Paul's Update - 05/25/06

Dear Friends:

As we've known from the beginning of Paul's ordeal ... just when things are going well...we can expect ome kind of set back. Wednesday was such a day. The seizures that we had feared and were able to escape for nearly seven months finally occurred. Paul had been having a very good day. His speech therapy went really well and we set some goals for what we would like to see him achieve with her. After dinner he had been up some and even went outside for a while. About 9:00pm he was resting in bed and watching TV. All seemed normal and good. Without any warning he began to have a seizure. Here is a synopsis of the events of Wednesday night as Bobby wrote in his blog:

Well, it's almost 4am, and I just got home. It has been a terrifying evening ... It all started around 9:15pm, with my sister Carolyn screaming up the stairs yelling for me. "Paul's having a seizure!" I scramble down the stairs to find Tabby in hysterics, on the phone, and Dad holding Paul over on his side. I've only been that scared one other time in my life, and this was worse. I realized Tabby was on the phone with 911, and hyperventilating so bad, I couldn't understand her (she'd been going through labor pains all afternoon). I took the phone away from her, gave the 911 operator our address, appraised them of the situation as:

1. My little brother has a recent history of Traumatic Brain Injury, and is currently having a seizure (to my left) and
2. My sister-in-law is nearly 9 months pregnant, hyperventilating, and may be having a baby. (to my right)
   

Thankfully we are only 3 minutes away from the closest fire station, and 2:59 seconds later, there are 13 people in our house. By the time they got there, Paul was no longer seizing. It's hard to explain to EMTs that it's normal for him not to be able to talk, and to only be able to respond 80% of the time. Tabby was still in a bit of a full blown panic because she couldn't see Paul from where she was, surrounded by EMTs of her own. They decided to transport Paul, and as they carried him past her she damn near pushed her way through the EMTs demanding to stay with him. Both were transported to Prince William Hospital. Paul seemed to be okay even as they were transporting him and for the first half an hour or so while he was at the hospital. He seemed to be coming back around, and was doing better and then bam three more seizures, the fourth one being the longest. The sedated him heavily with anti-seizure medication and informed us that they were gonna keep him, at least through the night. Cat scans came back showing no change, so they feel that the seizures were relatively harmless, but said he was so doped up that he might not wake up until Friday.

Tabby finally agreed to get checked out by the OB at Prince William, who said that there was minimal dilation, and that the baby was just now moving into it's downward position, meaning that she wasn't gonna have the baby tonight, but it won't be much longer.

Paul is now in the ICU at Prince William Hospital, where the plan seems to be to keep him for a couple of days. Seeing him before I left, even as doped up as he was, he seemed to be having a horrible nightmare. His eyes were closed, but he was moaning a lot, and seemed to be trying to sit up. Tabby decided that she needed to come home. She was still in a great deal of pain. She took a shower and seems to be resting comfortably now. We get to go back to the hospital tomorrow so she'll need her rest. I gotta tell you, we were warned that seizures were a distinct possibility with Traumatic Brain Injury. We thought we had prepared ourselves, but nothing can prepare you. He seemed fine, Tabby leaned in to kiss him, and he clinched up, started shaking violently, began to foam at the mouth, clinched his teeth, and began to hyperventilate.

Everything was going so well, he seemed to be doing great, and now it just feels like we're back to square one. We don't know how he's going to come out of this. Will he be worse, will he be better, will he be the same? Will we have to start over? We just don't know.

If there was ever a time we needed prayers, this is it. I'm trying to stay strong, and trying to stay positive, but I gotta tell you ... I'm a terrified, nervous wreck underneath.

Today was much better. Paul slept most of the day. He was awake some and seemed to recognize and respond to us. Tabby had an OB appointment this morning and the doctor said she is now 90% effaced (which means the cervix is thinning and she has started dilation). She had dilated about one centimeter and the doctor said the baby could come any time in the next few days. She has another appointment to see the doctor in a week but he doesn't believe she will make the appointment. She is comfortable and the pains have stopped for now. Tonight when we went back to the hospital to see Paul he was awake and had eaten a little of his dinner. He was pretty sleepy and kept falling asleep so he didn't eat it all. Dad was able to get him some jello, graham crackers & orange juice from the nurse around 9pm and he was able to eat most of that. He has been responding almost like before the seizures. He was moved from critical care to the primary care unit down the hall before we left tonight. He is at Prince William Hospital in room 2216. We are hoping he will be stable enough to go home either late tomorrow or Saturday morning. It looks like he will be on anti-seizure medicines for a while. I am constantly amazed the people that God places in our lives. Paul had a male nurse tonight that bought his motorcycle from the shop that Paul worked in. He wasn't sure he knew Paul but before we left tonight he had called his wife to have her bring his DOT approved helmet to him. Paul's story is a strong message that you cannot be TOO safe when riding a motorcycle! Please continue to keep Paul in your prayers ... I believe this experience is just another part of the healing that Paul's body is doing!

Love, Lynne & Carl