Severe Mca Right Brain Strike

[ultrasonic]

Hello On Nov. 24th 2007 at 11:00am my mom 79 suffered a severe Right Brain Stroke she was in the kitchen and told my dad she was falling he caught her before she hit the floor.Dad Called 911 they where there in 3 mins they got her into the transport and spent some time hooking up an IV got her to the hospital in about 30 mins. They told us they could'nt give anything for the stroke because she is on a blood thinner. All through sat night she was unresponcive she has no movement on her left side her right side has some control but weak Sun Nov,25 she opened her eyes and could reconize us and she tried to form a few words all this time she has been in the orthopedic wing of the hospital the told us since her vitals were stable she did not need to be in ICU ward Mon Nov 26
They finally gave her a scan and to us the right side of her brain is severly damaged the left side is ok. She didnt do well that day at all my hope was fading. Tues Nov 27 Got  to the hospital early morning she was just waking up i talked to her she understands me and nods her head I feel she understands my speech well. So here is my problem. She hasent eaten since the stroke The physical Therpry cant get her to open mouth she cannot swallow. I tried my self fo 40 mins got her to open her mouth alittle but she could not swallow at all. So here is my questions as follows:
1. how can we get her to eat some food?
2.The doctor said that a feeding tube would probelly kill her
3. They want to discharge her from the hospital Thurs less than a week stay and put her in a home is that right?
4.Any ideas on how to stimiluate her to swallow
5. is there any other way to get her nutrition?
6. They have told me that if we cant get her to swallow she will die in a few days is there anything we can do to prevent this
I asked her today if she wanted to live and she shook her head yes firmly
Today Wed 28th My mom still cant eat or swallow now they are talking about a feed tube through the nose the doctor said her quailty of life will suffer even more and the tramua of the install of the tube.Oh and if that dont work the stomach tube witch her doc said
Ther also want to move her to a rehab center after 5 days is this to early
Any Comments on this and severe right brain stoke would help us alot
Any Prayers for my mom would help
Thank You and please respond and help my
We Love Mom So Much
Victor

[vega1318]

ultra:  so sorry about all of this.   unfortunately, once a loved one has a stroke, it may not be the end of their troubles.  they're bedbound and prone to many things.   sometimes they finally quiet down and let them recover.   sometimes, they're not so lucky...

i think nutrition (in any form) is always a good thing.   the doctors are right:  the peg tube does not prevent aspiration but it does diminish it some.    

being "bedbound" is not just a passive state - it is a state that our bodies need to deal with actively, hence more problems:  heart attacks, water accumulation, clots, pneumonias, etc.    younger people often deal well.  older may not.  
try not to worry about the medical aspects so much -- that is the doctors' jobs -- make sure your mom's comfortable, feels your presence and support and knows that you are not suffering.   this may resolve itself sooner or later.   hopefully, for the better.

[ultrasonic]

Hello vega1318
They told us her quailty of life would drop and that she could get asperation and kill her which now i know was a bunch B.S. **** but now we are facing more problems she had a heart attack sun dec 9 and a clot in her leg this has been so hard to endure

[vega1318]

what does it mean that a feeding tube will kill her???   that's exactly what wouldn't kill her and let her live longer?   it is not clear.

[ultrasonic]

Dan,
So Sorry To hear about your dad I know exactly what you are going through it is so hard my heart goes out to you my mom could only stay at the hospital for 6 days they wanted to move her in 3 days but i got an extension from medicare for the 6 days i felt if they moved her it would harm her more or even worse. The 5th day of her storke she had to have a feeding tube through her nose because she cannot swallow and she was getting weaker by the minute so we went for it today sunday she seams to be getting stronger but she is paralized on her left side and now she relizes it and she is very depressed but she is still here with us and that is a blessing if she still cannot eat in a couple of days by herself we are faced with another delemma of what to do this change from minute to minute and i have had feeling of great hope and feelings of great despair but keep positive i tell my mom to fight and not to give up thats really hard for me to say but i believe it gives her hope. I will pray for you dad and i hope it works out for all of us hang in there and be strong for you dad
Victor
Oh and i wanted to say they gave my mom 1 brainscan monday but we also have no idea what is going on inside her brain i wish they would scan her again to see if there is any more damage occuring we just dont know which is very fustrating

[Costie_Dan]

Victor.
i am soory to hear about your mom,  she is in prayors also tonight.
My dad had a stroke on Monday and cant feel his left side, the only thing the docs have told us is getting him into theropy asap, but he dosent have enough strength to stay awake more than a 30second window before he fals back asleep and has to be woken up again. the hospital we are at does not even have a neurologist so we dont know whats going on with his brain and how badly the right side has been effected yet other than no movent of the left side.
Hang in there, i know its tough as I am still looking and asking for way's to cope.  My dad just called me a few min ago 12.45am because he is scared and needed to talk even though its realy hard to understand what he is saying due to the paralisis of the left side of the tounge.

I am scared because i dont know the future and cant even emagain how my dad is feeling,