A
Personal Message from Mike Smith
Wednesday,
August 11, 2004
1:00pm PST
Dear Friends,
On Sunday (August 8) about 1pm, Susan woke from a nap with a severe headache which immediately went into a stroke. The medics arrived within 10 minutes; she was already in a coma. Just 10 minutes later she was being taken into Western Medical Hospital of Santa Ana, where she is today. She is in Intensive Care and cannot receive cards or flowers. Thank you anyway. Susan has what is known as a "bleed" stroke, which is different from an aneurism. It's located in the base of her brain surrounding her brain stem. There's no surgical procedure because it's a bleed and they have done everything they can to relieve the pressure. Her vital signs - heart, etc. - are strong, however because of the size of the stroke (3 cm), and because of its location, the prognosis is not good. 72 hours have passed and she has not made appreciable recovery. We will continue to pray and monitor her situation and hope that over the next 7 days improvement occurs. Believe me, I understand your frustration at the inability to do anything. Please know that she and I both appreciate your prayers and your concern. Please check here for any improvements. Thank you, Update Mike has just returned from visiting Susan in the hospital. He says there are no significant changes to report, and thanks everyone again for their support. DB Update Dear Friends, I am so sad and sorry to tell you that there has not been any significant change. We continue to pray and hope. Today we did notify Susan's mother of her condition, and while she's taking the news hard, she seems to be bearing up. Susan and I thank you for your continued hopes and prayers, and we will keep you posted. Note Mike has a number of close friends around him in this difficult time. Two of them, Gerry and Diane Aust, have made themselves available to answer any questions you may have. They can be contacted at AustTustin@aol.com. Update Dear Friends, Thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts. Susan and I know how much you care about us and we feel your loving strength. This is a complicated thing made more complicated by the vast number of supporters we have with diverse backgrounds, religions, spiritual understandings and medical experiences. We could not ask for more help, good wishes and wonderful support. We do not want to mislead anyone with the following information but, rather, simply we want you to know what we know and how we perceive the facts. This is a devastating blow Susan is dealing with. Not too unlike a bullet to the brain stem. The brainstem is that portion of the brain in control of the normal life support functions - breathing, body temperature, reflexes, sleep, etc. That is why she is in a coma. That part of her control center shut down her cognitive self to help facilitate the healing. Many of us have had some experience with strokes caused by aneurism (swelling blood vessels or arteries). The damage from those strokes is caused by an increase of pressure on the affected areas and is often made better when the pressure is relieved. The worst thing that can happen in the process of the stroke just described would be for it to burst. A stoke caused by a burst blood vessel is known as a "bleed." That is the stroke Susan had. Please know her stroke is not a bubble in a vessel.
The damage in a "bleed" stoke is caused by the force of the blood when the break occurs and complicated by the blood weighing heavily on the tubes that feed the brain its oxygen and glucose. There is no surgery to relieve any of this. In some cases, brain pressures build up from an increase in brain fluid but the doctors have taken steps to prevent that in Susan. She will not suffer any complications for additional pressure. So, what does all this mean? Susan is not suffering and not aware of her surroundings at this time. She is NOT in pain and NOT trapped trying to communicate. We are waiting while her basic body functions are sorting themselves out. As the blood is absorbed back into the body (much like a burst) more of the pressure is taken from those effected areas and Susan will regain whatever she can from the non-damaged cells. We, humans, have kept countless records on all kinds of medical events for as long as we have recorded history and our medical knowledge is based on the experiences of thousands upon thousands of cases BUT there are always exceptions - Miracles. WE (Susan and I) believe in Miracles. In the absence of a Miracle, the facts are: The first critical period was 72 hours. Additional strokes or complications usually occur in that period and that is the amount of time it usually takes for the brain swelling to subside and for the blood to begin to be absorbed back into the body. In that time we should have seen some meaningful improvement. The good news is that she did not get worse and we did see some improvement but it was not a lot, just enough to continue to hope and pray. The next critical period is the first week after the 72 hours. That is where we are now. What her unconscious body reclaims for itself during this period will indicate what her future in that body will be. So far there has not been much reclaimed. We are still hopeful. I believe Susan's battle is not being fought in her head by her intellect. I believe my beloved is waging this battle through her spirit and that it is a tough, tough battle. Because of our eclectic collection of friends, we have received loving advice in many and varied traditions. WE are proud you care so much and we want to assure you that whatever you are doing in your faith is transmitting to Susan. Susan and God are working this out. We are simply able to wait, love and hope. Years ago I wrote a prayer and I offer it to those who want it. MY PRAYER Thank you, Update Mike reports no significant changes in Susan's condition, and he thanks everyone again for their support and prayers. Update Mike has just come from the hospital and reports that Susan is being taken for a CAT scan and an EEG. There are, however, no significant changes in her condition. Update Mike again reports no significant changes in Susan's condition. He has a meeting with her doctors tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss the results of her CAT scan and EEG. Mike asks that everyone focus their thoughts and prayers on the base of Susan's skull. Gerry and Diane Aust report that Mike took them to visit Susan yesterday. They told her that so many people were praying for her recovery and that she better be working on that! Her eyes were open (apparently this was a reflex action) but there was no response. Nevertheless, they're sure she knows. Update Mike sadly reports that after meeting with Susan's doctors following her tests, there are no changes and she remains in critical condition. Mike, along with his and Susan's family, are meeting with additional doctors for another opinion. Mike asks that everyone continue to pray for Susan's recovery. Update Dear Friends, Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. The situation with Susan today is that there has still been no significant change in her condition. She remains in a coma in critical condition. Please know that everything that CAN be done for her IS being done. Unfortunately, she has just never "stabilized" (regained her primitive body functions). She has pictures on the wall that are meaningful to her and she has music playing (Jackson Browne and Irish music - those who know her will understand). The nurses are warm, generous, and loving people and we are still hoping for some sign of recovery. A second doctor is finishing his consultation today and will give us his opinion soon. Thank you again for your concern, Update Dear Friends, My meeting with the doctors yesterday carried some very bad news. I understand that after all of these days it does not appear likely that Susan can recover her primitive body functions. The prognosis for her survival is not good. We continue to pray for her. Numerous doctors, specialists and medical professionals assure me from all the science that she is not in any pain, and the magnitude of this terrible stroke has taken away all consciousness. Susan is not experiencing pain or frustration. It's my feeling that she could leave us at any time. I continue to pray the only prayer that has ever served me well, Thy will be done. Update Mike reports there has been no improvement in Susan's condition. |
Susan
and I want to thank you for your concern. Here is a brief synopsis of what happened
and what we know today. I intend to update this, when possible, with any significant
changes when they occur.