Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Post Op Day 13
Nate and Gus playing with my phone at church. Gus loves his dad so much!
I just got home from the hospital. They had Nate back doing putting the filter in for the blood clot. Everything went well and they say that this filter will prevent it from moving to any of the crucial parts of his body. I continue to be amazed at what these doctors can do! Modern medicine is such a blessing and I am so thankful for it.
The infection seems to be under control. They are glad that they caught it before it got too bad. They started him on an antibiotic yesterday and his white blood count is already showing that the infection is going away. They have called in an infectious disease doctor to watch him.
They also removed the pic line that was in his neck and it is now in his arm. They did this so it would not start to get infected. The longer it stays in one place, the more likely he is to get an infection. It is nice that he has it out of his neck. It makes it more comfortable for him.
Dr. Douds came in today and said he wants to try to take the drain out on Tuesday. He hopes that if they can get the drain out, the infection will clear up faster with less complications. He said there was a chance that Nate could be out of ICU by Friday. Not sure if that means home or just do a different floor of the hospital. That would be awesome. While Dr. Douds was checking on him, Nate said, "I know you are busy but when you come in here to chit chat, could you please come first thing in the morning?" It was funny and made us laugh.
I took him some Velvetta Shells and Cheese to eat today. It is one of his favorite treats and I usually don't buy it but I thought maybe it would help make him feel better and lift his spirits.
He was sleeping when I left. He looked so much more calm than he has the last couple of days. I am so thankful he has been able to get some relief and is not in so much pain. It's those little things that we appreciate everyday and are so thankful that the Lord is granting us small miracles to get is through this.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Nate had a really bad night last night. His sister, Erin called me around 4:15 saying they had just taken him down for another scan because he was in so much pain. The drain had been closed most of the day. The scan showed improvement from the last scan as far as swelling was concerned. I went to the hospital as soon as I got the call. He was hurting so bad and would cry out in pain every minute or so. He didn't want to be touched at all because his head was hurting so bad. His legs and back were bothering him too. They couldn't give him any more pain meds but they did give him a muscle relaxer. The nurse thought it would be a good idea if we left so he could try to sleep. He hadn't slept all night. I hating seeing him in so much pain.
Today was a much better day for his sleeping. The nurse said he slept most of the night after we left. We decided to not visit much today and just let him sleep. I think that was good for him. He was running a fever last night so they sent his blood, urine and CSF fluid to be tested. The CSF fluid (the fluid draining from his brain) came back positive for infection. They will know more tomorrow but until then, we have a wear a gown, gloves and a mask the entire time we are with him.
They did an ultrasound on his arms and legs because he was complaining of pain. They found a blood clot in his left leg by his femur. They will do a procedure tomorrow morning where they put in a filter to stop the clot from going to his heart or lungs in case it moves.
I talked to Dr. Douds today and he said the scan showed no more blood which is a great thing. He said they would try to close the drain a few more times and hope it works. He said he will give it until friday before we start discussing the possibility of a shunt being put in. We don't want that so please pray the fluid will stop building up and his body can start to regulate itself.
Thanks for your continued prayers. Love to you all. Squeeze your family a little tighter tonight for me.
Today was a much better day for his sleeping. The nurse said he slept most of the night after we left. We decided to not visit much today and just let him sleep. I think that was good for him. He was running a fever last night so they sent his blood, urine and CSF fluid to be tested. The CSF fluid (the fluid draining from his brain) came back positive for infection. They will know more tomorrow but until then, we have a wear a gown, gloves and a mask the entire time we are with him.
They did an ultrasound on his arms and legs because he was complaining of pain. They found a blood clot in his left leg by his femur. They will do a procedure tomorrow morning where they put in a filter to stop the clot from going to his heart or lungs in case it moves.
I talked to Dr. Douds today and he said the scan showed no more blood which is a great thing. He said they would try to close the drain a few more times and hope it works. He said he will give it until friday before we start discussing the possibility of a shunt being put in. We don't want that so please pray the fluid will stop building up and his body can start to regulate itself.
Thanks for your continued prayers. Love to you all. Squeeze your family a little tighter tonight for me.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Be strong
Yesterday was a rough day so I did not blog. Today was a little better but we still had a few ups and downs. Nate is getting very sore from laying in bed for so long. It is very uncomfortable for him to lay in bed but it is also very uncomfortable for him to get out and into the chair. The nurses try to get him out for every meal and make him stay in the chair for at least 1 hour. He does not like that he has to stay there that long and he usually lets all of us know. We have had a few issues with him trying to get up and back into the bed alone and that is not good. They have told us we don't need someone with him 24/7 but that could change again. He gets very upset and very determined to get back in the bed. The nurse had to get very stern with him today because he would not listen. We are not sure if that is because of the damage done to his brain or if it is just because he is stubborn.
They had to reopen the drain because his body was not regulating the fluid like it should. They said they will try to open it again on Friday morning and see how he tolerates it. They did the scan and it showed that there had been signs of spasms. Dr. Douds did not seem too concerned at this point and said they were not very serious. I don't really know what that means. They will take him for another scan in a few days. He still has swelling on his brain which is causing some short term memory loss and a few other things. We hope all of that will get better as the swelling goes away. He will more than likely have some therapy after this to get his brain back to normal.
I pray everyday that he will be able to return to normal and that there will be no long term issues. It has been a rough couple of days for all of us. I have been so scared of what is to come and I was letting fear ruin my faith. I miss my husband and I want him to be back with me. I came home tonight and read a scripture that I had taped to my mirror. It is what is getting me through this day and at this point, one day at a time is all I can do.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9
They had to reopen the drain because his body was not regulating the fluid like it should. They said they will try to open it again on Friday morning and see how he tolerates it. They did the scan and it showed that there had been signs of spasms. Dr. Douds did not seem too concerned at this point and said they were not very serious. I don't really know what that means. They will take him for another scan in a few days. He still has swelling on his brain which is causing some short term memory loss and a few other things. We hope all of that will get better as the swelling goes away. He will more than likely have some therapy after this to get his brain back to normal.
I pray everyday that he will be able to return to normal and that there will be no long term issues. It has been a rough couple of days for all of us. I have been so scared of what is to come and I was letting fear ruin my faith. I miss my husband and I want him to be back with me. I came home tonight and read a scripture that I had taped to my mirror. It is what is getting me through this day and at this point, one day at a time is all I can do.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A little anxious
Physical therapy was in today and had Nate up and walking. They made him walk one lap around the ICU. I missed it but his brother Dave was here and said he did well. They have talked with us about therapy and although we don't know many details right now, we know it will be important in getting Nate back to full health
I talked with Dr. Douds today and he was very optimistic about Nate's progress. He closed the drain in his head and they will watch the monitors to see if his body will kick in and take care of the extra fluid he is producing. They will be doing another spec scan and CT scan tomorrow. I asked what the difference is and he said the spec scan is just more detailed and shows more than a regular CT scan. They said if his fluids stay where they need to be, they could pull the drain by the end of this week.They have taken him off all antibiotics. The doctor said it is normal for brain patients to run fevers because the brain has a hard time regulating the body temp. The doctor also said that it is not necessary that someone sit with him 24/7. I thank those that did take a turn and sit with him. We appreciate it so much. Everything sounded good and he is pleased with the with eveything. I tried to thank him when he left but how do you find the words to thank the person would saved your husbands life. It's impossible.
Soon after the Dr. Douds left, Nate got very uncomfortable. He would want to sit up then he would want to sit down. He was getting very upset because I would not let him stand up. He seemed to panic a little and was getting very ansy. The nurse gave him some medicine and we tried to move him into a more comfortable position and rub his back and legs. Her got a little shakey and was upset. He finally calmed down after he was moved back to the bed. The nurse gave him some morphine and we turned out the lights so he could sleep. He told me I was not good at butt massages and then fell asleep.
Whatever Husband. As soon as this is all over, you owe me the longest back scratch ever.
I talked with Dr. Douds today and he was very optimistic about Nate's progress. He closed the drain in his head and they will watch the monitors to see if his body will kick in and take care of the extra fluid he is producing. They will be doing another spec scan and CT scan tomorrow. I asked what the difference is and he said the spec scan is just more detailed and shows more than a regular CT scan. They said if his fluids stay where they need to be, they could pull the drain by the end of this week.They have taken him off all antibiotics. The doctor said it is normal for brain patients to run fevers because the brain has a hard time regulating the body temp. The doctor also said that it is not necessary that someone sit with him 24/7. I thank those that did take a turn and sit with him. We appreciate it so much. Everything sounded good and he is pleased with the with eveything. I tried to thank him when he left but how do you find the words to thank the person would saved your husbands life. It's impossible.
Soon after the Dr. Douds left, Nate got very uncomfortable. He would want to sit up then he would want to sit down. He was getting very upset because I would not let him stand up. He seemed to panic a little and was getting very ansy. The nurse gave him some medicine and we tried to move him into a more comfortable position and rub his back and legs. Her got a little shakey and was upset. He finally calmed down after he was moved back to the bed. The nurse gave him some morphine and we turned out the lights so he could sleep. He told me I was not good at butt massages and then fell asleep.
Whatever Husband. As soon as this is all over, you owe me the longest back scratch ever.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Day 7
Nate seemed to have a little bit of a rough day today. He was so uncomfortable and his back and hips are really starting to hurt him. The doctors and nurses are trying their very best to do what they can to help make him more comfortable. We have had fantastic nurses and doctors the entire time we have been at Valley and I know they truly do care about what they do.
He didn't get out of bed while I was there most of the afternoon. He tried to sleep but just couldn't get comfortable. I can't fully understand how he feels but I do know the times I was laying in bed after childbirth was uncomfortable and it got really hard to lay in those beds. I can not imagine how he feels. They had given him some Morphine to ease the pain and that seemed to help for awhile.
Doctor Ali (the ICU doctor) says his scan from yesterday looked good. He said there is still swelling
but it has decreased from the last scan so that is good. The speech therapist was in there with him today quizzing him on a few things and he seemed to do great. A little slow with his answers but nothing that alarmed her. She is saying that he will have some therapy after all of this, either in house or at a clinic. One of the exercises she was doing with him was reading three words to him and seeing if he could find what they had in common and give another example. She listed bumble bee, helicopter and blue jay and asked him what they had in common. He said they all fly. She then asked for him to give her one more thing that would fit into that category. I thought he would automatically say airplane but he sat there for awhile and then said...humming bird? We laughed and she was impressed that he thought of something so different.
We were able to take Zoee and Gus to see him tonight. They were getting anxious to see their dad
and Zoee was getting quite emotional about it. It brought tears to my eyes as I watched his face light
up when they walked into the room. I loved hearing them talk to him and I loved watching them kiss
his face. I think it lifted his spirits and it was the happiest I have seen him since all this began. He loves
his kids and I can not wait for him to be able to wrestle and play with them again.
He didn't get out of bed while I was there most of the afternoon. He tried to sleep but just couldn't get comfortable. I can't fully understand how he feels but I do know the times I was laying in bed after childbirth was uncomfortable and it got really hard to lay in those beds. I can not imagine how he feels. They had given him some Morphine to ease the pain and that seemed to help for awhile.
Doctor Ali (the ICU doctor) says his scan from yesterday looked good. He said there is still swelling
but it has decreased from the last scan so that is good. The speech therapist was in there with him today quizzing him on a few things and he seemed to do great. A little slow with his answers but nothing that alarmed her. She is saying that he will have some therapy after all of this, either in house or at a clinic. One of the exercises she was doing with him was reading three words to him and seeing if he could find what they had in common and give another example. She listed bumble bee, helicopter and blue jay and asked him what they had in common. He said they all fly. She then asked for him to give her one more thing that would fit into that category. I thought he would automatically say airplane but he sat there for awhile and then said...humming bird? We laughed and she was impressed that he thought of something so different.
We were able to take Zoee and Gus to see him tonight. They were getting anxious to see their dad
and Zoee was getting quite emotional about it. It brought tears to my eyes as I watched his face light
up when they walked into the room. I loved hearing them talk to him and I loved watching them kiss
his face. I think it lifted his spirits and it was the happiest I have seen him since all this began. He loves
his kids and I can not wait for him to be able to wrestle and play with them again.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
One week ago
One week ago tonight, our life changed. It seems like it has been a whirlwind of a week. It has been full of fear, tears, faith and a few laughs. I heard the sirens tonight around the same time that everything happened last week and it brought butterflies to my stomach and made me feel sad for the family who was in distress at that time. It brought back all the emotions that I felt last week as we called the paramedics and they came to our house.
What a week it has been! I have learned so much and hope I never forgot what I have learned but I also hope I never have to relive some of the things as well.
Today was not the best day. There was a little bit of an issue this morning when he tried to get back in his bed from the chair. Nothing happened and everything was ok but it made us realize again how important it is to do what we need to do. We are not totally in the clear yet. There is still a lot that could happen and they continue to monitor him around the clock. They have asked that we have someone sit with him 24/7 for the next little while to make sure that he does not try to get in or out of bed.
Some of our church friends have put together a schedule for church friends and some of his officer friends to come and sit with him so we can go home and get some sleep.
He is still having some pretty bad headaches and there seems to be a lot of fluid coming from the drain in his brain so he went in for another scan this afternoon and we should know the results of that by tomorrow, hopefully.
What a week it has been! I have learned so much and hope I never forgot what I have learned but I also hope I never have to relive some of the things as well.
Today was not the best day. There was a little bit of an issue this morning when he tried to get back in his bed from the chair. Nothing happened and everything was ok but it made us realize again how important it is to do what we need to do. We are not totally in the clear yet. There is still a lot that could happen and they continue to monitor him around the clock. They have asked that we have someone sit with him 24/7 for the next little while to make sure that he does not try to get in or out of bed.
Some of our church friends have put together a schedule for church friends and some of his officer friends to come and sit with him so we can go home and get some sleep.
He is still having some pretty bad headaches and there seems to be a lot of fluid coming from the drain in his brain so he went in for another scan this afternoon and we should know the results of that by tomorrow, hopefully.
The reason why Nate is not giving up.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
No news is good news.
Things are pretty uneventful today which is good. He is sleeping very soundly and hasn't noticed that we have been in his room. His eye is still a little swollen but should go away once all the swelling around the incision goes away. He still does not have complete movement in his right eyebrow. They are not sure if it is permanent or not but I am totally ok with it if that is the only physical ailment that he ends up with.
We continue to pray for his full recovery and are so appreciative of all the love and support that has been shown to our family. God bless you all.
Nate sitting up to eat!
We continue to pray for his full recovery and are so appreciative of all the love and support that has been shown to our family. God bless you all.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Results
Results from the brain scan were good. They did not find any signs of brain spasms. The blood cultures also came back negative for infection.
Miracles happen everyday.
Miracles happen everyday.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Brotherhood
Nate with Sgt. Stewart and Lt. Smith
Since the beginning of all this, I have been more than impressed with how supportive and amazing Henderson PD has been. Nate was supposed to work an overtime shift on Monday and so while we were waiting in the ER at Centennial Hills, I called the jail to let them know he would not be in to work. I talked to Officer McDonald and let him know what was going on. He called and checked on me throughout the night and it made me feel better that they were concerned and aware of what was going on.
Shortly after we arrived at Valley, Kevin Murphy, the police employee assistance program coordinator showed up. I was shocked that they has sent someone so soon. He sat with us and explained things on the employment side. He told me he would be working with the insurance and HR and taking care of things for us. I can not say how thankful I am for his help and support. He is so nice and understanding.
There have been so many officers call, send messages or stop by. Chief Chambers came to the hospital on Monday night along with the jail chaplain and jail superintendent. I have been in contact with his sergeant and he has been passing on updates to his squad. I know that Nate loves his fellow officers and it means so much to him that they are all thinking of him.
Seeing the support and love come from both Henderson and North Las Vegas has brought tears to my eyes several times. It has shown me that there is a true family feeling among the officers and that they would do anything for each other. That, to me, is the true definition of friendship.
CT scan
Nate sat in a chair today for about an hour. He enjoyed being able to sit up and it helped his back feel better. His eye is still swollen but he is looking good. He did have a fever and was flushed which was a little concerning to the doctor. We were asked to leave because they needed to start a test. The test will test to see if there have been any spasms on the his brain. They will inject some dye into his system and he is required to lay still in the dark without any noise for 1 hour. They will then take him down for another CT scan after that.
We should know the results of that test by this afternoon. We will update as soon as we know.
Love you all.
We should know the results of that test by this afternoon. We will update as soon as we know.
Love you all.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Another day down
I arrived at the hospital today around 10:00am. Nate was sitting up and said "Hi Wife!" as soon as he saw me. He seemed so happy and looked so good. It was very encouraging.
The doctor was in and talked with me for awhile. I asked him several questions about why this happened and if it could happen again. He told me that they could not find any reason as to why it happened. There were no other issues that could have caused this to happen. Nate's grandparents on his mom's side both suffered from an aneurysm so they are saying it is probably genetics. I asked him if this made him more prone to it happening again and the doctor said no. He said he is at as much risk of it happening again as anyone else. He did say that we need to be more diligent in watching the signs and make sure to go to the ER if he ever gets a bad headache. He will always have his head scanned whenever he goes in to the ER from now.
I stayed at the hospital with him for awhile and then left so he could get some rest. I went and got some lunch and got some pictures of the kids printed to hang in his room. When I got back it seemed like his mood had changed. He seemed sad. I asked him if he was sad and he said he was just worried about his job and the money. I told him that is the last thing we need to worry about. I showed him the picture of the kids and I think it might have made him a little homesick. He misses them and wishes he could see them. (They advised us NOT to bring the kids to the ICU). I washed his face with a wash cloth and tried to clean him up a bit. My sister showed up with a smoothie for him and he enjoyed that. I left around 5pm to go home and spend some time with the kids.
I got back to the hospital around 9pm and his family was there. I went back in the room and he seemed to be in a better mood. He seemed ok about things and was happy that I brought his cell phone so he could check his email.
Things are looking up. He does have a little drooping in his smile on his left side but nothing that anyone would notice if they did not know him. He is unable to move his right eyebrow but they figure that is from all the swelling that is going on. The swelling is also causing his eye to swell shut a little.
They have done another angiogram and CT scan and and everything looks good so far. They have plans to do a perfusion test tomorrow morning which will check for any spasms of the vessels. Spasms of the vessel are what cause stroke and stroke like symptoms (slurred speech, loss of motor skills, memory etc.). We are hoping and praying that the test goes well and they do not find any signs of spasms.
We continue to ask for prayers and thoughts. We know that is why he is doing as well as he is. We know Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers and we are so thankful for the tender mercies that we have seen.
The doctor was in and talked with me for awhile. I asked him several questions about why this happened and if it could happen again. He told me that they could not find any reason as to why it happened. There were no other issues that could have caused this to happen. Nate's grandparents on his mom's side both suffered from an aneurysm so they are saying it is probably genetics. I asked him if this made him more prone to it happening again and the doctor said no. He said he is at as much risk of it happening again as anyone else. He did say that we need to be more diligent in watching the signs and make sure to go to the ER if he ever gets a bad headache. He will always have his head scanned whenever he goes in to the ER from now.
I stayed at the hospital with him for awhile and then left so he could get some rest. I went and got some lunch and got some pictures of the kids printed to hang in his room. When I got back it seemed like his mood had changed. He seemed sad. I asked him if he was sad and he said he was just worried about his job and the money. I told him that is the last thing we need to worry about. I showed him the picture of the kids and I think it might have made him a little homesick. He misses them and wishes he could see them. (They advised us NOT to bring the kids to the ICU). I washed his face with a wash cloth and tried to clean him up a bit. My sister showed up with a smoothie for him and he enjoyed that. I left around 5pm to go home and spend some time with the kids.
I got back to the hospital around 9pm and his family was there. I went back in the room and he seemed to be in a better mood. He seemed ok about things and was happy that I brought his cell phone so he could check his email.
Things are looking up. He does have a little drooping in his smile on his left side but nothing that anyone would notice if they did not know him. He is unable to move his right eyebrow but they figure that is from all the swelling that is going on. The swelling is also causing his eye to swell shut a little.
They have done another angiogram and CT scan and and everything looks good so far. They have plans to do a perfusion test tomorrow morning which will check for any spasms of the vessels. Spasms of the vessel are what cause stroke and stroke like symptoms (slurred speech, loss of motor skills, memory etc.). We are hoping and praying that the test goes well and they do not find any signs of spasms.
We continue to ask for prayers and thoughts. We know that is why he is doing as well as he is. We know Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers and we are so thankful for the tender mercies that we have seen.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
What happened...
There has been so many people who have called and stopped by to support our family with everything that has happened. It means the world to me and it is what is getting us through this experience. In an effort to keep people posted on what is going on with Nate, I have created this blog. I will do my best to update when we know more. For now, I will start from the beginning of how all this started since there are several that don't know.
Sunday was a normal day for us. We attended church like normal and everything seemed fine. My mom and sister were in town (which was a HUGE blessing). My mom had fixed lunch and we all sat at the table and ate. Nate ate normal amounts and ate ice cream after dinner. He was supposed to do the dishes but told me he needed an "ice cream" break and then he would do them. Sneaky guy...he never ended up doing the dishes.
We watched a little tv and then went to bed around 9:00. Around 9:30 Nate told me that he felt dizzy and lightheaded. Within a minute he grabbed his head and said he had the worst headache ever. He kept holding his head and telling me it was the worst headache he has felt. He then started to lose feeling in his right arm and leg. He was extremely pale and clamy. He was unable to get up from the bed so we called 911. The paramedics showed up soon after that. His vitals were fine and everything looked good when they checked him. He was still saying his head hurt but he was aware and was moving. He did not want to go in the ambulance and signed the refusal to take the ride. They thought that maybe he was having a migraine and encouraged us to go in that night. Soon after they left, he started to vomit. We knew he needed to go in. Bless my sweet mother who insisted that we go and would not let us stay home. We put Nate in the car and we left. He was conscious but was still in extreme pain.
We arrived at the Centennial Hills hospital at 11 and checked in. He threw up 6 more times in the ER. The wait was very long and we did not get in to see the doctor until 2:10am. Once I told the ER doctor what had happened, he immediately sent Nate for a CT scan. I knew the results were bad when they came back and shut the door to talk to me.
They told me that Nate has blood on his brain and that he would be transferred to Valley hospital because they have a neurology center. By 5:00am, he had be transferred via ambulance to Valley ER. They kept him in the ER for a couple hours until the neurologist could see him. That gave us enough time for his 2 brother in laws, Tyler and Kevin, to give him a priesthood blessing. I know Tyler was inspired to say what he did and it brought great comfort to us.
The neurologist saw him around 7:00 and gave us the report. He told us that he had all the signs of an aneurysm and wanted to do an angiogram. The radiologist talked with us about risks that could happen during the angiogram and he went in for the test around 8:30. He was done at 10:00. We were then given the news that he did have an aneurysm and that he was not a candidate for coiling as the doctor had hoped. At that point, we discussed surgery and were told about the procedure and what could happen. We chose to go forward with it and he was taken in for surgery at 11:25am.
The next 5 hours were the longest hours of my life. We were told the surgery would be 3 hours but it ended up being 5 hours. Doctor Douds (the surgeon) came in and gave us the report. He was able to get to the aneurysm and clip it. He did have to move some vessels which could affect his short term memory and his personality. They also had to remove a small part of his brain but luckily it was considered a silent part which mean it was not necessary. He has several staples in his head and drainage tubes coming out of his head.
I was able to see Nate in recovery for a few short minutes. He was still under sedation and didn't even notice I was there. He did open his eyes and look at me but there was no recognition. It broke my heart to see my husband like that.
A few hours later, he was moved to a room in the ICU where he will stay for next 2 weeks. He was awake and talking last night but did not have any idea of what had happened. He didn't not know the severity of what was going on.
He is doing better today (Tuesday) and the doctor is pleased with his progress. We are not out of the woods yet and continue to rely on faith and trust that the Lord will make him whole again.
I am humbled by how many people have called, texted, stopped by and helped. Thank you all so much for your support.
Stacy
Sunday was a normal day for us. We attended church like normal and everything seemed fine. My mom and sister were in town (which was a HUGE blessing). My mom had fixed lunch and we all sat at the table and ate. Nate ate normal amounts and ate ice cream after dinner. He was supposed to do the dishes but told me he needed an "ice cream" break and then he would do them. Sneaky guy...he never ended up doing the dishes.
We watched a little tv and then went to bed around 9:00. Around 9:30 Nate told me that he felt dizzy and lightheaded. Within a minute he grabbed his head and said he had the worst headache ever. He kept holding his head and telling me it was the worst headache he has felt. He then started to lose feeling in his right arm and leg. He was extremely pale and clamy. He was unable to get up from the bed so we called 911. The paramedics showed up soon after that. His vitals were fine and everything looked good when they checked him. He was still saying his head hurt but he was aware and was moving. He did not want to go in the ambulance and signed the refusal to take the ride. They thought that maybe he was having a migraine and encouraged us to go in that night. Soon after they left, he started to vomit. We knew he needed to go in. Bless my sweet mother who insisted that we go and would not let us stay home. We put Nate in the car and we left. He was conscious but was still in extreme pain.
We arrived at the Centennial Hills hospital at 11 and checked in. He threw up 6 more times in the ER. The wait was very long and we did not get in to see the doctor until 2:10am. Once I told the ER doctor what had happened, he immediately sent Nate for a CT scan. I knew the results were bad when they came back and shut the door to talk to me.
They told me that Nate has blood on his brain and that he would be transferred to Valley hospital because they have a neurology center. By 5:00am, he had be transferred via ambulance to Valley ER. They kept him in the ER for a couple hours until the neurologist could see him. That gave us enough time for his 2 brother in laws, Tyler and Kevin, to give him a priesthood blessing. I know Tyler was inspired to say what he did and it brought great comfort to us.
The neurologist saw him around 7:00 and gave us the report. He told us that he had all the signs of an aneurysm and wanted to do an angiogram. The radiologist talked with us about risks that could happen during the angiogram and he went in for the test around 8:30. He was done at 10:00. We were then given the news that he did have an aneurysm and that he was not a candidate for coiling as the doctor had hoped. At that point, we discussed surgery and were told about the procedure and what could happen. We chose to go forward with it and he was taken in for surgery at 11:25am.
The next 5 hours were the longest hours of my life. We were told the surgery would be 3 hours but it ended up being 5 hours. Doctor Douds (the surgeon) came in and gave us the report. He was able to get to the aneurysm and clip it. He did have to move some vessels which could affect his short term memory and his personality. They also had to remove a small part of his brain but luckily it was considered a silent part which mean it was not necessary. He has several staples in his head and drainage tubes coming out of his head.
I was able to see Nate in recovery for a few short minutes. He was still under sedation and didn't even notice I was there. He did open his eyes and look at me but there was no recognition. It broke my heart to see my husband like that.
A few hours later, he was moved to a room in the ICU where he will stay for next 2 weeks. He was awake and talking last night but did not have any idea of what had happened. He didn't not know the severity of what was going on.
He is doing better today (Tuesday) and the doctor is pleased with his progress. We are not out of the woods yet and continue to rely on faith and trust that the Lord will make him whole again.
I am humbled by how many people have called, texted, stopped by and helped. Thank you all so much for your support.
Stacy
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