Angiogram, Additional Drs., & a SMILE :)

Hey guys! It has been a busy day in the neuro ICU, and Bill is holding up nicely. Today Bill was assigned an additional Neurologist and Neurosurgeon. These Doctors decided to take a more aggressive approach to treatment and decided it was time to perform an angiogram. Bill did well throughout the procedure, although it was scary and stressful for Jamie because she was aware of how dangerous and critical it could be for Bill's treatment.

Hallelujah! The results showed that the clot (in the vein that runs through the brain) looks good and that Bill's body is finding other pathways to drain the blood on his own (Amen, amen, amen!) and the Heparin is aiding in this as well. The Doc also said that he is not surprised that Bill's body is capable of this, based on what a fighter he is;) The extent of the neuro damage caused by the stroke is still unknown, and this will not be known until he is more awake and off the vent, sedation, etc. In addition, he is still showing no movement in his right arm (a symptom of the stroke) and more will be known once he is more awake and additional checks are done. Again, he will need to be completely weaned off of the ventilator.

Speaking of.....the plan is to begin this tomorrow, but plans are always subject to change in these situations. Today, he was pretty much in medically induced paralysis the entire day for the angiogram. This was because they needed him to be completely immobile for the procedure, as it was very risky. Luckily, he did great and his brain was able to get some good healing time in.

He looked better tonight than he has throughout this whole process and he is responding more and more-even answering questions with "yes" or "no" nods! In fact, when he saw Jamie this evening and she spoke to him he gave a little grin :) Priceless!

Keep Praying for: continued recovery, good brain function, and smooth draining!