Sorry I have not gotten around to posting the next part of this story. I also apologize if I repeat anything I have already written or even leave out detail. Another disclaimer, I don't reread before I post so please look past my typos and such.
So much happened and yet not much happened in this part of the story. Andrew was still in a coma and the hospital was working on stabilizing his vital signs, his cranial pressure and his lungs.
It seemed like months already but the cranial pressure monitor was finally removed 2 weeks later. The next day they were able to do the tracheostomy and feeding tube and finally an MRI 2 over two weeks after the stroke.
One day before one month since the accident Andrew finally got surgery on his right femur. The next day was supposed to be surgery on the left femur, however they found infection in the hip from the initial surgery a month before. So the day was spent cleaning out the infection and the surgery was moved to 6/15. After the surgery Andrew was now stable enough to move to University Hospital ICU and out of Denver Health SICU (surgical ICU). The move was due to insurance. Most of us were happy about the move... it was something new... it meant he was recovering, he was near more people who could support him, he worked for University Hospital. I had happy memories of University, both boys were born there.
My worst memory of Denver Health was after Andrew was no longer a patient. We had a finally meeting with Doctors who had treated him. My mother-in-law was having a difficult time handling and processing all the had happened... I mean this was her 'baby' and I think we all get that. At this meeting she asked "I want you to be honest, do you think he will recover?" Most doctors gave an honest answer, they thought he would recover and be ok, but they had no way of knowing how much recovery. What I am getting to though I could not believe, one woman looked directly into his mothers face and said. "If he recovers, he will never recover to the cognitive function he was before. He may be a 'vegetable' for the rest of his life." You don't say that to a fragile woman, to a fragile family. I agreed with the others in the room... "we don't know, hope for the best, he has age and intelligence on his side."
Once stable at University Hospital the doctors took the sedation off. Slowly Andrew emerged from his coma. Some of us could see his was there. His eyes seemed to show expression even though the rest of him could not seem to move. He also started to show signs of 'storming' (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14998101) and we were told even though it looked bad it was a good sign. This meant his brain was trying to heal.
I got to spend the whole day of our 7 year wedding anniversary at the hospital. It was one of the best days so far during recovery. I came in the room and had to walk in front of the bed and across the room to set my stuff down. Andrew's head moved and he followed me as I moved across the room. What an improvement.
After 41 days total in the ICU (DENVER HEALTH and UCH combined) Andrew was off the ventilator and stable enough to move facilities once again. Next stop was Kindred Hospital.
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