Many of you have seen my Facebook posts, but for the rest, I had set a personal goal to post once a week on here to make posts more regular for any readers checking back in. On the day of Christmas, around 10:30 pm, my family’s world changed [yet again]. Blog posting will hopefully resume soon. In the meantime, here’s what happened and where I’ve been.
The phone rang while we were watching Kung Fu Panda before heading to bed. I had suggested going to bed a while earlier, but the movie was almost over, so we were going to finish it first. It was my uncle’s phone number on the caller ID. My husband picked it up and answered, to my aunt’s panicked voice that my uncle had fallen and she needed help immediately.
Mom and I headed to the car while my husband told my aunt we were on our way and then he called 911. The roads were slippery and sloppy and I drove, fearing that my mom would try to get over there way too fast and end up with the car in the ditch instead. Those few moments as we went the five or so miles down the road were extremely tense and scenarios flashed through our heads of what we might be facing.
When we got to my aunt and uncle’s house, my aunt was at the door telling us to hurry, she didn’t know what to do. I’ll point out right here that my aunt is from Korea and did not have the same upbringing that we did in our education where first aid and emergency procedures were constantly brought up. We rushed inside and down to the basement where my uncle was laying unconscious with blood running from his head.
I never appreciated those CPR dummies and the first aid training that came with them more than this moment. He had a pulse, but it was fast. He was breathing, but unresponsive. Next, I got something to hold on his head to apply pressure to the wound. Finally, wait for the first responders.
They arrived in droves within ten minutes max. I later found out that half the entire team showed up. My uncle is a bit of a local celebrity. I stayed in the basement with them while mom and my aunt went upstairs and answered questions up there and gathered all his medications for recording on his charts. I got a peek into what actually happens in these situations, not the glamorized tv versions. They didn’t sweep in, slap him on a backboard, and rush him out. They took and recorded vitals, got medical history, hooked him up to oxygen, put on a neck stabilizer (after some difficulty…apparently my uncle is “no necker”), applied gauze, monitored heart rate and breathing, carefully placed him on the backboard, and carefully carried him out to the waiting ambulance.
Mom and my aunt followed the ambulance into town while I stayed at the house until all the first responders got packed up and also left. My Extreme heartfelt thanks to the one who cleaned up in the basement. If they hadn’t, I would have and I really, really appreciate not having to do that. Then I called my husband and had him come get me so that we could also head to the hospital.
When we got there, they had him stabilized, but were going to air lift him to Duluth where they have more equipment for monitoring and caring for head injuries. The helicopter was still about ten minutes out, so I grabbed mom’s car keys and put gas in her car for her and then headed back to the hospital.
After some discussion, mom and my aunt headed down to Duluth while my husband and I stayed at mom’s for the night. This way we could feed all the animals their breakfast and bring anything that might be needed down the next day. It took a long time to go to sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes I could still see the blood.
Pretty much every evening since then, we’ve been at the hospital after work checking in on and keeping my mom and aunt company. My uncle was sedated for many days while the brain pressure monitor held at a steady 15-18 (normal is 10). Eventually they just removed the monitor and relied on their observations rather than continue to keep him sedated when all other signs showed stability. He has also developed pnuemonia, which they are treating him for. For many days he would just open his eyes briefly here and there as they switched from a sedative to a relaxant pain killer.
They removed the respirator and he was able to breathe for about 30 minutes on his own before it got to be too much with the pnuemonia still. Earlier this week they switched him from the mouth based ventilator to a trache tube. He has also been able to squeeze people’s hands when asked and he can focus on you somewhat when you are talking to him. He does have some weakness in the right side of the body and who knows what else as the weeks slowly bring about more insights into his progress and areas where he will need rehabilitation.
My mom and my aunt drive an hour down here each night and an hour back home each night to come see him. Hopefully he will start to show enough progress where they can come visit every other day to save them some money and give them some time in their homes. Right now he is still in the ICU area and there has been no indication from the doctors on how much more progress he will have to show before he can be moved to Just the neuro trama rooms Outside the locked doors.
Everyone’s thought, prayers, and comments on Facebook have been a help to the family while getting through all of this. We know we’re not alone and that there are many people out there willing to help us in any way they can. Thank you all!
