Dad is in the hospital with some kind of bleeding on the brain. He's being taken to the hospital tonight, surgery in the morning. Mom is going to call me as soon as she knows something. I've talked to A, she is calling MJ and J. Please call me as soon as you can.
When I reached Rock on the phone in Pittsburgh, I got a little more information:
When he hit his head in a car accident a few weeks ago, it caused a subdural hematoma. The dura is the lining inside the scull, and a hematoma is basically a bruise. There was bleeding and fluid buildup over several weeks between the dura and the brain, which gradually caused pressure, pain, dizziness, and minor physical impairment.
If you know the patriarch Chas Golly, you know he's too tough to let a little subdural hematoma slow him down. But in the midst of his usual routine of golf, yard work, and fixing things, he started getting headaches and feeling uncharacteristically drowsy. Mom finally persuaded him to see a doctor, thank goodness. His golf game was beginning to suffer.
The surgeon made four incisions in the scalp, each about an inch long, drilled about 3/4" holes in the skull, then made incisions in the dura to drain the fluid. Then from Tuesday night to Friday morning he had tubes through two of the incisions to drain the rest of the fluid.
By Wednesday evening, Anna Banana had arrived from Detroit and Rock was back from Pittsburgh:
He was doing pretty well today, sort of up and down, tired a lot of the time. We're hoping to talk to the doctor Thursday morning. As of now, he will not be going home earlier than Friday.
Many cell phone minutes later, all five of us had touched base and heard some version of the story. I spoke with Jo Jo Golly in Atlanta and Jeanie Beanie Golly-Gee in Florida, and finally talked to Anna Banana and Mom on Saturday. It has been a little harrowing for Mom, but fortunately Anna and Rock have been there with her. Dad was anxious to go home, but everything indicated that it might be better to spend a couple of days in a nearby rehab facility first. By Sunday evening:
In a surprise development, Dad was released today. The doctor saw him first thing and pronounced him ready to go. So in spite of what we had heard yesterday, he is home and very happy to be so. He is not 100 percent but is greatly improved from a couple of days ago. Moving around pretty well, eating well, talking well, but a little forgetful now and then.
We had Mothers' Day dinner at their house in the afternoon, and shortly after he was feeling pretty tired and went for a nap. At this point we feel like it will take some days or weeks to fully recover from the anesthetic and medication, not so much the accident and surgery.
Anna is heading home to Michigan in a couple of days, and Jo Jo is coming up to be with Mom and Dad in Tennessee during the next phase of his recovery. I will take a turn for a few days before and during Memorial Day weekend. It will be interesting, as they are so used to being completely independent and in control.
Dad is so far being agreeable to taking it easy, although we haven't really defined what that means - driving, golfing, working in the yard, etc. Over the next couple of days we'll see how active he wants to be. The doctor did not give any specific restrictions or orders for rehab or therapy. We will be following up on that Monday, along with a lot of other things. He is to see the doctor in about 10 days for a checkup and to have the staples removed.
So we have circled the wagons and rallied round the chief. I have no doubt that he will bounce back and be fine in time for his 88th birthday in August, but this is a first for this kind of thing, so we are all adjusting to being in new territory. Healing thoughts and prayers are welcome.
2 comments:
Wow! 87 and he's still doing all that?! I see what you mean by 'tough'. Go Chief Golly!
Lulu
Well, let's hope he recovers fully and his golf swing doesn't suffer much for the lay off.
Healing prayers are flowing.
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