Today is the day that I go to Sheltering Arms Institute. The ambulance has taken me to Richmond at around 3PM. I safely arrived at around 5PM. I was able to nod and mouth words to the staff. The following is what they have noted about me:
34 old woman with history of migraine presenting after being found down at work, working overnight until found in AM unresponsive 5/2/2022. She is brought to local hospital, where she was appearing to have generalized tonic-clonic seizures and was loaded with fosphenytoin and Keppra and intubated. She was found to have left frontal parietal and occipital skull fractures and subarachnoid hemorrhage with cerebral edema. She was transferred to UVA ED. She was GCS 8T on arrival on propofol. Tox screen was negative. EVD was inserted. 5/3 she underwent bifrontal craniectomy. MRI revealed multiple infarcts in the thalamus, pons, cerebellum as well as cerebral contusions. She was off of vasopressors by 5/7. She was found to have DVTs around that date. EEG was negative for seizure-like activity. She was diagnosed with pneumonia and started on antibiotics. 5/13 CT chest with right pleural effusion and right-sided atelectasis. Her antibiotics were broadened. Pigtail catheter was started for his pleural effusion. Effusion size increased and chest tubes were inserted. 5/23 trach was placed. She underwent right-sided VATS procedure 5/28 with positive cultures. 6/8 PEG was placed. Echocardiogram done during this admission showed stress cardiomyopathy. On arrival the patient appears comfortable, she is able to nod her head and mouths words. She can also move all 4 extremities and indicate numbers on her right hand.
Infarcts are strokes. I didn't know what this was when I read it often in my notes. So, I figured I would share! The atelectasis is a lung collapse. I guess I didn't realize everything that went on when I was in the hospital. I guess it's good that I don't remember a piece of the hospital stay! Problems identified and given to Sheltering Arms are the following:
Acute Respiratory Failure
Cerebellar Stroke
Cerebral Edema
Coma
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Depression
Empyema
Fracture of Parietal Bone of Skull
Frontal Skull Fracture
Migraine
Occipital Bone Fracture
Parapneumonic Effusion
Pneumonia
Seizure
Tachycardia
Trauma
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Upon admittance to this facility, they did quite a few tests to see what I could do and couldn't do. I needed a ton of help with rolling, sitting, and getting dressed. It took 2 or more staff members to help me.
I have learned that a cerebellar stroke is one of the worst strokes a person can have. In a study performed, out of 70 patients, 17% of patients died and 32% of patients had a poor outcome within the first 6 months of survival. A stroke within this area affects balance and coordination skills within patients. This type of stroke occurs in about 2% of patients. Which makes it so rare!
With all of this talk, I am spent and need sleep now!! But God has definitely been with me and still is 100%!
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