Trix are for Kids...

Trix was supposed to get an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) on Monday, but unfortunately he got an ear infection. Obviously if there is an infection, there can't be a surgery. He's now on antibiotics. So now we wait some more. Another decision to be made now is if the surgery is going to be done in Miami or wait if he will come back home. I hope he comes back home, Arlington, and he'll be closer to all of us here. Plus his parents will be around family and that would be a tremendous on their on health and sanity. When I talk to Jason's dad, he and his wife seem to be holding up as well as they can be. Jason does have all his tubes removed. He relearned how to swallow again. His motor skills and speech are slow, as to be expected. It takes awhile for the message in his brain to make it down to his muscles to do what he wants it to do. Funny, I'm taking Neuro right, and he was just helping me with all that before his accident. Jason is strong. He wants to do everything but rest! So typical of him. He will get there! It will take some time, but with rehab (I will make sure he gets awesome therapists!) he will recover.

Keep praying for him and his family.

Texas does too have Pretty weather!

Houston weather was absolutely FANTASTIC this weekend! Actually it's been pretty great all week long. It was a weekend that you just wanted to be outside all day =) at least for me! Today I played football for the first time since April ( I think). That is probably the longest I have ever gone without playing. I sooo miss playing, I wish I were playing on an IM team at school. Anyway, I did a fairly decent job playing considering I hadn't played in so long. I even got an INT for a TD over Annette! That was exciting! I'm sure not so much for her. Our team won too! Really...it was just awesome to be outside and playing with your friends. Now I just want to play football everyday!

Time for bed, good night!

A new waiting game!

Whoohoooo! Jason is off the ventilators and so far so good, breathing on his own! That is such fantastic news =) I spoke to his dad today, and he said Jason is a little more aware. and when his dad asked Jason to squeeze his hands, he said Jason made attempts too! Praise the Lord and thanks for all the prayers! Don't stop praying though! Jason's still got a bit more work to do. Continue to keep him and his parents/family in your prayers.

Hurry Trix! Everyone can't wait to see ya out of the hospital =)

*I seriously need better titles*

waiting game is broke!

This is exciting news, finally!
From James Lin: The neurologist said Jason's MRI showed minimal brain damage. He seemed optimistic. Once Jason is taken off the ventilator, he will have a better idea. Also, the cardiologists think the cardiac arrest may have been due to Brugada syndrome, a sodium ion channel problem. This syndrome has been associated with many cardiac deaths in young males especially in Thailand and Laos.

When I visited him yesterday, I was impressed by all his doctors and especially his nurse. She was very compassionate and attentive to Jason and his parents. Jason is in good hands.

haha...I'm about to call the hospital to see if anything else has changed!
I was too impressed with the CCU staff when I was there. The nurses were doing a great job with Jason and his family. I was especially excited with how they rotated him in the bed and put pillows on the sides. He's too tall for the bed =( He even had a cushion hand guard on for when it would press against the railings and probably other reasons too. haha...the OT in me was jumping for joy to see all that happening or else I probably would have done some bed positioning myself!

The waiting game almost over, hopefully!

I don't have any more titles for these updates! No more creative juices, not that they were to begin with. Jason that means you need to get better now!
So 4:00 pm today, I got a nurse that knows me! Yay =)

Things are somewhat looking up and things are happening...
The EEG showed no signs of seizure activity or head injuries so thumbs up. Jason still is sedated but for good reason...can't have him moving around during his MRI (which hopefully will be happening asap). They need to check to see if there is anything abnormal. But when the MRI clears (praying for that), they can then make a decision and remove him off the ventilators. Can't wait for him to be extubated (is that even a word? The nurse used it!). It will be a good sign that he can breathe on his own and calm some of our nerves down. Also reflexes in his hands and feet are good, but his eyes aren't tracking (but it could just be due to still being under). It would just be good to know a full diagnosis so that something can be done!

This is from his roommate this morning:
Jason had his EEG and it didn't show anything significant. The doctor suspects it's because he is under so much sedatives. He has good reflexes on his hands and feet and he has pupillary reflexes but the doctor is a little worried that he can't see because he is not tracing anything with his eyes, they were going to get him an MRI of his brain to see if there was any damage in his occipital lobe to see if it affected his vision at all. After MRI they are going to decide as a team whether they should take him off the ventilator because the problem is they still have him sedated because if they take him off a little he starts jumping and fighting. He has good reflexes with his ears because the doctor would snap his fingers by his ear and Jasons eyes would move towards the snap, but if he put his fingers in front of his eyes for him to follow his finger it was like if he didnt see anything. They also think that he may have had a convulsion.

Jason's is going to be so excited to hear so many people love and miss him! Please continue to keep him and his parents in your prayers. Also if you happen to have any pictures of Jason recently or even old ones, can you send them my way? A family friend wanted some pictures for when he is in Taiwan. And it be nice for us to put something together for him and send it his way!

I hate the waiting game

There's been no change that I know of for today on Jason. He's still the same and there still hasn't been any weening off the sedatives. His family has asked for continual prayers from all of you guys.

Jason, we're all missing you and praying that you'll get better soon!
Dude, you are soooo incredibly popular by the way =)
By the way, Jason, you're missing out on my rantings about fieldwork and tests plus papers/reports that have been spread over a 4 week period...blah!

A waiting game

As of 5:30 our time tonight, Jason is still sedated and incubated. They had thought he would have been able to be weened off the meds, but the neurologist didn't come see him today. So until they come see him and check him out to make sure he can breathe and such on his own, they won't remove the tubes. Which is a good thing, I just wish they hurry up and check him out! The results of his EEG did come back, but I think the nurse said it didn't show much activity. By the way, if you do call the hospital, it is really difficult to get the nurses to tell you anything over the phone. Patient confidentiality stuff, which I can understand but at the same time, I just want answers! So if you call, you'll have to be savvy in how you ask the nurse what's going on. Haha... I also thought I should keep my calling to the unit to once a day instead of multiple times a day. So we wait until the docs come...

Jason and Miami

I flew into Miami Sunday morning and took a cab straight to the hospital. Jason is at Jackson Memorial Hospital, which thankfully is about only about 8 or so miles away from the airport. He was still sedated when I got there. They had ran a CT scan on him earlier that morning. All day I didn't hear anything about it, and when I asked the nurses, they didn't know anything either. I am hoping that is a good sign! His parent and I spoke to each other, well as best as we could considering the language barrier. Thank goodness our other friend Jason was there to translate and talk to them. He is going to be sedated all day and probably until they run an EEG on him. The nurses said that may not happen until today or tomorrow. It's good he's sedated and getting O2 into him. Also so that his brain and body can rest.

The nurses said that he hasn't gotten any worse or better so that's better than getting worse! But so hard at the same time for all of us to be ok with that. It is really hard seeing him like this. I just want my friend back. I had to try really hard to keep tears from shedding, especially in front of his parents. I'll keep y'all posted as best as I can.

Jason Update

Earlier today (10/04), a friend of Jason's said that there was no cardiologist on the island (which I thought was strange not to have one, cardiac problems are common) and that is probably why they are keeping him under. They were also going to wake him up again and test to see how responsive he is.

This is what I have from his roommate tonight (10/04):
GOOD NEWS...HE SCORED A 12 ON THE GCS...finally aspirated, will be sedated again to push as much oxygen to his brain...will try to wake him up again tomorrow and hopefully he will improve even more!!! (GCS is probably the Glasgow Coma Scale)

I really hope he does! I can only pray that he is getting better and getting the proper care that he needs over there. As Jenny reminded me tonight to not stress and worry especially since there is really nothing I can do from over here. and to take my own advice that I have given Jason over the last year! All I can do is trust God and keep praying. The power of prayer is pretty amazing =)

If he gets moved to Miami or anywhere in the States, I will probably head there too.
Good night!

Jason aka Trix

Before going to bed tonight and for the next couple of days, please say a prayer for Jason. Today he went to the hospital, and the doctors don't quite know what caused him to have a ventricular fibrillation. That's all I know and what his roommate has told me. His roommate said that his CT, Xrays, and his response to pupillary light reflex is normal. It was good he got rushed to the hospital asap because if not, he could have had more damaged. Of course he is still in the hospital, sedated and being watched.

Wish you were closer to us so that we can come see you (He's in the Cayman Islands for med school). Hurry and get better so I can have some words with you!

I miss my friend!

Surfing weather

Yesterday was such a good surfing day for Galveston, and I spent it studying!
Big and lots of waves don't come often here. and the internet at my dorm was OUT for the entire day! I couldn't get anything done. Well actually I guess that's better since it got me out of the house to study. Which I did all day long. I had too, no more days to procrastinate. The neuro test went ok. Not too bad, not too good. We'll just have to wait to see. Class is about to start...oh boy!

This is what I did to study...I do love these wipe boards!

I studied these tracts way too much. Then the test comes and there was only 1, I repeat 1, question on the test about it. All it asked was what kind of tract is the spinothalamic tract...oi Then the stuff that I study the least gets asked the most, of course! Wouldn't have it any other way =)