Bev-Sept

My mother, Bev and our oldest, Sherri

Just in case there is still anyone following the blog, I apologise for taking so long to update it.  Bev has been home for 2 months now and we are getting into some sort of a routine.  Bev's arms and hands are still weak, in particular her left arm and hand. Her walking is slowly improving but her balance still needs a lot of work.  Bev's short term memory is not very good but hopefully in time it will improve.  A physiotherapist has been coming to the house twice a week for 1 hour visits since mid July. Starting this week physiotherapy will be 4 times a week for an hour each time. An occupational therapist will be coming twice a week for an hour each time and Bev will have a once a week visit with a psychologist for the next ten weeks.  Physiotherapy and occupational therapy may last up to 3 years. Bev has permanently lost the sight of her right eye and the right side of her face feels numb.  She can play cards with the help of a card holder, she can read using a Kindle. Bev watches a lot of TV especially Criminal Minds. We do go out to visit people or go to a restaurant. We went to Balm Beach near Midland and stayed overnight. It looks like it will be a long slow haul from here on in. I don't expect any fast improvements like we saw during the first 4 months.  Considering that, this will be my last Blog for awhile.  I will try to do 1 final Blog in February, 1 year from the date of the accident. Thanks for the support from all the friends and family who followed this Blog.

Dave

11:45

Not much to report in the last little while. Bev finds it exhausting to use the keyboard so I guess you're stuck with me for awhile. Hopefully the physiotherapist will be able to get Bev's hands working better. Somehow she manages to use the keys on the TV converter though.  The physiotherapist will be coming to the house twice a week. We don't know the schedule for the occupational therapist yet. It seems to take forever to get these things sorted out. Bev can get in and out of the pool with help, getting in is a lot easier than getting out, she has been in a couple of times now.  The heat keeps us in the house most of the time. One of Kim's friends lent us a floor model air conditioner for the main floor and I installed a window air conditioner in the bedroom so we are surviving the heat OK.  It looks like we will have to finally break down and get central air. Bev goes back to St. Mikes this week for a neurophysiology test to determine the extent of nerve damage to the right side of her face from the blow to the head. Hopefully it will go OK. Her right eyelid is functioning better so the nerve damage there seems to be healing itself.

1:30

Bev doesn't feel up to doing the Blog just now. One of her lower right teeth was damaged in the accident and it started bothering her recently. She went to her own dentist last week. The dentist said it must be extracted but considering Bev's injuries and the long list of drugs she is on the dentist sent her to a dental surgeon in Newmarket. It was just supposed to be an evaluation visit but the dentist decided to remove the tooth immediately. At least Bev didn't have any time to get all worried about it. With the help of gas and some valium the whole thing was done before she knew it, she doesn't remember a thing.  It turns out that the receptionist is the wife of our car insurance agent so she knew all about Bev's accident. The new physiotherapist visited on Monday for an evaluation and will be back Thursday.  It looks like she will be coming to the house 2 days a week. No word on the occupational therapist yet. Bev is going back to St. Mikes tomorrow to have her eye looked at.  We went to Jack's 65th birthday party on Friday night and had a great time. On the weekend Sherri came down and kept Bev busy while I caught up on other things. Bev now has a Wii with the Fit program so Sherri set that up and Bev enjoyed it very much. Two friends from Bev's work dropped by for lunch today so we are keeping very busy.

7:30PM

Hi its me again (Bev). I’m home!! And believe it or not I’m home for good. It feels so good to wake up in my own bed with Dave beside me!!!!!!!!!!!! They took me by surprise when they said I could go home on June 30th but I wasn’t going to argue! Physio hasn’t started yet but it should be soon. They called today and she has someone in Aurora but nothing was said. We were out twice this weekend – once to my younger brother Ed’s for Christen’s birthday (on Sat) and once to Grace & Ron’s (on Sunday) for dinner. I may have been exhausted but it was worth it.

Message from Dave: Sorry about last weeks blog, or lack of it.  Somehow when I tried to post the blog it disapeared. I didn't realize it until we started this one. Hopefully Bev will be assessed and approved this week for physio and occupational therapy. Most of it should take place at home but we may have to travel once a week to Scarborough.  Our social life seems to be getting back in gear with invitations for dinners and people coming to our house to visit.  It sure beats driving to downtown Toronto every day.

8:30

Hi its me again (Bev).  Home for the weekend but have to go back to rehab in about an hour.  Dave had a good fathers day.  Both Lynne and Janice came to visit today, both on separate occasions, but it was nice to see them.  From what I gather nothing much is new so I guess things are carrying on without me.

 Update from Dave:  The weekend was very busy with many visitors plus someone from Rehab First who came to evaluate Bev's needs for ongoing care once she comes home.  Bev's discharge date has been moved from July 12th to June 30th.  Last week Bev went back to the eye doctor once again. The doctors are satisfied that Bev's right eye is in good condition but there is no indication that her sight in that eye will return.  Bev also went to a stroke clinic but the doctor put off any treatment until he could review Bev's MRI results from the Texas hospital. Bev goes to a Plastics Clinic today where a plastic surgeon will look at the scars on her arms.

6:30

Hi, this is Dave,

Bev wasn't up to doing the blog this weekend, nothing serious, just too many things got in the way and she ran out of time.  Hopefully she will be able to see to the unanswered e-mails using Toronto Rehab's computer during the week. I will try to get her back to doing the blog next weekend.  Thanks for sending her e-mails, she is always suprised when someone takes the time to send her one.  Answering them is good therapy for her hands, it takes some time for her to type in a reply so please be patient if she hasn't answered yet.

The therapists introduced a new clinic in Bev's list of therapies called a balance clinic. In controlled conditions they push her over to measure her reaction to prevent her fall and practice ways for Bev to retain her balance.  Bev also went back to St. Mikes last week to a fracture clinic where they confirmed that all her bones have healed, so physiotherapy can step up her exercises without fear of injury.  They also confirmed that Bev's left arm has some healing issues, apparently when serious fractures occur at the same time as a significant brain injury the body goes into overdrive when producing new bone material.  This excess bone material has fused the two bones in Bev's lower left arm and also produced an excessive amount of bone in Bev's upper left arm.  This stops Bev from being able to rotate her left hand as the two arm bones cannot move independently, also Bev cannot bend her left elbow any tighter than 90 degrees. The doctor explained that in about 1 year he could operate to remove all the plates in Bev's arm as well as the excess Bone material. This should return a greater range of movement to Bev's arm but would require a lot more physiotherapy. It will be up to Bev whether she wants to have it done or not.  This week we are off to St. Mikes on Wednesday to see the eye doctor again and on Friday for a stroke clinic.  Combining this with all the different therapy clinics makes the days go by faster. Bev comes home for good no later than July 12th so only one more month to go.  It feels like I haven't had a chance to catch my breath since the accident Feb 5.

4 PM

HI IT’S Me (Bev) I,M home for the weekend!




Thanks for taking an interest in the blog and a special thanks to Dave for doing it. How he found the time is beyond me but I guess it was a lot quicker than going over and over and over everything on the phone; I’m doing better but I’m still in rehab and only come home on the weekends. What a bore



We went out this morning (or should I say early this afternoon). My E.I.is now up to date and they should get it deposited on Tuesday. I wanted to look for some new furniture too but believe it or not Newmarket doesn’t have a furnioture store (such as a Brick or Leons.) So we settled for visiting the Churher’s. Peter wasn’t home but we had a nice chat with DIANE and Holly,





Talk to you’ALL next weekend.

Love and thanks for all your support.

Bev

 
Hi, this is Dave,  as you can see Bev is taking over my duties on the Blog. After 4 months and 100 blogs I feel it is time to step aside and let Bev stay in touch directly.  If there is  anyone out there still reading the Blog I will get Bev to update it every weekend. As Bev's health improves I find I am spending more time directly involved in her care and not just visiting every day.  Weekends are spent almost constantly with her so it's only fair that she does her part and takes over the communications duties. If you want to contact Bev directly please e-mail her at owenfam@live.ca  Hopefully Bev will be able to answer you next weekend.
 
Thanks for your support,
 
Dave

7 AM

Bev came home Friday afternoon for the weekend, she will be coming home every weekend from now on.  Bev's walking is improving, she can get around the house without using a walker as long as someone is close by.  We went shopping for shoes and went to the nursery for plants, she supervises while I plant.  Some friends dropped in to say hello and Bev enjoyed that very much. Bev's stamina is improving every week, she spends less time sleeping during the day.  Bev received a lounge chair on Saturday that lays back almost horizontal for naps and then tips forward and up so she can stand up from a sitting position without assistance, all with the touch of a button.

7 AM

Just a quick update.  There were no major events this week. Bev was busy every day with the therapists. She continues to improve and is starting to walk up some stairs with assistance.  Bev is no longer being fed overnight through the tube to her stomach, this has improved her appetite during the day.  If Bev maintains her weight the tube will be removed within the next few weeks.

6 AM

Bev was able to come home for the weekend, she suffers from car sickness so she takes gravol for both the trip home and the trip back to rehab.  Bev cannot climb stairs to the second floor so we set up a bedroom in the dining room at the front of the house. Bev spent most of Saturday sleeping. We set up a small bed in the family room and Bev went from sitting in a chair to laying in the small bed most of Sunday and Monday. She was able to join visiting family members at the table for dinner both Saturday and Sunday. Bev was in good spirits all weekend.  Bev will probably be able to come home every weekend from now on and hopefully be able to have more visitors.

There was a "family" meeting on Friday at Toronto Rehab, Bev, Kim and I attended. This was a meeting to review Bev's progress and determine further treatments. The staff of Toronto Rehab plus a representative from Rehab First, Bev's Case Manager and Bev's lawyer were present. Rehab First will be providing Bev's ongoing rehab once she is home. It was confirmed that Bev will be released from Toronto Rehab on July 12th. The staff at Toronto Rehab said that considering the extent of Bev's injuries they were surprised and pleased at the progress she was making but noted that she still had a very long way to go and that home treatment would be needed for a long time. On Monday afternoon someone came to assess the house to see what aids Bev will need right away as well as further down the road.

9 AM

Bev had the operation on her right eyelid to keep it closed yesterday. It doesn't close the eyelid all the way, some opening is left to be able to apply antibiotics and lubricant. The stitch can be removed at later date if the nerve to the eyelid muscle heals. The operation was longer and more painful than expected and Bev's eye will be bruised and sore for a few days.  The results from Bev's x-rays and bone density scan show an excessive  buildup of new bone around some of her injuries, these may have to be removed some time down the road as they may impede movement in her left arm and hand.  Bev continues to do well with her various therapists and we may be able to get her out of the rehab centre for more extended periods this weekend.

9:30 PM

Sorry I haven't posted a new blog lately. Due to technical difficulties BLOGGER would not allow new blogs to be posted.

Bev has had a busy week,  she is making good progress with all the different therapists working with her.  She has advanced from pureed food to chopped food and soon will advance to a more solid diet.  Bev is still having a lot of trouble with her left arm and hand so a new set of x-rays were done on Wednesday. On Friday Bev had a full body bone density scan. The x-rays and scans are done at Mt. Sinai hospital right next door. Bev is taken through a tunnel between Mt. Sinai and Toronto Rehab. On Thursday Bev went to the Opthamologist at St. Mikes to look at her right eye.  The optical nerve is damaged and will probably not heal but just in case it does it is important to keep Bev's eye in healthy condition. The nerve that controls the muscle that closes the eyelid is damaged and so Bev cannot close her right eye. This causes the eye to dry out and if left the way it is permanent damage will eventually occur. To prevent this the doctors will operate on Bev's right eyelid next Wednesday to put in 1 stitch between the upper and lower eyelids to keep the eyelid closed. Bev has had a lot of tests in the last 2 weeks to determine if her brain is working as if should. This includes a lot of memory tests, problem solving, logical thinking and whatever else the psychologists can come up with. Bev passed all of the tests with ease so there seems to be little chance of any permanent brain damage. The staff have told Bev that her time at Toronto Rehab will be over by July 12th and that she would be going home then.

8:30 PM

Bev had a session with the speech therapist on Friday. He gave her 1/2 of a tuna sandwich that Bev had no problem eating. He said he would see about switching Bev over from pureed food to chopped food. The evaluation period should be just about finished and we should find out about Bev's program soon. On Saturday we were able to take Bev outside in a wheelchair.  We took her to Dundas and Bay to a hairdresser for a real short haircut. The wind really bothers Bev's right eye so we bought her a black eyepatch, very becoming. On Sunday Bev had a lot of visitors.  Back to the therapy grind Monday morning.

8PM

Bev has been at Toronto Rehab since Tuesday. She has had meetings with all the therapists and doctors who will be working with her. Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy have already begun. The speech therapist will spend 2 hours with Bev Friday, speech therapy also includes Bev's ability to chew and swallow food. Today the main doctor spent 2 hours with Bev going over her physical injuries/stroke as well as symptoms from her brain injury.  After all the evaluations are complete the staff will design a program for Bev which should tell us how long they expect Bev to stay at the centre.

3:30

Bev was moved to Toronto Rehab-University Centre early this morning. It was difficult to say goodby to Kerry the physiotherapist as she has really gone out of her way to see that Bev's needs were taken care of. Toronto Rehab is located just south of Mt. Sinai hospital and across the street from Sick Kids hospital on University Ave.  This is one of the three centres in Toronto that offers Acquired Brain Injury Rehab as well as Stroke/Trauma Rehab. The wing that Bev is in just opened in February, it seems to have the latest and the greatest of everything. Within 2 hours of arriving, Bev had gone through the admissions interview and had a meeting with her new physiotherapist.  She is scheduled to meet with occupational therapists, speech therapists etc. during the rest of the day. They intend to keep her busy every day so visiting hours will not start until 4 PM.  Bev is in a private room as she is still in isolation.  The rooms are VERY nice. Large sit down showers, Bev will get a shower every morning. No more hospital gowns, Bev can wear pyjamas while in bed and a track suit during the day. For the time being Bev is still on pureed foods but hopefully that will change soon.

4 PM

Bev will be moving to Toronto Rehab tomorrow (Tuesday) at 9 AM.

7 PM

On Thursday the physiotherapist got Bev into a normal height walker. This walker has wheels on the front legs and small skids on the back legs so Bev can't get ahead of herself. With the help of the physiotherapist supporting Bev, and me following behind with the wheelchair for Bev to sit in when she gets tired, Bev made it to the end of the hall. With assistance Bev can now use this walker to get to the washroom.  Bev's new room has a shower and the nursing assistant helped Bev to have a shower on Saturday, the first in almost 3 months. All of these improvements are moving Bev up the list to get into a rehab facility but no word yet on when a room will be available. The long wait is starting to get to Bev and she desperately wants to come home, even if only for weekends.

7:30 AM

Bev has been moved to another room. If you are looking for her she is on the same floor, room 40.  Bev is still in isolation so gown and gloves are still required. Bev's ability to stand on her own is slowly improving and the physiotherapist now has Bev standing, facing the wall while holding on to a hand rail. While doing this Bev can shuffle her feet about 3 meters to the right and then back to the left. While still standing Bev does the following exercises 10 times each, stands on her toes, stands on her heels, kicks each leg back.  After all this Bev goes for a walk in her stand-up walker.  The physiotherapist assists Bev through all of these exercises. 

7 AM

Bev had a quiet Easter weekend, no chocolate bunnies but her sister did bring Bev a dark chocolate Aero bar.  Bev is able to feed herself with her right hand and is slowly increasing the amount she eats. She says the coffee all tastes burnt. Bev can't get from a prone position to a sitting position on her own but once sitting on the edge of the bed she is able to stand up on her own, if only for a few seconds, without support. With Kim and I supporting her Bev is able to slowly walk the 15 feet to the washroom and back. Bev has been off the oxycotin for over 1 week and the episodes of imagining things seem to be diminishing.

9:30 AM

Bev made good progress with her physio this week, on Wednesday she was put in a stand up walker in the hallway and was able to walk on her own to the end of the hall and half way back. While Bev is doing this 2 people walk on each side of her but hold her up as little as possible, I push the wheelchair behind her so that she can have an occasional rest.  Bev now gets 3 puree meals a day but she eats very little, she complains of feeling full and bloated constantly. We have convinced the nutritionist to stop feeding Bev through her stomach during the day and to cut back on feeding her at night. Hopefully this will increase Bev's appetite but it must be hard to get excited about pureed food.  Today I will take her in a Tim Hortons coffee and a straw.

7 PM

Bev had a good weekend with lots of visitors, she is always suprised when people show up and she enjoys the visits, as long as she can stay awake.  Therapy started again on Monday including short walks around the room with 2 helpers and now Bev is putting round pegs in round holes with her right hand using a board and pegs that look a lot like a childs toy. After two and a half months on oxygen Bev is finally off it. She is maintaining a good enough oxygen level in her blood on her own.  The congestion in her chest has almost gone completely.  No word yet on when Bev can be removed from isolation or when she can be transferred to a rehab facility.

5:30

The last 3 days Bev has been in the routine of Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy every day. Bev shows slow improvement in her hands and arms. Her right hand and arm is way ahead of her left. Bev can almost hold up a magazine with her right hand but can't turn the pages.  The 2 physiotherapists have been working on Bev's walking and she can walk across the room with one person on each side of her holding her up. Bev gets lifted into her wheelchair every day but can only sit in it for 30 minutes before it hurts too much and she has to get back to bed. Bev does get a snack of pudding or rice pudding or apple sauce 3 times a day but quite often she is too full to eat them.  Bev is still on oxycotin pain killer every 4 hours but it is having an effect on her. She imagines all kinds of things. Hopefully the dosage can be reduced to every 6 hours with none at night by next week.

8 AM

Bev had her left upper arm brace removed late Monday.  This will make it easier for her to do the occupational therapy exercises.  Bev's left arm has taken the longest time to heal , Bev is just beginning to be able to move her left fingers, wrist and elbow a little bit without a great deal of pain. There is still some swelling in Bev's left arm and hand. Tuesday morning Bev finally got her chocolate pudding. She is now supposed to get a pureed snack 3 times a day. Bev's right hand isn't strong enough yet to hold the spoon so she has to be fed.

7 PM

Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Bev has been a little more with it for the last 3 days. The eye doctor is treating her right eye for an infection. Bev had visitors all 3 days and for the most part she stayed awake and had good visits. The weekends are slow so we spent most of the time doing exercises, washing her hair, and taking care of her hands and feet. I am able to transfer Bev in and out of her wheelchair without using a lift so that makes life easier as we don't have to rely on hospital staff so much. I was told it will probably be the end of the month before Bev is transfered to a rehab facility. The oxycotin pain killer is still making Bev confused sometimes but overall she is in good spirits.

April 8th 6:15 AM

Wednesday and Thursday were quiet for Bev, she slept most of the time.  Bev wasn't her usual self with the physiotherapist. They have done a chest x-ray and are conducting urine and blood tests to see if Bev has picked up an infection that is making her so lethargic.  Bev is also complaining that her right eye is causing her pain so the nurse is arranging for a doctor to look at it.  It doesn't look like Bev will get to try her chocolate pudding until next week.

April 5th 9 PM

Bev was back hard at work with the physiotherapist Monday and Tuesday.  Today, after a workout with the physiotherapist on her legs and arms she went through another session with the occupational therapist on her arms and hands.  Later the Speech therapist showed up to try feeding Bev applesauce and try to have Bev drink water from a cup. The applesauce worked out better than the water.  Bev gets to try again on Thursday with chocolate pudding. Hopefully by the end of the week Bev will be having snacks 3 times a day to go with her normal meals through the stomach tube.

Apr 4th 9 AM

Saturday and Sunday are quiet days at the hospital, a few visitors and no rehab. Bev was awake and alert on Saturday but Sunday she slept most of the afternoon.  Today it's back to rehab.

Apr 1st 5 PM

Thursday and Friday were exactly the same. Bev had physiotherapy in the morning, she was able to balance herself for a short period while sitting on the side of her bed. After physiotherapy she was transferred to a wheelchair.  We went for a tour of the floor and by the time we arrived back at Bev's room she was exhausted and in pain.  Bev had visitors on both days, which she enjoys but sometimes has a hard time staying awake for the visit.  Bev is on a pain killer called Oxycotin or some name like that. It can leave her a little confused about events and doesn't help her short term memory at all.  Saturday and Sunday there is no physiotherapy.

Mar30th 6:15 PM

Tuesday was a quiet day for Bev.  She was in good spirits and enjoyed her visitors. Today,  right after physiotherapy Bev was lifted into a wheelchair and we roamed the hospital halls for an hour.  After that Bev was so sore and tired she just wanted to get back to bed.  Still, it was another step forward.  No solid food yet including applesauce as Bev is not able to swallow well enough yet. On the down side it looks like Bev will not regain her vision in her right eye.  Her vision in her left eye seems to be fine. 

Mar 29th 9 AM

Bev had her trachea tube removed Monday morning, if all goes well she can try applesauce tomorrow.  The physiotherapist had Bev standing at the side of the bed with 2 people supporting her. She had Bev taking small steps forward and to the side. The physiotherapist is pleased with Bev's legs but says her arms are going to need a lot of work.

Mar 26th 8:20 AM

Bev had a good day yesterday. She was awake chatting with visitors for most of the afternoon. On Sundays the hospital is quiet so there is nothing to report from the doctors.

Mar 26th 6 PM

Bev had a quiet day both Friday and Saturday.  Physio on Friday seemed to wear her out and she spent most of the afternoon asleep.  Sunday they tried to feed her too much too fast and she threw up. The nurse gave her some medicine to calm her stomach and it made Bev drowsy. Bev spent most of the rest of the afternoon asleep.

Mar 25th 8:45 AM

Bev had a series of x-rays Thursday morning. The doctor came by in the afternoon and said that Bev's bones are all healing quickly including the left arm. He sees no need to operate on Bev's left arm at present as it may do more harm than good. Bev will be able to start physiotherapy on her left arm today.  She will be able to weight bear on her right leg next week and physio will start getting her up on 2 feet.  Bev is scheduled to have the trachea breathing tube removed on Monday. At that time she will be put on a waiting list for a long term care facility. The doctors have decided that Bev will need neurological rehabilitation as well as physical rehabilitation. This level of care is not provided in York Region and is only available at 3 facilities in Toronto. The wait time is usually about 3 weeks.  If Bev still has to be in isolation the wait time could be longer. In the meantime physiotherapy and occupational therapy will continue at St. Mikes.  There may be permanent damage to Bev's right eye.

Mar 24th 8 AM

I was not able to visit Bev yesterday.  Sherri told me that Bev was the same as the last few days. There have been no new developments.

Mar 23rd 7:30

Bev continues to be frustrated at what she sees as the delays in allowing her to go home.  She continues to plan her escape.  I spoke to a doctor Tuesday to try and see what happens next for Bev.  She will not be put on a waiting list for a long term care rehab facility until the trachea tube is removed which could happen as soon as early next week.  He will look into having physiotherapy get Bev standing up on her feet. Eventually Bev's left arm will be operated on to correct or remove the loose screws. The doctor says the wait will not cause any more nerve damage than what may have already occurred.  Bev cannot move her left arm but can wiggle her fingers slightly.  Her left arm still causes her pain when moved.  The doctor is concerned that Bev's right eye may have sustained permanent damage, they are continuing to treat it. Physiotherapy is progressing, Bev is slowly re-gaining some use of her right arm and right leg but she still has a long way to go.  Her speech is improving, she has no problem carrying on a conversation using full sentences.  Bev does have some short term memory issues that will probably go away as her brain continues to heal.

Mar 22nd 9 AM

Bev had her tube capped off most of yesterday and is not coughing as much. The congestion in her chest seems to be finally going away.  She spent most of her day out of bed in the recliner chair. Bev asked to have the TV service turned on so now she has something to occupy her time when there are no visitors.  The physiotherapy sessions are getting longer but Bev will not be allowed to stand until her fractured hip/leg is healed enough to bear the weight.

Mar 21st 7 AM

Bev had the new trachea tube capped off at 8 AM Sun and it was still capped off when I left at 4 PM.  The respiratory technicial only uncapped it once to suction Bev's chest to see how much buildup there was. After a few days they will try leaving it capped of permanently.  If everything goes well and it can be capped off for a 48 hour period the trachea tube will be removed.  Bev still needs a small amount of oxygen administered now through a tube to her nose.  Bev is not quite able to maintain proper oxygen levels just breathing on her own.  All of this is allowing Bev to talk and be understood a lot better.

Mar 20th 10:30 AM

It being the weekend Bev does't get any physiotherapy until Monday.  The nurses did transfer Bev over to the reclining chair for awhile. Bev's right arm has improved to the point that she can raise it about 6 inches and then wiggle her fingers to say goodbye to visitors.  Communications has improved by blocking the trachea tube and putting my ear close to Bev's mouth to make out the words. The doctor told us that there will be no surgery required on Bev's left arm as the splint seems to be doing the job of keeping the bones in place until healing takes place. Bev cannot move her left arm but can wiggle the fingers on her left hand a little bit. The left arm and hand are still quite swollen.

Mar 19th 8:30

Bev is better able to make herself understood now that she has a smaller trachea tube. More air can get from her lungs to her mouth and she can make noises instead of just mouthing words. If I block the tube completely Bev can get even more air through her mouth and the words are even easier to understand. Bev seems to be able to breathe very well with the tube blocked so it seems the tubes only purpose now is to allow the nurses to suction the congestion from Bevs chest.  Bev is still not coughing well enough to completely clear her chest on her own.  Now that it is easier to understand Bev she has made it clear that she wants to go home NOW.

Mar 18th 6:30 AM

The trachea tube that was inserted in Texas has been replaced with a smaller trachea tube.  This will allow more air to pass by the tube to reach Bev's lungs through her mouth.  The new trachea tube can also be capped off which will force Bev to breathe thru her mouth.  Otherwise Bev remains stable and anxious to get out of the hospital.

Mar 17th 10 AM

Happy St. Patricks day.

Nothing really to report. Bev had a quiet day yesterday, her physio was scaled back due to staff meetings. Nothing new on what the next steps will be in her treatment.

Mar 16th 8:30

Bev had a busy day yesterday starting with physiotherapy at 11AM which tired her out so much she slept afterwards for a few hours. Later the occupational therapist showed up to evaluate Bev before starting therapy on her arms and hands.  The eye doctor was also around to check on Bev's left eye as there is some sign of irritation. Bev still insists she wants to get out of bed and start walking and she is exercising her right arm on her own.

Mar 15th 7 AM

Bev had another good day with physiotherapy, she says it hurts so I take that as a sign she is trying to do what the physiotherapist wants.  Lots of visitors yesterday so by the end of the visiting hours Bev was having a hard time staying awake.  It is hard to understand Bev as she can only mouth words with no actual sounds coming out but after awhile she was able to get across that she wanted to get out of bed and that she wanted to go home.  Bev is getting tired of not being able to move herself around to get comfortable. Gloves and gowns are still required for all visitors and the trachea tube has not been removed yet although Bev is doing a better job of coughing on her own to clear the congestion in her lungs. Once the doctors are convinced Bev can cough well enough to keep her lungs clear the process of removing the tube will begin.

Mar 14th 8:30 AM

Bev is holding her own physically, all he readings are good, no fever and she is getting better at coughing for herself to relieve the congestion in her chest.  Bev's right leg is still improving and she is still moving her right elbow and fingers a little bit. Bev's mental state is also improving in as much as she is very aware of what is going on around her. She tries to join in on conversations by mouthing words and understands everything that is being said. Bev is also getting frustrated with her inability tomove herself around in the bed and also her inability to make herself understood.  This can make her a little cranky sometimes. It's Monday so the weekday routine resumes including physiotherapy and spending time out of bed in the lazyboy chair.

Mar 13th 7:30 AM

Bev had a quiet day yesterday, there is no physiotherapy on the weekends so Bev spent some of the day sleeping.  When she was awake Bev was alert and responsive. She can move her right foot quite a bit and a little movement is returning to her right knee.  We also noticed some small movements in her right elbow and the fingers on her right hand. Back to physio tomorrow.

Mar 12th 8AM

Be has improved in the last 2 days, maybe it's the new room.  The physiotherapist is all smiles again, she says Bev is really trying and is improving every day. For the last 2 days Bev has been moved from her bed to a chair beside the bed for a few hours each day.  The chair is more like a hospital version of a La Z Boy recliner so Bev is still more horizontal than vertical but it's a start. Yesterday Bev was in the chair for over 3 hours.  Bev was very responsive yesterday, trying to mouth words to let us know what she wants.  It is difficult to read her lips but we did manage to figure out she wants her back and legs rubbed. Bev now has a splint on her upper left arm but I can't get a definite answer on when they will operate to re-set the break.

March 11th

I wasn't able to visit Bev yesterday but her brother called to say she has been moved from intensive care to a private room on the same floor. Gloves and gowns are still required for visitors.  Bev was moving her right leg more yesterday and smiling at her visitors and trying to form words.

Mar 10th 8 AM

Not much to report about yesterday. Bev was sleepy when I arrived and stayed that way until the physiotherapist woke her up. After physiotherapy Bev slept soundly. The physiotherapist say Bev does cooperate when asked but she feels Bev could be trying a lot harder.  Bev was awake for a short while before I left. Still no definite word on when Bev's arm will be operated on or when she will be moved from intensive care.  Bev's fever is gone and the congestion in her lungs seems to be easing up slightly.

Mar 9th 8:AM

Another good day for Bev yesterday, physiotherapy in the morning, a visitor around noon and the rest of the day was quiet. Bev seemed in better spirits. Bev has been off the ventilator for over 48 hours and is ready to move out of intensive care as soon as a suitable room is available.  No word on when she will get the break in her upper left arm repaired.  Iti is supposed to be sometime this week. Adjustments have been made to Bev's trachea tube to allow her to breathe a little more through her mouth and nose.

Tues Mar 8th 8:15 AM

Bev had a good day yesterday. She started off with a sponge bath and a hair wash and then had an ultra-sound on her right arm in preparation for surgery this week. After that came physiotherapy, this time the physiotherapist was more pleased with Bev's response. By the time visitors arrived from Bev's work she had a hard time keeping her eyes open.  As of yesterday afternoon Bev had been off the ventilator for well over 24 hours. Once Bev goes 48 hours without the ventilator it will be removed from the room and shortly after that Bev should be moved into a private room on the same floor.

Mon Mar 7th 7:45

Sunday was a quiet day for Bev, Just Sherri and I during the day and Bev's sister Jackie in the evening.  During the early part of the day Bev was very alert, she was trying to talk, complaining about a sore back and wanting her legs rubbed.  Later in the day she spent most of her time asleep. Bev is only on the ventilator at night now and the amount of time on it each night is being reduced.  Bev's upper left arm is not healing properly. The plate that is used to hold the bone in place is screwed to the bone with 4 screws above the break and 4 screws below the break.  The 4 screws below the break have somehow worked themselves loose and the break is no longer aligned properly. This is putting pressure on the nerve going to the lower arm, hand and fingers. If left to heal the way it is Bev may not regain full use of her left hand.  The doctors are going to operate this week to replace the plate with a longer one and insert new screws.

Sun Mar 6th 8 AM

Bev had a good day yesterday with lots of visitors showing up. They kept Bev busy from 11 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon. Bev seems to enjoy the visits and why not when one niece is massaging her feet etc with lotion.  Bev gave an occasional smile, especially for the niece and my mother. She will give a slight nod for yes and no every once in awhile. The visits tired Bev out and by 3 PM it was lights out and off to sleep. 

Sat Mar 5 9:30AM

Bev had another quiet day yesterday.  She continues to have physiotherapy each weekday. The results for the last 2 days with the physiotherapist have not been as productive as the first day. Bev is off the respirator/ventilator for at least 12 hours a day, they intend to increase the time breathing on her own each day. The congestion is still there in her chest but not as pronounced. Still gloves and gowns for all visitors.

Fri Mar 4th 9 AM

Bev had a quiet day yesterday, she remained awake from the time I arrived at 11 to the time I left at 4.  I'm afraid that may have tired her out for her evening visitors as she did doze off while they were there. Bev did mouth some words to some songs along with Kim a bit. Bev was off the respirator from 8 AM until after 9 PM at least. The nurse said she would probably go back on during the night.  The nurse indicated Bev would probably be moved out of intensive care in less than 1 week.

Thur Mar 3rd 8 AM

Bev had another good day yesterday, She was off the respirator and breathing without any assistance for 4.5 hours from 8 AM to 12:30.  I understand the nurses will take Bev off the respirator more frequently based on how well she can handle it.  Two physiotherapists arrived and picked Bev up and sat her on the edge of the bed.  The session lasted about 15 minutes and was centred on exercising Bev's feet and legs.  Of course Bev's left leg and foot are much more responsive than her right.  She was able to kick out her lower left leg and move her left foot up and down. Bev was also able to lift her whole left leg a little bit using the upper part of her leg.  When asked to do the same with the right leg you can see Bev is trying but the movement is small at this point.  Bev is regaining movement in her right foot however.  The good thing is she is communicating with the physeotherapist, she understands what is being asked of her and she is trying to comply.  The rest of the afternoon was pretty quiet but a few times Bev was trying to form words with her mouth.

Wed Mar 2 7:30

Bev remains in isolation, there has been no luck yet in finding the right antibiotic for her lung infection.  On the bright side Bev had a very good day yesterday.  A long time friend came to visit and when Bev saw her she was opening her mouth to try and form words. Bev was able to move her toes on both feet when asked, and she can move the fingers on her left hand a tiny bit when asked.  She has good control over her left leg. Both hands are still very swollen from the operations to fix Bev's arms.  Bev was able to nod her head a little bit  once or twice when asked a question. She can move her head from side to side sometimes as well.  Both eyes are active although the right eyelid is slow to respond.  When Kim arrived she played some music for Bev and Bev tried mouthing the words to a few songs. The physiotherapist has started working with Bev's arms and legs daily and mentioned she wants to get Bev sitting on the side of the bed soon.

Mon Feb 28 6 PM

Bev had a busy day today.  By the time I arrived the splints/casts on both her arms had been removed and replaced with bandages. This must have been very tiring and I couldn't get much response from her.  Around 12:30 a physiotherapist showed up for her first visit and gave Bev's arms and legs a real workout.  At times Bev was not pleased with the attention.  After that Bev had no time for me and immediately went to sleep. My sister and Mother arrived around 2:30.  Bev was awake for their visit and Mum got a smile from Bev. That pleased everyone including the nurse. The nurse said she hadn't seen Bev so alert for days.  Bev has acquired a nasty bug that is very resistant to anti-biotics. She will probably remain inisolation for at least 1 more week with visitors required to wear gowns and gloves.

It is now 3 weeks since Bev's accident.  During those 3 weeks Bev's progress seemed to be very very slow, at times she seemed to be going backwards.  During the first 24 hours after the accident I feared Bev wasn't going to make it.  Everyone from the paramedics at the scene to the doctors at the hospital said Bev's injuries were very grave and I should be prepared for the worst.  Now when I look at Bev I can't believe how far she has come.  To look at her now she looks like the Bev I knew before the accident. All of the bruising and swelling on her face is gone, all the tubes going into her body are gone. All the exotic drugs keeping her alive are gone, both Bev's eyes are open, she tries to communicate thru wiggling her toes and using facial expressions that fully convey what she thinks about what you are saying to her. Since her arrival at St. Mikes she seems to get better every day.

None of this would have been possible without everyones support, her family and Canadian friends plus the people we met in the US who helped me out and prayed for Bev.  People on the scene, people staying in the neighbouring cabins where we stayed, even the towtruck driver and his friends in the local Honda Goldwing club who were praying for Bev. The doctors and nursing staff at University Hospital were terrific with Bev and they also took the time to see that Kim, Sherri and I were taken care of.  The nurses on the aircraft flying Bev home did a great job working with Bev constantly during the flight to keep her stable and keep her chest clear so she could breathe until we could get her to St. Mikes.

There is one person who made Bev's trip home possible by arranging a bed for Bev at St. Mikes virtually overnight.   A friend of a friend, someone that Bev and I have never met. Someone who wishes to remain anonymous.  How can I thanks someone like that.

Many of Bev's friends and family have been offering help if we needed it. Some wanted to send flowers.  All of these offers are appreciated but right now I can't think of anything I need and Intensive Care doesn't allow flowers ( Bev's not that big on cut flowers anyway ) so one of Bev's family suggested we all get together, take the money we would have spent on flowers, pool it and donate it to St. Mikes as a way of thanking
person mentioned above.  I spoke with a lady at the hospital this morning to find out if St Mikes has a way to help set this up.  We now have a donations account at St. Mikes called " Best wishes for Beverley Owen". So now instead of flowers we can all send a little money to help out the hospital.

Donations can be mailed to:

St. Michael's Foundation
30 Bond Street
Toronto, On M5B 1W8

Donations can be made by phone: 416-864-5000

Donations can be made on line   www.stmichaelsfoundation.com

Just mention "Best wishes for Beverley Owen"

Questions can be addressed to Cynthia Collantes  416-864-5879

My sincere thanks to everyone for your support.

Dave

Sun 6 PM

Bev had a quiet day today.  When we arrived she was less responsive than yesterday and preferred to spend most of the day sleeping.  During those periods when she was awake it was hard to get her to work with us on wiggling her toes etc. At one point she did stickout her tongue when I asked her to. I'm not sure whether she was sticking it out for me or at me.  Bev has been moved to a more secluded area in Intensive Care and the isolation rules for visitors will still apply for the next few days. This means gowns and gloves before going in the room.

Sat 7 PM

Now that Bev is in St Mikes I don't get back to my computer 3 times a day to update the blog.  From now on I will only be able to update once a day.  Bev had another good day today. Some family and 2 old public school friends stopped by.  I'm sure Bev recognized all of them, even if she can't talk she is learning thru facial expressions and eye movements to get her message across.  Both eyes are open now, still her left more than her right. Her temp and blood pressure remain stable, the fever seems to have left but the chest and lung congestion remains. Until the congestion clears up Bev will remain on the respirator and stay in Intensive Care.  We don't have the results from any of the tests done on Bev at St Mikes yet, hopefully on Monday.

Fri 4:30

Bev seems to be settling in to her new room at St. Mikes.  She seems more alert each day. Her left eye is open all the way and her right eye is coming open a little more each day. Bev still can't open her mouth although she is definitely trying. She can wiggle her toes so we tried to start communications by asking her to wiggle for yes.  It seems to be working, I hope we aren't just fooling ourselves. So far all her answers are "yes"  We will have to work on a signal for "no".  Bev is starting to have a little bit of facial expression so if she's not happy about something it's easy to tell.  She seems to recognize new visitors (other than Kim, Sherri and I ). 

Bev can now have visitors. Right now all visitors have to put on a gown and gloves before seeing Bev.  This should be over by Monday.  2 visitors at a time are allowed in Intensive care and please don't bring anything for Bev as she can't keep anything in her room. Visiting hours are from 11 AM to 7 PM and 8 PM to 9 PM. Anyone wanting to visit please call me or e-mail and I will give you directions on how to find her in the hospital.

owenfam@live.ca

905-727-5220

Thur 1:45 PM

Hi,

Some people have been asking how Bev handled the flight home. The following is an extract from an e-mail to my sister.

Yes, Bev did have a hard time with the flight.  It is impossible to say how much she is aware of when her eye is open. We haven't been able to be absolutely sure she is making contact with us although we are convinced she knows we are there as she follows us closely when we move and seems to have real intelligence and comprehension in her eye. You can also see a lot of aprehension in her eye when things start to happen.  The flight was rough for her from all of the jostling to get her on an ambulance stretcher, into an ambulance and then squeeze her into the aircraft. The space inside the aircraft is very cramped and confining.  At best there is just enough room for 2 family members and 2 nurses plus Bev (plus the pilots of course ) but the 2 family members would be almost sitting on top of each other. During the flight Bev's heart rate went up, her blood pressure increased and she had considerable trouble trying to breathe on the portable respirator.  All of the moving around must have loosened up the congestion in her lungs and she had to be suctioned quite often to keep her airways free of congestion.  The nurse administered a sedative during the flight but Bev didn't settle down until she was in St. Mikes and had received another sedative. By the time I left her this morning she was resting comfortably. 

The time it took from being in her room in San Antonio to being in her room in Toronto was 4.5 hours. The actual flight from liftoff to touchdown was 2 hours and 5 minutes. If you have flown commercial you may not believe it. The Learjet is very fast and with a 60 mph tailwind was doing a groundspeed of over 900 mph according to the pilot.

As far as visiting is concerned, I expect it will be open to anyone by the weekend.  2 people at a time. Visiting hours 11AM to 9 PM with an hour break from 7-8 for a nursing shift.  Today and tomorrow the hospital will be starting from scratch with Bev so she will be undergoing a lot of tests. Jackie is there today.  I will go tomorrow along with Bev's brothers if they wish.

I will keep in touch as the situation at St Mikes gels.

Dave
Jackie just called to say Bev's left eye is open and her right eye is partially open, she is wiggling her toes.  Jackie confirms it is hard to tell just how much Bev comprehends at this point, so anyone thinking of visiting Bev should be aware of this.

Feels good to be home in spite of the cold that hit me hard when I got off the plane. Nothing like a ride in an ambulance up Yonge St from the Gardiner to St Mikes with the sirens going to get your adrenaline pumping.

Wednesday Night

I'm home - back in Ontario.  My Aunt Jackie picked me up and I'm here having a late dinner.  Dad will be flying in with Mum and Sherri has booked a flight for tomorrow.

It's wonderful that Mum is coming home to Canada but please be reminded that she is being transferred from the ICU in Texas to ICU here.  We appreciate everyone's prayers and thoughts but want to remind everyone that flowers are not accepted in the ICU and visitations will be for immediate family only until Mum is settled in.  The hospital here will likely want to run it's own tests and such so it will be a busy few days for Mum.  We will still be updating the blog to keep everyone informed of Mum's status.

Kim

Tuesday 5:30 pm

Bev and Dave will be returning home tonight by Lear jet. Bev goes straight to St. Michael's intensive care. They should arrive 3:00 am Thursday.

Tuesday 12:30 pm

Bev's status is the same. No word yet on return to Toronto.

Tues 10:45 PM

Bev was resting comfortably all evening.  Her fever is improving and the congestion in her chest has also lessened considerably.  Bev continues to have her eyes open a good part of the time and seems to be taking everything in.  She does get tired and by the time we left she seemed to be falling off to sleep.

Tues 6:15 PM

We had another good visit with Bev this afternoon.  She still has a lot of congestion in her lungs. Her pulse and blood pressure remain stable and her temp is stable just under 100. When we arrived Bev had her left eye open and her right eye continues to be partially open from time to time. Bev was alert all afternoon, we continue to talk to her, read to her and play music. Bev opens her mouth more often.  The doctors are optimistic that Bev will be able to be transfered to intensive care at a Toronto hospital soon.

Tues 1 PM

Bev was awake and alert when we arrived this morning.  Her left eye was open and her right eye was partially open. Bev follows me with her eyes as I walk around the bed and she seems to look directly at Sherri and Kim when they are beside her.  Bev will wiggle her toes most of the time when asked. Bev still won't open her mouth but sometimes she does seem to be trying to.  Bev's temperature has dropped to just below 100 and her pulse is now in the low 90s.  The doctors did a full scan of her chest and abdomen and that seems to be clear. Bev still has congestion in her lungs but it didn't seem as bad this morning.  The doctors seem pleased with her progress.

Tues 8:30 AM

The doctors used the camera to look at Bev's bronchial tubes and lungs before we arrived yesterday evening, they also took more samples of the fluid buildup for analysis.  They are looking for the source of infection that is causing Bev's fever.  By the time we arrived Bev was sleeping and stayed that way for the rest of the evening.  Bev's pulse remains slightly elevated between 100 and 115.  Her blood pressure is stable and her temp remains around 101.

Mon 5:30 PM

Bev is still on the respirator and her temp is still hovering around 101. The doctors will be using a camera to get a good look inside her lungs.  The key to getting Bev home is to get her off the respirator and that won't happen until Bev's lungs clear up.  Bev's left eye was open most of the time during our visit this afternoon. She opened her right eye a little bit on a couple of occasions as well.  Bev seemed to be more alert, she wiggled her toes when asked and we had more of a feeling that we were making contact.

Mon 12 AM

Bev is still on the respirator and still running a fever around 100.  The preliminary tests on the fluid in her lungs has come back negative. The indepth results will take 1 more day.  Bev's left eye was open when we arrived and stayed open for quite some time. Bev continued to open her left eye perhaps 5 or 6 times during the morning. She seems to follow with her eye if you move to one side or the other.  She still does not respond to requests to open her mouth or wiggle her toes and fingers.

Mon 8:45 AM

Bev was back on the respirator all last evening.  She is still running a temperature of 100 deg F.  The congestion and fluid in her lungs is still a concern and a sample has been taken for analysis.  Bev spent a quiet evening, only opening her eye when the nurses moved her.

Sun 4:30 PM

Bev has been on the respirator all afternoon. Every time the respirator is removed Bev breathes on her own for 3 to 5 hours and then her Broncial and COPD problems start to kick in and the respirator has to be put back on.  The doctors are giving Bev medicine to help her lungs now, and the next time she is removed from the respirator Bev will have a medication close to the puffer she uses at home for her lungs.  Bev's pulse is higher than the doctors would like, around 117, so they gave Bev a blood transfusion. Apparently a little extra blood in the veins allows the heart to not work as hard.

Sun 12:30 PM

Bev was put back on the respirator at 2 AM. She was having difficulty breathing and becoming anxious. She was taken off again at 8 AM and lasted until 11 AM. Bev is back on it now. Bev has a lot of congestion built up in her lungs over the last 2 weeks and breathing on her own is helping to break it up. Moving her to keep her comfortable also loosens the congestion.  This causes some blockage in the trachea tube and makes it difficult for Bev to breathe. The tube gets suctioned out regularly but it still brings on anxiety when it starts to build up in the tube. Bev having COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) doesn't help.

Sun 9 AM

Bev was off the respirator by the time we arrived to visit yesterday evening.  The respirator is no longer hooked up at all. Bev was still breathing on her own when we left for the hotel at 10:30. Her breathing is shallow and fairly rapid, there is a supply of oxygen coming to the opening of her trachea breathing tube to make sure she gets enough.  The volume of air going in and out is not enough to make the doctors happy but it is getting close.  Bev's pulse and blood pressure have remained stable.  Bev did open her eye a couple of times when the nurses were moving her around.

Sat 4:40

The doctors have been slowly removing all of the things that have been keeping Bev's body stable for the last 2 weeks. Bev no longer requires blood pressure medicine or pain killer or sodium chloride.  The tent type blanket that was warming her legs has been removed. Today the doctors have removed the special blanket that Bev was laying on that cooled her when her temp went up and warmed her when her temp went down.  Bev is no longer receiving magnesium for her shivers so hopefully the fever is under control.  At 3:30 today the respirator was put on standby mode. Bev is now breathing on her own for awhile as a test to see if she can be removed from the respirator permanently.  In short, Bev's body seems to be on the way to recovery.  Her brain is not recovering at such a quick pace.  The times that Bev does open her eye and seems to understand us are far too few and far too short.  I suppose that this is to be expected given the stroke on the left side of her brain and the damage from the injury to the right side of her brain.  We will all just have to be patient and give her time.

Sat 1:15 PM

Bev was stable and quiet when we arrived this morning at 9:30.  Still on 1 chest tube, magnesium for shivers and occasionally insulin to keep her blood sugar normal.  We talked to Bev, asking her to open her eye or mouth or wiggle her toes, Sherri also reads to her.  At 11:10 Bev opened her left eye and seemed to be looking from sided to side to see us.  This time Bev kept her eye open for 30 minutes which is unusual. We asked her to open her mouth and a couple of times she seemed to be really trying. This time Bev's blood pressure and pulse remained stable for the whole time.  After 30 minutes Bev was tired of the whole thing, closed her eye and went back to sleep.

Sat 7:30 AM

Jack and Rick just left for home with the car and bikes on the trailer. Their route home takes them past Nashville so they may not get home for awhile.

Bev is still fighting a fever.  She opened her eye when asked on 2 occasions last evening and opened her mouth when asked on one occasion.  The physiotherapists are exercising her fingers and legs and this causes Bev some pain so she is on a mild sedative. This may be suppressing her ability to respond when she is asked to do something.

Friday 6:30pm

Mum hasn't shown too much change today.
The therapist showed us some stretches this afternoon that we can do on Mum's legs, arms and fingers periodically through out the day.  Mum was cringing her face and showing a reaction to the stretches but the therapist encouraged us to dp these several times a day.
In between the morning and afternoon visit Sherri and I went to a used book store and bought a book to read to Mum - Scarlette the sequel to Gone with the Wind.  We can't help but giggle when we read it but we hope Mum enjoys hearing additional stories of Scarlette and Rhett.
In short - not a whole lot to report today.

Friday 9:30am

There really weren't any changes with Mum last night.

This morning Dad is at the hospital with Jack and Rick.  Sherri and I are getting ready to head over shortly for our visit.

Thursday 4:50pm

This afternoon while Dad drove out to pick up the trailer and bikes Sherri and I went to see Mum at the hospital.  When we arrived there were a team of people in the room all trying to give Mum thier attention.  They are playing with Mum's respirator to find the right set up of breaths, air flow and so on and now they will be monitoring her Co2 output.
Mum also got a new pair of boots this afternoon for her feet.  They are designed to keep her toes pointed upwards while lying down (usually when a person lays down thier toes point forward) and they will also help with ventilating her feet and preventing bed sores.
Mum also had the left tube removed from her chest, so she is now down to one.

Thurs 12:15 PM

About 1 hour after we arrived this morning Bev opened her left eye. Up until then she seemed to be sleeping. Bev kept looking around at Kim, Sherri and myself. She seemed to know us. The nurse said Bev seemed very alert. Bev's heart rate jumped quite high and her blood pressure shot up. The nurse gave us some time to try and connect with Bev.  I was able to get Bev to open her mouth once and also close her eyelid. We seemed to be making a connection. Bev's right eye was also trying to open. The nurse gave Bev a sedative to calm her down and slowly she closed her eye and seemed to go back to sleep.

The doctors took Bev completely off the respirator for 30 minutes before we arrived. Bev started to become anxious in her breathing so they put her back on the respirator. The respirator is now set to a mode that encourages Bev to do more breathing on her own. When she exhales some comes out through her mouth and she seems to be trying harder to breathe on her own.  The doctors are planning to remove 1 of the remaining chest tubes soon.

We have been told that Bev will have to be off the respirator for at least 2 days before they can plan to send her home.  Optimistically Bev could come home in about 1 week to 10 days.

Thur 7:15 AM

Bev was having a quiet evening by the time we left her at 10:30.  Bev opened her eye once for me just for a few moments.  The nurses and doctors have a much easier time getting Bev to open her eye, wiggle her toes and even try to open her mouth. One doctor explained to me that Bev's brain is probably conditioned to ignore the sound of my voice. Smart doctor, he must be married. Still waiting for results to see if Bev has an infection which may be causing her fever. The shivers seem to be under control. Both chest tubes remain turned off. Bev still needs some insulin occasionally to control her blood sugar.

I will be travelling to Bandero today to pick up the bikes and trailer and bring them to San Antonio. Jack and Rick along with all their air miles will arrive tonight and drive our Escape, bikes and trailer back to Aurora. Sherri and Kim have rented a car and will continue to visit Bev throughout the day.

Wed 6:40

Bev had a pretty quiet day today so far. Both chest tubes have the suction turned off. She still has a fever and so far they have not found a source of any infection.  Two physio therapists showed up today, one for Bev's arms and one for her legs. They will be exercising Bev's limbs from now on.

When we arrived this afternoon the nurse said Bev had opened her eye a couple of times. Bev opened her eye once for me during the afternoon. Bev is still not moving her fingers or opening her mouth.  Maybe tomorrow.

Wednesday 12:45pm

Bev's eye was open and moving when we arrived at the hosptial this morning.  After a half hour she seemed to be tired, closed her eye and we think fell asleep.
There are still two tubes in her chest (one on each side) but there doesn't seem to be any air leaking from her lungs into her chest.
So far no results yet from the tests done to uncover the cause of the fever.

Tues 11:30 PM

Bev opened her left eye all on her own with absolutely no coaxing tonight just after 10 PM.  Sherri and I were standing on each side of the bed talking to each other when all of a sudden Bev's eye popped open. 
Her eye seems to be responsive in that she seems to follow you and look to the left and right.  Bev is resting now, hopefully until the morning.

Tues 5 PM

Bev has developed a fever so the doctors are doing various tests to determine if it is being caused by an infection. This included another chest x-ray this afternoon.  Bev's legs seemed to have warmed up. The Magnesium medicine has been increased to fight off the shivers. Perhaps Bev just needs some time to get over the long operation on all her fractures.

Tues 1 PM

Bev had the tube in her head removed this morning. This only leaves the 2 tubes in her chest. Bev remains somwhat sedated. Her blood pressure is a little bit high but the doctors are waiting for it to come down on its own. The circulation in her legs is coming back to what it was before the operation. Since the trachea tube has been inserted Bev is trying harder to breathe on her own.  The head neuro surgeon visited this morning along with a number of other doctors. He was able to get Bev to wiggle her toes by what he calls a stimulated response.  This means shaking her while he calls to her asking her to move her toes. He is pleased with this reaction but was quick to tell us that Bev is still very sick.  I think he wants to be very cautious about getting our hopes up too quickly.

Note from Kim - The hosptial has been so good to us that we decided to try and donate blood today in return.  Sherri of course cannot give blood becuase she was in England during Mad Cow.  I tried to donate but my hemoglobin is only 12.3 and it needs to be 12.5 so I will try again tomorrow.  In the meanwhile I'm going to try and bring up my iron levels.  Dad of course had no problems.  He finished donating his blood before two other donators who where there before him had finished - and he got a free t-shirt for his donation.

Tues 6:40 AM

Bev came through the night OK.  There were so many delays in the operating room schedule that it was close to 11 PM before she got back to her room.  The operation was not supposed to take more than 5 hours. Bev had all the fractures in her leg and both arms fixed.  Going through metal detectors at the airport will be more of a challenge in the future.  Bev also had the tracheal tube inserted for breathing . She is sedated right now so she is not responding to voice commands. She still has the tube in her head but if she is stable enough that will come out today. Bev had trouble with the circulation in both legs during the night but the nurse said that problem is under control this morning. The nurse also said the colour in Bev's face and her breathing have both improved since the tubes in her mouth have been removed. All vital signs are stable.  We will visit at 9:30.

Mon 3:40 PM

Bev went in for surgery at 2 PM. She will not be back to her room until 7 PM. We will visit her at 8 PM. We will stay until 10:30 so the next blog won't be until tomorrow morning.

Mon 12:30 PM

We were only able to see Bev for 1/2 hour this morning. They were busy taking Bev downstairs for yet another CT scan prior to the operation on her fractures.  The nurse can still get a response from Bev's left eye and toes. Bev has been off the blood pressure medication all evening and she seems stable without it. As far as we know the surgery is still planned for later today.

Mon 8 AM

Bev has had 2 tubes removed from her chest, 1 of the remaining 2 tubes is still on suction as there is still some air seeping into Bev's chest from the small puncture in her lung. The nurse was able to get Bev to open her left eye and wiggle the toes on both her feet on 2 separate occasions last evening.  Bev won't move her fingers yet though. The Sodium Chloride 3% has been stopped and replaced by normal saline solution.  They took Bev off her blood pressure medication again at 7: PM.  When we left at 10:30 Bev was maintaining the levels that the doctors are looking for on her own.

Today Bev is supposed to get the operation done for her fractures, insert the breathing tube and the removal of the tube in her head..  The last we heard it was to happen this afternoon.

Sun 6:45 PM

Bev was stable all afternoon so we are hoping the surgery on her fractures will go ahead tomorrow.  She did not respond to the nurse this afternoon when asked to open her eye or wiggle her fingers, maybe this evening. She had a CT scan on her head around noon today.  The neuro surgeon came around this afternoon to tell us that she would be removing the drain tube in Bev's head by the end of the day.  Bev no longer needs it.

Sun 12:30 PM

When we arrived at the hospital this morning the nurse told us Bev opened her left eye.  The nurse said she called to Bev to open her eyes while she was shaking Bev's shoulder.  We couldn't believe it so the nurse repeated everything and sure enough Bev opened her left eye.  After doctors rounds today the nurse updated us with the latest plans for Bev.  Bev has 4 tubes in her chest, at this time only one is still set on suction. The other 3 are left to drain on their own. The plan is to remove 2 tubes and leave only 1 of the 2 remaining tubes on suction. Apparently this is the normal step towards removing all the tubes. Bev is scheduled for more x-rays at 5 PM today.  If all is well they intend to repair all of her bone fractures tomorrow.  They will insert the breathing tube at the same time.  The nurse turned off Bev's blood pressure medicine for 2 hours this morning but Bev was unable to maintain the proper levels on her own so it was turned back on. They can't feed Bev through the tube in her stomach until she is off the blood pressure medicine so they will start intravenous feeding once the breathing tube is inserted and the breathing and feeding tubes are removed from her mouth. A collar has been around Bev's neck since the paramedics arrived at the accident. The collar was removed this morning. Bev is looking more like herself each day.

Sun 8 AM

Bev had a quiet night with no change in her status. We picked up Sherri at the airport last night. 

Sat 6 PM

Bev has remained stable all day so there is really nothing new to report. The breathing tube has not been inserted yet. One nurse said there was a big rodeo in town and the trauma centre is being kept busy patching up broken bull riders.  Bev's left hand was twitching a little more this afternoon but it is impossible for us to tell if it is voluntary or involuntary.  We keep talking to her, asking her for a hand squeeze. Bev's pupils respond to light, the left responds much faster than the right.

Sat 12 noon

Bev remains stable,  there is still no response for us.  The breathing tube has not been inserted yet. Physically she looks better each day. A lot of the bruising and swelling is slowly fading.  She looks a lot more like Bev now. We have not heard any date for the operation on her fractures. Perhaps we will know more this afternoon.

I know there is more than one nurse following this blog so the following technical stuff is for you.

Heart rate:  80
Glucose:  120
Blood Pressure:  122/50
CPP:  68
Respirator setting:  f set 17     f total 20

This morning Bev received Vancomycin (a form of penicilin I think) to combat infection. Bev also received a low dose of blood thinner to help with the poor circulation in her legs.

Her ongoing medication consists of the following 4 things

Fenatyl (pain killer)  2.5 mL/hour   we have been told this is a low dosage
Vasopressin  2.4 mL/hour, we have been told this is to keep Bev's blood pressure high enough
Magnesium 6.3 mL/hour   we have been told this is to help control the shivers that Bev sometimes gets.
Sodium Chloride 3%   25 mL/hour   Bev's sodium level was low and this helps maintain the proper Sodium level in her body.

We understand from the staff that none of these drugs are being administered in large doses and they are only being used until Bev's body is more capable of regulating itself without them.  She was receiving small amounts of insulin from time to time but that has almost ceased now.  The drain to her brain has been clamped off for some time now although they did unclamp it for 15 minutes this morning and then clamped it off again.  It appears that the fluids being produced around her brain are being absorbed by the body as they normally would be.

Sat 8 AM

Bev was stable all last evening. I received no calls from the hospital during the night so I expect there has been no change. We saw no response from Bev ourselves last evening.  The tube was inserted in her stomach to provide nutrition. It is being used for medicine but will not be used for nutrition until Bev's blood pressure is a little more stable. The tracheal breathing tube should be inserted today. The bone doctors are ready to operate on all of Bev's fractures ASAP but can't move until the neurological team gives their OK.

Friday 5:30 PM

Bev had a quiet afternoon.  All vital signs remain steady and her temp is holding at 98.6.  There was no discernable response from her.  As we were leaving at 4 PM the doctors were preparing to insert a trachea tube to assist Bev's breathing and a tube in her stomach for nourishment etc.  This should allow them to remove most of the tubes in her throat which will reduce the chance of infection and make Bev more comfortable.  Forgive me if I don't always get the medical terms correct.

Friday 1PM

Bev continues to be stable with the help of the various medications. We had a meeting with the chief neurologist today. He said that since they cut off all sedative / pain killer to Bev they are seeing very small signs of reaction from Bev. These reactions are brought about by direct stimulation to various spots on her body.  The doctors is VERY CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC about this. The doctors says that although the damage to her brain is severe it is not catastrophic and he is hopeful of seeing a little bit of improvement by early next week. He does point out that with a brain injury there is no way to tell what will happen or how long it will take.

Thursday night

Tracheal tube will have to wait for Friday.  As of 10:30 Thursday night Bev was resting comfortably. The nurses were still working on keeping her body core and head cool, while also trying to keep Bev's legs and feet warm. Small amounts of various drugs are being used to maintain her such as insulin and sodium among others.  Bev is not diabetic but the doctors say that healing can progress faster if Bev's blood sugar levels are closely maintained.  Bev is still not responsive.  The hospital did not call during the night so it seems Bev was stable all night.  Sherri will arrive here Saturday evening.

Thursday afternoon

Bev did not have the operation on her fractures today.  The doctors are trying to lower her temp and fight off the fever from last night before proceeding.  Bev is having more circulation problems in her left leg so while they are trying to keep her core temp lower they are also trying to keep her extremities warmer. Her blood pressure and pulse are good but they have increased the pain killer last night.  The doctors are also concerned that there has been no neurological response yet. They will be trying a different pain killer at a lower dose to see if this will allow us to see a response from Bev. This evening or tomorrow they will insert a tracheal tube to ventillate Bev easier and reduce the chance of infection.  Bev is having a constant EEG taken for a 24 hour period.

Thursday 7AM

During the night Bev had trouble breathing. The doctors cleared her throat and airways and took a bedside chest x-ray.  Later Bev continued to have trouble breathing so a fourth tube has been added to her chest.  This problem is probably caused by the fractured ribs having penetrated one of her lungs, this allows some air and fluids to enter the chest area. Somehow this affects her breathing. Because of this her respirator was turned up higher again.  The respirator is now being lowered back down to encourage Bev to breath on her own.  This has delayed the operation on all of her fractures to this afternoon at the earliest.

Wednesday - Back from the Afternoon Visit

The MRI results confirm that Bev had a stroke on the left side of her brain.  The head injuries from the accident have remained stable and have not deterioated.  The MRI also showed the arteries to her brain are clear.

Bev is still "good to go" right now for her surgery on all her fractures at 10am tomorrow morning.

Bev is still not responsive.  The tap for her brain is still inserted but clamped off in hopes that her brain will be able to absorb the fluids naturally. 

Wednesday - Back From Morning Visit

The doctor confirmed this morning that they will be taking Bev in for surgery on her arms and leg tomorrow.  They hope to get to all the fractures in one operation with two teams working on her, as long as she holds up okay.

They took her off pain meds this morning and when she showed some signs of pain they turned it back on so she was without for three hours. 

This morning we saw and felt twitches in her right hand. Up until her now there have only been twitches and tuggs in her left hand and foot.

They have turned off the drain to alleviate the pressure to her brain to see if she can be stable without it.

Wednesday February 9th, 2010

Last night Bev was taken down for her MRI.  It will take some time to get the results back but we were told that she did fine, there were no complications.  The nurse said that she is scheduled for surgery on one of her arms and her hip this Thursday.
We weren't able to spend too much time with her last night because of the MRI but the hospital let us stay past the regular visiting hours.  The staff have all been great to us.

Sunday to Tuesday Morning Updates

Sunday's Email

Bev had a motorcycle accident while we are on vacation in Texas. She seemed to go off the road at a curve for no apparent reason and didn't seem to take any corrective action, just stayed with the bike until it hit a metal fence post. The accident happened Sat 4:20 PM.  She was unconscious but breathing with difficulty at the scene. She was flown by helicopter to University Hospital trauma centre in San Antonio ( the best in west Texas).  She took a severe blow to the head which cracked her helmet. She has 6 cracked ribs and both of her arms have multiple breaks.  The ribs and arms are not life threatening so they are concentrating on the head injury. On arriving at the hospital her body temp was 94, it is now slightly above 100 which they say is normal after a shock.  Her blood pressure was very low and they could not find out why or how to stabilize it.  She was critical on arrival and remains so.  They tapped her brain to relieve the pressure from bleeding and they put 2 taps (tubes) in her chest to remove fluid and air.  They used multiple drugs in an effort to control her blood pressure and to control the pressure on the brain. 

 

Monday's Email 

Bev is now off all medication except pain killers and fluids.  Her body has responded and her vital signs are close to normal on their own.  There is still no neurological response and so this is the major concern right now.  The doctors now suspect Bev had a stroke while on the bike.  They cannot confirm because of the head injury.  If she remains stable for 12 hours they will conduct more tests including an MRI.  She has a blood clot in her left leg.

TODAY
Bev is stable, still not conscious. Her vital signs are returning to normal and the drugs have been stopped except for pain killers, fluids and a little bit of sodium control. She is slowly using the respirator less and less. They are scheduling an MRI and MRA for sometime today.  There is restriction in her arteries in the neck going to the brain.  They have scheduled repairs to the left arm and right upper leg (femur I think) for tomorrow. left pupil shows reaction to light but the right pupil less so. The impact to the head was on the right side. Her skull is fractured above and to the right of her right ear, her right eye socket is also fractured. Her right leg is fractured near the hip, her lower right arm has multiple fractures (breaks) in both bones. Her lower left arm has multiple fractures (breaks) in both bones, her upper left arm is broken.  She has 4 cracked ribs. She has a tube in her head to relieve the buildup of blood and fluid and help keep the pressure down. She has 3 tubes in her chest to remove air and any buildup of fluids. These tubes are being needed less and less with time. One doctor said he thought it would be 2 weeks before she can be returned home by air ambulance.  Recent tests strengthen their view that Bev had a serious stroke.

First I want to thank you all for your support and offers of help.  I finally am at a hotel, Kim is with me and I can try to keep you all better informed. I understand your feeling of frustration at not knowing what is happening.  I hope that this blog will make it easier for everyone to keep updated with Bev's status.  I will do my best to keep it updated as information comes to us.

The next post will be a copy of some emails already sent out for those of you were not included in the original messages.

First Post

This blog is intended to keep friends and family of Bev Owen updated.

If you wish to contact Dave directly instead of posting publicly please email him at owenfam@live.ca