Elly Griffith

Our dearest Elly had a embolic stroke on the late Sunday evening of June 12.  She was visiting with Barb and Riley at their lake house and she and Barb were just finishing some blueberry pie and chatting; when suddenly Elly could no longer speak and her mouth started to droop.  Barb immediately called ems who transported Elly to Aultman Hospital in Canton.  Because of previous hematomas in her brain, it was decided that the clot buster could not be administered because of possibly causing another brain bleed.  

Elly did qualify however,for a private helicopter ride to the Cleveland clinic where they performed a catheterization and removed a large part of the clot.  Some of the clot was too deep to recover, and a sizable portion (lemon sized) of her left front brain was damaged affecting her speech and motor skill functions.  

She enjoyed (tolerated) five days of world class care at the Cleveland Clinic where they inserted an ng tube into her nose for meds and nutrition.  Barb and Amy (with Riley, Brad, and Natalie too) held down the fort until Cathy, Steve and girls arrived back home from an out west family adventure on Tuesday evening, and Walt & Cassi arrived from St. Petersburg on Friday for a weekend visit. During our daily vigil, Elly had periods of intermittent awareness and seemed to recognize her family visitors.  She also slept quite a bit. 

 Thankfully, the insurance accepted the “plan” and the Clinic released Elly on Saturday, June 18 to a rehab hospital in Akron.  Physical, occupational and speech therapies started right away and Elly seems to be responding very positively.  She is actually moving (walking, getting in and out of chairs/beds etc) quite well and while she has some weakness on her right side, she is quite ambulatory!  Again, she has had intermittent periods of seemingly with-it-ness mixed with days of sleepiness and not so with-it-ness; all perfectly normal with her kind of condition.  She is able to follow many commands, but as of yet is unable to speak or swallow.

 She had a couple good days at the rehab hospital and responded well.  The speech therapists were unable to effectively conduct swallowing/talking therapy with her nose tube and so Elly was moved to Akron City Hospital on Tuesday where she received a peg tube in her tummy .....but at least they took the uncomfortable ng tube out of her nose!  Cathy and Amy, have been hanging out in her hospital room watching the various parades and celebrations for the Cleveland Cavaliers on tv.  Hopefully, Elly will get sent back to the Rehab Hospital today.

We know it is a day to day process/ with stroke recovery and there will be good days and bad, but overall, we are seeing more good than bad. On Wednesday, we are happy to report that she is had a great day and was the most alert day yet!  She said words to us like hi and ya and is responding in all the appropriate ways!  We are very encouraged!!  

She would enjoy cards and they can be sent to her attention at her home:  3597 Sparrow Pond Circle, Akron, OH, 44333.  The address at the Rehab Hospital is:   Summa Rehab Hospital, 29 N Adams Street, Akron, OH, 44304.

Thank you everyone, for your calls, emails and love...........we are passing it ALL ON to Elly in hopes to support and speed her recovery!  We will post updates as we get them.