I’d certainly like to be presenting better news than this. While the surgery to repair my brother’s spine was generally successful, apparently the damage to the nerves in the spine was fairly serious. He has not regained bladder function and right now is catheterized and has to wear a leg pouch for collection. He is not getting any positive feedback from the surgeon or the urologist because they seem rather perplexed by this and I think that they want to be cautious about giving a prognosis. To compound the problem, it appears that the Worker’s Compensation insurance folks are going to be difficult about allowing his claim of this whole thing as related to a work injury.
Back in September, he reported that he had felt something “pop” in his neck and had been experiencing a lot of discomfort. The doctor sent him for physical therapy during which his neck was pulled, twisted, placed in traction and all of the other things that are done as part of an injury related to a muscle pull or joint inflammation. However, this therapy didn’t seem to be helping so my brother stopped going.
As his conditioned worsened he returned to the doctor and pretty much demanded that something be done to help diagnose the problem The doctor ordered an MRI and when the results came back my brother was told that he had arthritis in his neck and that continuing to work as usual would probably be good for him.
As I mentioned before about 3 weeks ago things began to go bad quickly. Leg weakness, arm weakness, bladder problems, etc. His family doctor asked to see the results of the earlier MRI and when she did she immediately arranged for him to see a neurologist. She was extremely concerned about what she saw and read. Surgery followed quickly and we are were we are now.
I read the MRI report myself and, while I don’t know sqaut about medical stuff, I was stunned at what I read. The report was two pages long and mentioned “cord impingement” at least 3 times. It was astonishing to me that someone would have prescribed physical therapy for someone with a neck injury without seeing what was going on inside. Who knows what sort of damage might have been done.
My biggest concern is B’s mental state. He is extremely upset about everything that has happened. Right now there is no money coming in and he is convinced that his Worker’s Comp claim will be denied. Frankly, he is not a very positive guy and believes that nothing will ever go right. He is worried, anxious, depressed, angry, etc. He is not a particularly prayerful person and doesn’t have a lot to fall back on in the faith department. He watched our younger sister waste away to breast cancer about 10 years ago and our father a year later. His points of reference are that things usually go from bad to worse. He is scared to death that he will be “disabled” and will not be able to work. He is a clone of our father. He needs to work to live.
I visited yesterday and I was very concerned about his attitude. It’s not good. I am praying for his recovery and for his peace of mind. Any other prayers are welcome and deeply appreciated.
Terry, I will be praying here.
First, I don’t get around much to the blogs anymore, and I hope no one takes it personally. It seems when I finally do get around to getting around, I find a prayer request. Please know that I’ll be remembering your brother in prayer, first of all for a greater peace of mind and then for his body. I am, of course, reminded of a tale of hope to share! I know a young man who suffered the brain’s worst injury — anoxia. He was without oxygen for many hours. When they found him, not only was he in a coma, but he’d suffered tremendous organ damage including a heart attack. Later, it was found he’d developed a roaring case of diabetes, too. As he lay there incapable of battling any of this, not to mention the severe pneumonia that had set in almost immediately (he had drunk himself into unconsciousness, and had vomited in his sleep and choked and couldn’t wake), the tests all showed that his cortex damage was not only severe, it was nearr-total. Doctors to every man and woman suggested the family disconnect the tubes. To a man, and to a nurse who usually are the last to provide a hopeless prognosis, all told the family that if he woke at all, he’d only be 2% of the person they’d once known. Now, who can fix a cortex? Well, the One Who wired him in the first place, right? He’s not going to be who he was before — and I consider myself a shithead for saying that (where’s my faith??), but within a couple months of their initial deciding not to remove any tubes, he was talking on the phone to his mom, trying to play his guitar as well as he once did, and I’ve even seen a videotape of him taking some steps. The same One Who wired him, wired your brother, too, and with the greatest love. There is nothing He can’t do. Amen. We’ll go ahead and ask for everything.
I join you all in prayer tonight for Terry’s brother.
Terry, he has you to fall back on in the faith department, which is no small thing.
There is a great little booklet called “Hope in the Midst of Suffering” by Sr. Ann Shields. You can get it from Renewal Ministries (http://renewalministries.net/books_booklets.php) and it only costs $2.00. Perhaps something like this will help your brother OR help you be able to give him some direction.
I will say a prayer for your brother… that he will find this whole event to be one that brings him into God’s embrace and that he will find peace and healing, physically and spiritually.