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My 26 year old niece had a stroke.
During major surgery to repair damage from a staph infection. Spleenectomy and double-heart-valve replacement.
She has an 18 month old son, and recently separated from her husband - her dad (my older brother) thinks that the stress may have contributed to her condition when she was finally admitted to the hospital in mid-December.
The damage was mostly to the left hemisphere - speech centers were damaged and mobility is severely impaired. She finally passed her swallow test yesterday, which is a major improvement, and hopefully a major indication that the damage is healing at least a little. It appears as though her personality, knowledge, and self is intact, but her communication is limited to sounds and gestures.
This is difficult for me. My brother has lived in Florida for most of my life, and although we were closer to his kids than to my other brother's kids, we still didn't see them as much as we wanted. Thanks to Facebook, I reconnected with her shortly before she became pregnant, and we talked a lot during her pregnancy. I was working on planning a trip down there this January to finally meet her son. I'd still like to go, but now it'll come with a hospital visit instead of trips to coffeehouses and playgrounds.
Please keep her, and my family, in your thoughts. We're hoping her youth works for her, and that she recovers at least some of her previous ability.
During major surgery to repair damage from a staph infection. Spleenectomy and double-heart-valve replacement.
She has an 18 month old son, and recently separated from her husband - her dad (my older brother) thinks that the stress may have contributed to her condition when she was finally admitted to the hospital in mid-December.
The damage was mostly to the left hemisphere - speech centers were damaged and mobility is severely impaired. She finally passed her swallow test yesterday, which is a major improvement, and hopefully a major indication that the damage is healing at least a little. It appears as though her personality, knowledge, and self is intact, but her communication is limited to sounds and gestures.
This is difficult for me. My brother has lived in Florida for most of my life, and although we were closer to his kids than to my other brother's kids, we still didn't see them as much as we wanted. Thanks to Facebook, I reconnected with her shortly before she became pregnant, and we talked a lot during her pregnancy. I was working on planning a trip down there this January to finally meet her son. I'd still like to go, but now it'll come with a hospital visit instead of trips to coffeehouses and playgrounds.
Please keep her, and my family, in your thoughts. We're hoping her youth works for her, and that she recovers at least some of her previous ability.
Sending prayers and good thoughts her way for a full recovery.
He is my Black Dragon (and yes, a good one) strong, protective, the guardian. I am his Silver Dragon, always by his side, shining for him, cherishing him.
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