Really, part deux

[Vash01]

On Monday morning, Lee had yet Another surgery to implant a new shunt... everything went well, and 2 days later, it seems to be working fine. Her neurosurgeons are cautiously pleased with the outcome, to the point that they have upgraded her condition and moved her out of ICU for the first time since November 13. She still isn't responding, but the tests don't show any damage, and her clinical picture seems to be improving, albeit slowly.

The #1 Neurosurgeon around here is optimistic; he says that her brain has sustained 'multiple insults', but that the nature of her troubles might have spared her serious damage. I am following his lead in This, and am sticking close to her, Waiting for Christmas to Come https://g.co/kgs/S3m5XA

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers; we want you to hug your loved ones, treasure the moments, and if you've been waiting to do something, just go do it.

Thanks for the update. Best wishes to Lee and your family. I admire your dedication.

 

[Spun Silver]

May God send you both a happy, healing New Year!

 

[pat c]

This is still the right address to get cards to Lee:

Cards_4_Lee
Bentley School
Box 299, 5314 - 49 Street
Bentley, Alberta,
T0C 0J0

 

[Habs]

Happy New Year, Lee and Gerry. Thinking of you.

 

[skatesindreams]

Sending continuing support to each of you.

 

[halffull]

Hardly ever on here but it doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way. May the start of a new year be a real turning point for Lee. Gerry you are such a roll model for “in sickness and in health”. Continued prayers for you both.

 

[once_upon]

@Really and @Gerry have been on my mind and heart more than usual this week. I hope that everything is stable, if not improving. Keeping you guys in prayers.

 

[Gerry]

Hi team... sorry, I've been slack about reporting in. Thank you all for your thoughts and well-wishes; as I've said before, I believe that your positive energy connects us all, and helps Lee along.

I slipped down to our daughter's place on Christmas eve... Lee was still in the U of A, still unresponsive, and the grandkids needed at least one of us on Christmas morning. We had a fun morning, playing with Legos, trying on new clothes, and watching the magic of Christmas through a 4-year-old's eyes; it was about the best day I'd had in a few months.

That afternoon, I got a call that the University was shipping Lee back to our small town hospital; they had a bed for her, were eager to see her, and the surgeons felt that she was stable enough to escape the big concrete box ... our little hospital doesn't have the specialists or the magic Star-Trek techno-stuff to do computer imaging of the unseen pathways in her head, but it delivers great care, it's clean and quiet, and best of all, the nurses all know her and are responsive to even small changes in her condition. So I happily packed up and came home that evening, and since then have been able to see her every day without spending 3 hours on the road or sleeping in a chair.

New Year's day, she squeezed my hand. And again, on command. 2 squeezes for yes, one for no. And was responding coherently to my questions! Only one hand, and only for just under an hour, but it was the first deliberate communication we had since November 13...

A few days later, squeezes with both hands, then yesterday, she quietly told our daughter Kami that she loved her at the end of a videochat where Kami did all the talking, and Lee just watched the screen intently. (Just a minute, I have something in my eye...)

Her consciousness level goes up and back down, much like it had in earlier months last spring when she was recovering from that bad infection... the more 'awake' she is, the more likely it is that she will respond to me, but she fades in and out. Again, that's what happened last spring, and in the fullness of time, she came back to me.

Time. She needs time to heal, I think, time to let her brain restore its fluid balances, for her tissues to regain the appropriate density. That alone could take months, but as they do, her shunt will need re-programming to adapt to the different pressures; they do that in Edmonton, and we will once again be on the road every time they need to adjust things.

I'm going in to see the surgeons early this coming week, to look for answers to the many questions I am gathering; I want them - and the nurses in ICU - to know how she is doing, that there is another small miracle underway here, and that we are cautiously optimistic again... they too spent 2 months without hearing anything from her. The one neurosurgeon has only ever seen her when she was in dire straits and his skills were needed to give her another chance; that he has operated on her 7 times tells me that he needs to know she is on an upward trajectory again. She has also been operated on by 4 other surgeons, and pretty much all the residents .. I imagine they are curious, too.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers; Today is Day 410... and the journey continues.

 

[manhn]

Happy New Year, Lee and Gerry! What a wonderful start to the Year. You are always in my thoughts.

 

[rfisher]

Thanks for the update. It is literally one minute at a time. I'm glad she can be closer to home. I know on day 1 you would never have believed you could manage 409 days. But, you both have. So, onward to 411.

 

[Spun Silver]

@Gerry, I am so glad you got two happy surprises for Christmas and New Year's! Well done, Lee! Her move back home must be a boundless relief to you. You guys are in my prayers often. May the small miracles keep coming!

 

[misskarne]

Now that's a happy new year, Gerry. I'm so pleased. Look after yourself.

 

[WildRose]

What wonderful news Gerry! Thank you so much for posting.

 

[peibeck]

Tell Lee she needs to wake up. Canadian Nationals are next week and it's the Olympic year.

 

[Meredith]

Yours is the best news I've heard this year, Gerry. Thank you for sharing those positive steps with us. God bless you and your family.

 

[once_upon]

Great news. I pray that things continue to be on the good news side.

 

[insideedgeua]

Happy New Year Gerry!

That really is a wonderful update. This has been such a long journey for Lee and you and your whole family.

Lee is obviously a fighter and it sounds like you and her health team have her heading in the right direction again. It may be small steps, and it may be excruciatingly slow, but it’s the right direction.

Wishing you and your family all the very best, with love and hugs from afar.

 

[overedge]

This is wonderful news, Gerry. I am in awe of your patience and of the terrific medical support Lee is receiving. ((hugs)) to you all.

 

[MrSatterwhite]

Thanks for taking the time to keep us updated Gerry. You and Lee are constantly in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[LilJen]

I am so glad you had that wonderful Christmas gift of a day with the grandkids. AND the New Year's gift of her responding. May she keep responding and showing that she's getting ready to book it out of the hospital.

 

[skatefan]

You are surely not the only one with something in your eye Gerry
I am so happy that Lee is beginning to respond again and that she is still in there fighting

 

[purple skates]

Glad to read this @Gerry. As always, you and your family are in my thoughts.

 

[Aceon6]

Thanks @Gerry You made my day! Hugs to you both!

 

[skatesindreams]

Thank you so much for sharing such good news, Gerry.

Progress may be slow; however, it is happening.
May it continue and proceed, day by day.

 

[Habs]

Wishing you and your family all the best, @Gerry.

 

[Lizziebeth]

Gerry, thank you for the update. I hope Lee continues to improve! And I hope that she can stay in your local hospital with nurses that know her well so she can be closer to you. Keep us posted.

 

[ChelleC]

Thank you for the update @Gerry I'm glad to know Lee is stable enough to be at the hospital closer to home, and you're definitely not the only one with something in your eye. What it is my eye is leaking out right now.

Continued prayers for you both.

 

[Finnice]

@Gerry, Happy New Year! Great news about Lee! May Santa bring you two and your family & the wonderful medical team such a progressing gifts all the year long!

 

[barbarafan]

Hi team... sorry, I've been slack about reporting in. Thank you all for your thoughts and well-wishes; as I've said before, I believe that your positive energy connects us all, and helps Lee along.

I slipped down to our daughter's place on Christmas eve... Lee was still in the U of A, still unresponsive, and the grandkids needed at least one of us on Christmas morning. We had a fun morning, playing with Legos, trying on new clothes, and watching the magic of Christmas through a 4-year-old's eyes; it was about the best day I'd had in a few months.

That afternoon, I got a call that the University was shipping Lee back to our small town hospital; they had a bed for her, were eager to see her, and the surgeons felt that she was stable enough to escape the big concrete box ... our little hospital doesn't have the specialists or the magic Star-Trek techno-stuff to do computer imaging of the unseen pathways in her head, but it delivers great care, it's clean and quiet, and best of all, the nurses all know her and are responsive to even small changes in her condition. So I happily packed up and came home that evening, and since then have been able to see her every day without spending 3 hours on the road or sleeping in a chair.

New Year's day, she squeezed my hand. And again, on command. 2 squeezes for yes, one for no. And was responding coherently to my questions! Only one hand, and only for just under an hour, but it was the first deliberate communication we had since November 13...

A few days later, squeezes with both hands, then yesterday, she quietly told our daughter Kami that she loved her at the end of a videochat where Kami did all the talking, and Lee just watched the screen intently. (Just a minute, I have something in my eye...)

Her consciousness level goes up and back down, much like it had in earlier months last spring when she was recovering from that bad infection... the more 'awake' she is, the more likely it is that she will respond to me, but she fades in and out. Again, that's what happened last spring, and in the fullness of time, she came back to me.

Time. She needs time to heal, I think, time to let her brain restore its fluid balances, for her tissues to regain the appropriate density. That alone could take months, but as they do, her shunt will need re-programming to adapt to the different pressures; they do that in Edmonton, and we will once again be on the road every time they need to adjust things.

I'm going in to see the surgeons early this coming week, to look for answers to the many questions I am gathering; I want them - and the nurses in ICU - to know how she is doing, that there is another small miracle underway here, and that we are cautiously optimistic again... they too spent 2 months without hearing anything from her. The one neurosurgeon has only ever seen her when she was in dire straits and his skills were needed to give her another chance; that he has operated on her 7 times tells me that he needs to know she is on an upward trajectory again. She has also been operated on by 4 other surgeons, and pretty much all the residents .. I imagine they are curious, too.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers; Today is Day 410... and the journey continues.

Thank-you Jerry for the update. It will take a lot of rest and sleep to make repairs for all that Lee has undergone as you well know sleep time is when the body heals. So glad she is communicating again. This must have been hell for you. How do they know when to reprogram the shunt?

 

[Kruss]

This is such wonderful news, @Gerry! Hugs to you both!