VIDEO NOTE - The first video show Brittney trying to eat the day after her stroke. The second video shows her eating today, 10 days post-stroke. God is answering your prayers!!
Brittney trying to eat - 1 day after her stroke
Brittney trying to eat - 10 days after her stroke
Hospital Day #20 - My “Tachy” Wife (A Great Day) + Stroke Rehab - What Brittney Lost & Is Working to Gain Back
Today was a great day! We had no major issues other than trying to get to the bottom of why Brittney is having a rapid heart rate (tachycardia) sometimes. The nurses keep referring to her as “tachy” which is great since she so often calls me “tacky.” Sweet revenge bahaha.
She had a second great day in which her headaches were well managed with pain medicine. We are so thankful for this answer to prayer! Brittney didn’t collapse today and did great with her therapy sessions :)
The process of improvement after a stroke seems frustratingly slow but still encouraging nonetheless. The first weeks and months are the most important for a stroke victim’s recovery. Every stroke victim’s brain is affected uniquely, so I thought it would be a great time to share a little more specifically what stroke rehabiltation looks like for Brittney currently and how you can more specifically pray for her rehabilitation.
When Brittney first arrived at the ER 10 days ago for her hemorrhagic (brain bleed) stroke…
- She could not remember her birthdate, hometown, address, the current year, the current month, or where she was at
- She could not count to 10, read a clock, do simple addition, use numbers to assess her pain level
- She could not think through simple processes or the correct order of tasks to accomplish (going to the restroom, washing your hands, eating, etc.)
- She could not walk, stand, or use the remote in bed to call the nurse
- She could not see to the right (loss of right eye peripheral vision)
- She could not identify simple objects or their purposes (TV, phone, pen, glove)
- She could not repeat phrases (“no ifs, ands, or buts about it”)
- She could not hold her right arm or right leg up for very long (since her brain bleed was on the left side, it affected the right side of her body)
- She could not use her right hand to accomplish simple tasks (apraxia)
- She could not find the right words to communicate (aphasia)
- She could not read, write, or text
- She could not watch TV or use a phone
I don’t know how to medically explain stroke rehab, but things need to be “re-taught” so that a new connection is made.
For example…with washing hands…Brittney still had in her mind somewhere how to go about washing her hands. But she had to be “re-taught” step by step how to wash her hands in order to reestablish the connections to make it happen. Not every task needs to be re-taught, but some things become bridgeways that open up more rapid growth.
In the 10 days since her stroke, Brittney has worked hard to regain these abilities and thanks to God…
- She can remember her birthday, hometown, address, the current year, the current month, & where she is at
- She can could to 10, read the hour hand on a clock, do simple addition, and use numbers to asses her pain level
- She can think through simple processes and orders of tasks
- She can walk (short distances), stand (for a short period of time), and independently use the bedside remote
- She can identify most objects and their purpose
- She can repeat most phrases (longer ones are harder)
- She can use her right arm and leg with increased strength and coordination - so much improvement already!
- She can communicate pretty smoothly until her brain gets tired
Here are some specific ways to pray relative to Brittney’s stroke rehabilitation!
- She is barely starting to be able to read and write again, please pray for rapid and full return of those skills
- She hasn’t yet regained her right eye peripheral vision, please pray for that to be fully restored
- In depth questioning and reasoning is still very hard, please pray for clarity of mind during the harder sessions of therapy
- She can’t handle cell phones, TVs or texting quite yet as they overwhelm her brain - please pray for those skills to be regained soon
- Her brain gets super tired, super easy - please pray for her brain to gain endurance
- Her body gets fatigued quickly as well - please pray for more physical energy and stamina
I am sure there will be a lot more specific ways to pray for her stroke rehab, but for now, this is a great start. All the therapists, nurses, and doctors are amazed at her progress and optimistic for a full recovery. We know nothing is impossible for our Lord!!
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
STAY TUNED…tomorrow we have a challenge to bless all of the nurses and med techs in this large hospital as they work through Christmas Eve & Christmas Day…but this BIG CHALLENGE will need a lot of help to make it happen!
Here is a place where I’ve archived the posts from our 20 days of hospital stays so far. www.jonathancarl.org
