would (tirelessly and thoroughly).
After much deliberation John, Sarah and I agreed on our top choice and we await confirmation (hopefully Monday) that this outcome is doable. If so, the next move may be out of the Medical Center and likely will cause us to alter our plans for a Med Center apartment, at least for now. Subsequent rehab, if necessary, may bring us back there. Donna's move could happen as soon as Monday. This decision process made me realize how the last 2 weeks have been hard but that the pain had been lessened by the quality medical professionals making all of the decisions regarding her care. We are most grateful for them. Those that have helped us in this subsequent decision effort we can never thank enough.
Our forward hopes are for a quiet weekend of expanding Donna's physical health and who knows, maybe more (please Lord). Donna has made a few new subtle movements and we optimistically hope these are precursors but we have been informed by the neurological team what constitutes real step change and we probably won't say too much till we get there. I must say that today during "music therapy time with Bob" (this is when I play her some of our favorite music) she was really into it as only I can tell.
On closing, I want to thank you all for the many notes, voicemails, visits and other forms of encouragement that we have received in such abundance. The vast majority of these have gone unanswered in a direct way out of necessity, but rest assured that they have all gotten through, they lift us up and they remind us how blessed we are in times of difficulty. I will never be able to thank you all but you are all angels on our shoulders. I have often said that the Lord doesn't give us challenges we can't handle. I think the proper version of that phrase should be "the Lord doesn't give us challenges we can't handle with the support of others"
Have a great weekend, and hug your spouse and children. I am.
Deepest regards,
Bob
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Thursday, June 28
Today was another restful day, with not too much of an update on my mom's condition. She continues to tap her left foot rather often, and will pretty regularly squeeze with her left hand. Other than that she just remains asleep, resting and healing. Her black eye is healing rather quickly, and will probably not be noticeable for too much longer. Today they removed the large wrapped bandage from her arm, and replaced it with a small wrap and a brace, as it's much more sturdy now after the surgery.
The big issue of the day was researching places for her to move to once they release her from the orthotrauma unit. She will probably only be here another couple days, so we're looking into other facilities, as my dad mentioned yesterday. We have developed a short list of places we're considering, but haven't yet come to a final decision. The new location will probably be quite similar in terms of care to the unit she's currently in, but designed for a longer duration stay.
The results from yesterday's CT scan indicated that everything we can see is healing normally, though these scans can only see things like bruising and blood. Unfortunately, there are no scans, CT or otherwise, which allow us to see whether the healing process is progressing normally for her specific type of injury. The only way to know how she is doing on the road to waking up is to give her time to heal.
We've brought a picture of her into her room for the nursing staff to see what a beautiful lady she is. We also played her some of her favorite music today, and she toe tapped all the way through.
Thanks again to everyone who continues to be so supportive. It means so much to my family.
- John
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, A day of rest
After the busy and stressful day Donna had yesterday, today
was a day of complete rest. Pain
medication assured she slept very soundly.
The rest has helped her color and overall stress level come back towards
a normal level.
Discussions also happened today about her next move. As the Ortho Surgery trauma unit is designed
for patient recovery after surgery, her rapid pace of recovery is again making
her a non-fit for this unit. Those of
you that know her well know this is just another example of her
overachieving. We are expecting a
possible move in the next few days.
Where she will go is still a question we hope to resolve tomorrow.
All attention is now focused on her awakening. A new CT head scan was taken today and
discussion with the doctors is much anticipated for tomorrow. Rumor is that all remains well.
We are entering the slow and patience phase of her
recovery. Boredom from a reading
perspective translates into the stability and recovery we desire in our
girl. We stay vigilant on protecting her
from germs that could risk infection. Thanks for your understanding.
Thank you for all of your prayers. Please keep them coming
Regards
Bob
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
June 26 Surgery Day
Well after much anticipation, Donna had her surgery
today. Her arm was braced with two
plates and associated screws (one plate on each bone) and a single long screw
was placed in her pelvis to stabilize a fractured area. These surgeries went
off efficiently and successfully. Her
surgeon Dr, Acher was excellent. Donna
came back to her room after recovery, breathing on her own and looked like she
had gone a few rounds boxing someone.
She looked tired but I think she clearly won the bout. Total time in surgery and recovery was
about 5 hours. It was awesome to know
that her injuries have been addressed and there remains only one more hurdle
(and it won’t involve a physical challenge) and that is waking up.
We are well positioned to play and win the patience
game. We have our Medical center lodging
sorted and will get into it this coming weekend. That opens the door to great patience in
supporting Donna’s recovery even if very slow.
John and I are hitting a rhythm staying with Donna and can see the
timeframe soon when we will be in a position to accept the most graciously
offered help of others. We are already
starting to plan a Sarah return plan, which she, and we, can’t wait for.
A few comments on the Ortho Trauma Unit where Donna is currently
housed, it is located on the 6th floor of the Jones pavilion in Memorial
Hermann. It is still a serious care unit
with a bit less of the rigor of the ICU.
Donna will stay there till she fully recuperates from the surgeries. Indications are that it may not take long and
that she may be on the move again soon, all within the medical center. The
primary concern we have is infection and we experienced a fatality the last
night we were in the ICU due to just that.
As a result we have discussed it among the nursing staff and ourselves
and decided to severely limit direct access to Donna with some additional
protocols to avoid germ exposure. This
is hard with the many well-wishers but she is our only priority at this
point. 6th floor Jones has a very large
and quiet (relative to the ICU) waiting area just outside the elevators so we
are visiting with people there when not attending to Donna. Hopefully the risk of infection will reduce
with time but the primary concern area is her trachioscopy.
With her surgically enhanced right arm, we will need to
explore the extensive new abilities Donna will possess. Not known as an athlete, she may have to
resort to popping me with it when I get out of line. In the spirit of rock, paper, scissors, I
have to believe that steel plate always wins.
I’ll have to take my small victory as the ability to get through a TSA
security line faster than her.
I expect her to regain the glow of the last few days in the
next few as she heals from surgery. She
still holds hands like there is no tomorrow and we tell her all about
everything that happens.
Thanks so much for your support
Bob
Quick update for tuesday 26th am
Donna was moved from the ICU at 3 am to Ortho trauma. That is good by the way (I guess they got tired of her being the most stable patient in the shock trauma ICU). What it also translated into for me was very little sleep as we had doctor discussions also. That combined with her surgery (which hopefully they will take her for soon but she is still here..) makes this not such a great day for visits. Ortho Trauma is still a very limited visitation venue and one where much concern for infection. All good here though. Your prayers appreciated more than ever today.
Bob
Bob
Monday, June 25, 2012
June 25 from Bob
Sarah and John have done such a great job in this space but
now my turn.
Donna had a great day today continuing her stability in all
aspects of her health. She continues to
heal her brain from the inside and her external bruises continue to fade away. She still has a noticeable bump on the right
side of her head but clearly healing forces are at work. She again sat and rested comfortably and her
actions today were dominated by a determined tapping of her left foot that sure
looked like a girl about to dance as she warmed to the beat of the music. She has a fierce grip in her left hand that
is awesome for those of us daring enough to insert our hands there. Great hand-holding.
Tomorrow is a big day for our girl. She is finally going to surgery and going
early 7:30 am. She will have both the
pelvic and arm surgery. With time
estimates, she should be done shortly after lunch (if all holds to schedule). We will be sure to post an update after as
there is no way we can contact or respond directly to all those
interested. We so appreciate all of the
thoughts and prayers. They uplift us and
warm our hearts. I believe that all of
these prayers make an enormous difference.
I hope you all understand we cannot respond much to all the notes of
good wishes as Donna gets our priority attention. We do appreciate them though.
Sarah is safely back in Alaska but remains intimately
engaged. We’ll have her back to Houston soon. The guys (Bob and John) hold the fort with
the help of many.
I’ll sign off now as I plan to spend some time sitting with
Donna. She looks better every day and
she was lying to the side as I left her a bit ago and she looked as beautiful
as I can ever remember. I want to soak
this in before she pushes through this next surgery hurdle. Hopefully by tomorrow at this time we will
have her issues down to just one, her waking from her deep sleep. These one directional conversations we have
are interesting and strange. I am taking
advantage of saying all I want to say J
but I must say that I will relish being again a smaller contributor to our
conversations for the rest of my life.
Much love and thanks to you all
Bob
Quick update on surgery
We spoke with a member of the orthopedic team today about the plans for surgery on my mom's pelvis and arm. After the more precise CT scan, they have decided that she still needs the surgery on her pelvis, but that it is a relatively minor operation. The surgeries are scheduled for tomorrow (no word yet on exactly when), and they felt confident that she could get into the OR tomorrow, though there is always some chance of getting pushed back if there are others who need to get in more urgently. We'll update the blog this evening with more info.
Also my family would like to let everyone know that we appreciate very much all of the supportive emails, texts, and calls we've all been receiving. Unfortunately, with everything going on we haven't always been able to respond individually to everyone, but please know that we do read and appreciate all of the support, and we tell my mom about it all when we're visiting her. I'm sure you understand, but we wanted to make sure we express our gratitude as it means so much to my family.
- John
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Sunday, June 24
Sarah and Nate left today to go back to Alaska, so I (John) will be writing the blog.
Today was a relatively quiet day. Overall, my mom's cuts and bruises are all healing quickly, and she's really getting back to looking like her. Her color is returning back to normal and the swelling has pretty much all gone away. She took another turn sitting up in the chair today. She remains unconscious, and we will be sure to quickly update everyone with any signs of her waking up.
This afternoon they took her for a more detiailed CT scan of her pelvis to determine more precisely the extent of the fracture and how it seems to be healing. We have not yet gotten the results back from that scan, so we don't know yet whether she will be going for pelvis surgery. Either way, the surgery on her arm will be progressing soon, possibly as early as tomorrow. She's not officially on the schedule, so we won't be too surprised if the surgery is pushed back to Tuesday.
She spent today breathing entirely on her own, with the ventilator not attached at all. She's been maintaining strong, regular breaths, which is really great for her as it helps keep her diaphragm from becoming weak. That is the last step required for her to be taken from the ICU to an intermediate care facility. It sounds like probably the plan though is to wait until after the surgery to move her, as she will need to go under anesthesia and be put back on the ventilator as part of the operation.
Tomorrow morning my dad will go to the apartment complex and be setting up the apartment, so we should have that in a few days when it becomes available to move into.
Spending time in the trauma ICU waiting room has put some real perspective on things for us. There are many others who have also been spending time waiting on their loved ones to heal, and there have been many examples of them waiting quite some time and having happy endings. This has helped us very much to keep our spirits up. There have also been some who are here with loved ones who have experienced more serious traumas. We really are so fortunate that my mom has been blessed to have so few and minor physical injuries which are very treatable.
Thank you again to all of you who have been following the blog and have been so supportive to my family. I know you all love my mother very much, and I hope we are able to tell you wonderful stories of improvement in the days/weeks/months to come.
- John
Today was a relatively quiet day. Overall, my mom's cuts and bruises are all healing quickly, and she's really getting back to looking like her. Her color is returning back to normal and the swelling has pretty much all gone away. She took another turn sitting up in the chair today. She remains unconscious, and we will be sure to quickly update everyone with any signs of her waking up.
This afternoon they took her for a more detiailed CT scan of her pelvis to determine more precisely the extent of the fracture and how it seems to be healing. We have not yet gotten the results back from that scan, so we don't know yet whether she will be going for pelvis surgery. Either way, the surgery on her arm will be progressing soon, possibly as early as tomorrow. She's not officially on the schedule, so we won't be too surprised if the surgery is pushed back to Tuesday.
She spent today breathing entirely on her own, with the ventilator not attached at all. She's been maintaining strong, regular breaths, which is really great for her as it helps keep her diaphragm from becoming weak. That is the last step required for her to be taken from the ICU to an intermediate care facility. It sounds like probably the plan though is to wait until after the surgery to move her, as she will need to go under anesthesia and be put back on the ventilator as part of the operation.
Tomorrow morning my dad will go to the apartment complex and be setting up the apartment, so we should have that in a few days when it becomes available to move into.
Spending time in the trauma ICU waiting room has put some real perspective on things for us. There are many others who have also been spending time waiting on their loved ones to heal, and there have been many examples of them waiting quite some time and having happy endings. This has helped us very much to keep our spirits up. There have also been some who are here with loved ones who have experienced more serious traumas. We really are so fortunate that my mom has been blessed to have so few and minor physical injuries which are very treatable.
Thank you again to all of you who have been following the blog and have been so supportive to my family. I know you all love my mother very much, and I hope we are able to tell you wonderful stories of improvement in the days/weeks/months to come.
- John
Saturday, June 23, 2012
June 23, 2012 - From Sarah
My mom began breathing all on her own today. She has been breathing on her own a little bit this entire time, but after weaning her off of the ventilator overnight, this morning was the first time that she was given the chance to do all of the work herself and she did great. Yay! I think we were a little surprised at how quickly she accomplished this. This is excellent progress and we are incredibly proud of her; however, we never doubted her ability. She is improving each day, and this particular progress is a good indicator that she will likely be moving out of the shock trauma intensive care unit (STICU) soon. We do not know exactly when my mom will be moved, but it may be as soon as tomorrow. We also do not know exactly where she will be moved to, but of course she will get plenty of attention. We will keep you posted on this.
We learned this morning that the results of my mom's MRI, which was performed late last night, were all good. Her brain has not developed any new injuries, and the ones that we can see on the MRI seem to be healing appropriately. Nothing new, but reassuring to hear.
Although we misunderstood and thought that my mom was not allowed to have visitors for part of the day, we learned that she had been sitting upright in a chair during that time (about 2.5 hours). She will be able to do this again tomorrow and we are all looking forward to seeing her sit up. Sitting in a chair is very good for her, especially for her lungs.
My mom is looking better and better every single day. We tell her this often, too. In order to place the intracranial pressure monitor, they had to shave a bit of hair on the top right side of her head. I know that she will hate this part, but her hair is already starting to grow back. My mom also had a very black right eye, but it is almost mind-boggling how quickly her eye is healing, too. She is looking great.
Lastly, I think we are going to be able to set my dad up with an apartment that will allow him very easy access to and from the hospital. He will be able to take the light rail (a little train that runs through the medical center) back and forth easily, it will be a very safe trip to make, and he will be able to sleep in a bed with the comfort of a home, yet never be more than minutes away from my mom.
We have been discussing how careful we will need to be with my mom when she wakes up, because she will be so incredibly moved by all of the touching stories and messages that we will be so anxious to share with her. Thank you all again for the continued support, as it makes a world of difference for us.
-Sarah
We learned this morning that the results of my mom's MRI, which was performed late last night, were all good. Her brain has not developed any new injuries, and the ones that we can see on the MRI seem to be healing appropriately. Nothing new, but reassuring to hear.
Although we misunderstood and thought that my mom was not allowed to have visitors for part of the day, we learned that she had been sitting upright in a chair during that time (about 2.5 hours). She will be able to do this again tomorrow and we are all looking forward to seeing her sit up. Sitting in a chair is very good for her, especially for her lungs.
My mom is looking better and better every single day. We tell her this often, too. In order to place the intracranial pressure monitor, they had to shave a bit of hair on the top right side of her head. I know that she will hate this part, but her hair is already starting to grow back. My mom also had a very black right eye, but it is almost mind-boggling how quickly her eye is healing, too. She is looking great.
Lastly, I think we are going to be able to set my dad up with an apartment that will allow him very easy access to and from the hospital. He will be able to take the light rail (a little train that runs through the medical center) back and forth easily, it will be a very safe trip to make, and he will be able to sleep in a bed with the comfort of a home, yet never be more than minutes away from my mom.
We have been discussing how careful we will need to be with my mom when she wakes up, because she will be so incredibly moved by all of the touching stories and messages that we will be so anxious to share with her. Thank you all again for the continued support, as it makes a world of difference for us.
-Sarah
Friday, June 22, 2012
June 22, 2012 - From Sarah
The tracheoscopy and PEG tube placement was very successful this morning. My mom looks so much better today without anything in her face - it's really nice to see. The unit was on lock-down for a big chunk of the day because many patients were having these procedures done.
We also learned some information today regarding the surgery on my mom's pelvis. Apparently bones heal faster in patients with a brain injury...who knew. I think we'll have to look that one up, but based on my mom's first CT scan, her pelvis is fractured, yet appears to be in its proper position. They are now planning to do another, more detailed CT on her pelvis very shortly before they are going to make the decision of when to take her to surgery. This is because, if my mom's pelvic fracture is healing properly on its own, she may not need to have the pelvic surgery at all. Based on this conversation, it became clear that we do not know when, if at all, the pelvic surgery will be taking place. We also know that the arm surgery is still necessary, but this is not considered very risky and it may be less of a time issue.
Since before I even arrived in Houston, I began worrying about the time that I would need to leave my family. Thankfully, this new information about surgery helped me to solidify the decision about returning to Alaska, which (with much help from my level-headed father) I had sort of made already, but hated. While I don't like it, I am now more at peace with the plan for me to go back to Alaska on Sunday. This decision was only made knowing that I will be on the first flight back, should anything change.
My mom is having another MRI right now, so I am waiting for her to return to say goodnight to her. Something I haven't mentioned yet is that my mom is participating in several research studies. I think we are up to 3 now. I was involved in research when I worked here before, so this was an easy part of the decision process for us. One of the studies my mom is involved in includes periodic MRIs. We aren't sure if the one tonight is for research or if it is just to check her progress, but results may not even be reported until after the weekend.
We have heard so many inspirational stories, including some about the things that people could and wanted to hear about when they were in a coma. I think that my brother and I have found these stories especially helpful and hopeful, and I think that we have tried to say the things to our mom that we most think she wants to hear. We tell her about all of you and how we are all handling certain situations. As you all know, she worries herself silly about taking care of everyone else, and we want her to feel reassured that we are all taking care of each other.
Thank you so much for all of the kind words, the constant visits, the care packages, the hugs, and the many, many prayers. They are so needed and extremely appreciated.
- Sarah
We also learned some information today regarding the surgery on my mom's pelvis. Apparently bones heal faster in patients with a brain injury...who knew. I think we'll have to look that one up, but based on my mom's first CT scan, her pelvis is fractured, yet appears to be in its proper position. They are now planning to do another, more detailed CT on her pelvis very shortly before they are going to make the decision of when to take her to surgery. This is because, if my mom's pelvic fracture is healing properly on its own, she may not need to have the pelvic surgery at all. Based on this conversation, it became clear that we do not know when, if at all, the pelvic surgery will be taking place. We also know that the arm surgery is still necessary, but this is not considered very risky and it may be less of a time issue.
Since before I even arrived in Houston, I began worrying about the time that I would need to leave my family. Thankfully, this new information about surgery helped me to solidify the decision about returning to Alaska, which (with much help from my level-headed father) I had sort of made already, but hated. While I don't like it, I am now more at peace with the plan for me to go back to Alaska on Sunday. This decision was only made knowing that I will be on the first flight back, should anything change.
My mom is having another MRI right now, so I am waiting for her to return to say goodnight to her. Something I haven't mentioned yet is that my mom is participating in several research studies. I think we are up to 3 now. I was involved in research when I worked here before, so this was an easy part of the decision process for us. One of the studies my mom is involved in includes periodic MRIs. We aren't sure if the one tonight is for research or if it is just to check her progress, but results may not even be reported until after the weekend.
We have heard so many inspirational stories, including some about the things that people could and wanted to hear about when they were in a coma. I think that my brother and I have found these stories especially helpful and hopeful, and I think that we have tried to say the things to our mom that we most think she wants to hear. We tell her about all of you and how we are all handling certain situations. As you all know, she worries herself silly about taking care of everyone else, and we want her to feel reassured that we are all taking care of each other.
Thank you so much for all of the kind words, the constant visits, the care packages, the hugs, and the many, many prayers. They are so needed and extremely appreciated.
- Sarah
Thursday, June 21, 2012
June 21, 2012
First off, I want to say that I'm sorry for not clarifying who has been writing these entries.... The first three posts were written by Sarah, Donna's daughter. I dont know how long I'll be in town, but my brother and dad are definitely going to be here for a long while, so they will be taking their turns writing updates, as well. We will specify who is writing from now on.
As some of you have heard, there was no surgery today. Other traumas came in that were more urgent, so my mom's was postponed; therefore, things were relatively slow today. My mom has been resting peacefully and we continue to see her external injuries healing. We continue to pray that her internal injuries are healing just the same. The surgery on her pelvis and arm has tentatively been re-scheduled for Monday. We hear that the orthopedic surgery schedule changes often, however, so we will just have to see when she officially gets in. Fortunately, she is very able to wait and there is not an enormous rush on this.
Tomorrow my mom will be having a tracheoscopy placed, as well as a PEG tube. These are longer-term breathing and feeding devices. The tubes that she currently has in her airways cannot stay because they increase the risk of infection, irritation in her throat, etc. These procedures are typically done at the ICU bedside, so unless there is an issue positioning her or something like that, she will not need to go to the operating room.
Tonight my mom was able to have her intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor removed. We've learned to celebrate the little things and this was an exciting milestone to have reached. I mentioned the ICP monitor earlier, but didn't explain it much. It is a small device designed to measure her brain pressure to monitor any swelling in the brain. To install the device, my mom had a small hole drilled into her skull and the monitor was actually placed (shallowly) into her brain. It was extremely important for her to have during the tense first few days, but keeping it in longer than necessary can increase her risk of infection and such, so it is fantastic that she doesn't need it anymore.
We also learned that my mom had another CT scan this morning. While the CT does not show all of the injuries that we hope are healing in my mom's brain, the injuries that were initially identified by earlier CT scans - such as small bleeds that occurred - are showing signs of healing. John and I even reviewed the CT report ourselves with one of the doctors... I know, we're not high maintenance at all! To be fair, we only accepted the offer after it was offered to us ;-) I know that my mom would be so proud of us for checking and double-checking everything ...it's something that has always been important to her and something she always made sure to do for us.
Today we were also blessed to (again!) have the chance to sit down with the neurosurgeons here, who have gone wildly out of their way to inform and support me and my family. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, but it has never been more clear to me than it is right now why I ended up in some of the places that I did - in this case working in the neurosurgery department at this hospital to start my working career. My mom has come into this hospital with her own family of doctors already in place...we are truly fortunate.
I know I said I wouldn't be too wordy, but there was one other event today that had a big effect on us. My dad returned to the car in an attempt to collect some of he and my mom's belongings. My brother and I did not feel we should see the car, and although my dad was very sure that he should go, we made sure he had company rather than going alone. The message that he returned with was extremely clear for all of us - despite this tragic accident, we are incredibly blessed to have either of my parents here with us at all. In the words of my dad, "whoever designed the structure of that vehicle, I would like to buy them a drink."
-Sarah
As some of you have heard, there was no surgery today. Other traumas came in that were more urgent, so my mom's was postponed; therefore, things were relatively slow today. My mom has been resting peacefully and we continue to see her external injuries healing. We continue to pray that her internal injuries are healing just the same. The surgery on her pelvis and arm has tentatively been re-scheduled for Monday. We hear that the orthopedic surgery schedule changes often, however, so we will just have to see when she officially gets in. Fortunately, she is very able to wait and there is not an enormous rush on this.
Tomorrow my mom will be having a tracheoscopy placed, as well as a PEG tube. These are longer-term breathing and feeding devices. The tubes that she currently has in her airways cannot stay because they increase the risk of infection, irritation in her throat, etc. These procedures are typically done at the ICU bedside, so unless there is an issue positioning her or something like that, she will not need to go to the operating room.
Tonight my mom was able to have her intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor removed. We've learned to celebrate the little things and this was an exciting milestone to have reached. I mentioned the ICP monitor earlier, but didn't explain it much. It is a small device designed to measure her brain pressure to monitor any swelling in the brain. To install the device, my mom had a small hole drilled into her skull and the monitor was actually placed (shallowly) into her brain. It was extremely important for her to have during the tense first few days, but keeping it in longer than necessary can increase her risk of infection and such, so it is fantastic that she doesn't need it anymore.
We also learned that my mom had another CT scan this morning. While the CT does not show all of the injuries that we hope are healing in my mom's brain, the injuries that were initially identified by earlier CT scans - such as small bleeds that occurred - are showing signs of healing. John and I even reviewed the CT report ourselves with one of the doctors... I know, we're not high maintenance at all! To be fair, we only accepted the offer after it was offered to us ;-) I know that my mom would be so proud of us for checking and double-checking everything ...it's something that has always been important to her and something she always made sure to do for us.
Today we were also blessed to (again!) have the chance to sit down with the neurosurgeons here, who have gone wildly out of their way to inform and support me and my family. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, but it has never been more clear to me than it is right now why I ended up in some of the places that I did - in this case working in the neurosurgery department at this hospital to start my working career. My mom has come into this hospital with her own family of doctors already in place...we are truly fortunate.
I know I said I wouldn't be too wordy, but there was one other event today that had a big effect on us. My dad returned to the car in an attempt to collect some of he and my mom's belongings. My brother and I did not feel we should see the car, and although my dad was very sure that he should go, we made sure he had company rather than going alone. The message that he returned with was extremely clear for all of us - despite this tragic accident, we are incredibly blessed to have either of my parents here with us at all. In the words of my dad, "whoever designed the structure of that vehicle, I would like to buy them a drink."
-Sarah
From Bob
All, This is Bob. Sarah is doing a great job in this space. While she is here in Houston, she'll take the lead. I just wanted to let you know that Donna is resting peacefully. She is under great care from an outstanding staff at Memorial Hermann. She also has the added attention of a number of special people who we know from Sarah's work there who have great comfort and insight ability. We are very blessed to get some of their precious time and attention. I am fine. My pains are manageable and inconsequential. Donna will have two procedures tomorrow affiliated with her air way and feeding management, with her arm and pelvic surgeries delayed to what looks like Monday (possibly). These delays are not indicative of her condition but of the priority of a very busy ER. It is actually a great positive for us not to be considered a priority entrant for the ER. I'll leave the remaining details to Sarah. Having Sarah, John, members of our family and some close friends nearby makes this all manageable. We are most grateful. Not many needs now but as we have learned from our medical professionals, this may be more of a marathon than a sprint.
We'll try to post info in this space late in the day.
Thanks to you all for your prayers and well wishes. You all make such a difference for us. We talk to Donna every day and we are told there is a good chance she hears us. We tell her all about you. We know it makes all the difference to her also.
Bob
We'll try to post info in this space late in the day.
Thanks to you all for your prayers and well wishes. You all make such a difference for us. We talk to Donna every day and we are told there is a good chance she hears us. We tell her all about you. We know it makes all the difference to her also.
Bob
June 21, 2012
My mom has been bumped to number 3 on the surgery list today so please don't be concerned about the timing. There is no change in my mom's condition, she is still stable and resting. We still plan for her to have surgery today, but we'll have to wait and see how the scheduling works out.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
June 20, 2012
Today was a busy day. We got to meet with the neurosurgeons today, who explained that part of my mom's injury includes the part of the brain that controls sleeping and waking. This helps to understand a lot about why she is asleep. They were again encouraging and it provided us with a lot of hope about my mom's potential for healing. She looked good today - her skin color looked good, her bruises are healing, all of her vitals are stable (which has been the case since the accident), and she was moving a little more than she did yesterday.
A big event today was the decision to pursue surgery tomorrow to repair her pelvic fracture and the fractures in her right arm. It may feel like this decision was sudden, but we grilled multiple doctors for multiple hours today on the benefits and risks of these procedures. My family and the doctors are all comfortable with this decision. The surgery is not only helpful for the healing of my mom's fractures, but it will quite likely make the healing of her brain easier for her body. It was also good to hear how confident the neurosurgeons were with her stable situation just to allow the orthopedic surgeons to operate. She will be "wheeled out" to surgery at about 7:30 am tomorrow morning, then she will be prepped, they will do the pelvic surgery first, and then finish with the arm surgery. We expect her to be in surgery for at least 6 hours and possibly more. We're all definitely a bit apprehensive, but I think I speak for all of us when I say that my mom is in excellent hands.
She has so many visitors each day, it is such an amazing reminder of how loved she is. Every time someone asks what we need, we are reminded of how blessed we are.
A big event today was the decision to pursue surgery tomorrow to repair her pelvic fracture and the fractures in her right arm. It may feel like this decision was sudden, but we grilled multiple doctors for multiple hours today on the benefits and risks of these procedures. My family and the doctors are all comfortable with this decision. The surgery is not only helpful for the healing of my mom's fractures, but it will quite likely make the healing of her brain easier for her body. It was also good to hear how confident the neurosurgeons were with her stable situation just to allow the orthopedic surgeons to operate. She will be "wheeled out" to surgery at about 7:30 am tomorrow morning, then she will be prepped, they will do the pelvic surgery first, and then finish with the arm surgery. We expect her to be in surgery for at least 6 hours and possibly more. We're all definitely a bit apprehensive, but I think I speak for all of us when I say that my mom is in excellent hands.
She has so many visitors each day, it is such an amazing reminder of how loved she is. Every time someone asks what we need, we are reminded of how blessed we are.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
June 19, 2012
Well, today was day 3 following my mom and dad's accident. We know there are many people who love and care so much for my dear parents, so have decided to write a blog to update people quickly on the status of their condition. As most of you know, I primarily mean my mom, who was critically injured in the accident. My dad was very lucky to have walked away with the recoverable injuries he is currently trying to ignore ;-) We all feel so blessed by all of our friends, family members, colleagues, and even strangers who have shown such love, compassion, faith, generosity....and I could just go on and on. I feel like we cannot begin to express how blessed and grateful we are to watch my mother be surrounded with such love and faith during the most trying time of our lives.
Many things have happened over the past few days. After a truck crossed the middle line and came into my parents lane while they were driving, my dad was able to swerve and miss the truck. Unfortunately, the roads were slick, the car lost control, and they were thrown into oncoming traffic. We could not be more proud of our dad for preventing a head-on collision that would likely have taken both of them from us. We also all sighed a huge sigh of relief when we learned that the driver of the other vehicle had been released from the hospital and was going to be ok.
Unfortunately, however, among many broken bones, my mom's head was badly shaken in the accident. She is currently in a coma as she sleeps quite peacefully. We have learned that one of the most significant dangers of a head injury is increased intracranial pressure, which is at highest risk of developing during the first three days or so. We are all so proud of my mom, who has of course impressed everyone, as she so often does. Her pressures have been fantastic. While we receive positive pieces of information each day, my mom remains in critical condition, and we can only pray and root her on while we wait for her. My mom's brain is currently trying to heal itself, but this particular type of healing can take quite a bit of time. It is very clear that she is in the right place and in the right hands. We could not ask for better physicians, some of whom I was so fortunate to work with only a year ago. We have found support in ways that we never could have imagined, and we have become (slightly) better able to accept the time that it will take for my mom to wake up for us. What a day that will be!
Thank you all again for your continued support, which you have shown in so many different ways to our family. We will continue to update this blog as my mom progresses (we promise to not always be so wordy!), but we value the personal connections that we have with each of you, so please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
Many things have happened over the past few days. After a truck crossed the middle line and came into my parents lane while they were driving, my dad was able to swerve and miss the truck. Unfortunately, the roads were slick, the car lost control, and they were thrown into oncoming traffic. We could not be more proud of our dad for preventing a head-on collision that would likely have taken both of them from us. We also all sighed a huge sigh of relief when we learned that the driver of the other vehicle had been released from the hospital and was going to be ok.
Unfortunately, however, among many broken bones, my mom's head was badly shaken in the accident. She is currently in a coma as she sleeps quite peacefully. We have learned that one of the most significant dangers of a head injury is increased intracranial pressure, which is at highest risk of developing during the first three days or so. We are all so proud of my mom, who has of course impressed everyone, as she so often does. Her pressures have been fantastic. While we receive positive pieces of information each day, my mom remains in critical condition, and we can only pray and root her on while we wait for her. My mom's brain is currently trying to heal itself, but this particular type of healing can take quite a bit of time. It is very clear that she is in the right place and in the right hands. We could not ask for better physicians, some of whom I was so fortunate to work with only a year ago. We have found support in ways that we never could have imagined, and we have become (slightly) better able to accept the time that it will take for my mom to wake up for us. What a day that will be!
Thank you all again for your continued support, which you have shown in so many different ways to our family. We will continue to update this blog as my mom progresses (we promise to not always be so wordy!), but we value the personal connections that we have with each of you, so please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
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