Another new Dr.

I met with Dr. Blacklock today in Wichita who studied under Dr. Farris who is the doctor in Oklahoma that I am to go see.  Dr. Farris will take 4 months to get into so Dr. Park hooked me up with Dr. Blacklock until my appointment in February in Ok.

Dr. Blacklock took a look at my eyes and said that there is a definite double vision issue and she had mixed thoughts on how to help out with it.  She reccomended me to do some eye push-up exercises daily to work on building up the muscles in my eyes to see if we can get them to work together and converge.  She was expecting any day so for a follow-up appointment I would have to meet...yes another doctor...Dr. Rose.  We talked about using prisims to make my eyes converge and get one image, but the hesitation is that my eyes may become addicted to the prisms and then when I would take the prisms off I wouldn't beable to see at all.  We ended up with trying the exercises and we will see if there is any improvement.

Lab Results

I had my lab taken for the clotting disorders last Monday and the results are in.  I met with Dr. Cannon and he seemed very confident that I would be safe off of the blood thinners.  He believed that the blood issues had to do mainly with pregnancy.  I did show a sign of the mother and father gene which is a clotting disorder in its self, but could not cause everything which happened alone.

Well this means I am now down to 3 vitamins and no other meds unless I feel pressure in my head.  I don't have pressure too often, but once in a while when I lay down.  No big deal.

God continues to work on me and I continue to be amazed.

The Blood Dr.

So I was told to see a few more doctors who could possibly help me.  Dr. Park at Envision really wants me to go see a Neuro Opthamologist in Oklahoma City for my vision and Dr. Reddy at St. Francis wants me to go see a Hematologist in Wichita for my blood.

Well I met Dr. Cannon who is a Hematologist in Wichita at the Cancer Center of Kansas today and he wants to do some tests to check my blood for different clotting disorders.  He has taken me off of my blood thinner medication so that he is able to test my blood coumadin free. He wants me to watch closely to make sure I don't notice anything out of the ordinary while off of it for 10 days.  I will then return after the 10 days and have their lab check out a few things.  He was very nice and I enjoyed some good laughs with him.

Double is not always better

Double cheeseburger, double dipped chocolate ice cream cone, double rainbow...some things are great with the "double" factor, but not double vision.
My double vision started out in the beginning when looking at things up close and then started getting worse and ended up becoming double near and far.  Today I am noticing that the double vision is becoming even worse while the two objects are moving farther apart and the object to the right is lower.  I have talked with the doctors about this and they tell me that this is harder to try and fix.  So not only do I have 2 of everything, but they are about 4 inches apart horizontally and about 1/2 in lower on the right vertically.  I continue to pray for patience during this time because thing are getting really weird looking.

Good News!

Dr. Reddy called from St. Francis and he said the MRI looked good.  He can definitely say it was a Venous Infarct Stroke.  (sp?)  He wants me to get another MRI a year from now for follow up, as well as, another one in 2014.  He noted that he could see the spinal fluid cystic area where the blood leaked out and along the side of the brain.  This shouldn't cause any problems, but worst case scenario would be seizures.  He wanted me to make sure that I if I ever have another MRI in the next 20 or so years to let them know about this because the iron deposit pattern is very unusual and they may think it was a tumor when there really is no tumor there.  I asked about getting off blood thinners and he wants me to see a hematologist due to the clotting disorder that came up in my blood while n the hospital.  He encouraged me to see the Dr. in Oklahoma for eyes as he could see why I was having trouble.

This was all great news for me since we have waited 6 months now to get the all clear that there was nothing behind the blood clot causing the bleed.  God had his work cut out and once again He wins!  Thank you once again for your faithfulness in prayer.  To God be the be the glory and we can rest assured we will be safe in His arms.

A Visit Down Memory Lane

Today my mom and I met with Dr. Reddy who is a radiologist at St. Francis Hospital where I had most of my stay.  This man is so wise and he remembers everything and does an amazing job of explaining things so that we can understand them.  He was such a big part of my situation in finding what was going on in my head and what needed to be done.  We visited with him for about 30 minutes straight and he showed us the images from April when everything happened and what they did during the 2 angiograms.  He showed me where the two veins in the back of your head split off and how the one side was sending blood up to the brain, but it wasn't sending blood back down.  Therefore they did the angiograms to see what was blocking the blood from moving back down.  They were never able to actually reach the area that was stopping the blood due to it being to far and to dangerous.  They came to the agreement that it must be a clot, but they couldn't be 100% sure since they couldn't see under the blood that was there at the time.  They did tell me the body would absorb the blood and then they would be able to see if there was anything underlying under the blood.  He also showed us where he is confused why there was blood that leaked out from the vein area along the side of my brain to the front of my brain which caused a intraparenchymal hematoma.  We took a look at the images from the MRA and he said things for the most part looked good, but he wasn't able to see everything well enough to diagnosis it as a true blood clot and that there wasn't something underneath.  The MRA images did show where the blood was by leaving the iron deposits that will remain there the rest of my life since the body leaves them there.  He recommended me get a full MRI with contrast injected and another one without contrast, along with a MRV which shows some more images for him to review.  I trust this genius and said " sign me up!"  He called over to the imaging department and they worked me in for about the 1:00 time.  He took us over there to fill out paperwork and get things ordered.  We did also talk about my vision and my right leg and he mentioned the name of the Neuro Opthamologist down in Oklahoma...the same one that Dr. Park is going to refer me onto.  He highly recommended the man as well and said he himself had trained with him and he had sent his own son down to him to train as well.  This was encouraging news as I can't wait to meet the guy.

The brain scans took a little more than 2 hours and they gave me some noise canceling headphones that I could wear the entire time that would play the radio station of my choice.  I picked 99.1 and right when the lady put the headphones on my head a new song started and sang...You will be safe in His arms!  I just closed my eyes and had a time of worship in the hospitals expensive MRI machine.  You never know where your going to have some "God Time" and my time was there in that tube for a couple of hours.  The hardest thing was to keep from singing and dancing since I had to hold still and they did tape my head down.

Once we left the imaging department we did walk past the Neuro Critical Care Unit where I spent the most of my time and money at $9,000.00 a day for 14 days.  I just wanted to see if there were any of the nurses or doctors that I had at that time.  I did see one nurse and one doctor and I got to thank them for everything and they remembered me as "the young one." 

I am to call Dr. Reddy tomorrow around 10:00 after 2 radiologists have read the images.

My prayer is that there will be nothing there, but as usual God is in control no matter what.  I will have more of a plan after we see what the images show as to whether or not more action is going to be needed including another angiogram where they run the wires and tubes up to my brain.

Thank you for your prayers and may God continue to bless you during your time with Him.

MRA Results

I picked up a copy of my MRA brain scans so that I will have them with me when I go to Oklahoma.  I took a look at them when I got home and have no clue as to what I saw.  LOL!  If you ask me it looked like a bunch of gummy worms for my brain and no comments please.

I talked with the doctor's nurse and they reported to me that there were no new bleeds which is great news.  They also said that in the area of the left occipital lobe it appears to be likely an area of encephalomalacia which measures approximately 2.3 X 1.3 cm which is slightly bigger from the scan in June at 1.5 X 1.2 cm.  This big long word they told me pretty much means scar tissue left from where the bleed was.  They said it wasn't a bad thing, but similar to a bruise that we get when we hit something.

This news I felt was good, but wasn't enough and the family still had questions.  My mom decided to call St. Francis Hospital Radiology department and try to track down Dr. Reddy who worked my case and did quite a few studies on me while there.  She spoke with his secretary and he said he would be happy to see me and to bring the images that I had done.  My appointment was scheduled for Wednesday, November 10 at 10:00 am.

Doc gave me a black eye!

Dr. Park at Envision called me and was getting ready to leave the country, but wanted to get with me to try a lens that he had.  My mother-in-law took me over and they showed me how to put in a lens that looks like a contact but is clear on the outside edge, but black in the middle.  This will block out my eyesight depending on which I eye I have it in.  They would like me to try it out for a couple of weeks by alternating eyes each day to build up the muscles and to give me a break from double vision.  I am to see Dr. Park in a couple of weeks and he will check it out at that time.  We are still working with Dr. Park on going down to Oklahoma City for the Neuro Opthamologist that is located down there since I am unable to get in until January 3rd.

So far it is very different only being able to see out of one eye and the depth perception is just not there.  On the brighter side I do just see one of everything, but I haven't decided which way is preferred...double vision Vs. one eye.  At home things aren't too bad with one eye since I know where things are and how to get around, but when I visit new places that I haven't been to it is a little slower to avoid stumbles.

I'll have to get back with you on what they decide to do with the old black eye!

MRA Day

Today I had a PT evaluation and she told me that we would go a minimum of 4 more weeks as she did find some weak areas that she would like to focus on a little more regarding my right leg and balance.  I guess my vestibular system is off and it is relying on my eyes for balance which is not the best thing to rely on at this point.  I also had my MRA done today and it went well.  When I am stuck in that machine with some squishy ear plugs in it seems like it is the best time to sing some songs.  The song that came to mind today was...I will praise you in this storm...I just am reminded that what control God has upon me and how I wouldn't want it any other way.  I was told that the images would be available for pick up on a CD tomorrow and the doctor would call me once the radiologist checks them out.  I am not sure when I will get the results but I will just have to be patient. 

Dr. Park called me this afternoon and wanted to check on some paperwork and if I had made an appointment with Dr. Farris down in Oklahoma for my eyes.  I had called down there and they said the earliest would be Jan. 3.  Dr. Park said he would email Dr. Farris and see if they could get me in earlier.  Dr. Park also wants to try some kind of black contact lens in one eye to see if it helps with functioning a little more temporarily.  I will let you know more when I hear it.  Thanks again for all the prayers and just give yourself a little hug from me today as you may be sitting there reading this.  I know it may sound crazy but just know that I truly appreciate everything.

Another Long Day!

Today is my father-in-laws birthday and what does he get to do...be my taxi cab and babysitter.  The day started out with having physical therapy at 9:00 and then scheduling my November physical therapy appointments.  We then went over to get lab work done at 9:30 so that they could check my INR level which is how they decided how much blood thinner medication I need.  It turned out to be 2.5 which is great so another month until I have to have that done.  I then checked in for my 9:50 appointment since I woke up with an earache Thursday and it was still bothering me and I needed to give my primary doctor an update on all of the vision issues.  He checked out the ear and said it was the worst he had seen this morning and I needed an antibiotic but it will mess up my blood levels so it will take awhile for them to get back to normal.  I talked with him about the current vision issues and the plan to go down to Oklahoma.  He decided to have another MRA scheduled and that way I could take it down to that doctor as well.  I went to visit with the scheduling department and they set it up for Monday.  I had to go back to get some more lab work done before I could have the MRA done.  We got everything taken care of at the clinic and now it is time to get our costumes on for the fall parties at school.  Once again another long day in the life of appointments, kids and commitments.  I keep plugging away and even in the midst of the craziness God continues to remind me to slow down, take a deep breath, and look to see what new things He has laid before me.

Back at the Dr.

Today my mother-in-law took to me back to Dr. Park at Envision, the Low Vision Rehabilitiation building, to try out the new lenses that they thought may work for me.  Well I have to say that there was some good news and some bad news.

Good News-Dr. Park would like to refer me to a Dr. Farris who is a Neuro Opthamologist in Oklahoma City to get another opinion in regards to my condition.  He raved over this man and also noted that he has a strong faith and that we wouldn't be disappointed if we went down there.

Bad News-they tested my eyes once again for a few hours and they are not improving and even getting worse.  The prism lenses that they were going to try aren't going to seem to work out.

I felt encouraged to check out this new specialist and yet my mother-in-law did witness some emotion start to come out when I felt like surely they could have something in that huge building to help me see my boys with normal faces.  I really get tired of seeing my children with three eyes when I know they are continuing to grow and change.

I had to take a moment and collect myself and I have come to the conclusion that God made my boys look SO much alike that when I look at Parker I know inside just what he looks like since I remember what Coop looked like.  I feel that God has given me to of the most precious kids and I couldn't be more blessed.  They act identical and even have a freckle in the same place.

Eye Status

Yesterday I received a call from Dr. Park at Envision and he asked me to come in today.  He said that he had discovered something and so he wanted to show it to me and explain a little more as to what my eyes are doing.  I was worried at first to find a ride since it was on such short notice but once again friends and family always step up and get me to where I need to be no matter what.  Once I got in there they decided to test me once again to see if there were any changes and it seems that there is still really a big problem with my eyes working together.  He explained that they have a hard enough time working individually with the blind area in each eye and then when you try and have them work together it creates another problem.  At my last appointment he used a camera to take a picture of my eyes and this is what he wanted to show me.  He brought over a laptop and showed me the picture that he had taken and how the white flash that shows up in the pupil of our eyes had shown up in different areas in each of mine.  On the left eye the white area was pointing towards my nose as far as it could and the right eye was tilted out in another direction.  This is what is causing the double vision near and far as they can't seem to work together or converge.  He said there is significant esotropia with my eyes.  They are planning on trying some lenses to help out with the double vision so we will wait and see.

Appointments, Appointments, Appointments!

This week alone I had 7 appointments to go to and I was truly blessed to have such wonderful help in getting to those appointments and with the kiddoes. GG (Nic's Grandma) is truly an amazing woman and helps out so much each week as she still does our laundry since it is a lot to haul it up and down the stairs with a funky leg. She also takes me to the store and watches the boys. My mom also helped out this week and spent 3 days with us since the appointment schedule was so full. I am so blessed with such a wonderful family. Tamara (family friend) came over to play and watch the kiddoes for me a few times this week as well. Thank so much everyone who has helped along the way.

Monday-get stuff ready for Cooper's birthday party.
Tuesday-Cooper at pre-school and prize day for great behavior along with a few errands to run. Eye appointment with Dr. Gordon.
Wednesday-Physical therapy and mom comes to help out around the house.
Thursday-Cooper at pre-school with show & tell, fire truck visit, & yellow day. 7:30am mental evaluation for 2 1/2 hours and Nic at Volleyball in Wellington until late.
Friday-Eye appointment with Dr. Park, Occupational therapy, Lab work and Physical therapy.

Wow what a week. To give you a quick update...my vision has gotten worse in order to get better. I am now having double vision up close and at a distance so I have been told that this is a good thing since the brain seems to be waking up. They are working on a pair of lenses for me to help me for a short amount of time until the brain can work with the eyes to line up everything. Dr. Park is going to talk with Dr. Gordon and they will call me on Monday or Tuesday to let me know the plan and when I need to go back in. I am feeling pretty good with some pressure at times in the head, but nothing I can't handle. The double vision is hard to get used to, but I am told that it will get better. Patience is what I need and for most of you I may seem patient, but inside I am screaming. The Lord is still at work and I am still learning so much from Him. Nic and I also joined a new bible study and it is teaching me about God's crazy love that He has for us. I am also learning how to listen not only to the words Nic reads for me in the book, but at our amazing Father who loves us so much.

God's Amazing Work

Today I had a phone call from a lady named Linda in Topeka who works for Social Security and Disability Services. She had some questions for me and so I gave her a call back. This post is to just remind you how amazing God's work is and how He is in control. We have filled out pages and pages of paperwork and just putting it in God's hands as to whether we will receive any allowances from Social Security or KPERS. We have heard a lot of horror stories and so we have not been worrying about any of it and just praying for God's will. I called Linda back and answered the questions she had for me and she noted to me that she had just received our case on her desk yesterday and that she hates getting cases like these because she just feels for the person. I mentioned that it is just one of those things you never think will happen to you especially at 30. She said I know because my daughter had a brain bleed at 31 although it was not as bad but it scared them as well. We talked for quite awhile about how things change and how balance and vision was a big area of struggle for her daughter as well. She ended up saying how she would love for me to talk with her daughter and how we could be encouraging to one another. She wrapped up the conversation by letting me know when more paperwork would be coming to me and how they will be requesting a mental status with an IQ test. She said we don't think you are crazy, but since I have had memory and concentration issues since the stroke they need a follow up.

I just had to sit back and think twice about the phone call I just had with this woman. I guess what I got out of it was not just that I have MORE paperwork to fill out, but how we are reminded of the little details that God places in our everyday life without us taking the time to notice. I was just thinking about that it was not a coincidence that Linda in Topeka, KS with a daughter that had a brain bleed at 31 received my paperwork on her desk yesterday out of the tons of disability cases and tons of employees working for Social Security. Now that is a God thing!

Thank you Jesus for your little reminders each and everyday. May we take time to see your hand at work in our lives and give you the glory you so deserve.

Envision Appointment

I had my appointment with Envision in Wichita on Tuesday which lasted 3 1/2 hours. G-G (Nic's grandma) stayed with the boys while my mom took me. We located the huge Envision building and was amazed at all the services they provide and how big everything was. We went to the 2nd floor and filled out more paperwork and then they called me back for testing. I did some tests that I have had done before and some new ones as well. I then met Dr. Park and he was great. He did some more tests himself and we had some great talks. He explained a lot to me and I felt like things have gotten better with just some of the results that I remember from previous eye appointments. He said there are still a couple of places on both eyes that have the upper right quadrant damaged, but it will take at least 8-12 months to see if it will come back or not. He did call in the occupational therapist to give me some things to work on at home to help with the double vision that I am experiencing and to work on building up my eye muscles to work on scanning to the right more. They want to see me back in about 2 weeks to do some test with 3 letters that I don't have a clue what it is called to pin point those areas with damage. I guess this test will measure a 2mm area at a time and show whether certain contrasting, size, and area that are in most need. This will give them a better idea of what they need to do to help me out. I was very encouraged when I left there since I felt like they understood and are willing to figure out what it is I need.

More Therapy

Tomorrow I go for my first appointment for occupational therapy at Envision in Wichita. What an answer to prayer it has been so far since insurance will pay for it. We will see what they say about my vision and what they can do to help me out.

In regards to vision it has improved since I have been home, but it seems like it has come to a stopping point. I still see about the first 3 letters in a word so reading is still difficult, but I think I am learning new ways of reading. It is amazing how your brain works and how you can train yourself to use different parts of it to compensate for the parts that have brain damage. Wow! I am sure glad that God was in charge of creating us.

I have also been blessed by our regular optometrist as Dr. Gordon here in Derby can really relate to vision issues. As Nic was going for his regular check-up before school started back up he was talking to Dr. Gordon about me and the doctor said he woke up one morning cross eyed and couldn't see. This happened about 10 years ago and come to find out he had a brain bleed in the center. He has given me such encouragement and support during this time and has asked me to come in every 2-4 weeks to just check in and possibly do a case study using the I-Pad for those with vision loss. He has told me that my vision loss is the hardest to work with since it is the upper right quadrant of both eyes that is missing so therefore things do disappear and reappear on me. He has recommended me taking folic acid, B-6, and B-12 to help with regrowth of nerves from the eyes to the brain. He even said taking B-12 injections would be great. He encourages me to use my hands as much as possible to help trigger brain functions.

Not only have I gone to physical therapy, occupational therapy, but now my sister is working on knit therapy for me. My sister is an amazing knitter and so since I am to use my hands and work with tactile things she is coming over on Fridays to help me out with my cowl that I am knitting. It is one thing that is enjoyable for me since I only have to look at one place and it gives me something to focus on. She gave me a very special gift that she had been working on since I went into the hospital and that is a healing shawl. The yarn is just amazing and the detail work is gorgeous. She told me it is filled with her prayers and tears. It sure was special and I will always keep it close to remember the love that is around me.

Thank you all for your support during this time as the vision, balance, and muscle coordination on my right side is still a work in progress. We take for granted the things we have as I am reminded each day when I open my eyes and look around and put my feet on the ground to get out of bed. It has taken a loving husband, a wonderful family and the many prayers from friends to be the therapy that I need. Thanks again! I love you all!

Our Trial Run

Cooper and I took a trial run on my new mode of transportation since I am unable to drive due to my vision. I was truly blessed with a new adult tricycle from some very dear friends of mine that understand how important it is to me to be able to take Cooper to preschool on my own. I couldn't be more thankful for this gift and the blessings that they placed upon it before presenting it to me.

My mom and Parker followed us in the car as we strapped on our helmets and hopped on. We took off with me doing my best to tell my right leg to push and concentrate listening for cars while Cooper relaxed in the bike trailer with his fruit drink yelling, "Go fast Mom!"

We made it to his preschool which is 3/4 of a mile one way and I was thinking man now I have to make it back home. As we stopped for a short break before heading home Coop tells me, "Good job mom!" Let me tell you that is all that I needed to make it back home. As I looked at my mom with tears running down her face I said, "Lets do it!"

We arrived back at home with "Jello" legs and I unstrapped Cooper from all of his gear he told me once again, "Mom good job and that was fast!" I couldn't help but tear up and think what a gift it was just to be here. Thank you once again God for your faithfulness and strength. My mom helped me inside to the couch as I could hardly walk and we just sat there and didn't say a word for a few minutes. What an emotional journey it was and yet all I could say is that we did it!

Cooper's Surgery

Cooper had to have his tonsils and adenoids out August 4th. We noticed that he started talking different for about a week so we checked his throat and his tonsils have always been huge. I checked his ears and he did have some blockage so we got that out and thought maybe that was it. Still talking different we checked his throat again and what do you know his tonsils were so big that his uvula was nowhere to be found. When thinking back he never did complain about anything, but he did start to drool a lot and his snoring was getting louder than daddy's. We took him in and they said both tonsils and adenoids need to come out next week. We were really surprised that they needed to come out so soon, but they told us that kids can have sleep apnea and that they could stop breathing.

He did great and I am so proud of our boy! He really enjoyed the ice cream and popsicles. Those tonsils were ginormous. I can't believe he could even swallow with those things in there.

Lab Work

I continue to have lab work done to have my INR checked which is how thick my blood. I am still on Warfrin blood thinner and they say it may be 6 at least 6 months so possibly to October. They want my INR to be between 2.0-3.0. The lower the number the thicker the blood and the higher the number the thinner my blood. In order to leave the hospital they wanted me at a 2.0 and so they gave me an injection in my belly since I was at 1.9. This week I have not been stable so I am going weekly to have it checked. Wednesday I was at 1.6 so they increased the mg of meds. It is very sensitive and the amount of vitamin K input that I have has a lot to do with it. I have to limit my green vegetables and my ranch dressing. If you all remember I lived on chicken nuggets and ranch dressing while pregnant with Cooper. I have been really good about my salad eating since that is one of my favorite foods.

Thursday the 29th my INR was at 1.7 so they are still increasing the mg's.
Thursday August 5 my INR was at 2.3 so I am staying at 5mg of Warfrin.

I am currently stable so I go back in a month we shall see September 3rd.

God is not finished!

I do know that God is not finished with me. I have decided to stay home from work this coming school year to focus on my health, family and the work that God has planned for me. I had been praying about what to do and for God to show me His plan. I was cleaning up in my classroom the last day of school and another teacher in the building came into my room to talk to me. She told me that I had been on her heart and that she had been praying for me. She said that God really spoke to her and that I was to take the year off and share my story of faith with those around me. Can God get any more bold than that? Well there it was from the mouth of another teacher down the hallway. I hadn't talked to this individual about the situation of working or not and yet God spoke to her. This just reminds me that sometimes we see God at work when we are not looking for it, but to be ready as He shows us His words through those around us and we must keep our eyes open to His calling. I am excited to share my story with those around me and spend some great time with my kiddoes. Cooper will start pre-school this year and I have a goal. I want to be able to take and pick up Cooper every Tuesday and Thursday. I am still unable to see to drive so I have been working with my physical therapist on balance and muscle coordination in order to ride my bike to take and pick him up. Nic and I figured out that it is about three quarters of a mile one way so I have something to work towards. At this point it is too far to walk with my right leg and so I am planning on attaching a cart to my bike and away we will go. Please keep me in your prayers that I can reach this goal of mine. I am working really hard and haven't made it off a staionary bike yet, but we are getting there and the muscle coordination is getting better. Thank you for your support and prayers. God Bless

Derby Newspaper Article

The Derby Newspaper staff heard about our family and wanted to interview us in order to publish an article. We were so blessed to be able to share our faith and story. God sure was at work in order to get His faithfulness published in a paper for all to read. He sure has a way of reaching out and it is during those times that we becomed amazed and reminded of His great love.

2 Month Update

I wanted to give you all an update since it has been 2 months since the stroke. The MRA showed the evidence of where the stroke happened while the 2 hematomas are still present. There is no new bleeding which is a blessing and we are just going to have to wait it out on my body doing it's part of dissolving the the blood. The doctors can't see if there is anything behind the hematomas so I can' t tell you in regards to that, but we are watching for any new signs or symptoms that would cause us to believe that there is something to worry about there. I have been feeling really well and haven't had any major headaches, only some pressure at times. I am down to 2 days a week instead of 3 days a week of physical therapy for my right leg which feels heavy and turns inward slightly. YEAH!!! I was going twice a week to have my INR checked in the lab which is the thickness of my blood, but am now at once a month if I stay within the range of 2.0-3.0 and I am currently at 2.0. I am still taking Coumadin and will be for a minimum of 6 months. As for my vision we are still trying to work with insurance on paying for vision therapy as they say it is not in our policy. You never think to check on that when signing up for insurance. We are doing well and I am enjoying my summer with all of my boys(Nic, Cooper & Parker). God has really been amazing as I am reminded often and shouldn't be surprised. Thanks once again for your thoughts and prayers. There is still a journey ahead of me, but wow what amazing progress has already happened.

Pictures of the Journey

April 24 8:22pm

I am feeling better considering all that has taken place in the past 24 hours. I am now at St. Frances in the Neuro Critical Care Unit. I can not see but I am sitting up and that is huge progress.

April 27

This is my attempt to eat solid food for the first time in 5 days. They gave me plenty of nausea medications to help out before I ate. They did this until I left the hospital. I did request a Chipolte burrito bowl one night for dinner and man was it delicious. Thanks honey for getting it for me. I lost around 12 pounds while I was there for 2weeks.

They added a picc line!  This is 36cm and it goes into my arm through my chest and into my heart.  This way they can draw blood directly every hour and have my meds flow as well.  No more pokes, but this was awful getting put in.  The first attempt went up into my ear and so they had to do it all over again.  We are finally in and what a blessing that is.  They told me there were nerves wrapped around the vein so that was what was causing my arm to spasm.  Very painful!

May 4

Amy, my sister, brought me a special present...the Sesame Street blanket from our childhood. I was so happy to see some little comfort from the good old days. She mended the rips and washed it and let me tell you in doesn't even come close to the blankets they provide you in the hospital no matter how much you pay for them. Thank you Sis so much for sharing the blankie since it is older than me. We could probably sell it on ebay and make some money.

Here I am all tucked in my Sesame Street blanket after my sister washed my hair for me. It felt great to have clean hair and rest peacefully in a cozy blanket.

The BIG Day!

Well, tomorrow morning is the BIG day since I got out of the hospital to see what is going on up in my brain. I have an MRA scheduled for 8:30 and we were told that this was to find out what may have caused the bleeding or to see if there is anything behind the bleeding. The MRA is similar to an MRI but it will be a brain scan of the vessels instead of all of the tissue. I am not sure when we will hear the results, but I will let you all know when I hear something. Wow it is amazing to think that God is already in that room waiting for me to walk in tomorrow. In my life when I go through troubles like the verse says I always seem to have a theme song. I have to say my theme song for this time in my life is "I Will Rise" and I can't help but listen to it. Thank you Tamara for putting it on this blog as it is so true. I have risen when God called my name and there will be no more sorrow and no more pain for I know the plans that He has for me. I encourage each one of you reading this to find a song that goes along with what you may be going through and then during those times when you are driving or riding in the car and that song comes on you are reminded or how amazing God is and what He taught you during your troubled time. Thank you Lord for my theme song during this moment and may I always remember your unfailing love and your huge hugs that you gave me when we were alone. I pray your blessings upon my scan tomorrow and that I may feel your healing hands. Amen.

Mommy's Home!

Home!

Yesterday was day 15 in the hospital- and the last! We got home at 5 last night. Sarah barely got out of the hospital parking lot before crying. Very emotional, esp when Cooper was holding up signs he made when we pulled up at home. She still has problems walking and her vision is still bad. Praying for complete recovery soon. Thank you for everything!

Thank you Tamara for doing this blog while I was stuck in the hospital with a computer that wouldn't work.

God is soooo GOOD!

Day 13 was exciting. CT scan this morning that showed even less swelling. Just found out they are moving her to a regular room tomorrow! Room 5048. The hundreds of prayers are working. Maybe be home in 3-4 days! Not a minute too soon. I guess Cooper is having a hard time at night without us. Thank you to everyone who h...as given time or money or food and must importantly prayers during this time. We are so blessed.

Day 14-right at midnight they moved her to a normal room. Then they said she could be coming home tomorrow! Not sure, but the levels were good. She might have to get some shots in the belly first, but she will take it. There was an issue with a nurse this evening (very rude) and Sarah's mom (she wasn't have'n it) but i...t's fine. Just sooo blessed by God and everyone around us. Thank you again for everything!

May 4th

Day 12 running down and probably the best one yet. The CT from yesterday showed less swelling. She slept pretty much all night (with help from Mr. Morphine and Ms. Loratab). She also had a good nap around noon.The nerve was a little better today too. Had some nice visitors and visited for awhile. As of now, she can not read still. Please check out this blog and send some encouraging words. She is a little frustrated with her sight and how long everything is taking, so some nice words might help. Thanks!

The Best Medicine

THE JOURNEY, so far.

April 24th - Scary day yesterday. Sarah was having terrible headaches. Long story short... she had brain hemorrhage. Everything looks OK now after many tests, no aneurysm. Long few weeks recovery ahead. We are at St. Frances for awhile. Prayers are welcome.


April 25th - Today's CT scan showed the stroke was still bleeding. This has made her worse today. Extremely tough to see her this way today. Actually acting like a stroke victim was hard to see. Talking and moving VERY slow. Still hopeful for fast healing and complete recovery. They are going to do another CT scan tomorrow morning. Looks like a long road ahead of us

April 26th - First of all, thank you to everyone for all the wonderful comments and outpouring that has been shown. Just seeing all the posts, blogs and comments has been a blessing to us. Sarah had the angiogram this morning, which is a CT scan with dye to see contrast. A specialist found a clot yesterday evening. He couldn't get all the way to the clot to see if he could remove it carefully. It did show that the bleeding didn't get worse from yesterday. Also, showed a little blood flow around the clot which is good. Best case scenario he thinks that with a weak blood thinner for a couple weeks, she might get out of Neuro Critical Care and to a regular ICU room. Then maybe a few more weeks she can come home. That is if the blood dissipate and bleeding has stopped. She will be on stronger thinner for 6 months after that and have to get a MRI in a few months when the blood is gone to see if they can find a cause to all of this. That is best case probably. She is still in an extremely dangerous situation as more problems can arise at any time. Her vision is very bad right now. Hopefully in 6 months and with therapy it will all return. Thank you again everyone. God Bless, Nic.

April 28th - Sarah had a great day yesterday. She was up and bubbly and got to see and hold Parker for the first time in 6 days. Might have worn her out. Today she is a little sore and not feeling quite as well. Considering the situation she is still doing great. Thank you again for everything.

April 29th - Wednesday night was rough for Sarah. She had a terrible headache, so they did a CT scan and a MRI. They both came back pretty good, and after sleeping most of the day, she had a good evening tonight.

April 30th - Sarah's feeling pretty good today. They tried to put a pic line in today. It took like 5 times to get it in. When they did, her arm started to spasm. They said she must have a cluster of nerves wrapped around the vein or something. Very painful. Then they did the x-ray to check but it went up by her ear instead of going to the heart, so they had to do it again. This evening she was feeling well.

May 1st - Sarah had some headaches overnight again last night. She thinks pressure builds when she lays down. Today has been great though. Got to see the boys again and has felt great. Taking nap now. If she feels like this, she would love to have people up to see her. If you want to call before coming up, I'll let you know how she's doing. Thank you everyone!

May 2nd - Once again, Sarah had a night full of headaches and nausea. She got up and around and didn't eat much. Took a morning nap and felt better. She actually ate some chicken for lunch then took an afternoon nap. After that she felt great, which was good because she had lots of wonderful visitors she was happy to see. She even asked for Chipolte burrito bowl!!

May 3rd - A night with little headache pain!!! She slept 5 hours without waking up last night. Today was pretty good headache wise, but now she is having a lot of pain with a pinched nerve in her back. Had CT scan this morning, but it didn't show much change. Started Coumadin today. Doctors are thinking that if she improves, we could be out of here in a week! Vision my never improve or be normal in 6 months, just not sure.

Updates, Encouragement, and Prayers

On a VERY late night chatting with Nic on facebook, he asked me about putting together a blog that can be for him to post updates on Sarah and for everyone to send their encouraging and prayerful comments to her. He wants her to be able to read about what went on and the wonderful friends and family that supported them along the way.  Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to help him out.  It is my prayer that this blog will not only be a place for everyone to get updates on Sarah's condition, but it be a witness to others of God's amazing power and love.  I have posted below the note that Nic typed up when he couldn't sleep on April 27th, 2010. Grab some tissues...

I have seen posts, texts and emails and have heard of HUNDREDS of people that are praying for Sarah and our family. AMEN. If Sarah would want one thing to come from this situation, it would be for everyone (from her husband, to someone who just happens to stumble upon this letter) to come closer to God. She would not want prayers specifically for her, but that everyone would just pray more, and God be glorified during this time.



There are many examples where God has guided this whole situation. For example, after debating, Sarah and I decided to go back to the exact same ER that we just left an hour earlier from with a clear CT scan. When we arrived the second time, they did another CT scan and found the bleeding in the brain. There just happened to be a hospital a few miles away that have the best Neuro surgeons within hundreds of miles. We get a doctor on call that happens to get bothered by the fact that no one can find a reason for the bleeding after 2 days, and spends his extra time looking at Sarah’s charts and CT scans over and over. That doctor happened to run into THE best brain specialist around and was willing to ask the specialist for help. The specialist just happens to be free at the time, sat down, and looked at Sarah’s info. He finds a blood clot that no one else probably would have found. He is experienced enough to find it even though the clot is in a very rare spot. (This hospital sees about 4 people a year with a clot in this place. Vein not artery) . The specialist then tells us he has NEVER seen just one clot (usually many) in this spot in the brain. He goes on to say that none of his doctor friends around the country would believe him if he told them about this ONE clot in this spot. Yet, he still has confidence in his findings and abilities to carry on the treatment path for Sarah. Today a family friend, who happens to be a doctor and has been advising with all the doctors here at the hospital, went to eat lunch with his sister for the first time in 15 years at a neighborhood deli. The lead doctor on Sarah case happens to walk in the same deli at the same time and they discuss her case over lunch. These are just a few examples of how God has worked in Sarah’s situation. There are many more (incredible Christian nurses, as little damage as possible from the stroke, etc…)


I hope that everyone who has said that they were praying for us have done so and have been blessed by it. I hope that Sarah’s one wish has come true and people have grown closer to the Lord because of this situation. Please, if you do not know God and his power, come see us and talk to us. If there is anything that I have learned from this obstacle, it is no one knows how much time you have.


In God’s Love,

Nic


"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." ~ Phillipians 4:13

Tamara McKee (Family Friend)