2/6

Well, we went to the ER yesterday.

The neck rigidity and pain were markedly worse yesterday, so it was definitely prudent to get the MRI ASAP to ensure that these symptoms didn't indicate anything new going on with his disease process.  Thankfully that doesn't appear to be the case.

We spent 11 hours in the ER to get that information, it was often agonizing and excruciating for Dad, but well worth it in the end.  Don't get me wrong, we got excellent care by my co-workers, it was just a very long day.  It started ok, but the MRI experience pretty much blew all of that to smithereens.  I completely underestimated how hard it would be for him to have the MRI.  I think if he were to get on here and share his thoughts on the MRI, this blog would no longer be PG-friendly!  There probably aren't enough 4-letter words and expletives to describe his feelings about the MRI.  But don't worry, if you talk to him in person about it, I have no doubt he won't hesitate to tell you!

I'm sort of an idiot for not considering how awful it would be.  You take someone healing from a brain injury with debilitatingly excruciating neck pain, put a cage on their head (literally), force them to lay locked-up on a rigid board in an enclosed tube, blare shrieking noises from the tube incessantly at them, then tell them not to move even one inch for 45-60 minutes.  Yeah it's an understatement to say that he didn't like it.  He actually did ok for the first 20 minutes, then a wave of intense neck pain hit and the inability to move in there was awful.  They let him out, I came down and convinced him that he could endure the rest of the test.  I stayed in the MRI room and held his hand for the rest of the scan, giving words of encouragement, and promises of bribery.  We absolutely needed those test results, but I definitely owe him several rounds of homemade biscuits for that torture.

The MRI showed no new area of bleeding or injury, which is great.  It basically looks mostly unchanged from 6 weeks ago and that is normal.  I've learned from Cathy, Neurologist Extraordinaire (who I was texting frantically from the ER all night, I definitely owe her biscuits too), that the MRI isn't really expected to improve until at least 3-6 months out.  It's hard to say what caused his huge spike in pain and stiffness, other than people with encephalitis are extremely sensitive to overdoing it.  They can decompensate quickly in the pain department from pushing themselves too much, even sleeping in a bad position.  But not doing enough leads to pain and stiffness too so it's a sticky wicket.

Today was a much better day.  The pain/stiffness were bad this morning but lessened as the day went on.  He was active in the morning, rode the exercise bike in the basement and took a long walk.  He and Meme went out to eat for lunch then came over to our house for the afternoon and for dinner.  He and I sat on the back porch, drinking coffee, and watching the kids play in the giant dirt pile in the back yard.  It was the nicest weather we've had in awhile, so it was very much welcome.  It was the kind of day where you can sit outside in a sweatshirt and appreciate the chill in the air but still feel totally comfortable.  Definitely a much better day.