Caringbridge – September 15, 2021

And now… a message from our Superhero ??

I know it’s been 2 weeks since our last update.   Earl recorded the message on Monday night after two weeks of consistent work with physical, occupational, and speech therapists making visits to our home.   His movement improved so much so that we were starting to integrate weights into his routine to give him a little more challenge physically.   He even started ambulating without his cane and I SWEAR he was taking the stairs faster than he was pre-stroke LOL!  We’ve bought so many workbooks with brain teasers and quizzes and puzzles to challenge him mentally.   He’s been so focused on rebuilding the pathways that were compromised that if I don’t stop him occasionally, he’ll go at it all day, hoping that putting that much effort into it will heal him as quickly.   His speech as demonstrated in this video has come a long way from where we were on 8/6 and continues to make massive improvements. 

On Tuesday (yesterday), he started complaining about a constant “tingling” or “buzzing” that was running through his left arm and leg down to the hand and foot.   He said it wasn’t painful but it was everpresent and uncomfortable.  He implored me to reach out to his PCP and ask if it was normal.  I did my googles and saw that this kind of buzzing/tingling or even numbness is common post-stroke and can even signify the remaking of the lost connections between the brain and the body parts.   But I wrote the email as he requested.   It is important to listen to our bodies and let the professionals who studied these subjects for their livelihood direct us on how best to move forward… Facebook and Google are not distributing these degrees!  Even though his doctor was out on PTO because she wasn’t feeling well, she responded immediately and encouraged us to take him back to the hospital for additional imaging.  Being that this was a “new” symptom, we didn’t want to rule out if anything new was taking place, despite his progress.   

We took him to the ER yesterday afternoon;  they ran some blood work and took a CAT scan but nothing remarkable came out of those tests.   So they asked to keep him overnight for observation and are scheduling him for an MRI today of his brain and spine to be sure that nothing is amiss.   

I need them to do whatever they must to get to the bottom of it.   But I ask you to join me in the prayer that the tingling is just the reviving of the connections and nothing more.  

While waiting in the ER, he asked me to share this message with you all – which I had no idea he’d recorded (likely waited till I fell asleep).   

I’m looking forward to sharing the next update with increased progress and ability!

More to come!