A Follow-up with Dr. Heide

If you have read this blog from the beginning, you will recognize Dr. Heide as a key player in this whole drama. I first met him via video hookup while Bettie was in the ER, the day it happened. Over the course of the last five and a half weeks, we have come to know, trust, and be thankful for this man.

Today was the Bettie's first follow-up visit after discharge. It took place at his facility, in Renton, near Valley General Hospital. It began with a new scan of Bettie's head, so that a comparison could be made with Day One. Then Bettie was weighed (104.2 lbs... down about 20 pounds from five weeks ago) and finally we saw our friend, Dr. Heide.

He showed us the scan on his computer screen, blown up to reveal startling detail (if you know what you are looking for). He pointed out that the original scan clearly (at least to him) showed the clot, right where speech and communication are processed.

Today's scan, did not show a clot there at all! Now before we get too excited, he wants to do a different kind of scan next week that will show different detail to confirm that the clot is, in fact, gone. If it is, that will considerably improve her prognosis.

Part of the doctor's routine involves asking Bettie her name. I don't think she has ever been able to answer that question for me ... but then I'm not a doctor. But for him, she says "Bettie Aitkins", like "Well duh". Seems like this happens too often to be a coincidence. Oh well.

An interesting part of the conversation with the doctor was about music. You may remember that my son Steve, suggested that we put headphones on Bettie and play her old but familiar music (See the post titled: The Sound of Music). She responded dramatically, singing along before she could speak or put other sentences together. Evidently, that idea of Steve's had not been explored by the medical community before. Dr. Heide says we are exploring new ground here and he is very interested in discovering the potential for communication with stroke patients via music.

He wants me to continue singing to, and with, Bettie. I told him I know a lot of songs, since I sing in a men's chorus (Northwest Sound). Unfortunately, I sing bass, so if Bettie starts croaking in a deep voice, blame me.

Before we left Dr. Heide's office and went out to set up the follow-on visits with his nutrition expert and others on his staff, he told me this: "After Bettie's stroke, I had a number of other patients with the same type of stroke. I have directed them to the Bettie's Challenge blog for help with dealing with the situation, and it has been very helpful. Very helpful."

I have to tell you, that gives me a big lump in the throat. We have known all through this that the Biblical promise (Rom. 8:28) that "... all things work together for good ... " is true. Dr. Heide's comment demonstrated one way that it is happening (and there are undoubtedly others as well). Very humbling.

If you are one of those refereed here by Dr. Heide because you too are traveling this road, know that you are not alone. Feel free to contact me directly if there is any way I could be of help, I'd be honored. Contact info is on the Profile page.

A final, but very important, point from the doctor. I asked him how he was coming on procuring a very expensive but promising piece of new technology that could be helpful in regenerating brain tissue. He said that, with the federal government proposing to take over the health care industry, it is currently impossible for any doctor to make a sensible business case for major equipment expenditures. Our elected officials in the executive and legislative branches of government are already having a negative effect on the medical profession, and they are only talking about what they want to do.

This blog is not about politics, but about the care of a stroke patient, my wife. My recommendation concerning the issue is this: ask your doctor what he/she thinks about the issue, then write or phone your representative and tell them your personal concerns, based on what you have learned. Would it be asking too much of your representative to insist that they read and understand the bill, at a minimum, before voting on it?