Some very exciting news! Dr. Whitehead was released from the hospital last Friday. He's now happily home and enjoying time with his friends and family, including his VERY talkative 15-month old son.
The night before his release Dr. Whitehead had some swelling that slightly concerned the doctor, but a CAT scan showed that the swelling was "unremarkable." His release wasn't stopped or even slowed down and he left the hospital Friday afternoon.
Dr. Whitehead is continuing to heal from his procedure. He's been getting headaches (understandable) and tires easily. His eye still won't open on its own and that's causing problems like unsteadiness and poor depth perception. But on the positive side, he's much more comfortable in his own home and even cooked breakfast this weekend!
So far that's the most updated news. He has an appointment with his doctor on Friday so you might get some more information then.
Thanks!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Progress
Today is Thursday and there is good news to report about Dr. Whitehead! He seems to be doing better each day and currently has a much smaller bandage around his head. He's eating well (which is relative considering he's eating hospital food) and is sitting up and getting up on his own. He's been walking around the hallways of the hospital and even up/down the stairs (with assistance). He was moved from the ICU to a regular room on Monday...definite improvement!
The palsy in his right eye is still there, but Dr. Whitehead was able to open that eye slightly on his own the other day, which the doctor said could be a good sign (but to not over work it).
It's looking like Dr. Whitehead might be released from the hospital Friday (tomorrow)! Keep those fingers crossed and the prayers coming!! He's anxious to be home and to see the baby.
That's it for now! Thanks for following along!
The palsy in his right eye is still there, but Dr. Whitehead was able to open that eye slightly on his own the other day, which the doctor said could be a good sign (but to not over work it).
It's looking like Dr. Whitehead might be released from the hospital Friday (tomorrow)! Keep those fingers crossed and the prayers coming!! He's anxious to be home and to see the baby.
That's it for now! Thanks for following along!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Surgery Update
Dr. Whitehead was in surgery for almost 11 hours on Friday, January 2, 2009. Luckily, the surgeons were able to extract most of the GIANT (their word, not ours) tumor from his brain. Unfortunately, due to the nature of tumor growth and behavior, the surgeons were not able to get all of it out and tiny bits remain in his noggin. There is a small but very real chance that the tumor may regrow, but in the coming months he will be monitored closely to check for any regrowth.
Dr. Whitehead came through the surgery really well and was coherent and witty (as usual) after coming out from the anesthesia. Part of the tumor that the surgeons were unable to get was wrapped around Dr. Whitehead's cranial nerves. They left a chunk around the 3rd Cranial Nerve, the nerve that controls eye/eyelid movement. That nerve is somewhat temperamental and when disturbed will stubbornly stop working. As of now, Dr. Whitehead is unable to open his right eye because the 3rd Cranial Nerve was moved during surgery. The doctor referred to this as a palsy and said that it may right itself without any medicinal interference, but that will take a reeeaaalllyy long time. The doctor also said it may never go away and Dr. Whitehead will have a permanently closed right eye. For now, we're hoping that the 3rd Cranial Nerve will have nice rest and come back stronger than ever! On the plus side, Dr. Whitehead retained his vision in that eye. Now if we could just get it open...
Currently, Dr. Whitehead is in the ICU and is doing extremely well. He's eating like normal (well, as normal as hospital food can be considered) and is in good spirits. He's joking around and seems to be his usual self, but with a head bandage. He's been getting headaches (which is understandable seeing as they poking around inside his skull) and they've been giving him morphine to curb the pain. He's also had a REALLY BAD case of the hiccups!! We tried pineapple juice (little known cure for the hiccups?) and they worked initially, but they're back with a vengeance. The nurses administered some sort of medication to stop them from happening, but it hasn't worked yet. Keep your fingers crossed.
Dr. Whitehead has been trying to get some sleep in between examinations and hiccups, but, unfortunately, the hiccups have been keeping him awake. He's also black-and-blue from the surgery, which is completely normal and will heal soon.
That's the latest and greatest on Dr. Whitehead! Please check back soon for more updates! Feel free to leave comments!
Dr. Whitehead came through the surgery really well and was coherent and witty (as usual) after coming out from the anesthesia. Part of the tumor that the surgeons were unable to get was wrapped around Dr. Whitehead's cranial nerves. They left a chunk around the 3rd Cranial Nerve, the nerve that controls eye/eyelid movement. That nerve is somewhat temperamental and when disturbed will stubbornly stop working. As of now, Dr. Whitehead is unable to open his right eye because the 3rd Cranial Nerve was moved during surgery. The doctor referred to this as a palsy and said that it may right itself without any medicinal interference, but that will take a reeeaaalllyy long time. The doctor also said it may never go away and Dr. Whitehead will have a permanently closed right eye. For now, we're hoping that the 3rd Cranial Nerve will have nice rest and come back stronger than ever! On the plus side, Dr. Whitehead retained his vision in that eye. Now if we could just get it open...
Currently, Dr. Whitehead is in the ICU and is doing extremely well. He's eating like normal (well, as normal as hospital food can be considered) and is in good spirits. He's joking around and seems to be his usual self, but with a head bandage. He's been getting headaches (which is understandable seeing as they poking around inside his skull) and they've been giving him morphine to curb the pain. He's also had a REALLY BAD case of the hiccups!! We tried pineapple juice (little known cure for the hiccups?) and they worked initially, but they're back with a vengeance. The nurses administered some sort of medication to stop them from happening, but it hasn't worked yet. Keep your fingers crossed.
Dr. Whitehead has been trying to get some sleep in between examinations and hiccups, but, unfortunately, the hiccups have been keeping him awake. He's also black-and-blue from the surgery, which is completely normal and will heal soon.
That's the latest and greatest on Dr. Whitehead! Please check back soon for more updates! Feel free to leave comments!
Introduction
Hello followers of Dr. Whitehead from CSULB and beyond!
Due to the nature of his illness, Dr. Whitehead will initially be unable to personally respond to emails, phone calls, and other forms of communication. We, the members of Dr. Whitehead's family, thought it would be a good idea to start a blog in order to keep all of his well-wishers updated all at once. Please check back every-so-often to see what's going on with Dr. Whitehead and to keep up with his recovery progress.
Dr. Whitehead wanted you all to know how much your support and prayers have meant to him in his hour of crisis. Thank you for all of your uplifting and get-well-soon thoughts! Keep 'em comin'!
Due to the nature of his illness, Dr. Whitehead will initially be unable to personally respond to emails, phone calls, and other forms of communication. We, the members of Dr. Whitehead's family, thought it would be a good idea to start a blog in order to keep all of his well-wishers updated all at once. Please check back every-so-often to see what's going on with Dr. Whitehead and to keep up with his recovery progress.
Dr. Whitehead wanted you all to know how much your support and prayers have meant to him in his hour of crisis. Thank you for all of your uplifting and get-well-soon thoughts! Keep 'em comin'!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
