yahoo

Saturday, January 03, 2009

got two...pluse a littel me.


Second Surgery is a go....



I've been getting emails asking about how Jake's doing since his surgery, so here's the scoop:

His recovery has been going fairly well, he's had to deal with a lot of pain in his AVM, so he's on a somewhat regular regimen of ibuprofen. The bleeding, for a while, had been down to nothing - up until the Saturday after Christmas. Michael and the boys were goofing off, and Jake happened to move his head at just the wrong time, and Michael & Jake knocked each other pretty hard. That caused Jake's AVM to bleed pretty badly. Michael was able to get it stopped fairly quickly, and Jake was really careful the rest of the night.

We came home from Kansas City on Tuesday evening, just in time for Jake to have a major bleeding episode. The boys were playing with their new Nerf guns (gotta love Christmas presents!), and was putting on his vest for dart tag. The strap of the vest bumped his AVM again, and he instantly had blood running down his chest and his back. Jake came downstairs and let us know he was bleeding, so I went up to the kitchen with him and we did what we could to get it stopped. Normally, when he bleeds, he's able to get it stopped in a matter of a few seconds. This episode was much worse than normal. He held a dish towel on his head for almost a full minute, and soaked up close to half of the towel with blood. To be honest, it was the most scared I've been since we found out about Jake's AVM. It was a lot of blood, and it was coming fast, and not stopping. After we finally got it stopped, Michael suggested that I call the doctor first thing in the morning.

Wednesday morning, I called the doctor and talked to his nurse. She took all the information, and let me know that she'd talk to the doctor as soon as he was out of surgery. We went on about our day - going to a few stores for the boys to spend some of their Christmas money, and got a phone call around 3:00 saying that the doctor would like to see Jake, "just in case". One thing that I've been very thankful for is the fact that whenever we've had a concern, the doctor has taken it very seriously, and has not made us feel like "dumb parents". We scheduled an appointment for today at 10:30am.

We got down to Iowa City just in time this morning for his appointment. We waited for a bit in the waiting room before being called back into the exam room. We were informed that Jake's doctor had been called into an emergency surgery, but knew that Jake was coming in, and he really wanted to see Jake himself. He had his nurse take a bunch of information, and had his assistant take a quick look at Jake and report to him while he was in surgery. The process took close to an hour, and I was thankful that we had taken our video iPod and Jake's PSP with us to keep the boys occupied. After a while, the nurse came back and told us that the surgery was taking longer than he thought, and she had a pager for us so we could walk around the hospital while he finished up.

By this time, it was close to 1:00, and the boys and I were getting pretty hungry. We decided to head down to the cafeteria and grab a quick snack. We got there, picked up a couple bags of chips and a soda to share, and sat down to chat. We barely got our chips finished, and our pager went off letting us know that the doctor was out of surgery.

We made our way back up to the Neurology Clinic, and were taken back to another exam room. The doctor came in and shook Jake's hand (which made Jake feel pretty grown up), and had a look at Jake's AVM. He was very pleased with the progress the AVM has made. He said that it's much "quieter" - which meant there was a lot less blood flow! (PRAISE GOD!!!) and he said the the AVM has shrunk some too (PRAISE GOD SOME MORE!!!). Jake has a rather large sore on the AVM that has scabbed up, and the doctor said that more than likely, the bleeding was aggravated by the dry scab cracking. He said to put aloe on the sore a few times a day, and hopefully that will help to soften the area. He also gave us some gauze to use, in case it would bleed again. He said (which I didn't know) that the gauze is better to use to stop the bleeding, because the fibers in the gauze actually aid in the clotting of the blood. (I thought that was pretty interesting).

The doctor wanted to go ahead and schedule Jake's next surgery - not feeling it was an emergency, but also wanting to get it done fairly quickly. He had mentioned wanting to schedule it for February or March, with Jake's school schedule in mind. I told the doctor that Jake starts baseball on March 1st. The doctor smiled and said, "then we'll do February!"

So....Jake's next (and final) surgery is scheduled for February 12th at 7:30 am. He'll, again, spend the night at the hospital for recovery, but he doesn't have school on the 13th, so he won't be missing much (he was hoping to miss more!)

He's almost done - I can't wait for him to be able to not worry about whether he's going to bleed during an activity or not. It'll be nice to let him get back to being a kid! I'm so thankful for God's protection during this time - it's scary to think about all the things that could have gone wrong before we knew what a risk the AVM is.....but it also makes me thankful that God didn't show us what was going on until now. I can't imagine how I would have sheltered him if I knew sooner....it wouldn't have been a fun childhood! ;)

Please keep praying for God's protection and peace during this. It's a lot for a kid to take on - but Jake, being the amazing kid that he is, is taking it all in stride. Once again - I'm being taught by my son!
from...
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Stroke Program - Cerebral Hemorrhage

Author: Alien

While ischemic strokes happen when the blood flow to a part of the brain is interrupted, a hemorrhagic stroke is caused when there is bleeding into brain tissue that kills blood cells.

A cerebral hemorrhage can take several forms:

• Intracerebral hemorrhages. This is bleeding inside the brain. The symptoms and prognosis of an intracerebral bleed vary depending on the size and location of the bleed.
• Subarachnoid hemorrhages. This is bleeding between the brain and the membranes that cover the brain.
• Subdural hemorrhages. This is bleeding between the layers of the brain’s covering (the meninges).
• Epidural hemorrhages. This is bleeding between the skull and the covering of the brain.

Causes

Intracerebral bleeds are the second most common cause of stroke, accounting for 30–60% of hospital admissions for stroke. High blood pressure raises the risk of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage by two to six times. More common in adults than in children, intraparenchymal bleeds due to trauma are usually due to penetrating head trauma, but can also be due to depressed skull fractures, acceleration-deceleration trauma, rupture of an aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation (AVM), and bleeding within a tumor. A very small proportion is due to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

Symptoms

Patients with intraparenchymal bleeds have symptoms that correspond to the functions controlled by the area of the brain that is damaged by the bleed. Other symptoms include those that indicate a rise in intracranial pressure due to a large mass putting pressure on the brain. Intracerebral hemorrhages are often misdiagnosed as Subarachnoid hemorrhages due to the similarity in symptoms and signs.

Treatment

Treatment for intracranial bleeding varies, depending on the underlying abnormality that caused the bleeding, the location of the bleeding and the size of the blood clot.

The multidisciplinary team at the Stroke Program brings to the table the best of diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, neurosurgery and neuromedical management.

Diagnostic radiology involves the use of various types of scans to precisely identify the nature and location of the hemorrhage.
Interventional radiology involves treatments that include passing a catheter to widen or to close off blood vessels in the brain without surgery. Other types of interventional radiology involve using focused radiation to correct abnormal blood vessels that have bled into the brain.

Finally, microsurgical techniques can be used to treat abnormal or leaky vessels.

About the Author:

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/stroke-program-cerebral-hemorrhage-705339.html

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Time for a little me!
I was out of it yesterday. I apologize. I feel better today.
I had a headache. ALL DAY LONG! Today... it's better.

I'm real excited about starting work... I know it's a long shot that I will make any money... but it's fun, none the less.

So wish this AVM patience your best.
oh by the way... I told someone that I don't work out... it is because I only have control of my left side. It makes doing curls hard.
ha ha ha!

here you go... a little youtube...


Now let's here Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus

I like the Johnny Cash version.


Eminem Evil Deeds
No comment....

Gotta go... see ya'
R

Thursday, January 01, 2009

2009 it looks like a good year!

Life Support Music
The guitarist's new CD, The Music of Jason Crigler, deserves attention because of the variety of style and performance, and the natural fit you often hear between singer and song. But the story behind this recording, which was nine years in the making, goes beyond music.

Guitarist Jason Crigler is missing a year and a half of his life. Between the time when he recorded several tracks for his new CD, The Music of Jason Crigler, and the time when it was finally produced, he experienced a life-changing calamity, documented in the film Life. Support. Music.

It began when he was performing in a New York City club in 2004.

"I was on stage, and I had all this crazy stuff happening in my head, and I ran off stage," Crigler says. "Monica, my wife, was there and got an ambulance. That was it. For a year and a half, I don't remember anything."

Crigler had a brain hemorrhage caused by an Arteriovenous Malformation, or AVM — an abnormal collection of blood vessels in his brain. Only six months after his release from the hospital, Crigler, who had temporarily lost his ability to speak and walk, began to reteach himself how to play the guitar.

"I knew what to do; I just couldn't physically do it," he says. "It was painful, because my hands were so tensed up, like claws almost. I'm still working to get that open all the way. But I knew mentally what to do, and I could hear what to do. Physically doing it was the issue."

"The Books on the Shelf" is the only song on the album that deals specifically with Crigler's recovery. It was also the first song he wrote after leaving the hospital, as well as the only song he sings himself.

"Aside from physically relearning all the things I had to relearn," Crigler says, "there was the emotional baggage of, 'Can I do what I used to do? Can I play guitar? Can I write songs?' There's a lot of insecurity and emotional stuff, and this is the song that really helped me break through a lot of that and make me realize I can still do this."

from...

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HIS CIRCLE OF LIFE


Larry Thatcher says support from his friends and family helped him through ordeal of brain surgery


Friendship and passion are things Larry Thatcher knows well. You could say he's passionate about friendship. Once you're included in his ever-widening circle of friends, you're in for the long haul.

Thatcher has been on the giving end often in his circle of friends. But in 2008, his friends and family returned all those favors - and he's alive because of that. It's a story that started in the River Bend, extended to St. Louis and ultimately ended up in Phoenix, Ariz., where he underwent life-saving brain surgery.

Thatcher is the manager of the East Alton Ice Arena. He's also the River Bend's Mr. Hockey, an unofficial title Thatcher accepts with reluctance, only because he shuns attention. Over the years, Thatcher has worn many hats on and off the ice - player, coach, manager, promoter, booster. And in each case, he has been passionate about his duties. But when he was diagnosed in June with a rare vascular disorder that threatened his life, he added patient to his resume - make that impatient patient.

"When they told me I had arteriovenous malformation, I had no idea what it was," Thatcher said. "But we found out."

Indeed. He and his wife Paula went about researching the congenital disorder. What they found out was that AVM patients have an abnormal collection of blood vessels. Normally, oxygenated blood is pumped by the heart through arteries to the brain, where it enters a fine network of tiny capillaries. It is in these capillary beds where the blood nourishes the tissues. The "used" blood passes back to the heart through branching thin walled tubes called veins. AVMs lack the tiny capillaries.

In laymen's terms, the stroke-like symptoms that Thatcher had experienced from time to time were episodes involving his AVMs.

"I had two - one inside my skull and one outside my skull," Thatcher said. "The pounding got so bad, I couldn't sleep."

At Barnes-Jewish Medical Center in St. Louis, the recommended treatment was radiation over a period of four to five years. But it was only a treatment, not a cure.

"Paula wouldn't let up," Thatcher said. "She did research on AVMs every day and the name of Dr. (Robert) Spetzler in Phoenix kept coming up."

Spetzler has become one of the leading experts on AVM treatment and surgery. In fact, the scale used to measure AVMs is named for him.

After going back and forth on the idea of the radiation, the Thatchers decided to contact Dr. Spetzler.

Thatcher said, "My wife finally asked, ‘Why aren't we talking to Dr. Spetzler?' She was right."

n n n

A heart attack a year ago actually may have helped saved Thatcher's life. As part of his recovery, he took part in cardiac rehabilitation, which included diet changes and exercise.

As it turned out, cardiac rehab served two purposes. "I lost weight and was feeling pretty good," Thatcher said. "But after I exercised, I started having really bad headaches and sometimes stroke-like symptoms," he said.

It was after he took part in a 5-kilometer "Race for the Cure" in June that he had his worst episode to date, including numbness in the right side of his body. A week later, following a workout, he suffered a more severe episode.

Thatcher ultimately ended up at Barnes-Jewish and the saga began taking shape.

"Larry is kind of an impatient guy sometimes," Paula Thatcher said. "Last year, when he gave up coaching SIU's hockey team, he felt so bad. Something just wasn't right.

"I found an AVM Web site that had a lot of stories on it. Some were tragic and did not have happy endings."

It was through one of those Web sites that the Thatchers made contact with three women who recommended they contact Spetzler.

"That was so important," Larry Thatcher said. "If Paula hadn't been so persistent researching AVMs, I might not be here today."

n n n

Thatcher has two families - his wife and three sons, Zach, Chris and J.P. and his hockey family. The two often overlap. And in his time of need, both families rallied to his support.

"I can't say enough about how much they all mean to me," Thatcher said. "I honestly think that all the good wishes and prayers were so important."

Along with helping to make the SIUE hockey team one of the top clubs in the Midwest, Thatcher also was one of the founding fathers of the Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association, which sponsors high school hockey teams in the Metro-East. He coached Roxana to league crowns in the past and had taken over as coach of the Bethalto Eagles team prior to this season.

Paula Thatcher feels that once her husband has completed recovery, he'll be back behind the bench.

"I know he will get back to coaching," she said. "It's so much a part of his life."

While his surgery and recovery have put a slight crimp in his coaching time, Thatcher said he's confident the Bethalto team will do well under interim coaches Corey Nugent, Jimmie Rodgers and Pat Sears. "They're a great group of players," Thatcher said of the team. "And I'm very proud of them and the coaches - all Bethalto alums. This team has the makings of a championship team."

n n n

He didn't realize it then, but when he made the decision to contact Dr. Spetzler in Arizona about his AVM, Thatcher started down the road to recovery.

"We faxed the medical records to Arizona on a Monday, but didn't hear back," Thatcher said. "Finally, that Friday I called them and they had been trying to reach us - they had the wrong phone number for us.

"They basically said I needed to get to Phoenix and have the surgery as soon as possible."

The next week, on Oct. 15, Thatcher underwent seven hours of brain surgery - successfully.

"Two of our sons (Zach the eldest and Chris, the middle son) live in Flagstaff, so they were able to be with us," Paula Thatcher said. "Zach's wife Kathy and Chris's wife Katie were there and our son J.P. also went out with us, along with his girlfriend, Emily. They were all with us."

Along with the thoughts and prayers of his hockey family back home.

n n n

Thatcher's recovery is progressing well, he said.

"The incision on the top of my head still is healing," he said. "But I feel so much better.

"When I woke up after surgery, I made a commitment to let people know about what a great support group is out there for people with AVM," he said. "It's amazing - there are a lot of stories, and not all of them are happy ones."

Larry and Paula spent part of the holidays in Atlanta visiting relatives - and enjoying life.

"Larry says I saved his life," Paula said. "But I saved my life, too, because he is my life.

"I love him so much, I don't know what I would do without him."

Neither do we.

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Home from San Antonio

Well we are back at home after having the last treatment done. The doctor was not sure if he was going to do any more gluing or if he was just going to look around. Well when he got into Matt's head and started looking at everything he discovered that the AVM had collected some more blood vessels since the last treatment. He told me that he expected this to happen. So he went ahead and put some more glue in there and tried to block off more of the AVM. He stated that when he first started this back in October that the AVM was about the size of a golf ball and that when he went in this time it was only the size of a quarter. After he was done with the gluing this time the AVM was about the size of a pencil eraser or smaller. As far as he is conserned he is done and is not going to do any more to Matt. He wants Matt to undergo what they call radiosurgery. They use what is called a gamma knife to focus the readiation onto the AVM and blast it, this is suppose to kill what is left of the AVM. The doctor says that he was able to block off about 99% of the blood flow and that this other treatment should take care of the rest of it. We are so thankful that God lead the doctors in what they were doing and that Matt is at home and in great condition. He did much better this time than the last time. He got very sick and was throwing up after the last procedure, but had no problems this time and has only taken tylenol for the pain. I am so glad that the Lord led us to the right person to take care of Matt and that this doctor is one of the best that there is when it comes to neurosurgery. Thank you all for praying for Matt and your continued support. Please continue to pray for Matt as he recovers from this last procedure. We also want you to feel free to share any part of this story, we want to be sure that God gets all the credit for what has happened with Matt. If you know someone that needs hope, or needs to know that God does answer prayers please feel free to share Matt's story with them or have them contact us and we will be glad to talk to them. Thank you again for everything and we will keep you posted on how things are going and when Matt is to undergo this next procedure. We love you all and thank you again for all your prayers. We hope you all have a great New Year, we are going to have a great New Year thanks to our Lord and Savior.
from...
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Well Happy New Year!
You'll have to excuse me, I have had a bit of a cold.
I feel much better today.

The take over of the store has gone thou... I still have a job.... horaaa! (I want to say it is part time... and I don't get paid if I don't sell anything... but it is a job)

Last night was kinda boring... I did not have a drink. And I was in bed by 10:00
Ah well... I was up at 12:00 because of some fireworks. It was kinda' nice.
I donoe but it gave me a sense of accomplishment. It made me feel like this year I may get my right arm back....
okay I am gonna go...
see ya!
R

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year!


I forgot...
Thar you go...

AVM News and my cold.


Last month you will recall that my buddy Ben Munoz and I launched LivingWithTN.org. It's a site devoted to patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) helping other patients with TN. It's modeled on the community that Ben founded after his AVM aneurysm, called AVMSurvivors.org. AVM Survivors consists of over 500 folks and I'm happy to report that LivingWithTN has about 70 folks actively participating.

Given how well both networks are going and the personal satisfaction we get out of helping out on them, Ben and I decided to start another network, LivingWithAtaxia.org. We're kind of making this up as we go, but Ben and I felt confident we could handle another network because the participation at existing ones are so strong. We chose Ataxia because it's a neurological issue and a lot of people, 150,000, suffer from it. The network is off to a good start with 90 members already. The growth is mostly due to Alan Thomas, an incredibly inspirational guy, spreading the word. You can find Alan's blog here.

Anyways, I thought I would just give a quick update on our efforts. If you have ideas, suggestions or anything else you want to share, shoot me an email or check me out at LivingWithAtaxia.org. Cheers.

from...
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Mike’s brain problem (AVM)


This is the story of my experiences into the unknown and heretofore unheard of world of Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM). My name is Mike and I have one. I have also begun this blog to give personal and ongoing testimony to the fact that, as the Bible says, God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). Many kind people have asked me to keep them up to date on what is happening. This is my attempt to do just that. I knew that the day of October 23, 2008 was not going to be a typical Thursday morning when I awoke to a man trying to place an oxygen mask on my face as I regained consciousness from a severe seizure.

It was 5:30 a.m. and I awoke to a room full of people and a crying wife. I was confused and could not comprehend what was going on but I knew enough to apologize to one of the Earlham First Responders for making him get out of bed at 5:00 in the morning! Dan kindly explained that I had just had a seizure and that they were there to help me.

I then sat up on the edge of the bed and I remember the words of Psalm 73:26-27 coming directly to my confused mind: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Nothing else made any sense to me at that moment, but that comforting promise from God’s Word calmed my soul like nothing else could have done. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. For twenty eight years I have sought to live my life in a manner pleasing to Him. I am also the pastor of Crossroad Evangelical Free Church in Earlham, Iowa, but don’t let that impress you, for I am fully aware of the great Reformation principle of simultaneously justified and yet still a sinner (simul iustus et peccator).

Though I have been cleansed by the blood of Christ through faith in His finished work on the Cross and His subsequent resurrection three days later, I am also painfully aware of the fact that I still sin against God every day in thought, word, deed, as well as in those good things left undone. Nevertheless, the grace of God to me on this surreal morning came with an unmistakable promise from God’s Word to my confused mind.

I then stood up and walked over to the dresser to put some jeans on over the boxer shorts I had worn to bed the night before. With all of the people in my bedroom it just seemed like the right thing to do. I think the medical personnel were surprised to see me hop up out of bed so quickly…from a state of apparent unconsciousness to jumping out of bed. I think it’s funny.

The medical personnel then explained that they wanted to take me to the hospital by ambulance. I put up a weak resistance because I knew that this was nothing to trifle with. So, I walked out to the front porch where the paramedics strapped me to a gurney and loaded me up. It was a rather pleasant 30 minute trip to Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Upon entering the E.R. we noticed that there was hardly anyone else in there. Good. I could receive the full attention of all the doctors.

As my mind began to clear up a bit I began to process what had happened and I reasoned that the seizure was just a fluke thing. After all, lots of people have a seizure at some point in their lives. Then began the battery of tests. The first test I was subjected to was a CT scan. My wife Karla became concerned when the test went on long past the time the techs said it would. Not long after this was completed an ER doctor entered the room to explain that I had a rather large AVM and briefly explained what it was. It was then that I was informed that I would be required to stay in the hospital for more tests.

I was extremely disappointed to have to stay overnight in the hospital. I hadn’t done that since I was five years old and had my tonsils out. For lack of space on other floors they put me on the heart floor with lots of truly sick people. I entered the room and sat on a chair next to my wife in blue jeans and a t-shirt. Minutes later a doctor entered the room and asked me if I was the brother of the patient…apparently since I was not in the bed. He did not notice the IV on my opposite arm.

I explained that I was comfortable where I was and that I didn’t see any need to get into the hospital bed. The nurse explained that patients normally lay in the beds with the hospital gowns. And here is the highlight of these two days. I politely but firmly refused to put on the ridiculous hospital gown with the wide open back door. Though I was still in somewhat of a loopy state, even Karla admits that I refused in a way that was as polite as was possible. An understanding nurse asked me if I would be ok wearing doctor’s scrubs. I said “Yes.” And that’s what I wore for two days and one night…to the amusement of doctors, surgeons, interns, and med students alike. To have even a bit of control over a difficult situation is not only comforting but it’s also a bit fun.

(Please click on the next entry Tests, More Tests, and Some Tough News if you want to find out important details about what was really going on with me).


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Me... I got a cold... and really don't have much to say. So I'll say goodnight.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

I ain't got nothin...


So I bring you Deila...
oh stop bitchin...

and by the way... buy something!

I got one of these... I think that it's cool!

Monday, December 29, 2008

A Story, that I think is wort sharring: Final Chaper of ... My Sister, my friend Saturday

Hi Everyone!

I am finally getting around to finishing the final "chapter" of my last embolization trip to Denver in November! That was the trip Celia went w/me on and it turned out to be a week hospital stay instead of the usual over night! I've come to learn that 95% of Dr. Yakes patients get sent home the same day as their embolization - but since my avm is facial and extensive, it's best that I'm kept overnight! That week in the hospital took a lot of my time I might have been holiday shopping! To boot, I ended up having to go back into the hospital those 4 days here locally, so there went more time I could have been shopping or enjoying the holiday season! Darn! Oh well.
Here is the photo we've all been waiting for! The sister photo! My sister Celia had been trying to "edit" the photo, as she thought it was too dark.

Also, I want to include a photo of my two bears, Saba and Rulon! Saba goes with me to work every day and to all my doctors appt.s! I get so many comments on them both, so they are a nice distraction from my avm! I have fun dressing them differently - they make me happy, so I enjoy having them around!

Oh! I want to send a "shout out" to Dr. Zane, my ENT here locally! He is very supportive of avmers - I had given him Shalon's web site address once and he looked it up and had liked her site! I recently had an appt. to see him and know he was going to try and check my blog out!

Well, I am heading out to my next embolization Jan. 6,7 & 8th - and this time Mark will be coming with me! With any luck, we'll have a few minutes to spend with Shalon and her husband Josh while we are up there!

We hope everyone is having a great holiday season! I will certainly try to blog again sooner this time - as Marks birthday is New Years Eve! Catch up w/all of you soon!

Love,

Mark & Cyndi
from...
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I figured I'ld give you a break on my morbid self. Congratulations!

So what to do? hummmm.....

I know what to do.... I'll give you youtube!
just a couple...



My ex-wife would like that....

okay enough... for now oh oh oh! I forgot one... hang on.


How could I forget my Jimi!?
Ok now I say good by... but only for a moment... or two.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

One little one... and some me too...


This is the story of my experiences into the unknown and heretofore unheard of world of Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM). My name is Mike and I have one. I have also begun this blog to give personal and ongoing testimony to the fact that, as the Bible says, God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). Many kind people have asked me to keep them up to date on what is happening. This is my attempt to do just that. I knew that the day of October 23, 2008 was not going to be a typical Thursday morning when I awoke to a man trying to place an oxygen mask on my face as I regained consciousness from a severe seizure.

It was 5:30 a.m. and I awoke to a room full of people and a crying wife. I was confused and could not comprehend what was going on but I knew enough to apologize to one of the Earlham First Responders for making him get out of bed at 5:00 in the morning! Dan kindly explained that I had just had a seizure and that they were there to help me.

I then sat up on the edge of the bed and I remember the words of Psalm 73:26-27 coming directly to my confused mind: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Nothing else made any sense to me at that moment, but that comforting promise from God’s Word calmed my soul like nothing else could have done. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. For twenty eight years I have sought to live my life in a manner pleasing to Him. I am also the pastor of Crossroad Evangelical Free Church in Earlham, Iowa, but don’t let that impress you, for I am fully aware of the great Reformation principle of simultaneously justified and yet still a sinner (simul iustus et peccator).

Though I have been cleansed by the blood of Christ through faith in His finished work on the Cross and His subsequent resurrection three days later, I am also painfully aware of the fact that I still sin against God every day in thought, word, deed, as well as in those good things left undone. Nevertheless, the grace of God to me on this surreal morning came with an unmistakable promise from God’s Word to my confused mind.

I then stood up and walked over to the dresser to put some jeans on over the boxer shorts I had worn to bed the night before. With all of the people in my bedroom it just seemed like the right thing to do. I think the medical personnel were surprised to see me hop up out of bed so quickly…from a state of apparent unconsciousness to jumping out of bed. I think it’s funny.

The medical personnel then explained that they wanted to take me to the hospital by ambulance. I put up a weak resistance because I knew that this was nothing to trifle with. So, I walked out to the front porch where the paramedics strapped me to a gurney and loaded me up. It was a rather pleasant 30 minute trip to Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Upon entering the E.R. we noticed that there was hardly anyone else in there. Good. I could receive the full attention of all the doctors.

As my mind began to clear up a bit I began to process what had happened and I reasoned that the seizure was just a fluke thing. After all, lots of people have a seizure at some point in their lives. Then began the battery of tests. The first test I was subjected to was a CT scan. My wife Karla became concerned when the test went on long past the time the techs said it would. Not long after this was completed an ER doctor entered the room to explain that I had a rather large AVM and briefly explained what it was. It was then that I was informed that I would be required to stay in the hospital for more tests.

I was extremely disappointed to have to stay overnight in the hospital. I hadn’t done that since I was five years old and had my tonsils out. For lack of space on other floors they put me on the heart floor with lots of truly sick people. I entered the room and sat on a chair next to my wife in blue jeans and a t-shirt. Minutes later a doctor entered the room and asked me if I was the brother of the patient…apparently since I was not in the bed. He did not notice the IV on my opposite arm.

I explained that I was comfortable where I was and that I didn’t see any need to get into the hospital bed. The nurse explained that patients normally lay in the beds with the hospital gowns. And here is the highlight of these two days. I politely but firmly refused to put on the ridiculous hospital gown with the wide open back door. Though I was still in somewhat of a loopy state, even Karla admits that I refused in a way that was as polite as was possible. An understanding nurse asked me if I would be ok wearing doctor’s scrubs. I said “Yes.” And that’s what I wore for two days and one night…to the amusement of doctors, surgeons, interns, and med students alike. To have even a bit of control over a difficult situation is not only comforting but it’s also a bit fun.

(Please click on the next entry Tests, More Tests, and Some Tough News if you want to find out important details about what was really going on with me).

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Y'all don't know this, well may by you do know, but a section of us "people" need to write down this stuff.... hoping that somehow we'll find some new meaning to what had happened... and may be some new treatment, when we read someone's blog, or medical paper.


Someone else back me up? please...

Well it is time for me to go... looking for some miracle cure.

Peach out...

R