Hello everyone.
I hope this email find everyone doing well and beginning to enjoy the holiday weekend.
Many of you have asked for another update on my mom Monica and I know that I am VERY behind on providing another update; so I apologize.
Since my last update, my mom has undergone Spinal Surgery (that went well) and there was a possible case of NPH (Fluid around the brain) that the doctors wanted to look further into to see if it was causing some of the memory issues and loss of physical agility. After 9 weeks in a rehab center with no progress in physical rehabilitation, my mom was moved back to our home where we had nurses and physical therapists working with her to attempt to regain movement. Movement meaning she was no longer walking, couldn't use her left side, was having trouble focusing and now is having trouble swallowing.
In April; with NPH still being an option and a shunt possibility still needing a couple of opinions; it was discovered that the NPH is not the cause of her memory loss. But simply the fluid around the brain has been a response to the Alzheimer's attacking her brain tissue and the fluid has surrounded the remaining brain tissue as a protective measure. Therefore, due to her current state, it was recommended by four Neurologists and Neurosurgeons that we not proceed with the surgery. It was felt that she was not strong enough to get through the procedure and that it would most likely not offer a change in circumstance given the situation and her illness.
Over the past couple of months, my mom has declined steadily week by week. It is with a breaking heart that I write to all of you with a prospect of only having my mother with us for a few months more. Due to her illness, they are not able to exactly tell us how much longer we will have her here, but my brothers, dad and sister-in-law watch her daily and predict that it will most likely be no longer than 5-6 months at most. Within one week alone, she has gone from slightly turning her head at times and sometimes swallowing her food, to now almost catatonic and unable to swallow food at all. We are able to keep some fluid in her and will most likely go to IV shortly.
I am sure all of you (especially those that have experienced the loss of a loved one yourselves) know how incredibly hard this is for my family and I. We are watching someone we love SO VERY MUCH decline as we all feel helpless to help her.
I would like to personally request prayer for my family. For my mom first and foremost-that no matter what happens over the next couple of months, she feels and experiences the love we have for her and that God remains ever so close to her heart; For my dad, who has been with my mom since they were 14 years old-that he have the strength emotionally and physically to get through this straining time. He has never left my moms side for a second this entire time; Nathan, who has seen this illness take control of my moms life and effected our family dramatically since he was only 5 years old (he is now just 17)-please pray for his heart; Ryan and Brittany (brother and sister in law) who have been with my mom taking care of her daily and the hardship it has put on them and their new family-but they have done everything for the her selflessly; Haley (my almost 2 year old niece) that she remembers her Oma with love and affection because my mom LOVESSSSS her and couldn't WAIT to have a grandchild; and last but not least, me- I'm just purely missing my mom and my heart is breaking.
So with all of this said, thank you for keeping our family and my mom in your thoughts and prayers. The Schuster's appreciate it more than you know.
Thank you.
Sonya
*please feel free to ask me any questions or forward this on to anyone you feel necessary.
No comments:
Post a Comment