For those of you who are checking out Dick's blog and did not get the email I sent out, I will copy it here so you can catch up on the latest healing journey we have under taken. Have to admit this was not in our plans
but then just another way to strengthen our trust and confidence in the Lord.
Time to put Dick back on the prayer list. He had an extensive stroke Tuesday night around 11:00 while getting into bed. I was reading in bed and he appeared to be leaning over to give me a kiss but I thought he was fooling around not getting all the way on the bed. When I asked him what he was doing he did not respond at first and as I looked up I noted he could not get his leg up. Then he garbled an answer and I called 911.
The upshot of all this is that he had a right anterior frontal and insular lobe clots, parietal lobe, and occipital lobe involvement. We now know that he could have begun this a couple of weeks ago but the largest one occurring Tuesday night. As we look back we can see the signs and symptoms but they were so much like the residuals of his chemo that we ignored them.
Yesterday and today have been exhausting as trying to get him to tests that have been delayed, lack of communication between the staff and various departments, and the anxiety that accompanies all this.
Through it all he has maintained his sense of humor but obviously is scared but able to return to joy as we see the hand of the Lord at work. He has major loss of his left leg and arm but it has already started to gain some strength. His cognitive abilities are in tact and his speech is coming back rapidly. Can't keep a preacher from talking. It is getting clearer and he is totally alert.
The girls are flying in a week at a time to help out and give me the ears and words to hear all the directions, opinions, and ask the questions I forget to ask . What a blessing they are. It really is true that it takes a village to raise a child and continue throughout life to be a community to one another. The body of Christ has rallied around especially our Cathedral family, neighborhood and personal friends. We have been securely wrapped in the arms of our Abba, Savior, and Comforter.
I will try and get Dick's blog up and going and get him on it as soon as possible. He can always dictate to me and give you his impressions of this new adventure in our healing journey. You can bet we will have different viewpoints as he is the patient and I am the rehab nurse. I have learned over the years that mercy has to go along with the rehab attitude to " just do it." God has interesting ways to form those Godly characteristics that need fine tuning.
Blessings,
Amy
Today is the 22nd and we had good results from the Carotid Arteriogram. : slight stenosis in the right carotid and no stenosis in the left. But the question now is where did the plaque orginate? The echocardiogram has not been read or at least repoted to me. So I imagine he will be in this unit another day and hopefully if all is well he can go to the rehab unit by this weekend. We want to stay here at Florida Hospital and he does qualify if there is a bed available. So, your prayer assignment is to pray for a bed whenever he is able to be transferred.
Had a good workout with PT,OT, and speech therapy. There is little to no movement in the left hand but he can raise his arm well and will be working on arm,hand, and shoulder excersises.
His speech therapist showed him how to purse his lips,keep tightly closed and blow out his cheeks. He added a raspberry as an additional step.
We will keep you aware of the trip and thank you already for the phone calls, visits, emails, and prayers.
Dick and Amy
Nehemiah 8:10
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