I went to go visit Uncle Jason yesterday as I was working-from-home and was starving for some good food. He smiled as I dropped off some magazines for his customers to read and encouraged me to have some lunch.
He was back to his usual self. He was greeting customers by name and joking around like he always does. I was amazed! He said it's been almost 3 weeks since he's been released and in another 3 weeks he will return to the doctor for them to evaluate his health, condition, etc. He told me he lost 20 lbs while in the hospital and slowly he is regaining it back.
It's SO good to see him healthy and at the deli. His customers love him and so do all of us! Thanks to all the extended family and friends for love and best wishes.
God Bless,
Helen
A wonderful couple
Jason Yune (Yunie) and Sung Yune
Friday, April 8, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Back to the grind....
Hi Friends and Family!
It’s already been two weeks since my last update. Can you believe it? Time flies when you’re having fun!
I am reminded again of God’s healing power in my father’s life. It is incredible to believe that my dad is walking, talking, eating, sleeping and doing the normal things we take for granted. I look back and think that only 4 weeks ago he was on life support and teetering between life and death. If anything I am in total awe of God’s amazing grace when I think about this. One word describes it all. Amazing!
On another note, dad is very happy to be back at work. He was welcomed with open arms from all the customers. Everyone was happy to have their ‘Jackie Chan’ back. However, he is constantly reminded to take it easy from them and to take care of himself. If there is one thing we can count on it’s the deli’s customers to keep him accountable. J
A lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. Most importantly, dad has not smoked a cigarette since he left the hospital! This is amazing considering he has smoked for almost 23 years. I always try and remind him that a cigarette equals a stroke. Scary but true. Please keep him in your prayers that the urge to smoke can be eradicated completely. Only God can give my dad the willpower to overcome such an obstacle.
Thank you again for keeping my dad in your thoughts and prayers. I am deeply grateful that my family is surrounded with love and support. God has given us incredible friends and family. J
Stay tuned…….
Sandra
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Home Sweet Home
WOW. Wow, is all I can say to sum up the past 12 days. Especially the past 72 hours. So much has progressed in the last 3 days that I am still kind of in shock. Every day that my dad was in the hospital he made huge improvements and all of the doctors and nurses referred to my dad as the 'Miracle Case' or 'Miracle Man'. With good reason of course. I spoke with all of his nurses and doctors daily and all I got were great reports. First, he was taken off the anti-spasm medication (Nimotop - prevents Vasospasms). Next, he was gradually weaned off of the blood pressure medication (Neosynephrine) and then finally he was taken off the Potassium supplement and Saline drip. All this took place in a matter of about 48 hours - if that. He was able to maintain his BP levels on his own (without the help of meds) which is a big deal since that has been one of the main struggles for years. He was so relieved to have all the wires and IV lines and monitors removed so he could move about freely. He was constantly walking around the ICU ward, trying to get as much exercise as possible. He requested for Korean food to be hand delivered (by family) multiple times as he calls the hospital food "junk". I rented a handful of movies for him, brought him the newspaper and showed him videos/pictures of Caeden and Taylor playing. Still, his chief complaint was BOREDOM. He acted as if he was literally going to die from it. This of course is refreshing for the doctors and nurses to hear coming from a guy that suffered a major brain injury not even a week prior!
Okay, so continuing on... About 10pm, Monday night I get a call from Susan, his nurse, saying that he is being moved to a regular room on the 5th floor. I couldn't believe my ears. Tuesday morning I talked to his doctors and come to find out he is in the Stroke Center. These are patient rooms that are for stroke patients that are no longer in ICU but still recovering. Dr. Gerras, one of the neurosurgeons, said that he is just amazed at how remarkable his recovery had been thus far. He said that if he didn't know any better he would have never guessed that dad had been in such bad shape when he was first admitted! He is passing all of the physical therapy tests with flying colors, BP levels are perfect, neurologically satisfactory and an appetite like a champ.
This afternoon (Tuesday)...Dr. Gerras and Dr. Levy (another neurosurgeon) give the go ahead for discharge! Of course, I'm asking them a million and a half questions making sure all bases are covered. I guess I was kind of surprised that they were letting him go home so soon after being released from ICU but like I keep saying, he's a miracle case. I got to the hospital just before 3pm this afternoon but not before fulfilling another request for food. This time dad was craving a hamburger from Jack in the Box with onion rings! Too funny. Fast forward to just before 5pm and we have discharge papers in hand, dad is all dressed in his regular clothes and we are ready to head home. Oh, but not before he spends a good 10-15 minutes saying goodbye to several nurses, therapists, and the pharmacist and giving them directions to his deli! My dad, the social butterfly. Some things just don't change (thank God)!
This evening we all went out to dinner for a last minute belated birthday dinner for my brother, Daniel who turned 21 last Wednesday. It was like old times, like nothing had happened. It was all very surreal. Kind of like how it felt when he was intubated and chemically comatose and unresponsive. It was just so unbelievable.
I have 99% of my old dad back and that feels really good to say. I know 110% it is because of the good Lord that I am even able to say that. However, even with his remarkable come back, he will need constant supervision the next few days to make sure he doesn't have any falls or accidents and so he can get used to be being back at home. Monday the 21st he will meet with his neurosurgeon to have another angiogram done to check the coiled aneurysm, hematoma and trauma site overall. Thankfully, other than feeling a bit weak, he is in good enough shape to not have to go through physical therapy or rehab. He will not be able to return to work for at least 4 to 5 weeks or so and even then he will not be able to, or rather, allowed to perform certain activities. This 'second chance at life' is hopefully making him realize that he needs to stop and smell the flowers more often. God definitely used my dad to prove that he does indeed work miracles. God also hears our cries and answers our prayers. Prayers from all of you that my family and I will forever be grateful for. Without all of your support and love, we would not have been able to get through the past 2 weeks and on going. The offers to run errands, childcare, meals, chores, and all the flowers and cards and kind sentiments will never be forgotten and are undoubtedly more appreciated than any of you will ever know. There are just not enough words to express the gratitude. Thank you so much to all of you. You are all such beautiful examples of God's love! Please keep the prayers coming for continued healing upon my dad!
Blessings and much love,
The Yune/Gossett Family
Yunie, Sung, Sandra, Daniel, Janet, Steve, Caeden and Taylor
Sunday, March 13, 2011
like Night and Day
Today Blake and I went to go visit Uncle Jason after a birthday party we attended for one of Blake's little buddies. We were in the neighborhood so I decided to go visit. As Sandra mentioned, he's at Kaiser now so it's a different facility. It's further from North County so a bit harder to get to but nonetheless he's being cared for. Sandra agreed to watch Blake so I could go in and see Uncle J (sorry, just feels weird to call him Yunie when my whole life I have called him Uncle Jason or "cool uncle").
He's still in the ICU. When I arrived Uncle Alex was there (Aunt's brother) and the golf channel was on. I smiled - Uncle loves golf! Uncle saw me and gave me a big smile. He was so "normal" it was unbelievable! The physical therapist, Maureen, came in and tested a bunch of things - walking, getting in and out of bed, resistance against her push on his arms, legs, etc. He passed with flying colors! He walked around the ICU with his IV still attached to his arm. He's on phenylephrine and that's about it. He gets dizzy when he gets out of bed - I assume that's from his low blood pressure. It was around 93/60 when they tested him. They want it to be at least 100/60. I'm assuming his dizzyness comes from the low blood pressure.
I got to sit and chat with him for about 35 minutes. His memory seems very good and his sense of humor is there! It's so refreshing to see him alert and awake and joking with the nurses. This is the Uncle Jason I know. He develops such strong relationships with everyone. I can tell the medical staff there likes him. He told me he is anxious to go home. The PT said her concern are the stairs at his house. They may send a PT to his home so that he can continue to work on balance, etc. although he seemed to be doing very well when I was there.
I too, believe, this is by the Grace of God that Uncle Jason has had a miraculous turnaround. A week ago I was not sure if he would survive. He was literally seemed like he was on life support and was unresponsive for about 3.5 days. To see him up and about was great! He told me he could help my father-in-law recover fast from his stroke (last July) through acupuncture. My uncle is trained in acupuncture and I have heard from a lot of my friends the benefits of such treatment.
I know he is anxious to get back to the deli but we all need to encourage him to "take it EASY" so he doesn't end up back in the hospital. The doctors are taking it a day at a time.
Thank you to everyone who has visited, sent cards, support, meals, etc. for the family. I know they all appreciate it. Extended family members have been tremendous in their support and prayers as well.
Miracles do happen! Continue to pray for continued healing. I'm on business travel most of this week so either Janet or Sandra will be updating the blog - keep reading!
He's still in the ICU. When I arrived Uncle Alex was there (Aunt's brother) and the golf channel was on. I smiled - Uncle loves golf! Uncle saw me and gave me a big smile. He was so "normal" it was unbelievable! The physical therapist, Maureen, came in and tested a bunch of things - walking, getting in and out of bed, resistance against her push on his arms, legs, etc. He passed with flying colors! He walked around the ICU with his IV still attached to his arm. He's on phenylephrine and that's about it. He gets dizzy when he gets out of bed - I assume that's from his low blood pressure. It was around 93/60 when they tested him. They want it to be at least 100/60. I'm assuming his dizzyness comes from the low blood pressure.
I got to sit and chat with him for about 35 minutes. His memory seems very good and his sense of humor is there! It's so refreshing to see him alert and awake and joking with the nurses. This is the Uncle Jason I know. He develops such strong relationships with everyone. I can tell the medical staff there likes him. He told me he is anxious to go home. The PT said her concern are the stairs at his house. They may send a PT to his home so that he can continue to work on balance, etc. although he seemed to be doing very well when I was there.
I too, believe, this is by the Grace of God that Uncle Jason has had a miraculous turnaround. A week ago I was not sure if he would survive. He was literally seemed like he was on life support and was unresponsive for about 3.5 days. To see him up and about was great! He told me he could help my father-in-law recover fast from his stroke (last July) through acupuncture. My uncle is trained in acupuncture and I have heard from a lot of my friends the benefits of such treatment.
I know he is anxious to get back to the deli but we all need to encourage him to "take it EASY" so he doesn't end up back in the hospital. The doctors are taking it a day at a time.
Thank you to everyone who has visited, sent cards, support, meals, etc. for the family. I know they all appreciate it. Extended family members have been tremendous in their support and prayers as well.
Miracles do happen! Continue to pray for continued healing. I'm on business travel most of this week so either Janet or Sandra will be updating the blog - keep reading!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Moving on up..
NEWSBREAK: Dad was transferred late last night to an acute rehab facility in San Diego! Amazing news! wahoo!
Another update from Sandra
Update as of 3/11/11
Dad has made tremendous strides in the past 24 hours. The doctors have approved a less stringent blood pressure parameter which plays in his favor. In addition, all of his medications have been at a lower dose which shows signs of improvement.
Dad had a very excellent physical therapy session. He was walking alone from chair to bed and vice versa. He was able to do arm exercises and could even throw an 8lbs medicine ball to the therapist. However, Dad’s reaction time is a little slow and hopefully rehab will help with it. The physical therapist says ‘the way your Dad is improving he will be out of here in no time’. Awesome!
On that note, because of his miraculous healing and big improvements the next step is to be moved to an acute rehab facility. The timeline for the transfer to the rehab facility is sometime this weekend or as late as next Monday. Excellent news indeed!
The neurologist commented that with his overall progress it did not even seem like he had suffered a stroke. I do believe it is because of God’s healing hand on his body. Not to mention, all the prayers that were lifted up from all of you. Please continue to pray for full recovery and that my dad may grow closer to the Lord thru this time.
Stay tuned.......
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Update from Sandra
Hi Friends and Family.
Uncle Jason has been making great progress. Mohammad (our nurse) was able to remove the catheter from my father and he is now free of one less tube. Uncle Jason was especially excited about this because of the obvious discomfort. Moving forward with less lines and tubes is a good sign that he is slowly recovering.
As many of you have heard my father has been a little ‘protective’ of his food the past couple of days. However, he was given the go ahead to start on solid foods in which he began eating last night for his dinner. Uncle Jason was eager to eat his meal and was savoring every little bite he could. After all, it was a 5 star meal from the gourmet cooks at Tri-City.
Uncle Jason was able to have a mini physical therapy session and the prognosis was excellent. Despite being suffered a stroke he was able to write clearly and legibly which was fantastic to watch. He was also able to do simple functions such as doing some bed mobility, strength and coordination, reaction time, vision test, memory and cognition and lastly balancing. He was able to move slowly from bed to chair and vice versa which is an enormous step. The physical therapist mentioned that he was in great shape for his age and despite this sudden stroke. She even thought Uncle Jason was 50 years old rather than his real age of 58 Uncle Jason is scheduled for another physical therapy session and the overall prognosis is great.
As mentioned by Helen and Janet, Uncle Jason is not out of the danger zone. Usually in the first 14-21 days there is still high risk involved for another stroke. Thus, he will need to be on blood pressure medications for the time being until he is stable enough. The chance to have him being transported to an acute rehab facility is in his favor. However, the physicians want to make sure that they can get his blood pressure stable before making the move.
On other note, Uncle Jason has been bored out of his mind so if you plan on stopping by feel free to chat about things other than the deli and his current condition. Korean magazines would also be helpful for him as he enjoys reading them.
Once again thank you all for your support and prayers. I am amazed at how God is working and I am in awe. After all, God is the great physician. Thank you all for ‘stepping’ up and are willing to help at a moment’s notice. I know that my family is DEEPLY grateful and is appreciative. I guess that means once my dad is all better that translates to free sandwiches on the house (and as Helen jumps in here to edit I say take that worth a grain of salt - they still need to make $$ :-)
Uncle Jason has been making great progress. Mohammad (our nurse) was able to remove the catheter from my father and he is now free of one less tube. Uncle Jason was especially excited about this because of the obvious discomfort. Moving forward with less lines and tubes is a good sign that he is slowly recovering.
As many of you have heard my father has been a little ‘protective’ of his food the past couple of days. However, he was given the go ahead to start on solid foods in which he began eating last night for his dinner. Uncle Jason was eager to eat his meal and was savoring every little bite he could. After all, it was a 5 star meal from the gourmet cooks at Tri-City.
Uncle Jason was able to have a mini physical therapy session and the prognosis was excellent. Despite being suffered a stroke he was able to write clearly and legibly which was fantastic to watch. He was also able to do simple functions such as doing some bed mobility, strength and coordination, reaction time, vision test, memory and cognition and lastly balancing. He was able to move slowly from bed to chair and vice versa which is an enormous step. The physical therapist mentioned that he was in great shape for his age and despite this sudden stroke. She even thought Uncle Jason was 50 years old rather than his real age of 58 Uncle Jason is scheduled for another physical therapy session and the overall prognosis is great.
As mentioned by Helen and Janet, Uncle Jason is not out of the danger zone. Usually in the first 14-21 days there is still high risk involved for another stroke. Thus, he will need to be on blood pressure medications for the time being until he is stable enough. The chance to have him being transported to an acute rehab facility is in his favor. However, the physicians want to make sure that they can get his blood pressure stable before making the move.
On other note, Uncle Jason has been bored out of his mind so if you plan on stopping by feel free to chat about things other than the deli and his current condition. Korean magazines would also be helpful for him as he enjoys reading them.
Once again thank you all for your support and prayers. I am amazed at how God is working and I am in awe. After all, God is the great physician. Thank you all for ‘stepping’ up and are willing to help at a moment’s notice. I know that my family is DEEPLY grateful and is appreciative. I guess that means once my dad is all better that translates to free sandwiches on the house (and as Helen jumps in here to edit I say take that worth a grain of salt - they still need to make $$ :-)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Baby Steps
So I am on business travel and just caught up with voicemails to find out the latest on Yunie. BTW, Janet is home sick - she caught some sort of stomach bug so on top of all of this, she is down and out.
Janet and I spoke last night and she told me that her dad was restless and a bit sore. It's no wonder as he's been in his hospital bed for almost a week. He really wants to walk around but the doctors need to test his strength. Both Janet and I talked about his weight loss. She mentioned that he may weigh less than her now which is not a good thing. Men should always weigh more than women - ha ha!
Anyways, Sandra spent the entire day with her dad at the hospital. This is where having multiple children is a good thing :-). She was with him from about 9 am - 7 pm. A long day indeed.
As of last night Janet had told me that his fever was down and that he had strep pneumonia but the doctors had given him penicillin for this and that his susceptibility to any and all types of viruses let alone health ailments is high due to his weakened system, etc. He has been through a lot. But what a difference a week makes. Tomorrow marks the one week mark when this all started.
Today Yunie was able to continue on pureed foods. Sandra and Janet both told me his nutrition is more like the consistency of baby food. One issue with a patient recovering from a stroke or aneurysm is their ability to swallow can be compromised. Thank goodness Yunie is able to swallow and seems to be able to talk just fine although his voice is very weak.
Janet told me that when her dad was admitted to the hospital he was complaining not only of his intense headache but his intense hunger as well. He was conscious when admitted however he had not eaten any food since last Monday so he was obviously very hungry. After his aneurysm the doctors put him on a pick-line which gave him all his nutrition through an IV. With the pick-line being removed recently he has been able to eat for the last 24-48 hours but it has been very soft foods. janet told me that he was encouraged to eat very slowly and I remember this to be the same case with my father-in-law who had a stroke almost a year ago. Yunie was concerned that if he didn't finish his meal that they would take the food away so I think he was rushing to eat. The nurses assured him they would leave the food there. Sounds like something I would do although if I couldn't eat for a week I would probably request IN-N-OUT along with a big ole' piece of pie!
So, today Yunie had physical therapy and did well . The nurses continue to monitor his heart and lungs and so far, all looks good - knock on wood. The 14-21 days following a stroke or aneurysm still present the highest risk for a repeat occurrence however the doctors feel that he is doing quite well and so well that they anticipate his release to a stroke rehabilitation center soon.
This is truly such a blessing and I feel so fortunate that the outcome so far, has been the best we could hope for.
I'm in training tomorrow so if you don't hear from anyone just know that Yunie has company and is being well cared for. The family appreciates all the love and best wishes.
BTW, it's Daniel's 21st birthday today. What a trooper having him spend it at the deli. We wish him and the rest of the family well.
Janet and I spoke last night and she told me that her dad was restless and a bit sore. It's no wonder as he's been in his hospital bed for almost a week. He really wants to walk around but the doctors need to test his strength. Both Janet and I talked about his weight loss. She mentioned that he may weigh less than her now which is not a good thing. Men should always weigh more than women - ha ha!
Anyways, Sandra spent the entire day with her dad at the hospital. This is where having multiple children is a good thing :-). She was with him from about 9 am - 7 pm. A long day indeed.
As of last night Janet had told me that his fever was down and that he had strep pneumonia but the doctors had given him penicillin for this and that his susceptibility to any and all types of viruses let alone health ailments is high due to his weakened system, etc. He has been through a lot. But what a difference a week makes. Tomorrow marks the one week mark when this all started.
Today Yunie was able to continue on pureed foods. Sandra and Janet both told me his nutrition is more like the consistency of baby food. One issue with a patient recovering from a stroke or aneurysm is their ability to swallow can be compromised. Thank goodness Yunie is able to swallow and seems to be able to talk just fine although his voice is very weak.
Janet told me that when her dad was admitted to the hospital he was complaining not only of his intense headache but his intense hunger as well. He was conscious when admitted however he had not eaten any food since last Monday so he was obviously very hungry. After his aneurysm the doctors put him on a pick-line which gave him all his nutrition through an IV. With the pick-line being removed recently he has been able to eat for the last 24-48 hours but it has been very soft foods. janet told me that he was encouraged to eat very slowly and I remember this to be the same case with my father-in-law who had a stroke almost a year ago. Yunie was concerned that if he didn't finish his meal that they would take the food away so I think he was rushing to eat. The nurses assured him they would leave the food there. Sounds like something I would do although if I couldn't eat for a week I would probably request IN-N-OUT along with a big ole' piece of pie!
So, today Yunie had physical therapy and did well . The nurses continue to monitor his heart and lungs and so far, all looks good - knock on wood. The 14-21 days following a stroke or aneurysm still present the highest risk for a repeat occurrence however the doctors feel that he is doing quite well and so well that they anticipate his release to a stroke rehabilitation center soon.
This is truly such a blessing and I feel so fortunate that the outcome so far, has been the best we could hope for.
I'm in training tomorrow so if you don't hear from anyone just know that Yunie has company and is being well cared for. The family appreciates all the love and best wishes.
BTW, it's Daniel's 21st birthday today. What a trooper having him spend it at the deli. We wish him and the rest of the family well.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Floored!
Okay, Helen here. Janet and I are tag-teaming as I'm at work but on my lunch break I might add! So Janet just called me and told me that Yunie is alert. The breathing tube is out!!! But he's still very uncomfortable. Initially he was looking at his arm (you have to picture a million tubes, IV's are poked into him). He asked Janet where he was and she told him the ICU. The last thing he remembered was that he was in the ER. At least he has his memory! Thank God!
His voice is very weak - almost as though he has laryngitis. But he is able to speak. Janet said he is swallowing okay and he is coughing which is another excellent sign. He keeps wanting to spit so that's a sign that his brain is telling him to use his airways to bring something up. It's like night and day from the last time I saw him. I wish I could be there but alas, there's money to be made...
From a neurological standpoint the doctors are not concerned although they do need to run a myriad of tests i'm sure to test just how "together" he is but from the sounds of it, he is recognizing Janet, talking a bit in Korean, and wanting to get back to the Deli (of course being the workaholic that he is).
That was the 5 minute update I got from Janet. It's very important that she is there as she has been the one continuous source to the doctors and they've established a relationship with her which is important from a continuity standpoint. If any of you have good skills working in a deli, I know that's where they could use help right now so Aunt Sung can get away and be with Yunie. Poor Daniel is holding down the fort while Sandra and Steve tag team on the child care needs for Taylor and Caeden. Such progress in just 36 hours - let's keep positive about next steps...
Back to work - blessings to all.
His voice is very weak - almost as though he has laryngitis. But he is able to speak. Janet said he is swallowing okay and he is coughing which is another excellent sign. He keeps wanting to spit so that's a sign that his brain is telling him to use his airways to bring something up. It's like night and day from the last time I saw him. I wish I could be there but alas, there's money to be made...
From a neurological standpoint the doctors are not concerned although they do need to run a myriad of tests i'm sure to test just how "together" he is but from the sounds of it, he is recognizing Janet, talking a bit in Korean, and wanting to get back to the Deli (of course being the workaholic that he is).
That was the 5 minute update I got from Janet. It's very important that she is there as she has been the one continuous source to the doctors and they've established a relationship with her which is important from a continuity standpoint. If any of you have good skills working in a deli, I know that's where they could use help right now so Aunt Sung can get away and be with Yunie. Poor Daniel is holding down the fort while Sandra and Steve tag team on the child care needs for Taylor and Caeden. Such progress in just 36 hours - let's keep positive about next steps...
Back to work - blessings to all.
GOD is good...
Hey guys, it's Janet here...
I just wanted to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for all of your kind thoughts, wishes, calls, emails, texts, FB messages and continued prayers. My family and I are overwhelmed with all the wonderful support and love we have coming to us in every direction. The Lord has truly blessed us with such beautiful people in our lives. It is so amazing to see everyone come together and offer a helping hand in so many different areas. I am overcome with such emotion when I think about where I'd be without you guys at this difficult time. I love you all and I am so grateful for each and everyone of you.
A very special thanks to my AMAZING rock star cousin, Helen, for starting this blog and keeping it up to date so diligently. She really is like another sister to me and she is a wonderful example of a woman of God. It brings me to tears to see the Lord working through her to give me strength, encouragement and guidance. Helen Kim Barker, I love you and I thank you. I know the rest of the family feels the same way I do.
With all this said, I ask all of you to keep praying for my dad. He has yet to fully wake up and until he does, we won't know the full extent of the damage this brain trauma has caused. I can tell he senses his family's presence and he is really trying hard to focus. You can tell he is so determined. If you know my dad at all, it is quite shocking to see him in the state he's in. All we can do is give this to God, pray hard and have faith that he recovers soon from this and somewhat be the same 'ol Yunie we have all come to know and love so much.
Blessings and much love to you all...Janet
I just wanted to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for all of your kind thoughts, wishes, calls, emails, texts, FB messages and continued prayers. My family and I are overwhelmed with all the wonderful support and love we have coming to us in every direction. The Lord has truly blessed us with such beautiful people in our lives. It is so amazing to see everyone come together and offer a helping hand in so many different areas. I am overcome with such emotion when I think about where I'd be without you guys at this difficult time. I love you all and I am so grateful for each and everyone of you.
A very special thanks to my AMAZING rock star cousin, Helen, for starting this blog and keeping it up to date so diligently. She really is like another sister to me and she is a wonderful example of a woman of God. It brings me to tears to see the Lord working through her to give me strength, encouragement and guidance. Helen Kim Barker, I love you and I thank you. I know the rest of the family feels the same way I do.
With all this said, I ask all of you to keep praying for my dad. He has yet to fully wake up and until he does, we won't know the full extent of the damage this brain trauma has caused. I can tell he senses his family's presence and he is really trying hard to focus. You can tell he is so determined. If you know my dad at all, it is quite shocking to see him in the state he's in. All we can do is give this to God, pray hard and have faith that he recovers soon from this and somewhat be the same 'ol Yunie we have all come to know and love so much.
Blessings and much love to you all...Janet
Monday, March 7, 2011
Encouraging signs emerge
So the doctors tried to do the EEG test which measures brain activity without success. In fact, it was a total failure as Yunie was moving about and this didn't help lend itself to a successful test. BUT...some progress was made today.
John, Steve's good friend, was at the hospital today. He was actually there when they took the medication down and purposefully made Yunie awaken. Apparently within a few minutes of lowering one of the drugs, Yunie gets very restless as he gets more alert and often times, as mentioned before, he attempts to take the breathing tube out. Janet told me a doctor said, "imagine you had a straw stuck down your throat. Imagine how uncomfortable that would be". Now imagine the straw is the size of a toilet roll cardboard tube. Okay, maybe that's a pinch bigger than this ventilator but it's pretty big and I think it would make anyone very uncomfortable.
The sole purpose the tube is there is to assist in keeping Yunie's air passages clear. He is not strong enough to produce a good cough or clear his throat if necessary. Once the doctors can determine that he's alert enough and can run some tests to see if he's responsive, they may be able to remove the breathing tube soon but they want to make sure he'll be okay without it. The last thing they want to do is remove it and then have to put it back in.
So, when John was there during the time Yunie's medications were lowered a miraculous thing happened. Yunie opened his eyes. He did not make direct eye contact with anyone but Dave, the nurse, and John witnessed this. John asked Yunie to squeeze his hand and he responded. The doctors aren't certain if that was just a reflex or if he really could follow the command. Regardless a big win.
Janet arrived at the hospital around 2 pm. She heard the news and was provided a glimmer of hope after 4 long days of no response whatsoever. Her sister, Sandra, flew back from her vacation as of Saturday night and was helping Daniel and Sung out at the deli today so Janet was by herself for the most part. After the deli closed, Janet was joined by her mom and sister. Around 5 pm the nurses lowered the medication again and Yunie opened his eyes. Janet tried to ask him if he could hear her. He did not respond. Sung then spoke to him in Korean and he squeezed her hand. The respiratory therapist was there and was encouraged. It's hard to tell how much is "coincidence" at this point vs his brain actually processing. Only time will tell. Another positive sign was when Janet played a video of Taylor singing on her phone and Yunie's eyes got very big. Janet said that her mom was very encouraged as was the nurse, therapist, etc. They said a lot of folks in the ICU are in vegetative states. A sad thing indeed. Doctors don't yet know the full extent of the damage but they feel that (hopefully) the worst has passed. Yunie is still in a very critical state for the next few weeks but today's progress was the most we've seen since he was admitted (last Thursday).
Tomorrow or the next day they hope to be able to assess whether or not he can be moved out of ICU but most likely he will remain there for a few more days. He will be considered "stable" when he is off the blood pressure medication. They hope to progress eventually to the point where they can do a "swallow" test.
Thanks for reading and thanks for the support.
John, Steve's good friend, was at the hospital today. He was actually there when they took the medication down and purposefully made Yunie awaken. Apparently within a few minutes of lowering one of the drugs, Yunie gets very restless as he gets more alert and often times, as mentioned before, he attempts to take the breathing tube out. Janet told me a doctor said, "imagine you had a straw stuck down your throat. Imagine how uncomfortable that would be". Now imagine the straw is the size of a toilet roll cardboard tube. Okay, maybe that's a pinch bigger than this ventilator but it's pretty big and I think it would make anyone very uncomfortable.
The sole purpose the tube is there is to assist in keeping Yunie's air passages clear. He is not strong enough to produce a good cough or clear his throat if necessary. Once the doctors can determine that he's alert enough and can run some tests to see if he's responsive, they may be able to remove the breathing tube soon but they want to make sure he'll be okay without it. The last thing they want to do is remove it and then have to put it back in.
So, when John was there during the time Yunie's medications were lowered a miraculous thing happened. Yunie opened his eyes. He did not make direct eye contact with anyone but Dave, the nurse, and John witnessed this. John asked Yunie to squeeze his hand and he responded. The doctors aren't certain if that was just a reflex or if he really could follow the command. Regardless a big win.
Janet arrived at the hospital around 2 pm. She heard the news and was provided a glimmer of hope after 4 long days of no response whatsoever. Her sister, Sandra, flew back from her vacation as of Saturday night and was helping Daniel and Sung out at the deli today so Janet was by herself for the most part. After the deli closed, Janet was joined by her mom and sister. Around 5 pm the nurses lowered the medication again and Yunie opened his eyes. Janet tried to ask him if he could hear her. He did not respond. Sung then spoke to him in Korean and he squeezed her hand. The respiratory therapist was there and was encouraged. It's hard to tell how much is "coincidence" at this point vs his brain actually processing. Only time will tell. Another positive sign was when Janet played a video of Taylor singing on her phone and Yunie's eyes got very big. Janet said that her mom was very encouraged as was the nurse, therapist, etc. They said a lot of folks in the ICU are in vegetative states. A sad thing indeed. Doctors don't yet know the full extent of the damage but they feel that (hopefully) the worst has passed. Yunie is still in a very critical state for the next few weeks but today's progress was the most we've seen since he was admitted (last Thursday).
Tomorrow or the next day they hope to be able to assess whether or not he can be moved out of ICU but most likely he will remain there for a few more days. He will be considered "stable" when he is off the blood pressure medication. They hope to progress eventually to the point where they can do a "swallow" test.
Thanks for reading and thanks for the support.
Monday blues
I'm about to head off to a meeting as I am back at work this week but I have four minutes and I can type about 90 wpm so let's see what I can crank out...
Spoke to Janet just now and she said her dad's fever is down which is a good sign. They did some blood work and the culture came back positive for a bacteria strain for strep and staff infections so he is on a high-strength antibiotic called Rosevin (sp?) for the next 5-7 days. If the fever goes beyond 38.5 (metric - sorry, can't do the conversion in my head right now) then there is cause for worry but so far, so good.
Mohammed, the nurse on duty (seems like he has been there forever) said that Yunie had a lot of profusion and that he needs to get more blood flow up to his brain. Dr. Sadoff ordered an EEG which is not to be confused with an EKG. An EEG tracks brain wave activity. So far, Yunie's lung and kidney functions appear normal. His white blood cell count is down (which is good) and overall his blood count appears normal.
In terms of his breathing, he is on the CPAP around the clock every 4 hours on, 4 hours off. Yunie seems to be tolerating the CPAP well which is good for getting him weaned off the ventilator. His cough is still weak and the concern about taking the ventilator off is he will be at risk for aspiration.
Dr. Yoo, the Korean doc that doesn't appear very feeling, has been there every morning according to the nurse(s) so deep down, there is compassion. Hard to understand why some doctors and nurses have better bedside manners than others. I guess it's just "job" to them whereas for us, it's our loved one thereby making the slightest lack of compassion feel very personal.
Spoke to Janet just now and she said her dad's fever is down which is a good sign. They did some blood work and the culture came back positive for a bacteria strain for strep and staff infections so he is on a high-strength antibiotic called Rosevin (sp?) for the next 5-7 days. If the fever goes beyond 38.5 (metric - sorry, can't do the conversion in my head right now) then there is cause for worry but so far, so good.
Mohammed, the nurse on duty (seems like he has been there forever) said that Yunie had a lot of profusion and that he needs to get more blood flow up to his brain. Dr. Sadoff ordered an EEG which is not to be confused with an EKG. An EEG tracks brain wave activity. So far, Yunie's lung and kidney functions appear normal. His white blood cell count is down (which is good) and overall his blood count appears normal.
In terms of his breathing, he is on the CPAP around the clock every 4 hours on, 4 hours off. Yunie seems to be tolerating the CPAP well which is good for getting him weaned off the ventilator. His cough is still weak and the concern about taking the ventilator off is he will be at risk for aspiration.
Dr. Yoo, the Korean doc that doesn't appear very feeling, has been there every morning according to the nurse(s) so deep down, there is compassion. Hard to understand why some doctors and nurses have better bedside manners than others. I guess it's just "job" to them whereas for us, it's our loved one thereby making the slightest lack of compassion feel very personal.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The waiting game
So today Curt and I headed over to the hospital around 4:30 pm. We ran into Janet and her mom there around the same time. Today Yunie was mostly alone as family tended to the needs of kids, church, and getting ready for the upcoming week.
This was the first time Curt had seen Yunie and I could tell his condition was a bit of a shock for him. For anyone who goes to visit him, just know that as of today, he is still not responsive. He has been at the hospital since Thursday (4 days now) and he has yet to open his eyes. It makes it very difficult to see him in this condition as I'm sure you can all agree that Yunie is one of the most vibrant, giving, generous people I think we all know.
Yesterday was a reminder of his absence as several family members got together at our house for an impromptu Korean bbq dinner. It was cathartic to be around family and see all the parents hang out but at the same time you could just tell something or rather, someone, was missing. Yunie. His smile, his laugh, his good natured spirit. We all want him back and the hardest part is the waiting game.
I know Janet will tell me I'm leaving some stuff out so I have given her my login in case she wants to post this week. It's just hard as she is so close to this situation and there is a lot of pressure on her. If any of you can help her out with child care so she can come to the hospital to be with her dad that would be awesome. Just putting in a little pitch. I think it's times like these where we all come together.
So Yunie's condition is the same. No change. He has gone up and down with a low grade fever. Twice a day the doctors do their rounds. They stop by once in the morning and once in the evening. They typically will reduce the level of his sedation to try to get him to awaken. He usually gets restless and tries to pull the breathing tube out which they obviously don't want to do yet until they can test normal brain function to see if he can respond to commands, track with his eyes and that type of thing. They have had no success to-date. Doesn't mean it won't happen it just means that there is no progress.
They have not done another CT scan since things are the same. Should he show any signs of distress, they will surely conduct another CT but as they monitor him 24/7 it's all about weaning him off the ventilator by using the CPAP which they are doing several times a day for 4 hours at a time.
Tomorrow is Monday and for most of us, we will go back to our daily lives and go on with things. Just remember to think of Janet, Sung, Daniel, and Sandra and maybe, if you can extend yourself a little, please do. Childcare, meals, errands, keeping Janet company at the hospital - whatever you can do I know would help a lot. She didn't ask me to write this. I just know that this alone is overwhelming. It's hard to see Yunie like this and we continue to pray for healing and patience during this difficult time.
This was the first time Curt had seen Yunie and I could tell his condition was a bit of a shock for him. For anyone who goes to visit him, just know that as of today, he is still not responsive. He has been at the hospital since Thursday (4 days now) and he has yet to open his eyes. It makes it very difficult to see him in this condition as I'm sure you can all agree that Yunie is one of the most vibrant, giving, generous people I think we all know.
Yesterday was a reminder of his absence as several family members got together at our house for an impromptu Korean bbq dinner. It was cathartic to be around family and see all the parents hang out but at the same time you could just tell something or rather, someone, was missing. Yunie. His smile, his laugh, his good natured spirit. We all want him back and the hardest part is the waiting game.
I know Janet will tell me I'm leaving some stuff out so I have given her my login in case she wants to post this week. It's just hard as she is so close to this situation and there is a lot of pressure on her. If any of you can help her out with child care so she can come to the hospital to be with her dad that would be awesome. Just putting in a little pitch. I think it's times like these where we all come together.
So Yunie's condition is the same. No change. He has gone up and down with a low grade fever. Twice a day the doctors do their rounds. They stop by once in the morning and once in the evening. They typically will reduce the level of his sedation to try to get him to awaken. He usually gets restless and tries to pull the breathing tube out which they obviously don't want to do yet until they can test normal brain function to see if he can respond to commands, track with his eyes and that type of thing. They have had no success to-date. Doesn't mean it won't happen it just means that there is no progress.
They have not done another CT scan since things are the same. Should he show any signs of distress, they will surely conduct another CT but as they monitor him 24/7 it's all about weaning him off the ventilator by using the CPAP which they are doing several times a day for 4 hours at a time.
Tomorrow is Monday and for most of us, we will go back to our daily lives and go on with things. Just remember to think of Janet, Sung, Daniel, and Sandra and maybe, if you can extend yourself a little, please do. Childcare, meals, errands, keeping Janet company at the hospital - whatever you can do I know would help a lot. She didn't ask me to write this. I just know that this alone is overwhelming. It's hard to see Yunie like this and we continue to pray for healing and patience during this difficult time.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
3/5/2011
Uncle had another CT scan this morning. Not sure what the results are yet but we're off to the hospital now. Will update you all shortly. Thanks for reading and please keep praying!
So we showed up today (Helen and her mom and dad) around noon today as I had to get my 20-mile run in (training for the Boston marathon this April). The hospital was much quieter than yesterday as it was the weekend. We checked in and were told there were two visitors ahead of us - we found Aunt Susan and Howard in Yunie's room. Aunt Susan used to be a nurse so I was glad she was there. The nurse on duty, Mohammed, was not the friendliest nurse and was very strict on the "two-people-at-a-time" rule in Yunie's room. Howard and I left and left my mom and Aunt Susan in Yunie's room. I asked him for an update and he said that Yunie had a slight fever this morning of 101 degrees.
Yunie had just gotten another CT scan this morning around 9 am and it showed that things were stable for now meaning the hematoma had not gotten any larger and they did not detect any other areas of weak arteries. A good sign. Still, not out of the woods, Yunie has had a breathing tube that is helping him breathe.
The Respiratory Therapist/Nurse Al, told Aunt Susan and I that Yunie had been on a CPAP for the last few hours. The CPAP is something that helps wean Yunie off the ventilator and makes him breathe on his own with a little bit of help from the breathing tube (ventilator). Al told us that the doctors didn't Yunie to be on the CPAP longer than 4 hours as it might wear him out but slowly they would like to see if he can breathe on his own.
They said his vitals are relatively normal. HIs blood pressure is slightly elevated which they said they want to ensure he has enough blood flow to his brain. His resting pulse is high, around 90 bpm - not sure if that is to be expected for someone coming out of his condition. They plan to do another check on him tomorrow. The tricky thing about his meds right now is that they want him to awaken however they are concerned when he does that he might get stressed and his blood pressure will go up and be too high which could pose a risk so Mohammed told us that it's a back and forth game with just how much of the meds they give him. Ideally they would like him to be alert so they can do tests to see how his memory is. As of now, he has not opened his eyes.
Getting ready for a family dinner with Aunt Susan, Howard, Janet, Sandra, Steve, Caeden, Taylor, Sung, Mom, Dad, Curt, Helen, Kyan, Blake and maybe Uncle Alex. Korean bbq (kalbi) - just no kimchi! More tomorrow...
So we showed up today (Helen and her mom and dad) around noon today as I had to get my 20-mile run in (training for the Boston marathon this April). The hospital was much quieter than yesterday as it was the weekend. We checked in and were told there were two visitors ahead of us - we found Aunt Susan and Howard in Yunie's room. Aunt Susan used to be a nurse so I was glad she was there. The nurse on duty, Mohammed, was not the friendliest nurse and was very strict on the "two-people-at-a-time" rule in Yunie's room. Howard and I left and left my mom and Aunt Susan in Yunie's room. I asked him for an update and he said that Yunie had a slight fever this morning of 101 degrees.
Yunie had just gotten another CT scan this morning around 9 am and it showed that things were stable for now meaning the hematoma had not gotten any larger and they did not detect any other areas of weak arteries. A good sign. Still, not out of the woods, Yunie has had a breathing tube that is helping him breathe.
The Respiratory Therapist/Nurse Al, told Aunt Susan and I that Yunie had been on a CPAP for the last few hours. The CPAP is something that helps wean Yunie off the ventilator and makes him breathe on his own with a little bit of help from the breathing tube (ventilator). Al told us that the doctors didn't Yunie to be on the CPAP longer than 4 hours as it might wear him out but slowly they would like to see if he can breathe on his own.
They said his vitals are relatively normal. HIs blood pressure is slightly elevated which they said they want to ensure he has enough blood flow to his brain. His resting pulse is high, around 90 bpm - not sure if that is to be expected for someone coming out of his condition. They plan to do another check on him tomorrow. The tricky thing about his meds right now is that they want him to awaken however they are concerned when he does that he might get stressed and his blood pressure will go up and be too high which could pose a risk so Mohammed told us that it's a back and forth game with just how much of the meds they give him. Ideally they would like him to be alert so they can do tests to see how his memory is. As of now, he has not opened his eyes.
Getting ready for a family dinner with Aunt Susan, Howard, Janet, Sandra, Steve, Caeden, Taylor, Sung, Mom, Dad, Curt, Helen, Kyan, Blake and maybe Uncle Alex. Korean bbq (kalbi) - just no kimchi! More tomorrow...
Friday, March 4, 2011
Where do I begin?
I've never done a blog before but as a favor to my favorite cousin, Janet, I told her I would help her out to capture details of her father's medical condition.
Jason Yune is my uncle and someone I am very close to. Instead of calling him Uncle Jason in this blog I'll refer to him as Yunie as he always asks his customers to call him. I don't mean any disrespect by calling him this but just know that that is how I will refer to him for the purposes of this blog.
Yunie started having complaints of a severe headache in January of 2011. I actually think it dates back earlier than that but that is the date that my aunt, Sung Yune, remembers. For several months he has had intense headaches and has had severe bouts of nausea leading to vomiting and in some cases, diarrhea. He has gone to the doctor several times at Kaiser but the doctors prescribed him some medications for his stomach and told him to take Ibuprofen for his headaches.
This past Monday, February 28th, Yunie told his wife, Sung, that his headaches were getting worse and worse. He had no appetite and could barely work. If any of you know Yunie, you know he is energetic and full of life and nothing stops him. Well, this week he has had a hard time so he went to the doctor on Tuesday March 1st and the doctor again told him it was just a bad virus.
On Thursday, March 3rd, my cousin, Janet, Yunie's eldest child, knew something was wrong. After speaking with him she realized he was suffering from some memory loss. Yunie thought it was November and could not remember customers names - for any of you who know Yunie, you know he is amazing with remembering every customer's name. That is his gift. Janet noticed his speech was slurred and that combined with his memory loss, she knew something was wrong. She called 911 and sent an ambulance over to the deli, "Campus Cafe" that Yunie and his wife, Sung, manage and operate in Carlsbad. The paramedics took him to Tri City Hospital in Oceanside (4002 Vista Way, Oceanside). Yunie was admitted and after an MRI the doctors diagnosed that he had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke which is caused by a blood vessel in the brain that breaks and bleeds into the brain.
The doctors performed an endovascular procedure for the aneurysm. In this procedure, a radiologist passes a catheter (thin tube) through the artery to the opening into an aneurysm. Detachable platinum coils are then deposited in the aneurysm to fill it up and prevent blood from entering, eliminating the possibility of hemorrhage. The procedure took several hours and luckily went well. He was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) around 11:30 pm last night (3/3/2011).
I visited him this morning around 10 am and went into his room to check on him. He has a breathing tube and is hooked up to all types of IV's, etc. He was not alert so I was not able to communicate with him. Mark, one of the nurses, told me that his case was very very unusual. The hematoma that resulted is in the frontal lobe and he and the other nurses and medical staff were amazed he made it this far.
Nurses and doctors kept coming in and out of his room all day today (Friday 3/4). Around 4:30 pm Yunie may have suffered a seizure (this is not confirmed as the doctors are not 100% sure what happened). The doctors stated that due to the thinning blood arteries near the aneurysm Yunie was suffering from this irritation which was causing spasms in his body. Immediately following this "stroke", Dr. Olson ordered a CT scan and in the scan they found that one of the blood vessels near the carotid artery was indeed thinning. Dr. Olson advised the need to do an intercranial balloon angioplasty which is a procedure where a wire attached to a balloon is inserted into the artery in order to widen the collapsed vein area in the brain. Failure to do the procedure could lead to a high likelihood of a massive stroke. The procedure was performed by Dr. Yoo, a neurosurgeon, and it went well but Dr. Yoo told Janet that this procedure is very TEMPORARY and he would not be surprised if he had to perform many more procedures like this on Yunie over the next 14-21 days. At this point, the doctors want to avoid any type of re-rupture or rupture period.
For now, they've stabilized the area. Yunie still has a hematoma, or a localized collection of blood, in his left temporal frontal lobe. The doctors say that is probably the worst place to have it as the left temporal lobe is the area of the brain that controls memory, speech, etc.
The next goal will be to take the breathing tube out. Yunie is being assisted by a breathing tube which must be very uncomfortable but until he can respond to the doctors they cannot remove it. He is at risk for future aneurysms, spasms, and a variety of other issues.
Yunie is still in very critical condition and has some serious problems. He will require very intensive care for the next several weeks and possibly months. At this point, it's still too early to diagnose or tell what will happen next but for now, the family is taking it day-by-day.
We thank you for your love, support, and prayers and ask that you respond to this blog or to helenbarker@me.com if you have any questions in order to alleviate the amount of stress placed on family members and particularly Janet.
I'll be updating the blog regularly as I can. Thanks for your reading!
Jason Yune is my uncle and someone I am very close to. Instead of calling him Uncle Jason in this blog I'll refer to him as Yunie as he always asks his customers to call him. I don't mean any disrespect by calling him this but just know that that is how I will refer to him for the purposes of this blog.
Yunie started having complaints of a severe headache in January of 2011. I actually think it dates back earlier than that but that is the date that my aunt, Sung Yune, remembers. For several months he has had intense headaches and has had severe bouts of nausea leading to vomiting and in some cases, diarrhea. He has gone to the doctor several times at Kaiser but the doctors prescribed him some medications for his stomach and told him to take Ibuprofen for his headaches.
This past Monday, February 28th, Yunie told his wife, Sung, that his headaches were getting worse and worse. He had no appetite and could barely work. If any of you know Yunie, you know he is energetic and full of life and nothing stops him. Well, this week he has had a hard time so he went to the doctor on Tuesday March 1st and the doctor again told him it was just a bad virus.
On Thursday, March 3rd, my cousin, Janet, Yunie's eldest child, knew something was wrong. After speaking with him she realized he was suffering from some memory loss. Yunie thought it was November and could not remember customers names - for any of you who know Yunie, you know he is amazing with remembering every customer's name. That is his gift. Janet noticed his speech was slurred and that combined with his memory loss, she knew something was wrong. She called 911 and sent an ambulance over to the deli, "Campus Cafe" that Yunie and his wife, Sung, manage and operate in Carlsbad. The paramedics took him to Tri City Hospital in Oceanside (4002 Vista Way, Oceanside). Yunie was admitted and after an MRI the doctors diagnosed that he had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke which is caused by a blood vessel in the brain that breaks and bleeds into the brain.
The doctors performed an endovascular procedure for the aneurysm. In this procedure, a radiologist passes a catheter (thin tube) through the artery to the opening into an aneurysm. Detachable platinum coils are then deposited in the aneurysm to fill it up and prevent blood from entering, eliminating the possibility of hemorrhage. The procedure took several hours and luckily went well. He was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) around 11:30 pm last night (3/3/2011).
I visited him this morning around 10 am and went into his room to check on him. He has a breathing tube and is hooked up to all types of IV's, etc. He was not alert so I was not able to communicate with him. Mark, one of the nurses, told me that his case was very very unusual. The hematoma that resulted is in the frontal lobe and he and the other nurses and medical staff were amazed he made it this far.
Nurses and doctors kept coming in and out of his room all day today (Friday 3/4). Around 4:30 pm Yunie may have suffered a seizure (this is not confirmed as the doctors are not 100% sure what happened). The doctors stated that due to the thinning blood arteries near the aneurysm Yunie was suffering from this irritation which was causing spasms in his body. Immediately following this "stroke", Dr. Olson ordered a CT scan and in the scan they found that one of the blood vessels near the carotid artery was indeed thinning. Dr. Olson advised the need to do an intercranial balloon angioplasty which is a procedure where a wire attached to a balloon is inserted into the artery in order to widen the collapsed vein area in the brain. Failure to do the procedure could lead to a high likelihood of a massive stroke. The procedure was performed by Dr. Yoo, a neurosurgeon, and it went well but Dr. Yoo told Janet that this procedure is very TEMPORARY and he would not be surprised if he had to perform many more procedures like this on Yunie over the next 14-21 days. At this point, the doctors want to avoid any type of re-rupture or rupture period.
For now, they've stabilized the area. Yunie still has a hematoma, or a localized collection of blood, in his left temporal frontal lobe. The doctors say that is probably the worst place to have it as the left temporal lobe is the area of the brain that controls memory, speech, etc.
The next goal will be to take the breathing tube out. Yunie is being assisted by a breathing tube which must be very uncomfortable but until he can respond to the doctors they cannot remove it. He is at risk for future aneurysms, spasms, and a variety of other issues.
Yunie is still in very critical condition and has some serious problems. He will require very intensive care for the next several weeks and possibly months. At this point, it's still too early to diagnose or tell what will happen next but for now, the family is taking it day-by-day.
We thank you for your love, support, and prayers and ask that you respond to this blog or to helenbarker@me.com if you have any questions in order to alleviate the amount of stress placed on family members and particularly Janet.
I'll be updating the blog regularly as I can. Thanks for your reading!
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