all rather than having it interpreted differently along the way then passed on to others incorrectly.
Regards,
Harris family
The return of the test results were bad enough to cause worry in the Harris camp, but the positive news was that the doctors knew more about the damage that had been done and felt they could fix it. I had sustained two broken neck vertebrae and major ligament damage to the base of my skull, which was enough to warrant panic – they decided a serious procedure was in order.
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Hi all,
We spoke to the orthopaedic surgeon tonight and she confirmed from the MRI that there was ligament damage at the base of Scott’s skull.
The ligament has torn away from the bone and has left a fracture in C5 and C6 vertebrae. The way forward now is to place a ‘halo’ around his head attaching it to his skull and this will in turn be attached to a body harness of sorts to hold his head and neck secure until the damage repairs. This procedure will be done tomorrow morning and the halo will stay on for some six to twelve weeks. In the event that the damage does not heal, then fusion will be the next option. Fusion would require the joining of a couple of vertebrae close to his skull which would in turn cause some restricted movement but not severe. At this stage
once this has been done they will then turn their attention to gradually waking him up and hopefully removing the breathing tube. What they don’t want to do is remove it and then find that they have to reinsert it. I guess we are now buckled in for the long haul. Goodnight all.
Regards,
Harris family
Everyone wanted updates, but it was very hard to provide them when not much was happening. Vic didn’t want to just put down verbal diarrhoea in his emails, so until anything happened, there was not much he could say.
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Hi all,
Guess you have been wondering where the updates have gone. Sorry, but sometimes it’s a little hard to keep upbeat when there’s not a lot happening. For the past few days Scott has been a little stubborn. Not wanting to do the things that we want in the time frame that would suit us. He has appeared to be well and truly in a world of his own, doing as he wants when he wants. Today we were greeted with a nurse that told us that she had not witnessed any responses during her shift and that left us a little despondent. She then indicated that the neurosurgeon was thinking of doing an MRI but would need to take the halo off because the metal frame would interfere with the X-ray machine etc. Another set back.
Well, tonight Deb and I decided to treat ourselves to crayfish at the Old England Hotel and let Nicole and Cliff do the visiting. Well, it’s as though he doesn’t want us there because he decided in our absence to do his little tricks. That’s right. Scott does what he wants when he wants. The neurosurgeon came in coincidently at the time of Nicole’s
visit and asked her to give Scott a few commands. Scott accordingly responded in a way that gave the surgeon encouragement, who then stated that we just need to give him more time. So tonight we are back on the positive pills and looking forward to the coming days in a different light to earlier on. Fingers crossed we’ll experience a little more of these encouraging signs in the days ahead.
Regards,
Harris family
The hardest thing about being in a stable position at that point was that if another trauma patient came in, BOOM, straight down the list you went. In some cases, this was a blessing in disguise. In my case, it definitely was because it meant that a tracheotomy was delayed and eventually called off. If it wasn’t for the trauma that was going on in the world that day, I would be sporting a memorable scar on my throat that would remind me of something I wouldn’t even remember.
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Hi all,
Today has been our best to date. When we arrived Scott was propped up in bed with the breathing tube removed. His eyes opened today for the first time and his responses were most promising e.g. he was asked to show us two fingers and he gave us the bird. To be serious though, the fact that the tracheotomy was put off on Friday has turned out
to be a bit of a godsend. Without the tube, he is breathing unaided and we hope that this will be sustained. We have now jumped the first hurdle and with any sort of luck, three to four days might see him out of ICU and off to a ward to commence rehabilitation. I guess tomorrow will confirm if his progress can be sustained. The stars are now beginning to align.
Regards,
Harris family
With the first seventeen days behind us, the next challenge for me was to start living again. The first step back into the game of life was to get me out of the ICU and down to a ward. At this time, the one thing that gave my family a positive vibe was the support from all around the world. First from my uncle, who was in the Philippines, and then my mate, who was travelling abroad in Mexico.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Hi guys,
It is so good to read of Scott’s continued progress. It will be a hard time for all. But you know he’s a fighter, I’m so happy that he knows what’s going on around him, all great signs. Rehab will work wonders.
Love to all,
Uncle John
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Hi all,
Housekeeping for you first. Scott has moved house. ICU decided that they did not want him any more and have packed him off to a ward. For those who have visited him at The Royal Melbourne ICU on Level 2, South West, you now stay in the lift and continue to the 7th floor. He now lives at Level 7, South West, bed 52. Visiting hours are different to that of ICU where we could all come and go at times that were most flexible. Now his visiting hours are 2–8 pm (strict).
Now for the update: He was moved today and is in a ward for orthopaedic patients. He was placed in a chair for the first time and this will become a four-hourly daily routine from now on. He has strong movement on his left side but at this stage minimal on his right. There is definite feeling in his right leg so we hope that this will repair over time. Tonight we asked him many questions and he responded with hand/finger movements. We asked him to smile and to our shock and amazement he responded accordingly. Tough cookie is this boy/ man. His eyes open but at this stage not fully. He can see us and has indicated this fact to us. Today he received a card from some friends. Deb told him and went to describe the card and read it to him. Deb described the front of the card as having an attractive nurse to which he responded by grabbing the card from her and holding it up in front of his face. What progress, eh?! All of this sounds great but it will continue to be a very slow journey.
