7 pm Update

Marie's doctors are still actively searching for the cause of her stroke. They are reviewing past scans because the neurological team does not see a dissection (tear) of the corroded artery in her current scans that the Barrie Doctors thought they saw. They say if there was a tear it would have stopped the blood flow to her brain causing the stroke. They are also focusing on her heart and any blood/inherited disorders. We are in the process of gathering a detailed family medical history. Something I know I had thought of do a few times before but never did.

They are hoping that she will be fully stable in 3-4 days and be able to move out of the ICU and into the general surgery floor. She is mostly sleeping but has some moments where she can answer questions by squeezing your hand. She can open her eyes sometimes but other times she tries but looks too tired. She made couple of small jokes today ... which aren't blog-able...LOL! We ask her to tell us if she wants a chat or quiet time by her squeezing our hands.

After the staples are removed from her head (7-10 days), she will go for an MRI that will look for deficits that were left from the stroke. The doctors say that the CAT scans only show less detailed information and that they need the MRI for more detailed info about her brain function.

A lot of people have been asking if they can send flowers etc. The ICU does not allow anything in her room. We are however collecting cards and notes for Marie to read when she wakes up.

We are in the process of creating a schedule for friends and family so that there are always a minimum of two people here at all times.