Tuesday, February 22, 2011
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.. :(
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Jan.12/11 CANCERVERSARY!!
Geez, where to begin with this post?? I guess first and foremost, thank you for all the birthday wishes that I've received so far. I am truly blessed to have all of you in my life.
Today, I turned 43 years old....more importantly, today marks the 3 year anniversary of my diagnosis with a stage 4 brain cancer. What a whirlwind experience this has been. I have been at the lowest of lows and the highest of highs during this time. There have been times where I was scared whether or not I would see tomorrow, to more recently, believing that I am still here for a reason. The primary reason is my daughter Faith...I guess we unknowingly named her that for a reason. That child is my shining light, my reason, my purpose. I believe that it is because of her, that I am still on this earth.
The past 6 months have been very trying with friends passing from cancer, to as recently as today, with the news of yet another friend who was diagnosed yesterday with a lung cancer. It is so sad that we are all directly or indirectly affected by this rotten disease. You can't seem to carry out a conversation without the "C word" being brought up anymore. My personal opinion, after researching quite extensively, is that we all have the cancer genes in us, and that they become active around 7 times throughout our lifetime. If they catch you at the wrong time, i.e. during a sickness or other extremely trying time in your life, your body's immune system is not able to fight them off and "boom", the cancer cells invade.
You have to have the will and desire to beat this thing. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think it is my stubborn attitude that allows me to say "I have cancer, but it doesn't have me"! Sadly, some of us will lay down and give in, thinking that there is no hope. It is those people that choose not to fight that will be taken over in mind, body and soul by the cancer and thus experience a shorter life span. In saying that, trust me, I am not naive, if the cancer spreads throughout the body and begins to eat at you from the inside out, all you can do is attempt to maintain a good quality of life for however long you are on this earth.
Going forward, I have made a vow to myself to only allow myself to be surrounded by people that have a positive influence in my life. Life is too short (for all of us) to be stressed out and worrying about things that are not within your control. Stealing a quote..."the only thing you can control in life is yourself".
To sum it all up....I guess I am living proof that the Doctors are only human too. They can only guesstimate statistically, how long you will be around. They told me that the average life span with my type of cancer was 15 months and with me individually, that I could last anywhere from 1.5 to 2 years. Well, here I am at year 3! How do ya like me now!! ;)
I wish everyone a year filled with health, happiness and love. We ALL deserve it!!
I guess before I sign off, I'd better update my overall status.....Still going for brain MRIs every 3 months (next is Feb 15th with a results appt on Feb.28th). The botox shots I received in my leg seem to be wearing off a bit, but I cannot receive anymore until a 3 month span has elapsed. (reasoning is that the body could develop a resistance to the injections if done earlier) So as it stands, I will get more Botox on Feb 11th unless a cancellation comes up.
Until next time.......
Ed
Today, I turned 43 years old....more importantly, today marks the 3 year anniversary of my diagnosis with a stage 4 brain cancer. What a whirlwind experience this has been. I have been at the lowest of lows and the highest of highs during this time. There have been times where I was scared whether or not I would see tomorrow, to more recently, believing that I am still here for a reason. The primary reason is my daughter Faith...I guess we unknowingly named her that for a reason. That child is my shining light, my reason, my purpose. I believe that it is because of her, that I am still on this earth.
The past 6 months have been very trying with friends passing from cancer, to as recently as today, with the news of yet another friend who was diagnosed yesterday with a lung cancer. It is so sad that we are all directly or indirectly affected by this rotten disease. You can't seem to carry out a conversation without the "C word" being brought up anymore. My personal opinion, after researching quite extensively, is that we all have the cancer genes in us, and that they become active around 7 times throughout our lifetime. If they catch you at the wrong time, i.e. during a sickness or other extremely trying time in your life, your body's immune system is not able to fight them off and "boom", the cancer cells invade.
You have to have the will and desire to beat this thing. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think it is my stubborn attitude that allows me to say "I have cancer, but it doesn't have me"! Sadly, some of us will lay down and give in, thinking that there is no hope. It is those people that choose not to fight that will be taken over in mind, body and soul by the cancer and thus experience a shorter life span. In saying that, trust me, I am not naive, if the cancer spreads throughout the body and begins to eat at you from the inside out, all you can do is attempt to maintain a good quality of life for however long you are on this earth.
Going forward, I have made a vow to myself to only allow myself to be surrounded by people that have a positive influence in my life. Life is too short (for all of us) to be stressed out and worrying about things that are not within your control. Stealing a quote..."the only thing you can control in life is yourself".
To sum it all up....I guess I am living proof that the Doctors are only human too. They can only guesstimate statistically, how long you will be around. They told me that the average life span with my type of cancer was 15 months and with me individually, that I could last anywhere from 1.5 to 2 years. Well, here I am at year 3! How do ya like me now!! ;)
I wish everyone a year filled with health, happiness and love. We ALL deserve it!!
I guess before I sign off, I'd better update my overall status.....Still going for brain MRIs every 3 months (next is Feb 15th with a results appt on Feb.28th). The botox shots I received in my leg seem to be wearing off a bit, but I cannot receive anymore until a 3 month span has elapsed. (reasoning is that the body could develop a resistance to the injections if done earlier) So as it stands, I will get more Botox on Feb 11th unless a cancellation comes up.
Until next time.......
Ed
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
November 17/10
Hello again:
Just a bit of an update on the Botox injections (all 25 of them) that I received a few weeks ago etc...
I noticed an improvement within 2 days of receiving the injections. My left leg muscles have relaxed enough that my foot is finally flat on the ground. Prior to this, I walked on the side of my foot which was pretty painful as well as left me prone to twisting my ankle! So, as of now....I am walking somewhat better but am still cursed by the clonus(spasms)and dropfoot on the left side. All in all though, it has been a small miracle for me because not being active was really getting me down.
On November 9th, I had a couple of small episodes that felt like focal seizures. I have not had anything like this since my last surgery in August of 2008. I bit the bullet today and called the Cancer Clinic, told them the issues and am waiting for them to get back to me. I'm hoping it was just a "fluke"....we shall see :/
On a good note, I finally bought my dream car..a Cadillac! I love it :)
My next "scheduled" MRI is Feb 15th.
Ed
Just a bit of an update on the Botox injections (all 25 of them) that I received a few weeks ago etc...
I noticed an improvement within 2 days of receiving the injections. My left leg muscles have relaxed enough that my foot is finally flat on the ground. Prior to this, I walked on the side of my foot which was pretty painful as well as left me prone to twisting my ankle! So, as of now....I am walking somewhat better but am still cursed by the clonus(spasms)and dropfoot on the left side. All in all though, it has been a small miracle for me because not being active was really getting me down.
On November 9th, I had a couple of small episodes that felt like focal seizures. I have not had anything like this since my last surgery in August of 2008. I bit the bullet today and called the Cancer Clinic, told them the issues and am waiting for them to get back to me. I'm hoping it was just a "fluke"....we shall see :/
On a good note, I finally bought my dream car..a Cadillac! I love it :)
My next "scheduled" MRI is Feb 15th.
Ed
Monday, October 25, 2010
OCT 25/2010
Hello again:
Firstly, I am saddened to have to inform you that my friend Steve Phillips has passed away after a 2+ year battle with cancer since my last blog. Steve was a wonderful friend, father and husband. Too young at the age of only 45,to be leaving this earth. My thoughts are still with Kathy and the kids, as well as the rest of Steve's family; that they may continue to love life and carry the cherished memories of Steve with them every day.
I just returned from my 3rd trip to St.Maarten this past weekend. It was a relaxing holiday and I was ready to come home after the 2 weeks away. Today I received my results from my last MRI on Oct 1st. Everything as come back with positive results with the exception of more scar tissue build up which may, over time, cause increased headaches. (thank god for tylenol!!) So yet again, I have danced with the devil and won! (I hope its a long song like "Stairway to Heaven") lol
I am pretty much settled into my new place in St.Thomas although I still do miss the "Burg". I'm sure over time I will meet some new friends etc.
This Friday, they are going to try an increased dosage of Botox into my left leg to see if it can weaken the spasticity and allow my foot to drop. I'm going to have to find a "left foot only" store if not, because I am wearing out shoes like crazy!
I think I am more at peace with my situation now because I have come to terms and accepted that this is my "new" life. I will certainly continue to be stubborn and fight this, but also have become more aware of my limitations now.
I will continue to strive to be the best role model for my little girl and will always make time for those whom I hold close to my heart. (mushy but oh so true)
Until next time.........
Ed
Firstly, I am saddened to have to inform you that my friend Steve Phillips has passed away after a 2+ year battle with cancer since my last blog. Steve was a wonderful friend, father and husband. Too young at the age of only 45,to be leaving this earth. My thoughts are still with Kathy and the kids, as well as the rest of Steve's family; that they may continue to love life and carry the cherished memories of Steve with them every day.
I just returned from my 3rd trip to St.Maarten this past weekend. It was a relaxing holiday and I was ready to come home after the 2 weeks away. Today I received my results from my last MRI on Oct 1st. Everything as come back with positive results with the exception of more scar tissue build up which may, over time, cause increased headaches. (thank god for tylenol!!) So yet again, I have danced with the devil and won! (I hope its a long song like "Stairway to Heaven") lol
I am pretty much settled into my new place in St.Thomas although I still do miss the "Burg". I'm sure over time I will meet some new friends etc.
This Friday, they are going to try an increased dosage of Botox into my left leg to see if it can weaken the spasticity and allow my foot to drop. I'm going to have to find a "left foot only" store if not, because I am wearing out shoes like crazy!
I think I am more at peace with my situation now because I have come to terms and accepted that this is my "new" life. I will certainly continue to be stubborn and fight this, but also have become more aware of my limitations now.
I will continue to strive to be the best role model for my little girl and will always make time for those whom I hold close to my heart. (mushy but oh so true)
Until next time.........
Ed
Friday, September 17, 2010
Sept 17/2010
Just a quick update on whats been going on over the past few months. I finally bit the bullet and moved back to St.Thomas. The driving back and forth to see Faith and participate in her activities was getting to be a bit much on me. It will be so nice to have her "just around the corner" as well to have all of my family close by. Admittedly, I am missing SOME of my old life in Tillsonburg. I'll miss my coffee and BS sessions with Al and the boys Chad and Mat. I'll also miss some of the true friends I made there...the ones who were there through thick and thin...they know who they are :) I could go on about what and/or who I won't miss but that would just erupt into a gossip session which I am not about to stoop to. I am looking forward to making some new friendships here as well as re-kindling some old ones.
Health wise, things are pretty much status quo,my next MRI is October 1st but will not get the results until Oct 25th because I am headed south for 2 weeks beginning Oct 8th for some much needed rest after the big move. My left leg is still the biggest hindrance to my daily life. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to participate and enjoy the things I used to do. Nevertheless, I continue to trudge away through this nonsense and will continue to do so for as long as I can.
I still feel its my Scottish heritage (a.k.a. stubbornness!) that has allowed me to surpass what the Doctors told me what to expect. Jan 12th 2008 was my diagnosis date and they said I'd last 1.5 to 2 years beyond that. Its coming up on 3 years soon so I'll just continue doing what I'm doing.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Steve P. and his family. Steve is on the downside right now with his cancer battle. Keep fighting Bro!
I'll update more after I receive my MRI results.
Ed
Health wise, things are pretty much status quo,my next MRI is October 1st but will not get the results until Oct 25th because I am headed south for 2 weeks beginning Oct 8th for some much needed rest after the big move. My left leg is still the biggest hindrance to my daily life. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to participate and enjoy the things I used to do. Nevertheless, I continue to trudge away through this nonsense and will continue to do so for as long as I can.
I still feel its my Scottish heritage (a.k.a. stubbornness!) that has allowed me to surpass what the Doctors told me what to expect. Jan 12th 2008 was my diagnosis date and they said I'd last 1.5 to 2 years beyond that. Its coming up on 3 years soon so I'll just continue doing what I'm doing.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Steve P. and his family. Steve is on the downside right now with his cancer battle. Keep fighting Bro!
I'll update more after I receive my MRI results.
Ed
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