Update on dad: Good News!

Thanks everyone for their prayers, concern, and words of encouragement. Times like this it does make an enormous difference and I really appreciate it.

I spoke with Dr. Menon this morning at Sagar Apollo Hospital. She's really nice and gives me alot of detail and always answers her cell phone. Basically, he is doing better after 48 hours. He has shown no negative progress. His response time is quickening and all other parameters (blood pressure, kidney function, blood sugar) are normal. And best of all, there has been no extension of the stroke. He is not out of the woods yet though - he needs to be in the ICU for 72 hours to monitor his progress and watch for symptoms of another stroke. She said that at this point, it does not seem that he will need surgery on the carotid artery, as the stroke was due to a blood clot and not buildup of plaque. She said they did a Doppler scan of the artery and could not find any significant narrowing.

So he could be transferred out of the ICU in the next day and begin his recovery. His limbs, memory and speech recovery will be determined by the progress he makes today and tomorrow, so keep your prayers coming. She said that his speech comprehension has been affected most by the stroke, so this will take some time to recover, with speech therapy etc. Like I said yesterday, I can't imagine how frustrating this will be for him, for a man who is recognized and takes pride in his eloquence.

I managed to get a few hours of sleep last night. This morning, before I woke up, I had a dream. I dreamt that I was on the phone with my mom, who was in the hospital room. She was exhausted, but hanging in there, relieved to be by his side, and was giving me the update. In the background, I could hear the noises of the hospital room - the IV beeping, nurse chatting - and I heard my dad's voice. He was talking normally - sitting up in his bed and just wondering what all the fuss was about. I asked my mom "Is that dad?! Give him the phone!" And to my astonishment, my dad chided me (as usual) for being overly emotional and said "there is no problem, i'm fine, and can handle myself". Of course he can. So when I woke up this morning, that sick feeling was gone from my chest, and I felt relief, that he is going to be okay.

So everyone, keep checking the blog for updates. I'll let you know how it goes. With affection, Anitha