Stay curious and open to life. No matter what happens keep learning and growing.
I haven’t been sleeping well the past few days, but I’ve been learning a lot. For instance, about meninges:
Gathering information is my go-to strategy when things come up.
Monday night I was researching stents for carotid arteries, and I read one article that had scary statistics for older folks. I was researching it because when Beate took me down to see Andy he was pondering what to do and said, “I think I’ll go along with the stent.” OK, so off to the internet that night.
As I said, the statistics in that article were scary, so I wrote to Kaitlin. She sent a link to a more reassuring article, but still…. So I got up early to phone Andy about 7:30 Tuesday morning and tell him to read some articles before he agreed to the stent. He said he was in the midst of talking to a doctor, could I phone him back in about a half an hour? I simply said don’t forget to ask the doctor how many procedures he has done and how many of them resulted in strokes from the surgery. He said he had already asked, so I figured he had it under control and I didn’t want to be bossy.
It turned out fine, but if the neurologist hadn’t talked about her theory, he would have had the stent put in.
Anyway, he slept fine last night and we chatted about a good strategy if this happens again. We agree, it’s easy to go with the doctor, but it’s best to say no invasive procedures until we have time to do a bit of research and talk about it. He (or me if I’m the patient) would make the ultimate decision, of course, but it helps to hash it out. In this case that strategy would have worked, but of course there are always emergency situations.
The trouble with the present regime he’s on is he’s taking the anti-seizure drugs to calm things down until the small subdural hematoma cures itself, but if that is the problem then the extra aspirin — presumably prescribed by the stent surgeon who thinks the problem is blood clots — in contraindicated. What to do now? Andy says the surgeon is the neurologist’s boss, which no doubt complicates things.
Wikipedia says,
Chronic subdural hematomas are common in the elderly.
Another reason to guess that’s what’s causing his symptoms this time. (Kaitlin sent me a 1979 article with examples of four cases where the hematomas first looked like ministrokes.) Our local ER sent Andy down to Albuquerque because the CT scan showed the blood, so it’s interesting the surgeon there dismissed its importance. But as the saying goes,
If you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Anyway, we’re learning a lot and are keeping our fingers crossed.
Andy went up to the land in high spirits this morning after sleeping soundly and eating a good breakfast. He’s not quite back to normal, but again, fingers crossed.
Correction: I talked to Andy about the aspirin and I was wrong, he says the neurologist was happy with it, just don’t take it for more than a month. The blood was from an old bleed and the aspirin would help the body absorb it.
He had about four more attacks today, but he could even work while they were occurring if he had to. He hasn’t figured out why they come when they do, but they don’t act like TIAs.
one step at a time, baby steps though…and maybe getting back to normal life, is the best medicine.
Both of you have voices and reasoning at your disposal at this time, which makes the decisions a little easier…
I’m guessing he has sense enough to take it easy. I sure am. I’m tired and just puttering around, and occasionally lying down, when I’m not looking things up and figuring things out.
never estimate the value of deep restful sleep!
you won’t be any help if you stay up all the time. even though it surely must be difficult to rest!
it never helps when the hierarchy of the hospital is also in the equation.
but they have always ‘rushed me.’ it’s like the decision had to be made immediately.
I came out of the stent ‘procedure’ with not just cardiac arrest but with a hematoma at the injection site the size of a grapefruit (the nurses’ phrase not mine!) and they had to press it all night and keep heavy sand bags on it. I remember hearing them discuss it ( maybe they thought I was asleep ) they said there is no excuse for that sloppy result. pretty strong words. but makes you think. the nurses have to take care of the doctors’ foolish actions.
actually… we are all really only just a number. and maybe the more they do of them the sloppier and less careful they become!
so glad you’re on top of it all. and that Kaitlin is on her way! xo
That’s the thing — they never let patients sleep in the hospital. And for most of the time they wouldn’t let Andy get out of bed unless he called a nurse to help him go to the bathroom — the bed was wired to set off an alarm if he tried. Towards the end a physical therapist checked him out and he said he would like to be able to walk, and she approved and got the alarm shut down. They were very friendly, though.
I’m glad that you are researching and becoming as informed as you can be.
Just please take care of yourself too.
Andy is such a strong person, I can’t imagine anything keeping him down for long.
I’m so so glad that Kaitlin be there soon.
I’m still envisioning Andy back to being himself and all this behind him.
Still, scary stuff and so much to learn about.
Take care!
xoxo
Thank you. Except for the attacks he’s almost back to normal, and we’re looking forward to a couple of days with Kaitlin. 🙂
and yep, agree with Cindi, on “caring for yourself” – as at this point in time, even with K’s help you are the “onsite carer”
Actually, except for the attacks he’s just about back to normal. We’ll have to see if the number of them decline. I’m dragging around more than he is at the moment, but it doesn’t matter. There’s no hurry, doing the research and understanding what was going on was the most important thing. As far as going down to the hospital, Beate completely pampered me. I’m extremely lucky and don’t take that for granted.
To be anxious is perfectly normal and with your inherent nature, researching for the condition and the solutions for the problem too are quite acceptable. I hope that every thing works out fine in the end and Andy will come out of the hiccup as well as he was before the incident. My best wishes to all of you.
Having a sense of adventure and love of lifelong learning are invaluable assets.