Evette's Recovery
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On August 19th at 1:03 AM, my brother, Benjamin came home to our Mom, Evette, on the back porch seizing and bleeding out of her mouth. He called me (Sandra) cause he didn't know what to do. I told him to call 911 immediatley. She was quickly rushed to the Marcus Daily Hospital in Hamilton by Ambulance. Then immediately transferred to the ICU at the Community Medical Center in Missoula. After many tests and scans, she was diagnosed with:
Subdural Hematomas encompassing her entire brain
Hepatic encephalopathy
Alcohol withdrawal
Liver disease
Malnutrition
Subdural Hematomas are a collection of blood in between the brain and its outermost covering, most likely due to the many falls she has had in the past 5 years.
Hepatic encephalopathy is decline in brain function because of liver disease.
Over the course of the next two weeks, she was also diagnosed with:
Renal (kidney) failure
Tachycardia (heart beats over 100 BPM)
Bradycardia (heart beats under 60 BPM)
Ascites ( fluid build up in abdomen from malnutrition and the liver over filtrating)
Subarachnoid bleeding (life-threatening type of stroke caused by hematomas)
Aneurysm ( dialated artery in her brain)
On August 23rd, we were told she would have a 15% chance of survival even with surgery.
A miracle occurred in the next few days. The blood in her brain started coagulating by itself and clearing out. It was the beginning of a long road to recovery. She began the process of being fed through a tube, getting off all the medications she had been on, and waking up from her coma. When she woke up, she could barely speak because of the brain damage.
The fluid began entering her lungs and she was put on a ventilator for 4 days. After getting off the ventilator, she had pneumonia, and had to take antibiotics for that.
She was finally cleared to be transferred from ICU to Medical surge on September 9th.
On September 14, she began being able to speak in short sentences to the nurses.
"Can I have my paperwork to go home?"
"I'm going home to see my husband."
Being able to speak is the first step to being able to eat again.
Evette's next step is being transferred to Denver to see a cardiologist, neurologist, and begin rehabilitation. Rehabilitation will include speech therapy, physical therapy, and nutritional guidance.
It truly is a miracle that my mom is alive. She should have died before and during the seizure from her brain injuries. If Benjamin had came home later, she could have already died. But she's a fighter. Sometimes when you're depressed, you may neglect your body, but it doesn't mean you want to die. Evette did not want to die, she wanted to stop feeling the darkness taking over her. It's terrible it had to get to this, but now she can get the help she needs. She's surrounded by people who love and support her. My dad, Randall, tries to see her as often as he can, despite how hard he works for our family. Evette gets to have a second chance at life, from a new perspective.
Because of the countless medical diagnoses, we have extreme expenses. We are working with getting financial help from the hospital. Evette's parents have offered to help pay for her rehabilitation. But even a $1 will reduce our debt. Prayers are even more helpful.
Thank you for reading our story, I will continue updating as I get information.
Blessings,
The Paul Family (Randall, Evette, Kayla, Sandra, and Benjamin)
Subdural Hematomas encompassing her entire brain
Hepatic encephalopathy
Alcohol withdrawal
Liver disease
Malnutrition
Subdural Hematomas are a collection of blood in between the brain and its outermost covering, most likely due to the many falls she has had in the past 5 years.
Hepatic encephalopathy is decline in brain function because of liver disease.
Over the course of the next two weeks, she was also diagnosed with:
Renal (kidney) failure
Tachycardia (heart beats over 100 BPM)
Bradycardia (heart beats under 60 BPM)
Ascites ( fluid build up in abdomen from malnutrition and the liver over filtrating)
Subarachnoid bleeding (life-threatening type of stroke caused by hematomas)
Aneurysm ( dialated artery in her brain)
On August 23rd, we were told she would have a 15% chance of survival even with surgery.
A miracle occurred in the next few days. The blood in her brain started coagulating by itself and clearing out. It was the beginning of a long road to recovery. She began the process of being fed through a tube, getting off all the medications she had been on, and waking up from her coma. When she woke up, she could barely speak because of the brain damage.
The fluid began entering her lungs and she was put on a ventilator for 4 days. After getting off the ventilator, she had pneumonia, and had to take antibiotics for that.
She was finally cleared to be transferred from ICU to Medical surge on September 9th.
On September 14, she began being able to speak in short sentences to the nurses.
"Can I have my paperwork to go home?"
"I'm going home to see my husband."
Being able to speak is the first step to being able to eat again.
Evette's next step is being transferred to Denver to see a cardiologist, neurologist, and begin rehabilitation. Rehabilitation will include speech therapy, physical therapy, and nutritional guidance.
It truly is a miracle that my mom is alive. She should have died before and during the seizure from her brain injuries. If Benjamin had came home later, she could have already died. But she's a fighter. Sometimes when you're depressed, you may neglect your body, but it doesn't mean you want to die. Evette did not want to die, she wanted to stop feeling the darkness taking over her. It's terrible it had to get to this, but now she can get the help she needs. She's surrounded by people who love and support her. My dad, Randall, tries to see her as often as he can, despite how hard he works for our family. Evette gets to have a second chance at life, from a new perspective.
Because of the countless medical diagnoses, we have extreme expenses. We are working with getting financial help from the hospital. Evette's parents have offered to help pay for her rehabilitation. But even a $1 will reduce our debt. Prayers are even more helpful.
Thank you for reading our story, I will continue updating as I get information.
Blessings,
The Paul Family (Randall, Evette, Kayla, Sandra, and Benjamin)
Co-organizers (2)
Sandra Faye Paul
Organizer
Colorado Springs, CO
Randall Paul
Co-organizer