Lumbar drain

[Guest kaj]

Well, we took my mom home today. She ended up pulling out all of her iv's and snapped the lumbar drain after 33 hours. The therapists stated that there were no significant changes. Good News, no hydrocephalus. Bad news, she isn't any better. She is now weaker and more confused. I think the move was too much for her. She did have an echo to find out why her blood pressure keeps falling so low. It went down to 82/60. Very scary. She did have a heart attack as well but the cardiologist said that she is not showing signs of heart failure. We will get the echo results soon. Boy, is God testing us. We get the message loud and clear.

Question, my mom is now thinking when you ask her a question. You can really tell that the wheels are turning. Did any of you experience this? At first, you would ask her a question and she would say anything whether it was right or wrong. Now, she actually stops and thinks about. She also answered me wrong twice and then corrected herself. I am hoping this is still showing signs of improvement. I am grasping at anything I can to remain positive. I still think a miracle will happen. Jan. 23rd is 7 months. The bathroom thing is still not working. She tells us that she has to go when she is actually going. I hope this gets better!!!!

Thanks for listening. It was a very bad experience for us this time. I thought much more of Rush univ. hospital before this visit.

Best wishes,

Kim

[Louise]

Hi there

Yes, I think that thinking before answering is very good.

For me it was like the lights were being turned up slowly.

Take care

Louise.x

[Guest Portia del Carmen]

I also agree that thinking before answering is a good and positive step - not just for your mum and others who have been through the SAH but for all of us at some stage in our lives! (wish more of my clients would do it before answering questions in the witness box, but hey, can't have everything!)

I also think it is significant that your mum has corrected previously wrong answers - this shows a degree of self-awareness and recent memory, which is often, in my experience, the bit that "goes" most quickly - apparently the HI people knew I was getting a lot better when my first response to their every-15 minute questions was "not you again, leave me alone" and then the second response was, "let me ask you the questions, since obviously I know what they are!"

I'm afraid I can't recall how old your mum is - was memory a problem for her before her SAH?

With love and good wishes

S xx

[Guest kaj]

my mom is 67. memory has never been an issue with her. Sometimes she would repeat something to me that she already spoke to me about a week earlier. But I think that is pretty common in people. I do it all the time now because of stress. I was never like that before. However, I can remember everything the doctors say about her. That is where my focus always seems to be.

We are going to see if there is any improvement from the lumbar drain now that she is at home and in a familiar environment.

Thanks,

Kim