As usual, let me say, I apologize for not sending this update report sooner. Jolyn and I so appreciate the thoughts and prayers all of you have been sending up to the Father on her behalf. I don’t really have a lot of new news except to say that waiting for some kind of real progress has been very difficult.
Our current rehab schedule has nearly come to a close and Jolyn has not had any significant turn around in the use of her left side. Yes, we have had some minor encouragement with her walking a little with the assistance of the bars, but nothing that has lasted more than a few moments. In truth, it’s quite scary to think we may have to continue this way for a while. My right hand has been freezing up from having to get her standing to do her business every hour or so when she’s awake, and then a couple times at night during her attempts to get some sleep.
Not a very encouraging report I know, but it is what it is. The only things we have seen so far that offer any hope from the medical world would require her getting some kind of device inserted into her brain, and that might be required more than once. She’s not open to that and I haven’t seen enough proof that it would work to try to convince her to go forward with that process. Besides that our insurance wouldn’t cover it so that’s that.
The truth is we think the second stroke that left her paralyzed is the result of a blunder the doctor did in the emergency room after her first stroke occurred. He told me afterwards that he tried to push the blockage out of her right carotid artery for over an hour but it wouldn’t move. I have since been told that it was a wrong thing to do and could have caused the blockage to break up and send pieces to her brain that could have been fatal.
That first attempt was followed by going to a rehab center in Winter Garden for over a month where she did rehab exercises every day. After that we came back to Celebration hospital for a few days before being released, and have been in the process of trying to get back home since. Our insurance company refused to pay for her rehab visits for over a month and that gave us quite a setback. Jolyn probably would have made a lot more progress by now had that not happened, but I can only guess about that.
The surgery Jolyn had on July 22nd was to clear the plaque from the carotid artery on the opposite left side of her body so she could have the necessary blood flow to the brain to keep her alive, since the right carotid artery was completely blocked by then and there was nothing they could do to unblock it.
Though that surgery was successful, and has since healed up nicely, it wasn’t expected to be an immediate cure. It was done to allow the necessary blood flow to her brain to keep her alive, so she could continue the rehab process in hopes of some kind of miracle intervention from the Lord. So far that has not happened.
While I am writing this, Jolyn is attempting to get some sleep as we prepare for her visit to Celebration Hospital rehab this afternoon for physical therapy. Her occupation therapy was supposed to follow after that but that had to be rescheduled since her scheduled therapist had to have surgery of her own and won’t be back for a few weeks. All in all it’s a very frustrating time for us to be sure.
It probably sounds like an episode from one of the hospital shows on television but, since I don’t watch any of them, I can only presume. Since there is always a big line for the valet parking at the hospital, I assume there’s a lot going on, both good and bad, for those folks too.
I would ask that you please continue praying for Jolyn and I as I’m sure you can tell we are very frustrated. But God is still in control of things and that means we still have hope for a good outcome eventually. I look forward to the day we can have a great report to give you, but for now it’s one day at a time.
God bless you all and thanks for taking the time to read this. Jolyn and I certainly appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Craig