Thank you for your outpouring of love and support!

Our entire family really loves hearing all of your well wishes, thank you! We haven't been able to read all of them to my mom yet but I am excited for her feeling a little better so we can do so. Thanks again! Keep them coming, I am creating a book for her so any notes will be nice to include.

Okay, for her progress report: Yesterday she fought through yet another invasive procedure. Before explaining what I know of her current condition let me explain further what they have done previously. I found this image online and obviously don’t know what I am talking about but I will explain to the best of my knowledge.

There are four main arteries that carry blood into the brain (fig a), Vertebral Arteries and Carotid Arteries; in whole the arteries of the brain are called cerebral arteries. Last week one of the procedures that were performed was where they went in and inserted two coils to shut down flow from the right vertebral artery. It was done in order to keep her from having an aneurysm at that location. Looking at the angiogram it was visible that this was one particular point that could be fixed. (fig b)

Currently, the MRI showed that the other arteries were spaziming, in order to keep them from closing and cutting off blood circulation to the brain they needed to do an angioplasty however, her vessels and arties are just too weak to do that. So, in order to help calm the spaziming arteries they insert a catheter (angiogram- fig c) and apply some steroid medicine to the affected spot. They were planning on doing this to the three other arteries, however, when they got inside they only ended up doing it to the other vertebral artery. The medicine only lasts for a few hours so this procedure will occur everyday until spaziming stops. The procedure has major risks (and is life threatening) every time they do it, however if the spaziming results in more strokes, another aneurysm or a hemorrhage then it can be fatal.

On a happier note, she is communicating a little more with her eyes today than in the past few days and moved her left arm and leg. This is really great!!!! It’s the small things in life that keep us going and give us the strength to endure.

Fig. A Fig. B

Fig. C

Figure A
http://www.stanfordhospital.com/clinicsmedServices/COE/neuro/stroke/patientEducation/whatIsStroke.html

Figure B

http://www.highlighthealth.com/health-news/chiropractic-adjustments-and-artery-dissection-is-your-neck-in-safe-hands/
· Carotid artery: a principle artery located in the front of the neck that carries blood from the heart to the brain. There are two carotid arteries — the right and left common carotid arteries — on each side of the neck.
· Vertebral artery: a principle artery located in the back of the neck that carries blood from the heart to the brain. There are two vertebral arteries that ascend on each side of the body through the spinal column. The path is largely parallel to, but distinct from, the route of the carotid artery ascending through the neck. Inside the skull, the two vertebral arteries join to form the basilar artery.

Figure C
http://www.vascularweb.org/patients/NorthPoint/Angiogram.html