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"/>"/>"/>To fill everyone in....
After my parents left us in Mississippi they headed to North Carolina to stay for a week or so in mountains. During Dad's time in Mississippi, he had begun to suffer from severe headaches. Not being used to Mississippi, he thought he might be allergic to the pollen or something else in the air. But the headaches stayed constant.
Nevertheless, this didn't stop Dad! While in North Carolina, my Mom and Dad went on several long hikes and after one in particular, my Dad (whose pain tolerance is higher than anyone I know) finally said he thought he needed to head to the hospital. They hopped in the car, thinking they would return later that evening. However, as soon as the doctor saw him and took a CT scan, they decided he needed to be moved to another hospital where he could be treated by a neurologists. The ambulance transported my dad (during a tornado, might I add) to a hospital about two hours away and they immediately rushed him into surgery. It turns out that his brain had been hemorrhaging.... for awhile.
About two months prior, he had felt extremely sick, fainted, and fell and hit his head. When this happened, my mom was out of town and so my dad didn't want to "bother her" with the details of his fall. He stuck a butterfly band-aid on it and said he was just thankful that most of the blood had landed in the shower-- obviously that made the clean up easier (typical male?).
Not knowing exactly sure what this hospital visit would entail, my sister Amy and I hopped in the car first thing the next morning and my sister Megan hopped on a plane from Oregon so we could all be together. When we arrived at the hospital, we were able to see Dad for a few minutes. We got the chance to pray with him, but he was very tired from his surgery and didn't respond much at this time. During the surgery, the doctor had drilled several holes in his head. This helped to relieve the pressure causing the severe pain and it also gave them a way to remove a lot of the blood surrounding his brain. They also put in drains that would drain blood away from his brain over the next several days. We had to leave the hospital so he could get some rest but we got there early in the morning to speak with the doctor and ask several questions. Turns out, when my dad fell and hit his head he suffered from a sub dura hematoma on both sides of the frontal lobe of his brain. We are so lucky that he finally went to the hospital because had he waited any longer the results could have been bleak. The doctor prepared us for the worst, warning us that if the brain did not stop bleeding, they would have to perform a second more in-depth brain surgery and remove the bleeding portion. But today, the nurse took out the drains, which is a great sign that the bleeding has slowed and now we hope that the brain can begin to heal. We are so thankful to the Lord for His provision!
After my parents left us in Mississippi they headed to North Carolina to stay for a week or so in mountains. During Dad's time in Mississippi, he had begun to suffer from severe headaches. Not being used to Mississippi, he thought he might be allergic to the pollen or something else in the air. But the headaches stayed constant.
Nevertheless, this didn't stop Dad! While in North Carolina, my Mom and Dad went on several long hikes and after one in particular, my Dad (whose pain tolerance is higher than anyone I know) finally said he thought he needed to head to the hospital. They hopped in the car, thinking they would return later that evening. However, as soon as the doctor saw him and took a CT scan, they decided he needed to be moved to another hospital where he could be treated by a neurologists. The ambulance transported my dad (during a tornado, might I add) to a hospital about two hours away and they immediately rushed him into surgery. It turns out that his brain had been hemorrhaging.... for awhile.
About two months prior, he had felt extremely sick, fainted, and fell and hit his head. When this happened, my mom was out of town and so my dad didn't want to "bother her" with the details of his fall. He stuck a butterfly band-aid on it and said he was just thankful that most of the blood had landed in the shower-- obviously that made the clean up easier (typical male?).
Not knowing exactly sure what this hospital visit would entail, my sister Amy and I hopped in the car first thing the next morning and my sister Megan hopped on a plane from Oregon so we could all be together. When we arrived at the hospital, we were able to see Dad for a few minutes. We got the chance to pray with him, but he was very tired from his surgery and didn't respond much at this time. During the surgery, the doctor had drilled several holes in his head. This helped to relieve the pressure causing the severe pain and it also gave them a way to remove a lot of the blood surrounding his brain. They also put in drains that would drain blood away from his brain over the next several days. We had to leave the hospital so he could get some rest but we got there early in the morning to speak with the doctor and ask several questions. Turns out, when my dad fell and hit his head he suffered from a sub dura hematoma on both sides of the frontal lobe of his brain. We are so lucky that he finally went to the hospital because had he waited any longer the results could have been bleak. The doctor prepared us for the worst, warning us that if the brain did not stop bleeding, they would have to perform a second more in-depth brain surgery and remove the bleeding portion. But today, the nurse took out the drains, which is a great sign that the bleeding has slowed and now we hope that the brain can begin to heal. We are so thankful to the Lord for His provision!
Overall, the doctors seem to think that his recovery is going smoothly and that no additional surgery will be necessary. They have reinforced, however, the idea that he will need to take is slow which if you know my dad, you know this will probably be the most difficult part of the recovery!). Once he is discharged from the hospital, he will be released into the care of a neurologists in Florida where they will closely monitor him to be sure that the bleeding does not start up again.
I cannot tell you how thankful my family and I are for your prayers. I am sitting here writing this post and listening to my dad joke and laugh about his bald head and I couldn't be more thankful! The Lord heard your prayers and He has answered. What a faithful God we serve! Please continue to pray for his healing and for his safe travel home.
