Tuesday, July 28
In support of
Lewis Berger
View Support Registry
Lewis Berger
Dad continues to have multiple serious and complicated medical problems. He is as comfortable as possible in the Tampa General ICU with a really caring and smart medical team and staff of nurses. We are very grateful for the superb care he is receiving and of course are running all of the medical information by our trusted cadre of talented doctors in our family and friend circle. We are SO touched and deeply grateful to the many people who have been checking on us and helping out in various ways, many of which have been quite extraordinary.
I'll give today's good news first:
- He just moved his left leg several times today for the first time since his stroke (which was showing left side weakness and immobilization).
- He is being kept a bit more comfortable today re: his shoulder and headache pain with some new interventions today. Headache likely coming from the bleed.
- His bacterial blood cultures (48 hours post-draw) came back negative for staph e yesterday for the first time since admission, perhaps indicating reduced infection. We await next culture results hoping for a repeat negative culture.
- His EEG yesterday did NOT read as seizure activity despite previous impression.
- He has certain periods throughout the day where he answers questions or very briefly opens his eyes and seems to hear and understand us, though he is expectedly groggy from various medications and post-stroke.
Less good news:
- The team is watching his respiratory system carefully. There is no pneumonia at this time, but he has a lot of chest congestion that he can't clear (very typical in ICU patients due to so little movement, etc.).
- Because of the chest congestion, he is unable to lie down prone for 90 minutes today for a multi-step diagnostic test they had begun. The hope was that this test could help identify the source of the primary infection.
- It continues to be difficult to chase and stabilize the multiple serious health issues at once.
- The fact that he had a stroke in the context of this infection suggests that the origin of the infection is in the heart, which is not simple to address., though recent CAT scan of heart did not show anything.
Sorry if this is too detailed for some- many doctors who love him want information.
Short story- he's very, very ill with multiple problems, has some stroke damage to his left side- don't know how much yet, and we still don't know where this very dangerous infection is from, and it is likely in his heart.
I will regularly update this site if you want to keep updated.
We have many beloved friends and family here in Tampa at this time offering help. If any specific needs arise, I will post them here in case anybody is looking for a way to help, but may well not need to do that.
Mom is really not up to taking phone calls most of the time, especially on days with hard medical issues arising. She is very overtired. She has not slept much in over a week. and we are all, as you'd imagine, very exhausted and worried. Also, medical teams are very frequently coming in and out of the room. We deeply appreciate your reaching out and feel all your love and generosity, but please understand if we are not in touch sometimes outside of this site.
Love to you all,
Allie
I'll give today's good news first:
- He just moved his left leg several times today for the first time since his stroke (which was showing left side weakness and immobilization).
- He is being kept a bit more comfortable today re: his shoulder and headache pain with some new interventions today. Headache likely coming from the bleed.
- His bacterial blood cultures (48 hours post-draw) came back negative for staph e yesterday for the first time since admission, perhaps indicating reduced infection. We await next culture results hoping for a repeat negative culture.
- His EEG yesterday did NOT read as seizure activity despite previous impression.
- He has certain periods throughout the day where he answers questions or very briefly opens his eyes and seems to hear and understand us, though he is expectedly groggy from various medications and post-stroke.
Less good news:
- The team is watching his respiratory system carefully. There is no pneumonia at this time, but he has a lot of chest congestion that he can't clear (very typical in ICU patients due to so little movement, etc.).
- Because of the chest congestion, he is unable to lie down prone for 90 minutes today for a multi-step diagnostic test they had begun. The hope was that this test could help identify the source of the primary infection.
- It continues to be difficult to chase and stabilize the multiple serious health issues at once.
- The fact that he had a stroke in the context of this infection suggests that the origin of the infection is in the heart, which is not simple to address., though recent CAT scan of heart did not show anything.
Sorry if this is too detailed for some- many doctors who love him want information.
Short story- he's very, very ill with multiple problems, has some stroke damage to his left side- don't know how much yet, and we still don't know where this very dangerous infection is from, and it is likely in his heart.
I will regularly update this site if you want to keep updated.
We have many beloved friends and family here in Tampa at this time offering help. If any specific needs arise, I will post them here in case anybody is looking for a way to help, but may well not need to do that.
Mom is really not up to taking phone calls most of the time, especially on days with hard medical issues arising. She is very overtired. She has not slept much in over a week. and we are all, as you'd imagine, very exhausted and worried. Also, medical teams are very frequently coming in and out of the room. We deeply appreciate your reaching out and feel all your love and generosity, but please understand if we are not in touch sometimes outside of this site.
Love to you all,
Allie
Comments
Arthur Simon 2 days ago
Kerri 2 days ago
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