I didn't ask a lot of questions before Brennan's surgery. It was easier to be calm if I didn't know much and could just act like my son having brain surgery was as routine as a dentist visit (actually those freak me out also, so I don't ask much then either).
Because of my lack of questions I end up surprised a lot. I wait for the information to be offered and I digest it bits at a time. Brennan has a catheter. That makes sense! Brennan might be very out of it for a few days. That won't be fun because it will remind me of the time when he was little and unresponsive from constant seizures. Brennan will have a swollen face, black eye, and may not be able to see out of the black swollen eye. That won't be easy to see and not freak out and we were told to warn him so he isn't freaked out.
Well, my kid was awake and pretty alert just a little bit after we were allowed to join him in the ICU. And his face looks fine. Not much more swollen or bruised than it was already from the seizure he had last week on a hard floor. He isn't happy about the catheter. So far that's his only complaint.
All the doctors mentioned yesterday that they wanted Brennan to hurry up and have seizures. It would be better to do one before a CT scan. It would be better before they do some stuff where they basically tickle the thingies left in his head to make him wiggle toes and fingers and test language. (Another thing I didn't ask about - I assumed they weren't doing that because no one mentioned it.)
Alan left last night to go home and get sleep. I stayed with Brennan - which I will do most nights because I don't want to miss anything (funny for someone who embraces denial, right?). Brennan and I slept well for a hospital sleep. I have gotten used to frequent beeps of machines. He falls back to sleep pretty quickly after nurses come in and assess or adjust pillows or turn off alarms. I did catch that some alarms were for blood pressure or heart rate. Sometimes they'd adjust Brennan thinking he was just uncomfortable. Other times they asked what he was dreaming about (should anyone ever ask a teenage boy that?). No middle of the night seizures to effect my heart rate and keep me up.
Brennan did bolt upright in bed around 7:42 this morning. It surprised me because it looked like he was ready to jump out of the bed and he can't do that having his head tethered to a bunch of computers. It took a few seconds and one mom voiced "Brennan!" before I realized it was a seizure. Yay! A seizure! Never so relieved to see a seizure. I did my job of pushing the little red seizure button then I opened the door to make it easy for nurses to come in and join the party. We've been warned that they won't do anything to stop a seizure unless it's over 5 minutes unless we want them to (crap, leaving decisions up to me doesn't seem like a good idea). This morning the seizure was brief and not too scary. You know, for a seizure.
After the seizure Brennan went downstairs for a CT scan. That's routine to check for brain bleeds and any Junior Mints that may have fallen in. We are waiting to hear about the results of the CT and for the big news of where the seizure started. Please, oh please let it be from the area with the grid!
Because of my lack of questions I end up surprised a lot. I wait for the information to be offered and I digest it bits at a time. Brennan has a catheter. That makes sense! Brennan might be very out of it for a few days. That won't be fun because it will remind me of the time when he was little and unresponsive from constant seizures. Brennan will have a swollen face, black eye, and may not be able to see out of the black swollen eye. That won't be easy to see and not freak out and we were told to warn him so he isn't freaked out.
Well, my kid was awake and pretty alert just a little bit after we were allowed to join him in the ICU. And his face looks fine. Not much more swollen or bruised than it was already from the seizure he had last week on a hard floor. He isn't happy about the catheter. So far that's his only complaint.
All the doctors mentioned yesterday that they wanted Brennan to hurry up and have seizures. It would be better to do one before a CT scan. It would be better before they do some stuff where they basically tickle the thingies left in his head to make him wiggle toes and fingers and test language. (Another thing I didn't ask about - I assumed they weren't doing that because no one mentioned it.)
Alan left last night to go home and get sleep. I stayed with Brennan - which I will do most nights because I don't want to miss anything (funny for someone who embraces denial, right?). Brennan and I slept well for a hospital sleep. I have gotten used to frequent beeps of machines. He falls back to sleep pretty quickly after nurses come in and assess or adjust pillows or turn off alarms. I did catch that some alarms were for blood pressure or heart rate. Sometimes they'd adjust Brennan thinking he was just uncomfortable. Other times they asked what he was dreaming about (should anyone ever ask a teenage boy that?). No middle of the night seizures to effect my heart rate and keep me up.
Brennan did bolt upright in bed around 7:42 this morning. It surprised me because it looked like he was ready to jump out of the bed and he can't do that having his head tethered to a bunch of computers. It took a few seconds and one mom voiced "Brennan!" before I realized it was a seizure. Yay! A seizure! Never so relieved to see a seizure. I did my job of pushing the little red seizure button then I opened the door to make it easy for nurses to come in and join the party. We've been warned that they won't do anything to stop a seizure unless it's over 5 minutes unless we want them to (crap, leaving decisions up to me doesn't seem like a good idea). This morning the seizure was brief and not too scary. You know, for a seizure.
After the seizure Brennan went downstairs for a CT scan. That's routine to check for brain bleeds and any Junior Mints that may have fallen in. We are waiting to hear about the results of the CT and for the big news of where the seizure started. Please, oh please let it be from the area with the grid!
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