More history for those who missed it.

Dan went back to the ER after having an ERCP on Nov. 17th. While in the ER, he was given an IV push pain med (2nd dose) and then taken right to x-ray for a standing chest x-ray. Shortly thereafter I head a code blue called for radiology which was then cancelled. He had 'passed out' and hit the floor. Once I got the medical records from Bergan, I found that Dan did have a seizure after he fell. He did not remember anything from when he stood for the CXR until he was coming out of the other end of the CT scanner. 

This past Saturday I awoke to the bed shaking. He had a seizure and did not start breathing even after I opened his airway. Three breaths brought him around. I called 911. He does not remember anything up to the point of wondering why there were strange men in our bedroom. Another CT and an MRI did not show a bleed or any type of lesion.  

Past info some wanted but missed...

• Pancreatic cyst needle biopsy was benign. Done on Oct. 20th I think. They will monitor it to be sure it doesn't change in size. 
• The 'stone' they saw in the common bile duct during the pancreas biopsy was actually sludge rather than a stone per se. Has not had the recommended Ultrasound of the gall bladder yet. Surgery to remove gb originally scheduled for Dec. 6th but will wait on that until the rest of his health is more stable. 
• The left shoulder has full tears in 3 areas as a result of his fall in the xray dept. of an Omaha hospital.  The ortho surgeon will look with a scope but thinks he will need to use an incision to open the area to be able to do the repairs. This surgery is scheduled for Thur. Dec. 1 at 1000 at BryanLGH East.  
• Although no one has officially said he suffered a concussion in his fall in the xray dept. of an Omaha hospital, it seems apparent to me. There is still a 5 cm. sized area that is tender on the right posterior side of his head. He had a spontaneous episode of vomiting last Tuesday, Nov. 22nd at ~10 p.m. (Last pain med had been at 3 p.m. so doubtful that caused it.) Short term memory loss at times and difficulty with time sequencing.
  Hopefully this has brought everyone that is interested up to date and not been TMI for most of you!

Update for today

Dan had the EEG this afternoon w/o incident. Thanks to Courtney for picking him up and bringing him to Lincoln! Still having some trouble with memory, left arm hurts, and he is tired of all of this. He is scheduled tomorrow afternoon to see our local healthcare provider (HCP) for a physical before surgery on Thursday. Hopefully the outpatient status for the surgery will hold. Will update again tomorrow.

Definition and S/S of concussion

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

From www.mayoclinic.com

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions. Effects are usually temporary, but can include problems with headache, concentration, memory, judgment, balance and coordination.

Although concussions usually are caused by a blow to the head, they can also occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken. These injuries can cause a loss of consciousness, but most concussions do not. Because of this, some people have concussions and don't realize it.

Concussions are common, particularly if you play a contact sport, such as football. But every concussion injures your brain to some extent. This injury needs time and rest to heal properly. Luckily, most concussive traumatic brain injuries are mild, and people usually recover fully.

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be subtle and may not be immediately apparent. Symptoms can last for days, weeks or even longer.

The most common symptoms after a concussive traumatic brain injury are headache, amnesia and confusion. The amnesia, which may or may not be preceded by a loss of consciousness, almost always involves the loss of memory of the impact that caused the concussion.

Signs and symptoms of a concussion may include:

• Headache or a feeling of pressure in the head
• Temporary loss of consciousness
• Confusion or feeling as if in a fog
• Amnesia surrounding the traumatic event
• Dizziness or "seeing stars"
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea or vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Fatigue

Some symptoms of concussions may be immediate or delayed in onset by hours or days after injury:

• Concentration and memory complaints
• Irritability and other personality changes
• Sensitivity to light and noise
• Sleep disturbances
• Psychological adjustment problems and depression
• Disorders of taste and smell
  
  Seek emergency care for anyone who experiences a head injury and:
  • A loss of consciousness lasting more than a minute
  • Repeated vomiting
  • Seizures
  • Obvious difficulty with mental function or physical coordination
  • Symptoms that worsen over time

Testing post from phone.

Update on Dan

 I went to work this morning and Ariell is watching over things with Dan & Micah.

• Dan was feeling better this morning. 
• He is still having trouble with short term memory which is frustrating for him. 
• His EEG is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) about 2 p.m. The way things work, we won't hear any results until Wednesday. 
• He is scheduled for repair of his torn Lt. shoulder on Thursday at 1000 at BryanLGH East. It is an outpatient procedure--assuming all goes well. 

A friend suggested that this would be a good way to update a lot of people all at one time so you are now viewing my first ever blog!