What happened to Mike?

Please realize that my updates are definitely misspelled and I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to medical terminology, so bear with me. (especially those of you who are in the medical field).

On Tuesday morning, my little brother Mike woke up unable to move or speak. They rushed him to the hospital and began a series of tests that included 2 cat scans, EKG, ECG, carotid Doppler, MRI and MRA. At the end of the day, we were still unsure of exactly what happened. This morning (Wednesday), the neurosurgeon concluded that it was indeed a stroke. He called it a brain stem stroke located in the basil ganglia butted up next to the nerve that controls your speech. The doctor said he is lucky to be alive, and extremely lucky to not be completely paralyzed.

The next step is to find out WHY a 27 year old had a stroke. There are a series of tests scheduled today and tomorrow that will hopefully determine that. Today's tests include a CTA scan of his abdomen, more specifically the arteries to determine if a hematoma that he had a few weeks ago might have been the cause. Tomorrow's test will be a Transesophogeal Echocardiagram (TEE). The way I understand it, they will examine the mitral valve and the connective tissue surrounding it. Apparently, something looked irregular on one of the other tests that has caused them to take a closer look at these places. At this point, they are just trying to figure out what may have caused the stroke.

Mike's current condition is better than it was yesterday. He can walk a little, with assistance, and he can talk, but his speech is still extremely slurred. His right arm and leg are very weak and barely functional. In fact, he hasn't been using them at all due to frustration if nothing else. On the bright side, his thoughts are coherent and he realizes what's going on.
The neurosurgeon and internist are currently working on him. The internist is trying to determine whether to give him anti-coagulates to dissolve any clots that may be remaining and as a preventative measure.

They will begin physical therapy soon and hopefully that will help him gain some confidence. The road to recovery will be long and he'll definitely need your prayers to sustain him.

Some of you have asked about visiting. You are all more than welcome to come and say hello, he's in Hendrick room 7715. Please realize that Mike has been quite emotional and be prepared for him to cry a little-just want you to be prepared for that. I've asked him if he wants visitors and he says that he does, so please come say hello if you get the chance, I'm sure he would love to see you.

Please pray for Mike's spirit as he deals with this. He's very frustrated and scared, understandably. I know that if he's able to gain a little ground then he'll be better prepared to meet the physical challenges that lay ahead.

I'll do my best to keep posting here so that you all can stay on top of what's going on. Thanks again for all your support and prayers. -br