Tuesday, February 5, 2013 - Field Trip

Today was the long awaited trip back to Sunnybrook to see Marc’s neurosurgeon for a follow-up visit. 

We went down in one of the RNR Patient Transfer vehicles.  Because Marc didn’t need to ride on a gurney, they took us in a van, strapping in Marc’s wheelchair.  I believe this will be the last day for that chair. 

We had a great driver who made the trip a lot of fun. We told him about Marc’s stroke and subsequent healing journey.  We discussed positive energy and the body’s ability to heal itself with the right mindset.  He told us that he sees it all the time.  He said he can tell the difference between the “patients” and “those in recovery”.   The patients decide that they are ill and will have a hard time recovering.  And they do. Those in recovery do just that.  Recover.  And usually quickly.      

Marc was happy to have the wheelchair when we got to Sunnybrook.  That hospital is massive with hallways that seem to stretch on forever. 

The appointment with the neurosurgeon went very well.  He asked a few questions and then had Marc walk for him and demonstrate his grip with his left hand.  He was very happy with Marc's physical recovery. 

He determined that Marc still has a fair amount of left neglect but was happy to hear that it is improving. 

The doctor decided that we wouldn’t schedule the surgery to replace the missing bone flap on the right side of Marc’s head just yet.  The wait time is about four months but Marc still has a significant amount of swelling in that area.  He had us rebook a follow-up appointment for April 2^nd.  If the swelling is down enough at that time, he will schedule the surgery.  We were surprised to find out that Marc will only require an overnight stay once they operate.  If all goes well, he will get to go home the following day. 

I asked what exactly happened that night on December 8^th.  Was it a bleed on its own or a clot that caused a bleed?  He said that it was a bleed first which resulted in a clot which they repaired afterward.  He showed us a model of a brain and indicated that the bleed was deep in the parietal-frontal area. 

He said that they have no idea what caused the bleed.  It wasn’t a tumour or aneurism so it remains “cause unknown”.   He said that it was likely due to Marc’s high blood pressure and that because there was no apparent cause, it shouldn’t happen again.  The key is to keep the blood pressure under control and for Marc to take care of himself. 

We filled in our transport driver on the way home and he gave us some really great tips on nutrition.  Marc and I are interested in incorporating more whole foods in our diet and cutting out as much of the processed foods as possible.

Marc has been given a second chance at life.  This is a huge wake-up call for us both.  We’re excited about this new phase of our life together and we’ll be making a lot of healthy changes to our lifestyle. 

As horrible and scary as this experience has been, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.  It reminded us of the importance of our relationship and love.  It reminded us that we are human and as humans, how fragile our bodies truly are.  It’s time to stop taking life for granted and start nurturing our existence here on earth. 

Body, mind, heart and soul; each to be treasured for the gift that it is.