Time Flies When You're (Not) Having Fun...Chilly Update #2

(from Young Frankenstein...a family favorite)


Just wanted to quickly update Chilly's condition....

He's still in the hospital. He's out of ICU and in a step down unit. We are now dealing with brain swelling that is causing him pretty severe nausea and vertigo. He is unable to keep food down with any success.

On the upside, his kidney function is much improved. His blood sugars seem to be in control. Those are steps in the right direction.

His heart function is still poor. The doctors are watching him very closely, but are unable to run tests because of the extreme nausea. Those will come later.

It's going to be a very long road to rehabilitation. Chilly's stroke was in the cerebellum so his motor skills on the left side were impacted. He's unable to walk right now. He has facial numbness on the left side. He suffers from some pretty severe tremors all along his left side. His left arm is a bit wonky. He is lucky in that he does not have any facial drift (drooping) and his speech is still good. His mental abilities are still ok as well. He does get a bit confused, but that's not unusual for this type of stroke. I still don't know when he will be able to come home.

I can barely breathe when I think about how this is making my wee ones feel. The nurses and doctors have been amazing in trying to keep their spirits up when they are allowed to come for short visits to see their dad. When Catherine walked in yesterday wearing a "My Dad is My Hero" shirt, there wasn't a dry eye in the hospital.

I cannot thank you enough for your continued prayers and kind words. When I check my email and read the comments and letters from everyone, it truly uplifts my soul. It gives me the energy to keep moving forward. It helps my children to know that so many people are praying for their dad. I'm holding on to my faith and know whatever the outcome, my family is very lucky to be surrounded with so much love and we will get through this. Thank you for sharing your love with my family.

Will update again when I know more. I'm off to the hospital to see what excitement Chilly has in store for me today.

With Love,
Dawn