It has been quite a day! This afternoon Mordy walked (with help) to the wheelchair so we could bring him down to our car. When he went outside and saw daylight for the first time since Friday, he remarked about how bright it was! His depth perception is a bit off, so he began closing one eye, and then the other, to try to see better...at that moment he realized that one eye was slightly blurry...maybe that's also from the stroke. We're not sure.
I drove him and Ann, my mother-in-law, to JFK and had the nurse come bring him to his room. Mordy is sharing a room with another man. For some reason, this fellow watches TV on mute, which was awesome, because it meant Mordy could sleep in some peace and quiet for the first time in a while. The hospital where he had been had all sorts of equipment beeping--from the ICU to the Neurology floor--so he never slept well there. Plus, once he fell asleep, inevitably someone would come in and take his blood pressure or draw blood or wake him up some other way. I am hopeful that he'll get more sleep now that he's at JFK. He needs the rest to heal.
Mordy still gets tired out very easily. Whenever visitors come now (which we've had to severely limit for now), he gets super tired after the visit is over. So I still ask that if you'd like to visit, please let me know--don't just show up! Thanks.
He is also still dizzy and nauseous for a lot of the day. When he sleeps, it sometimes gets better. But not always. This also appears to be a result of the stroke.
Folks have been asking how the stroke happened. It appears that at some point in the last few weeks, Mordy turned his neck sharply. He and I both remember that his neck has been sore for a few weeks now, though we don't know what caused the injury. At the moment he turned his neck, he probably had a small tear, what they call "dissection", in the vertebral artery. No big deal--a blood clot formed there. But then, when he had a violent sneeze on Friday, the clot broke loose and traveled to the brain...so he had the stroke.
It is clear that this tear was NOT caused by exercise. We also know that he experienced neck and shoulder pain for the last few weeks because of whatever Mordy originally did to his neck. He had been taking tylenol, icing the area, taking warm showers, stretching, and nothing seemed to work. So if there is one piece of advice that I have for you it is this: if you are in pain, don't try to self-medicate or resolve the problem on your own. Get professional help.
I don't know that seeing a doctor would have prevented this, but in theory if he had an MRI, they could have seen the dissection and given him blood thinners before the stroke occurred.
On a separate note, I have heard from some folks that they have tried multiple times to post messages on the blog and that they haven't been able to. If that happens to you--just email your message to me at GetWellMordy@gmail.com I'm reading those messages, too, and I'm reading most of them to Mordy, depending on how tired he is each day. I understand that some folks are blog-challenged...this is new for a lot of us! :-)
Tomorrow I hope to bring the kids to visit their father for the second time this week, the second time since the stroke happened last Friday. Overall, they're doing really well, but I know they miss their father very much.
Many people have been offering to help with the kids, which I appreciate very much. For now, I'm trying to be present for them, too. I think that from their perspective, when their Abba (Dad) got sick, Mommy disappeared, since I was at the hospital all day each day for 3 days in a row. So I'm trying to be home with them a bit more afterschool, if I can.
As for all the messages of all kinds, I am getting them and reading them, even though I'm not responding to the all. Thank you again for all your kind words. We hope Mordy continues to improve each day.
Esther
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Moving to JFK Rehab today!
The doctors and insurance have approved Mordy to go to JFK this afternoon, and we're thrilled. He had a good night with no setbacks, so he's ready to go!
Today he walked a little bit on his own, though he's still a little wobbly. The physical therapy at JFK will be intense. He'll do that 3-4 hours each day. It will be exhausting, but that's the best way for him to get better. We expect that he'll be there for about a week and then will come home for continued outpatient physical therapy.
Mordy has either read himself or had read to him every message of support and love from all of you reading the blog and commenting or sending messages to GetWellMordy@gmail.com He appreciates it so much! Mordy feels that all the good wishes are encouraging him to get better and better. He's determined to do so!
Many local people have sent messages offering to help, and I appreciate that so much! With my mother-in-law here and my mother nearby, plus so many friends, I feel very supported! I might be too overwhelmed to reply to each individual email, but I'm reading them all and will probably ask for help in the next few weeks from you if I haven't asked for help already.
I'm so relieved to be taking Mordy out of the hospital today, in our car, which he'll WALK to (with help). I'm grateful to see him healing more and more each day. Ken Yehi Ratzon (May it be God's will)
Esther
Today he walked a little bit on his own, though he's still a little wobbly. The physical therapy at JFK will be intense. He'll do that 3-4 hours each day. It will be exhausting, but that's the best way for him to get better. We expect that he'll be there for about a week and then will come home for continued outpatient physical therapy.
Mordy has either read himself or had read to him every message of support and love from all of you reading the blog and commenting or sending messages to GetWellMordy@gmail.com He appreciates it so much! Mordy feels that all the good wishes are encouraging him to get better and better. He's determined to do so!
Many local people have sent messages offering to help, and I appreciate that so much! With my mother-in-law here and my mother nearby, plus so many friends, I feel very supported! I might be too overwhelmed to reply to each individual email, but I'm reading them all and will probably ask for help in the next few weeks from you if I haven't asked for help already.
I'm so relieved to be taking Mordy out of the hospital today, in our car, which he'll WALK to (with help). I'm grateful to see him healing more and more each day. Ken Yehi Ratzon (May it be God's will)
Esther
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wednesday, May 30
Today has been a stable day, no marked improvements, but he's still doing really well.
Mordy was brought to an X-ray exam in the morning that required him to move around a lot and be put into unnatural positions. After that he became increasingly dizzy and nauseous. A few good friends stopped by to visit, but they had to be very short visits, since he was so tired. He slept a good part of the late morning and early afternoon, and woke up feeling much better.
VISITORS: if you want to visit, please don't just "drop by". Mordy was so tired today that having more visitors would have been too taxing. We're really limited in the number of people who can come at any given time, so if you'd like to come, please email GetWellMordy@gmail.com
His x-ray showed nothing abnormal, and he also had a CT scan that also showed nothing abnormal, so all of that is good news. Mordy's healing well.
We hope that he'll be moved to JFK acute rehab tomorrow (Thursday)
Mordy was brought to an X-ray exam in the morning that required him to move around a lot and be put into unnatural positions. After that he became increasingly dizzy and nauseous. A few good friends stopped by to visit, but they had to be very short visits, since he was so tired. He slept a good part of the late morning and early afternoon, and woke up feeling much better.
VISITORS: if you want to visit, please don't just "drop by". Mordy was so tired today that having more visitors would have been too taxing. We're really limited in the number of people who can come at any given time, so if you'd like to come, please email GetWellMordy@gmail.com
His x-ray showed nothing abnormal, and he also had a CT scan that also showed nothing abnormal, so all of that is good news. Mordy's healing well.
We hope that he'll be moved to JFK acute rehab tomorrow (Thursday)
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Tuesday Night, May 29
What an amazing day!
Mordy walked, with help, to his first shower since hospitalization. He feels so good to be clean!
He has been studying Torah from the books I brought over. His lung capacity has improved and we're hoping that the pneumonia he developed is going away. His spirits are really good. He feels good, but he's wobbly when he walks.
Mordy also has has a few visitors and is open to more. If you want to visit, please email GetWellMordy@gmail.com and let me know what days and times you might be able to come, so I can make sure he's not overwhelmed with too many people at once.
Our boys came to visit for the first time since Mordy had the stroke. They brought beautiful cards from the 1st and 3rd grades at Schechter. The cards are in a prominent place in his room and he loves them. The boys were excited to see their Abba (Dad) and seemed reassured that he's going to be OK. He got out of bed while they were here, so they saw his walking--wobbly and only while supported--but walking nonetheless. It was really good for them.
Mordy has been heartened by everyone's positive attitude and well wishes. He's feeling good and is anxious to get better.
Thanks to all...
Mordy walked, with help, to his first shower since hospitalization. He feels so good to be clean!
He has been studying Torah from the books I brought over. His lung capacity has improved and we're hoping that the pneumonia he developed is going away. His spirits are really good. He feels good, but he's wobbly when he walks.
Mordy also has has a few visitors and is open to more. If you want to visit, please email GetWellMordy@gmail.com and let me know what days and times you might be able to come, so I can make sure he's not overwhelmed with too many people at once.
Our boys came to visit for the first time since Mordy had the stroke. They brought beautiful cards from the 1st and 3rd grades at Schechter. The cards are in a prominent place in his room and he loves them. The boys were excited to see their Abba (Dad) and seemed reassured that he's going to be OK. He got out of bed while they were here, so they saw his walking--wobbly and only while supported--but walking nonetheless. It was really good for them.
Mordy has been heartened by everyone's positive attitude and well wishes. He's feeling good and is anxious to get better.
Thanks to all...
Tuesday, afternoon, May 29
Mordy is doing much better already. The dizzyness has completely gone away. He got out of bed and walked (with some support) for the first time--last night to a stretcher so they could take him out of the ICU (yay!)--today he walked with someone to the bathroom, and he just had his first physical therapy, walking around the room with a walker. He's wobbly, but doing really well.
His mind is as amazing as ever. Yesterday he quoted a Talmud passage by heart. He asked me to bring him his tallit and tefilin today, along with a Tanach (Bible), Mishna Moed (Rabbinic Teachings), and Gemarra Rosh Hashana (Talmud). As soon as I brought it all in, he looked up the Talmud passage and said "I got it right! I haven't forgotten it!"
They figured out what happened and why he had a stroke. He has a small tear in the vertibral artery running up to his brain. We have a few theories as to how this happened, but don't know for sure. He will be going on blood thinners to make sure this doesn't happen again.
I have shared with Mordy all the messages from everyone who has posted--thank you so much! He really appreciates it all.
His prognosis is pretty good. It looks like he might even be discharged in the next few days and brought to JFK inpatient rehab. I'll keep you posted here.
Overall, I'm still exhausted, emotionally and physically, but I am also so grateful for his increasing recovery and for all the support I get from all of you.
His mind is as amazing as ever. Yesterday he quoted a Talmud passage by heart. He asked me to bring him his tallit and tefilin today, along with a Tanach (Bible), Mishna Moed (Rabbinic Teachings), and Gemarra Rosh Hashana (Talmud). As soon as I brought it all in, he looked up the Talmud passage and said "I got it right! I haven't forgotten it!"
They figured out what happened and why he had a stroke. He has a small tear in the vertibral artery running up to his brain. We have a few theories as to how this happened, but don't know for sure. He will be going on blood thinners to make sure this doesn't happen again.
I have shared with Mordy all the messages from everyone who has posted--thank you so much! He really appreciates it all.
His prognosis is pretty good. It looks like he might even be discharged in the next few days and brought to JFK inpatient rehab. I'll keep you posted here.
Overall, I'm still exhausted, emotionally and physically, but I am also so grateful for his increasing recovery and for all the support I get from all of you.
How it all started
Friday, May 25 was a normal day. Mordy helped me get the kids ready for school. He took me to work and we chatted on the phone a few times during the day.
Around 2:30pm, he called me at work. All he could say was "come home" and moan. I asked what happened, what was wrong, and again he said "come home." I immediately got a ride home and found him on the floor. He was awake, but not able to talk very much.
I called 911 and the police and ambulances came. At that point, Mordy was able to communicate, one word at a time, with great effort, that he had been watching TV when he sneezed. Right after that, his head started hurting. After communicating that to me, he began to vomit.
The ambulance took him to the hospital and he still wasn't able to speak very much. In the emergency room, the doctors and nurses tried to treat him to figure out what was wrong. But if they touched him, he'd shout "ow" or push them away with his hands. Because he was making it difficult for them to treat him, they sedated him and put a tube in his throat. They gave him every possibly test--CT scan, X-ray, spinal tap, and more. They ruled out a heart attack but didn't know what was wrong.
With test results pending, he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit to be watched and for additional tests. It wasn't until Saturday that he was diagnosed with a stroke.
Mordy can talk in complete sentences (sometimes paragraphs) and is intellectually completely there. He remembers the stroke, calling me, and that I was crying when I found him. He also remembers his work, the research he has been doing lately, and other complex ideas. His mind and speech have not been affected.
The good news is that he has passed the 72-hour critical test quite well. He *was* seeing people sideways and upside down. He still has severe dizziness, which the doctors hope will subside as soon as the swelling in his brain diminishes. His stroke was a bloodless one, caused by a lack of oxygen in the cerebellum (the part of the brain that controls coordination and balance), that's why he gets dizzy so easily.
We still don't know what caused the stroke, but the doctors are trying to figure that out. The physicians are still guarded about the prognosis, but we're hoping for the best.
He can't receive visitors in the ICU, so please don't come to visit. As his condition improves, I'll post info about when he'll be up for receiving visitors.
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