Please say a prayer for Gini. Surgery Tuesday. Updated 6/12/09

brshooter · 05-17-2009, 09:54 PM

As some of you know, my wife Gini has been having some health issues over the years. Some of it related to a brain tumor 24 years ago and the related treatments used at that time. Earlier this year, Gini had a bleed in her brain due to the development of cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

She was also diagnosed with osteomyelitis on the skull. This is an infection that has penetrated the bone tissue. The area affected is where she had the original brain tumor surgeries and was also heavily targeted on the subsequent radiation therapy.

Because of the irradiated tissue and the compromised blood flow to the bone in that area, it was determined that surgery was the best option. This Tuesday, Gini is having surgery up at OHSU to remove a piece of her skull estimated to be about the size of a baseball. That could vary when they get in there. They must remove as much of the infected bone as possible. The reconstructive team will then come in and do their part. This will involve covering the brain with muscle and fascia from her abdominal wall and also from her back/ribcage area. The skin and blood vessels to cover this will come from the front of her left forearm and wrist area. Then they will do a graph from her thigh to cover the wound on her arm. The surgery is estimated to last between 8 � 10 hours.

Depending on how the healing goes, they hope to do another surgery in 6-12 months to insert a plate in her head to protect her brain. Until then, she will need to wear a really stylish helmet.

Gini has been true inspiration to me. God has continued to give her the grace, strength, and courage to handle all of these health issues. She has never asked �Why Me?� She just takes it in stride and finds strength in her faith. Let me tell you, she handles it far better than I do. It just tears me up to see her go through one thing after another.

I would like to ask all of you to again keep Gini in your prayers as she faces this difficult surgery. And if you have any extra to throw my direction, please ask our Lord to help me be the loving and supportive husband she needs.

Thank you and God bless.

Ryan Pultz · 05-18-2009, 03:46 AM

we will be praying rp

MsOutdrs · 05-18-2009, 04:36 AM

Boy, oh Boy...your wife is one tough lady. Best to her for continued improvement and for everything to be fixed so no more.

HntnFsh · 05-18-2009, 05:10 AM

Praying for all involved.You,Gini,family,and Doctors.

letsfish · 05-18-2009, 05:34 AM

Bill,
I will be praying for you both. Keep us informed!
Jim

Don Becker · 05-18-2009, 06:37 AM

and very best wishes for you both as you go through this. Don

CGRFish · 05-18-2009, 06:55 AM

Will be praying

Grantspastor · 05-18-2009, 07:40 AM

I'm praying

CATCH AND EAT · 05-18-2009, 09:06 AM

Absolutely Bill. She is a tough lady and we will pray for God's protection and your strength during this time.

Sweet Melissa · 05-18-2009, 12:48 PM

DAB · 05-18-2009, 03:31 PM

Praying for your Wife

and you.

DAB

Lou · 05-18-2009, 07:04 PM

STGRule · 05-18-2009, 08:04 PM

All the prayers you both need.

Pete · 05-19-2009, 05:52 PM

Billy, Gini has been on my mind and in my prayers all day. I look forward to hearing good news my friend.

Jennie@ifish · 05-19-2009, 06:09 PM

I've been praying hard all day and keep checking everywhere for updates. I'm so afraid, but yet at the same time, I know she is in the Good Lord's hands with so many people praying for you guys.

Please, when you get a chance, let us know. I am waiting anxiously.

brshooter · 05-20-2009, 12:15 PM

Sorry, I don't have time a lot of time so I will post the updates I sent to family and friends.

I want to thank everyone for the prayers and words of encouragement. They have been much appreciated. Been using some of those prayers up so please keep them coming. God bless all of you.

5/19/09 6:45 pm

I just talked to the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. Gini is out of surgery. They had their hands full with some blood loss. Both doctors referred to it as �dicey�. She received 7 units of blood and required some special attention to keep her blood pressure in check. They had to stop after 9 hours. She is stable and they say she is doing fine. She still has a breathing tube in and will be sedated over night in ICU. They will start to wake her up tomorrow and get the breathing tube out as long as all is good. They want to watch her lungs closely after that much fluid is received.
The piece of bone removed was about 3� in diameter. They used muscle from her abdominal wall to cover the brain and then uses the original skin flap on her head. They did not need to take tissue from her arm. They did take some blood vessels from her arm for plumbing the new muscle into arteries in her neck. After she is stable and some of the swelling goes down, they will do some more grafting on her head to finish closing the wound. They did not want to do any more tonight with her condition as it was.

I should be a be able to go see her in shortly.

Thanks so much to everyone for the prayers and support. They have been so appreciated by both Gini and I.

I will keep you all updated.

***********************

5/20/09 11:30am

Here is this morning�s update.

I went home a got a bit of sleep last night. Came in this morning and they have Gini off the respirator and she is awake. She is not hurting too bad and is not requiring pain medication. She is drinking lots of juice and communicating. This is all good.

All has appeared good until Gini said to me �I still can�t see you�. Now people had noticed she was having trouble tracking, but she had not mentioned that she was unable to see. The neurosurgeons were called in. She is good at answering all the questions and is not really disoriented. A little confused about left and right. Her movement is good and symmetrical. They don�t believe it is due to any swelling on the optic nerve. That leaves the options of either a stroke or complications due to the loss of blood pressure during surgery. They are leaning more toward the second option due to her reactions. They are getting ready to take her off for a CT scan. At this point, they don�t know if the deficit is permanent or not.

Thanks to all for keeping Gini in your thoughts and prayers. I just ask that you keep them coming. We are not out of the woods yet.

I will let you know what I hear.

Ryan Pultz · 05-20-2009, 09:40 PM

I will be praying for her and you in this time of recovery! Rp

letsfish · 05-21-2009, 06:17 AM

Continuing to pray!!

CGRFish · 05-21-2009, 06:43 AM

Praying

Keeper · 05-21-2009, 08:13 AM

DAB · 05-21-2009, 04:36 PM

brshooter · 05-21-2009, 04:53 PM

Not a lot to report today. Not much change for Gini. She is still in the ICU Trauma unit at OHSU but is stable. They installed a feeding tube as she has not been able to eat much on her own. They installed a pick line under her right and removed the temporary line from her groin. She has shown periods of being more alert today. She seems able to understand some questions. Answering is a bit more difficult but she can get short responses out. She still has no vision.

The new flap on her head is looking good and healthy. It appears to be doing well. Not sure when they are going to finish it. Bigger fish to fry first. The neurosurgical team was in to check on things. They are going to set up more imaging. Not a lot to report from them. Right now, it is just a waiting game to see what is going to happen and how severe the damages of the ischemic stroke are. They still can�t tell me what to expect. I think that is the hardest part.

Again, thanks to everyone for the prayers and support. It means so much to us.

HntnFsh · 05-21-2009, 05:43 PM

Thank You for the update.

We will continue to keep you all in our prayers.

CATCH AND EAT · 05-22-2009, 12:50 PM

Bill, I just prayed that Gini would recieve the healing needed and that she would regain her eyesight. I'm so sorry you both are going through this and it has to be especially tough on you seeing the woman that you love in such a delicate state. Your ifish friends will continue to pray for her complete healing and for you, the strength to help her through this.

God bless you both.

Bernie

brshooter · 05-22-2009, 09:52 PM

Great news tonight. They have moved Gini out of the ICU Trauma unit. She had a good day. She was more alert and continued to communicate better. The sense of humor is definitely on the way back. She had some friends and family stop by for visits today. She ate some real food because she hates that feeding tube in her nose and wants it out. Still not seeing anything but she is making progress.
It was a good day!
Thanks again to everyone for the outpouring of prayers, love, and support. We are truly blessed.

brshooter · 05-24-2009, 02:43 PM

I got up and went to early Mass this morning. Then Gini�s brother, Joe, and I headed up to the hospital to see Gini. We got there to find her in a chair. No more Doppler on her neck. No more catheter. She still has a feeding tube but they are not using it. She ate all her breakfast and the nurse said if lunch and dinner go good today, it will come out before she leaves at the end of her shift. Other than that, she is still getting oxygen and has her PICC line in.
Her eyes are tracking much better today. She had no problem telling me that I had a green shirt on. Her brother Joe was wearing a pale blue shirt and she said it was light grey. I�ll take that. She says the detail is better but can vary.
She has a MRI scheduled today sometime. Other than that, I don�t really know what the plan is. I know they are going to need to do a skin graft on her head, but I am not sure when that is planned. I assume some time with physical therapy and home health. We are really not sure what the plan is. For some reason, some of the doctors wanted to enjoy a Memorial Day weekend. It may be the first of the week before they all get to talk and come up with the plan.
I am just so excited to see this much improvement in Gini. We are going to be just fine.
Thanks so much to everyone again for all the prayers, love, kindness, and encouragement. It has been our strength. Gini even had someone from our church bring her Holy Communion this morning.

HntnFsh · 05-24-2009, 03:31 PM

Thats awesome news.Brought tears to my eyes.

It helps reinforce to me the power of prayer and God!

God Bless all of you.We'll keep praying for more improvement.

Thumper · 05-25-2009, 04:42 AM

Lou · 05-25-2009, 08:56 AM

Glad to hear the good news.

CATCH AND EAT · 05-25-2009, 08:19 PM

Yes!

brshooter · 05-26-2009, 07:56 PM

Gini continues to improve. More surgery tomorrow to complete the graft on her head. The cortical blindness is still a big factor. What vision she has is very inconsistent and unreliable. Lots of physical therapy today. Trying to evaluate whether we do inpatient rehab or at home rehab. Thanks again to everyone for the prayers, support, and words of encouragement.

trap50 · 05-31-2009, 03:30 PM

Just saw this thread today. Our prayers and best wishes are with you folks.

Couch angler · 05-31-2009, 04:45 PM

This is the first that I heard about this also. I'm happy for the great strides Gini Has made. You both have a wealth of love and prayers showering you. Peace.

Mike

brshooter · 05-31-2009, 08:11 PM

Hi Everyne,
thanks so much for the prayers, support, and words of encouragement. I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support we have received. My neighbors have been so wonderful. I came home yesterday to see that a group of neighbors had done a work party around the house. Lawn mowed, Gini's flower beds and garden weeded, new bark dust, a freshly made bed, clean dishes, folded laundry. I was without words. I am truly touched by such a display of kindness.

Gini is doing better. her mobility is improving. The vision is really the biggest obstacle for her right now. She is able to see more and more now. She will randomly see a sign on a door or maybe an exit sign down the hall. She tries to pick an object and focus on it. Then walk at it. This helps her walk in a straight line. If she looks away at all, she has to find it all over again.

After 13 days at OHSU, she is moving to The Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon (RIO) at Good Sam Hospital. She will be there 2-3 weeks. Gini really wanted to go home, but we both know that this is a necessary step for her if she is going to regain some independence.

Thanks again to everyone for the prayers and support. It means so much to us. Our Lord continues to look after us and has surrounded us with wonderful and caring people to help us along the way.

Fast Water · 05-31-2009, 10:06 PM

Bill,

Our prayers and thoughts are with Gini and your family. She obviously has great strength and determination.

DAB · 06-01-2009, 03:28 PM

brshooter · 06-04-2009, 02:44 AM

Gini continues to improve. Today, we had a meeting with all of her therapist and her doctor to get feedback on her first two days at rehab. They were all impressed with her attitude and work ethic. This should be of no surprise for anyone who knows Gini.

Her day consists of several sessions of occupational, physical therapy, speech, cognitive, and recreational therapy. She gets a bit of time around lunch and then is done around 4pm. A pretty busy day. She was really tired on Tuesday, but felt like a champ today. After her last physical therapy session, she asked “Is that all?”.

Her vision is getting better every day. Her field of view is a very small tunnel. Pretty much straight ahead. Maybe a bit left of center. She is learning how to scan a room and get oriented in it. Probably the biggest issue to her vision is the loss of depth perception. That causes quite a bit of instability in her walking as she doesn’t know how far or close something is. It seemed better today. When she eats, sometimes she would pretty much miss the plate with her fork. Tonight, she was stabbing her cherry tomatoes and sliced zucchini like a champ. Aside from her vision, Gini said “I don’t feel like there is anything wrong with me”.

After her last session and before her dinner, we went down to the healing garden. It was nice for Gini to get some fresh air and catch some sunshine. She was reading most of the signs on the plants. Then when we were upstairs in a lounge area that looked to the NE, she could see the flags on the Freemont bridge. She saw a bird flying and was able to spot it when it landed on the room of a building 6 blocks away. She spotted a helicopter flying and then she even saw an airplane taking off from PDX. I was amazed.

Every day has added new milestones to her recovery.

There was actually talk, if things continue the way they are, that she could be discharged as soon as Friday, June 12th. The other option is a trial weekend at home and then discharge on Tuesday, June 16th. I better get busy. She will be home in no time. That day won’t come soon enough for me (or for Jagger and the cats). We are already talking party time.

All the prayers are working. Gini is a living miracle in my eyes. Through all of this, her spirit and determination are unstoppable. I hear of some people questioning their faith as to why do things like this happen? In our case, I think it just reinforces how important our faith is to us. Our faith, combined with the prayers of so many, the support, and the words of encouragement are getting us through this. We are going to be fine.

Thanks to everyone for being in our lives.

letsfish · 06-04-2009, 06:45 AM

Great news!! Thanks for the update, she's getting back in the swing of things!

Don Becker · 06-04-2009, 11:35 AM

We've all been following this and praying for Gini. Thanks again for the update.

and best wishes that the progress continues. Don

Fast Water · 06-04-2009, 10:38 PM

This is wonderful to hear!

brshooter · 06-13-2009, 06:50 AM

Sorry I am so far behind on the updates. Very long days trying to juggle a full time job in McMinnville and hospital time In NW Portland. That schedule is almost over though.

Gini gets a day pass tomorrow. Yeah!!!!!! And Sunday!!!!

I go in for some more training tomorrow morning on how they want me to help her. Then we are off for the day. Going to bring her home and see how she gets around the house. Make sure the bathrooms are ok and shower grab bars are ok. Just have to check things out and see if there are any specific areas we need to work on. I will take her back for Saturday night. Then as long as all goes well, I can take her again on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday will be spent going over any issues we encountered at home. Then, as far as we know, Tuesday is come home day.

I think #1 on Gini�s list isjust some time with her dog and cats. They are going to go nuts.

I�m sure lunchand dinner away from the hospital will be great. The food at Good Sam is nothing like OHSU or St. V�s. The food alone is a good incentive to get better.

Gini is progressing very well. The vision is still the biggest issue. It continues to show signs ofimprovement.Her spirit continues to be unbreakable. In the meetings I have been to with her doctors and therapist, they all comment on her positive attitude and work ethic. They have all give great progress reports.

We went to OHSU on Wednesday. Got an excellent report from the reconstructive surgeon. The flap and skin graft is doing well. They really don�t need to see her for two months. We did get a prescription for a helmet for Gini. She got it today. Looks mostly like a hockey helmet. I�ll have to get some pictures. J

I�ll give an update to let you all know how the weekend went. We are really excitedto get to this point. The journey is far from over, Gini has made great improvement.

Again, I don�t know how we could do any of this without the love of our Lord and the kindness of our family, neighbors, and friends. Everyone has been fantastic in so many ways. The help aroundthe house, helping me withsome of the remodeling to be done, helping me find a carpet man, the wonderful meals, watering Gini�s garden, visits to see Gini. But themost important thing is just the prayers,love,and support of so many people. We have been so blessed. A heartfelt thank you to all.

Jennie@ifish · 06-13-2009, 04:19 PM

I'm so happy for Gini and you! I can't wait to see you guys.

PapaHog · 06-17-2009, 08:56 AM

Still praying for you both.

CATCH AND EAT · 06-22-2009, 07:38 AM

Bill you should know that we are not only praying for Gini but we are also praying for you. This has certainly taken a toll on you with the stress and worry you have had.

We continue to pray for Gini's healing and that it be complete. God is blessing her work toward recovery and her positive attitude is inspirational. Blessings to both of you for your faith.