Loving Anne

Anne had an MRI overnight. The main things they were looking for were signs of stroke and whether there was trauma around the brain stem (“brain shear”). They did not see either of those things. That said, Anne’s TBI (traumatic brain injury) is Severe.

In Tuesday’s update, I mentioned an “invasive procedure” that Anne had to have. I’ll come clean with what that was. The procedure is called “Bifrontal Decompressive Hemicraniectomy”. To reduce pressure in the brain caused by brain trauma and bruising, a portion of her skull was removed to allow room for the swelling which reduces life-threatening pressure. The skull is retained in a “bone bank” and weeks later when the brain swelling has reduced, the skull can be reattached. The procedure was successful in reducing the pressure to non-critical levels..

Now for some hard truths. While it’s wonderful to have hope that we might one day see and interact with the Anne we knew and loved, AND OH HOW I WOULD LOVE FOR THAT TO BE THE CASE, the more likely possibilities for Severe TBI for someone over 55 are the following: death, persistent vegetative state, moderate-to-severe cognitive, behavioral, and physical disabilities. It’s too soon to have an idea of how things will go.

This is as hard for me to write as it is for you to read, but I want to be as straight with you as I can. Hope and pray as much as you can for Anne. Songs we played for Anne today included “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” by The Police and “Fearless” by Pink Floyd. Tomorrow morning’s post will be a participation question, so get ready.