New daughter

[thepunkerguy]

While she still has a long ways to go, i am glad that she is sarting to get better.. thanks for keeping us informed! I'll keep her in my prayers!
- Mike

[zeroSignal]

Congratulations on the new baby, all the best to her.

I'm very sorry to hear about your wife. I got here through [H]ard|OCP and the story really shook me up.

Be strong, stand by your children and your wife.

zS

Skopje, Macedonia

[Kerbie]

It's good to hear that she is talking at least. When she's saying crystal corn flakes, thats a good sign. It may be hard to understand, but she's puting in the effort.
Another bit of advice that proved very helpful for my mom, would be to get her to try to write words that she can't pronounce. She may not be at that stage yet, but she will.
Also, i was told by our doctors that if she's haveing trouble saying words, don't fill in the blanks for her. Get her to think about it. No matter how much she's struggling. Her brain will never teach itself it your doing all the thinking.

The way that i was explained what was happening inside her head was this:
her brain has been damaged, similar to if say a road was blocked off construction. her brain has to find a way around, only permanently. It takes a long time for this to happen, but your wife is young, and has a wonderful family to live for. If she can still remember that, then she will pull through. I'm sure of it.
I wish you the best Brian.

[Jabo]

Wow, that's quite quick improvement imho.
I strongly belive she is going to be all right and will make 100% recovery.
Despite all the medical sciences advancements and almost magical (to layman) technology used nowdays they in reality know nothing more than 100 years ago (when you are doctor with almost 40 years of experience like my father you get extremely humble and start to go to church much more often then you used to...)
I heard of brain damage cases beyond human understanding and beyond any hope making full recovery (I had quite unpleasant encounter with four pissed-off-bald-headed killers once and spend two weeks on neurology ward with over 1 cm brain swelling and unrecognizeable facial features, I am at high risk of stroke all the time and have some nasty scarring on brain tissue but I am fine, well according to some people at least )
.... Medicine know very little about human brain and some specialists are of opinion that it has unbelievalbe redundancy and self repair abilities.
I think it is extremely important now to find a balance between necessary stimulation given to your wife's brian and tireness and stress caused by it.
I can still see my uni friend laying on her hospital bed like vegeatable week after week groving thinner and thinner and then, two years later she was like new, graduating with degree from the uni.

Heads up, she will be fine!

[WiLieR[SS]]

Brian,
First I would like to say Congrats on the new addition to the family! Children are a wonderful part of life and are our most precious commodity in this world.

I would also like to send my sincerest best wishes for your wife and your family. My family will have you and your family in our prayers and thoughts throughout the day. I have had two family members suffer strokes very similar in location and size to what your wife is currently recovering from. Both members have come through with a near full recovery. Speach is perfect and only the most difficult of motor control is not present. They live everyday as if nothing happened and I am sure your wife will pull through and be back to her wonderful self much the same. You have not only ProCooling's family but the family's of many other forums, including Shamika Server, behind you in this spiritual adventure.

It is wonderful to hear of her recoveries thus far. I am sure the list will only grow as she fully recovers from her strokes. Keep the Faith and all things are possible.

[TechWorthy]

I come way of SystemCooling.com, saw this posted as their top news item and having a wife that is due to deliver in the next two weeks it really hit home. I will say a prayer for your wife's fast recovery.

[Brians256]

Well, another day, a bit more improvement. I really appreciate the encouragement from those of you who have been through this or have seen it. It sounds like the recovery is more gradual and longer-lasting than I thought. I was under the impression that if you don't see major improvements in the first couple of weeks, most of it won't come back. Boy am I glad to be wrong!

Also, thanks to Steve and Kyle over at HardOCP and Hyperthermia, I have a much better ability to deal with my unpaid absence from my job and bills that are starting to trickle in. Let this be a lesson to many: we may differ over how we do things, but there is a warm heart over there.

I have also received help from MANY of you directly via PayPal or email. I can't say thank you enough! I have tried to send a thank you note to each person who sent me something, no matter whether it was PayPal or an email of encouragement. It means something when you take the time to lift my spirits. God bless you (and I believe he will). I wish I could respond to each reply in this forum, but so many of you have posted, that I haven't had time. To you also, THANK YOU.

[SGSeeker]

Hey Brian, I've been following the thread for awhile but have found it hard to find words to express how I feel about what's going on. I'm just so sorry this is happening to your wife, you, and your loved ones. I've been hoping for the best and it sounds like things are getting better. I doubt you remember but I live just beyond the river, in Vancouver. Let me know if there's anything I can help with.

[Jibjo]

Linked in from OC.com: praying for you and yours.

[TeaLeaf]

Linked in from Overclockers.com and have added a link to this thread on our own forums over at Dead Men Walking (a European Tactical Counter-Strike/Gaming community).

Brian, as a father too my heart goes out to you and I sincerely hope that things start to look up for you, your wife and your children in the coming weeks and months. Keep the faith.

TL.

[nexxo]

I was under the impression that if you don't see major improvements in the first couple of weeks, most of it won't come back.

Don't you worry about that! Typically progress starts out slow and then increases at a faster rate. Moreover most progress tends to occur over a period of two years, and even after that late recovery is possible.

Now you've told me some more, I'm able to form a clearer picture. The damage does sound quite extensive, and I can see how the doctors have been hedging their bets. They don't want to give people false hope so they tend to be conservative in their estimates. I, too, don't want to give false hope and I am certainly not clairvoyant, but I think that at this stage you need a cognitive framework for coping; in simple terms: you need to know what you're dealing with, and roughly what you can expect. Moreover whereas the neurologists who treat your wife work in the acute setting (where people stay for a few months at most), I get to see people as they change and improve over the next years. So whereas unlike them I have relatively little knowledge on acute medical management, I have more experience with functional recovery over the very long term.

I would expect your wife to be quite tired and confused for the first few months, and then to start making more substantial cognitive improvements. Currently she may still be in "Post Traumatic Amnesia" (PTA) --that period following brain injury when new memories will not be laid down, or not very well. She may not remember your visits, and be quite disoriented as to where she is, what day/time it is etc.

"Retrograde Amnesia" (memory loss of facts and events from the past) even going back as far as 10+ years, also is common and tends to resolve, although I expect she will never recover memories of the last weeks/days upto her injury (including childbirth --have those baby pictures ready!).

I advise you to start recording by all means, photos, camcorder, audio tape, the baby's progress until her PTA resolves, as she won't remember this period later and will want to know the sound of its first gurgle... You can help your wife reconstruct her past memories by talking with her about the past, showing her pictures etc. I tend to help families construct a "time-line": a long sheet of paper with a line spanning from, say "10 years ago" to "Now", with keywords of events and photos of family albums stuck on at the relevant chronological position, left on a wall in plain sight for the patient to see, so they can start organising the fragments of their memories.

She will be very spaced out and tired for now. She will not remember things, and feel easily overwhelmed. Her disorientation and fatigue will make her seem flat. All this will pass in time. That she is speaking clearly (even if she is experiencing what we call "phonological dysphasia" --saying 'crystal' instad of 'Kellogs') is a good sign: it shows higher cognitive function, and if her speech is not slurred, and not 'dysfluent' (i.e. not slurred or stuttering) that would suggest that her motor functions got off lightly. Due to her injury she may lack intonation in her voice however, and this also will make her seem flat.

Keep an eye on her movement; if this improves rapidly over the next month, she should have few movement problems in the long term. If they don't, she will need physiotherapy input and may be left with some residual problems. I am very encouraged though to hear that she is up and walking already! Even if this is only a few, slow steps with someone supporting her, the very fact that she can perform such basic activity (together with the cerebellum for balance, the basal ganglia are the main circuits involved in repetitive automatic actions like walking) bodes well for her recovery.

If you feel the need to talk more about brain injury, brain function and neuro-rehab, contact me by PM and I'll give you my e-mail and MSN. Hang in there.

[guandi]

Hey Brian,

There have only ever been three forum threads that have made me cry, two deaths of very close freinds and this one. My heart goes out to your young family and you have the best wishes of mine and my freinds. Ii hope your wife makes a full recovery and gets to be a great wife, and mother to your beautiful daughter.

-Phil

[unrealrocks]

I am linked from CPU3D / AMD3D although saw the link on Hexus.NET. This has spread all over the net.

I'm really sorry to hear about your wife, its great she's getting better. I'm sure she'll make a recovery - we all can only hope. Even if things never go back quite to how they we're, you've allways got to look for the good things - I'm sure you'll get through this

Don't forget you've gained a beautiful girl from all this, and I'm sure you and your wife will be able to enjoy this new addition to your family very soon

I think the entire computer community is supporting you and your wife!

[Brians256]

guandi, you and me both. It's been intense.

unrealrocks, thanks man. I'm really pumped about the new daughter. Her brothers are fighting over the opportunity to hold her (under supervision), and she's really a blessing. The entire community has been more than I ever thought!

nexxo, you keep hitting the nail on the head. I DO need a "cognitive framework". Without it, I've been feeling like a boat going full throttle with no map. I'm not stupid, so I've been asking lots of questions, learning details, and keeping track of everything that I can think of. But that's information, and I don't know how to process it. When you are thirsty, it doesn't work well to suck from a firehose. For example, she had a thrombosis in the inferior sagital sinus vein... no idea what that means to my wife long-term. Anyways, I can ask some of this stuff in PM or try to extract from the doctors helping Heather (which has been difficult so far).

As for how she's doing now, I think that she is responding to all the prayers that so many have been lifting up. She is able to walk to the bathroom with no more than observation, she interacted very well with the kids today (simple language but no stuttering or lost words), and she showed some positive emotions as well. It was great to see her smile when I walked into the room with the kids! So, maybe she could make a great recovery. I'm definitely thanking God, because the doctors weren't optimistic after only being able to give her blood thinners, give her anti-siezure medications and keep her from choking.

[Tempus]

Brian- you are still in our thoughts. I've talked to friends in many boards and everyone knows and is thinking/praying for you. I wish there was more to do.


Just know we are all pulling for ya. My heart aches but I have to imagine that a beautiful little girl has to be so incredible. She is definately a gift.

Best wishes to you and yours.

[gospelmidi]

Father, in the name of Jesus, please have mercy on Brian's wife and show Your lovingkindness by restoring her to health. Father, please don't let her die - her baby needs her mother. May Your will be done, which is better than whatever we might want. In the name of Jesus who died for our sins, with thanksgiving, amen.

Brian, please find a church or prayer meeting or home prayer group with righteous, godly people (not necessarily people who advertise healing and miracles) who are willing to support your family in prayer longterm, until you get a yes or no answer.

Jesus saves and heals, and God still works miracles, but He requires faith on your part to keep praying without giving up until He accomplishes what He intends. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.

In Jesus' love,
Brian

[Driver 7]

HaHa. I'm glad to hear that Brian. This is a pretty powerfull thread. I have been glued to it since it started. I wish I could be there when Heather gets home and gets to read it all. There's so much love and so many prayers being sent to you and your wife that your gonna have to get a door man to let it all in.

I drive tow truck so I listen to the radio alot, And whenever I hear the song Calling all Angles by Train I think of you and your wife.

[Mr. Thompson]

Originally Posted by gospelmidi

Father, in the name of Jesus, please have mercy on Brian's wife and show Your lovingkindness by restoring her to health. Father, please don't let her die - her baby needs her mother. May Your will be done, which is better than whatever we might want. In the name of Jesus who died for our sins, with thanksgiving, amen.

Brian, please find a church or prayer meeting or home prayer group with righteous, godly people (not necessarily people who advertise healing and miracles) who are willing to support your family in prayer longterm, until you get a yes or no answer.

Jesus saves and heals, and God still works miracles, but He requires faith on your part to keep praying without giving up until He accomplishes what He intends. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.

In Jesus' love,
Brian

Amen and Amen.

[jtroutma]

Brian,

Just letting you know that I am still here and praying for you and your wife every day.

I have been following your wifes progress and overjoyed to hear all the great news about her steps towards recovery.

Again, keep the faith and keep it up. All will be fine in the end.

Jtroutman

[lloydchan]

Brian,

Hope all is going well with your new born and the recovery of your wife. Would just like to tell you if you have the oppurtunity and time, read the Book of Job.

Best Regards,
Lloyd

[DarkEdge]

I havn't posted in a long time and been out of the water cooling seen for awhile because of real life stuff. I was over at overclockers.com and saw the link and had to come over here and post for support. I'm so happy she is making a recovery. I'm also glad to hear you are coping fairly well. Its really amazing to see people come together in times of crisis. Its been a hard year for alot of people, and sadly its like my prayers have a new name added to them each week. I always tell myself though, no matter what happens in life, it can only make you stronger, and a better person.

Heres to you Brian! Congrats on another wonderful bundle of joy, and I wish your family the best.

[shroomer]

I don't personally believe in prayer, but I am glad to hear that your wife is improving so well. Hopefully this trend will continue. I can't imagine what I would do if my wife suffered such an injury.

[nexxo]

she had a thrombosis in the inferior sagital sinus vein... no idea what that means to my wife long-term.

The inferior sagital sinus vein is one of the veins through which blood returns from the brain to the heart. Basically it runs from the top of the corpus callosum --the bit that connects the two hemispheres of the brain-- to its back. Point straight down on the top of your head: a few inches down is where the vein starts. Now point at the back of your head: a few inches inwards is where it finishes by connecting to the straight sinus, which runs to the back of your head and then splits into the inferior vermian veins (left and right), both of which run along the base of the skull towards your ears, to connect to the jugular veins running down the neck. It starts pretty close to the basal ganglia and some other veins from that area meet it at its straight sinus junction, hence the location of the damage.

A thrombosis is a blood cloth which somehow got washed up the bloodstream and "plugs" a vein or artery, like a drain blockage. This can cause backpressure and rupture/bleed of vessels, but also stroke as parts of the brain do not get their supply of blood.

Stroke does its damage in a matter of minutes, as brain cells need a constant supply of blood and oxygen (in fact 15% of the air you breath and food you eat is for the brain, which accounts for only 2% of your total body weight. Hungry little thing).

A bleed is a problem because: 1. blood does not go where it's due (hence causing a stroke); 2. it spills out and having no room to expand, presses on delicate brain structures; 3. blood contains iron, which is poisonous to braincells (in fact to most cells, which is why blood is meant to stay firmly inside the blood vessels). A bleed takes a few weeks max to be "cleaned up" by the body.

A thrombosis is broken down and cleaned up by the body very quickly (but not within minutes, which is when damage occurs), and when blood thinners are used, even more quickly. However I doubt that if the doctors had cottoned on to what was happening rightaway, they could have prevented the damage from occuring, as it happens within the first few minutes.

Your wife, I must say, is doing spectacularly well, if she is already walking unaided. Don't worry, I think she'll come out of this really well.

[CrOsSwIrE]

Brian... I was linked here from Gruntville, and I just want to say that my heart goes out to you. Its great to see that your wife is recovering quickly.

[snvpa]

Brian,

My heart goes out to you and yours. First congratulations on the new addition to the family. Secondly I'm glad to see your wife is making such a speedy recovery, listening to your reports shows the quick progress she is making. I'm not a praying man but my thoughts are with you and yours. Keep the faith and take care of yourself, I know its difficult but try and get some sleep. You have all of our support @ OC.com.

Nexxo, great job with the posts, when my stepfather (may he rest in peace) was in the hospital, with ARDS, sepsis (an infection in the blood) and a stroke it comforted me to learn and understand at least in part what was going on. Your posts are helping brian understand that which is great, Keep up the good work.