Update on My Sister

 

***Update*** 12-04-10

 

My sister came home last night. No Rehab... straight home!

Thank you all who asked about her, much appreciated!

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My sister was in a car accident yesterday.

A deer came through the windshield on the driver's side.

Only half of the deer went out the back windshield.

This means most of her injuries were from the deer itself, which was inside the car.

She has multiple facial fractures, broken neck, broken wrist and a brain injury.

Every bone in her face has been fractured. We are hoping her eyesight can be saved.

Please keep her in your thoughts.

 

***Update*** 11-16-10

My sister is still heavily sedated, of course. She did  make it through wrist surgery yesterday. They corrected the compound fracture and her pinkie that was almost torn off.

Today they are starting to wean her off the sedatives and will replace with IV pain meds so she can start waking up.

She is being combative and they say it is from the brain injury. This really worries me. They had to strap her down because she was trying to pull the trach tubes out.

This morning they put her in a different bed that sits up more like a lounging chair and she seems more calm. They have her strapped so she won't pull any tubes out. I guess she was tired of laying in the bed. I am hoping that is a good sign but still worry about the brain.

The nurse said the CT doesn't show any brain changes, it is still swollen like when she first got there but it's not worse. The Neurosurgeon said it is a wait and see situation with her brain injury. When she starts waking up, they will start asking her questions and assess her brain function.

Oh my goodness I hope she has no brain damage.

They are doing facial surgery Friday. They are trying to wait for some of the swelling to go down. The surgery will be 5-7 hours. They will wire her jaw shut for 6 weeks, giving it time to heal. Her jaw is like mush right now.

I worry about the surgery as it will also involve her eyes. They will insert plates to help support her eye sockets, which are out of place right now. Blindness and/or double vision can happen, but I am trying to think positive.

Did I mention the deer that hit her was a 12-point, approximately 150 pound buck?

Prayers and healing thoughts are desperately needed.

Thank you all who have asked about my sister and are praying for her. It means so much to have your support.

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***Update*** 11-19-10

My sister just came out of a six hour facial surgery.

She has metal plates to support her eyes, her jaw is repaired and wired shut, her nose has been repaired and straightened, all fractures were repaired and her face is together again! We will have to wait to see about her eyesight and her brain injury. She has been sedated the entire time she has been there, since Sunday. They have not been able to do any brain function tests. We only know from the CT scans that the bleeding has stopped and the swelling is no worse.

The Doctors stressed that the next 3-4 days are very critical as she recovers from this major surgery. She is very swollen and the Doctors say it will get worse and the bruising has already started. But, the main thing is the surgery was a success, and they did it all in one surgery.

We were hoping she would wake up before the surgery for the brain functions test, but with her combativeness, they have had to keep her heavily sedated. It will be GREAT when I can actually talk to her.

Thank God they were able to put her face back together all in one surgery. They were not sure going in, if it could be accomplished.

She does have the tracheotomy and a feeding tube. And she is still considered critical and in the Trauma/Critical Care Unit. But we have to take this one step at a time.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. Please continue as we have a very long road still ahead.