My mom’s sister and brother (Aunt Sandy and Uncle Terry) arrived today (by PST) in Braga which is ironically the same day our mom was supposed to fly home. We took them to visit mom today after lunch. Sandy is a retired nurse so I am very much looking forward to having an experienced medical professional here who can help us facilitate my mom’s care. Uncle Terry said she squeezed his fingers a little bit. We are all aware that she has a very long road to recovery ahead of her. However, if there is one person I believe in the most, it is our mother. I have intentionally stayed away from medically researching her diagnosis online…until today. Subdural hematomas have a 50-90% mortality rate. She had every odd stacked against her: the amount of time it took for her to get the surgery, the fact that she is elderly and has many other health concerns, the fact that she has a shunt in her brain already for NPH that only aided her hematoma by draining more spinal fluid from her brain and making room for more blood, the fact that her hematoma crossed the midline, and the fact that she was a 4 on the coma scale….all should’ve killed her. But she is still here and fighting to come back. She is breathing on her own, she can open her eyes for a little bit, she can move her legs, and can sometimes squeeze hands, her coma scale rating has improved and Matt and I strongly feel that she is comprehending the things we tell her and is finding small ways to communicate. She will definitely have a long road ahead of her and she will most likely never be the same again but we are grateful for every moment we have for her because we could’ve lost our mom and our lives would’ve been completely shattered, even more than they already are. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and well wishes. Also, please continue to share this campaign to bring her home. We cannot do this without your love and support!❤️
Subdural Hematoma
Bring Diana James Home
Hi! Our names are Megan and Matthew, we are the daughter and son to Diana James. We are experiencing one of the most surreal events of our lifetime currently. It’s hard to imagine what we are dealing with, even for us living in these moments!
On Mother’s Day (5/14) we put our mother on a plane in Portland Oregon for what was supposed to be a trip of her lifetime to Portugal. Within 24 hours of landing she suffered a subdural hematoma, we believe due to some unfortunate events that occurred during her travel. She went to a park along the river bank for an art class and didn’t feel well. She lost consciousness at the park and the ambulance was called. She was taken to Braga Portugal for an emergency craniotomy (removing part of the skull to relieve pressure). We were notified on Tuesday 5/16 and were on a flight out on 5/18 arriving 5/19.
Up until 5/30 she had been intubated with ventilator assist but had a tracheostomy to allow her lungs to stay strong and her throat to heal. We spend several hours a day at her side offering encouragement and familiar voices in a foreign country. She is still unconscious but she has shown signs of improvement. Her eyes have started to open a little bit and had a few tears, she gripped our hand the other day, she blinks her eyelids and moves her body (especially when we tickle her feet), she responds to pain AND most importantly she is now breathing on her own without ventilation. Her latest CT Scan (5/31) was normal. As of 6/1, she has been moved from ICU to the neuro floor for rehabilitation. Her doctor back home, the doctors here in Braga and her children fully believe she just needs more time to wake up.
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