Answered Prayers and One Step Back

Thank you so much for your prayers for Bryan this afternoon as he underwent the angiogram. I’m happy to report that God heard our prayers and granted Bryan peace as he lay still for more than four hours. He was slightly sedated during the procedure but still needed to be awake. Bryan was aware that there were a lot of people praying and he definitely felt it. He managed to lie still the entire time and was finally able to get up and move around at 6:30 pm this evening.

The result of the angiogram showed that there is some vasospasm present. (As explained in an earlier post, a vasospasm can occur after a patient has had a subarachnoid hemorrhage - which is what happened last Monday after the aneurysm ruptured - the brain artery over-contracts or spasms and causes it to become very narrow.) The artery in the brain is constricting too much and so Bryan needs to be closely monitored. So this afternoon he returned to the place we didn’t think we’d have to visit again – the ICU. If the vasospasm gets worse and a specific medication needs to be urgently administered, this can only be done in the ICU and not in the other unit where he was staying. To help prevent the vasospasm from getting worse, Bryan also needs to be continuously hydrated so he’s back on the IV.

As far as the other aneurysm goes, the neurosurgery team will meet to look closer at the imaging done today and make a decision on how to proceed.

Although Bryan is extremely disappointed with the move back to ICU, we know it’s the best place for him right now. He has one nurse taking care of just him 24/7 and they have the resources there to treat him better. It does seem like a bit of a step backwards, but we continue to trust God that he will completely heal Bryan in His perfect timing.

Immediate Prayer Request

Bryan needs to go for an angiogram this afternoon at 1:00 pm. The point of this test is to look at the aneurysm that was operated on last week to confirm the surgery was successful. And they are also going to look closer at the other aneurysm that is still there so that they can determine what the best procedure will be to deal with it.

Here's where the prayer request comes in: Bryan needs to lie still during the half hour procedure and then for four hours afterwards. This would probably be a challenge for anyone but because Bryan is still in so much pain, it will be extremely difficult for him. So we’re asking you to pray continuously this afternoon for this specific need. Although we know this will be tough, we know that all things are possible with God and that He can give Bryan the peace, comfort and relief from pain that he needs to get through it.

A little better . . .

Today was a bit of an uneventful day - but we'll take that over the other kind. Bryan had a hard time falling asleep last night and even when he did, it still wasn't the best. The pain in his legs was on and off all morning and then this afternoon it seemed to be a little bit better. He went for a long walk this morning with the physiotherapist and another one this evening. Although it takes a lot of effort, it helps him to move around and stretch his legs. He also seems to feel a little better when he lies on his side rather than his back - it takes the pressure off his tailbone. He was extremly tired when we left the hospital tonight so let's pray he has a good night's sleep.

Hope for the Pain

Bryan didn’t sleep as well as we had hoped last night so he was quite tired and in a lot of pain again this morning.

Another CT angiogram was done and it was fine. There is still some swelling but apparently that’s normal and the doctors were happy with the results. There was more testing done this morning too and everything was clear – they were looking particularly at his legs to see if there were any blood clots present to explain the pain. Today was particularly horrible for Bryan with respect to pain. He said tonight that today was "the worst day yet" because of the pain.

The good news is that the doctors think they know now what is causing all the pain in Bryan’s low back and legs. Another test also done this morning revealed that the blood around the brain (from the aneurysm that burst last week) is causing irritation in the spine and in turn causing the pain in Bryan’s low back and legs. This apparently isn’t uncommon but the reason they didn’t look into this earlier is because pain from this spinal irritation doesn’t usually radiate to the legs – but rather is just in the low back/tailbone area in most patients. That’s why they assumed the pain in his legs was muscle spasms from being immobile for so long.

So the treatment for this spinal irritation is a new medication – very potent – that Bryan needs to take every six hours for a 48 hour cycle. It will cause Bryan to be quite “out of it” and confused – worse than the side effects of morphine. In the meantime, they were trying to switch him off the morphine because they’d like to wean him off his IV. They were giving him pain medication in the form of a tablet earlier today but tonight they finally gave him more morphine because he wasn’t having any relief from the pain. He’s just now finally starting to relax and sleep a little. The nurses said that hopefully by the third dose of this new medication (which will be at midnight tonight), Bryan will start to feel the severe pain subside and then hopefully he won’t need the morphine or the other tablets for the pain. Please pray that this really is the cause of his severe pain, that the new medication will work quickly and that the side effects won't be too harsh.

I was listening to one my favourite songs today and wanted to share the chorus with you here:

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

It’s hard to remember and it's not always easy to praise and worship God when things aren’t going so well. But this past week, despite the storm, we’ve seen so many signs of God’s presence – some obvious and some more subtle. It’s been amazing and we know that God hasn’t left our side and He’s been right beside Bryan this whole time holding his hand and giving him strength to fight. So let’s remember to “praise Him in the storm”.

Tuesday Update

So if it's possible to have a worse day than any of the days last week, then this may have been that day. Bryan had a good sleep last night (thank you for praying) but was quite tired again this morning. His legs and back were giving him a lot of pain again too.

The main issue today was his breathing. He seemed short of breath and it just wasn't normal. One of Bryan's previous nurses happened to walk by this afternoon and mentioned that Bryan's breathing wasn't very good. It went from bad to worse and when the physiotherapist came to take Bryan for a walk, he barely made it out the door. He had to lie back down on the bed and his breathing just got worse and worse. He got to the point where he was hyperventilating and was very confused when they asked him his name and where he was. He was panicking and not sure what was going on - he was getting really scared (and so were we.) It ended up that a whole bunch of nurses and doctors (a resident, two of the surgeons that did Bryan's surgery last week, a heart specialist and maybe others) were in the room working on him. They gave him oxygen and it finally seemed to calm him down. They did some blood work and ordered an urgent CT scan. When the one doctor spoke to us, he said they were concerned about the possibility of either blood or water on the brain but more likely a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs). As we waited for the results of the CT scan, we prayed, pleading with God for everything to be okay. Well, God answered our prayers and the CT scan was clear. The brain looked fine, the other aneurysm was still intact and there was no pulmonary embolism visible.

By the time Bryan was back to his room (his original bed back in the ICU), he was doing quite well. It almost seemed as though nothing had even happened - except that he was exhausted. They have done some more tests (ECG's and more blood work) and I think tomorrow they will be doing a CT angiogram to look at things a little better. They've put him on IV Heparin just in case there is a blood clot they missed. I did hear a nurse say that perhaps there was a small blood clot causing the problem, and if it was small enough, his body may have just absorbed it.

When we left the hospital tonight, Bryan was resting and hopefully he's exhausted enough that he'll have a nice deep sleep. There's no one in the bed beside him so hopefully it will be quiet enough for that to happen.

Obviously we need you to continue praying for Bryan's physical healing but please also pray for Michelle. She's such a trooper and God's giving her strength exactly when she needs it but she's exhausted - physically and emotionally.

Thank you for your continued love, support and prayers.

One week later . . .

Raise your hand if this has been one of the longest weeks of your life. I can guarantee Bryan and Michelle and both of their families are raising both hands! BUT we've gotten through each minute, hour, day with the support of so many family, friends, complete strangers and most important of all the love of our Father in Heaven. Thank you Lord for giving us strength!

Today started out with Bryan feeling extremely tired. He slept pretty good again last night (keep praying for his sleep) - being woken up at 2:00 am for meds and staying awake for about an hour and a half and then slept again until about 6:30 am. He still felt really fatigued and dozed on and off for the first part of the morning. He was dealing with some nausea again today so he's been put back on the anti-nausea medication. The leg spasms were pretty severe again today too - another specific item for prayer.

The highlight of the day was that Bryan was able to go for a little bit of a longer walk down the hall. Up until now, it's been only a few steps to the bathroom and that's been a huge challenge. But today the physiotherapist helped him walk down the hall and he made it to the next doorway. And then later he was able to take another walk all the way to the end of the hall! Hooray!!! So thankful for signs of improvement.

Thank you again for your continued love and support. It means so much to Bryan, Michelle and the rest of the family.

Sunday Night

Today wasn't a very good day for Bryan unfortunately. As mentioned in the previous post, his legs and back were quite sore and the pain medication didn't seem to help as it usually does. That makes him quite restless and uncomfortable . . . plus his stomach was a little upset today too.

Then around mid afternoon, Michelle was helping Bryan in the shower when he suddenly didn't feel too well. Thankfully at that exact moment, the nurse came to see if everything was going okay, which it wasn't. Bryan experienced a seizure like episode. Some more nurses came rushing in and they got him out of the shower and into bed. The doctor came to see him shortly after and explained that it could have been one of two things - a partial seizure or a vasospasm. A vasospasm can occur after a patient has had a subarachnoid hemorrhage – which is what happened last Monday when the aneurysm ruptured. The brain artery over-contracts or spasms and causes it to become very narrow. When Bryan came out of surgery last week, we were told about the possibility of these happening and the next two weeks are when they are most likely to occur. But despite hearing about them, it’s still really hard when there’s this kind of setback. Everyday we’ve seen signs of improvement and so this afternoon was rather upsetting. A little later, Bryan was able to have a bit of a nap and he definitely felt better again after that.

So please continue to pray for the following:

• that Bryan won’t have any more of these episodes
• that his legs and back won’t be painful anymore
• that Michelle and the rest of the family will have the strength to be a support and comfort to Bryan
• that Bryan will have another good sleep tonight
• that Bryan and everyone else will continue to see signs of God’s hand in this situation

Sunday afternoon

*** Before I type an update, we need to stress the importance of NO VISITORS. Bryan has been moved to a different room but it's still considered a form of ICU (just not the official ICU). Bryan is not ready for visitors yet and he needs his rest. So please, please respect this wish and give Bryan and family some privacy. Thank you. ***


Bryan finally had a good sleep last night - what an answer to prayers! He fell asleep just after 10:00 pm and slept solid until about 4:00 am - and then on and off after that. He had some lasagne last night for supper and some cereal again for breakfast. He was able to walk to the bathroom with assistance this morning - the most steps he's taken so far.

His muscles aren't impressed with all the lying around and not getting used so his legs and back can get pretty painful and uncomfortable. Please pray that as Bryan starts moving around and becoming more mobile, his muscles will feel better and he can get some relief from the discomfort.

Saturday afternoon

Last night may have been a bit better but sleep continues to be a challenge. This morning Bryan was sitting up. He had a banana and some cereal for breakfast. He doesn't seem to be hooked up to too much anymore either - even the catheter is gone.

There's talk of him possibly moving today (one step down from ICU - one nurse for three beds instead of one). This will be a good move as the ICU tends to be a noisy place with lots going on. Hopefully the new location is quieter. As mentioned earlier, visitors will still be limited to immediate family only.

Please keep on praying for rest for Bryan. Those of you that know Bryan, know that he doesn't like to sit still for too long. So it's quite uncomfortable for him to be confined to the hospital bed for so long. He's been getting some muscle spasms in his legs now too so please pray for relief in that area as well.

The nurses and doctors continue to say that Bryan is doing very well which we are so thankful for. Everyday we see little signs of improvement and we celebrate each of these baby steps. Thank you for your continued love and support. Your words of encouragement left on the blog mean a lot to Bryan and his family.

Friday evening

Bryan had a fairly good day today. He was able to get up and take a couple of steps. He also ate some fruit which felt good in his stomach. He slept for a few hours here and there but it's still a struggle for him. He seemed kind of agitated and bothered again this evening and we ask that you continue to pray for peace. Please pray that Bryan will have a good, deep, restful, long sleep tonight.

Visiting Bryan

A lot of people have asked if they can come and see Bryan. Unfortunately at this point, that is not a possibility. He is still in the Intensive Care Unit and visitors are limited to immediate family only. Even when Bryan is moved out of the ICU, he will be in a room where visitors will be limited. And more important than the hospital rules is the fact that Bryan NEEDS his rest - which seems to be a struggle right now.

We understand that you want to see him but we need to do what's best for Bryan. Please leave us comments on this blog and we will pass your messages on to him. He is encouraged by your love and prayers.

Thursday, April 22, 2010 - evening

Hi everyone. I just got back from the hospital. I know it’s late but I wanted to send a quick update. We’re so thankful for another good day for Bryan. But as we go into another night, there is something specific you could pray for. Last night wasn’t the greatest for Bryan. He couldn’t sleep very well which means he was lying awake so his mind was wandering and he was becoming anxious and agitated and it wasn’t good. So please pray for peace for Bryan. Pray that he can get some sleep tonight and that God will guide his thoughts and protect his mind so he can get some rest.

So if you do happen to read this before heading off to bed tonight, please pray for this concern specifically. And if not tonight, then tomorrow . . . I think this is probably something we can continue to pray for over the next many nights too. Thank you so much for continuing to pray – there is definite progress for which we are thankful. God is good!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - evening

Just a quick update on Bryan. He had a good day. The doctors are impressed with his progress and said he’s doing well. He was fairly tired and groggy all day – I think his pain meds have been changed now so hopefully that will help. He is still in the ICU but it’s comforting to know that he almost has his own personal nurse taking care of him 24/7. The CT scan results were good. The surgeon said everything looked good – there’s some swelling but that’s to be expected.

Please pray for continued healing for Bryan as well strength for Michelle and the kids (and the rest of us). We’re tired but so very thankful for God’s hand on Bryan’s life.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - noon

Hi everyone. Just wanted to thank you all for your continued prayers, love, support, emails, phone calls, etc. etc. . . .

Bryan is in the intensive care unit still. He’s doing well but is extremely tired and groggy. We’re so thankful that surgery is done and went well, as mentioned in last night’s update. We need to continue to pray as he is still “not out of the woods” (in the words of the surgeon). We’re still awaiting the results of the CT scan. We will continue to keep you posted as we know more.

Thanks again to all of you and most of all to our Heavenly Father who has done and continues to do amazing things.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - late evening

Bryan is out of surgery after five hours. Praise God! He is alert, responding and obeying commands. The surgeon said it went well but he was very clear in saying that Bryan is not “out of the woods” yet. The first five hours are very critical as he is at risk of stroke and further bleeding into the brain which is very dangerous and not something we want to think about. Another CT scan will be done tomorrow to confirm that the surgery did what it was suppose to and to check the status of both aneurysms.

As we hear more we will keep you up to date.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - early evening

Bryan went into surgery around 4:00 pm. The surgery will take anywhere from four to six hours and we were told not to worry if it even takes longer. Please continue praying for Bryan and the team that is attending to him.

Thank you for you kind words, support and most of all your prayers. We will continue to lift him up to HIM and wait to hear news.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - morning

Bryan’s surgery has been scheduled for 12:30 pm today. The surgeon feels that the coil option is not possible so we’re looking at the second option – surgery through the skull.

While we are obviously thankful that there is a plan at this point to deal with the burst one – we continue to pray with urgency that God’s hand will be upon Bryan, Michelle, the kids and obviously the team of doctors that will be performing the surgery.

We covet your prayers for Bryan at this time and are so thankful for all you have done so far in prayer…

Monday, April 19, 2010 - Evening

The situation seems to be much more serious than initially thought. As it turns out, the CT brain angiogram revealed that Bryan has two aneurysms . . . one that has burst and one that has not. The team of neurological doctors/surgeons are meeting together to decide what the treatment plan will need to be. There are two options: the first surgical option is to go through a main artery in his groin to coil the aneurysm – a two hour procedure. The other surgical option is to go through the skull and clip the aneurysm – a six hour procedure. At this point they’re not even talking about the second aneurysm – they need to deal with the one that has burst as soon as possible. The doctor said it was a miracle that Bryan even made it to the hospital.

Monday, April 19, 2010 - Afternoon

Bryan was rushed to the hospital via ambulance due to severe head pain. Thankfully he was able to call his wife just before he blacked out at one of his work sites. After waiting for a few hours in the ER Department in excruciating pain, he had a CT scan and it was determined that he had an aneurysm. He was then transferred to another hospital where they specialize in this type of thing. He was further assessed and a CT brain angiogram was done.

The team of neurological doctors/surgeons met together to decide what the treatment plan would be.