Fay Watson

The trauma emergency center at Hermann Memorial in the TMC is great!  The stroke team was ready.  After the CT-Scan they knew it was a large clot.  They mobilized quickly after getting his medical / medication history ASAP.  They started the TPA well within the 3 hours that they like to give it.  Then after a half an hour decided that they wanted to do angioplasty to see the results and check the blockage.

It was July 16th already when David was brought up to ICU.  An unfamiliar and scary place to someone who had never seen a loved one in such a place.  Soon they ended up putting him on the ventilator...he had pulmonary edema.  He stayed on the vent for 7 days.  The ICU nurses and staff were good, professional caring folks.  Our time there was stressful, but made easy by their care.  That time period is a blur and it was only 8 days ago.  I do know that I heard from so many wonderful and caring friends and family!  A Saturday shampoo with Kayla...what a joy!  My coffee buddies and other PTA friends have really helped me keep my sanity.

Where to start with this tale.  The wonderful FB posting that he put on my FB wall on July 15, 2011.  He had a dinner to attend at the Nassau Bay Hilton.  He loves interacting with students and young people.  To share his experiences with them and to listen to theirs.  I worked out at Pearland Crossfit with Jon & Zack and then took them back to the house.  The PCF gals had been "FB chatting" about having a girls night out that evening but postponed it.  A few of us decided to get together anyways.  It was nice to be sitting and talking about people we know, people we know in common and about the upcoming Crossfit Games.  I got a text from David telling me he was leaving the hotel.  I texted him back that I would get my check and pay it off.  Before I left I sent him a text telling him how much appreciated the FB posting he texted back that he meant every word then I sent him a second text that said, "I thought he was terrific."   I tried calling him once I was on the main road.  He didn't answer or send me another text but I didn't worry because I knew he was already at home with the boys.
Our world turned upside down in the interim before I got home.  David was watching a movie with the boys.  He went to put his cup in the kitchen and he sank down to the ground, dropped the cup and couldn't get back up.  The boys did a wonderful job recognizing the symptoms and calling 911.  They didn't let him fall asleep they kept him calm. They kept calm.  I walked in while Jon was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher.  He did an awesome job telling them the situation and getting the ems their quickly.  He and Zack did everything that they were supposed to do with someone who might be having a stroke.  I am so incredibly proud of them!
Two ambulances and a fire truck arrived one after the other.  They worked quickly and efficiently to get David to the medical center as quickly as possible.  I knew that time was of the essence in order to get the "clot busting" drug TPA. 

Scary events the past two weeks.  Stroke, ICU for over a week, and now acute care.  Slowly he is recovering.  The most frustrating part is the look in his eyes.  The fact that he can understand everything, but can't communicate back to us very well.  Words come to him... but they don't come out very well.  The left side muscles are coordinating with the right side muscles.  So I am for the most part... sitting and waiting, waiting for progress...

Friends, families and our community have been so great.  We feel loved and beloved.  I don't know how I could ever thank everyone for all that they have done and continue to do.  Their prayers, their good wishes and the offers of help have been overwhelming!  Knowing everyone is rooting for you make such a difference.

It feels good to express myself in written form I will be back later to write some more!