How wonderful to have a central location where freinds & family can get updates
& leave well wishes on a loved one as they are recovering.
Karla was involved in a serious motorcycle accident near Kayenta, AZ. She was originally transferred to the ICU at Flagstaff Medical Center to be treated for several injuries, including multiple broken ribs, collapsed lungs, broken shoulders, and a fractured C2 vertebrae. Most of the damage was sustained in her left arm, which was almost ripped from her body.
She has been placed in a halo brace to realign her neck while the fracture heals. Multiple surgeries have been completed on her arm to repair the broken bones, tissue, vein and nerve damage. She has since been moved to a long term acute care facility in Phoenix where she is closer to family and friends.
Dated Entries:
Surgert to left arm Posted Aug 21, 2010 7:29pm
Karla will be going into surgery tomorrow morning for her left arm, where the doctors will be repairing the damaged nerves. While in there, they will also review and adjust the external fixation on her arm to allow the bones to properly heal.
Blood Clot Posted Aug 22, 2010 10:55pm
Unfortunately, the doctors were not able to complete the surgery that was scheduled for today. When she went into the surgery, they discovered a blood clot in her arm. They were able to remove the clot, and have begun treating her with anticoagulants. They will reassess again in the next two days on how well the graft is taking, and if they can proceed with the surgery.
Steven
Steven
More surgery scheduled Posted Aug 25, 2010 12:29am
Karla went in today for an angiogram. They are concerned with the blood vessels in her arm, and the damage that was done from the accident. The specific word used was "compromised", which sounds very scary to hear. However, she has a good pulse in both the radial and ulnar arteries. When they blanch her fingers (press down until the skin turns white), they all refill with blood quickly and turn back to normal color. This is all good news, as she is still getting proper blood flow to her hand.
The doctors did another wake up assessment. Karla was able to open her eyes and stick out her tongue on command, however wouldn't move her arms or feet. The doctor pinched her on the inside of her right arm, which caused Karla to quickly jerk both arms and legs as they had hoped she would. All positive signs of no spinal cord damage, and continued signs that she still has some motion and function of her left arm.
The blood clot has not returned, so they will be taking her back into surgery on Thursday to do some additional work on her arm.
The doctors did another wake up assessment. Karla was able to open her eyes and stick out her tongue on command, however wouldn't move her arms or feet. The doctor pinched her on the inside of her right arm, which caused Karla to quickly jerk both arms and legs as they had hoped she would. All positive signs of no spinal cord damage, and continued signs that she still has some motion and function of her left arm.
The blood clot has not returned, so they will be taking her back into surgery on Thursday to do some additional work on her arm.
Strong pulse in wrist Posted Aug 28, 2010 12:57am
The surgery went well. They were able to bypass the clot and complete a vascular graft in Karla's arm. Her pulse in her wrist (both the ulnar and radial) were noticeably stronger than before. Previously we had to close the door and make sure everything was quite to hear the pulse. Today we could hear the pulse easily, despite background noise.
She is scheduled to go back into surgery again on Sunday. This time, the goal is to remove the external fixation (which can be seen in one of the photos) and secure her the bones in her arm internally. This will reduce the pain that she is in, and make it much easier to move her around as needed.
She is scheduled to go back into surgery again on Sunday. This time, the goal is to remove the external fixation (which can be seen in one of the photos) and secure her the bones in her arm internally. This will reduce the pain that she is in, and make it much easier to move her around as needed.
Another Surgury Posted Sep 2, 2010 4:13pm
I (Brad) called the hospital yesterday for an update. Karla will likely be scheduled for another surgury (possibly Saturday) to replace her external upper arm support with an internal one. Like with the lower arm, this will make things easier and less painful for her when they are moving her around for dressing changes, x-rays etc. The operation taking place is dependent upon her level of swelling.
Sedation...Posted Sep 2, 2010 8:12pm
Yes she is still heavily sedated and apparently will be for some time. For now, we feel she will be in Flagstaff until her surgeries are completed. It is best to let the same doctors do all the work rather than move her to Phoenix and have new doctors start. Once she is ready for a long-term care facility for rehab and physical therapy, we (Karla's family and I) will discuss with doctors the posibility of moving her closer to us. We all want that now, but it is really not the best time with her neck injury especially. You can send cards care of the hospital but at the moment she cannot enjoy them. :-( Steven and I will keep posting here anytime we hear something new. Promise.
--Brad
--Brad
Yes and No! Posted Sep 4, 2010 5:59pm
Good news today. Karla is awake, on Morphine, but can say yes and no with her eyes. She is not on the ventilator and is breathing on her own with extra oxygen. They have informed Steven that she may ne able to be transferred to a LTCF (Long Term Care Facility) as soon as next week. Let's all keep our fingers crossed! I am heading back to Flagstaff tomorrow. I will keep you all posted. As you have already, please keep Karla in your prayers. Good news is good news, but we are not out of the woods yet. --Brad
I got a smile and a kiss... =) Posted Sep 6, 2010 6:37pm
I visited with Karla earlier and she knew who I was immediately. I saw her smile for the first time since the accident. When I told her how much I love her she pursed her lips to blow me a kiss. It is sooo hard not to tear up as I type this. I spoke to the nurse and he said she may be going to LTC today or tomorrow. I feel bad that they need to move her because of the outstanding care she is getting in ICU. I understand the reason for the move and the plus side of it is that she no longer needs to be monitored at this level. That is an excellent thing. So the triage care is nearly over, and the road to recovery begins soon.
--Brad
--Brad
Coming Home! Sort of...! Posted Sep 6, 2010 10:28pm
Karla is being transfered to a LTCF in Phoenix tomorrow! :-) She will need friends around soon. I promise you all that this will be a long recovery road for all of us. I'm heading over shortly to see her and to talk to her nurse for more details. Again, I will keep you all posted. There will be another update before I head back to the valley tomorrow. Thanks to all of you for your continued support, prayers, and thoughts. It ALL helps! ****... I'm elated! =)
--Brad
--Brad
Promise Hospital of Phoenix Posted Sep 7, 2010 2:09pm
Karla will most likely be there today since the weather cleared up. She is definitely feeling the pain as she gets less and less potent medication. I asked for more for her this morning as I could see it in her face. I so wish this was over. But it is getting there. Anyway I'm heading back to Phoenix now. Will keep you all informed as to when she can have visitors.
--Brad
--Brad
More awake and moving now. Posted Sep 17, 2010 1:02am
Karla is on less morphine now than over the past several days. She is lifting her legs and also her arm (right arm) much more than previously. She tries to talk but she still can't because of the trach. You can tell she is very frustrated by that. Her oxygen level is way high though which is great! We tried a pen and paper but she was unable to hold the pen very well so that didn't work either. I was worried that she was moving her legs so much because she might hurt her neck. The nurse ensured us that it was a great thing because it prevents stagnant blood and therefore prevents clots in the leg, and also that the halo is very secure so she can't hurt her neck. Steven and I told her that she has lots of friends and family praying for a speedy recovery and that things are being handled. I still get kisses when I'm there! --Brad
Continued improvement Posted Sep 19, 2010 9:43pm
Karla continues to improve. Each time I go visit she is more alert and aware of what is going on. She is communicating by mouthing her words, so I've had to get used to reading her lips. The nurse informed me that eventually, as she continues to heal and is stronger, they'll put a device on her trach tube to allow her to speak through it. She continues to move her right arm and both legs, mostly her legs due to discomfort from lying down all day. The nurses have started treating her with anti-anxiety medicine to help her remain calm. Visitors are welcome, however please keep the following in mind so you do not overwhelm her:
-If going as a group, only stand on one side of the bed, not both sides
-Have only one person talking with her at a time
-Remember that she is still on medication and will occasionally drift in and out
Steven
-If going as a group, only stand on one side of the bed, not both sides
-Have only one person talking with her at a time
-Remember that she is still on medication and will occasionally drift in and out
Steven
Phoenix St Luke's Posted Oct 5, 2010 11:54pm
Karla was transferred to Phoenix St Luke's Medical Center last week for some additional work on her arm; mostly just maintaining and cleaning the areas of the graft work and making sure that it was healing properly. She remains at St Luke's for now while she continues to recover from the MRSA infection and otherwise stabilize.
We are going to try to get her moved to Chandler Regional so she is much closer to us than downtown Phoenix, plus we feel they will provide a better chance of recovery for Karla when she begins rehabilitation therapy.
Steven
We are going to try to get her moved to Chandler Regional so she is much closer to us than downtown Phoenix, plus we feel they will provide a better chance of recovery for Karla when she begins rehabilitation therapy.
Steven
Back at Promise... Posted Oct 10, 2010 12:19pm
Karla has been moved back to Promise hospital in Phoenix. Last night Steven, Roxanne (Karla’s friend), and I went to visit. She sounded like she had mucus in her lungs so I asked the nurse if she needed an evac (they have a tube they push down the Tracheal tube that sucks everything out). The nurse told me no because she is doing a great job of couching up any junk that accumulates. Using the evac tube actually causes the body to react to the intrusion of the object by creating MORE junk. It creates a “vicious cycle” in other words. She also said that the coughing is excellent exercise for her lungs. Makes sense to me. Her oxygen level is still very high even when not on the respirator which is great. Oh speaking of which…she is breathing on her own all day now. They assist with the respirator at night but just to help her sleep.
The cleanup of her arm went well. She still has the MRSA infection but the antibiotics seem to be working. They will be doing more tests this week to see where we are with that. She is resting much better now and is not quite fighting off sleep and her medications like she was. She still has very good circulation in her left hand. The nurse has not seen any movement in her left hand but Steven asked her to move her left thumb and we both saw it twitch slightly which is promising. As swollen as her hand is it probably isn't very easy to move it. She is not kicking her legs all over the place and shaking her foot constantly. So her anxiety is much lower now.
On the real plus side of things is... HER CERVICAL FRACTURE IS HEALED! =) This is excellent news because if it didn't mend itself, they would need to operate to put it back together mechanically. So no operation on her neck is necessary at this point. For safety they will be leaving the Halo device on for several more weeks (a month or so) to ensure that it is securely fused back together. Better safe than sorry. I know she can't wait to get that thing off. For those of you that are not aware, the C2 vertebra is one of the most dangerous vertebrae to fracture. In some cases it results in death or Quadriplegia. So Karla is exceptionally lucky, as we all are.
Well this is getting long so I’ll go now, but rest assured she seems to be improving now. OH! You have to hear this… In casual conversation with the nurse she said “Karla is at the point where we should see her start improving in leaps and bounds”. That made me feel really good. The last two months has been a real emotional rollercoaster for all of us. Please continue to keep Karla in your thoughts and prayers everyday. Thank you all.
--Brad
The cleanup of her arm went well. She still has the MRSA infection but the antibiotics seem to be working. They will be doing more tests this week to see where we are with that. She is resting much better now and is not quite fighting off sleep and her medications like she was. She still has very good circulation in her left hand. The nurse has not seen any movement in her left hand but Steven asked her to move her left thumb and we both saw it twitch slightly which is promising. As swollen as her hand is it probably isn't very easy to move it. She is not kicking her legs all over the place and shaking her foot constantly. So her anxiety is much lower now.
On the real plus side of things is... HER CERVICAL FRACTURE IS HEALED! =) This is excellent news because if it didn't mend itself, they would need to operate to put it back together mechanically. So no operation on her neck is necessary at this point. For safety they will be leaving the Halo device on for several more weeks (a month or so) to ensure that it is securely fused back together. Better safe than sorry. I know she can't wait to get that thing off. For those of you that are not aware, the C2 vertebra is one of the most dangerous vertebrae to fracture. In some cases it results in death or Quadriplegia. So Karla is exceptionally lucky, as we all are.
Well this is getting long so I’ll go now, but rest assured she seems to be improving now. OH! You have to hear this… In casual conversation with the nurse she said “Karla is at the point where we should see her start improving in leaps and bounds”. That made me feel really good. The last two months has been a real emotional rollercoaster for all of us. Please continue to keep Karla in your thoughts and prayers everyday. Thank you all.
--Brad
Things are finaly not just 'THE SAME' Posted Oct 19, 2010 11:09pm
I attended a meeting with all of Karla’s care giving teams. (Respiratory, Dietary, Physical Therapist, etc.) I heard nothing but positive comments from everyone. Of particular note is that Karla was up in a chair for about an hour today working with the Respiratory Therapist. They gave her a ‘Talk Tube’ for her Trach. This allows some air to go past her vocal cords so she can speak. (A Tracheotomy tube is inserted lower in the throat than the vocal cords so speaking is not possible without this extra tube) Not having used her vocal cords for awhile (2 months today), she is struggling with it and she is still hard to understand at this point. They expect this to improve fairly quickly. They will begin giving her small amounts of ice during therapy to help “moisten things up”. I am expecting quite a bit of improvement in this area since she loves to talk! :-P As you can see my mood is improving after hearing her again. Oh…she told me to make sure I “Put the motorcycle away”. :-/
The Dietary Team is planning on re-introducing actual food in the near future to see how she handles it. I’m not sure how this will go but it is food and she also loves to eat, so I expect good things here too. I already spoke on the C2 so I’ll skip that. Read previous post for info on that. Same…same there.
She is no longer on Antibiotics for the Staph Infection (MRSA). It is in remission and colonizing (I think that’s the word he used). Basically the bad bacteria has ‘given up’ and hiding together in a group. Normally the body will get rid of the rest on its own eventually. He also said it is possible for the thing to come back. No way to tell chances of that. Further and repeated testing will give a better indication, so we shall see.
Her wound nursing staff said that her arm is healing very well now due to the high level of protein in her blood. They say the skin grafts look excellent and are healing nicely. I must say, her arm looks much better to me. At some point they will remove the upper arm external fixture and cast the arm. They obviously could not cast the arm till all of the infection and nastiness was taken care of.
So all-in-all I was not shocked or disappointed by anything I heard today, except that I couldn’t bring her home.
And last, but no less important...Steven and I can't even begin to express how much we appreciate the generous donations from all of you. Karla's great friends at her job at Aerospring Manufacturing, and the "The Crew" at Graham Central Station! You guys all ROCK! Your help without a doubt puts a dent in the legal fees and bills we are dealing with. We all hope you are all well. Chin up…let’s power through this!
--Brad and Steven
The Dietary Team is planning on re-introducing actual food in the near future to see how she handles it. I’m not sure how this will go but it is food and she also loves to eat, so I expect good things here too. I already spoke on the C2 so I’ll skip that. Read previous post for info on that. Same…same there.
She is no longer on Antibiotics for the Staph Infection (MRSA). It is in remission and colonizing (I think that’s the word he used). Basically the bad bacteria has ‘given up’ and hiding together in a group. Normally the body will get rid of the rest on its own eventually. He also said it is possible for the thing to come back. No way to tell chances of that. Further and repeated testing will give a better indication, so we shall see.
Her wound nursing staff said that her arm is healing very well now due to the high level of protein in her blood. They say the skin grafts look excellent and are healing nicely. I must say, her arm looks much better to me. At some point they will remove the upper arm external fixture and cast the arm. They obviously could not cast the arm till all of the infection and nastiness was taken care of.
So all-in-all I was not shocked or disappointed by anything I heard today, except that I couldn’t bring her home.
And last, but no less important...Steven and I can't even begin to express how much we appreciate the generous donations from all of you. Karla's great friends at her job at Aerospring Manufacturing, and the "The Crew" at Graham Central Station! You guys all ROCK! Your help without a doubt puts a dent in the legal fees and bills we are dealing with. We all hope you are all well. Chin up…let’s power through this!
--Brad and Steven
Quick update with GREAT NEWS! Posted Nov 2, 2010 8:39pm
Karla is scheduled for sugery tomorrow to have the external fixation on her upper arm removed and the arm casted. Also the MRI came back looking good so they are going to remove the Halo too! =) They say her facial and throat muscles are working well so the Trach will likely be removed sometime in the near future as well. For those of you that visit her just be aware that she wull be back at Lukes for a few days starting tomorrow. Please keep your thoughts and prayers coming!
--Brad
--Brad
She's awake! Posted Nov 22, 2010 3:49pm
And I mean REALLY awake. We had quite a conversation today and almost everything she said made sense. They are going to try her on real food today. She is no longer being restrained to keep her from trying to climb out of bed. I'm going back this evening. I will try to find out more about when the trach will be removed.
--Brad
--Brad
She is BACK! Posted Dec 5, 2010 5:35pm
Last week we went through a hard spot, but she is back with us now! She's talking on the phone and is very clear in her thoughts. She's calling me all the time now to see when I'm coming to visit or just where I am. She is eating pureed foods now and has a great appetite although the food is terrible. She still has the feeding tube and the Trach. I would not be suprised if one or both of those go away this week. With assistance she walked down the hallway and back. That really tired her out. Who wouldn't expect that. In anycase she has informed me that she gets very bored and is ready for visitors! So go see her! =)
Promise Hospital - Rm 409
Phoenix.
SW corner of Buckeye and 7th Ave. (Just north of the 17 which is also Business 10)
--Brad
Promise Hospital - Rm 409
Phoenix.
SW corner of Buckeye and 7th Ave. (Just north of the 17 which is also Business 10)
--Brad
SHE'S COMING HOME! Posted Dec 22, 2010 6:27pm
We got some great news today that KARLA IS COMING HOME FRIDAY! CHRISTMAS EVE! There is word that she will be able to start working part time very soon which is great! She is so eager to get back to doing things the trick is going to be slowing her down! LOL! In any case, thank you all for your prayers and well wishes! IT WORKED!
We would both like to wish you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS! =)
We would both like to wish you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS! =)
