First email
I am not directly the survivor of VAD, but I am the pregnant wife of one. Two weeks ago my husband suffered a VAD that resulted in an inoperable blood clot. He has suffered a small stroke, and is complete denial that his condition will be life threatening for a long time. As the wife, I need a support group to talk with about this. We were in ICU for 8 days, and just got home. My husband is very frustrated with the results of the stroke. Am I am candidate for your site?
Laurie Camp
Second Email
We are unsure how the traumatic injury occurred. He was in a couple of bicycle accidents in the '80's. He is a long distance rider, so the angle at which he holds his neck to ride may have weakened the artery.
After Christmas we went on a trip in which he slept crooked on a bus for 10 hours, then he slept funny in the hotel room one night. He complained of neck pain on January 1 , about a week before the dizzinness started. He then got a severe headache on Sunday, January 6. We also go to a chiropractor, and in good faith he paid him a visit on January 7.
The next day he had numbness on his left side. He went back to the chiro the next two days. The neck ache got better but he started getting number and dizzy. He went in to a real doctor on the 10th, he ordered a cat scan. The next day he couldn't even walk and was numb on his right cheek. The real doc sent him to the ER. He had the MRI, the cerebrial artriogram (sp?). That indicated the torn artery and blood clot. We were in ICU until this past Friday.
The doc says the only treatment in heparin (at the hospital) and now coumalin. He said it is entirely too dangerous to attempt to operate to remove the clot, but hopefully in about a year scar tissue will develop and secure it in place. But until then, being 6 months pregnant, I am walking on egg shells every time he moves his head. I am very paranoid. He is extremely frustrated. He is 35 and in excellent health (until now). He has a very hard time balancing. His voice is very soft. He chokes when he eats or swallows. He is extremely dizzy, and is still quite numb on his left side. He is a workaholic that has to sit at home for a month.
I simply want to know more about his condition, and hear from others to give me hope that everything is going to be alright. I am eager to hear from you and others. Chris is still not able to focus on the computer. When he can, I am sure he will be contacting you. Until then, I hope I can stand in for him in the support group. Thank you for listening.
Laurie
