RealMickeysGirl
DIS Veteran<br><font color=9966ff>I think my frien
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2005
- Messages
- 1,100
As some of you know, my dad had a AVM bleed (a kind of stroke) on September 25th. There is a lot of information on the prayer request thread for anyone interested - and I have a blog on MySpace (www.myspace.com/lovesblackcats) that tells his progress.
We finally got an appointment with the neurosurgeon at UAB - been waiting to hear from them since November 15th.
Dad had blood work and a cta scan on January 2nd and had an appointment with the neurosurgeon on January 3rd.
The admitted him to the hospital after his doctor visit on the 3rd and put a shunt in his brain January 4th. (For those who don't know medical stuff - and I don't unless I have to look it up on the internet for some reason - this shunt is a tube that goes from the brain (inside the skull) under the skin to the abdomen where it empties the excess fluid to be absorbed by the mucus membranes that cover the organs in the abdomen).
The techincal term (and I may spell it wrong) is hydrocephaly - some older people get it and some people are born with it but the treatment is the same for an adult or a newborn. His was probably brought on by the stroke.
His dizzyness had stopped by Friday afternoon (5th). He still has some nausea and still throws up from time to time but that is getting better - the doc said that it could take 3 - 4 weeks for the nausea to totally go away.
I stayed with him in Birmingham - they had a little sofa in the room that folded down into a rather uncomfortable but convenient bed so I could stay 24 hours. I didn't expect them to put him in the hospital on Wednesday so Thursday, while he was in surgery, I drove back to Montgomery, had a shower, a quick nap, and packed a suitcase and drove back to Birmingham.
He doesn't like noise or bright light so we spent most of the time quietly in a darkened room. He watched tv for a couple of hours at night - if I could find something he liked. I would occasionally take a walk while he napped to get some exercise and to not go stir crazy. It was difficult to try to do anything in the room - even read a book - because he wanted it dim in there. And I figured he should have his way since he is the sick one.
He has an appointment Friday (12th) to have the staples removed from his head incision - the abdomen surgery to insert and anchor the tube was done laproscopicly so he only has the three little bandaid incisions there.
He has an appointment on January 29th to have Gamma Knife treatment for the AVM - a radiation treatment that will thicken the wall of the vein so it doesn't split again. The vein wall will continue to thicken up to a year after the Gamma Knife treatment so the results won't be instant.
Thanks to everyone who has continued to pray for him and send him healing thoughts. I really appreciate it.
I just wanted to let you all know how he is doing - everyone has been so nice and kind here.
We finally got an appointment with the neurosurgeon at UAB - been waiting to hear from them since November 15th.
Dad had blood work and a cta scan on January 2nd and had an appointment with the neurosurgeon on January 3rd.
The admitted him to the hospital after his doctor visit on the 3rd and put a shunt in his brain January 4th. (For those who don't know medical stuff - and I don't unless I have to look it up on the internet for some reason - this shunt is a tube that goes from the brain (inside the skull) under the skin to the abdomen where it empties the excess fluid to be absorbed by the mucus membranes that cover the organs in the abdomen).
The techincal term (and I may spell it wrong) is hydrocephaly - some older people get it and some people are born with it but the treatment is the same for an adult or a newborn. His was probably brought on by the stroke.
His dizzyness had stopped by Friday afternoon (5th). He still has some nausea and still throws up from time to time but that is getting better - the doc said that it could take 3 - 4 weeks for the nausea to totally go away.
I stayed with him in Birmingham - they had a little sofa in the room that folded down into a rather uncomfortable but convenient bed so I could stay 24 hours. I didn't expect them to put him in the hospital on Wednesday so Thursday, while he was in surgery, I drove back to Montgomery, had a shower, a quick nap, and packed a suitcase and drove back to Birmingham.
He doesn't like noise or bright light so we spent most of the time quietly in a darkened room. He watched tv for a couple of hours at night - if I could find something he liked. I would occasionally take a walk while he napped to get some exercise and to not go stir crazy. It was difficult to try to do anything in the room - even read a book - because he wanted it dim in there. And I figured he should have his way since he is the sick one.
He has an appointment Friday (12th) to have the staples removed from his head incision - the abdomen surgery to insert and anchor the tube was done laproscopicly so he only has the three little bandaid incisions there.
He has an appointment on January 29th to have Gamma Knife treatment for the AVM - a radiation treatment that will thicken the wall of the vein so it doesn't split again. The vein wall will continue to thicken up to a year after the Gamma Knife treatment so the results won't be instant.
Thanks to everyone who has continued to pray for him and send him healing thoughts. I really appreciate it.
I just wanted to let you all know how he is doing - everyone has been so nice and kind here.
I'm so very happy for you and your family!
for more success!!
I will keep good thoughts coming up your way!
and good wishes. Praying for your dad!
