Maddy is up and about again. She was supposed to move back to the regular floor right away but had a facial tick so they held her in ICU to do a few more tests. The spinal tap came back positive for the virus that causes chicken pox. I think I posted here that it was the herpes simplex virus, the one that gives you cold sores, that caused the viral meningitis. That information was apparently wrong. They are waiting for one more test to come back that will confirm this but I think we finally have an answer. Over the last few days Maddy has had a terrible headache. Sometimes up to a 10 in pain and she never says pain is a 10! She has been taking some heavy hitter narcotics to control the pain.
The doctors ordered an MRA, which is an MRI but with contrast so they can see the blood vessels in her brain (magnetic resonance angiography). Dr. Reddy, the neurologist, said the MRA is normal. All the blood vessels in her brain are right. He thinks the headache is a long lasting effect from the meningitis. It could last up to a month. He is going to give her a long acting med to help control it. It’s called Gabapentin and will take a few days to start working to alleviate the headache, but it is safer than the narcotics she has been using to control the pain. Especially if the stupid thing is going to last a month! He also said she should be fine to go to the regular floor. We just have to wait on Dr. Rolf to sign off on that, then hope a room becomes available soon. (update; as of 6:30 Saturday evening we have permission to move and are still waiting on a room to be available)
Honestly I have felt very safe with Maddy back in the ICU, but I know she would like the freedom of the regular floor where she is not hooked up to a hundred wires monitoring everything she does. Hopefully she will be able to get the last procedure she needs next week so we can get out of here. She is really tired of being in the hospital!
While I visited with her today, even through the pain of the headache, we were able to converse in a way that I have not been able to converse with her since she went in on June 8th. As she and I were talking it really felt like I have Maddy back again. The debilitating anxiety and fear are no longer bothering her. Not that she isn't anxious or fearful in any way, she still is, she is just facing those anxieties and fears like Maddy again. While she and I spoke about it she said “you mean I have my muchness back?” This is an Alice in Wonderland reference, I believe it sums up the situation pretty nicely. Maddy has found her muchness again and she is indeed going to behead the Jabberwocky!
The continued prayers are very much appreciated. On to the next chapter...
Carryover;
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