Thursday, October 15, 2009

SB
On Thursday, October 15th 2009 Shannon suffered a major stroke at approximately 11:00am.

The following is as many details as I can offer of the events of that day. I have tried to think of all the many questions I've been asked so far and offer as much information as I can. I've included some details that may seem personal because I want to remember some special moments, and I am not sure if I will have time to write all this down twice. In future entries I will stick to updates, announcements and the like so it won't be so much to read.

~

Shannon was home alone at the time. She had just finished making plans to attend the Canucks/Flames game on Friday night. She made plans to go to yoga mid-day. She was drinking tea and watching television. Around 11am she stopped answering her phone and responding to text & blackberry messenger messages. For several hours she was 'off the radar' with those of us who communicate with her on a daily basis. During this time, Shannon now says she knew that something was wrong, but that she was confused and things were foggy. She thought that maybe she was having a reaction to something she ate.

Thankfully, her roommate Joanna (who we lovingly call her wife) came home just before 6:00pm and sensed that something was wrong when Shannon didn't respond to her knocking at her bedroom door. Although she assumed that Shannon had fallen asleep watching television, Joanna decided to go in and check on her. I can't tell you how many times since Thursday I have thought about how that ONE decision, the wisdom to listen to her own intuition, has made all the difference. All of us who love Shannon are forever indebted to Jo for the choice that she made in that moment.

When she saw Shannon, Joanna initially thought that she was having a severe migraine. She remembered that Shannon had told her at some point that if she was having a really intense migraine that she should call me and I would know what to do. Joanna called, obviously upset. Shannon was sitting on the floor and could not speak. She did not respond to Joanna repeatedly asking her what was wrong, and seemed to not appear to understand what was being said to her. After discussing these and other symptoms we deduced that it was not in fact a migraine, and decided that Jo should call an ambulance. I headed straight to Shannon's house. When I arrived Janine was pulling up at the exact same time, and the ambulance had just arrived (pause to insert a huge shout out to the paramedics who must have gotten there incredibly fast). As I am typing this, I realize that in all that has happened, I am missing some details. I don't know the details of Joanna's conversation with Janine, although I do know Janine agreed that an ambulance was required. Perhaps Janine or Jo can add any details I may have missed that they feel are important.

I went with Shannon to the Hospital in an ambulance. Janine followed behind. Incidentally, I owe one of you ladies a thank you for moving my car after I left, because I think I may have parked it backwards and in the middle of the road. When we arrived at Emergency, the Doctors and Nurses went right to work. They were incredibly organized, simultaneously working on Shannon while asking me for her medical history, allergies, details of her symptoms etc. Within minutes of her arrival, they brought Shannon up to CT.

While she was gone another Doctor or Nurse quizzed me about Shannon's day in an attempt to determine what time her symptoms began. Thankfully, during this time Janine arrived. Let it be known, that if I ever suffer another medical emergency, I want Janine there, at the hospital, as my advocate. Calm under pressure (oh gracious so much calmer than I) assertive, and incredibly positive, I don't know how I would have gotten through that night without her. In what seemed like only a few moments they had Shannon's diagnosis. She had a left-hemisphere stroke. She had right-side paralysis, and could not speak. At this point, we were not yet certain what time this all began, except to say that it was prior to noon.

By this time, it was well after 7pm. Due to the amount of time that had passed, treatment options were limited. As the Neurologist explained to Janine and I, typically if a person suffering a stroke arrives at the hospital withing 4 hours of the event they can administer medication which, when injected, breaks up the clot in an effective & non-invasive way. This was not an option for Shannon. Instead, The Doctors needed to perform an emergency and relatively new procedure to remove the clot in Shannon's brain manually. This is done by carefully passing a special device from a blood vessel in the leg all the way into the blood vessel in her brain where the clot is trapped. The device captures the clot and pulls it out of the body, thus returning blood flow to the affected area. Janine and I stood by while Dr. Steis (sp?) called Shannon's mother in Vancouver to get permission to perform this procedure and explain the risks.

Listening to this conversation between the Doctor and Shannon's mother was one of the worst moments of my life. Barely able to grasp that this was happening, I was now torn between reacting to the risks and prognosis being described in a clinical way that, to me, didn't even sound like english, while imagining what must have been going through Shannon's mothers mind in that moment. The phone call requesting permission to perform this procedure was the first that Shannon's mother had heard of her being ill. As a mother, I pray that I will never have to receive a phone call like that.

After the Doctor spoke with Shannon's mother, we had a few moments before they wheeled her off for her procedure. Janine and I stood beside her and told her it was all going to be alright. I stroked her hair and asked her if she knew where she was (nod yes) if she knew what was happening (nod yes) if she knew she was going to be alright (nod yes) and if she was scared (nod yes). I asked her if she would like me to pray with her. Yes. Janine held Shannon's hand, and I put my forehead on her forehead. I can not remembered what I prayed, but I don't know if I've ever prayed so earnestly in my life. Shannon and I cried together and I kissed her face and told her I loved her, something I'd never ordinarily get away with. She tried to smile, and nodded again when Janine and I repeated that she was going to be alright, and then they wheeled her away. I am so grateful for Janine, again, in this moment because this is when what was left of my 'cool' completely evaporated.

Joanna arrived at the hospital shortly after Shannon went in to the operating room. We all waited anxiously for several hours until the Doctor reappeared to tell us that they were successful in removing the clot. We had only a few seconds to enjoy the relief of knowing that Shannon would be alright. The Doctor continued on to say that because the left side of her brain was, in effect, without blood & thus oxygen for a considerable amount time, that it was impossible to predict what the long term prognosis would be.

We returned to her recovery room on the 11th floor and sat with her. We watched her sleep, in utter disbelief that this could be happening to our 31 years young, healthy, active friend and numb from the roller coaster emotion of the past 6 hours. Finally, they told us it was time to leave and we headed home for a sleepless night.

Details of the days to follow to come...