Matt's Stroke - Days 1-2...

July 16, 2014 - Day 1

2:00 am: Matt woke up with numbness on his right side.  He was able to speak, move his arms and legs, walk, raise his hands, etc.  We assumed it was a pinched nerve or that he had slept wrong and went back to bed. Neither of us slept well, but we did both fall back asleep for a bit.

7:00 am:  I was getting ready to leave when he called me over to our bed.  He complained that his head was hurting badly, that he had double vision and the room was spinning, and that his entire right side of his body was numb and tingly.  We knew it was more by that point.  We made it to the ER after a rather indirect route taken by a distracted and fearful wife and mother.  A CT, MRI, and MRA confirmed a hemorrhage in the pons, which is a portion of the brainstem, along with a possible cavernous area.  As a speech pathologist, I felt so stupid for not bringing him in that morning, but after learning it was a hemorrhage I knew there was nothing that could have been done at that time anyway.  Matt had some typical facial/oral deficits associated with a stroke in this location of the brain, but praise God was able to swallow and breathe well.  Matt's sister arrived to be with us.

Afternoon: Matt was admitted to the SICU.  Blood pressure monitoring, heart rate monitoring, and pain management began.  His pain was the worst issue, causing severe discomfort and distress.  Frustration over the lack of use and control of his body was also a source of distress.  He became nauseated whenever he looked to his left side and experienced increased dizziness.  Double vision and difficulty focusing persisted. 

Night: Awful night.  Lots of pain.  Horrible discomfort.  No rest.

July 17, 2014 - Day 2

Morning: Matt had a cerebral angiogram to look for any possible vascular issues.  He (unfortunately) remembers a lot of the procedure and felt like he was locked in his own brain with nobody able to hear him.  This was quite frightening for him.  The test showed no abnormalities such as an arteriovenous malformation (avm), which led to the conclusion that the hemorrhage was most likely caused by a cavernoma.  This may have been present for quite some time but doesn't typically cause problems when it's not bleeding.  The neurosurgeon described Matt's condition as "a small bleed in a bad spot."  There is no treatment for a cavernoma unless it bleeds continuously, and even then treatment would be risky based on the location of the bleed.  

Physical therapy (PT) also did an evaluation, which was I think the first time it really hit Matt how serious this all is.  He already knew, but once he couldn't complete tasks that normally would have been easy (such as moving his foot, feeling his toes, squeezing his hand) I think it became even more real to him.  It did for me, and it was hard to watch as his wife.  

Afternoon: Matt was finally able to rest, maybe because of all the medication, but likely also because of pure exhaustion. Matt's parents arrived and were able to see him. 

Evening: Lots of pain again, but he was able to increase the combination of medications to stay on top of the pain a little more effectively.   I have daily headaches and frequent migraines, and simply cannot imagine the pain he's been feeling.

Night: Some swallowing troubles but increased success with a wife who fed him therapeutically.  Better rest and pain management as well.  Continued vision issues.

***

The brain is such a fascinating organ, with very specific areas in charge of specific functions, such as speaking, seeing, movement, etc.  We are blessed that Matt's language and personality are intact.  We are able to have conversations, and while his speech is slurred at times, it's not completely impossible to understand him.  He has been making jokes and interacting with the staff as much as he would as if he were anywhere else.  For this I am so grateful.  

***

From the start of this adventure, we have been absolutely overwhelmed by the love and support so many people have shown us.  I feel bad that we haven't been able to respond individually to each text and phone call.  But, please know that we feel your love and prayers and ask that you keep them coming our way.  Matt is a fighter and will overcome this, I'm certain.  We don't know what the outcome will be or what the future holds.  But we do know that we have so many of you reaching out to offer help and for that we are so very grateful.

- Marissa