Thank you

Hi again!

I wanted to extend my deepest and most sincere gratitude to all who attended Jimmy's memorial service and/or reached out to our family with condolensces and support. Obviously, this has been a very difficult time for the kids and myself, but we are all getting through it with the outpouring of love that we have received.

I miss my Jimmy more than I ever imagined possible. He was my very best friend, and I will love him always. This was a very long and difficult journey, and the ending was not what I had hoped for, but I appreciated not having to go through it all alone. Thank you for being there with us.

I am trying to begin handling the daunting task of thank you notes. Please have patience, as this was a much bigger event than our wedding of 500! If you do not receive the appropriate acknowledgement from me, please accept my apologies as a few things are bound to have slipped through the cracks, and I may have some issues with addresses. I promise to do my best, and please accept this also as an expression of my family's gratitude.

For those who sent floral arrangements, they were absolutely beautiful. My house is overflowing with those special reminders, and I was able to donate quite a few arrangements to be distributed to local nursing homes and hospitals by the church.

The monetary donations that were directed to me or the Barrow Neurological Foundation will all be forwarded appropriately. The funds will be used to go toward neurological and endovascular research and also toward the ICU nurses training program. We have received an incredible amount, and I am proud to be able to make such a generous donation in Jimmy's name. For those that requested or sent their own donations to other programs, I will also handle those correctly, and I thank you for your generosity.

I would also like to thank all who sent or expressed kind words of sympathy to my family. Every card was read, and I hope we made ourselves appropriately available at Jimmy's Celebration. Thank you, also, for all the memorial gifts and the meals that were prepared or groceries that were provided. The emotional, spiritual, and physical support has helped to sustain us though this painful process.

Thank you, again, for all your kindness and support!

With Love and Blessings,
Krissy, Michael, Rick, and Jenna (Jimmy too)

Kris and Family,

The memorial service and celebration on Friday was perfect. We are sure Jim was smiling down and happy to have so many people celebrating his life. While there we realized that it was exactly 10 years ago that we worked all weekend on the end of the year basketball slideshow and our first date. If Jim hadn't taken a chance to hire my mom fresh off a move from IL, and had not contracted with Tim and company for IT support, who knows what strange turns our lives would have taken and if we would be married right now. We are grateful he did and that we were able to meet him and get to know him. From Sneakers to JRA get-togethers to catching the MLC at the Lookout, Jim will always be someone we recall with great fondness and a smile.

Love, Melissa and Scott Weigand

My Best Man

August 1986 Wedding, Jimmy, my best man

New York Subway 1987, Greg Krissy & Jimmy

Jimmy and Julie's sister Jenny

"Mr. Microphone"

Bachelor Party Limo

Heights boys bachelor party Larry, Van, Chap, Jeff, Greg, Tom & Jimmy

Jimmy, Krissy & Tommy

When I learned of Jimmy's passing I was out of the country with some buddies, I was at a loss for words on how to describe Jimmy to my friends who hadn't had the privelege of meeting him, a story my son's football coach told at his T-G athletic banquet this fall immediately came to mind. The coach talked about the Monks at St. John's University who's job it was to teach everyone they came into contact with that every breath is a gift, to be enjoyed and not taken for granted, as if it was your last. I know some of Jimmy's high school and college buddies may find it a bit of a stretch to compare Jimmy to a Monk, but the point I'm was making is that Jimmy seemed to, for as long as I had known him to understand this secret. Jimmy always found joy in each breath and you couldn't help too either when you where around him. Always positive, fun and complimentary who couldn't find joy being in his presence.

I first met Jimmy in the fall of 1978 we were both fresh out of high school attending a junior college and trying to extend our basketball careers, we hit it off right away. I just wanted to play college ball but Jimmy always the dreamer thought of it as just a stepping stone to the NBA. We both soon realized that the reason we ended up in a junior college is because we didn't have a future in basketball. We decided to transfer the following year to St. Cloud State, Jimmy roomed with Tommy Pesek his high school buddy and I ended up on the same floor as Jimmy in Shoemaker hall.

It was in Shoemaker hall that I realized Jimmy's knack for business. Like most dorms in the 70's parties were the norm and we threw some great ones, Tommy provided the tunes and Jimmy the beer. Jimmy would purchase a couple of 16 gallon kegs of beer for the party and sell cups for $5 a head, but to improve his margins he would purchase one good keg of beer and then a second keg called Keggelbrau (taste like swamp water) at less than half the price, he reasoned that by the time we got the the second keg no one would notice or care and he was right and thus he always managed turned a profit at these parties. For Jimmy making money always seemed to come easy, what he really struggled with was his other two careers, basketball star and rock and roll star, they never quite came as natural.

Jimmy and I loved to play pickup basketball at an old gym on campus called Eastman Hall although he always called it Clint Eastwood Hall, we played hoops their for hours several times a week. There was a basket mounted about a foot off the wall at one end of the gym and Jimmy realized that with a running start he could push off the wall with one foot and elevate himself high enough to dunk the ball, I can still hear the trash talking that came out of his mouth after each dunk, this maybe as close to basketball stardom as he got.

One of the greatest gifts Jimmy ever gave me was introducing me to and ingratiating me in with his Heights buddy's, who are still my friends today. I had a gal that worked for me a few years ago that graduated from Heights in the early eighty's and when I mentioned to her some of the guys I knew from Heights, Jimmy, Tommy, Van, Chap, Deano, Larry, Ricky, Joe, Mark, Tim, to name a few, she said "wow" that's the class of "78", she went on to explain that to this day they still consider that the greatest and most successful group of guys to ever graduate from Heights and Jimmy was certainly at the top of that list, it was an honor to hang with these guys.

In 1986 I got married and asked Jimmy to be the best man in my wedding. I've added above some wedding and bachelor party photo's. I particularily like the one with Jimmy in front of the microphone, as you maybe are already aware that this was one of his favorite places to be, "Mr. Microphone" as he enjoyed being called, and he made sure everyone at the wedding was entertained and had a great time. Jimmy by this time was already married to the beautiful Kris and we both went on to raise three great kids.

I've never been a huge believer that when our time is up it's up or that God calls us to be with him for a reason, but I'm becoming and believer and if God did have a purpose for Jimmy I'm sure it's to help spread the secret that the monks have been teaching for centuries and Jimmy already knew and that is each breath is a gift to be enjoyed and not taken for granted. I love you Jimmy and will miss you dearly but take comfort in the fact the someday we will see each other again.

Love, Greg, Julie, Paige, Nick & Holly

Kris, Michael, Rick, & Jenna,

I have tried a few different ways to get to you (unsuccessfully) so was very happy to see your instructions when I went to the blog today.

I want to express my family's sincere, heartfelt condolences to all of you. Although we haven't seen you as much as we'd have liked to in the past couple of years, your family has been in our thoughts alot. We loved Jim. He was one of the most generous, big hearted guys we've ever known. He had such a passion for life! We will treasure our great memories of him and his (your family's) hospitality, whether it be at your home, CrossLake, or our trips together to watch Steve's shows. He was such a huge supporter of Steve, we will never forget his kindness.

Kris, thank you for the blog. You are an amazing person and I admire your strength. Thank you for sharing this journey with all of us.
I know your faith will keep you and your family strong and Jim will be watching over you until you are together again.

God Bless,

Dianna, Ken, Steve Kincade

Dear Kris, Michael, Rick and Jenna,
It's difficult to express the depth our our sorrow over Jim's death. He was such a vital part of our Sandy Shores family and we'll miss him terribly. We'll always treasure the memories of his laughter, his wonderfully uplifting spirit and his music! Our family is truly blessed to have had Jim be a part of our lives. May God's grace be with you.
Love,
Gerry, Mary, Emma, Paul, Erin and Robert

Krissy,

We were so sadden by Jim leaving us, he was a true friend and I often thought of him as part of the Family. That's the effect he had on me and my kids, he would always make you feel like you were part of his Family, that's the gift that Jim had. His generosity and friendship will never be forgotten. Remembering the BB Days and the fun we had and the way that Michael and Chelsea matured by taking part in those years makes one say that Jim was a true Champion to our Family. Our prayers are with you and the Kids and know that Jim will always be in our Hearts!!!


Thanks so much for your Frienship,

Dave, Michael and Chelsea

Kris and family,
We are deeply sorry to hear about the death of Jim. Our family lived at 4920 Monroe Street in Columbia Heights, right next door to the Reynolds family. We all grew up with Jim and his two brothers.

Back in the 60s, being a kid in our neighborhood was the best. In our block alone there were over forty children our age, and it was like being surrounded by a huge extended family. We played hard, we learned the value of friendship, and we all shared whatever we had. Jim certainly brought these qualities into his adult life. We will always remember him fondly in our minds and in our hearts.

The Kukielka family
Joe & Beverley
Diane, Donna, Dale, Denise

There's never been a time that I didn't know Jim. That was one of the benefits of being family. We spent every summer in Minnesota, initially staying with my grandma, and visiting Aunt Joann and Uncle Jerry, then later, staying solely with Joann and Jerry and Steve, Bob, and Jim. The memories are too numerous to relay...everything from playing Capture the Flag throughout the neighbors yards, whiffle ball in the front yard, to camping with Jim and my brothers. We spent nearly an hour wandering around the campgrounds trying to find the boyscout camp to scare them, only to realize that there were no boyscouts, nor any other campers. And of course, how could I forget "helping" him with his Spanish homework, so he could pass his foreign language requirment in college.
His family was truly an extension of my own. With the tears and sadness, are great memories of a boy, then a man who loved life. He had a zest and a determination for whatever he focused on that was truly amazing. He loved much, and was loved even more. These past five years, I witnessed his faith grow stronger and stronger. Although, he was not ready to leave us, he was confident where he would be going when his time came.

My family and I shall miss so much, just as we continue to miss his mom and dad. However, we are confident that one day we shall see all of them again.

With love, peace, and comfort,

Judy (Bagot) Chudek and the whole Bagot family

Dear Krissy, Mike, Ricky and Jenna,

This is all I can say, God bless you all. I will miss Jim for all the imformation that he always had for us from BB to Business. My son Pat will always remember his leadership and his fun loving ways and in busniess Jim and I would talk on and on. He never lost his positive ways no matter what the situation was. What I respected him the most for was he lived that way all the time from begining to end. We all will miss him! Kissy if there is any at all that I can do please call. Again GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

The Winnery's,
Dick, Lori, Susan, Eric and Pat.

Kris,

How  very sad we were to hear of Jim's passing.  We followed your blog so carefully and felt the pain that you were feeling.  It brought back very clear memories of my mom's death from an anureysm nearly 30 years ago.  I have experienced the pain and agony that you  are feeling.  

Jim was such a great neighbor and friend.  We appreciate knowing him and having him be a  part of our lives.   We will always remember all he gave to Cedar Island Lake Association.  The Association would not be where it is today if it were not for him and the hard work that he put into developing it. 

We look forward to celebrating his life on Friday  with you and know that he will be there with all of us.   Look for a sign from him that night as I know he will let you know he is there for you and will always be.  

Love,

Cindy, Dave, John,and Jenny Kaldor

To Jim

Jim, it is a testament to your vibrant spirit that so many folks have posted here. I think the foundation you have laid for your wife and kids will see them through, you have done well.  I for one, will remember you cruising Cedar Island Lake, always happy to say hello and offer a beer or a brat.  A "hale fellow well met", as they say. And yet, you are gone from our limited sight.

 If we were given a thousand lives to live, we wouldn't want each and every one to be perfect, that would be perfectly dull. We'd choose lives of adventure, trial, action and adversity.  But to be sure, we would want great successes and people who loved us. And we would like to be admired not only our accomplishments but our character. You definitely have all of that and will forever.  

Here is how I will remember you, my friend.

To kris, and family

Kris, We feel very blessed to have met you and Jim, We were really hoping to build that ralationship even more and hope to still do that with you and your family, From the few times we got to spend with you we had more laughs and always talked about Jimmy flipping the songs he had recorded on your screen and how many hours it must have taken him to compile all that music, and the Karaoke stage. And his sneaking wine and you filling it with water when he wasn't looking. He touched us in that short time and we will miss him. Our thought and prayers are with you and your family.
Love,
Julie and Loni Voigt

To Krissy and Kids

My husband grew up across the alley from the Reynolds. Steve was in our wedding, we went to your wedding in 1982. The love between you and Jimmy was so obvious that day. I read your whole story about Jimmy I was moved by the love that lasted all these years and your love of the Lord by you both. We did not know Jimmy was going through this. We moved away from MN in 1987. We are so very sad for you all. May God Bless and strengthen Krissy, Michael, Rick and Jenna. Your story about Jimmy was just so sweet and sad and inspiring....

Kris, Michael, Rick, and Jenna,

Jim was such a great man ~ he will be missed by many. Our hearts are with you during your time of loss. We pray that God gives you the strength needed to get through and will continue to keep you and Jim in our hearts.

Stephanie Johnson and Family

Our hearts are very sad and we feel your loss. Praying for you and your family as you walk through this difficult time. Jim will be missed by all.
Wayne and Sheryl Nesset

Dear Kris, Michael, Rick and Jenna,

Jimmy will always be in our hearts. He added so much to our lives, from BB to Jim's famous last minute get togethers. I consider it an honor to be one of the original "Loser" friends. Our deepest sympathy goes out to you. We will miss him very much.

Love Randy, Pam, Ryan & Katie Schulz

Kris, Michael, Rick and Jenna

Our thoughts and prayers are with your family. Jim was a wonderful friend, mentor and advisor. We will remember him fondly and miss him very much.

Paul and Missy Miller

Dear Krissy, Michael, Rick and Jenna

The memory of Jim as a great neighbor and friend will always be in our hearts.  May Gods grace strengthen you at this difficult time.  You have our deepest  sympathy and  are in our thoughts and prayers.                                                                                     Jeanie Mlekoday    &  Geno Mlekoday                                                              

Krissy, Michael, Rick and Jenna-
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time.
Deb Becker, Megan and Rachel Lachinski

Jimmy's Memorial Service Update

I wanted to get this information out as quickly as possible regarding Jimmy's Memorial:



Service will be held at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Maple Grove on Friday, March 13, at 5:00pm. The church is located at the intersection of Bass Lake Road and County Road 101. We will be having a "Celebration of Jimmy" following the service at Rush Creek Golf Club, which is just a couple of blocks north on County Road 101. We hope to see you there!



I want to extend a 'thank you' to everyone who has offered their support and condolences. Because my wonderful sister has been faithfully printing out each page and comment posted on this blog as a keepsake for our family, I am extending an opportunity for whoever wishes to post something on the blog but can't figure out how to do the 'comments' part. It's actually really easy, so I am including directions on how to 'post' on my blog:



From Google, type in 'blogger.com'
Click on 'Blogger..Create your free blog'
Sign in at the top using my account info which is:
Username: krisreynolds@comcast.net
Password: krissykrissy
Now click on 'New Post' and you can write your comments that you would like posted on the blog. You may also add pictures by clicking on the 'add image' icon at the top.

Please do not misuse this "confidential information". I just thought it would be a nice way to share thoughts and pictures regarding Jimmy to be served as a legacy by his family. My hope is that his future grandchildren will have the opportunity to "know" the grandpa that they will never get to meet. Thank you again for all of the support that has been extended to our family.

Lovingly,
Krissy

Jimmy High School Photos

Jimmy August 1980

Jimmy Columbia Heights High School Photo 1978

Good-Bye Jimmy!

My beloved Jimmy passed away this morning just after 11:04 this morning, Phoenix time. He, fourtunately, went peacefully. The kids and I were with him, as we had stayed the night. My Superman's amazing heart just kept on beating for as long as it was able. The nurses did a wonderful job of keeping him comfortable, and he looked just like my precious baby sleeping. We received so many texts and emails during the duration, and I was able to pass all the hugs and messages that were sent directly to him during this last phase of his incredible journey.

I am still feeling so much pain and emptiness, that I find it difficult to write anything right now. I hope you will excuse me and give me a little time to express myself. I do want you to know that no husband or father was ever loved more!

We made the family decision, per Jim's request, that he be cremated. I will be picking out a companion urn so that we may be together again when my time has come. I asked him to save me a place in Heaven too. The kids and I decided that we were not going to do an open casket reviewal before the cremation, as our Jimmy was just too full of life to try to have him displayed as he was when we had to leave him. So I hope that you will keep him alive in your memories. Please feel free to bring any pictures that you would like to display to the memorial. Also, if anyone would care to share a few words during the service, please contact me, and I will make sure that you have the opportunity to do so during the program. We haven't picked a date or time yet, but we plan to have Jim's memorial at our church, Lord of Life, in Maple Grove. It will most likely be scheduled next week, possibly into the weekend. Watch for information in the newspaper and also on this blog.

For now, please say one more prayer for Jimmy, and ask God to watch over me and the kids. I know that Jim will take very good care of us from up above and have no doubt that he has already talked God into his angel wings.

Love and blessings to you all,
Krissy, Michael, Ricky, and Jennabelle

? ? ?

I'm sorry, but I can't even come up with a title for today's blog entry. This is the hardest thing for me to write, but I feel that I owe you all an explanation and to not leave you hanging.

Obviously, I do not have good news. The doctors were able to get the MRI done today and confirmed my worst fear. Dr. Fiorella came and took me and Diane to his office to show us the pictures. There, he explained the extent and location of the stroke that Jimmy suffered in his brain stem. Although the bypass still looks good and the coiling is fine, his body just couldn't handle the trauma, and he clotted off in an area that has taken away all his brain function except for basic reflexes. That is why his eyes were able to open and he would 'extend' in response to pain. They don't feel that Jimmy ever regained any form of consciousness after his last surgery, which means that he has not suffered any discomfort, for which I am so grateful.


Based on this prognosis and the lack of possibility for any kind of improvement or recovery, I have to make the incredibly painful decision of letting my Jimmy go. I can never put into words how my heart is breaking.

I have had to tell my children this horrible news without the comfort of being able to hold them in my arms. They have all chosen to fly out here to say their "good-byes" to their Dad before we take him off life support. I am so glad that we will have the opportunity to be together and to comfort each other.

I am praying for God's strength and comfort to help us all through this grieving process. No husband or father was ever loved more, and I thank you for loving him too. It was Jimmy's wishes that, should this happen, we would let him go to Heaven to find comfort with his parents who are waiting with loving arms to receive him.

I will try to follow up with this in a few days to let you know of our plans. Right now I am a little too muddled to think ahead that far. I do want to take this opportunity to thank every one of you for all of the love and support you have shown Jimmy and our family. He will be so very missed, but his love and faith will help us to continue on as he would want us to.

With love and gratitude,
Krissy, Michael, Rick, and Jenna

Day 3 - Post Coiling Surgery

Hi!

Today was kind of a stressful day. Jimmy looked nice and awake when I came in, so I was hoping for a good day. There was a little bleeding coming from his right EVD (brain drain), but the doctor didn't seem overly concerned about it because it hasn't really been working right anyway. Then Jim had another high fever spike, which was challenging for the nurse to try to bring down, and she was having difficulty getting him to respond to pain on his right side, so the doctor decided to go ahead and order a CT scan because his ICPs (brain pressure levels) were too high. The good thing is that Jimmy is getting lots of special attention, so the scan got read right away. It looked fine, except for a little bleeding around the site of the catheter, which wasn't really a concern. Shortly after that, he did begin responding to pain on both sides, so it might have been the fever spike that was causing that.

Poor Jimmy has bruises all over his chest area because they have to pinch him to get him to show them that his body can react to the pain reflex, which they call extending. They always apologize to him, so I hope he understands, but until he can move on his own accord, it's the only way they have to measure how he's doing.

I wish I had better news about his progress, but he's still not able to respond to any commands other than opening his eyes. They did another follow-up CT scan this evening, and everything still looks okay, and his fever and vitals were looking good when I left, but he'll probably have more of the same stuff to deal with again tomorrow. Nothing is showing up in regard to any infections, so they feel that it is a brain fever from the trauma. He slept through the whole afternoon, but at least he appeared to be comfortable. I keep trying to talk to him when his eyes are open, and I think he hears me, but it's hard to know what to talk about because I'm not sure how much he's comprehending or is aware of. I just keep trying to explain everything to him, and telling him who he is, and who I am, and where he is, and who his kids are, and what day it is, and so on ... I'm hoping that if he gets sick of me repeating myself enough he'll try to reach up and strangle me or mouth at me to 'shut up'. I would gladly take that kind of abuse!!

I'm not sure when they will try to do another MRI, but it will probably be sometime this week. I'm thinking that, with the little bit of bleeding that he had today, they might put it off until later this week. They can't do an MRI without removing his butterfly needle that is tapped into his shunt, and they don't want to risk that yet because the EVD on the other side is being so temperamental. As the doctor explained to me, they have to treat him the way that they are doing right now with the brain drains and the heparin blood thinner anyway, so the MRI isn't going to make them do anything differently. All the MRI will do is allow them to see if Jim has had any strokes that would explain his inability to move. If they can't find any evidence of that, then we can expect that it is more likely due to compression on the brain stem, which should be a temporary condition. Obviously, I am hoping that the compression is the issue and not a stroke. This make the MRI a double edged sword -- it can either give us very good news or very bad news. Therefore, I will not push the issue and just let it get done when the doctors decide to get it done.

Other than the relief I felt from the results of Jimmy's two CT scans, the highlight of the day was that one of my best friends, Diane Estes, surprised me this evening by showing up at the hospital! I was so surprised that I almost fell off the chair!! She came all the way from Florida just to hold my hand for the next few days. She'll be here until Wednesday. Poor Jimmy was so wiped out that he couldn't keep his eyes open for long to say 'hi', but I'm hoping he is feeling well enough to enjoy her company tomorrow. We chatted at the hotel and got caught up on some girl talk this evening, so I've been able to enjoy her already. I haven't seen Di-Di since December 2007, so this is a REALLY big treat -- thanks to Jon, Jessie, and Erica for sharing her with me! I treated her to a wonderful dinner at the hospital cafeteria, so I'm pretty sure that she will be successful at dragging me to some local restaurants for the rest of the time that she is here. I hope the nice weather holds.

Anyway, I'm going to drop off to bed again -- I haven't been sleeping all that well lately. I hope that I can have some wonderful news for all of us at some point during this week. I just want to know that Jimmy is expected to get better ... then I can be the most patient person in the world. Everytime that Jim has a test, I hold my breath, and so far, so good! The MRI will be a big one, but I will have faith that God won't let me down on that one either. So, please keep praying for our happy ending. This whole experience has been such a wonderful faith strengthener, that I can never regret going through it ... not that I won't be happy when it's behind us, though! Sweet dreams to all -- especially to my Jimmy!

Love,
Krissy

Day 2 - Post Coiling Surgery

Hello again!

Look at the picture ... Jimmy's awake! Praise be to God!!! He woke up for me around noon today. Now, don't get too excited as he is still not able to be responsive yet in regard to his movements. So this is probably to be acknowledged as just a baby step, but it definitely put a BIG smile on my face!

Late this morning, while chatting 'at' Jimmy, I noticed him move his tongue, and then he swallowed. I had not seen him make any movement at all yesterday, so I got pretty excited. When I started discussing this with his nurse, I saw him open both of his eyes a crack. As I began talking to him and encouraging him, he opened his eyes fully ... well, as fully as he can with his left eye still a little swollen. I frantically asked him to squeeze my hand, wiggle his toes, give me a smile, and all other manner of highly anticipated movements , but he was not able to do that. I tried not to be discouraged, and the nurse explained to me that these things usually take time. She did get pretty excited herself, though, when he closed his lips around the suction tube when she was brushing his teeth ... More baby steps!

He is not totally 'tracking' with his eyes, but he does seem to follow my movements up and down a bit. He also appears to be looking 'at' me rather than 'through' me. I find this extremely comforting that he is aware of my presence. I've missed him SO much - that was the longest 36 hours of my life!!

The reason that I am being 'cautiously optimistic' is that Jim and I were aware that one of the negative outcomes that I occasionally refer to would be for him to become 'locked in'. This is when the person is aware of what is going on around him but is unable to respond. This is an example of 'a fate worse than death'. It is way too early to begin to make that assumption, but it is obviously a concern that inevitably pops into my head. My intent is not to alarm but to inform, so that you can know all the scary things to pray for NOT to happen as well. There is still a lot of opportunity for things to go wrong and many hurdles for Jimmy to jump, but I have confidence in my Superman. I am hopeful that I will see more movement by Jimmy as his body progresses in its healing and am doing my best to be patient. I much prefer delivering good news!

More good news is that his fever has been more manageable today, and his heart rate has come down considerably. The heart rate is seemingly tied into the extent of his fever, which is not uncommon. His CT scan showed some swelling, which is not unexpected and can be the source of his fever and lack of his current ability to move. Fortunately, there were no significant changes on his CT, and he is on medication to help reduce the swelling. I am waiting for another MRI to be done, as that is more likely to show signs of stroke -- or, hopefully, lack thereof. They need to remove his 'butterfly tap' in his shunt before doing an MRI, so they are waiting until Monday to do that. They are trying to not disturb anything in regard to his brain unless it is absolutely crucial and necessary. They want to give his poor brain as much time to heal before having to mess with it.

All in all, I consider this a very good day. I choose to believe that Jimmy will continue to get better, and I will not lose faith unless I am forced to -- and I pray that day will NEVER come! God has not let me down so far, and I have no reason to expect that He would suddenly change His mind. So, be excited about this positive change, but be prepared for patience for the rest to come. God is using this opportunity to test our faith, so let's not let Him down! Please continue to pray endlessly for a successful recovery -- I most definitely am!

Love and continued blessings,
Krissy

Day 1 - Post Coiling Surgery

Hi again!

It's time to put on our prayer rally caps, and now that it's Lent, a few more trips to church wouldn't hurt. Jimmy is still not waking up. There can be a lot of contributing factors, and the doctors and nurses are doing their best to address them.

Of course, the obvious one is the fatigue that his body must be feeling. They are trying not to bother him too much but, unfortunately, are having to address other possible issues, so they are always fiddling with him.

He is also back on the ventilator because his heart rate is up, which is causing him to breathe more quickly and more shallow, and that is making his oxygenation level a little low. That faster heart rate doesn't exactly put his body in a very restful state either.

His fever is also high, and that can be a major contributor to his lack of responsiveness. He is not responding much to Tylenol and they can't use Motrin because he is already on major blood thinners and Motrin or aspirin will thin the blood too much. They are testing him for infection but everything is coming up negative so far. They have him on a broad based antibiotic for now. They are using ice baths and a cooling blanket also, but they have to try not to make him shiver as that will raise his already too high heart rate. Jimmy may just be suffering from what is called a brain fever, which is caused by swelling in the brain; that swelling can also be putting pressure on his brain stem, which would also explain his inability to respond to commands or wake up.

The good news is that Jim's CT scans and MRI are looking okay for now. The bypass looks great, and the coiling appears to be successful. His last CT showed some fluid building up in his brain ventricles, but that was because his EVD tube (brain drain) that they replaced yesterday morning had quit working again. They were going to have to replace it once more, which was a bleeding risk due to his high heparin blood thinner, so they decided to tap into his existing shunt instead and do some draining that way, which was a much safer option. They plan for him to go for another MRI tomorrow as they are watching him for possible stroke activity. Even a small stroke in Jim's brain stem would be devastating.

Dr. Spetzler told me that this next week will allow us to see if Jim is going to be able to survive this radical treatment or whether he won't. We knew that the risks were extremely high going into this, but we also knew that Jimmy was miserable and had no possibility of getting better without occluding the basilar artery to try to reduce the pressure from the thrombosis on his brain stem that was going to continue to get worse without taking this measure. There was no other choice, there was no option of waiting any longer, and there was no other place to try to accomplish this.

I still feel that God will bring us through this to the end, and that we will have a positive outcome, but we both knew it was not going to be easy. My Jimmy is famous for always making life interesting and prides himself for being able to think outside the box, so it's no surprise that he's keeping the doctors and nurses on their toes and having to use their creative thinking caps. I truly believe that God wouldn't be putting us through this if it wasn't His plan to take us across the finish line. Remember the adage, "If God takes you to it, He will take you through it." So, I am going to continue to think positively, and I need you all to do the same. We won't give God any other option other than the positive one we expect because He will have too many believers who have the kind of faith that He asks of us. We'll do our part, so God can do His!

Let's use this season of Lent to prepare ourselves to receive another gift of life -- Jimmy's, just like we celebrate the gift of eternal life that God has given to us all through the death and resurrection of His only son, Jesus Christ! Please pray your hearts out, along with me, and let's finish this game as winners!

Prayerfully yours,
Krissy

Balloon Angio/Basilar Coiling

Hi!

Today is a very special day - it's been one month since Jimmy and I arrived in Phoenix to start our journey. I don't think either one of us quite expected to be here so long.

Speaking of long, today has been an exceptional one! The day started with a 6:30am phone call from the hospital. Jim's EVD tube (brain drain) evidently had shifted and needed to be replaced -- nothing like an early morning surgery to start the day!

When I came in, Jim was still knocked out, and I was afraid that today's planned balloon angiogram and coil were going to need to be postponed. Fortunately, Jim's timing improved and he managed to wake up and be alert enough for them to decide to go ahead. They came and took him away around 4:15pm to do the balloon angiogram, and Jimmy was nice and awake. At 7:00pm, Dr. Fiorella came out to tell me that they had started the balloon process but that he was too sleepy to be reliable for following commands to make sure that he was going to tolerate the temporary occlusion. I had to give him permission to test him electronically through EEG and CT angio. I agreed because I knew that it would continue to be a cat and mouse game to arrange the timing so that Jim would be alert enough. The doctor came back out around 8:15pm to tell me that the bypass was looking great and that they were even getting a small amount of bloodflow from the right side, where the old bypass is. They had both balloons inflated, and Jim appeared to be tolerating it. Praise God!

Dr. Fiorella invited me back to see Jimmy, even though he was already under anesthesia, so I could give him a kiss for luck, a quick pep talk, and a 'God bless'. I really appreciated that consideration.

At the time that I am writing this, Dr. Fiorella is in the process of coiling Jimmy's basilar artery -- we're going for broke! This is his only chance of ever getting well, but it is also very risky, and we won't know for quite awhile if it will have favorable or negative results -- it's just our only option as doing nothing would be worse. I remember a familiar quote, "On the other side of nothing is everything"...so that is why we are 'all in'.

Dr. Fiorella is thinking that it will take many hours to do the coiling procedure as they will need so many coils due to his overly large artery. That is why I decided to give you this partial update now. I will definitely be staying through the night until I get a chance to see him. I will add an addendum later, so be sure to check back again to hear how Dr. Fiorella thinks the coiling went. It will probably be weeks before we know whether there will be any adverse effects and months before Jim sees any improvement from the thrombosis reduction. This is truly a marathon of faith!

So, please say your prayers before going to bed tonight, and remember to include Jimmy and his doctors. God is great, God is good!!!

Be back soon!

Love and blessings to you all,
Krissy

Addendum 1: It's 10:30pm and the coiling is done. Dr. Fiorella feels that they did a good job of coiling off the basilar artery. His concern is the possibility of a major stroke now that the artery has been occluded. He's coughing a little bit, which is a good sign. They were not able to get him to follow commands yet, but he has been difficult to get response from when he is in a really deep sleep. He did have some bleeding out of his EVD tube (brain drain), so they are taking him for a CT scan to check for hemorrage. Hopefully, it is just some residual from the replacement this morning. They also will probably do an MRI sometime tonight. I plan to sleep in Jimmy's room so that I can be there WHEN he wakes up. I'm not sure if I'll be doing anymore updates tonight -- we'll see. Keep sending prayers if you are reading this ... Thank you and God bless us all!

Addendum 2: CT is good - thank you God! Going to room to see him and wait for him to go to MRI to check for any signs of stroke. He's still not awake. More prayers please!

Addendum 3: MRI showed no sign of stroke - Halleluia! He's still not awake but is running high fever, so we'll hope for the response we want in the morning. Good night!

Day 5 - Post Brain Drain Surgery

Hello, Hello!

It was another gorgeous day out here. It's been in the 80s since Bob arrived. He had to go back this afternoon, so I'm hoping he didn't take the beautiful weather with him.

Jimmy did slightly better on his timing today, but he's still not cooperating as much as I would like. He managed not to sleep through his physical therapy today, but he still was not as alert as I've seen him be. Later this afternoon, he hit his perky phase and decided he was going to get up. He swung his legs off the side of the bed and was able to pull his shoulders about six inches off the bed while holding on to me all by himself. I called a nurse to help, and we were able to help him into a sitting position on the side of the bed. He was able to sit there with much more strength and control than he had shown in therapy. He then tried to stand up, and I think he would have succeeded, but the nurse didn't think it was a good idea without someone from physical therapy there. He was pretty wiped out afterward, but I was very excited by his show of strength.

So much is tied into his fatigue factor. That is why I am not sure that they'll be able to do the balloon angio test and coil tomorrow. They are going to see how he looks in the morning and make their plan from there, but even if they decide to go ahead, if he's in his zonked out phase when they come for him, they may have to postpone. It makes it difficult to get mentally prepared, but I'm not the one calling the shots. At this point, time has become irrelevant. Anyhow, I am still going to ask that we all send our prayers as though it's a 'go', and we'll just have to make our adjustments if necessary.

Jimmy is still very entertaining while awake. He was singing a song for me today. I'm not sure what it's called, but the words are "Put me in Coach. I want to play... today.. centerfield." Neither of us could remember who sings it, so if anyone can help us out, let me know. It will be fun to see if he even remembers our conversation tomorrow. Jimmy has also been asking for a Diet Coke all week. Well, his nurse took pity on him and brought a sponge swab that she had dipped in Diet Coke for him to suck on. Typical for my Jimmy, he asked for some chicken wings and fries to go with it. That gave the nurse and I a chuckle -- especially being he was serious.

Dr. Fiorella just came in and reiterated the 'iffiness' in regard to the procedure getting done tomorrow. They are going to try giving him an extra dose of his Provigil, which is his "wake me up" med, so we'll see if that helps. He also explained his plan to coil either the basilar or vertebral artery. The basilar is the best long term option but also the 'all in' that gives them concern. The less radical but maybe less effective option is coiling the vertebral artery. If he passes the balloon angio with flying colors, then they will probably opt for the basilar -- that's the one I'm pulling for. He also made sure that I understand that there is a lot to watch out for after the surgery, so even if I have great news regarding the surgery, Jim is going to need your prayers on full strength for a long time. I'm no longer looking at this stay as a matter of weeks but in months. Are you up to it? I am!

There are so many things to ask you all to pray for that it's hard to know where to begin. Obviously, pray for Jim's complete wakefulness during the balloon angio, whether it's tomorrow or later. Then pray that the bypass is working well enough to allow them to coil the basilar artery and that Dr. Fiorella can occlude the artery adequately. Next, pray that the healing/clotting process goes favorably so that nothing clots off that isn't supposed to, and then pray that over the next months that the thrombosis dissolves around the aneurysm and relieves the pressure on the brain stem so that Jimmy can feel better and function better. Lastly, please pray that Jim will recover enough for me to be able to take care of him enough to bring him home. How's that?

Well, tomorrow or someday soon is going to be another very big day. Thank you for continuing on this incredible journey with us, and for giving God the opportunity to show His stuff to so many followers. I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that I am never alone. Thanks to all of you, and thanks be to God!

Love & blessings,
Krissy

Day 4 - Post Brain Drain Surgery

Hello again!

As you can see, Jimmy had another visitor. Bob Fields, our friend and business partner, flew out to Phoenix just to spend a few days with us. I used to always feel so bad for myself being married to someone as hard to reign in as Jim, then I met Bob and I feel even worse for his wife, Patty! Those two boys are definitely cut from similar molds, and Patty and I have both earned our wings into Heaven many times over just for sticking with them!

A picture tells a thousand words, and you can see that Jimmy is proudly holding up his "reminders/wristbands". He worked on those knots for at least an hour, while Bob egged him on and coached him on how to 'get free'. The poor guy was covered in sweat, but he was so triumphant when he finally got them off. I had to apologize to the nurses profusely, and Bob is now banned from ICU (just kidding). Regardless to say, I am sure that Jimmy is going to sleep like a baby tonight. When I explained to him that he still couldn't go with us to dinner, I felt like such a meanie for having to burst his bubble. He really thought those darn things were the only thing that were keeping him from leaving the hospital. The sweetheart was so exhausted and deflated by the time that we left, that he put the wristbands back on himself and settled right in to go to sleep. I hope he's forgiven or at least forgotten before I come to see him in the morning.

Prior to the evening's attempted jail break, Jim had a pretty non-productive day. The stinker kept deciding to take a nap at all the wrong times. He basically slept through his whole physical therapy and kept asking to go to bed during his blue dye swallow test. Even though he managed to do a good job with the blue dye and showed no signs of aspiration, they are going to wait until after he gets through his next surgery before doing the next barium x-ray swallow test. Then, he will hopefully be able to get rid of the annoying feeding tube. At least he managed to create his own therapy with the amount of exertion he used to remove his pesky 'wristbands'. I'm hoping that his timing will be better tomorrow.

It looks like Thursday is going to be the big day this week. I still have not talked directly with Dr. Fiorella, but Dr. Spetzler did tell me that they've picked Thursday to do the balloon angiogram AND coiling surgery. I told him that Dr. Fiorella had discussed separating the two procedures, but Dr. Spetzler said that he wanted the coiling to be done on that same day, so I'm guessing that will be the way things go. I'm sure that the two of them will get things figured out, and I should get everything officially confirmed by tomorrow. I just realized that Thursday is the one-month anniversary of when we arrived in Phoenix -- my how time flies when you're having fun!

Anyway, despite the magnitude of all of the surgeries that Jimmy has had so far, the coiling surgery on Thursday is the one that is actually meant to eventually reduce the amount of thrombosis around Jim's aneurysm and to help relieve the pressure and, hopefully, the symptoms that have been making him so sick. The coiling is designed to eliminate the blood flow through the basilar artery, which is where the aneurysm is located, now that the bypass was able to redirect the blood flow in such a way that he could survive having this artery occluded. Without the blood flow through the aneurysm, it is expected that the thrombosis (clotting) around that aneurysm will dissolve over time, thereby releasing the pressure currently being placed on Jimmy's brain stem. This is going to be a very complicated procedure as it is going to take a lot of coiling to completely occlude the artery due to its abnormal size. Although I don't know all of the details about the procedure, it sounds like it is expected to be very complex and challenging. They must make sure that no blood flow is allowed to seep around and find its way through the coils. A clip would have been much easier to do the job, but due to scar tissue issues, Dr. Spetzler was not able to access the area that he needed to reach to go that route. They also must highly heparinize Jimmy to thin his blood adequately for this procedure, so that can be very risky also. Once the procedure is done, they have to watch how the artery clots off and try to achieve the perfect balance between enough clot and too much, which can lead to stroke. So, it will be awhile before we know the success of the procedure.

Therefore, now is the time to spread the word for plenty of prayers for Jimmy and the doctors over the next few weeks. I think our 'break' is soon to be over, and Jimmy is going to have to be ready to once again do battle. He's going to need all those Superman powers, and then some, to get through it. So pray that God gives him super human strength and super human healing powers to help him through; and pray that he bless the doctors with the skill and knowledge to coax his body into doing what they want for it to do. Then finish up with praying for any road bumps along the way to be minor and something that Jim can overcome. His body has been through so much already, but he just can't be allowed to quit now. Endurance is key in this marathon, and God's love will prevail! We hope to see you all there with us at the finish line!

Love always,
Jimmy & Krissy

Day 3 - Post Brain Drain Surgery

Hi!

Well, today was a blissfully uneventful day ... I kind of needed one of those. Jimmy continues to be alert and actually seemed less confused. He still is most confused about where he is and why he is here, but he gets the answers correct some of the time. I guess if he needed to forget something, that would be the best thing to forget!

When I came in this morning, they had removed the drain that was put in when they did the surgery to drain the excess fluid from his brain last Friday. That was the next step needed to get the balloon angiogram done. It definitely sounds like that will be done this week, but I have not yet received a confirmed date or time. So, I will still have to wait to share that with you.

Jim did receive physical therapy today, which is always good to tucker him out so that he can sleep well at night. I would expect that he will be getting another swallow evaluation done soon, which if passed, will allow him to lose the feeding tube. He will be one happy camper when that thing is gone and no longer hanging from his nose! I really think that he should be able to pass enough to at least get back to the thickened liquids and pureed food -- let's hope so!

Jimmy continues to be adorable and one of the ICU 'favorites'. He is never at a loss for words, even if some of the ones he chooses are a little nonsensical at times, which helps to keep the conversation very interesting. He's doing a good job of keeping a smile on my face.

Bless everyone for always asking how I am holding up, but I am doing great -- as long as Jimmy keeps doing great! So, the big thing to look forward to this week is Jim passing that balloon angio with flying colors this time. The doctors are optimistic, but they need the proof before taking the next step. I guess by now you've all figured out what to pray for ... you're doing a great job! I'll be sure to let you know when I have more information and details. Be talking to you again tomorrow!

Love and blessings,
Krissy

Day 2 - Post Brain Drain Surgery

Hello!

I thought I would take a few pictures today now that Jim has decided to not sleep the whole day away! Even though this first photo isn't the most flattering angle, I wanted you to see that Jimmy's shiner is starting to heal and that he can even open that left eye a tiny bit. I'm very excited about this because last time it took being home for almost a month before it started opening.

Jimmy started his day with a surprise visitor -- his old boss from his Equitable Insurance days, Bob Herman, came to see him. The nurse and I were really impressed with how many people he could name from the 'old days'. They had a very nice time reminiscing. Dr. Fiorella also stopped in to see Jim and was very pleased with how alert he was. He said he was definitely good enough to go ahead and do the balloon angiogram and thought that mid-week might be the plan, depending on how the bleeding is tapering off from his last brain drain surgery. He also said that he felt that he has come up with a good plan for the coiling, so that is very reassuring! I'm guessing that will probably not take place until next week, even though Jimmy put in his two cents worth and suggested that they just do it all at once. Too bad for him that he doesn't get to make those decisions!

Obviously, today was a better day. Jim was much more alert. They've started him on a medication to keep him more awake during the day, which will help to get him back on a more normal sleeping schedule. He was still pretty confused and goofy, but that just made him more entertaining. The nurses are getting quite a kick out of him! Sometimes he rambles on totally nonsensically, and other times he's a real smart aleck -- he's definitely a talker! And he's still working on getting rid of his 'wristbands'. He is incredibly persistent!

Tonight he decided that he was determined to get up and out of bed, and he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. He hasn't had therapy for so long now that I took mercy on him and asked his nurse, Nora, if she thought that we could get him to at least sit up on the edge of the bed. She was pretty busy with her other patient, so Jimmy had to wait for awhile. Mr. Patience was not content with that, so he kept swinging his leg off the side of the bed and straining to pull his body off the bed. It was quite comical to watch him work so hard, and he kept asking for me to go get Nora. I just let him entertain himself with his quest -- I figured that the exercise was good for him after laying around in bed for the last nine days. He was so happy when he finally got his way and Nora came in with a team of other nurses to help him get up. The second picture is him smugly sitting up. Nora decided to give him a bit of his own medicine and use the opportunity to change his sheets that he had gotten all sweaty with his endeavors, and decided that he may as well stand up too so that she could do so. She wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer either...Yes, that's a look of sheer terror on Jimmy's face! But he did a really good job on those rubbery legs -- I'm hoping that he will get regular daily physical therapy this week to help build his strength. I'm actually amazed that he has gotten so strong again. I would say that he's caught up to the strength that he was at just before he had his bypass surgery...maybe even a little stronger. You should have seen him when they put him back to bed -- he went out like a light! I'm so proud of how well he's doing after such a tumultuous week. His naturally stubborn temperament is really an attribute when going through all that he has -- keep it up Superman! I am adjusting to being satisfied with baby steps, but it's always fun when he throws some bigger ones in once in a while.

I'm thinking that this might be a very interesting week as Jimmy waits for the next phase in his journey. The power of prayer is definitely making a statement with all that Jim has come through already. God is definitely with us all the way! And, even though this has been a much longer and more complicated ordeal than we ever expected, I am content to deal with it for as long as it takes in order to have the rest of our lives together happy and healthy! So, regardless of sounding like a broken record, thank you for ALL of your continued support and keep those prayers coming! I hope you all had as wonderful and interesting of a weekend that we did.

Love to you all!
Kris (with a "K", as Jimmy is now telling the nurses!)

Day 1 - Post Brain Drain Surgery

Hi again!

Here's another report on Jimmy's journey for those of you who are taking time away from your, hopefully, enjoyable weekend to check in. When I came in this morning, Jim had his bed turned to face the window and was nice and awake. He had had a good night and seemed quite alert. He was still a little confused as to exactly where he was, but he was getting most of the questions right. When he didn't know the answers, he would evade with questions of his own or mumble to try to throw me off. As most of you know, he's blessed with a silver tongue and is pretty good with steering a conversation. Unfortunately for him, we've been married too long for his charm to work on me! He also made a grand effort to get me to remove his wristbands, which is what he calls his 'reminders'. He did a very good job of shifting back and forth between pleading and pouting, but I just don't trust the sneaky little sucker! He's got way too many tubes to be yanked on to be trusted yet. When he can stop being confused, then we can remove the pesty wristbands.

Dr. Fiorella came in to check on him. He doesn't want to rush the coiling because they have to give him a heavy dose of heparin and probably aspirin to keep his blood very thin. Then they need to keep him on them for a few days after the coiling, so he wants to make sure that the temporary bleeding that is currently being drained from his head from yesterday's surgery is all done. Therefore, I don't think they will attempt anything before the latter part of next week. He also talked about doing the balloon angio first and then waiting a few days to do the coiling. It sounds like the coiling procedure will be quite intense. Because the vessels that they need to coil off completely are very large, it will require a lot of coils and very precise placement. It is difficult to place enough coils and in such a way that they don't allow any of the bloodflow to trickle through. Then they have to worry about managing the clotting so that it is done in the right places and not too much. So, more major stuff!

Just to make sure that I didn't get too excited and start to do my happy dance because of the vast improvement from yesterday, Jimmy decided to do his 'I'm too tired to wake up and respond' routine again. This started the red flags waving again and another barrage of tests -- all which came back negative...thankfully. I swear he'll do anything for attention. After four anguished hours of letting him sleep the day away, Jimmy woke up all perky and complaining again. I swear I'm going to be more wacky than him by the time we get through this!

Anyway, that's a synopsis of today's adventures. No doubt Jimmy will continue to keep everyone on their toes, so please gear your prayers for a continued successful recovery without any MAJOR complications -- and we'll just keep dealing with these curve balls that Jim keeps throwing. I'm doing my best to concentrate on the baby steps and to be satisfied with those for now.

So, please enjoy the rest of your weekend. I heard that you got some beautiful new snow last night -- I'm sorry (smile). Please pray that Jim can require a little less attention and that he can continue healing and getting stronger in preparation for his next big steps. Thank you, again, for your continued love and support. God bless you for sticking through this incredible journey with us.

Love,
Krissy

Surprise Surgery - Brain Drain

Surprise!

Well, while we were all getting geared up for the ballon angio/coil surgery, Jimmy decided to add another twist to the roller coaster ride. He's doing his best to keep things exciting!

Because Jim was a little quieter this morning than he had been yesterday, Dr. Fiorella decided to check on him again later before making the decision about whether to go ahead with the coil surgery today. When he came back later this morning, Jim was napping. We tried to wake him up and were having a very difficult time getting him to focus or be responsive. He (and I) were both very concerned, and he called the neuro team. They ordered a CT scan and found some excess fluid in the left side of his brain. Dr. Spetzler decided to do emergency surgery to go back in on the left side again and drain the fluid. Even though it didn't look like a whole lot of fluid, based on Jim's symptoms, he decided it was a necessary precaution. After two stressful hours, Dr. Spetzler came out personally to tell me that Jimmy did fine and that the bypass looked great...I just love that man! And I do believe that I'm married to Superman, although I wish he didn't have to show off so much -- I'm already impressed.

Depending on how Jim does over the weekend, they may still do the coil on Monday, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Dr. Fiorella will be keeping close tabs on him. Jim is quite the VIP around here! I'm beginning to learn that, no matter how much I would like to keep things moving along, God has His own plan and timeframe. Jimmy and I are just along for the ride, and neither one of us is being allowed to drive.

It took awhile for Jimmy to 'come to'. I would guess that three surgeries in three week's time would make the anesthesia wear off a little more slowly. He was pretty confused when he did start waking up, and he did forget that I am his wife again -- this is starting to get annoying! After awhile, he remembered and then followed up with a sassy, "duh!". Tomorrow may be an interesting day if he decides to keep the attitude.

So, I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend and that I have some good news to share with you when you check in on Jimmy. I will even be happy to put up with his crazy antics...at least for awhile. Maybe this surgery will help make his 'psychosis' get better. The nurse is going to turn his bed around so that it faces out the window when she brings him back from his follow-up CT scan -- just to give him some different scenery to look at. I just want him to get well rested and stronger again. I wonder how many surgeries Jim is going to rack up -- nothing is ever average or normal with my Jimmy ... He always has to make a production out of everything. I guess that's why we all find him so riveting. Stay tuned for the next exciting episode in Jimmy's journey, and God's blessings on all of us!

Praises & Prayers,
Kris

Day 6 - Post Bypass Surgery

Hi!
Today was another interesting day with my Jimmy. I came in this morning and he was sitting in his chair. He looked so cute that I had to take a picture. See him waving? I found out that, as I feared, Jim was awake most of the night. I'm a little paranoid about him getting his days and nights mixed up like he did five years ago. Sleep deprivation makes me cry a lot! He also had a new feeding tube in -- that makes two that he's pulled out...even with 'reminders'. He's a sneaky little bugger!

I guess that physical therapy came in early, unfortunately before I got there, and had him sitting on the edge of the bed. He said he was pretty weak, but I would expect that. That did seem to tucker him out a bit, so he took a short nap. He then stayed awake until I went to grab another yummy hospital cafeteria lunch. When I came back up, he was still awake and a little more goofy. The nurse was kind of concerned; the doctors seem to think that he's developing a kind of psychosis that is commonly associated with the steroid medication that he is on for the brain swelling. They also think that his long stretch of wakefulness throughout the night and day was a contributing factor. They gave him some morphine to knock him out and have ordered the nurses to refrain from waking him up for their assessments, except for certain ordered times. They want him to get some good uninterrupted sleep.

It was pretty interesting watching Jimmy 'wack out'. He became very strong and mobile, which I was a little pleased to see. He was really moving his legs around and even had one leg off the bed as he was determined to get up. He was very nimble with his hands as well, and I had to tie him down even while sitting right next to him. He kept going for that darn feeding tube -- which by the way runs from his nose, down the back of his throat, and into his stomach -- and was also trying to dislodge his catheter (ouch!). Have you ever heard of the term, "bound and determined"? Well, that's my Jimmy! He wasn't very happy with me, but he'll get over it. He's still a bit confused about his answers to where he is and why he's here, but he did refer to me as his 'lovely wife' today -- there are some perks to his quirky condition! He also wanted to use his cell phone and kept trying to get it out of his imaginary pocket. I did help him make a couple of calls to Mike, Rick, and my parents. His speech was pretty nonsensical and mumbly -- he knew what he was saying, but I was clueless! Anyway, as long as I can be assured that it's not something changing neurologically, I can find humor in his antics. I know they are keeping a close watch on him.

I went back to the hotel a little early as he was getting sleepy and I didn't want to tempt him to stay awake and chat with me. I was getting a little tired of arguing with him about his trying to 'make a break for it' anyway. As I am writing this, I just received a phone call from Dr. Fiorella, who will be doing the balloon angiogram/coiling tomorrow. He is going to take a look at Jimmy again in the morning and assess whether he is clear-headed and alert enough to be able to answer the questions that he will be asking during the balloon angio test. If so, they will probably go ahead and do the procedure/surgery later tomorrow morning. Otherwise, they will need to wait. I think there is a pretty good chance that they will be able to do it, because he's been able to answer the questions regarding how he is feeling without any problem, and those are the types of questions that they will be asking. Final decision goes to Dr. Fiorella and Dr. Spetzler -- I would say that they've done a pretty good job so far! Please be sure to send your prayers for a successful balloon angio test and coil installation without any of the scary potential complications. That would be very much appreciated (smile). It's time to call on all the angels once again!!

Gratefully,
Krissy

P.S. I am so excited to tell you that the 'pipeline gent' is doing much better. He suffered a small stroke that was in a bad spot, but he is regaining much of the strength on his left side that was compromised. He is still not out of the woods for another few weeks, but most of his thrombosis has already dissolved, so they are feeling much more optimistic. Even though this may not have been the best risk option for Jimmy, it is very exciting to see the wonderful results they are having with this new device. So please remember to keep him on your prayer lists as well -- thanks!

Day 5 - Post Bypass Surgery

I was able to take some pictures today. As you can see, Jimmy still has quite a shiner, but (believe it or not) the swelling has actually gone down considerably, and the right eye looks great. He's even able to close that right eye, which he hadn't been able to do since the first surgery, and he can sort of peek out of his left eye too. So things are definitely improving.

Jim surprised me by being much more alert when he was awake. He still slept away most of the day, but when he woke up, he would stay awake anywhere from a half hour to two hours -- considerably better than the very groggy 5 minutes I was getting yesterday!

As you can see by the bottom picture, Jimmy is showing off how much stronger he is getting. Even yesterday, he couldn't raise his left arm off the pillow. He's also able to move his fingers much more easily and is moving his legs considerably more than earlier this week. I would say that he is starting to turn the corner and has made good use of his time catching up on his sleep. He'll probably have his nights and days all mixed up before we go home again, but I don't even care right now.

Jimmy is still a little bit confused, but it seems to be different things that stump him up. I've

been told that this is common for anyone who has had a major surgery of any kind, let alone someone who has had their brain messed with -- twice! So, I'm not really concerned about it at this time. The big thing is that he is much less lethargic and seems to be on his way to catching back up to where he was prior to this last surgery. I am hopeful that he may be awake enough to possibly begin physical therapy tomorrow -- we'll have to see if the doctors will approve it or not.

From what I hear, it looks like the balloon angiogram/coiling is tentatively set to take place this Friday. It will depend on whether they feel he is responsive enough yet based on how he looks tomorrow. So I guess I will get the official word by the end of the day. That will be another very stressful day, but I am counting on a much more favorable outcome than the last balloon angio. I will let you all know the expected time so you can turn up the volume on your prayers during that period. I want to make sure that God can give Jimmy his full attention during that part!

So, today was a good day -- I like those best! We were in a bit of a stall for a few days, but I think it was really necessary for his body to recharge itself. Now he'll be ready to go on to the next step. I'm not sure what kind of recovery to expect from the coil that he WILL be having, as we have never been through this kind of procedure before. I'm assuming that it will be a little easier as it is considerably less invasive than open brain surgery. We will still need to pray for the avoidance of complications, but God is taking very good care of him so far. I have been amazed at the strength that Jimmy has shown and am SO proud of him! It is said that, "we take on the strength of that which we overcome." Well, with what Jim has overcome so far, I think we can start calling him 'Superman' -- even his brother, Bob, sent him a Superman t-shirt ... quite appropriate!

Tune in tomorrow night (or early Friday morning for you early-to-bed types) so that you can be ready to shout out your prayers if we need them on Friday! It's kind of interesting how all these events keep falling on Fridays, don't you think?? Anyway, sweet dreams (or good morning) -- I'll have more news tomorrow.

Love & Blessings,

Krissy

Day 4 - Post Bypass Surgery

Hello!

I had really hoped to have some good and interesting news to give you, but today was an extremely quiet day - literally! Jimmy proceeded to sleep the day away again, except for a handful of wakeful moments that lasted about five to ten minutes each. During those times, he was pretty lucid and was able to perform his motor skills with more strength. He is still having some confusion over where he is and why. He's doing a good job on the month and year and knows that Obama is President. He has surprised me with knowing the kids names, ages, and where they all are right now. I was pleased to find that he now remembers that I am his wife. He even showed a touch of humor when asked what I was to him and he replied, "the boss"... I hope he remembers that when we get back home!

The best thing is that he doesn't seem to be in any pain or real discomfort. He didn't need any pain medication all day. They did continue testing on him to look for any red flags. They did a CT scan in the morning and another in the afternoon, and both came out fine. They also did another EEG to rule out seizure activity, and that came out negative again. They did put him on a steriod medication to help with brain swelling, but I remember him being on that five years ago also. All in all, nothing scary is showing up. It's the proverbial "no news is good news". I'm starting to think that this is God's way of slowing things down a bit and giving Jimmy's body time to strengthen and heal before embarking on the next step of his journey.

It is my guess that the balloon angiogram and (hopeful) coiling will be put off for a bit, unless he makes a dramatic turnaround in the next couple of days. He needs to be completely awake and responsive for the balloon angio test so that they can know whether it is safe to coil the basilar artery or not. This is one test that Jimmy HAS to pass! I don't know if there are any other options if he doesn't.

I know that this is getting a little boring, but please don't lose interest. It's so important that I have all of your help in praying for Jim's success in the coiling procedure. I also know that once sleeping beauty decides to wake up, things are going to get real exciting again. Everything about Jimmy is always more interesting than expected, and he always manages to be right at the center of attention ... which is right where he likes to be! So enjoy the emotional break for now, but start warming up the prayer chains again for the upcoming events that are sure to come.

I am so happy to have my phone charger back! I felt so much better when I was able to use my blackberry again this afternoon. I didn't realize how dependent I was on all of your support until I had to go without it yesterday. The day was so much more difficult and emotionally trying for me when I felt all alone and disconnected. So please don't underestimate the part that you are all playing in this journey. We really need you, and you are God's gift to us. I will continue to save all your messages until Jimmy is ready to listen to them again, so that he can also draw strength from your words of encouragement and support.

It's going to be another early to bed night for me, which is probably good for my health too; although it never feels like enough. I can only imagine how poor Jimmy must feel! I didn't take any pictures today, because he just wasn't awake long enough to bother, but I will tell you that his swelling is improving. Either way, he looks beautiful to me!!

Good night, sweet dreams, and remember to say your prayers!

Love,
Krissy

Day 3 - Post Bypass Surgery

Me again!

Today was one of the more emotionally difficult days. Jimmy was very lethargic and unresponsive, which set off a whole bunch of warning bells for me. This top picture was taken at one of his few wakeful moments during the day. As you can see, he does not have a feeding tube coming out of his nose; that is because he decided to remove it earlier this morning! As you can see from the picture below, he did get it re-installed later in the day. He did manage to get his sticky little fingers around that one also, but I was able to pry them loose before he could pull it out again. Needless to say, Jimmy's "reminders" have been reapplied and securely tightened down. They are actually kind of handy, and I may just decide to bring them home with me if he doesn't start behaving.



Because he was so out of it, they hooked him back up to the EEG monitor (picture below) to see if he was having anymore seizure activity. It did not appear that he was. After that test was completed, the nurse and I tried to wake him up for his routine testing where he is asked to wiggle his toes, move his arms and legs, hold up two fingers, stick out his tongue, smile, and follow the nurses finger with his eyes. Then he is asked questions like, "what day is it", "where are you", "why are you here", etc. Although we did get him to follow the commands, albeit weakly, he was having difficulty with some of the questions. We got really nervous when he was having trouble deciding who I was. He did know my name, but at first he thought I was his doctor, and when I gave him a choice of whether I was his girlfriend, wife, daughter, or mother, he decided I was his girlfriend. I'm not going to let him get away with that just because he's not wearing his wedding ring right now! After that scare, I talked the nurse into ordering a CT scan. The scan did come back showing some changes in the distribution of the brain fluids, so they adjusted his drain and gave him some medication to help with that. They plan to do another CT scan in the morning, and if he's still so lethargic, they will follow it up with an MRI to see if the aneurysm is doing anything new. They are also checking his blood work to make sure that his kidney and liver counts are okay because that can sometimes make people confused.

Fortunately, the doctors don't seem to be panicking (and I'm trying not to). They think that Jimmy's lack of wakefulness and confusion are due to his post-surgery exhaustion. He's been through so much that they feel that he just needs a few days of restfulness to get his strength back. I guess I can buy that, but it's still a little bit scary to have your husband that confused! He did make up for it a little when asked the same questions and he responded that I was his 'hot wife'. I'll be really happy tomorrow if he can get all the questions correct!

I apologize for not being responsive to your emails and texts today. My darling Michael accidently took my phone charger home with him, so my blackberry died. He is overnighting it to me, so I hope to be reconnected to my lifeline by tomorrow afternoon. I will try to catch up then and maybe have some better news.

Understandably, it was a very emotionally draining day for me. Please send your prayers for renewed strength for both Jimmy and myself. The balloon angio/coil will probably be done more toward the end of the week, depending on how Jim is doing. They need him to be very responsive for that test/procedure. That will be another very big day as we need the balloon angio results to be totally perfect this time. I shudder to think of what other options they will have to come up with if the bypass isn't working well enough for them to be able to coil off the aneurysm. Please, please, please pray for positive results. Don't worry, my faith is still strong; I'm just feeling really wiped out at the moment. I'm definitely going to get to bed early tonight so that I can be strong for Jimmy tomorrow.

Love you all ...
Krissy

Day 2 - Post Bypass Surgery

Hello again!

Remember how I said I was afraid to be too optimistic too soon, well that's because I've been through this before and know how bumpy the road to recovery really is. As you can see from the pictures, Jim was a little more swollen today, which I expected. The good news is that he can now close his right eye again! The bad news is that it is pretty swollen and difficult for him to open. By the end of the day, though, the swelling was subsiding some and he was able to look at me a little more easily. He did say that his vision is pretty screwy, but I'm thinking that will improve.

I received two phone calls from the doctor last night -- always scary! It appeared that Jim may have suffered a small seizure. The nurse said that he was doing a repetitive motion with his right hand and that he wouldn't stop when asked and also wouldn't respond to her other commands. Dr. Wilson, one of the Neuro doctors, decided to tap his shunt. They found a lot of fluid in his brain, so the second phone call was for permission to install a drain into his brain. You can see that hanging off the top of his head. He feels that the shunt that was put in five years ago is no longer working and that it will probably need to be replaced at a later date -- another bridge to cross! Oh well, Jimmy had to have a 'brain drain' last time too, so I'm not overly concerned. He also had seizures with the previous bypass, so I am thankful that this one was short and mild, and it also brought the fluid build-up issue to the attention of the doctors, which was a good thing. Because of the trauma and the anti-seizure medication that they had to give him, he was pretty zonked out all day. This made it hard to evaluate how he was doing. They also found his blood count to have dropped quite suddenly and had to give him two pints of blood -- you should have seen how that freaked Michael out (Sheila, you never would have been able to take it!). So, quite understandably, he was pretty weak today; but at least he was still able to move everything ... just not with as much strength. He did improve some by this evening, so I am hopeful that he will do a little better tomorrow. They also decided to postpone his swallow evaluation for a few days, so they added in a feeding tube (the thing hanging out of his nose) until he can start eating again. That should also allow him enough nutrition to help him regain his strength more quickly.

It was very nice having the kids for the weekend, and I enjoyed sharing Valentine's Day with them (watching the NBA Jam Slam Dunk contest). They were in kind of a silly mood for this picture. I'm not sure why Rick decided to buy those ugly glasses, but there's a lot of things I don't understand about my kids! They all left for the airport together around 2:00pm this afternoon. Jim wasn't very responsive while they visited, but he did wave 'good-bye' to them, which made them smile.

During the time that they were all in the air, we were able to get him awake enough to try his speaking valve again. He hadn't even been trying to speak yesterday or earlier today; but he was moving his mouth better, so we decided to give it a try. His voice was very weak and pretty garbled as his tongue seems to not be working as well right now, but it was still great to hear him try. I could understand most of what he was trying to say. First, he asked me if the kids had gone. He also asked if Judy McStott had left too -- I think he might have been having some interesting dreams! Then he asked me what the doctors had to say. I don't think he remembered anything about last night's drama, but I think he knew that something had happened. He then told me that I looked good to him -- and I wasn't even fishing for a compliment! I told him that he looked great to me! So, while he was on a roll, I asked if I could have my Valentine's present. He serenaded me beautifully with "Brown Eyed Girl" ... just like I had asked! That right there was enough to make my day!!!! Later on I received a rendition of "Sweet Caroline" to top off the night. He obviously perked up as the day wore on.

So, even though Jimmy took a little step back, he finished out the evening by taking some baby steps in the right direction. Like I warned you all, this is not going to be smooth sailing all the way. Jim would never allow things to get that boring! Buckle up your seat belts, and hang on for a wild ride (although I'm hoping for an occasional 'coasting' day here and there). I did learn that his CT angio looked good, so they will probably try the coil later this week -- I doubt they will do it tomorrow as I think he needs a couple of days to catch back up. They will do another balloon angiogram to test the bypass before inserting the coil -- I REALLY hope the results from this balloon angio are MUCH more favorable than the last one!!! If not, I have no idea what the next step will be. This is the part where I ask you all to keep the prayers coming -- I swear we need them by the minute on some days! Tune in tomorrow for the next chapter of this much too real adventure story!

Lots of Love,
Krissy

P.S. I was informed that DJ Dave (Kriegler) dedicated "Brown Eyed Girl' and "Sweet Caroline" to Jim at the District 279 Foundation's "A Night Out" event last night. Thanks so much, Dave -- that really means a lot to both of us!