Greetings:
It is Friday morning - yesterday the staff at OHSU worked hard to balance Micki's blood pressure with heart rate. They reported to us that her fever broke, and she seems to hover around 100 degrees F. Her pressure in her head is holding steady, but even with that, the care internist (Dr. Fields) is certain Micki has had small vasospasms in the left side of her brain. Today we expect them to perform a cerebral angiogram to check vessels , inject medications to open the vessels, or even use what I'll call angioplasty (a balloon) to open vessels. (I don't know if they call it angioplasty in your head, too, as they do for the heart).

Goes without saying, Micki is intubated (breathing tube) and when we left last night the staff were testing her arterial blood gases to determine the amount of oxygen getting to her. She initiates her own breathing (CPAP) but they were considering having the ventilator rule the breathing rate.

Micki is heavily sedated. On Wednesday, she didn't wake during our visit, nor even move her hands to try to yank out tubes. On Thursday, she had lots of, what the nurses call, purposeful movement - meaning mostly, she becomes conscious enough that she tries to yank tubes out. Can you imagine having a tube breathing for you, shoved down your throat, you'd feel like choking - which does make her cough - and on top of that, a hose running through your nose as well (which feeds her)? Ok, too much of a picture but I am distressed by her distress. Anyway, Micki was much more wakeful Thursday and for a time even knew Steven and I were in the room and she could nod when asked yes/no questions. The staff has to balance this wakefulness, which disturbs or agitates Micki, with keeping her peaceful yet breathing adequately.

This is the most critical time for "spasm watch" for Micki. Each day she doesn't have serious spasms means the likely hood of them happening diminishes - that is great because on Monday Stacy reported how "with it" Micki is and OHSU staff, as well as we, are confident she will get out of this mentally intact. Even though the magic 7th day is passing with no major complication, she is still in the woods - infections always a worry, pneumonia always a worry with ventilators, and spasms still a possibility.

Day after visiting Micki at the hospital. She is awake alot, in pain, has a gnarly scar, thirsty. Her voice is getting better; once she can talk she can eat. She hasn't in 4 days. She is scared but her multi tasking and memory is amazing, she should be ok if she gets past the "spasm watch" ok... It is so long, though, 2 weeks or more. She is doing so well now that she will likely be relatively fine. For now, we encourage her by her progress and tell her not to worry about the bills at home.

Long time no blog.
December 8, 2008. This past Friday my sister Micki had a small aneurysm leak in her head, causing a sub arachnoid hemorrage. Immediate hospitalization and thank god that her daughter was at home because, otherwise, Micki would not have made it. 50% of people with this problem die because they don't make it to the hospital. Half of the ones who make it to the hospital also die, so she is living in the top 25%. I can't even wrap my mind around how brain damaged most of the left over 25% are. Her prospects so far look good because she was so responsive after surgery Saturday. The bleed was stopped, but she is in so much danger of a major stroke because of the trauma of the initial bleed.

So I was a chicken or something... I don't know what... I didn't want to leave home until later this week to see Micki. My friend, a nurse, told me I have to go now because she is in danger. What was I thinking? So today I am on my way to Portland and staying for 5 days. I'll have to come to terms with myself over why in the world I didn't jump on a plane straight away. I know if it had been Stacy, I woulda been there as fast as I could get there (like Friday night). I care about Micki a great deal. Maybe it is not wanting this episode to be so bad as it is.