New Message From Wynne

I haven't posted in a while - honestly, it's been a rough few weeks. I haven't felt great some days which has affected my sleep, slowing me down a bit more. We took Syd to Temple last week for her tummy scope - no ulcers or other serious problems found which is great news - she's now on a new med for irritable bowel syndrome and the Dr. thinks it might just fix the problem for good - fingers crossed. She was back in school the next day.

I am not cleared to drive yet - I took about 4 1/2 hours of tests w/ the neuropsychologist to test for driving and other functioning as well. I struggled w/ some parts but they tell me they can probably help rehab what is needed. This will be my last week of speech therapy and I'll keep focusing on fine motor skills for my left hand in occupational therapy. My speech has certainly improved since the stroke, but is still a bit slurred and slow, especially when I'm tired - and I still can't shake this Texas accent! Also I still have to work more on my facial muscles. We're having to make some big family decisions about work and living arrangements, etc. I can't currently take care of myself independently, much less Syd too, so we started the process to sell our house and look for a place in Ft. Worth so things will probably move pretty fast now. We'd like to start Syd in a new school in January. It is a lot to absorb, but I have faith in the process and will just have to let it unfold how it will. We'll certainly be glad to have our family all under one roof again! It's been a long couple of years! Anyway, that's the latest - Oh, I came across this quote by Harry Chapin and thought I'd share it....

"Be involved with the people with the live hearts, the live eyes, who are committed to something,"

So, peace and love to all my friends and loved ones with the live hearts and live eyes in this holiday season!

Wynne

Message From Wynne

Sunday, November 23, 2008 (OK - I type the full date because I'm showing off that I actually know what it is now!!!!)

I am worn out!! I spent much of today going back through some of the emails I've received from many of you these past weeks. I started trying to answer a few back - didn't get too far. Typing with one hand definitely slows me down. I just can't say enough how appreciative I am for all the kind thoughts, prayers and support - they really lifted my spirits, yet again - amazing what a simple, sincere word can do to help heal.

ok, so this is funny - I asked my eye dr about replacing my lost left contact lens and wondered if he knew any tricks to inserting and removing a lens with one hand . He said he had heard of dipping your fingertip in marshmallow cream first and it would allow you to grab the contact - then just rinse the lens after. Seriously! We finally settled on ordering a miniature plunger for the eye. I suppose I can give it to Syd for her dollhouse when I'm done!!

My eye test showed some loss of vision on the left peripheral field of my right eye and a lesser amount of loss on the left peripheral field of my left eye. He didn't recommend anything at this point but said sometimes the vision will return in about six months. So that is hopeful.


Russ' folks are coming up from San Antonio for a few days for Thanksgiving. Syd was very excited to place 4th place in oral reading during the University Interscholastic League competition (i.e., a scholastic competition covering the entire school district) on Saturday. She read a Shel Silverstein poem. Her friends’ Georgia and Kassidy also won medals (for storytelling and math). Mom & Ed went back to Oklahoma Friday to check on my grandma, go to various appt.s and to see OU win against tx tech. I don't know what we would've done without all their help. We were glad to see Russ (and even our crazy lab, Casey), again and happy they get to stay the week.

I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving - I certainly have much to be thankful for.

Peace,
Wynne

Message From Wynne 11/20/2008

If I'm learning nothing else, it is a bit of empathy for folks having to endure medical tests with so much poking and prodding. Despite my anxieties, I survived my heart test yesterday and the good news is my heart is apparently in very good shape. No more ideas about the cause of the stroke however. It does occur to me to ponder; if we can turn urine and sweat into drinking water, seems like we could improve a bit more on some of our medical tests, namely the MRI and the PET Scan for the heart. Yesterday I was in the waiting room and my name was called by a young tech wearing what looked like a bright red nuclear bomb vest, so immediately, I was calmed -not. She took me back into a small sterile office and kindly explained the test and I shared with her my anxiety that resulted from my previous hospital MRI experience where they strapped my head down with Velcro and put me into a tube head first - although I did manage to get through that finally with some significant medication and a roomful of people talking me through it (I think Russ rode the table in with me to get through it). It ruined me forever on tests in tubes. So of course, the PET scan involved a tube. So then " Dirk" came in to put in my IV and further calm me by telling me the test was no big deal, but he lied. They did put me in feet first which was better, but then injected what seemed like 5 gallons of cold liquid into my veins while they took pictures of my heart at rest and racing. I kept imagining that if Dirk were so inclined, he could just kill me right then and there. Made me think about how it must be to get lethal injection. I remember at one point looking up at the laser light that was used to line up the pictures but since they took away my glasses, I couldn't read the red warning that said, "Don't stare at the laser" :) I think it also said it was a Mach 5 laser, so maybe I also got an eye surgery out of the deal. When I was trying to think of calming thoughts, the only thing that would came to mind was when I lived in California and while at Santa Cruz, went up with a friend on top of a crane while he bungee jumped off - maybe I need to work on my visualization skills a bit. Anyway, I lived to tell about it and find the sick humor in it, so all's well that ends well I suppose! So, although I've not done a treadmill test to truly compare - if they gave me a choice - I'd pick that over the chemical test any day - I'm just saying... But please don't let me discourage you from getting the tests you need - if I can do it - you can too!

I'll see the Ophthalmologist tomorrow - we still suspect some left side vision loss, but even if there is, they apparently have prism lenses that can help with peripheral vision problems. Anyway, it's not my day to worry, so I'm not. Last week, Russ tried to help me put in and take out my contacts - that didn't go too well - I never realized that was such a two-handed function. He is squeamish about putting things in eyes anyway, so he got pretty freaked out and somewhere along the way I lost my left lens so I'll have to get another I suppose.

I'm missing the visits I had when I was in the hospital and rehab- they really cheered me up and kept me going at a very critical time. If you want to stop by, try calling my cell at 255-3599 and I will give you directions (and to ensure I’m not out at therapy or a Dr.’s appointment). My energy is up and down, so please bear with me on that, but I think I'm a bit more up for visits these days and a few friendly faces would be welcome.

I hope things are well in your world as we head into the Thanksgiving season.

Love, peace and good health,
Wynne

Message From Wynne 11/18/2008

Thanks for tracking along with me - so sorry I haven't been able to respond to all the emails, cards, etc. It isn't for lack of appreciation - each of your words. I have been very surprised at how tired I get and how quickly I get that way. I overdid it Saturday trying to clean my laundry room and was out of commission on Sunday as a result. Therapy and dr visits seem to wear me out physically and mentally but I am continuing to see progress. I was able to tap my fingers very lightly last week - you have to look quick or you might miss it but it was encouraging. Not much movement in my thumb yet and very little sensation has returned in my face or forearm but I'm having to take no narcotics for pain - only the Lyrica for the nerve pain and tylenol for muscle pains so I'm glad for that. I'm not too excited (actually, am a bit anxious to be honest) about having a chemically induced stress test tomorrow to further check my heart. They don't really think that is the root of the problem but want to check it out nonetheless. My step dad has talked me into only worrying on Tuesdays, so I'll get it out of my system today. Today is, in fact, Tuesday...smile.

I asked my neurologist yesterday to show me my MRI so I could see what the heck was causing all this mess. Wow - it was pretty darn big - they had told me it was a massive stroke but I really wanted to see it for myself. They also tell me it is possible for other parts of the brain to take over functions that were lost so that is what I am visualizing - I just need to be very patient and very persistent with the process as it occurs.

Syd's team won their last 3 volleyball games last night so their season is now over but she had a great time. I've been eating very well - nothing like mom's cooking! Ed keeps me working on my left brain as we solve all the world's problems. They'll go home Friday to catch the next OU game on Saturday, but Russ will come back and will be here all next week - Syd and I will be glad to see him. Well, that's all for now.

Love and peace,
Wynne

Message From Wynne 11/13/2008

Just a quick post - Has been a busy few days - Mom & I (more
Mom than me) washed windows Sunday so we could see outside again. I'm getting around the house pretty good - just seem to run out of energy pretty quick and am realizing I need more sleep than I've been getting. Mom & Ed have been helping out a lot with Syd, meal prep, driving, and everything else. Don't know what we'd do without them! Russ goes back to work next week so he doesn't use up all his sick leave but they'll still be here to help. Took Syd to Dr. - finally got her some flu-mist - I'd been worried about that the whole time I was in the hospital so glad to get that done. We were also following up with the Gastroenterologist about the stomach problems she's had this past year or so. She'll have a scope done in Temple on Dec. 3 to check for problems but the doc thinks it is most likely Irritable Bowel Syndrome that he can pretty easily treat with medication. She didn't seem too worried about the procedure - the dr. has great rapport with her so I think she'll also be glad to know what the problem is. She has one more Volleyball game left but they're having a great season.

Some folks have been asking when a good time to visit would be - Syd has a volleyball practice Sat at 10 but Sat or Sun afternoon would probably be good. You might give Russ a call on his cell at 450-1689 to coordinate. I have therapy today and tomorrow and see my primary care dr today. Tomorrow is Twin City Mission's Coat and Blanket giveaway so I'll be thinking about them and wishing warmth to all who need it.

Dr. put me on a low-dose anti-depressant this week to help w/ the moodiness - it reminds me that there are many people suffering from depression on an on-going basis and they too - cannot just snap out of it - they also need medication to help the brain chemistry balance. Exercise, sleep and a good diet can help but the medication is a critical piece too. Anyway, I'm glad to have it and hope it helps.

They didn't recommend me for Physical Therapy since my leg strength and balance are good, but I’m continuing with Occupational and Speech Therapy. I'm having great progress with my left hand - I was able to grip and toss a small ball yesterday. Still need to work on my fingers and thumb, but I can see it progressing which is great.

Thanks again for you many expressions of love and support - they've really helped keep me going. Well, gotta go get ready for therapy which is rather slow business.

Love and peace,
Wynne

Message From Wynne - written 11/2/2008

Wynne asked me to post this message she wrote on Sunday 11/2/08 - R:

Well, three weeks ago today, I was in the ICU, full of tubes and hanging on for dear life - and, it is, indeed dear. Today, I was able to sit on my couch at home, drink a cup of coffee, and watch the latest political news and I am incredibly grateful for many things:

1. That my husband was home from Ft. Worth and recognized the signs of stroke when I was having one - he literally saved my life and by getting me medical care immediately, greatly improved my chances for recovery with fewer disabilities. Now I can walk, I can talk well enough to be understood - and I can take care of myself with a lot less help than I needed just a few days ago. And I have great hope that I'll be able to use my left arm and hand again. Along with tying my own shoes, driving and typing, I told my Occupational Therapist that one of my goals was to regain my ability to flip off someone if I really needed to. Would you call that an Activity of Daily Living? Maybe some days.... smile....

2. I'm so grateful that I have health insurance that covers many of the bills I am racking up - I just got my first statement from the hospital - $132,000 so far... I can only imagine how someone might feel to get a bill like that on top of a serious illness if they have no insurance.

3. I'm so fortunate that I got top notch medical and rehabcare - I cannot say enough about the quality of care I received from CNA's, the nurses, the therapists, the hospital and rehab staff, and the doctor's who treated me - they all knew their stuff and were so professional and kind - even Nurse Ratchett was, I’m sure, instrumental in helping me get better. :)

4. That I had so many people supporting me and my family with prayers, warm, positive thoughts, kind words on cards and emails, blog comments, flowers, balloons, gifts, visits, calls, food and many other very concrete and practical expressions of support and caring. What those all meant in my ability to develop and keep a positive outlook cannot be overstated. And my friends and mom and Ed who were here at such a difficult time, supporting Russ and me and helping to keep some semblance of a routine for Sydney.

To be loved and cheered on like that would heal anyone, I think. I told some of my Twin City Mission staff that it would be so great if we were able to provide a level of care like I’ve had to each and every person who came through our doors for help in any of our services, they just couldn't help but get better. (Not that you don't already - you guys are awesome!)It is really amazing what one person can do to help another. Simply making the effort to reach out to someone else makes you a richer person. And I think I'd have to say I know some of the truly richest people around. I believe that no effort with true and right intention is ever wasted - each of us has something unique and special to share in this world and we are so fortunate when we can get past our own self-imposed biases and limitations to truly see, one another.

5. I was so grateful for and touched by my fellow rehab patients. The first person I met was Mr. Lewis who had turned 84 the previous Monday and on my first morning in rehab, he came up and patted my arm and showed me how his left hand was working again after having a right-brain stroke like me. He told me not to give up that it would get better and he was starting to walk again last week when I left and he even went fishing. I didn't get to go along since I was in therapy, but I'll never forget his encouraging kindness and his positive outlook. It's kind of hard to get too lost in self-pity when you're surrounded by people with such grace, tenacity, dignity and courage. In addition to strokes, some people were recovering from brain injuries, car accidents, amputations or other painful surgeries. I think my new favorite mantra is starting to be, "Get over your bad self and get on with what is really important." Maybe a bit crass, but sometimes, it seems what we really need is a kick in the butt and a bit of bravery to move ahead. :)

And I suppose, because I have a need to try to find some bit of meaning as a result of this rather "out of the blue" event...I really hope you'll indulge me by doing two things:

1. go to http://www.strokeeducation.info/ and learn the warning signs of a stroke - this simple information could save your life or that of someone else Even children can have strokes
and

2. learn how to prevent a stroke by clicking on "Reducing Stroke" at the above site. Every 45 seconds someone suffers a stroke. Over 750,000 people in the United States experience a stroke every year. Stroke kills nearly 160,000 people each year. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in this country. Nearly 30% of those who suffer a stroke are under the age of 65. They affect men nearly as often as women and blacks almost twice more often than whites. Hispanics and Native Americans are also affected disproportionately. Stroke is the #1 cause of serious, long-term adult disability in the United States.

Among the most important things you can do are: 1. If you smoke, quit smoking, 2. know if you have high blood pressure and treat it aggressively . 3. If you are overweight, learn to eat right and exercise your way to a healthy weight. 4. Don't drink more than two drinks/day if you drink. 5. Reduce your bad cholesterol and 6. If you have Atrial Fibrillation, get it treated promptly. 7. If you have diabetes, treat it aggressively. As hard as any of these might seem to be to change, they've got to be easier than learning to walk or talk again if you're lucky enough to survive a stroke. Do it for you and for those who love you. I can't even think of someone I'd wish something like this on - certainly not anyone I know or care about. Please take care of yourself - your health is precious.

Well, I suppose that is enough typing practice and preaching for a day - I still need to do my exercises and ponder my significant attachments to french fries and heavy cream in my coffee. Stress also appears to be a factor in my particular stroke, so I'll also be trying to develop better routines for myself. They keep telling me that I need to be patient with the process, probably not my strong suit but I'm working on it.

Well, blah, blah, blah...enough about me - I hope you and yours are happy and healthy! If not, I hope you'll figure out how to get there.

Love to all
Wynne

Message From Wynne

Wynne asked me to post the following - R:

Thursday, November 6, 2008

It has been a very full week – doctor’s appointments and outpatient therapy. No good answers from the Hematologist about causes of stroke from my blood– she’ll see me again after stroke effects settle down some, but no clear genetic factors or clotting issues currently. She was extraordinarily thorough and kind. She even sent me to the Cardiologist for the left-sided pain I’ve been experiencing to make sure it wasn’t my heart– no obvious heart issues but he did schedule me for a PET scan later to make sure. I also met w/ the Outpatient clinic Dr. – he was very knowledgeable and optimistic about stroke recovery and increased my Lyrica med to address the significant nerve pain I’ve been having on my left side. Apparently this is fairly common after a stroke as the brain tries to reestablish new connections. He also gave me a timely warning about the emotional variations that often accompany this type of stroke as some of the damage in my brain occurred in the area that also manages emotions. I have found my emotions to be all over the place this week – when I can’t do things I've always done like tie my shoes by myself – or when I look in the mirror and I don’t look quite the same anymore – So, I quit looking in the mirror and I bought myself a snazzy pair of shoes with Velcro. Everyone tells me to just be patient so I suppose I might give that a try - smile - but may need an antidepressant to help balance the chemicals in the brain if I keep feeling this way. I guess it will take some time to understand the degree and scope of the damage but they tell me other parts of the brain often take over lost functions.

I went to two of Syd's volleyball games this week, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I felt the first really significant movement I've seen yet in my left hand and fingers during one of her games so that was exciting. I find myself much more tired than usual so have been resting and reading a lot. Several people have recommended the book, " A Stroke of Insight" - a fascinating book about how the brain works and the author's own experience of having a stroke from her perspective as a neuro-anatomist. I also got referred to the person in town who can help with re-training and testing me for driving. I'll post a comment if I get cleared so you know the coast is clear - I sure as heck wouldn't want to ride with me right now...

And, of course, like most, I've been watching the elections - I'm personally thrilled with the outcome and hope our country is ready to move forward in a cooperative and productive way - there's a boatload of work to do, that's for sure so I hope we can get on with it! I haven't been able to reply to emails much yet - still getting this one-handed typing thing down - a new friend who also had a stroke said it's like having a speech impediment - that pretty much says it all. And my verbal speech is still not quite back to normal so I'm a bit self-conscious about that so I haven't been making or returning many calls yet - it's gotten some better since the stroke so maybe with a bit more time and therapy it will continue to get better. Thanks again to all of you for your love, many kindnesses, prayers and wishes for healing. Mom and Ed are coming back tomorrow night to help out next week so we're in pretty good shape for the shape we're in.

Peace,
Wynne

11/1/2008

Wynne is adjusting to being back home and is learning how to do things differently around here. She is now reading her own email, but asks that everyone be patient as she will be very slow to respond due to being able to type with only her right hand (for now). If you would like to write directly to Wynne, her email address is:

wynneclark@earthlink.net

We have a week full of Dr.'s appointments and therapy appointments coming up. I will continue to update the blog when there is new information to report, but will probably not make daily posts at this point. Thank you again to all of you who have offered so much support during this difficult time.

10/30/2008

Wynne is now home!

10/28/2008 Good News

We received word today that Wynne gets to come home on Thursday. She'll be going to outpatient therapy for some time after that and is not yet approved to drive, but we'll be very, very glad to have her home. All for now.

R

10/28/2008 Birthday Aftermath Part II

While the TCM surprise party was going on in the conference room, a number of close family friends managed hide in and decorate Wynne's hospital room - resulting in surprise party #2. This party came to end when the nurse came in and asked, yes... "Have you moved your bowel today?" Video is below (of the party - not the nurse, not anything else...):

10/28/2008 Birthday Aftermath Part I

Well Wynne was well celebrated on her birthday. First, her friends and coworkers from Twin City Mission took over a conference room in the hospital and hosted a surprise party. It is hard to manage surprises in the hospital. I wound up telling her that the night shift nurses wanted to sing Happy Birthday to her and she should act surprised when we got down there. She was indeed surprised and very moved to find a room full of folks, a large cake and card and one very red hat. Video is below:

10/27/2008 - Wynne's Birthday

That's right, today is Wynne's birthday - I will be more than happy to read any birthday wishes sent to her tonight. She has had a busy day of therapy so far and this afternoon she has a support group. I've been approved to take Wynne on a brief outing afterward so she can go vote. All for now.

R

10/26/2008

Well, Wynne's had a day off from therapy and has had lots of good visits. She's getting around well with a cane. Staff still need to be present when she walks, but I'm guessing they will give her permission to move around on her own soon. Her Monday schedule keeps her busy 8 to 9, 10 to 12 and 2 to 3 (with lunch at 12 and dinner at 5). Otherwise, there is not much new to report.

Thanks again for your support.

R

10/25/2008

Things continue to be good. It’s a beautiful day here and Wynne got to walk around outside some today as part of her physical therapy. The hospital has taken away Wynne’s wheelchair and walker and replaced these with a cane (although Wynne is still not allowed to walk around without staff being there). She has a few visitors from out of town on the schedule for this afternoon and nothing on the schedule for tomorrow (i.e., no therapy appointments and no scheduled visits), so…if you want to visit, Sunday is probably a good day.

Take care,
R

10/24/2008 AM

Wynne continues to do well. Physical Therapy has her doing quite a bit of walking and she got to go outside and walk around the pond yesterday. Speech Therapy s working with her on regaining facial muscle tone and articulation of speech. The Occupational Therapist had Wynne hooked up to a nerve stimulator this morning that allowed Wynne to grab a cup with her left hand. She tells me that Recreational Therapy is going to teach her how to tie flies and she intends to try some fly fishing in the pond here. She continues to experience some head pain and general nerve pain around her body. We have been told that this is due to her nervous system trying to re-establish previously existing connections.

Many folks have been asking about Sydney and how she is doing. I’m happy to report that Sydney is doing well. She has been quite brave throughout this and has adjusted well to the changes that have been going on in our family. Her team continues to win at volleyball (they are 9 and 0) although they had a scary come from behind win this past Wednesday. She has 4 tests today and she seems to know her stuff.

Wynne’s schedule for today indicates that she is free after about noon.

Once again, thank you for all your caring and supportive emails, cards, comments, visits and encouragement.

R

10/23/2008 AM with video message from Wynne!

Things continue to improve. Wynne continues to get stronger and to focus on recovery (while still making very funny jokes). There was a bit of movement in Wynne's left hand this morning which we are very excited about. According to Dr. Lebleu it means there is more movement to come.

Wynne agreed to make and attach a brief video which I could put on the blog. I used my laptop to make the video and you will probably notice that the program I used to make the video films things in reverse. So...while it appears that Wynne has a bit of right side weakness, it is actually her left side which was affected by the stroke and is in the process of coming back. The video is saved as a QuickTime file. If you do not have a QuickTime viewer, it is available as a free download (for Mac or PC) at the following address:

http://www.apple.com/downloads/

Thanks for your caring & support.

R

10/22/2008 PM

Well - the day has been filled with assessments. Wynne received assessments from Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists and things continue to look very hopeful. She will have a few more assessments in the morning.

Wynne's daytime schedule for tomorrow is as follows: therapy 8 to 9 and 10 to 12, followed by lunch 12 to 1. I'm not sure if this will be a regular schedule or not, but it should be good for Thursday, 10/23/08. And... Wynne reports that the food here is good (and one can readily identify the items on the plate)!

All for now.

R

10/22/2008 AM

We have made the move to St. Joseph's Regional Rehabilitation Center and Wynne is going through the intake process. She has met with Dr. Lebleu who was very optimistic regarding Wynne's recovery. Wynne did NOT wind up in Room 102 as indicated in the previous post. When we arrived, they indicated that she needed to be in Room 103 instead (I'm not sure exactly why).

The facility and staff here seem great. I am very hopeful that things will continue to improve rapidly. The nurse indicated that Wynne's 3 hours of therapy sessions will be between 8 AM and 3 PM, however, we don't have the exact schedule yet. So...if you want to come visit today, anytime after 3 is good (and possibly times before that, but you might want to call first to make sure she's not in a therapy session or something). Thanks to all of you again for your support.

R

10/21/2008 PM

OK - we got the approval and Wynne will be going to St. Joseph's Rehabilitation Center in the morning. She will be in Room 102 at that facility and there are no set visiting hours (i.e., anytime is OK). Wynne will have scheduled therapy sessions during which she can not really visit (I will post these times when I get them). Unfortunately, they tell us that all of the beautiful plants, flowers and balloons that people have sent will need to go back to our house as there is not enough space in her room at the rehab center for these. She will be at the center for at least one week and more likely two weeks. We're both ready to get more actively involved in the rehab process.

Wynne continues to get stronger and to look healthier. Thanks for the support.

R

10/21/2008

Argh.... OK - evidently the number I received is not an insurance authorization number, but is a reference number for our case...

So...it appears that we will be at College Station Medical Center for another night.

10/21/2008 AM

Things today are interesting.

Wynne is continuing to improve. She appears to be regaining a good deal of vision in the left eye, is reading better, regaining more strength in the left arm (we’re still waiting on the left hand), there appears to be more muscle tone in her face and she is walking greater distances with her walker.

We are still at CS Medical Center and are trying to navigate the red tape between hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies to get her transferred to St. Joseph’s Rehab Center. She did receive an assessment this morning for placement at St. Joe’s and now it is a matter of getting insurance approval to move her. We are hoping that comes today, because we feel she is losing valuable time by not being there –

OK… while I was writing just now a few things happened and we appear to have a pre-certification number from the insurance company for the transfer to rehab (yes, we’re trying to make her go to rehab – she wants to go, go, go – my apologies for the crummy Amy Winehouse joke – but I’m pretty excited that we are likely going to make the move sometime today).

If you want to visit today, please give a call first to see where we are located. St. Joe’s is pretty open about visits and they will have a schedule for when she has appointments for her rehab sessions – so I will put the schedule on the blog when I get it. More later.

R

10/20/2008

Wynne is more energetic and seems to be feeling much better today. They performed the transesophageal echocardiogram today and found no problems with her heart that could have resulted in the passing of a clot to the brain. As Wynne couldn’t eat before her test today or for 2 hours after (1:30 PM), I managed to get some Whataburger cuisine (highlighted by fries & a vanilla milkshake).

So…we are now waiting on her remaining blood tests to come back to see if she has any of the protein deficiencies that are associated with causing stroke.

It also appears that we will be in Room 221 at College Station Medical Center for another night as we wait for completion of the paperwork to allow Wynne’s transfer to St. Joseph’s Regional Health Center.

A question came up as to which email accounts Wynne is currently reading. As of right now, Wynne has not been able to get to her own emails (work or home accounts). Hopefully that will change in the coming days. At present the only email address we are reading is:

russwood1@earthlink.net

Alternately, I believe there is a link on the blog to send an email to this address. I’ve been reading all of these incoming emails and blog comments to Wynne – they continue to lift her spirits and we thank you for the tremendous amount of support we have received.

All for now.

R

Blog Info - Following & Making Comments +

A couple of issues have come up about using the blog. One of which I was able to figure out this morning (I think) - some folks have had difficulty signing up to follow the blog. This link should explain how to do this, the options that are available to you and what they mean:

http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=104226

The other issue that was brought to my attention was that some folks thought that their comments were not getting posted (after I fixed this issue) because the comments did not show up right away. Actually, what is happening is that the comments come to me first and then I hit a button which posts them to the blog. I set it up this way because this blog is open to anyone who has Internet access (not just those of us who know and care about Wynne) and I wanted to avoid the possibility of the blog getting hijacked by folks who have no business being there (it is the internet after all). So, please feel free to post comments and then be patient as I just have to check them to make sure they are legit.

Wynne has been very moved by the e-mails, comments and cards received to date. It is clearly lifting her spirits to know that there are so many people who care about her and are pulling for her. Thank you.

Time for me to get ready to go to the hospital. I will post updates later.

R

10/19/2008 PM

Overall, Wynne has had a great deal or tiredness today. She has been sleeping much of the afternoon and hopefully is getting sleep she needs to recover. Our big questions still have to do with why this happened. We are still waiting on some blood work to come back to see if Wynne has certain types of protein deficiencies which can lead to strokes. They are also planning to do an esophageal echocardiogram to look at heart a bit more closely to ensure that there is not a problem that allowed a clot to go to the brain without benefit of being filtered by the lungs. We hope to get some answers soon.

Blog note: I found out that folks were having problems leaving comments – I have since changed the settings and hope that that will allow comments to be posted. Sorry to those of you who have tried to make comments before – I’m new at this and am still trying to figure things out. Will update more later.

R

10/19/2008 AM+

Wynne slept much of the morning and woke at about 9:30, had no appetite and generally appeared to feel weaker and was experiencing a fair amount of pain. Tests suggest that the weakness from this morning seems to have come from a significant drop in her blood sugar. She was given some pain medication and by noon had regained some appetite and ate a good bit of her lunch (sweet potatoes, broccoli, roll and apple pie – the hospital ham was rightly left alone). Right now (1:00 PM), she seems to be feeling much better and has regained some strength after eating. Wynne says she is up for some visitors if folks want to come by.

R

10/18/2008 AM+

Well we’re settled in to Room 221 at CS Medical Center (as much as one settles in to a hospital room). Wynne was finally able to get a good night’s sleep last night. Currently, we’re watching the Aggie football team hold their own against #5 Texas Tech and Wynne’s eating some fries I smuggled in from McDonald’s. The nurse agreed that the fries looked better than the chicken noodle stuff that came on the tray. Wynne had chest x-rays today as there is still some concern about the development of pneumonia. We are waiting on results. All in all, Wynne is feeling much better and seems up for some visits. If you’ve been holding off visiting until Wynne was doing a bit better, today or tomorrow might be a good bet. We are really hoping that she will be transferred to St. Jospeh’s Rehab Hospital on Monday, but there is nothing confirmed yet.

Wynne again sends many thanks for all the support and care she has received (she was able to read all of her cards this morning and I read folks e-mails and blog responses to her). I too send my thanks to all of you. We are a very lucky family to be surrounded by such caring people. Thank you.

R

10/17/2008 PM Post

As noted earlier, Wynne is now in Room 221 of College Station Medical Center. She has been walking a little bit with assistance and a walker – it has been a very good day. Currently, she is very tired as she has not been able to get much sleep over the past 24 hours, but she might be up for visits tomorrow if she gets a good night’s sleep tonight. Thanks again for all the support you have sent our way. All for now.

R

NEWS - 2:50 PM CDT

Wynne is being moved to a regular hospital room within the hour. She’ll be in Room 221, College Station Medical Center. I don’t know the visiting hours yet, but will send them out when I get them.

R

10/17/2008 AM Post

Things continue to look up. More sensation and movement is coming back to Wynne’s left arm. She was able to stand briefly on her own accord this morning during physical therapy, comb her own hair and has been sitting in a chair eating and drinking. She was able to score some Cream of Wheat for breakfast (which she has been craving for the past few days). Her voice is stronger and she seems stronger all around. We are hoping to hear about a move to rehab at St. Joe's soon. The Dr. had her removed from IV fluids, had her cath removed switched her to all oral medications (which are ground up and put into "hospital white" pudding - yum). We are very encouraged and hopeful from the changes we are seeing.

Will post tonight

R

10/16/2008 PM Post

Just a quick note about the blog site – I’ve noticed that when I post messages, they are time stamped in the Pacific Time Zone. For example, my post this morning was made at 11:58 AM Central Daylight Savings Time, but it is stamped as 9:58 AM. So…for those of you who are trying to track how recent the information is, please add 2 hours if you are in the Central Time Zone and adjust accordingly for other parts of North America, Great Britain and Trinidad.

This afternoon seemed to hold a lot of promising signs. Wynne passed her Swallow Test for food, although she still had some small difficulties with water. The net result was the removal of her feeding tube and she is going to start on mushy food tonight (which she is really looking forward to).

Her CT scan from this morning suggests that her brain swelling has reached its peak (i.e., it is at roughly the same level as yesterday). We are told that the swelling may take about 2 weeks to recede.

Wynne has also been placed on IV antibiotics as some spots are showing on her chest x-ray and the doctors want to prevent the onset of pneumonia.

Unfortunately, Wynne is still experiencing a great deal of pain. They have returned to providing her with small doses of morphine to help control this, but are being cautious not to overmedicate so that they will be able to tell the difference between the drugs and actual neurological problems.

A seemingly small thing that greatly lifted my spirit this afternoon –Wynne had an itch in her left arm (and also seemed to have some sensation to touch) – after having no sensation or movement there for the last few days, I found this to be a very encouraging sign that she may regain use and feeling there.

Wynne had many questions for her neurologist (Dr. Palm) today. I’m not sure if he’s just a good straight man or if he sets himself up for Wynne’s keen sense of humor, but he always seems to get taken off guard by Wynne’s jokes. Regardless, the Wynne “joke of the day” seems to often come from her neurology consults. Today Wynne asked Dr. Palm when she might be moved out of ICU and he responded by saying that may be by this weekend or early next week they might be able to put her “into rehab or onto the floor.” Wynne responded by saying, “literally?...stroke humor you know.”

Again, thanks for all of your support and please share this web address with anyone who is concerned.

Take care,
R

10/16/2008 AM post

Wynne continues to improve and has a great deal of awareness about what is going on around her. She continues to make very funny jokes (speaking in a whisper), but is also experiencing a great deal of pain on the right side of her head, and in her right eye and ear due to the brain swelling. We are waiting for a “swallow test” later today to see if they can remove her feeding tube and switch to something closer to real food (and oral medications). The overwhelming majority of the nursing staff here at the Med have been outstanding in their care for Wynne. The have made a huge difference (I haven’t seen any sign of Nurse Ratchett for a while).

Wynne has asked me to say hi to everyone and thanks everybody for the well wishes, thoughts, prayers, and support. She is looking forward to being switched to regular room where she might be able to see more people wishing to visit.

My thanks also continue to go to all of you for the same reasons. All for now.

R

10/15/08 PM

Wynne continued to do well this afternoon – wanting to watch TV and making fun of Donald Trump’s hair. She wanted to make sure that she was able to watch the debate tonight. Her speech is very, very soft and difficult to hear, but her communication is coherent and intact. As is always the case, she continues to be very concerned for others. So much so that she had me leave the ICU this afternoon to call and check on how her boss was doing after his pacemaker operation this morning.

Anyway, I’m hoping she is over the hump and will continue to improve in the coming days.

Right now I am writing from Syd’s volleyball game and they are ahead 18 to 11 in the first game – 2016 Olympics here we come.

Thanks again for all the support that keeps rolling in. We are very lucky to have such wonderful friends and family. All for now.

R

10/15/08 AM +

Results from yesterday’s MRI show a significant stroke that is impacting a large portion of the right hemisphere of her brain. Her frontal lobe appears to be largely unaffected. Another CT was performed this AM which shows a small increase in brain swelling from yesterday. Dr. Palm, her attending neurologist was consulted and subsequently Wynne was placed on anti-inflammatory medication and we received a consult from Dr. El Nihum (neurosurgeon) who believes that her brain swelling is at the peak and should recede very soon (hopefully preventing the need for surgery).

Wynne has not received morphine since yesterday and her Fentanyl patch was removed today and she does not appear to be experiencing the severe pain that she has had over the past few days. They have given her Ativan on a PRN basis for pain and this appears to be addressing Wynne’s needs fairly well.

Wynne’s left hand and arm are swollen due to the lack of muscle tone there. Her wedding band was cut off this morning to prevent damage to her finger. They assure me that one of the jewelers in town can repair it.

Wynne is sleeping a great deal of the time now and generally does not wake unless actively disturbed. I am told that this is normal and is what she needs to help her recover – this is also consistent with my knowledge of brain function and neurotransmitters. If you find yourself here and she is asleep, please do not wake her – the Dr.s and Nurses do plenty of that.

1:20 PM – Wynne is awake and asking questions and making jokes (“I’m an impatient inpatient”) – She is hard to hear as she can only speak very softly, but she is more present than she has been for some time now. I am relieved.

Thank you for all the support, phone messages and e-mails. I have let Wynne know that she is well loved and cared for by all of you.

R

Initial Post

I have started this blog at the suggestion of a friend, as I am unable to respond to all of the telephone and e-mail inquiries being made about Wynne’s condition. I am spending a great deal of time in the ICU and am unable to use my cell phone or get internet access while there. Alternately, I intend to write updates and then post them at times when I leave the ICU. I apologize to those of you whose phone calls I have not yet returned and to those friends and family who I have not yet had a chance to notify – it has been very busy. If you are aware of others who I have not contacted who would want to access this blog, please provide them with the information along with my apologies for not having been in touch yet.

Some of you are already aware of the course of events, but many who will access this site have not been briefed on what has occurred to date. For you, I will try to go over the chain of events to date.

We had a fairly typical Saturday night (Oct. 11). We watched Saturday Night Live and Wynne fell asleep on the sofa while watching (also pretty typical). I woke her up to come to bed somewhere between 12:30 and 1 AM. She came in, removed her contacts, brushed her teeth and went to sleep. At about 4AM, I woke up to a noise and noticed Wynne was not in bed. I found her on the floor. She was unable to stand, appeared to have no muscle control on the left side of her body and had very slurred speech. I called 911 and informed them that I believed Wynne had had a stroke. I woke Sydney and had her open the gate and flag down EMS when they arrived, while I cleared a path for gurney. When leaving for the hospital, I called Donna & Ed (i.e., Wynne’s Mom & Step-dad) who were staying in Dallas after the OU vs UT football game.

Wynne was then taken to College Station Medical Center ER and they performed a CT scan to ensure that there was no brain bleed prior to using TPA (to break up the clot). She was subsequently given the TPA and was accidentally also given heparin by the nursing staff. Fortunately, this did not appear to result in any bleeding in the brain. Unfortunately, it took much longer to get her started on the TPA than I would have hoped. Despite this, the TPA did appear to have a positive impact on the stroke and Wynne regained muscle tone in her left leg, left foot and arm (but not to her l. hand or l. facial muscles), her speech did seem to improve somewhat during this time.

Later on Sunday, she was moved to Bed 10 in the ICU (where she remains as of today -10/14/08). As brain swelling began late on Sunday, Wynne lost some her initial gains and is not able to move her left arm at this time, but remains able to move her left leg and foot.

Since the stroke, Wynne has been experiencing a great deal on muscle tension and pain on the right (i.e., unaffected) side of her body. Her doctors have been providing large doses of painkillers to help her deal with this issue.

Despite the pain, Wynne has maintained her sense of humor throughout this. When told by a nurse that they were going to catheterize her whenever she was ready; Wynne replied, “Is anybody ever ready to be catheterized?”

The hospital was able to perform an MRI this morning at about 8 AM, which should give us a great deal more information in the near future. We should also know more about how she is doing by this weekend, when the brain swelling should diminish.

Donna, Ed and I have been taking shifts staying with Wynne in the ICU. The staff here strive very hard to limit access to ICU patients which is good on one hand (as Wynne needs a great deal of rest to recover from this injury), however, they have also made it difficult at times for immediate family to come in and stay with her. It just seems to depend on who is at the desk at the time. Flowers, food, etc. are not allowed into the ICU. A few balloons have been smuggled in (much to the dismay of Nurse Ratchett), but I am pretty certain that most delivery services will not be able to get anything to her until she gets moved out of ICU.

Sydney is doing well all things considered. She was able to make it to her first volleyball game of the season last night and her team ("The Elite") swept their match 3 games to 0. Sydney was a star and landed all of her serves in bounds and then dug out some very difficult to return shots and got them back over the net to score numerous points for her team.

So…I (and likely others who are in close contact with the situation) will post updates as things progress. I apologize again to those I haven’t had a chance to contact or to return calls to.

Please e-mail me with any thoughts or wishes that you would like me to convey to Wynne or Sydney. If you call my cell phone and it is turned off (i.e., while I'm in the ICU), it will not make a record of the number you called from, so please leave your number when you leave a voice mail and I will get back to you when I am able. Please do not call the ICU at College Station Medical Center unless there is an emergency which needs to be addressed right away. For those of you who have provided help and support - thank you so much – I can’t begin to explain how much this means to our family right now. Thank you.

R