My Stroke Story Chapter 3

Chapter 3

This Chapter is dedicated to all the beautiful nurses that made my stay at the hospital so much better including but not limited to Suzy Stuecker, Bob O’Brahim, Jackie Jackson, Anne Weller, and Tabitha

Sunday morning comes in the ICU and indeed it is a new day. My vision is nearly back to normal. I have a low grade headache, and nausea. I have a liquid diet, but I don’t want to eat anyways. Most importantly there is Bob. Ann had gone home and was replaced by Tabitha who stayed while I slept. Bob takes over for Tabitha. Ironically Bob went to elementary school at the same school as my mother. Bob works to prove Ann's promise that your nurse is your best friend. He eventually secures my release from my prison bed and helped me take my first faltering steps to the rest room. Thank you Jesus. Bob is a great communicator. Me being a rookie at almost being disabled, the ICU, and being in bed prison, Bob explains everything that is going on and answers all our questions. I know that Bob has my back. Eventually Bob is able to negotiate with the prison officials (or was it doctors) to secure my release from the ICU to the magical Land of Neuro. In that Land he tells me, there is a private bath, a shower and even a couch for visitors to sit on. I say goodbye to Bob and ride off into the sunset on a magic gurney to get my 24hr CAT scan. If you ever saw The Princess Bride, I feel a little bit like Wesley being carted off to the castle by Andre the Giant with Billy Crystal in the background calling "Have fun storming the castle boys." 

I am nervous in the beginning of the CAT scan. Bob told me only 1:40,000 people die during this procedure using the dye contrast. But since I keep hearing that no one your age, in your health condition has a stroke, I am not comfortable with my odds right now. The best part is the sweet ride being air lifted from the gurney to the scan table by the overhead crane.  This test will prove to be a rather monumental experience because of what I will learn. The test completes with little fanfare and I am airlifter back to my gurney.  Now I am left in the hallway waiting for an orderly, giving uncomfortable, half hearted “Heys" to the nice upright bipeds, not wearing hospital gowns, walking around me. Awkward. Jealous. And then I am very happy when the orderly arrives to take me to the magic Land of Neuro. 

In the Land of Neuro there are various strange and wonderful sights. A big couch, a lazy boy chair, and my own bathroom with shower and a door. There is even a towel and soap for a shower, but these don’t count because I soon found out I am on showers restriction and could only imagine being clean. 

It was now that I learned one of the greatest secrets, turnover. You can learn so much from nurses at the shift change. Doctors withhold information from patients until they are ready to inform, but they are good at taking notes and informing nurses. (Many doctors don't realize the nurses are on our side.) You just need to listen carefully as the nurses talk about you and you can learn about your test results, prognosis, and treatment plan before it's released to the public. If you are nice, some will even speak loudly so you can hear better. Eavesdropping was how I met Suzy Sueker, the night nurse in the land of near. I find out that my two tests that day were good. :)

Lynne and I decided to walk through the Land to get my legs acquainted with motion again. I was uneasy but did well. Then it was time time for Mom and Lynne to go. Lynne deserved a night in her own bed. I settled down, a tired puppy looking forward to a good nights sleep with every 4 hour checkups. But someone had switched my bed without me noticing. For just the night before, I slept like a baby. Whenever they woke me I would go right back to sleep. But now I noticed these air pressure leg cuffs that help lock me to the bed. Every few seconds they  fill up with air and compress my calves. The two pillows are the worst things I ever felt. My neck is suffering.  And the bed is alive. It has various air pockets that inflate in random sequences. These are to encourage me to move around and prevent bed sores. But mostly the bed prevents my sleep. I toss and turn and have so much trouble. Suzy comes in to check on me and I say "For the love of God have mercy kind lady and remove the shackles from my legs. I promise I won't run." She is tricked by my cunning and she releases me. Later, I am struggling to get rest and I decide to try the Lazy boy chair. I move carefully and quietly from my now unshackled bed, and set in the chair. And… the alarm goes off. Foiled again. In walks Suzy to check on her captive patient. Suzy offers to walk around with me since she is bored and I can’t sleep. Suzy graciously takes me for many brisk laps through the land and suffers to answer countless questions that all start with Why? and How? 45 minutes later I retire to my room with a cup of water and try to rest (with the bed alarm off thanks to Suzy). I get a little more sleep, but precious little.

Finally it is morning and eavesdropping time again as Suzy turns over to Jackie Jackson. Jackie is a sweet, big hearted lady that has been a nurse at AAMC for over 20 years. She is like a momma to me. Plus Jackie will do something no one else can. She will break me out of the hospital once and for all.

But first I learn the most amazing thing of all. Part of my brain did die. The doctor explains that a section about 2 cm in diameter died as a result of the stroke. However, the occipital lobe (vision part of the brain) was able to reconfigure itself in a matter of a couple days so that my vision was completely restored. This blows my mind. I thought the miracle that saved my sight was the medicine that saved my entire brain. But the miracle was that the One who designed my brain did it so well that it could restore full functionality even when part of it was gone. I am floored, and this is very spiritual moment. And in the future when you the reader think I must be brain dead, you will be partially correct.

Beautiful Jackie gets me ready to go home. She even helps us get all my records which proves to be a challenging and time consuming task. But she overcomes, and who appears at my room, but an orderly ready to take me to my car. As I ride my wheelchair off from the Land of Neuro, I am grateful to God and AAMC to be alive and in my right mind.