Hey All!! Good news to report! Surgery went well, long from 9:15-3:30, but doctors report that they were able to successfully remove the tumor without any damage to her facial nerve. They also said that hearing wise, she'll be as she is now or could possibly (keep those fingers crossed!) even a little bit better. They will still plan to do the cochlear implant in May in three weeks. They said that her balance will be like it is now, but none worse. She will have to work a little with physical therapy to work on compensating for the balance difference now that they have messed with the other ear. She will have no balance at all in dark places, and will need nightlights to see in the dark. We were able to see her several times now after surgery. She has been reacting to the anestesia (sp!) better than last time, but is still very sleepy and little response several hours later. No one is concerned really because she is reacting when pushed. When we saw her the first time, she was able to come out of it enough to say "throw up!" before she did, and we were able to explain to the doctors how to speak to her, with slow talk and simple sign language. That I thought was really funny that we had to explain that to them, but with the signs, were able to rouse her enough to get her to smile and wiggle her fingers and toes. Then that last times we've seen her now, several hours after surgery, she was still very very sleepy and resting comfortably. We'll stay for the last visit of the night before returning tomorrow. Will share more tomorrow. Thank you for all your support to her, it has meant a great deal!!! Keep those prayers coming for a speedy recovery! Kerri
Friday morning report--
She continues to do well, still in ICU with a promise to get to the regular floor today, then nope scratch that...too full and will stay in ICU until a bed becomes ready. She is still very, very sleepy and will wake up and have a very short conversation with you, but asks questions about what you just said to her. She's still coming out of the anethetic. We're hoping that by the afternoon we'll have a more awake mom.
Knew you'd all want to know how the overnight went. Kerri
Friday evening report--
Interesting day, a move to another floor, nope no beds, then we're going to keep her in ICU because she just isn't coming around like we'd like. Every visit was the same, she'd open her eyes for like a second, then close them again. Very out of it and not waking up. Finally by the afternoon they took her down to do a head scan just to make sure there wasn't any complications. She could answer your questions sort of, but then ask you about them later, so not really understanding as much as we thought. The doctors and nurses asked us to come back and help stimulate her and keep her awake and trying to talk. She hated that (but remember mom, when you are reading this later, they asked us too!!! You got pretty angry with us!!) The head scan showed that there could be some swelling or extra blood pooling, so they gave her a drug to help relieve the pressure. Give it a couple hours and we'll wait and see. We've come back and she's more awake and alert, but also more confused and can't find the right words for things and not making sense when she talked. She's also moving around a little more, so all is a good sign. We'll hope for the confusion to go away with a little more time tonight. Right now, wait and see mode, but they are hopeful that the medication will continue to work and she'll get over this hump. But for tonight, we're still in ICU on the watch and wait list. Kerri
Saturday morning report--
The second dose of the anti-swelling meds have worked! Much better this morning and was able to talk and communicate with no problems, she's doing well, have got her sitting up in a chair for about an hour. As close to the hour mark got, she got a little bit confused again and a little bit more defient (so NOT like her!) because she wanted to lay back down again, and with the nurses and doctors wanting her to stay sitting for just a little bit longer. Got laid back down and is taking a nap now. They tell us that a regular room is on the menu for sometime today if she continues to keep staying alert and reponsive. All good news! Much better today. I think we're on the recovery road! Kerri
Saturday evening report--
Hospitals! Leaving, staying, leaving, staying. She is going to stay one more night in ICU just to be on the safe side. She is able to talk to you and carry on a very simple conversation, but you can't go into too many details and then she'll loose what you are talking about. The doctors aren't concerned anymore about swelling in her brain, but more still the fact that she can get nearly all of her "test questions" right but not all. She needs the "all" to be able to leave ICU. She's pretty alert and responsive and was even telling my sister to make sure she had all her stuff packed as she was getting ready to fly back home today, enough to make sure we had this and that, and was asking about how we were doing. She was able to get up into the chair again for another hour (didn't like it, but did it!) and even took a very short walk. Mom's just wanting this to be all over and all the wires gone. "I want to be in my own room and do what I want!" A little fiesty, but I guess that's a good sign. So....another night we go, still in ICU and hoping for the best tomorrow. After a couple different attempts at getting to what she'd like to tell you all, she said to just say that she's a little slow going in getting around. I have told her how much everyone is thinking about her and all the prayers and well wishes. She appreciates those, I know! Kerri
Sunday report--
We went in today thinking and hoping that mom would be better at her remembering and memory. We were very hopeful in the morning since she had slept well the night before, is wanting to get up and sit in the chair or beside her bed. Mom is getting more frustrated as to why she is still in ICU and she keeps saying over and over "Get me out of here! Let me go home! I want to be done with all this!" We've gone ahead and explained a little bit as to even though you are mostly remembering things, you are still not answering all the questions right every time. There was one episode the day before where she couldn't remember her two grandchildren's names (they are her TOTAL world and for her to not know them....) and after telling her that, she was starting to understand a little bit. This morning she was really "with it" and had been answering all her basic questions right every time, so we were hopeful she'd be moved (or so we thought!!) but the doctors what to watch her one more day in ICU before making any moving changes. Good thing, she'd been good all day, but at the end of today she wasn't able to remember a good family friend, who they were, or what their names are. I am back home now, but dad is still with her and will continue to give updates to me and then I'll pass them along. That darn old memory and brain! Mysterious! Just glad that they are still watching so closely and not making any hasty decisions. Will ask tomorrow how long do we stay in this holding pattern of "mostly there" before they investigate further into why she's not "all there". Kerri
Monday report--
A real room!
Mom's finally down on a regular hospital room floor! She had a good night last night and a good morning, so they went ahead and moved her down to a regular room. She's still doing just ok with her memory and is still having some trouble remembering names of objects and people's names, but dad is going to track down a doctor (wish him luck on that part!) and get to the bottom of why she is still having memory problems (damage from swelling? repair in time? swelling still there?) all questions that we hope someone can answer. Small steps anyway, regular room, up and walking, all but one of the tubes out, pooping! (sorry mom, you said I could put whatever details in here I wanted!
) No word yet on when she can come home, but I'll still keep ya'll posted. Kerri
Wednesday report--
Mom is headed home, as you are hearing already, I guess. All of what Raydean is saying is true about the outcome of her surgery. The doctors explained the memory lose because of the surgery being being close to the language and and memory areas. They say it is short term and will return. I guess, this will be the last posting by her daughter now that she's going home. Kerri
