Post by Woody Williams on Jan 14, 2007 8:16:49 GMT -5
All,
I wanted to put this in the campfire section because this is the young son of one of our members. I recieved this email from the member. The member doesn't post here much, but I know him well and consider him a good friend.
I have deleted all references to names to protect their privacy, but prayers are needed..
I know that prayer is very powerful medicine, so I ask that everyone that reads this take a few minutes and say a prayer for this young man and his family.
The email...
Some of you are aware and some are not (my son) is in the neuro unit at Methodist Hospital in critical care in an induce coma after emergency brain surgery. Thursday (he) was competing with his HSE Quiz bowl team at Noblesville High School when he became ill with a terrible headache and began vomiting. Thanks to the care of his teachers and quiz bowl team he was taken via ambulance to Riverview Hospital were he was scanned and diagnosed of having had a brain hemorrhage. Riverview put him into a chemical coma and then life lined him to Methodist Hospital in Indy. He then underwent emergency surgery which was done to remove the clotting and blood that put pressure on his brain. Part of his skull has been removed and he is still being kept in a coma and being ventilated as well as having all other life supporting functions takes place. He will be kept like this for some time. Evaluations will take place next week on his condition. At some point Doctors will bring him around to evaluate the extent of the trauma. Doctors and nurses advise us that his condition may be ever changing and there is other risk associated with his condition but this will be a long process and no one will give prognoses. At some point doctors will operate again to permanently fix the vessels that burst as well as put the piece of his skull back. We appreciate the support and prayers. Thanks goes out to the quiz bowl coaches and team as well as others who were there for support. We wish we could tell you more but no one knows how this will play out and how the brain will recover.
(He) had what they call Arterio-venous malformation or AVM. This was something he was born with and others have the same condition. For some they never have hemorrhages and for others they remain small and afflict people as severe headaches.
Arterio-Venous Malformation
An Arterio-Venous Malformation, or AVM, is an abnormal collection of blood vessels. Normally, oxygenated blood is pumped by the heart through branching tubes called arteries to the brain, where it enters a fine network of tiny vessels called capillaries. It is in these capillary beds where the blood nourishes the tissues. The “used” (deoxygenated) blood then passes back to the heart through branching thin walled tubes called veins. Arterial-Venous Malformations are areas that lack the tiny capillaries. The location of the connection between the artery and the vein is called the shunt. The area of tissue is called a nidus of the AVM. An AVM can be thought of as a "Short Circuit" where the blood does not go to the tissues but is pumped through the shunt and back to the heart without ever giving nutrients to the tissues.
There is more on the web about this as well as survivors stories.
Thanks for your prayers and thoughts
I wanted to put this in the campfire section because this is the young son of one of our members. I recieved this email from the member. The member doesn't post here much, but I know him well and consider him a good friend.
I have deleted all references to names to protect their privacy, but prayers are needed..
I know that prayer is very powerful medicine, so I ask that everyone that reads this take a few minutes and say a prayer for this young man and his family.
The email...
Some of you are aware and some are not (my son) is in the neuro unit at Methodist Hospital in critical care in an induce coma after emergency brain surgery. Thursday (he) was competing with his HSE Quiz bowl team at Noblesville High School when he became ill with a terrible headache and began vomiting. Thanks to the care of his teachers and quiz bowl team he was taken via ambulance to Riverview Hospital were he was scanned and diagnosed of having had a brain hemorrhage. Riverview put him into a chemical coma and then life lined him to Methodist Hospital in Indy. He then underwent emergency surgery which was done to remove the clotting and blood that put pressure on his brain. Part of his skull has been removed and he is still being kept in a coma and being ventilated as well as having all other life supporting functions takes place. He will be kept like this for some time. Evaluations will take place next week on his condition. At some point Doctors will bring him around to evaluate the extent of the trauma. Doctors and nurses advise us that his condition may be ever changing and there is other risk associated with his condition but this will be a long process and no one will give prognoses. At some point doctors will operate again to permanently fix the vessels that burst as well as put the piece of his skull back. We appreciate the support and prayers. Thanks goes out to the quiz bowl coaches and team as well as others who were there for support. We wish we could tell you more but no one knows how this will play out and how the brain will recover.
(He) had what they call Arterio-venous malformation or AVM. This was something he was born with and others have the same condition. For some they never have hemorrhages and for others they remain small and afflict people as severe headaches.
Arterio-Venous Malformation
An Arterio-Venous Malformation, or AVM, is an abnormal collection of blood vessels. Normally, oxygenated blood is pumped by the heart through branching tubes called arteries to the brain, where it enters a fine network of tiny vessels called capillaries. It is in these capillary beds where the blood nourishes the tissues. The “used” (deoxygenated) blood then passes back to the heart through branching thin walled tubes called veins. Arterial-Venous Malformations are areas that lack the tiny capillaries. The location of the connection between the artery and the vein is called the shunt. The area of tissue is called a nidus of the AVM. An AVM can be thought of as a "Short Circuit" where the blood does not go to the tissues but is pumped through the shunt and back to the heart without ever giving nutrients to the tissues.
There is more on the web about this as well as survivors stories.
Thanks for your prayers and thoughts
