Bernard's MRI yesterday showed that the entire aneurysm was found and treated (coiled), which is very reassuring. The MRI also showed that he had a "significant stroke"(this was the second one) in the area of the brain that controls his left leg. Despite that adjective, his doctors believe that he will get full function back, and if not that 99% back. It will take another year before they can see what brain tissue was injured versus the tissue that is gone.
His doctors say that Bernard's case has been unusual from the start--unusual for him to have complications from the second angiogram, unusual that the complications presented themselves 24 hours after the procedure (instead of earlier), unusual that the internal bleeding from his leg artery caused his blood pressure to drop, which then initiated a stroke. I would like to say that I take comfort in Bernard's unusualness, because it is also very, very unusual for someone to survive both a subarachnoid hemorrhage and a classic stroke within a month, and come out of it more or less intact. He has dodged the bullet twice.
So now Bernard's focus is on rehabilitating his left side and gaining stamina and strength. His doctor is quite hopeful that Bernard will be able to resume his apprenticeship in late August.
We are so grateful for the support and prayers that we continue to receive. We are humbled by your generosity.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Bernard's Recovery is Progressing
Firstly, thank you to everyone who has been providing meals, yard work, housework and transportation to doctors' appointments! We are so grateful for your support.
Sally returned from Washington DC late Saturday with the children after attending a work-related conference there. Bernard had lots of visitors, good food and rest while the rest of the family was away. His physical therapy is focusing primarily on strength building on his left side--from his limbs to his vocal cords. He is making progress, though it feels frustratingly slow to him at times. He also rues his hair loss, which was due to too much radiation from the cameras used during the procedure to fix his aneurysm. He decided to have his head shaved, which actually looks good on him.
Wednesday morning he will have an MRI, which we pray will show that all of the aneurysm has been coiled with nothing "hiding" this time. Please keep us in your prayers for this day.
Some of you have asked me to clarify how many strokes Bernard actually had. The hemorrhage he had on April 12 is classified as a stroke, even though it is rare and not related to blood flow being blocked. He had a second "typical" stroke on May 10, where the blood flow in the area of the aneurysm (where the stent had been placed) was slowed down or affected by a clot from the puncture in his leg artery. The puncture in his leg artery was a complication from the second angiogram to coil the rest of the aneurysm on May 9. The surgeons entered the catheter in the leg artery and it unfortunately punctured it without them knowing at the time.
I will post again after the MRI results come out.
Sally returned from Washington DC late Saturday with the children after attending a work-related conference there. Bernard had lots of visitors, good food and rest while the rest of the family was away. His physical therapy is focusing primarily on strength building on his left side--from his limbs to his vocal cords. He is making progress, though it feels frustratingly slow to him at times. He also rues his hair loss, which was due to too much radiation from the cameras used during the procedure to fix his aneurysm. He decided to have his head shaved, which actually looks good on him.
Wednesday morning he will have an MRI, which we pray will show that all of the aneurysm has been coiled with nothing "hiding" this time. Please keep us in your prayers for this day.
Some of you have asked me to clarify how many strokes Bernard actually had. The hemorrhage he had on April 12 is classified as a stroke, even though it is rare and not related to blood flow being blocked. He had a second "typical" stroke on May 10, where the blood flow in the area of the aneurysm (where the stent had been placed) was slowed down or affected by a clot from the puncture in his leg artery. The puncture in his leg artery was a complication from the second angiogram to coil the rest of the aneurysm on May 9. The surgeons entered the catheter in the leg artery and it unfortunately punctured it without them knowing at the time.
I will post again after the MRI results come out.
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