geminigirl | (no subject)

Brother extubated on Friday.

Allowed to have some food yesterday.

Things looked like they were going well. Go the evening update from Mom last night-everyone was in good spirits, heard a little about plans for physical therapy/rehab, and that my brother still didn't have the strength to support himself when they tried to move him from the bed to a chair and that his hands weren't working properly either, but that was to be expected after three weeks of sedation, Mom telling tales about my brother's mental status...how he couldn't remember what his current job is, but he was talking about his junior high football coach, and a guy he'd heard stories about who used to make egg creams for my Dad when my Dad was a kid, and how he had sounded like a little kid when he promised not to swallow the gum that he was allowed to have on Friday.

But Mom was in good spirits, and cheerful and relieved. She mentioned that one doctor had noticed that my brother's pupils were different sizes though, and so they want him to see an opthamologist.

And then, about 20 minutes ago, my sister called me. She'd gone into NYC last night and spent the night with some friends, but was on her way back to the hospital.

Because the doctors think my brother had a stroke. And no one knows when. Waiting on MRI results now.

My mother is, understandably freaking out (brother's girlfriend had called my sister, and you could hear Mom in the background of that call apparently.) And I'm trapped here. Can't really do much from thousands of miles away. And certainly not until this baby comes.

Three weeks sedated. "Normal post-anesthesia respiratory complication." (Which meant that his bowel was left to leak into his body for three days before going back to look for a problem.) All this after what we were told was a routine surgery-removing an appendix. I'm not even sure where to start or how to approach the idea of trusting doctors after this.

How about some "hurry up baby" vibes so that at least we can decide whether we need to go to New York or not...because none of that can even be considered until after I actually have this baby.