It was a Merry Christmas after all

Thank you everyone! All that positive thinking paid off. James was seen by the Neurosurgeon on Tuesday morning and said that because James was doing so well there was no need to do a CT Scan urgently, instead they plan to do a follow up CT Scan in January. James was transferred back to GF Strong that day and even better he was given a two-day two-night pass! James and I spent Christmas with my family at my Grandpa’s house.  We were both extremely thankful that we were able to spend Christmas together outside of the hospital! Hurray! 

James is now back at GF Strong. He’s walking with a walker for very short distances and still using the wheelchair to get around.  His left side is much stronger although still has some weakness.  All together, James is doing amazing. He struggles with having to stay at GF Strong and looks forward to the day when he comes home so we can start our married life together. James is so strong and I truly believe that he will get through this.

On another note, James and I have a new landline to cut down on our cell phone bills. If you would like the number please email me. (kimbos81@hotmail.com)

Thank you everyone so so much! 

Bumps, bumps and more bumps...

I’ll start with the bad news. After a routine CT scan on Thursday morning showed slight increased swelling, James was sent back to VGH by that afternoon. He was scheduled to have surgery yesterday to remove the skull flap and to see what was causing the swelling. James was not happy with this news and was more anxious than I’ve ever seen him.  The empathetic Neurosurgeon saw his distress and decided to take another look at the CT Scan.  The problem was that there was no clear reason to “go in” again but they were not happy with what they saw on the scan. After a bit of deliberation it was decided to do a smaller procedure instead of a huge surgery. This smaller procedure consisted of drilling a small hole in the space that was putting pressure on his brain. They released pressure and again will send the fluid to the lab to see if it’s infected. James had another CT scan this morning, which showed a lot of improvement. The brain had re-expanded almost to its full size because they were able to aspirate all the fluid that was causing pressure. However, they are fairly certain now that the fluid is caused by infection. The plan is to do another CT scan on Monday. If this scan looks as good as today’s than he should be able to go back to GF Strong and will have another CT scan done in a week for follow up. However, if the scan shows more fluid, we will have to have a discussion about the possibility of more surgery. Their recommendations at this point would be to remove the bone flap and leave it out for at least 3 months, and do another 6 weeks or so of IV antibiotics. This is the worst-case scenario.

James is struggling to stay positive. This was his fourth neurosurgery, fifth surgery altogether. We all feel burnt out, tired and defeated. However negativity is not what we need so on with the positive…

This past week James actually seemed better to me although the Physio and Occupational Therapist both noticed slight decrease in function. Today he was doing incredibly well! Last night and today we were able to talk like we used to. He seemed almost back to normal. The thought of loosing the progress that he’s had today again tares me up but at least I know he’s still there and it will come back.

James was also seen by his orthopedic doctor who was very happy with how James’ pelvis is healing and gave the okay for full weight bearing. This means the physio has a lot more to work with and James will hopefully be walking in no time.

So… although we try to stay positive, James has had enough bumps in the road. I’ve never been so proud of him and never loved him more. In the next couple days we need lots of positive energy going to James’ brain! Think positive and please no more bumps!

Back "Home"

James was thankfully transferred back to GF Strong last Tuesday morning. GF Strong could not accept him back with a peripheral IV therefore a PICC line (central line) was inserted on Monday to manage his IV antibiotics for the next two weeks. James is happy to be back at GF Strong but since the surgery, he has been very fatigued, uncomfortable and flat. He now wants to see visitors, which I’m hoping, will cheer him up (please email me to set up a time: kimbos81@hotmail.com).  James’ left side is still weak but we’re hoping his strength will come back shortly. James is not showing any clinical signs of infection however they continue to monitor the cultures they drew from the surgery. He is scheduled for a follow-up CT scan on Monday.

He’s also scheduled to see the Orthopedic doctor next week. It will have been 10 weeks since the pelvic surgery so we’re hoping the doctor will say it’s okay to start weight bearing on his right leg.

I don’t think I’ve seen James quite this down so far but I know his strength will pull him through this rough patch. If you would like to write to James, I’ve added the address below. He’s not checking his email or facebook at this time.

Thanks everyone for all your support.

James Wood: Room 325

4255 Laurel St.

Vancouver, BC

V5Z 2G9

Post-op update

As planned, James had surgery on Thursday evening to release the fluid causing pressure in his brain and to replace the bone flap.  James was a bit anxious but as usual was cracking jokes with the OR and pre-op nurses.  After a long wait, the neurosurgeon came to speak with us. He explained things went fairly well although they have a slight concern with the possibility of infection. They had cultured the fluid for infection and today they say there is minimal bacterial growth but they are not concerned at this point. They plan to keep James on IV antibiotics for now and keep an eye on him. James has been pretty out of it the last few days and is having a bit of a rough recovery period. However he is showing signs of getting back to being more like himself.

We are hoping James will be able to go back to GF Strong today or tomorrow however if they plan on continuing the IV antibiotics for longer then he will have to stay at VGH as GF Strong may not accept patients with IV needs. He may have to go back on the GF Strong waitlist because they cannot hold James’ bed for much longer. We’re keeping our fingers crossed though.

James is such an incredible person to me. Despite having almost everything that could go wrong go wrong, he keeps his spirits high.

Again if you would like to visit James, email me and I’ll let you know when he is up for visitors.

Big news

Dec.3^rd

James was taken to VGH yesterday (Tuesday) because the team at GF Strong was concerned with increased swelling in James’ head. James was having more problems with his left side and was not acting himself. A CT scan indicated increased swelling (outside his brain), which was putting pressure on his brain likely causing the neurological problems. The VGH neurosurgeon told us it is not life threatening but they do plan on doing surgery tomorrow to drain the fluid and replace the bone flap. They say this is routine surgery and are confident this will alleviate the problem. He should be back at GF Strong early next week. Please send lots of positive thoughts to James tomorrow! Hopefully he will pull through with no difficulties and will be back to himself soon.

Thanks everyone!