Prayers going up for your niece and brother!

Gina, my thoughts are with you and your family every day.

This brings so many memories back about Sara. I don't expect this is your nieces situation but Sara's brain damage was extreme yet she worked back from it all.

Don't dismay if there are signs of brain damage at first. It's amazing how much of that resolves itself with therapy and time.

My heart goes out to her parents.

Sharon

Oh Gina how horrible. I rarely come over here and have just seen this. I'm so glad your niece is starting to improve and yes, youth is on her side. I'm thinking of you and her both, and hoping for a quick recovery. I'm also thinking of your brother and hope things go better for him.

Beverly

Gina, I hope she is still improving.

I'll be checking back here to see if our thoughts, wishes and prayers continue to help.

Beverly

Gina, just wanted to stop by and tell you that you , your niece and family are still in my thoughts! Things seem to be headed in the right direction!

Gina, I also wanted to share with you that my daughter had a VP Shunt placed when she was 3 for an inoperable cyst in the center of her brain. She is now 25 and has never had a bit of trouble with it! For the first couple of years she had to have MRI's to make sure everything was working correctly, but after that the pediatrician could check simply by looking behind her eyes! Shehad to had an MRI last year, the first one in 20 years! She became pregnant and their was no documentation on pregnant woman and shunts! And the shunt is still working properly!

Sending good thoughts for all of you!

Gina

I am sorry for your niece and her family. (((Gina and all of your family near and far)))

I'm hoping this will be a great week for your niece's recover.

Gina, hope your niece is doing better.

Ann

I'm just checking in today too, hoping for some more good news...

Annie

I'm adding more good wishes and thoughts for all of you and hoping that the weekend provided some rest and relief for you.

Lee

Hi everyone. My home internet connectivity is down (I think the router) and I didn't have time to deal with it this weekend. My niece is doing better each day. Off the ventilator but not yet able to eat on her own. She is talking a bit but still in a coma - obviously I really have no idea what a coma is all about!

My brother is going to go see a second doctor for his opinion on his treatment - I think he just needs more time to let this sink in. I'm sure he will be fine from what I've read.

I went in for my annual physical today, but I have to make appointments to see the gyno for my annual "well woman" exam, and I get to have a colonoscopy this year - yay me! I declined the Whooping Cough immunization though.

We are waiting for my niece to be out of intensive care before we go out there. Her parents don't need more people to worry about/milling about at this stage.

Thanks for your continued support!

Gina, that is very encouraging, although it's going to be a long hard road for your niece and her family.

I'm so glad to hear that your brother can get treatment and be fine, hooray, that's really good news too.

Definitely get that exam. I'm 55 and my doc keeps saying I should have that colonoscopy, but my insurance will not pay for it unless I "exhibit symptoms" or have a family history of some kind...

Annie

Gina things sound as if they are on the upswing. When Sara was in her "coma" she could make sounds and squeeze fingers etc.

The way it was explained to me was that the coma is controlled by drugs to keep the patient at a certain level of consciousness so they are not aware of the pain but aware enough to make certain responses that help with the treatment.

As for the colonoscopy....don't worry, great drugs.I Almost look forward to my annual "trip" ! LOL

Annie, I'm biting my tongue......

~whew~ when is the arm surgery?

Yeah I need a colonoscopy too. As much as I'd like to suggest we hold hands through it together, I think not....

Annie, if you can, I'd suggest a little bit of help from your doctor getting that procedure. I just lost a friend, age 47, who didn't have a baseline. Once the symptoms showed up, it was over.

Gina, Amazing, all you have going on and you update us. Once again, well wished for continued improvement.

Glad she's doing better, Gina.

I'm all for early detection...it worked for me. Re: colonoscopies - The procedure was a breeze, but I told them when I came back in 10 years they better have a pill, 'cause I'm not drinking that stuff again.

"Annie, if you can, I'd suggest a little bit of help from your doctor getting that procedure. I just lost a friend, age 47, who didn't have a baseline. Once the symptoms showed up, it was over."

Ditto here. Diagnosed with colon cancer after feeling eh for a while. Buried a few months later. Age 54.

Gina, so glad your niece is doing better. Comas are odd things. My brother and one of his friends were in an awful car accident several years ago. The friend's personality completely changed, ranting and raving for 3 days. Then all of a sudden he was back to his old self. The doctors said he had been in a coma those three days. That was definitely news to me!

I also have a girlfriend who has had two children born with hydrocephalus. Her pediatrician said that the odds of having more than one child with the condition is astronomical. The surgeries were admittedly scary, but both kids are great now - you would never know either of them went through what they have.

Stay strong, girl!

Lori

Glad things are going better Gina.

I've had one colonoscopy about ten years ago and my Doc is trying to get me to have another. I don't think so.

I don't have any problem with having a colonoscopy, if the doc could get the insurance to agree to pay for it. (shrug)

I'm still paying off $1600 worth of uninsured medical costs for Ashley's last adventure, and I actually have pretty good insurance! Elery's emergency room visit this summer cost $700 that the insurance won't pay and his insurance is pretty good too...

Annie

Gina, so glad to hear she is making progress! Comas are weird things, I guess. Thanks so much for keeping us posted on her progress! You must be exhausted!

Glad your brother is being pro-active, too. I am sure he'll be fine.

To all of you that are "bucking" having a colonoscopy for whatever reason....GIT R DONE! My friend Linda died in July from complications due to colon cancer. There really are no "symptoms". It kinda just sneaks up on you. I had no symptoms of the 25cm "polyp" they found during my baseline colonoscopy. I may not be here now if it wasn't for that screening.

(Didn't mean to hijack your thread, Gina. Sorry.)

Linda

Gina- I'm so glad to hear that your niece is showing steady progress and off of the ventilator. That HAS to be a good sign!

Yep, I need another colonoscopy too, so does DH. Our insurance does pay a portion of it, so it's not too hard on the bank acct. Annie, if the boy wonder knows about how to fight the insurance company- he'll tell them all about your chronic tummy issues and his "suspicions"--wink!

Katie- if they made you drink a gallon of "Go Litely" your doc is a sadist. There are much easier preps out there and I'm consistently amazed that some docs force patients to drink gallons of that carp!

I think for DH's first colonoscopy he had to drink a lot of some stuff, but the last time it was just a little stuff, LOL.

My niece did have her arm surgery the day after it was scheduled. I don't remember what day it was now. That's how my brain works now.

Okay, it is pouring some more - we called one of our out-of-state friends to catch up last night, and he crashed his motorcycle on the freeway recently and dang near tore his foot off. He has been laid up since then and anticipates a couple more weeks on his back. He said he gave his rescuers his AAA card and told them to have a flat-bed truck pick up his bike, no hitch towing his baby - that's what he was worried about!

Nothing new to report on my niece - not much going on, just waiting.

Oh geez, Gina, it sure does pour!

I was hoping for an update on your niece AND your brother, and instead I found this.

I'm so sorry all this is happening!

Annie

I've been checking frequently too....thanks for the update, but I hope things don't get worse. You should be good for a while - rule of 'stuff happens in groups of threes'.

Keeping you all in my thoughts.

I'm sorry about your friend Gina. I think Jessy is right. This should be the end of "stuff happening."

As for the colonoscopy prep, all doctors here make you drink the gallon of "Go-Litely." For a while years ago some of the doctors gave you several choices. Things did not work out with some of it and Go-Litely reapeared. Not only is the gallon of stuff rough to do, there is always a danger of preforation of the intestine.

Maybe I should stop reading this while I'm eating breakfast, lol!

Gina, I'm still thinking of your niece and brother. I also hope the best for your friend and his motorcycle.

Sally

Gina, Checking in and see the good news about your neice. Sounds like she has a long road ahead of her. Positive thoughts are going your way.

My Mother was diagnosed with NPH "Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus". It took at least a year to fiqure it out but once we had the results of testing it was an easy fix. She sure had a heck of a time before diagnosis. Walking kinda sideways, sitting hunched over to one side, sluggish gait kina like she was shuffling, falling down alot and lots of forgetfullness and looking into mid air during a conversation. We were told that alot of people are probably in nursing facilities because the doctors missed the NPH diagnosis. Adult onset Hydrocephalus (I wonder if NPH is the same thing?) is very hard to diagnose. It really resembles dementia in so many ways. At one time Mom even had to have a walker.I'm praying for you and your family...such hard things to go through.

The latest on my niece is good news. She is stable enough that she will leave ICU today or tomorrow and go into the rehab ward. She is focusing now - on the TV, etc, instead of staring off into space. She can answer some questions and complains that her arm hurts. She keeps wondering what happened and why all this "sh!t" is all over her (tubes, needles, etc). She's still on a feeding tube and her brain is still swollen but the docs say that the swelling is subsiding well.

The docs told her parents to not go on the emotional roller coaster but they say that's impossible not to do. You just have to strap yourself in and go through it.

Karen, my brother's symptoms were so mild and vague that I think it's a miracle that the doc was alerted somehow to the possibility. I can see how most people go un-diagnosed.

I just wanted to check in on how your niece and brother are doing. I'm glad to read things are going so well! I'll be away from my compuer for a few days, but I'll keep all of you in my thoughts.

Sally

Great news that your niece is out of the ICU!

Finally checking in to see happy news! Wishing both a strong and speedy recovery!

Yea! Glad to hear of the progress. That must be very disorienting to wake up in that state; can you imagine??

YIPPEE! I am so happy she is making such great progress, Gina!

Hugs all around!

Linda

Gina, that's really good news. I'm continuing to send positive thoughts to your neice, your brother and you.

I'll be watching for more updates.

Lee

Gina, thanks for the update. I hope your niece continues to improve daily.

Ann

Thanks for the updates, Gina. I'm so glad to hear your niece is improving.

Rehab is tough and never, never enough.
There's always additional benefit to more. Please tell the parents to learn all they can so they will be able to continue rehab down the road.

Understanding and "doing" sure helps with the fear, helplessness and grief they are no doubt feeling.

Most therapists are very willing to train family members to do much of the therapy. Eases their load and helps family to heal.

Deanna

Deanna, thank you for the advice. We are talking to them daily and I will pass along your experienced advice. I don't know how long they will keep her in neuro rehab, and what happens next.

The parents were telling us stories about the good nurses and the bad. If anything were to happen and DH landed in the hospital I would be camped out there and be the biggest pain in the arse of every doctor and nurse in the place with my questions and second-guessing and internet researching!

I have been laid up in the hospital myself, for 8 days, and remember that it is not the nicest place to be under any circumstance. And I was pretty much alone - no one was close by or could take off work to be with me much. One of my friends was a respiratory specialist, she came and washed my hair one day - which made me feel so good.

My niece only had one nurse who the parents said washed her hair and brushed and flossed her teeth. I am amazed really, that standard practice for inpatients not include some kind of cleanliness schedule. So many things drive me nuts about the medical industry.

Thank you everyone.

Gina, when Ashley was in the hospital, I helped her bathe and wash her hair, no one ever offered. I also can't understand why there's not some kind of schedule for personal hygiene.

I'm happy your niece is doing better and I'm thinking strong thoughts for the family for the long road of recovery ahead.

Annie

Niece is in rehab and doing pretty well, I guess. She is feeding herself most of the time, and is doing all kinds of rehab throughout the day. The parents are being trained so that they can keep up with some of it after she is released, but I have no idea when that will be.

She still has little memory capability - just being able to remember a couple minutes at a time. She has a lot of pain from the multiple broken bones and such that she had surgery on, but they do not want to over-medicate her with pain meds.

The parents are back at home and commuting back and forth to the hospital. They say the rehab therapists are good but that the nurses are "slackers". They don't seem ready for us to come out yet so we will wait.

Gina, I'm happy to hear that your niece is making some progress, no matter how slow. Hopefully she and her parents will be ready for some family to visit and take on some of their responsibilities soon, or at least help.

Annie

Gina, glad to hear she is making forward progress. I know it will be slow but it's amazing how people can come back. Still thinking of you and your family.

Bump?

Thanks for bumping this, Jessica, I was thinking of Gina's niece today and wondering how she is.

Annie

Progress report? I hope Gina sees this.

Hi peeps! i am back from an east coast trip, one of several we will be making in the next few months.

Niece is doing okay, has not yet been on her feet - the pelvis injury was severe, so that alone could take many more months. She is unhappy being in the hospital but there she must stay until she can at least walk again. We bought her a Nintendo game - it is hard to get stimulation 24 hrs a day in the hospital.

Her memory capability is improving little by little.

Her parents do 2 visits each every day. That's their new life.

Also visited my FIL in FL for a few days. His memory is shot too. Niece is getting better and he is getting worse. He will ask the same questions over and over in the same conversation. Long term memory seems intact and he does recognize everyone, thanks for small things. His wife takes very good care of him and he gets a lot of stimulation. They travel constantly, and that keeps him happy and occupied.

My brother has aranged an appointment with the best doc for his condition, at Johns Hopkins. So he is feeling better about things now that he will be in good hands.

Finally, Virgin America is my new fave airline. I wish they had more flights.

Thanks for the update and good news about your niece. It's good that she's unhappy about being in the hospital because that is a sign of recovery. My dad was a surgeon and said he knew when people were improving when they started to complain!

Yes, getting old is not for the faint of heart. Glad your MIL is watching out for FIL. Good news that your bro is being responsible for his care, doing the best thing. It's so easy to just give up sometimes.

Now -- be good to yourself!

Thanks for the update Gina. We will continue to keep all of you in our prayers.
Linda

Gina, I was really hoping for better news than what you reported. I guess we all have to remember during this holiday season that nothing is guaranteed and consider every day a blessing and appreciate all of your loved ones and friends because nothing is guaranteed and the future is unknown. Hope everything continues to improve and I hope you and the family have a great holiday season.

Duane