On Wednesday, September 15th 2021 my uncle was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to dangerously low sodium. When we arrived to the hospital via ambulance, he displayed significant confusion. He was unaware of where we were and paramedics were very concerned due to the inability of answering questions accurately. Cognitively, he was confused but as the physician shared this was typical behaviour for someone with the sodium level that he arrived with. The physician stated he was lucky to have arrived not in a coma. The road ahead was told to be a few days of dosing his sodium back up to the appropriate numbers, and as it rises, his level of confusion should decrease. My mother and I continued to visit daily, recognizing some improvements by the 3-4th day (i.e. he was now aware that he was at the hospital and appeared to understand why).

 

His sodium levels continued to increase from originally being at 97, to soon being 117. This was still described at critically low, as sodium should remain between 135-145. We were told he had severe hyponetremia. By the 6-7th day, we expected to see an increase in awareness and functioning but this is far from what we witnessed. His sodium continued to increase, eventually reaching 129, however he appeared to have taken a significant decline. His speech was entirely delayed, eventually losing his speech entirely. His motor functioning appeared to have completely declined and he was unable to walk, talk, eat, swallow and raise his legs onto the bed. He appeared to have facial tremors, eye twitches and body tremors. 

 

With further investigation the neurologist on his team has identified that there may be an abnormality in his brain. There is extensive testing that continues to take place to identify what this abnormality is.

 

This is absolutely heartbreaking for my family, as he is only 42 years old. 5 weeks ago my uncle and my mother said goodbye unexpectedly to their mother, my grandmother.

 

Unfortunately, we do not have much family on my mother’s side. My mother has had to take the responsibility for him along with juggling her full-time job and attend the hospital to ensure my uncle is receiving the help he requires. Not to mention, my mother and family continue to mourn the recent loss of my grandmother, my mothers mom.

 

This has added significant heartache and stress to my family. I am asking for financial assistance as we cannot afford to keep up with our own bills, along with the rent and bills that continue to be owed on my uncles part.

 

We do not know what the coming days will bring, and we are unsure of whether or not he will be able to return to his life before and his job. We want to ensure that he has a home to come to and his bills are up kept while he continues to recover.

 

Any assistance is truly appreciated. Please keep my family in your prayers and if you do not pray, please keep my family in your thoughts during this difficult time.