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Parenting
Update on my brother
Background: My brother has been sick for the past 2 months with really bad headaches. He's been vomiting a lot and not really able to eat much. Apparently he's lost close to 30 lbs.
On Thursday afternoon my brother got really light headed at a local gas station while waiting in line. He went out and laid in his car for a while. The attendant came out to check on him a couple times and then eventually called SIL and our grandparents. (My grandma's brother owns the gas station, and it's a small town so everyone knows everyone.)
My brother was in pretty bad shape then. He didn't recognzie SIL or our grandparents, and yet SIL attempted to drive him to the hospital. She had to pull over and call 911 because my brother was thrashing around so much. They did a CT scan at the original hospital and told SIL that he had a brain tumor.
He was then med flighted to the UW Madison hospital. We got there Thursday night. When we talked to the neurosurgeon, he told us that the CT scan was too unclear to see anything. He had some swelling/pressure on his brain that they relieved along with doing a spinal tap for meningitis. They did an MRI that night and started treating with antibiotics because he had some kind of infection. The MRI showed some sort of mass on the brain that the neurosurgeon does not think is a tumor.
On Friday they did a chest X ray that was clear, but they still decided to test for TB. DH and I went in to see him on Friday night, and he was doing really well. He still had a bit of a headache but was awake and able to talk to us. We had/have to wear gowns, gloves, and masks until he has 3 negative TB tests.
Saturday and Sunday he had bad headaches again all day. I know they started a second TB test one of those days. The first came back negative. We didn't get to see him because he just wanted to rest. They are alternating morphine and vicadine for the headaches.
This morning my mom went in to see him and talk with the doctor. The second TB test was negative. They are running the third now. He is being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. He is having a TEE echo done today to check for any damage to his heart valves since bacteria was found in his blood. It sounds like they think the mass they found on the MRI is related to the infection from the meningitis. They think the meningitis came from an infection in his tooth that he didn't have taken care of. (He pulled a tooth that was bothering him instead of going to the dentist, and the one next to that tooth is also decayed.)
He's still in the hospital and I think will be for quite a while. From what I understand, the treatment course for meningitis is pretty long. But at least now that he's in the hospital, he can rest and recover. He has 3 kids at home who can be a handful (5yrs, 2yrs, 6mo) along with a crazy wife. (I bet my SIL stories are worse than some MIL stories here.)
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Annalise Marie 05.29.06
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Update on my brother
wow, that is scary.
I wish him well!
glad the tumor is not cancer. Hope he has a speedy recovery!
(((((HUGS)))))
I am so sorry. This is the first I am reading of your brother and I want to say my prayers are with him and your family.What a scary thing! I am glad that there is a diagnosis and treatment. How nice to be in a small town and have the support that he has. Imagine if the attendant did not know him and did not think to check on him or call anyone!