Surgery Went Well

All went well with putting Dave’s skull back in place.  He is going to stay overnight at the hospital. 

Surgery Scheduled

The surgery to replace the skull plate in Dave's head has been scheduled for next week, May 18th.  He may stay at Health South until then, but it depends on insurance approval. 

Dave's progress since the last report has been considerable.  He is walking with just a cane, not a full walker, now, as long as someone is beside him, and can walk up stairs unassisted.  Going downstairs is a little trickier, but doable.  He had an appointment with the neurologist yesterday, who was a little discouraging, but the therapist is more optimistic.  

PS to Faye et al: I promise I will be more dependable once David is discharged! Thanks once again for your patience and understanding. MB

Progress is Slow

Dave is making small strides every day, but like all stroke recoveries, they are very small and will take place over a very long time.  The family won't post each and every stride he makes, some because they'd lessen his dignity, some because the minutiae would overwhelm the blog.  We don't know how long he'll be at HealthSouth, but we do know that when he comes home it will be as an outpatient and he'll still need to go to HealthSouth 3-4 times a week for therapy.  The physicians report that his brain will recover over a six-month period, only at the end of which will we know what his long-term prognosis will be.  And even then, as much as Dave dislikes his helmet, they don't know when they'll be able to return his skull piece to its rightful place--it might not be for a year.

But, Angie is happy to report that while David doesn't yet recognize it, sensation does appear to be returning to parts of his body that were paralyzed in the stroke. 

Scentsy Byrnside Fundraiser

 I am hosting a launch party as a Scentsy consultant Saturday, March 20, 2-4pm, where 50% of my proceeds will go directly to the Byrnside family.  As far as you, the guest, are concerned, it's a normal opportunity to come and play with Scentsy warmers, different waxes, and enjoy a Saturday afternoon with a bunch of lovely women.

What is Scentsy?  Scentsy is a relatively new company that sells flameless, wickless candles.  You put a small bar of scented wax into the warmer of your choice, turn it on, and voila!  you have a home that smells lovely without any soot or flame hazards.  They also have scent tins, scent circles, room sprays and other products to keep your home and vehicle smelling fresh without hazards or fuss.  If you want to learn more, or are unable to come and would like to place an online order, please visit my Scentsy website.

If you are planning on coming next Sunday, please RSVP by email so that I can send you my address and directions.

Elimination Dinner Tickets on Sale

Marty wanted me to let you know that the tickets are available for the elimination dinner.  People can see:
Marty
John
Howie
Nicky
Justina

for tickets.  I'm assuming people will recognize the first names of those they are near.

Visitors Welcome...

...in small doses.  Angie says that HealthSouth is very much like boot camp.  Dave works like a dog, they have very strict rules, and he's exhausted at the end of the day.

The following schedule has therefore been arranged:
6-8pm Mondays & Thursdays:  Friends & Neighbors
6-8pm Wednesdays & Fridays:  Work Friends
6-8pm Tuesdays:  Church Friends
12:30-8pm Saturdays & Sundays

Please limit the visits to 6 people per evening, so try to contact the other people in your assigned group before going up to make sure Dave doesn't get overwhelmed with guests.  HealthSouth's rules are that only two people at a time are allowed in the room and everybody must sign in and out at the front desk of the facility.  Also, please refrain from bringing Dave food.  He is very sick of hospital food and Angie is working with the medical staff to try to bring him yummy and nutricious treats, but he is on a very strict cardiac and diabetic diet.  There is still a lot of swelling from the clot and they are working to make sure he doesn't eat anything that would impair the reduction and healing processes.

Angie is sure that seeing his friends will keep his spirits up, but he is still very tired and rest is imperative to his recovery.  These rules aren't meant to be unduly harsh or restrictive, she's just trying to protect him during this period while following HealthSouth's regulations.

Again, Dave's location is: 
Room 321B
1160 Van Voorhis Rd
Morgantown, WV     26505

HealthSouth Transition

David moved to Health South yesterday and is in Room 321B, 1160 Van Voorhis Rd, Morgantown, WV26505.  His parents are very thankful to Jeff Fluharty's kind efforts allowing them to move into an apartment in Morgantown.  Dave is now doing well enough that there will not be daily blog updates, only posts marking significant changes.

At this time, visitors are still not allowed as Dave is sleeping most of the time he is not in therapy.  The physical and occupational therapy regimen HealthSouth maintains for their patients is extremely rigorous in order for them to make the most rapid progress possible.  Visitors will be allowed, but the family still has to see how Dave adjust to his new routine over the next few days to decide what the best visitation schedule will be for him.

Elimination Dinner for The Byrnside Family

April 9th at 6:00pm Brickside Bar & Grill

Never heard of an Elimination Dinner? 

Well let me tell you about how it works and why you don’t want to miss out on the very exciting evening of dinner, fun, prizes and a chance at the GRAND PRIZE of $1000, and you don’t have to be present at the drawing to win the cash.

The purchase of a ticket includes the chance for the grand prize, dinner, and drinks (soft drinks and beer). Liquor is available for purchase at the bar.

We are selling roughly 130 tickets to the Elimination Dinner on April 9th.
 (Please volunteer to help sell these tickets if you can, contact Marty 304-619-3744). It will be held at the Brickside Bar and Grill in Bridgeport, WV.  For those out of town, I have negotiated a discounted hotel rate at Days Inn and Best Western right across the street. 

The evening begins at 6pm with a social hour.  At 7:00 that evening the real fun begins with the drawing of the first number to be eliminated from the chance at the $1000 grand prize.  You won’t have to sit through all those numbers without more fun and chances for alternate prizes because every 25th number gets a prize. 

We will break at half way through the numbers for dinner. During the whole process we will be selling pull-tab tickets for $1.00 a piece. Top prize for each round is $100. There will also be a raffle for door prizes during this break.

When we get down to the last ten numbers, you will have a second opportunity to get back in the drawing. We will raffle one dinner ticket held out of the total for a chance to be in the last 11.  Raffle tickets will be sold for $5 each or 3 for $10 during the dinner break. (1 in 11 odds)

Now with all tickets accounted for, we start drawing numbers from the last 11 remaining ticket holders for the Grand Prize.  But the options are still not over yet.

Each ticket has an option for the holder to share the grand prize. When the last five numbers remain each contestant has the option to share or to continue with the drawing to the last number to the one person who wins the whole $1000 cash prize. (sharing must be unanimous).

There will be a DJ present for dancing/carrying on after the drawing has completed. 

It all starts with buying just a single $40 ticket, but don’t limit yourself to just one if you want to make the odds better with every ticket you buy. Tickets will be available for sale on Tuesday March 8th.

PayPal Donations

A PayPal account has been set up to help the Byrnsides offset the financial difficulties of Dave's health crisis.  If you would like to donate to this fund, or know somebody who would follow the steps below.  This account is linked directly to their bank account, so 100% of the funds go directly to them.

1) Visit the PayPal site for sending money online:  PayPalOnlinePayments

2) Type in the amount of money you would like to send and choose "friends and family" ; then click continue.

3) Enter Dave's email address: david@byrnside.org and your email address where prompted and finalize the payment.

Meals for the Byrnsides

Many of you have been asking how you can help.  I have a deal for you!  The kids are used to Angie being home to cook scratch meals on a regular basis and as many of you have expressed a desire to help provide dinner, we think that would be a great burden removed from the family at this time.  What I would love to see is if we can provide meals for them for at least the next 2-3 weeks.  Alex and Emily are quite robust eaters but Angie prefers not to eat meat with the bones intact.  There are no food allergies to worry about in this family.  So, if you are interested in providing meals, please comment on this post with your name, your meal, and the date you'll be bringing it.  That way, everyone can peruse the comments list to make sure they aren't overlapping menu items or dates.

Another Transition

Today's CT scan showed a slight improvement in swelling. Dave may be moving to Health South tomorrow to start more aggressive therapy. Alex and Emily are going to see him Tuesday, so he is looking forward to that. The family is working on a plan to let David enjoy visitors without having everyone show up at once - we will keep you posted. The family also says thanks to everyone for all your thoughts and prayers and offers to help. They are very grateful.

Regular Room

Angie's report for the morning is that Dave is doing a lot better and they are moving him to a regular room sometime today.

Pain Control Better

Dave's pain control was better today, he finally seems to be resting comfortably. He still complains about the headache, but not as much as he had been.  His eyes are open and he's talking more in full sentences instead of one-word answers.  The oxygen mask he was on yesterday was replaced with a nasal tube today because his oxygen needs are decreasing.  They gave him a percussion bed last night to massage the lungs and loosen the mucus in his lungs.  It apparently shakes like an earthquake for 20 minutes, but is effective at its job.  The physical and occupational therapists were in today and sat him up on the side of the bed and they also stood him up for just a few seconds.  They also gave the family exercises to do with him while they are in visiting.

Pain Control

Condition:  Critical

David's had a rough day and his doctors didn't feel that he was stable enough to undergo the esophageal echocardiogram.  It has been rescheduled for tomorrow.  He is also in severe pain despite the medical team's best efforts at pain control.  Please pray that they can get this resolved.

Room 979A

David was moved into a step-down unit first thing this morning after an agitated but otherwise uneventful night.  He is now in Room 979A on the neuro floor.  This is a wonderful piece of the path to his recovery, but he remains in critical condition.  He still cannot have anything to eat or drink.  And as he still has congestion, only the immediate family is allowed to visit him at this time.

A transesophageal echocardiogram is scheduled for 1pm today in order to check for blood clots in David's heart.  The carotid arteries have already been checked and found clear of clots.  He has developed some heart arrhythmias because of the low-grade fever he had, and while that is fairly typical, it isn't something the medical team likes to see and is being monitered closely.  Physical therapy is coming to evaluate him today.

Swallow Test Passed

David passed the swallow test. 

Morning Update

David had an okay night, Marilyn says.  He's still asking for something to drink and since they're doing the swallow test this morning, hopefully he'll get his "big drink" later today.  They are also doing a test to see if there are any clots in his heart and physical therapy will be in to see him today.  They do not yet have the results of the 4am CT scan.

Last Update of the Day

Dave is alert and cracking jokes but still pretty worn out.  He's really thirsty but isn't allowed to drink because they aren't sure he knows how to swallow anymore and can't risk him aspirating the water and getting pneumonia at this stage.  Marilyn says the post-op CT scan didn't show much change and the next CT scan is scheduled for 4am. 

Dave is off the Ventilator

I just received a text message from Marilyn, David's mother. He is now off the ventilator and responsive. Milestone #1 is down, we can now start praying for him to reach Milestone #2!

Visitations Limited

SICU is now limiting visits with Dave to the immediate family, but anyone wanting to show support for Angie and the family is welcome to come sit in the waiting room with them.

Dave's Out of Surgery

The reason for the surgery was that the clot on the right hemisphere of Dave's brain was starting to flow over to the left hemisphere.  In order to prevent damage to the right hemisphere, the surgeons removed half of his skull.  It will remain out for about 2 weeks.  They still don't know why he's getting the clots but are working to figure it out.  This is crucial, because until they stop new clots from forming, they can't administer anymore TPA, it will just cause hemorraging. David is in SICU (fifth floor of Ruby) now and will likely remain there for the next several days until they can move him to the neuro unit on the ninth floor.  They induced a full medical paralysis for the surgery that will recede as he recovers.


Here are the things Dave needs to accomplish over the next several days:


Milestone #1:  breathing on his own again, hoping he'll get there in the next hour
MIlestone #2:  left side paralysis from the stroke damage should begin to recede by 24 hours
Milestone #3:  blood flow should begin to return to normal within the right side of the brain and overall swelling should start receding by 72 hours; that will not, however, change the damage that's already been done to the left side of his brain

Surgery Scheduled

This morning's CT scan shows some additional swelling, so a craniotomy has been scheduled for ~10am to prevent any additional damage to David's brain.  The surgery is a 2-3 hour procedure and recovery will be another 2-3 hours.  This means that Dave will not be able to receive visitors until well after 3pm this afternoon.  I will post another blog when I know that he's out of surgery and awake.

The Backstory

David Byrnside had a major stroke Saturday night as he was returning from the grocery store.  Angie called to check on his return and, hearing his speech difficulty, asked the police to find and help him.  The paramedics arrived and transported him to UHC in Bridgeport.  Once they ascertained that he had indeed had a stroke, Dave was life-flighted to Ruby Hospital for the blood clot in his brain.  He has near total paralysis on the left side but can speak, answer questions, and crack jokes.  An initial CAT scan was done as soon as Dave was brought to the Emergency Department at Ruby.  Another was done at 9am and a third was done at 5pm.  TPA, a clot-busting drug, was administered.  The 9am scan showed deterioration in his condition but the 5pm scan showed little change.  They have therefore decided a craniotomy is not necessary at this time to relieve the pressure on his brain from the swelling and he will remain under close scrutiny in the SICU (Surgery Intensive Care Unit) overnight.
We don't yet know exactly what Dave and his family will face going forward, but we do know he's looking at a great deal of time in rehabilitation.  His parents, brother, and Angie's sister Michelle (and her family) have come up to help out, but we don't know how long they'll be able to be here.  The purpose of this blog is to have a central location for updates so that Angie can focus on the needs of Dave and her children, rather than keeping the various circles of anxious friends, family, and coworkers apprised of the situation.  In addition to status reports on Dave's condition, the blog will post ways in which its readers can help once specific needs have been identified.

Pax dei nobiscum,
Karen Shumway