On Christmas morning 12/25/18 Myra woke at 4am with an excruciating Headache. She  was at home in Dedham overnight for Christmas. Her mother and fiancée were both  working the overnight shift. When I got home in the morning at 8:30am Myra was laying on couch in extreme pain and discomfort.

Myra’s mother immediately took Myra to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham  for evaluation. She had blood work, CT scans of neck and head, Lumber Puncture of Spine done with no positive results or diagnosis, no response to any pain meds for her excruciating headache.  She was transferred to Beth Israel Deaconess in Boston for further testing which showed blood clot from Transverse Sinus down into Jugular vein, was admitted and immediately started on Heparin IV.

At approx. 3pm as Mom (Ann) sat at her bedside watching the Neuro resident assess her eyes, she noted abnormal response to light, her left pupil was completely dilated and fixed. Mom asked him about the response in concern because she is a nurse, while questioning him, but he quickly made a vague comment and left the room. Ann responded quickly to his unusual behavior and rushed to other side of bed to assess Myra, no response to her voice or stimulation, abnormal grunting noises with arms gone limp, another Doctor rushed into the room and saw Ann’s assessment as she signaled to her that Myra was having a stroke and to get help quickly. They rushed her to CT scan stat and found a right sided Hemorrhagic Stroke in progress. Then returned to her room where Neurology teams were quickly rushing around to get her intubated to vent as her breathing failing quickly. Then prepped her for emergency surgery. Taken to OR for a Craniotomy. Extremely dangerous and high risk as surgeons informed Myra’s family due to the anti-coagulant treatment she had been receiving. Her survival chances were greatly reduced for this surgery.

At 6pm surgery was completed successfully but still high risk for bleeding continued. They removed a hemorrhagic clot from right side of her brain and drained all the bleeding, leaving in place drains to her brain. Increased swelling and pressure causing left side brain shift, so leaving her bone off at this time to allow for brain shift, swelling and bleeding to subside. 

We thought we were losing her fast. She was admitted to ICU under heavy sedation and on vent. 

Over the next 3 days in ICU, she was kept sedated fully, except for Neuro checks

Her oxygen dropped and she could not maintain so needed to be Re-Intubated to vent causing huge trauma to her throat and airway. 

The x-ray showed aspiration Pneumonia and a small Pulmonary Embolism in her lung

A lot of praying and positive reinforcement was crucial with constant encouragement and strengthening through voice stimulation and reassurance to Myra at her bedside. 

On day 7, NG Tube placed with x-ray before extubation for second time. X-ray showed improvement to lungs with Pneumonia. Then extubated and sedation stopped.

Myra responded well with no complications. 

 

Myra and all her family hope for a full recovery in time, but expect it will be a long slow road 

At age 26 years old, recently engaged Oct 2018, and planning a wedding for Spring of 2020, this experience of Acute stroke and recovery has changed her life with permanency.  She is determined, as you can see from her smile. "You go Girl! Myra will beat this and overcome this big bump in the road" we are confident. 

Ann has not left Myra’s side, as any mother would do the same, therefore she is out of work currently along with Myra.  Financial burden is obviously weighing on them at this time.  Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!