Logan Channell & Family Support

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/brain-avm/symptoms-causes/syc-20350260 

 The year of 2020, so far, has brought about so many changes to all of our lives.  Worry, panic & uncertainty... just a few words that come to mind, that everyone has probably experienced within the past six months, due to what is going on in the world today.  Worry, panic and uncertainty...  Not words you’d think would describe the last week of summer for a 17 yr old, as he finished up a summer of hard work and prepared to start his senior year of high school at Philip Barbour.   Logan works for the Soil Conservation in Philippi, WV,  weedeating and clearing brush for them all summer. On Friday 8/28 he was working in Pennsboro, WV, when his mother, Jennifer Channell, received a call around 1:30 pm, from a medical clinic in Parkersburg, WV.  Logan was there with a bad headache, vomiting and had passed out twice. Out of concern from passing out, they transported him to Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg. His parents arrived to the hospital and met with the doctor who told them a CT scan found blood on his brain due to a rupture. Initially the doctor thought it was possibly an aneurysm or an AVM .  Bad storms that evening,  wouldn’t allow them to life light him, instead they were transferred  by ambulance to Ruby Memorial Hospital, in Morgantown, WV.  Arriving around midnight,  another CT scan was done to be sure bleeding had not changed. Luckily, there was no change. He was then admitted  to the Neuroscience Critical Care Center at Ruby.  About an hour or so later he was diagnosed with AVM.  One of his doctors explained, your brain has blood vessels traveling through it, like roadways, they have exits or turn offs. With AVM, an area of the vessels are intertwined, making it harder for the blood to flow normally.  In Logan's area of intertwined vessels, there was a rupture. The blood from this rupture settled in his ventricles where the spinal fluid is.  The brain is smart, but is not smart enough to know when to stop making fluids, if it becomes too full.  On the August 30th, the build up of the fluids caused  pressure and severe head pain for Logan.A procedure was done, inserting a tube into the area of his head to drain the fluid and relieve the pressure.  After some complications, over the next couple of days, due to a clog in the tube, not allowing  draining and a slight fever, the fluid’s draining, then started to clear, the head pain lightened up, and his temperature went back down.  A PIC line was put in as more evaluations were done and as his doctors worked out a plan.  

  Logan will need many more prayers sent his way.  On Tuesday, September 8th, he will have an angiogram of his brain. They will put dye into his body and watch the flow of blood to the AVM.  Once they collect all the data needed, they will then go through a catheter and shoot a substance such as glue, plastic or another material into the AVM, to stop the blood flow to it.  Logan's AVM is about the size of a golf ball, roughly 2 inches.  It is just sitting there sucking alot of blood to that area. The AVM is unneeded and he runs the risk of it rupturing again at another point in his life and he may not be as lucky as he was this time, if it ruptures again.  It could rupture again after he gets home or 20 years from now, no one really knows. He has a great team of doctors and nurses that have monitored, ran tests, and have done imaging on his brain. They feel the best way for Logan to recover fully, is surgery to remove the AVM. They will do this Wednesday, September 9th.  The surgery will last 8 hours or as long as needed to safely remove it. With  2 expert surgeons working on him alongside several other teams in the operating room, to be sure all goes according to plan or if something unexpected should arise,  they can have it covered. They will update his parents on their status and his condition as surgery is happening. His doctors said, he will feel horrible after surgery,  on Thursday and Friday.  The doctors  anticipate at least another 2 weeks for him at Ruby. After that, he should be able to go home.  Daily tasks, like taking a shower will exhaust him for awhile. Logan is aware of all of this and he has asked his questions and he wants to proceed with the surgery.  He said he just wants his headaches gone, to go home, and get back to his life. He is strong willed and has handled all of this extremely well.  His family and friends are beyond proud of Logan and how he has handled this unexpected situation in his life.  Due to the Covid restrictions at the hospital, only his parents are allowed to be with him. It is extremely difficult for everyone who knows and loves Logan, that we cannot physically be with him, and I’m sure, it is difficult for him as well.  But we have come together, in support and prayer for Logan, his family and his teams of doctors and nurses, for a successful  angiogram, sugery and recovery.  Logan and his family will have a long road ahead, we trust that God’s guidance, love and comfort, he will get them through this journey.   We are extremely  thankful for loving family, friends and community, for continued prayers and support.  

No one plans for something, to this extent, to suddenly occur.  The unexpected costs of medical expenses, time lost from work, day to day expenses  for the Channell’s to stay by Logan’s side while at the hospital and through his recovery, these are things that they shouldn’t worry about right now.  This support fund is being set up by Logan’s Aunt (Jennifer’s sister),  if you would like to give a gift of support, in this way.   We just ask, for you, to respectfully hold off trying to contact the Channell’s, so that they can focus on Logan.  We thank everyone for their concern, support, love and prayers for Logan and his family.