Keith Karlson

After sharing a dinner with friends on Sunday evening, January 3, Keith fell down on some uneven sidewalk in front of his house. His head hit the curb (or street) causing a lot of bleeding, both internal and external. Keith has been taking Cumidin (a blood thinner) following surgery a few years ago to install a titanium valve in his heart.

Fortunately someone witnessed his fall and came to his aid. An ambulance was called and neighbors alerted. He was taken to Merit Hospital's emergency room in Natchez. While prepping him for a CAT scan and stopping the bleeding, he showed some cognitive changes.

Keith was airlifted to University of Mississippi Medical Center(UMMC) ,a level one trauma center in Jackson, MS. Surgery at 4am Monday morning revealed a clot in his brain. It was successfully removed after doctors reversed the thinning of the Cumidin. All signs were good and he was responding well to commands, moving his limbs and tracking with his eyes and speaking (although slurred).

By the next morning (Tuesday), he was paralyzed on his right side(arm and leg) and had been put on a ventilator because of difficulty breathing and was unresponsive. This was a big shock, as everything had looked so positive only the night before. The doctor revealed that he had had a small stroke(maybe more than one) and that his brain was still swollen from the fall and surgery. He has stitches(staples) that run from the middle of his hairline over the top of his head, down to the base of his skull and then over his left ear to his hairline. His condition was serious. By Thursday he was improving but was still intubated and sedated. He had to be sedated and restrained as his thrashing about was considered to be a possible danger to his recovery.

By Saturday he had received 2 units of blood and had been taken off the ventilator. His eyes were clear and he seemed present. Another setback occurred on Sunday when he had 3 small seizures which are not uncommon after a stroke. He is now on medication to prevent any further seizures. The meds have proven effective. He slept most of Sunday as the seizures were exhausting. With a few detours Keith seems to now be on the road to recovery. We don't at this point know how long a journey that will be but are so heartened by the love and care he has received from friends like you.