Last login on 5/21... what a summer!

[Kramer]

I came here on 5/21 and posted an update...I was feeling optomistic about finally getting my life under control and rejoining the board.

Seriously, on 5/22 my sister had a seizure while driving her car. She did not get in an accident, she pulled over before she seized, when she started feeling funny (thank GOD).

She ended up having a huge blood clot in her right parietal lobe and they did a craniotomy and evacuated it and embolized all the bleeding vessels.

She came home on 6/9 and started outpatient rehab. She had to live with me and my other sister for about 6 weeks and then she was able to go back to her own apartment, which is about an hour away from us.

I took her to her neurosurgeon on 8/1 and he wrote a note that would allow her to go back to work on 8/11. All was going well...

I went up north for our family summer vacation on 8/2, thinking things were finally going to settle down for us. On 8/9 I called my sister to see if she had arranged for rides to work and she couldn't even talk to me on the phone, it was miraculous that she even answered the phone at all. I was up north, on my way home, and managed to call a friend who lived nearby to take her to the hospital.

She had another brain hemmorhage. This time in the left temporal area. It was huge, and did more damage. She was in ICU on life support for the past 10 days. She recently moved to step down and is going to In patient rehab unit in a couple of days.

Needless to say, we are back on the rollercoaster ride again.

They don't know what is causing this and trust me, they have done every test possible so far. This time she isn't going to recover so well. She has right sided weakness, partial blindness in her right eye and her speech is severely affected, along with her mental status.

I hope rehab can help her but we don't anticipate that she will ever live on her own again. So, probably in a few weeks, I get my houseguest back.

Was it summer this year? I have no clue.

I want my sisters life back, I want my own life back.... I want to be able to come online and post frivously again.

I miss you guys :hug2:

[Gabby]

Oh my goodness. What a horrible thing to go through. I hope they have some answers soon.

:hug2:

[TigerLily]

Hugs and Love Kramer. I hope things get better and they find out what's causing it.

[Fuel]

Yikes! Bad news! Hope rehab helps, and she pulls through this better then everyone thinks. (((hugs)))

[UkraineMom]

Oh Kramer!!!!

I am so sorry to hear about your troubles.... Prayers for you and your family...

[pocket]

((((Kramer)))) I'm so sorry about your sister's illnesss. I too, hope rehab helps a lot, and the docs control the clotting issue Thank God you called her when you did and were able to get her help. I wish you and your sister strength and hope for the struggle ahead.

[tahitisweetie]

Oh no. This breaks my heart.

[patchiepoopoo]

Kramer, I am sending my Hugs and Prayers for you and your family.

:hug2:

[frawniemae]

You know, I use to love rollercoasters but these kind are no fun at all.

I hope things improve for your sister. You are doing a wonderful thing taking her in to care for her. Hugs and prayers for you and yours...

[Virgo6]

Sorry to hear about your sister. You might not be able to come around here too often, but the one great thing is when you need to, we are all here for support. Hugs

[Kramer]

Thanks everyone...I just feel bad, like I come back and say "hey I am back" and then boom, gone again :sigh:

Anyhow, maybe I should force myself to logon regularly and take some time for "me" with my old friends, because it always feels good to come back and read, its like "old home" again.

[LeeLee]

Hey Kramer, I'm sorry to hear about this. You are in my thoughts.

LL

[Slitter]

It sounds like you've really been put through the ringer this summer, Krams. I'm sorry you and your sister is having to go through all this. I echo Pocket to say how fortunate that you called when you did. I hope they can figure out what is wrong soon and can prevent future occurrences. Hugs.

[Kramer]

Just a quick update on my sister. She is in inpatient rehab. I feel terrible for her. She is miserable. She has rehab about 4 hours a day but the other 8 hours they make her sit on her bed with the bed alarm on and she cannot go anywhere or do anything unless someone is there (family member or friend) to help her or take her out of the room. The Opthamologist was in today and she has lost her right sided vision in both eyes (does that make sense?) so she cannot see anything to the right in both eyes. They said she won't regain this, but they want her to start visual therapy to condition the left side of her eyes to compensate for the loss.

Thus, she doesn't do well watching TV or reading or anything and has nothing to occupy her day if no one is with her ... just makes me feel so terribly sad and terrible.

Her insurance $$ is running out so she may be home on Friday and that freaks me out because they haven't told me a date yet (until today) and so I need to get her room emptied and filled with a bed and her things. Otherwise, I am ready for her to get out of that hospital and get home where I can take good care of her and not worry about her day in and day out. Plus I won't have to spend 5 hours a day up in the hospital anymore, and might actually be able to get my house cleaned and in order again.

I attend her rehab therapies with her because I have to learn how to help her when she gets home. Her deficits are large (she has expressive and receptive aphagia and apraxia). Its going to be a long road and we are only at the beginning. She is doing OK otherwise (physically) so that keeps me going strong.

[Gabby]

Oh Kramer. My heart is breaking for both of you. :hug2: You are an amazing sister.

[Virgo6]

Just remember Kramer, to take care of you too. To help your sister and to deal with all the regular ups and downs of life, you will need to be strong and healthy yourself. Take some time out to just relax and put your feet up and make sure you eat well. You and your sister are in my prayers.
What a down to earth Angel you are.

[Slitter]

Hugs to you Krams. The important thing behind or maybe beyond all of these problems is that her mind works just fine from a thinking/understanding perspective. I had an uncle who was brain damaged in an accident back in 1966. My grandmother retaught him to read and write - the penmanship left something to be desired but the fact that he could do it at all was pretty amazing. He had trouble getting his thoughts to come out of his mouth right and it frustrated him. Behind it all though, he knew what was going on.

From what I have been able to learn about your sister's problems, she may not be able to fully express her thankfulness for all you are doing for her but she will be aware of it and feel it. I know you will experience a lot of frustration in the days to come but try to remember that.

What is it that seems to draw exceptionally good and caring people to this website? You are a shining example of that Krams. I hope you realize it.

[mel]

Holy cow, K! This is so awful. I'm so sorry that your sister has been going through this and that she recovers.

Blessings and hugs to all of you.

[pocket]

It's not been that long since your last post here Kramer, but how is your sister doing these days? Hopefully, you've found some good tools to aid you and that she's showing improvement. It's tough times, but I hope there are some small gains to keep spirits up.

[Kramer]

Hey pocket, things are going rough to say the least. I am surviving and its just been insanity. I will post more later, but am in the process of transferring my sister to live with another sister of ours as of October 18. I don't have time to get into details right now, but will come back and explain more later.