Karen's Blog

Paul's Update: Friday/Saturday April 7th/8th

The procedure to remove Karen's breathing tube was rather uneventful yesterday, but went well. We were all very pleased to see that it went without a hitch and with almost no discomfort for Karen. She seems much more relaxed now that she is able to breath on her own without a tube in her throat. She also seems much more peaceful when she sleeps.

I visited her last night again, and I saw a noticable difference in the way she looked compared to my visit that morning. The swelling in her lips had gone down already, and the redness from the tape that was used to hold the tube in place was already going away.

That's the good news.

I can't speak for the rest of Karen's family, but I think they would agree with me when I say that we were probably a little naive in our expectations of what would occur after the tube was removed. I had in my mind that since Karen was under sedation to keep her more comfortable while the breathing tube was there, that once they took it out and stopped sedating her we would see more than we did. It was pretty hard reality check for all of us.

Karen appears to have suffered significant trauma to the brain as a result of the aneurysm, and it will take some time for us to truly understand what the extent of the injury is. We all believe Karen is there, but for now, she is trapped inside and can't get out. Even though she will open her eyes, she doesn't appear to focus on, or track what it is that she is seeing. I think she hears us when we speak to her, and probably knows who we are when we do. The nurses have told us there appears to be some paralysis on her left side, but the extent or how permanent this will be is still unknown, and probably won't be for a while. I keep telling myself that the important thing to remember is that she has made it this far.

My goal with these updates has always been to keep everyone informed as to her progress, but I also want to make sure everyone is aware of the true picture. I know we are all thankful that she has made it this far, and that she is still with us. Tomorrow will be two weeks from her injury and she had beaten all odds at this point.

The Doctors and Nurses at the hospital have been extraordinary in their care for her, and they should all receives medals for what they have done up to this point. However, I think we all know that a good part of Karen's success so far is a result of Karen and the stubborn fighter that she is. Hopefully, these factors will continue to bear fruit down the road, but it is clear that this is going to take some time. Possibly, this will take a very long time.

I have been reading your comments to my posts, and I know Karen's family have been reading them as well. We all appreciate your kind words, your wonderful cards, and all of the music you have been sending. We are keeping track who sent evrything, so Karen will know who it came from. Keep them coming. I believe they help all of us, especially Karen.

For now, I think it is simply a waiting game to see what is going to happen. I would imagine that in the coming week or so she will be moved out of ICU and into another ward where more visitors are allowed. I will keep you informed as to when this happens.

In the meantime, I will continue to post updates, and hopefully I can bring more good news.

posted by Karen's Blog @ Saturday, April 08, 2006