A lot of us have spent the day worried about the amount of pressure in Mike's head. This is a worry that will hopefully abate after 24 or 48 hours -- the trauma the brain experienced during the stroke causes it to swell (with all due respect to the doctors out there; I'm speaking all layman here).
Waking Mike at intervals has been the primary method of determining whether the pressure has grown too great. A perfunctory squeeze of the hand and a question answered satisfactorily wins him another hour of rest.
I came back to the ICU this evening on an important mission -- to tell Mike that the war he had undertaken with the city was won. Two weeks ago, Mike declared battle with the city of Portland. They claimed we owed them $3000 for a poorly maintained sidewalk. He claimed on too-narrow streets where parking is not enforced and cars parked on sidewalks destroy the infrastructure, maintenance is the responsibility of the city. Today, in the mail, we received a $3000 bill with the words "CANCELED" written across it.
When I told Mike, his eyes flew open and he said "No way!" We proceeded to have an animated conversation for a few minutes. His speech is a little compromised -- but I was thrilled to see him fluid and cognizant. It is with a great sense of gratitude that I convey this story.
A giant shout out to my sister who has taken over motherly duties (some of them quite distasteful but that's between to two of us) of Amelia and Winston. Her husband, John, came up for a few days and built very impressive set of bridges out of Tinker Toys. I am indebted to him for dropping his life to help us. And another shout out to Noah who turns 13 today and who gave up his parents on his birthday for the greater good -- an amazing sign that he must be all grown up. And, hell, might as well round it out by saying that Wendy has been indispensable in her medical translations, putting to good use her years as a physical therapist. And John has kept us in the good food and has signed on as my forensic accountant. OK, I can't forget my dad who stands by at the ready to comfort and help out where needed. He is, of course, the original Rock.
1 comment:
Thanks so much for the regular updates on how things are going! Congratulations for the victory over the city; sounds like the timing was perfect.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all right now. I wish there was more I could do from Arkansas. Are the kids ready for a road trip?
I'm sure you've found family you never you knew you had in the hospital; as I'm sure that Mike has connected with many. I hope you feel support around every turn you take on this journey.
Post a Comment