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
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
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.. :(
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)