Cluster Smith Cluster #KeepYourHeadUp

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.  The sight was created today, but our journey started the evening of  April 18, 2018 at approximately 9:40pm, when my husband suffered a massive stroke at our home.  We have been in ICU since then with no feeling and no movement on his left side.  On the morning of Easter, there was a decreased level of consciousness and a stat CT showed a significant increase of swelling in the brain so he was rushed for emergency surgery where a neurosurgical team performed a crainiomoty to allow the brain a place to swell and he was placed on a ventilator and has been heavily sedated (medicated induced coma)  since then. 2 days ago the Critical Care team and the Neurological team tried to ween him off his sedation so he could be weened off the ventilator. The first day did not go well because his heart rate got to high, so they had to sedate him again. Yesterday was a better day as far as he would squeeze my hand when asked and moved his right foot when asked, but did not become alert enough so they could remove the ventilator (even though he is basically breathing on his own, the setting for the vent is just helping his push air when needed). Today,  he has been a little more alert, still will squeeze my hand if asked and he has been rubbing his right eye today. Physical therapy came in and actually set him up in the reclining chair  and he is sporting a new gray helmet to protect his head where they removed part of his skull on the right side (which at some point will be replaced).  His heart rate still will jump very high and he is still not alert enough to be taken off the ventilator today, one of the critical care team members just told me that he may keep it another one to two days because they do not want to stress his body/brain right now.  Please keep him in your prayers...we have a long road ahead, but our God is able🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼