Progress
Braydon visiting me in ICU when things weren't moving.
Jackson cheering me on in the step down unit.
October 1
Whew, it's been 17 days since the stroke. The walker has been put away and the cane is hung up in the house and just pulled out for rough terrain! Speech is good until around 5PM and then there are a few slurs or slip ups from just being tired.
My morning begins with me taxing my brain on Luminosity and then I head out the door to therapy. I fix my own meals and fold laundry and put away dishes for our daughter. By the time the rains stop in Virginia I'll be ready to slip in my kayak and take off...just may need someone to dump me out on the beach afterwards! :-)
Most of you received the email update I sent out yesterday, but for the journal record I've posted it here below.
My medical care here in Nashville, through St Thomas, has been superior. Today I had a check up with the partner of the neurologist who was with me at the ER. I LOVED this man. He said he had visited Roanoke years ago and loved the valley. At the end of the appointment I gave him my card and said, “You’ve won a free vacation to Shiloh on Smith Mt Lake!”
He said, “Something very bad has happened to you, but for the life of my I can’t figure out why. You are normal and as strong as a horse! Everything you have lost WILL come back. I don’t like not knowing why this occurred though.”
This doctor feels another possibility is what our daughter in law and the EMT thought…the 8 hour drive here could have caused me to throw a clot.
He ordered some more blood work looking for a genetic clotting disorder. He also wanted to order another CAT scan but Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield refused since I’ve had 4 scans and an MRI. He is looking for something new, a “girly disease” called FMD. Fibromuscular dysplasia. He does not think I have Afib like the other doctor was guessing. Bless their hearts.
They want an answer for me so they can prevent this from happening again, but I’m ok with the diagnosis it was a “devil dart” and God had a whole lot of things for me to do and experience these past two weeks in Nashville.
The doctor has scheduled an appointment for me in 2 weeks in case I have any questions or my condition changes. Our daughter is going on vacation with her family October 14th to the Outer Banks, so the plan for now is for me to fly with them and go to VA Beach and hang out with our son and his family there. They live 3 blocks from a Primary Stroke Center! The doctor liked the option of flying back to VA better than driving.
I’m in good spirits. Am loving the visits from our kids and I’ve made amazing friends here in Nashville. Betty Ashton and her family have been gracious beyond belief, as have all of you with your cards, gifts, and prayers.
Today’s Biblegateway verse is my new memory verse. I have experienced God’s love in a way and a depth that is indescribable.
Love to you all, Boo
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, Philippians 1:9-10
PS. Even if God should beam me up to be with him today, I’m thankful for this experience. Hang out with him more often. It’s the ultimate.
