a year ago today we closed on our house. so much has happened in a year. life never slows down to let us catch up, it keeps on going whether we're ready or not.
pbs was two a year ago. he was just getting into the whole walking/running thing. he was starting to talk more. we were gathering, packing, moving and unpacking boxes a year ago. we started painting rooms. we're still painting rooms a year later but we're farther along than we were a year ago. we were figuring out home ownership for the first time. we're still figuring out home ownership a year later but we know more than we did a year ago.
a year ago we didn't have any idea that a year later js would be recovering from a stroke. life really changes when big events happen. it changes with small events too, but it seems more manageable.
a year ago.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
er and hospital fun
a little over a week ago js had a small stroke. he was sitting at his desk at work and got a splitting headache, numbness in his left arm and hand and right side of his face, he couldn't swallow and he leaned to the right and couldn't walk with out help. he googled his symptoms and saw that it could possibly be a stroke. he called me to let me know that his assistant was taking him to urgent care. his assistant then picked up pbs and me to get us to js asap.
while at urgent care, he had another episode of the above symptoms. they were really concerned and told him that he was going to the er by ambulance. he wasn't happy about that but he went because there was nothing else he could do. he texted me to let me know that he was on his way to the er.
at the er, they did a ct scan and it came back normal. then they did an mri and found a small spot, the size of a pin head on his brain stem. it was in the only place that controls both sides of the body. the doctors were/are baffled because js is in good health, is young (34) and has no family history of this sort of thing.
i made a few phone calls but texting and facebook were my main source of getting the word out. here is my fiirst post.:
js has been in the er since 11:00 this morning with a splitting headache, numbness on the right side of his face and in his left arm and hand, he can't swallow, he leans to the right when he walks. They've done a ct scan and an MRI. They think he might have had a mini stroke or an atypical migraine. Still waiting on full results. They're going to admit him. He had a small stroke. Prayers please!
i posted several times and sent several texts and emails to family and friends.
we're still in the er right now. i guess we're waiting on a room to open up. we'll probably be here at least one night, maybe more. pbs is with some very good friends. js has had visitors already. his spirits are up and he's cracking jokes. thanks for all of the prayers and support!
he's been moved to a double room on the intermediate care floor. he's exhausted and can't swallow, so a little frustrated because he can't sleep from all of the poking, prodding, etc. his spirits are still okay just needs/wants to know what's going on and why. so do i. pbs is having a great time with our friends. lots of prayers please! i know they work!
he's hungry and thirsty too but they won't let him eat until he's been evaluated by the speech therapist.
he just found out he won't be going home today.
js is sitting up in a chair and has been cleared to eat and drink by the speech pathologist! he's still dizzy, still has a headache and the right side of his face is numb. he's been asking for coffee all morning and now he can have it! the hospital personnel have been great, very professional and friendly.
these posts went on all week. it was a pretty rough week for all three of us. here's part of an email from the first day in the er.:
it means so much to know that so many people have been thinking and praying for him, for us.
it is/was pretty scary to think about what could have happened. that's what i did while he was getting the ct scan and mri yesterday. i felt so small and inconsequential. i had absolutely no control, so all i could do is pray and ask for prayers from others. i had about three hours to do this.
he had his sense of humor yesterday but he looked much worse. he couldn't swallow but he can now, so he was able to eat and drink today. he's on a regular diet pretty much and can eat whatever he wants. i think being able to eat and drink really helped bring his spirits up even more.
he'll have to have some pretty intensive pt for the next several weeks but otherwise he will be almost back to normal by the time he's discharged.
and another...:
i hope all goes well getting js discharged and home soon. thanks for the updates and I hope to talk to you again soon.
my last and final post from the hospital.:
Waiting on the wheelchair and we're outta here!
i'm so happy to report that he was discharged on friday! we came home, picked up pbs and have been laying low pretty much ever since. js is working a little from home and of course going to his doctor's and pt appointments. he's doing really well and just needs to work on his balance to get back to 100%.
while at urgent care, he had another episode of the above symptoms. they were really concerned and told him that he was going to the er by ambulance. he wasn't happy about that but he went because there was nothing else he could do. he texted me to let me know that he was on his way to the er.
at the er, they did a ct scan and it came back normal. then they did an mri and found a small spot, the size of a pin head on his brain stem. it was in the only place that controls both sides of the body. the doctors were/are baffled because js is in good health, is young (34) and has no family history of this sort of thing.
i made a few phone calls but texting and facebook were my main source of getting the word out. here is my fiirst post.:
js has been in the er since 11:00 this morning with a splitting headache, numbness on the right side of his face and in his left arm and hand, he can't swallow, he leans to the right when he walks. They've done a ct scan and an MRI. They think he might have had a mini stroke or an atypical migraine. Still waiting on full results. They're going to admit him. He had a small stroke. Prayers please!
i posted several times and sent several texts and emails to family and friends.
we're still in the er right now. i guess we're waiting on a room to open up. we'll probably be here at least one night, maybe more. pbs is with some very good friends. js has had visitors already. his spirits are up and he's cracking jokes. thanks for all of the prayers and support!
he's been moved to a double room on the intermediate care floor. he's exhausted and can't swallow, so a little frustrated because he can't sleep from all of the poking, prodding, etc. his spirits are still okay just needs/wants to know what's going on and why. so do i. pbs is having a great time with our friends. lots of prayers please! i know they work!
he's hungry and thirsty too but they won't let him eat until he's been evaluated by the speech therapist.
he just found out he won't be going home today.
js is sitting up in a chair and has been cleared to eat and drink by the speech pathologist! he's still dizzy, still has a headache and the right side of his face is numb. he's been asking for coffee all morning and now he can have it! the hospital personnel have been great, very professional and friendly.
these posts went on all week. it was a pretty rough week for all three of us. here's part of an email from the first day in the er.:
it means so much to know that so many people have been thinking and praying for him, for us.
it is/was pretty scary to think about what could have happened. that's what i did while he was getting the ct scan and mri yesterday. i felt so small and inconsequential. i had absolutely no control, so all i could do is pray and ask for prayers from others. i had about three hours to do this.
he had his sense of humor yesterday but he looked much worse. he couldn't swallow but he can now, so he was able to eat and drink today. he's on a regular diet pretty much and can eat whatever he wants. i think being able to eat and drink really helped bring his spirits up even more.
he'll have to have some pretty intensive pt for the next several weeks but otherwise he will be almost back to normal by the time he's discharged.
and another...:
it just breaks my heart thinking of you sitting there in the hospital waiting to hear about js' condition for three hours. i hope you know that you have a whole community behind you.
my last and final post from the hospital.:
Waiting on the wheelchair and we're outta here!
i'm so happy to report that he was discharged on friday! we came home, picked up pbs and have been laying low pretty much ever since. js is working a little from home and of course going to his doctor's and pt appointments. he's doing really well and just needs to work on his balance to get back to 100%.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
no april foolin'
normally "putting out fires" is just a saying but last night it was the real deal for our next door neighbors. there were 13 or more firetrucks and emergency vehicles on our street from about 8 pm to 11 pm. js had already left for a meeting at church, when the neighbor on the other side of us knocked on our door. pbs and i were already ready for bed in our pajamas and bare feet. our neighbor said that the other neighbor's house was on fire. no april foolin'!
now having lived through wild fires, being evacuated, not knowing if we would have a home to go back to...my mind was racing! i was home alone with pbs and i didn't have a car. what should i grab if i needed to get out fast? a normal person might grab important papers, pictures, sentimental things, etc. the last time we went through this, i grabbed my shoes...all of my shoes! let's just say i don't do well in this sort of situation. i panic and stress and worry like there is no tomorrow, which i guess could've been the truth. i pretty much turn into a frozen idiot/pile of mush.
last night was no different. i had flashbacks to being evacuated and started shaking. i tried to keep myself calm so that i could take care of pbs and not scare him too much. i called js and he came home from his meeting to be with us and make sure that everything was okay. pbs and i were crying when js got home. he was able to calm us both down and be strong for all of us.
i feel very fortunate to be able to say that we have no damage but at the same time i feel very sad and sorry for the family next door. we don't know for sure what started the fire and i don't know that we will know. i don't think i really want to know, although if it's something wrong with wiring or something like that maybe i should know.
no april foolin' here!
now having lived through wild fires, being evacuated, not knowing if we would have a home to go back to...my mind was racing! i was home alone with pbs and i didn't have a car. what should i grab if i needed to get out fast? a normal person might grab important papers, pictures, sentimental things, etc. the last time we went through this, i grabbed my shoes...all of my shoes! let's just say i don't do well in this sort of situation. i panic and stress and worry like there is no tomorrow, which i guess could've been the truth. i pretty much turn into a frozen idiot/pile of mush.
last night was no different. i had flashbacks to being evacuated and started shaking. i tried to keep myself calm so that i could take care of pbs and not scare him too much. i called js and he came home from his meeting to be with us and make sure that everything was okay. pbs and i were crying when js got home. he was able to calm us both down and be strong for all of us.
i feel very fortunate to be able to say that we have no damage but at the same time i feel very sad and sorry for the family next door. we don't know for sure what started the fire and i don't know that we will know. i don't think i really want to know, although if it's something wrong with wiring or something like that maybe i should know.
no april foolin' here!
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