Well Matt had an interesting spell 2 days ago, which hasn't happened to him since leaving the hospital 2 years ago. He was with Cecilia and was using the 'facilities" when he felt the back of his head explode and started losing his vision. It didn't literally however that is the way he described the intense, immediate headache he experienced and knew he was in trouble. It is called autonomic dysreflexia (hope I spelled it right) and it is a condition many quads and paraplegics suffer from and can be fatal. It is when something bothers the autonomic nervous system and because of their condition, the body responds incorrectly because it doesn't have the same regulatory response that we have due to the spinal injury. It can be anything from a crinkle in his shirt pushing on his skin, to his shoes too tight. So Matt's blood pressure was shooting through the roof and if they didn't do something to correct it, the consequences could be deadly. Matt had experienced it once before while in City Hospital and they told him if it ever happened, to catheterize immediately. Cecilia had just done this prior to the incident however Matt was alert enough to tell her to do it again. The drained off 1200 mls of urine. Any one in the health profession knows that is alot for a bladder to hold. Immediately the headache was reduced to a dull throb and his vision returned. Scared everyone though. Thank goodness Matt knows his body well enough and remembered what they had told him at the hospital. What is worring him know is the same thing happening again. Matt has always been able to feel when he has to use the washroom, but this time he didn't feel a thing. So they have contacted Dr. Maclean to see if she knows why it has happened now.
Hopefully it was a one time thing to keep us on our toes and won't ever happen again. We were just thinking of Matt being able to stay by himself for an hour a day, however I think we will reconsider that decision!
Thank you Lord for continuing to watch over Matthew and help us to be constantly grateful for what we have.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
