Life after stroke day 3

The Speech Therapist came to do Mark's evaluation this morning. The results of the evaluation  confirmed what the doctors have been telling us; Mark will mimic and follow visual cues, but he does not consistently follow the verbal commands of any doctors, nurses or therapists. For example, she asked him to make a fist and he opened his mouth, but when she showed him to count with his fingers, he did it.

More importantly, the evaluation confirmed that Mark isn't able to swallow or cough. This means he cannot eat or drink. He's already skin and bones and can't afford to continue losing weight. This morning, at my mom's request, I emailed Mark's doctor, Dr. Kendra, who has been with him from the very beginning. I explained to her that Mark had a stroke, isn't responding well to the other doctors and would really appreciate getting to see her.

Within a few hours, Dr. Kendra showed up in Mark's hospital room, on her day off. I can't tell you how much Mark perked up when he saw her and how much it means to us the way she goes above and beyond her call of duty for him. It was very obvious that she cares about Mark a lot and I could tell it was difficult for her to see him this way, after all that he's been through.

Dr. Kendra was the first doctor to actually come and talk to Mark directly and explained to him what has happened to him and what the future might look like. He was very responsive to her and followed all of her verbal commands. You could tell he wanted so badly to ask her questions but couldn't get them out. She printed out his most recent scans for him and went over all the reports. She explained to him that the tumors in his brain have gotten smaller, showing that his clinical trial is working.

She also did a quick test of her own to see if Mark could swallow, and agreed with the speech therapist that he cannot. Dr. Kendra explained that there is a very important decision to be made in the next day or two. Mark has not been able to eat or drink anything since his stroke. He can only go another day or two without eating. Since he can't swallow, the only way he will be able to get food is through a feeding tube.

Based on the condition of his digestive system, from the surgeries and procedures he's had in that area, in order to get a feeding tube, he will need surgery. Mark is not in great condition to get a surgery. There is a chance he would not survive the surgery to get the feeding tube. And he definitely won't survive without a feeding tube.

So my mom and Mark need to decide in the next day whether or not Mark wants to keep fighting. It gets even trickier. Mark's brain is still in shock from the stroke. We don't know yet what effects from the Stroke are permanent and won't know for possibly four more days. The feeding tube decision needs to be made before then. Dr. Kendra explained that even if they decide to have the feeding tube surgery, Mark can change his mind at any point and say stop.

My mom feels that after all Mark has done to fight for his life, he would not want to die from not eating. She believes that he would want to have this surgery to give him a chance to keep fighting. So tomorrow morning, she plans to try and get the ball moving for him to have that surgery. She understands that he could die from the surgery, but she knows he would rather die fighting than die starving.

So that is where we stand at this point. Mom just left to get a good night's sleep at home. I'm staying here so that Mark isn't alone. The next few days are going to be very important for Mark and very difficult for my mom. Please keep them both in your prayers.