Phx-Suns.Net

A thread for updates.

I spent some time with him at the hospital today. My Mom was there too, and my sister who flew in from Denver.

He is unconscious and on a respirator, but “responsive.” That is, he can respond minimally to certain stimulation, like his hands or feet being tickled. This, I understand, is a good sign.

They removed a part of his skull while they wait for the swelling in the brain to subside. The shape of his head is very disturbing.

I’m told that after an incident of this type, the typical time to regain consciousness is one day per decade of life, so eight days for my Dad. However, it’s possible that he will wake up at any time, and possible that he never will.

The damage is to the left side of his brain, which means that when he does wake up he will likely have difficult with feeling and motor function on the right side of his body, and with certain cognitive tasks, like language generation. This, too, is subject to considerable uncertainty. He could wake up any minute and say, “What happened? What am I doing here?” Or he could wake up in a long time, unable to speak, regaining the ability only after extensive rehabilitation, or never regaining it.

The sooner he wakes, the better the long-term prognosis, but even there there will be great uncertainty.

I will update this thread as the situation develops.

Hoping for the best for him.

Thanks Cap. Do you guys have a large family? And if I read correctly, he's in his 80s? Is this his first serious health complication?

Hoping for the best, Cap.

23 years ago my step father had a massive brain bleed. They drilled holes in his head and kept him sedated for a while. I wouldn't say he completely recovered, because some cognitive and memory functions are gone, but he is living his life, taking care of himself, etc. with only some help in remember things at times. I realize he was half the age of your father at the time, but there are plenty of stories of good recoveries. My hope is you will have a similar story soon.

Keep us posted, Cap. Thinking of you and your family.

AmareIsGod wrote:Thanks Cap. Do you guys have a large family?

Nope. There’s my Mom, my sister who lives in Denver, and me. My Dad also has a brother who I think lives in California, but they’re not close.

And if I read correctly, he's in his 80s? Is this his first serious health complication?

82. First crisis of this magnitude, certainly. A number of years ago he had a pulmonary embolism and has been on blood thinners since.

Indy wrote:Hoping for the best, Cap.

23 years ago my step father had a massive brain bleed. They drilled holes in his head and kept him sedated for a while. I wouldn't say he completely recovered, because some cognitive and memory functions are gone, but he is living his life, taking care of himself, etc. with only some help in remember things at times. I realize he was half the age of your father at the time, but there are plenty of stories of good recoveries. My hope is you will have a similar story soon.

Even that best case scenario means a huge change in the nature of our relationship. I’m going to have to rely on him for a lot less, and he’s going to have to rely on me for a lot more.

Cap wrote: Even that best case scenario means a huge change in the nature of our relationship. I’m going to have to rely on him for a lot less, and he’s going to have to rely on me for a lot more.

Absolutely. He is very lucky to have you in the same city.

The latest brain images show extensive damage.

It is probable that he will never regain awareness. If he does, we’re looking at complete right-side paralysis, incontinence, severe cognitive impairment, complete loss of language and vision, loss of most of his memory, left-right awareness, math skills, and more.

There is such thing as a “miracle patient” that makes more of a recovery after apparently extensive brain damage, but it’s extremely rare.

Cap wrote:The latest brain images show extensive damage.

It is probable that he will never regain awareness. If he does, we’re looking at complete right-side paralysis, incontinence, severe cognitive impairment, complete loss of language and vision, loss of most of his memory, left-right awareness, math skills, and more.

There is such thing as a “miracle patient” that makes more of a recovery after apparently extensive brain damage, but it’s extremely rare.

I'm so sorry Cap

Really sorry to hear this, Cap. My best to you and your family in these difficult times. I lost my dad in 2014 at age 77 due to Parkinson's disease and the associated neuropsychiatric symptoms. Hang in there. We're thinking about you here.

Cap wrote:The latest brain images show extensive damage.

It is probable that he will never regain awareness. If he does, we’re looking at complete right-side paralysis, incontinence, severe cognitive impairment, complete loss of language and vision, loss of most of his memory, left-right awareness, math skills, and more.

There is such thing as a “miracle patient” that makes more of a recovery after apparently extensive brain damage, but it’s extremely rare.

Sorry Cap. So sad to hear. He is lucky to have you at his side right now and you were lucky to have him by your side all these years. Wish you the best

Sorry as well cap.

I’m sorry to hear about your father, cap.

I lost my mother due to stroke. I couldn’t spend times with her at the hospital, because that time my husband was going through chemotherapy and thereafter radiation treatment. When I finally went to see her, it was about a couple hours late. After all these years I just cannot forget and couldn’t forgive myself.

Cap, your father is lucky to have you at his side, I know it’s very difficult time right know and think about what’s going to happen about future. Hang in there, cap. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in these difficult times. Wish you the best.

Nice to see you post YGR. I knew you were hiding in the background lurking someplace.

Unfortunately we aren’t immortal. Every one of us gets older, our bodies break down and we return to dust. That’s why you live every day as if it’s your last, because it could be. Make sure to tell your loved ones you love them every day.

No miracle. He’s gone.

Very sorry for your loss, Cap. Thinking of you and your family in this difficult time. I don't know much about your dad, but he raised his son to be a good and decent man, so he must have known a thing or two. RIP.

Really sorry for your loss, Cap.

I'm so sorry, Cap. Stay strong.

I am so sorry for loss of your father, Cap. May loving memories help to bring comfort and healing to your heart. My thought and prayers are with you and your family.

really sorry for your loss, cap.