Friday's Fabulous News!!

Jim's doctor has decided he will start increasing the pressure to Jim's brain on Monday instead to ensure that the high risk time frame has passed for spasms and stroke. Shortly after, the EVD will be removed as well as his catheter. Then Jim will be moved to a step down unit for only a couple of days and it is very possible Jim will be HOME in a week or so! He will receive outpatient Physical Therapy after he gets home.

What a miracle this truly is!! We are so happy Jim has healed so quickly.

Matthew 8:7 Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."

Thursday's News

The doctors plan to challenge Jim's brain through the weekend via the EVD. They will continue to increase the pressure to see how he handles things. If all goes well they would like to take the EVD out on Monday! Once the EVD is removed the doctors will evaluate Jim once again and then determine if he is ready to be moved to a step-down room. This means he would no longer be in the ICU and would be one step closer to coming home!
Jim is sitting up again today but he has not walked around. His hips are still very weak. He is exhausted and sleeps quite a bit...but he is in good spirits!

Wednesday's Update

Jim has already had a full day! The doctors had him sitting up in a chair for three hours and then had him walk around the entire ICU! All this activity has wiped Jim out as now he is taking a much needed nap. The central line in his neck has been removed. Also, the swelling in his head has gone down substantially. Because of this, you can now see that the whole frontal right portion of his skull is missing. No worries though! This will be put back in place once he has fully recovered!

Tuesday's Triumph

Today Jim was able to sit on the edge of his bed and after about 5 minutes he felt well enough to stand up and WALK to the bathroom which is about 10 feet away!! He has absolutely no more vasospasms and his doctor has nick named him "Mr. Sunshine".
This evening Jim shaved off the rest of his hair. So now both sides match. The doctors are thinking Jim may possibly be able to go to a step down unit on Monday. He may even have the EVD (drain in his head) removed before Monday as well!

Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.

Our God is an awesome God!

Jim had a very quiet day today with very few visitors and received some much needed rest.
Char and Jim got a chance to talk with his doctor in depth.
The doctor commented on how remarkably well Jim is doing. The Doctor said Jim will be in ICU for at least another week.
His Doctor also stated if you look at his medical file from day 1 to day 8 it looks like they were mixed up with another patient as it does not seem possible that Jim should have progressed this well with coming in with such a massive brain bleed.
Another miracle is that the vasospasms have dissipated significantly. Jim is half way through the 14 day period of the danger stroke zone.
The doctor told Jim if he could bottle what he had that was healing him, he and Jim would be multi billionaires sitting on a beach doing nothing. He said if you figure out what "that" is you let me know. Jim commented to Char he would have some one on one time with the doctor so he could talk with him about this "bottle of stuff" that he wants. Leave it Jim to never miss a chance to share the gospel and possibly change a life!!
Sometime this week Physical Therapy will be in to see him as Jim wants to get out of bed! The doctor stated this just doesn't seem possible and this is not normal to be this far progressed as most patients are still unconscious!

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Psalm 30:2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

Monday's Update

Today the doctors plan to challenge Jim's brain by increasing pressure to the cranium. They are hoping his brain will re-absorb the fluid it creates instead of draining it all out. The doctors warned this may cause Jim to have headaches and confusion. A physical therapist will be in Jim's room later today to start exercising him. He has been wanting to get out of bed but needs the physical therapy before that can happen. Jim's appetite is back to normal.

This afternoon Jim's doctor told him he is doing remarkable well considering the massive bleed that he had when he first came into the ICU. God answers prayers!

Just a quick update

Jim ate all of his breakfast this morning! His brother Bobby called Char and said he is doing fantastic and is in great spirits. Jim is finally back to himself! What a relief and what a difference a week can make!

This week has been a roller coaster of emotions. We could not have gotten though it without the love and support of all our family and friends. It is amazing to know that there are thousands of people in different cities, states and even countries that are praying for Jim's recovery.

Philipians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Sunday

After Jim's angiogram doctor's tested his strength and he was actually STRONGER! It was also the first time Jim said he was not in any pain! The doctors said if they find these weaknesses soon enough the procedure can actually reverse and repair itself. So he may very well have several of these to ensure he can recover 100%.

This morning Jim's nurse said he rested very well last night and had a great night. This morning he is in very good spirits! What a relief to know he is doing so well after only one week!!
His appetite is back which is wonderful as now he can gain even more strength. His brother is bringing him a Bob Evans breakfast this morning, he will be very happy not to have to eat hospital food.

Thank you again for all your prayers and support!

Procedure was a Success!

The procedure is done and Jim is now back in his room. No blockage was found. He did not have a stroke. In fact, the dye that was injected in his vessels showed nothing was out of order! Praise the Lord! He does hear your prayers and He is answering them! Thank you! As a precaution, the doctors put Jim on medication to open the mini-vessels in his brain. This was done just to ensure they too are working properly. We will keep you posted as the day progresses.

Saturday Morning

Extra prayer is needed this morning. Yesterday Jim experienced some weakness on his left side. (The left side of the body is controlled by the right side of the brain. Jim's aneurysm was on the right side.) At midnight last night doctors did a CT scan. Thankfully, it did not show any negative changes. Right now he is going in for an "angiogram". This procedure will allow them to look at the vessel they clamped off to stop the aneurysm. They are looking to see if it is leaking or if any other vessels are trying to close. As Jim continues this journey he will have to undergo several more "angiograms".

Please note: Due to the risk involved with this procedure and the fact that he will be under sedatives all day, doctors are not going to allow anyone to come back into his room today. (With the exception of Char and his girls.)

Jim's neck continues to bring unbearable pain. Please pray that this will go away. One praise this morning: Jim's fever is down!

Friday Morning Update

This morning Jim ate a few bites of scrambled eggs, a bite of bacon, a few sips of coffee and OJ. He still has a bad head and neck ache but he is sitting up more in bed. He is able to hold a conversation for a few minutes but he is still very groggy.
Today one of the nurses came in to say hi and Jim said "you look familiar". The nurse told him he was his nurse on Tuesday so this means Jim's short term memory is getting better!
He wants to get out of bed but he has to wait until Physical Therapy can evaluate him. As of 9 this morning his doctor said he is doing very well! We will update more on any new developments and his progress later this evening.

Thank you for all your prayers!

The Power of Prayer

Some wonderful news!!
This morning the doctors said they would need to keep a close eye on Jim since they were increasing the pressure to the EVD but, at midnight the doctors told Char that Jim tolerated the increased pressure to the EVD and he is doing remarkably well!!

Luke 1:37 "For Nothing is impossible with GOD"

The Latest

Jim received his first Heparin shot today to help prevent blood clots in his legs. He will receive these 3 times a day. He told the nurse to be careful because his 6pack abs might break the needle. We are so glad Jim has not lost his sense of humor!
The swelling in his face is nearly gone. His head and neck hurt a bit more today as the doctors have increased the pressure to his brain so it can absorb more fluids.
The spasms are increasing which is expected, but it does give a bigger risk of stroke. His fever is back as well but this is probably a neurological fever. Please continue to pray for Jim to over come this uphill battle! Thank you all for your prayers, support and well wishes.

Thursday, July 23rd

Today the doctors have raised the top of Jim's bed up in order to decrease the amount of fluid that is draining out of the "evd" (the tube at the top of his head that is draining fluid out). They want his brain to be able to absorb more of this fluid and slowly ween him off of the drain tube. We are thrilled that the doctors want to take the "evd" out soon!
Today, Jim has been able to eat some scrambled eggs and banana bread. We continue to pray that his appetite will increase. Jim is still experiencing a lot of pain in his head and neck. Please pray that this pain will go away so he can rest.

Doctor's Orders

We are so thankful for each and every one of you who have come to show your support at the hospital. The doctors are very pleased with Jim's progress! Tonight, Dr. Mahmood (Jim's doctor) has requested that only immediate family members come to Jim's bedside. He explained to us that Jim's brain needs time to repair itself. He wants all of Jim's energy to be focused on healing. We thank you for your continued prayers, thoughts, support, and love! As soon as Dr. Mahmood gives the okay, we will announce when the party starts once again in Jim's room!

Wednesday, July 22

Jim has developed a fever of 100.7 degrees - please pray that it will dissipate! While doctors are concerned about his fever they are happy to report that his white blood cell count is at a satisfactory level. Jim has experienced several spasms today but he continues to grow stronger. He can now lift his head on his own and lift himself up to hug his daughters. His face/head has continued to swell but the doctors assure us this is normal. Today Jim had a small vanilla shake but does not yet have his normal appetite. Pray that his appetite grows - he needs to eat in order to stay strong.

12 days of prayer!!!

Jim needs extra prayers for the next 12 days. Doctors say he is in day 2 of 14 days that are the most critical for his recovery. For the next 12 days he is at his highest risk for a stroke. Jim needs to reach day 14 (Monday, August 3rd) without a stroke!!! Right now Jim is in a lot of pain. He is also suffering from vascular spasms in the brain. This is a normal reaction as his brain recovers. However, it is very important the spasms do not turn to a stroke. Please specifically pray for this!

Doctors say they are going to try to feed Jim "normal food" today. If he keeps it down that will be another praise as God continues to touch and heal is body.

He does not completely have his short term memory back yet. He continues to ask what happened to him and is surprised each time he hears the story. Today when he was again told what happened he asked, "Did I scare everyone when I fell?" (Even while in excruciating pain Jim continues to show concern for the well-being of those around him.)

A Special Moment

Charlene wanted to pass along a special moment she and Jim shared at the hospital last night:

"Jimmie kissed me last night before I left. Words cannot express how much that meant."

Tuesday July 21, 2009 10:40pm

Good News!! Jim's IV's were taken out with the exception of the Central Line. He also ate JELLO and was able to keep it down!! What an improvement from 48 hours ago!! GOD is truly giving him the strength to heal!! Praise the Lord!

Tuesday, July 21st

If it hasn't been said before, I'll say it now. Jim is a fighter! Less than 48 hours after brain surgery the breathing tubes came out, he regained consciousness, can respond to your questions and knows who every person is that comes into his room. Praise the Lord!
As expected, he has a bad headache and his head/right eye is swollen. The doctors took his bandages off to allow his incision to breathe. He has somewhere between 40 and 50 staples in his scalp that are now clearly visible. (Don't look if you have a faint stomach!) This afternoon the doctors gave him his first drink of water. Jim took a long sip and said in a whispered voice, "That's the best water I've ever tasted!"

Monday: The day after brain surgery

The doctor's are very happy with Jim's condition after surgery. Jim started to respond to the voices around him and even started to open his eyes for a few seconds! Shortly after he could move his toes and squeeze your hand. Later in the day, he started to mouth words like, "I love you" and "bye-bye". Dozens of friends, co-workers and family members came to visit. We are so thankful for each and every one of you! Thank you for your prayers!

What Happened?

It is safe to say that Jim's life changed on Sunday, July 19th. Near the beginning of Southpoint's church service Jim was praying over the offering. Near the end of the prayer he slurred a few words and then was silent. With heads bowed, the congregation was waiting for "Amen" but it never came. Instead, Jim fell backward, hit his head on a monitor and collapsed on the stage. Thankfully, numerous medical professionals and concerned friends immediately came to his aid. It appeared that he was having a seizure so CPR was administered. The church's defibrillator was hooked up to him but he did not need to be shocked. The ambulance arrived soon after.
Jim was taken to Oakwood Southshore in Trenton where it was discovered that he suffered from a brain aneurysm. He was intubated and then transferred to Henry Ford Hospital in downtown Detroit. Late Sunday night it was decided that Jim had to undergo "surgical clipping". This means that part of his skull was removed so that surgeons could close off the blood vessel that caused the aneurysm. (Jim will have this piece of his skull put back on in a few months.) He was out of surgery around 2am, Monday morning. Doctors said the surgery would last at least six hours but Jim was only in surgery for four and a half hours. (A very good sign!)