Good To Go

We had Judi's first follow up appointment on Monday and all was well. She got all the stitches out (she was happy about that since they had started to itch). The incision has closed nicely and is almost completely healed. There is no indication of infection internally or with the incision so hopefully we have that behind us. That was probably the biggest risk post surgery. Judi's brain is still pushed towards the back of her head on the right side and will probably take several months to move back into it's normal position. There is an air pocket still in her skull where the new prosthesis was installed and it has not filled with fluid. This could take a very long time to be eliminated for Judi due to the shunt that she has. To keep it simple, without the shunt, the fluid would build up in Judi's skull and compress the air bubble which would ultimately cause it to be absorbed by her body and go away. The shunt creates a pressure relief device and as the air bubble compresses, the pressure inside her skull increases as well which causes the shunt to open and relieve the fluid to her abdominal cavity. We will just have to wait and see if the fluid is able to reach adequate pressure for the air to absorb or not. The problem with the air bubble is that it does not provide the same shock absorber type effect as the fluid does and makes Judi more susceptible to further injury from even minor bumps of her head.

We DO NOT want to do anything with the shunt unless things really turn bad for her. The main reason being the infection risk every time we go into her head. If she got an infection, the prosthesis would have to come out and we would have to start the whole process all over again. There is a good chance that her brain will not return to the "normal" position and we have decided that unless she really has a huge cognitive loss that the risk is not worth the minimal gains that might be realized. So, putting it in my words, unless something really goes bad, we are done with surgery and will focus on what God gives us to work with in the future.

We have a lot of issues to deal with as we get her back up to speed, but I am confident that we will be able to work through them in the long haul. I keep telling myself that God didn't bring us this far to leave her in her current state. I would appreciate it if those of you that see me often remind me of that if you see I am struggling To stay positive. I will admit that I have struggled a bit of late and much of it is because I am just plain tired. With Judi not eating, I am having to feed her through her feeding tube to ensure she is getting the appropriate nutrition which means I am up at night feeding her since she can only take so much at a time. She has also started vocalizing A LOT at night and I am always waiting to hear that first word so that I can encourage her and obviously want to know what she is trying to say.

We have been spoiled a bit lately by some very good cooks. Many thanx to Angela Macintosh and Rebecca Cantrell for the awesome vittles. Jessica says you have an open invitation to come live with us! I also wanted to thank all of you that wished Judi a Happy Birthday on 4/15. I read all of your messages to her and i could tell she enjoyed hearing from you. Feel free to stop by and see her if you get the chance. I still believe it will be one of those visits that finally snaps Judi back to us.

I hope all of you have a Happy Easter and don't forget what the day is really for. If you are so inclined, say a little prayer for Judi's continued recovery.

Steve

Home Again

I was able to bust Judi out of the hospital today and both of us were glad to be back home. It is great to see my girl with a "round head" again and you can tell she already feels better. We will go back in a couple of weeks to have a follow up CT scan and check the incision to ensure it is healing well. The prosthesis was a perfect fit for her and there is very little swelling. Judi did have a series of three seizures during the day of surgery (none of them severe). The Drs were not overly concerned due to level of activity she had been exposed to and the severity. There was actually some discussion that it may be a positive sign that her brain activity had increased, but in the end, no one knows for sure.

The plan now is to let her heal for a couple of weeks and then hopefully get her back into outpatient rehab. I am hopeful that she will gain ground quickly and get back to where she was before we had to remove the bone flap this summer. Whether quick or slow, as long as she continues to gain ground it will be a huge success.

I'm going to keep this one short since I am just about out of gas for the day. Although this was a short stay, neither of us seemed to get any rest. I'll update as changes occur and thanx from the bottom of my heart for all of the prayers.

Steve

Surgery Update

Hi all - Jessica here. I just spoke to Dad who has asked me to do a quick update. Mom's surgery was uneventful and she is already out of recovery. Everything went well and she is already awake, laughing at Dad. (I'm guessing he does not look fashionable in a gown or gloves.)

Thanks for all your prayers and just keep Mom close to your hearts.

O Dark Thirty!

A quick note to remind everyone to say a special prayer for Judi tonight and tomorrow. Her surgery is scheduled for 0730 and I have to have her at the hospital by 0515!!!!

The length of surgery is dependent on how much the skin has attached itself to the dura layer encasing her brain. It has to be carefully separated so that the prosthesis can be slipped into place. It is a meticulus process and if done improperly could result in a bleed or other damage. If all goes well, she will be home Wednesday. I'll have my computer with me tomorrow and will do a quick blog update as soon as she is out and settled in.

Pray hard that this is the last one and that Judi will be on a fast track back to us.

Steve