The Coronacation Diaries, Episode 77

Road Trip Edition #3: The Reason We're Here

I know a lot of you have been thinking of me and my family as we traveled, and sending good vibes and prayers our way. I know you've also been wondering about my dad --about what's going on, and how he is doing.

So, here is the whole story, posted with permission from my Dad. Almost two months ago, Dad got out of bed in the middle of the night to check on his terror cat (that I talked him into getting...I'm always going to feel a little bit guilty about all of this), and promptly passed out. He hit his head HARD on the door frame when he fell.

He went to the doctor in the morning, and was diagnosed with orthostatic hypotension, a condition that causes a drop in blood pressure when you stand up, resulting in dizziness or even fainting. The doctor checked him and cleared him for a concussion, reduced his blood pressure medication dosage, and sent him home. Dad learned to get up more slowly to allow the dizziness to pass, and although he still felt kind of off, he went on with his life, as much as he could under the Florida lock-down conditions.

But he was really struggling, more and more, with depression and anxiety, both from all of the losses and adjustments he's had to make in the last 10 years, and also from the incredible loneliness and stress of dealing with lock-down and shelter-in-place orders. He just couldn't emotionally feel okay, and he finally went to the doctor to start on some meds to help. But instead of feeling better, he was just feeling worse and worse. He was jittery, shaky, clumsy, and exhausted. He sounded horrible, like he was so tired he could barely speak. He decided to stop taking the meds and go in for an evaluation the day after Memorial Day because he just felt awful.

As soon as he walked into the doctor's office and explained his symptoms, they admitted him with suspicion of a stroke. He was transported to Advent Health in Tampa for testing and surgery. He had a fist-sized subdural hematoma (between the membrane and the brain), caused by the impact of hitting his head back in early April. The impact of the fall had caused a bleed that initially clotted, but then continued to bleed, putting pressure on his brain and causing a shift, which was causing the confusion, clumsiness, a lot of emotional distress, and extreme shakiness. The surgery was successful and a drain continued to drain the buildup of blood.

Unfortunately, because of the vacuum that was caused by the surgery and removal of the initial clot, a secondary bleed started and he had to go in for a second surgery two days later. That surgery found that the second bleed was an extradural hematoma, a bleed above the membrane. His surgeon cleaned out the second clot and said it looked great and there was no need for an additional drain.

Throughout it all, the nursing staff here at Advent Health has been amazing, fielding phone calls from all of us kids, as we checked in on Dad and demanded updates since we couldn't be here in person. My brother Justin drove over from Orlando for the first few horrible days to sit with Dad. My sister-in-law Kayla, a neuro nurse in Oklahoma, kept asking questions so that we could get answers and know what was going on. My sister Stephanie offered to drive down immediately. The nurses and the surgeon were incredibly patient with me as I called every morning and every night, asking for answers and updates and for them to hold the phone so that I could talk to Dad.


Today, I'm sitting here in ICU with my Dad, waiting for his transfer to a regular room to be complete. The surgeon came in and told him that his slight left-side weakness will go away with time and possibly some physical therapy, and that he is going to be back to normal very soon. His sense of humor is back; he insists they had to drill three holes in his skull because they couldn't find his brain the first time. He insists that scotch would be a much better beverage than Ensure, and that if they really want him to pee, they're going to have to bring him a pitcher of Bud Light. All of his lady friends have been texting him like crazy, and he can finally answer back. He kind of looks like Gerald McRaney with his head shaved, all dapper and grinning impishly.

Gerald McRaney

He will be here at the hospital in Tampa for a few more days, as they continue to monitor his progress. But we are going to get him back home very soon, and lecture him about trying to tough it out instead of getting medical help when he feels like crap. And after my brother and Michael and I get Dad settled back in his house, my carload will head back up North. The other siblings will come in from Oklahoma and Kentucky in shifts, to lecture Dad some more, and surround him with all of the love in the world. He is going to be so sick of family, he'll be begging for some alone time when we're all done with him. 
And to all of you who have held us and him in your thoughts, thank you so much for going on this journey with us and keeping us safe. You are loved.

TL;DR: Dad is transferring out of ICU and demanding some scotch. He's gonna be just fine.