Background and Status as of 4/25/07

A little personal background first - If you didn't know, my mom's name is Brenda Westbrook. She is 58 years old. My dad, Lee Westbrook, is 59 years old and retired from TXU Electric about 3 weeks ago. My sister, Mary Nanny, works as an RN at Harris downtown in labor and delivery but spent about a year in the Neuro ICU. With this background, she has been an incredible help to us and the medical personnel.

Last Thursday (4/19), my mom suffered a brain bleed of unknown cause, which was preceded by a few weeks of sporadic migraine headaches. Dr. Diana Wilson performed brain surgery last Friday in which she removed the blood, found and removed an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which could have contributed to or caused the initial bleed, cauterized any bleeding areas, and removed a portion of the skull to permit some cerebral swelling. Yesterday (4/24), another doctor performed an arteriogram (much like an angiogram), in which they discovered that the bleeding issues and malformations had been well taken care of. However, they detected something called diffuse cerebral vasospasms, which means that vessels throughout her brain are spasming. The down sides of this are (1) potential restriction of overall blood supply, and (2) pain similar to a migraine. They are perplexed about this issue, because it is not typically associated with her other issues, and they are attempting various treatments at this time. There is not a surgical treatment. The treatments they are trying will take several days, and she will remain mostly sedated and tubed, with restricted visiting hours and us not wanting to agitate her condition unnecessarily. The spams could be the result of a specific condition called vasculitis, or they could just be spasms. They are testing trying to figure this out.

So, the long and short of it is that we are in a holding pattern seeing whether the current treatments will be effective for the new issues. There are a number of things the doctors are pleased with, and they are continuing to work to eliminate each issue. Mom will likely remain in Neuro ICU for at least 2-3 weeks. It seems every part of these conditions can change fairly quickly. I and my family appreciate your concern and your prayers throughout this time. Fortunately, my family doesn't merely believe in God - we believe God, and we are content that all of us, including mom, are resting in His compassionate, sufficient grace.