Blood Clot Prayers

It's been a while since I've updated...mainly because of how long it takes me to type these days, and I'm gone almost all day every day at doctor appointments the last few weeks. By the time I get home, I'm absolutely wiped out. 

Right arm scars from necrosis improving

The hyperbaric chamber is going well. The nerves in my right hand and arm are healing incredibly quickly. I'm getting so much use back in this hand and the pain is reducing significantly.  I even opened a jar with my right hand this week (not without a lot of strain and pain, but I did it!) The last of the necrosis came out of my right finger like it was a huge deep splinter. It just shot right out when I was in the hyperbaric chamber. My right ear was really painful in the hyperbaric chamber, so I went to an ENT. He suggested ear tubes. I originally said no, but I went through another week of the chamber with my ear in a lot of pain, and gave in to get ear tubes on Monday of this week. I'm regretting it as my ear is still really hurting, and now my hearing is incredibly muffled. I'm hoping this is temporary and that my hearing comes back to normal quickly.

Biggest Prayer Need: I had my ultrasound last week to check on the blood clot in my neck, and unfortunately, even on high strength blood thinning shots, the blood clot is worse. Now there's absolutely zero blood flow out of my brain into my right internal jugular. This is one of the main drains from the brain, so the risk of stroke, pulmonary embolism, brain swelling, and toxins building up in the brain is incredibly high. Also, the ear pain is from this blood clot pushing on my ear....go figure. So ear tubes weren't needed at all. My head and ears feel really full and heavy, I'm having constant headaches, and dizziness.  I knew the road to recovery would be really long and scary, but it's still hard to think of having a ticking time bomb in my jugular. 

The strength and pain of my right arm and hand are drastically improved. I'm so grateful for this progress. The wound on my right pointer finger is almost totally healed and my finger has almost grown all of the way back, which they said would never happen.  

I'm still bone deep tired and can't seem to catch up on rest. My memory is still hit or miss. 

My oxygen is still dropping throughout the day down to between 77% and 84%and we haven't really been able to find the trigger. It seems to drop whether I'm on or off of oxygen. I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere with my current pulmonologist. I have an appointment with the Houston Methodist Critical Care Recovery Clinic in June with a pulmonologist who specialized in ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome), so hopefully I'll have a clearer picture of what to expect in the future. My current pulmonologist just says "you shouldn't be alive...just keep me updated on your oxygen needs." 

Bryson came home with a baby chick from school Friday before last and us not letting him keep it absolutely turned his world upside down. We've had a really rough last 10 days because of it, but I think he's finally climbing out of it. Trauma triggers are so hard to manage sometimes. The chick was so cute though!

Thank you all for the continued support, meals, and help with the kids and laundry (mainly our parents!).  Your help has made the last week a lot more bearable. 

-BIGFAITHlittlefear

Lizzie

Finger after hyperbaric chamber when the necrosis popped out

Deep Vein Thrombosis in Internal Jugular Vein