Chris’s Story

Site created on July 7, 2019

This is a spot for updates on Mum's recovery from the lacunar stroke she suffered the first week of July. We will also post ways you can help her, the family, and people Mum was helping pre-stroke. 

What happened: Starting early the morning of Monday July 1st, Mum experienced odd symptoms like leg weakness and confusion. Monday night we had a family dinner and Mum cooked an amazing meal for everyone. She felt (understandably) tired afterwards, but otherwise fine. Tuesday morning she noticed other symptoms like lethargy and her penmanship looking funny. By that afternoon she could not write her name, and Dad took her to the ED. They did a CT and admitted her for observation. That night she was speaking with a slight lisp and ate dinner with her right hand, which was moving a little slowly but still working. By Wednesday morning, Mum had lost all mobility on her right side. She said that each time she fell asleep, she woke up being able to move less and less. The next 48 hours were very scary for both Mum and us as she was understandably very fearful about sleeping and losing even more mobility. By Friday things seemed to have plateaued and an MRI and more CTs confirmed Mum had a lacunar stroke. The suspicion is that she suffered the stroke on Monday, and its effects took until Wednesday to fully play out.  The doctors are still not entirely sure what caused it, as she has none of the usual risk factors.  The good news is that this was not a hemorrhagic stroke, and recovery rates for lacunar strokes are very high. We are hoping and praying for a complete recovery for Mum and appreciate your love and support so much as we head down this road with her. 

Newest Update

Journal entry by Andrea Day

Hi everyone, 
Sorry it has been SO long since the last update! Here's what's been happening for Mum..

-In June she enjoyed a great weekend away with quilting friends at Dabob Bay!

- Natalie was home for 6 weeks in June/July and helped a ton with cooking, cleaning, restocking the fridge, and things that have been on Mum's to-do list for ages -- like fully re-painting and flooring an upstairs bedroom! It was really good to have her around.

- On July 2nd, we celebrated Mum's one year stroke-iversary -- complete with a custom-made cake (pictured) by Natalie. This might seem like a strange thing to celebrate, but Mum requested a party and it was a good chance to reflect on the last year -- all that's happened, and all she has gained back after losing so much. 

- This week marks a year since Mum came home from rehab. Mum says "I hope never to be gone that long again!" 

- Mum's new challenge is having a frozen shoulder in her L arm. This means her good arm has very limited mobility, and pain when she moves it too far upwards or behind her. Mum knows all about frozen shoulders as she had one in her R arm prior to the stroke. They are not fun for a fully mobile person, much less someone who already has limited mobility. Her therapists are pretty sure this was caused by over-using her L arm to compensate for not being able to use her R arm... and obviously there's not a lot Mum can do to prevent that! She got a steroid injection last month to try and loosen things up, and also resumed physical therapy at Grabow, though her sessions are pretty sporadic due to COVID cutbacks and restrictions. 

- Papa Glenn (Mum's Dad), who lives in Stanwood, WA with my Grandma, has been declining in health the last few months, so Mum has made several trips to visit him (outside, with masks on). Mum and her two sisters were checking in on/helping out my grandparents regularly pre-stroke, and this is something that's much harder for Mum to do now as she can't drive. We'd appreciate prayer for my aunts as they provide care, Mum as she tries to get time in with Papa, and my grandparents as they prepare for this transition.

- The last few weeks Mum and I have been going on walks with Lupa at a nearby dog park; it is probably a mile round trip on an uneven gravel trail, and Mum has done great! 

- Mum (and ALL of us) continue to be so incredibly grateful for her community of friends who are dropping off coffee or pies or dinner, calling to chat, running her to the grocery store, giving her rides to therapy, or just stopping by for a back-porch visit. Particularly in these pandemic times, this means so much, and Mum says it's made this last year bearable. Please don't ever hesitate to pop in or reach out.  

Hope this finds all of you healthy and finding ways to enjoy summer in spite of COVID! We appreciate you all so much. 

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