- B
Christina is a 43yr old woman who is my wife and has 4 biological children and 3 step children all of whom she has helped raise and is a grandmother to 5 grandchildren. We had 1 child together who is now 14yrs old and all of the rest have graduated high school. Christina likes to be called Tina as that is what she was called by her family growing up. Tina held various jobs and positions such as CNA, Detention Deputy, Home Health Aide, Volunteer EMT, Teacher’s Assistant, basketball coach. Her most recent employment was working with developmentally disabled adults. She had recently applied and was accepted to Winona State University to continue her degree towards childhood education as she has wanted to become a teacher. She loves painting scenes and photographs and has well over 50 paintings in which most are hung in our home. She loves to play sports and games with the children and grandchildren, loves the outdoors for fishing, camping, canoeing, and most of all is very avid in encouraging everyone to reach any goal that they have set. While in college prior she obtained a 3.8 GPA and completed her 2yr degree with honors and doesn’t require much in credits to complete her 4yr degree. She has always been very loving and caring to everyone. Her traits and abilities are too numerous to list and I am only providing a glimpse of the person who she is.
On August 29th, Tina awoke at 5:30 and I woke up and found her face down, barely breathing in garage at 0710.
I immediately dialed 911 and she was taken to Winona Health Hospital and after about 40 minutes they figured out that an aneurysm had burst and allowed blood to flow into all of the free spaces of the brain wherever Cerebral Spinal Fluid is located. Winona Health was incapable of helping her as they did not have any neurologists on staff and they called St. Mary’s Hospital (Mayo Clinic) to get direction for medications. Mayo1 was unable to fly so she had to be transported via ambulance 49 miles to get to St. Mary’s for much needed lifesaving medical attention. Once she arrived medical staff immediately placed a drain into the cranial cavity to begin to alleviate the tremendous amount of pressure that the brain had been under for the past few hours since the aneurysm had burst.
That afternoon the neuro surgeons attempted to coil off the aneurysm through a procedure called Endovascular Coiling and were unsuccessful as the aneurysm was located in the anterior communicating artery and was completely misshaped with 3 different lobes coming off of it and measured about 6mm total. They noted this to be a Grade 5 hemorrhage with all other grading’s being the worst possible without death. The hemorrhage had caused severe damage to the two frontal lobes.They also placed a second drain into her skull to assist in releasing the pressure and begin to drain the massive amount of blood on her brain. We were told by the neurosurgeons that this was very serious especially because of the need for 2 drains and that we had a great chance of losing her within the first two weeks and that they would do whatever they could for her and asked what her wishes regarding life support were. They informed us that they would attempt a craniotomy for clipping off the aneurysm the very next morning.
They performed the craniotomy on August 30th and were successful but had to utilize 4 clips to block off the aneurysm. She was running constant fever so her room had to be kept very cold, her blood pressure had to be increased to help keep the vessels in the brain from going into vasospasms which would cause her to have a massive stroke leading to her death.
They performed angiograms with angioplasty on August 31st, September 2nd, 4th, and 7th by applying medications and balloons into vessels to keep them from having vasospasms also. In the very early hours of September 6th she had a very long seizure and they performed a CT scan and found that it did not create any further damage. On September 9th she developed pneumonia and clots in her lung and arms. Because of the drains they were unable to provide her with blood thinner to remove the clots but were able to treat her pneumonia. They performed a procedure to place a filter into her vena cava right above where the branch above the leg veins come together to block any large clots that may come from the legs. She continued to have to have blood pressure maintained at a high level and had to have her room maintained at a low temperature.
On September 11th they removed her breathing tube and gave her a tracheotomy and placed a feeding tube directly into her stomach. On September 15th they were able to take her into surgery and removed the drains and placed in a permanent shunt that drains into her stomach to continue to remove blood and any excess pressure from her cranial cavity.
On September 16th they released her from the ICU and she was moved to a neuro recovery floor to await transfer to a long term facility to provide time for further recovery before she is able to receive brain rehabilitation for functions.
On October 13th she was moved to Lake Winona Manor and is still there in recovery phase and is receiving speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
Week of November 22nd She took her first few steps utilizing the parallel bars in physical therapy.
November 26th to November 29th she was able to go home during the day to spend time with family which she seemed very happy but does not remember going home
December 1st Her 43rd Birthday she had an appointment with her neurologist and he was amazed at her physical capabilities at this point but stated that he feels it will be at least a year to determine the outcome for short term memory and cognitive issues on whether they will be functional and is hopeful that the physical progression continues. She still needs assistance in rotation, eating, bathing, facility usage, mobility, etc but all progression has been wonderful to see.
I did not want to have to do something like this to try to get assistance for this time but as there remains to be a very long road ahead costs continue to compile above normal and have been asked by people to set up something like this. We are forever indebted to family members that have helped to this point and will be extremely greatful for anything. Any and all funds will be utilized towards medical needs and and necessary modifications required for her return to our home when possible. Family members have helped is in obtaining a vehicle to transport her for outside appointments and outings.
Multiple extra medical expenses have been incurred and will continue to accrue while she remains hospitalized. Insurance does not cover private room in which the facility only has private rooms so it costs an additional $750.00 per month in private room costs alone. We are still awaiting the intial bills after the insurance pays to see what will be left for our responsibility. But not including any of the long term care bills, the initial medical bills from ICU and normal hospitalization submitted to insurance so far is just under $500,000.00. I don't really know what I should have put for a requested amount needed as bills continue to pile up but we will be very greatful for any amount donated.
On August 29th, Tina awoke at 5:30 and I woke up and found her face down, barely breathing in garage at 0710.
I immediately dialed 911 and she was taken to Winona Health Hospital and after about 40 minutes they figured out that an aneurysm had burst and allowed blood to flow into all of the free spaces of the brain wherever Cerebral Spinal Fluid is located. Winona Health was incapable of helping her as they did not have any neurologists on staff and they called St. Mary’s Hospital (Mayo Clinic) to get direction for medications. Mayo1 was unable to fly so she had to be transported via ambulance 49 miles to get to St. Mary’s for much needed lifesaving medical attention. Once she arrived medical staff immediately placed a drain into the cranial cavity to begin to alleviate the tremendous amount of pressure that the brain had been under for the past few hours since the aneurysm had burst.
That afternoon the neuro surgeons attempted to coil off the aneurysm through a procedure called Endovascular Coiling and were unsuccessful as the aneurysm was located in the anterior communicating artery and was completely misshaped with 3 different lobes coming off of it and measured about 6mm total. They noted this to be a Grade 5 hemorrhage with all other grading’s being the worst possible without death. The hemorrhage had caused severe damage to the two frontal lobes.They also placed a second drain into her skull to assist in releasing the pressure and begin to drain the massive amount of blood on her brain. We were told by the neurosurgeons that this was very serious especially because of the need for 2 drains and that we had a great chance of losing her within the first two weeks and that they would do whatever they could for her and asked what her wishes regarding life support were. They informed us that they would attempt a craniotomy for clipping off the aneurysm the very next morning.
They performed the craniotomy on August 30th and were successful but had to utilize 4 clips to block off the aneurysm. She was running constant fever so her room had to be kept very cold, her blood pressure had to be increased to help keep the vessels in the brain from going into vasospasms which would cause her to have a massive stroke leading to her death.
They performed angiograms with angioplasty on August 31st, September 2nd, 4th, and 7th by applying medications and balloons into vessels to keep them from having vasospasms also. In the very early hours of September 6th she had a very long seizure and they performed a CT scan and found that it did not create any further damage. On September 9th she developed pneumonia and clots in her lung and arms. Because of the drains they were unable to provide her with blood thinner to remove the clots but were able to treat her pneumonia. They performed a procedure to place a filter into her vena cava right above where the branch above the leg veins come together to block any large clots that may come from the legs. She continued to have to have blood pressure maintained at a high level and had to have her room maintained at a low temperature.
On September 11th they removed her breathing tube and gave her a tracheotomy and placed a feeding tube directly into her stomach. On September 15th they were able to take her into surgery and removed the drains and placed in a permanent shunt that drains into her stomach to continue to remove blood and any excess pressure from her cranial cavity.
On September 16th they released her from the ICU and she was moved to a neuro recovery floor to await transfer to a long term facility to provide time for further recovery before she is able to receive brain rehabilitation for functions.
On October 13th she was moved to Lake Winona Manor and is still there in recovery phase and is receiving speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
Week of November 22nd She took her first few steps utilizing the parallel bars in physical therapy.
November 26th to November 29th she was able to go home during the day to spend time with family which she seemed very happy but does not remember going home
December 1st Her 43rd Birthday she had an appointment with her neurologist and he was amazed at her physical capabilities at this point but stated that he feels it will be at least a year to determine the outcome for short term memory and cognitive issues on whether they will be functional and is hopeful that the physical progression continues. She still needs assistance in rotation, eating, bathing, facility usage, mobility, etc but all progression has been wonderful to see.
I did not want to have to do something like this to try to get assistance for this time but as there remains to be a very long road ahead costs continue to compile above normal and have been asked by people to set up something like this. We are forever indebted to family members that have helped to this point and will be extremely greatful for anything. Any and all funds will be utilized towards medical needs and and necessary modifications required for her return to our home when possible. Family members have helped is in obtaining a vehicle to transport her for outside appointments and outings.
Multiple extra medical expenses have been incurred and will continue to accrue while she remains hospitalized. Insurance does not cover private room in which the facility only has private rooms so it costs an additional $750.00 per month in private room costs alone. We are still awaiting the intial bills after the insurance pays to see what will be left for our responsibility. But not including any of the long term care bills, the initial medical bills from ICU and normal hospitalization submitted to insurance so far is just under $500,000.00. I don't really know what I should have put for a requested amount needed as bills continue to pile up but we will be very greatful for any amount donated.