Visited Angela this afternoon. To me, she seems about the same as yesterday. She "seemed" to be able to track me with her eyes briefly as well as was able to stick her tongue out a couple of times on command. Seems to drift in and out of different states of alertness.
Medically, they ran her through dialysis again today, with plans of doing it every other day for 4 hours at a time. They were performing another EEG later today to look for brain activity.Later this evening, they are going to clamp off the drainage tube coming out of her brain and give her a Catscan tomorrow to see if there is still fluid build up or not. If it seems ok, they will remove the tube tomorrow. Ang is still scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday, at which time we will hopefully get some more insight as to what is or is not going on in her brain.
Thanks,
Ed
Monday, February 28, 2011
Angela Feb 28/11 @0700hrs
Unfortunately, it sounds as if there may have been some regression in Ang's condition overnight. She has slipped back in to being unresponsive again. They are hooking up the E.E.G. again today to monitor brain activity and as far as I know, she is now scheduled for another MRI on Wednesday.
I will be going up there around lunch time and hopefully can kick her butt back to the responsive state she was in yesterday. I kinda thought that we may go through this though....one step forward, 2 steps back for a while. Just have to remain positive and take it one day at a time.
I will update later this afternoon when I return from the hospital. As a family, we again, cannot thank everyone enough for all your positive thoughts and prayers during this time. We love you all and appreciate you more than words can say. :)
Ed
I will be going up there around lunch time and hopefully can kick her butt back to the responsive state she was in yesterday. I kinda thought that we may go through this though....one step forward, 2 steps back for a while. Just have to remain positive and take it one day at a time.
I will update later this afternoon when I return from the hospital. As a family, we again, cannot thank everyone enough for all your positive thoughts and prayers during this time. We love you all and appreciate you more than words can say. :)
Ed
Sunday, February 27, 2011
A glimmer of hope Angela Feb 27/11
Well I certainly got a little surprise today when Brandon and I arrived at the hospital. The nurse said she thought Angela was tracking her with her eyes earlier when she was bathing her. So I stuck my tongue out at her and low and behold, she did the same back to me!! Not wanting to jump to any conclusions, I repeated the same thing a few more times and left a span of about 5 minutes in between just to ensure it wasn't just a reflex or involuntary movement.Sure enough, she was able to do it on command a few times. Angela was also able to move her legs a small amount but very little, if any, movement in her arms.
Not sure if it was voice command or sight that made her stick out the tongue. I felt it was visual thing but when other family members arrived, they thought perhaps voice command. Either way, its a small step in the right direction. The nurse said she was also responding to lower leg pain stimulus testing. (i.e. scraping/pinching her foot). She seemed to slip in and out of whatever level of conscienceness she had been able to muster so we didn't push her too far today.
I swear this kid has nine lives!!! I will be visiting tomorrow after my own MRI results meeting at LRCC and with any luck, will see some more improvement.
Angela is by far out of the woods yet (today's nurse said it could be up to 6 months before the extent of damage is known) but at this point, any small glimmer of hope is a good thing. We remain with guarded optimism and can only hope and pray that time shows more good things.
Not sure if it was voice command or sight that made her stick out the tongue. I felt it was visual thing but when other family members arrived, they thought perhaps voice command. Either way, its a small step in the right direction. The nurse said she was also responding to lower leg pain stimulus testing. (i.e. scraping/pinching her foot). She seemed to slip in and out of whatever level of conscienceness she had been able to muster so we didn't push her too far today.
I swear this kid has nine lives!!! I will be visiting tomorrow after my own MRI results meeting at LRCC and with any luck, will see some more improvement.
Angela is by far out of the woods yet (today's nurse said it could be up to 6 months before the extent of damage is known) but at this point, any small glimmer of hope is a good thing. We remain with guarded optimism and can only hope and pray that time shows more good things.
Angela Feb 27/11 @ 0900hrs
Well, here we are at Day 10 now. It feels like day 100 some days, and at other times it feels like only yesterday.
I have got the morning update from the hospital and there has been no change neurologically with Angela. She was up to 80% oxygen requirements (from the equipment) yesterday but has settled down to 50% as of now. The anti-seizure meds are working now...there has been no seizure activity recently. Will receive dialysis either today or tomorrow.
Ang remains in a comatose state without sedation and only the occasional pain med when she becomes agitated. Unfortunately, that is all the news we have right now. Hoping that the coming week will bring some news. The Neuro doc said that if/when she responds to anything/anyone, its likely to be a family member first so we will continue the daily trips to the hospital to bug her ;)
I have got the morning update from the hospital and there has been no change neurologically with Angela. She was up to 80% oxygen requirements (from the equipment) yesterday but has settled down to 50% as of now. The anti-seizure meds are working now...there has been no seizure activity recently. Will receive dialysis either today or tomorrow.
Ang remains in a comatose state without sedation and only the occasional pain med when she becomes agitated. Unfortunately, that is all the news we have right now. Hoping that the coming week will bring some news. The Neuro doc said that if/when she responds to anything/anyone, its likely to be a family member first so we will continue the daily trips to the hospital to bug her ;)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Angela Feb 25/11 @ 2000 hrs
Well we had another Family meeting with the Head of Neuro and unfortunately, not much "new" news. On the neurological side of things, they are still hoping that the white matter damage seen on the MRI is reversible but only time will tell. Ang had dialysis this afternoon and they drained some fluid off her lungs. Her blood pressure is still up and down and still unresponsive.
The Neuro Doctor said that if we are to see any improvement, it should come within the next 7 days.
The Neuro Doctor said that if we are to see any improvement, it should come within the next 7 days.
Angela Feb 25/11 @ 0845hrs
Just off the phone for the morning update.....The blood problem in the bowel seems to be better at this time. Angela will undergo more dialysis today and also an ultrasound to check for blood clots in her legs. Neurologically, there has been no change. Yesterday they had to add an additional tube to go into her lungs.The poor thing has a million tubes going into her :(
Family meeting time to be confirmed later today.
Again, we all truly are grateful for everyone's thoughts and prayers. Your support is amazing.
Family meeting time to be confirmed later today.
Again, we all truly are grateful for everyone's thoughts and prayers. Your support is amazing.
Angela Feb 25/11 @ 0730hrs
I will update more this morning after the nurses complete their shift change but last night, Ang was unfortunately losing blood through her bowels so they had to give her a blood transfusion. They have also asked that we try not to talk to her too much at this time because her blood pressure is continuing to be unstable. We have another family meeting with thte Neuro Team later today.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Feb 23/11 @ 2110hrs
Well the myriad of emotions continues. Yesterday we were told that If Angela survives this, she would require 24/7 care and it is unknown what level of awareness she will have ......today they have flip-flopped to well "we really don't know the extent of damage yet". Unreal!!!!!!!!!!
I know the Doctors are only human and can only go by past historical events when dealing with this kind of thing but it is like tossing a dog a bone, then taking it away from him, and then giving it back again. My frustration level continues to increase daily but I try to just keep telling myself that we all have to be patient and let the Medical staff and her body do their thing and just remain hopeful.
Ok, I have vented....on to the latest info.
Angela had her MRI this morning and and there was a slight improvement in the brain swelling. She had been given a megadose of steroids to combat the swelling so it must be working somewhat. MRI also did show various spots of white matter changes as well as some abnormal signals. She will resume dialysis tomorrow and the plan is to try take her off of that to see if her kidneys can function without mechanical aid in the next few days. There is still an amount of seizing happening in the right frontal lobe so she has been given anti-seizure meds as well.
On a positive note, some of the family thought she looked a bit better today and she would occasionally (what appeared to be) chew on her feeding tube. There was also some side to side head movement which was observed. Angela is still in a coma and for the most part, unresponsive.
So we wait some more.....another Family meeting scheduled with the Neuro Team this Friday afternoon.It could be another week before we learn any REAL news. I will continue to update as any pertinent status reports become available.
Thanx
I know the Doctors are only human and can only go by past historical events when dealing with this kind of thing but it is like tossing a dog a bone, then taking it away from him, and then giving it back again. My frustration level continues to increase daily but I try to just keep telling myself that we all have to be patient and let the Medical staff and her body do their thing and just remain hopeful.
Ok, I have vented....on to the latest info.
Angela had her MRI this morning and and there was a slight improvement in the brain swelling. She had been given a megadose of steroids to combat the swelling so it must be working somewhat. MRI also did show various spots of white matter changes as well as some abnormal signals. She will resume dialysis tomorrow and the plan is to try take her off of that to see if her kidneys can function without mechanical aid in the next few days. There is still an amount of seizing happening in the right frontal lobe so she has been given anti-seizure meds as well.
On a positive note, some of the family thought she looked a bit better today and she would occasionally (what appeared to be) chew on her feeding tube. There was also some side to side head movement which was observed. Angela is still in a coma and for the most part, unresponsive.
So we wait some more.....another Family meeting scheduled with the Neuro Team this Friday afternoon.It could be another week before we learn any REAL news. I will continue to update as any pertinent status reports become available.
Thanx
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Feb 22 @ 11pm
Unfortunately, Angela's scheduled MRI has been postponed until tomorrow at 10am due to larger than normal number of Neuro patients currently in hospital. They did however do an SSEP test (Somatosensory Evoked Potential (SSEP) is a test showing the electrical signals of sensation going from the body to the brain. The signals show whether the nerves that connect to the spinal cord are able to send and receive sensory information like pain, temperature, and touch.) This test did show some activity in the brain so that was good news but we will take it with guarded optimism at this point.
As of this evening, Angela has also developed a fever so specimens of her cerebral-spinal fluid and urine have been sent out for testing to check for infection etc.
At the time of writing, we are supposed to meet with the Neuro Team tomorrow at approx 1800hrs. Obviously , this is all subject to change as the day progresses tomorrow.
Note: We have lost the use of the private Family Room so please do not call that number going forward. Any contact will have to be made directly to the Family's personal phones.
Myself and my entire family truly appreciate all the support that you have all extended during this difficult time
As of this evening, Angela has also developed a fever so specimens of her cerebral-spinal fluid and urine have been sent out for testing to check for infection etc.
At the time of writing, we are supposed to meet with the Neuro Team tomorrow at approx 1800hrs. Obviously , this is all subject to change as the day progresses tomorrow.
Note: We have lost the use of the private Family Room so please do not call that number going forward. Any contact will have to be made directly to the Family's personal phones.
Myself and my entire family truly appreciate all the support that you have all extended during this difficult time
Angela Feb 22/11 1030hrs
At the time of writing everything is pretty much the same. Angela remains in a coma and is currently on dialysis due to kidney failure. It was a quiet evening for her thankfully.
We are hoping for a lot of activity today with testing etc now that the long weekend is over. The hardest part for all of us I believe is the waiting and wondering, without any firm answers. Just need to stay strong for one another and hope for the best.
We are hoping for a lot of activity today with testing etc now that the long weekend is over. The hardest part for all of us I believe is the waiting and wondering, without any firm answers. Just need to stay strong for one another and hope for the best.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Angela
For friends of mine that want to know what happened to Angela....here is what we know.
I rec'd a call that Angela was on the floor in her house unresponsive a couple of days ago. Myself and my sister rushed over there to find her laying at the foot of her bed on the floor. She was unresponsive at that time and the bedroom and bathroom were covered with vomit and blood. (combined...no external injuries) I had my sister monitor her and try to get a response from her as her breathing was very irregular while I called 911.
Admitted to St.Thomas hospital until stable enough to be transferred to University hospital in London. At this point still unresponsive and sky-rocketing blood pressure. She had been seizuring at home as well as at the hospital.
Extensive tests done at U.H. and had to drill a hole in skull to relieve pressure build-up on the brain. E.E.G. done as well as a brain scan. It showed trauma throughout the brain as well as a shift in the brain itself.
Went in for surgery last night to remove some bone from her skull to allow more pressure relief from the brain. As the surgeon put it, " there is so much pressure on it that if I cut it open at the top of the skull, her brain would literally fly out of the opening."
All the while, Angela is in a coma....and this time it is not medically induced. Surgery was successful but the next couple of days will tell if the swelling will subside or not.
At the time of writing, Angela is still in a coma and is unresponsive to any testing done by the staff. The prognosis is not very promising. If in fact Angela comes out of this alive, it is more than likely she will have extensive brain damage and will never be the same again. At this point also, she is unable to support her own basic body functions and is still on life support.
I will attempt to update as any news becomes available. Please keep her and our family in your thoughts and prayers.
Note: The medical team is still unsure as of the root cause of all of this.
Feb 20/11 : As of last night, Angela is still in the same condition, the brain swelling is still an issue and it has been determined that she did have a couple of small hemmorages in the front left lobe of the brain. She is currently taking up to 10 breaths per minute on her own. The staff did some pain stimulus testing last night but said the only recieved a very small amount of response. The Neuro team will be doing thier rounds this morning and hopefully I can provide more details later today.
Feb 21/11 : Well unfortunately not too much positive to report. I just got home from the hospital (what a crappy drive) and things still seem to be status quo. With it being the weekend and today Family Day, there is not a lot of staff available for the extensive testing of the brain etc. Hopefully early in the week we can get back to business. Angela is still in a coma and unable to support her own body functions. My ealier comment about her being able to take up to 10 breaths per minute was incorrect. I guess I misinterpreted that one. She still requires the ventilator all the time. There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding all this but them seem to be pointing the finger towards un-checked high blood pressure being the major contributor to her condition. More Cat Scans and MRIs will hopefully show the extent of the brain damage and we can go from there. As crazy as my family can be at times, I am happy to say that we are all 110% focused on Angela and have been very supportive of one another during this trying time. Thank you also to each and every one of you who has shown thier support during all of this.
Feb 21/11 1:15pm: Just got a call that Angela's kidneys are shutting down and they are beginning dialysis.. :(
I rec'd a call that Angela was on the floor in her house unresponsive a couple of days ago. Myself and my sister rushed over there to find her laying at the foot of her bed on the floor. She was unresponsive at that time and the bedroom and bathroom were covered with vomit and blood. (combined...no external injuries) I had my sister monitor her and try to get a response from her as her breathing was very irregular while I called 911.
Admitted to St.Thomas hospital until stable enough to be transferred to University hospital in London. At this point still unresponsive and sky-rocketing blood pressure. She had been seizuring at home as well as at the hospital.
Extensive tests done at U.H. and had to drill a hole in skull to relieve pressure build-up on the brain. E.E.G. done as well as a brain scan. It showed trauma throughout the brain as well as a shift in the brain itself.
Went in for surgery last night to remove some bone from her skull to allow more pressure relief from the brain. As the surgeon put it, " there is so much pressure on it that if I cut it open at the top of the skull, her brain would literally fly out of the opening."
All the while, Angela is in a coma....and this time it is not medically induced. Surgery was successful but the next couple of days will tell if the swelling will subside or not.
At the time of writing, Angela is still in a coma and is unresponsive to any testing done by the staff. The prognosis is not very promising. If in fact Angela comes out of this alive, it is more than likely she will have extensive brain damage and will never be the same again. At this point also, she is unable to support her own basic body functions and is still on life support.
I will attempt to update as any news becomes available. Please keep her and our family in your thoughts and prayers.
Note: The medical team is still unsure as of the root cause of all of this.
Feb 20/11 : As of last night, Angela is still in the same condition, the brain swelling is still an issue and it has been determined that she did have a couple of small hemmorages in the front left lobe of the brain. She is currently taking up to 10 breaths per minute on her own. The staff did some pain stimulus testing last night but said the only recieved a very small amount of response. The Neuro team will be doing thier rounds this morning and hopefully I can provide more details later today.
Feb 21/11 : Well unfortunately not too much positive to report. I just got home from the hospital (what a crappy drive) and things still seem to be status quo. With it being the weekend and today Family Day, there is not a lot of staff available for the extensive testing of the brain etc. Hopefully early in the week we can get back to business. Angela is still in a coma and unable to support her own body functions. My ealier comment about her being able to take up to 10 breaths per minute was incorrect. I guess I misinterpreted that one. She still requires the ventilator all the time. There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding all this but them seem to be pointing the finger towards un-checked high blood pressure being the major contributor to her condition. More Cat Scans and MRIs will hopefully show the extent of the brain damage and we can go from there. As crazy as my family can be at times, I am happy to say that we are all 110% focused on Angela and have been very supportive of one another during this trying time. Thank you also to each and every one of you who has shown thier support during all of this.
Feb 21/11 1:15pm: Just got a call that Angela's kidneys are shutting down and they are beginning dialysis.. :(
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