Hospital Day #20 - My “Tachy” Wife (A Great Day) + Stroke Rehab - What Brittney Lost & Is Working to Gain Back

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 

Hospital Day # 19 - 12/20/23 PM - Another Collapse but Otherwise a Great Day!

 

Hospital Day # 19 - 12/20/23 PM - Another Collapse but Otherwise a Great Day!

Brittney scared us again with another collapse in the bathroom…but we were able to carry her back to bed safely with no injuries.  The doctors are unsure as to why Brittney has had these two collapses, so for now she is staying in bed.  Other than this big scare, Brittney had a great day.  We are so thankful for your prayers.  For the first time since her stroke, she has not been in intense pain with her headache…the pain has been manageable with medicine finally!

How bad have Brittney’s headache pains been? (my lighthearted way of describing Brittney’s pain level this past week)

• She won’t eat any sweets
• She won’t watch Christmas movies
• She won’t fight off needles
• She won’t laugh at my amazing jokes

So although she is still extremely fatigued, we are counting it a blessing to have a 24 hour period in which her headache pain was well managed by medicine.  We pray it is a good sign of the blood on her brain is starting to be resorbed. 

We are still in stroke ICU and have not yet been downgraded.  We count that a blessing because their extra help has been needed with her two collapses and many high/irregular heart rate events the past 24 hours.  We are thankful for excellent care.

Brittney’s situation is still a bit mysterious to the doctors.  Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD) seems to be the primary culprit. 90% of people with FMD are women in their 40s & 50s (without me getting into too much trouble, Brittney fits into that age bracket bahaha).  We are thankful to have caught the FMD before her stroke which allowed her to have the 4 stents that are facilitating blood flow to her brain on her right side.  Her left side carotid and vertebral arteries do not have stents, but are also significantly damaged and blocked.  FMD shows up in arteries (primarily in the neck/brain, heart, and kidneys) in a way that produces irregularities in the shape of the arteries.  The arteries then tear, block, and bulge, and sometimes rupture.  FMD may also be a connection to the 3 vessels that burst in her brain, but the doctors are still not certain why she had the hemorrhagic stroke.

Due to the seriousness of the FMD we should be hospitalized through January 1st with a big blood thinner change on Christmas Day.  We are thankful for the doctors many precautions in this very rare circumstance.

We are so grateful for your prayers, we are clearly seeing God answer them. I am no longer feverish and Brittney doesn’t seem to have caught my bug!

Continued Ways to Pray:

• No blood clots or brain bleeds
• Wisdom for the doctors in all of their next steps
• Brittney’s protection from sickness and my continued improvement
• Continued ICU care as long as needed and a private/individual room whenever we “step down”
• Continued healing of Brittney’s brain from headaches and improvement in her speech, occupational and physical therapies
• Increased energy and strength for Brittney

Thank you so much for your prayers, the Lord is strengthening us.  While we don’t understand why we are enduring this season of suffering, we know God is with us and for us!

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (ESV)

Photo captions: 1) Brittney got some extra TLC from her dad today! 2) We are so thankful for the ways our girls are being cared for and loved on in the midst of our prolonged absence from home.  Cookie making with Brittney’s grandfather!

Brittney loves cards! Details here: http://www.jonathancarl.org/.../hospital-day-13-1214-pm.html 

Hospital Day # 19 - 12/20/23 AM - God Answers Prayers - A Good Start!

Hospital Day # 19 - 12/20/23 AM - God Answers Prayers - A Good Start!

Shortly after posting last night, Brittney’s troubles increased with a heart rate over 150 and very low blood pressure.  Although that was quite a scare, she has recovered and rested well thru the night.  So far I haven’t heard her complain about her headache in 12 hours, a first!!!

Thank you for praying! God answered just when we needed it.

Ways God has answered your prayers:

• We are still receiving awesome care in ICU
• All the CTs and ultrasounds still show no new brain bleeds or clots
• They’ve been super thorough in giving Brittney ultrasounds of her legs and arms today
• She was able to read and did her best yet at occupational therapy
• She ate a good breakfast 
• She got her hair shampooed and brushed by a sweet nurses assistant 
• I’m feeling much better after working thru my feverish chills, but appreciate prayer for complete healing - most importantly Brittney seems to be avoiding my sickness too! 🙌🏻 

Psalm 4:1 “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!” (ESV)