Help for Tom and Family

***Fifth goal reached! On to the Sixth goal!***

*** Hit our 1st goal of $1000, 2nd goal of $2000, 3rd goal of $3000, 4th of $5000 and 5th of $7500. I raised the goal to keep bringing in donations to help this family***

A member of the AAA family s in trouble please send thoughts or prayers!
“My sweet husband Tom Harrison is in the hospital. He got up to use the restroom about 0330 Thursday morning and collapsed in the floor with a massive stroke. We took him to JCMH where they gave him the clot buster Activase and shipped him to Baptist Integris in OKC. He is in the Neuro ICU and is in critical condition. Here are the updates I've given over the past couple of days
AM update. Here is an update on Tom this AM. There have been numerous MDs and therapy folks and the stroke team members in this AM. The neurosurgeon and neurologist said there is devastating injury to the right brain. When that tissue dies it swells and the swelling puts pressure on the brain and causes it to shift. That can cause the pt to stop breathing and stop the functions of living (breathing and heart) They are going to repeat the CT scan this afternoon and if it is worse they will take him to the OR and do a craniectomy. They will remove a flap of skull and put it in his abdomen for safe keeping. That hole will allow the brain room to swell. Usually days 3 to 5 are when the majority of the swelling happens. Once the swelling goes down they will take the skull flap out of his belly and sew it back in place. This won't make his stroke any better. He still can't move his left side, can't open his eyes due to the brain swelling, but he can talk and understands what is happening around him. His right side is fine. He still has his central line, catheter and is on hypertonic saline and mannitol to try and dehydrate his brain. He is irritable and agitated and constantly picking at things so I'm literally sitting at his bedside keeping all his wires and tubes in place. He still has his sense of humor! I'm just soooooo thankful he can talk and has his mental faculties intact. He is going to be in the hospital for a while and then probably to rehab. Right now the focus is on decreasing the swelling and getting him thru the first few life threatening days. If they do the craniectomy there is a high chance for bleeding due to the clot buster he received. The hospital is closed to visitors except 1 designated visitor per patient per admission. So you can't switch out with another family member. I appreciate all the love and support and mostly for the prayers. I'm not ready to lose my husband and best friend. We can make it thru anything together so I'm hanging on to the hope that the good lord will allow him to be here a little longer. More updates as things happen
PM update. Tom failed his swallow study with flying colors. The bite of pudding went past his lips and into his lung. He has no swallow or gag reflex like you normally would. They will try again in 2 days. Of course he can't have anything by mouth so his mouth is so dry and his tongue is beefy red swollen. They are putting in an NG tube this evening to start tube feedings and get him some nutrition going. That goes thru the nose into the stomach so he can receive nutrition and meds. They are pretty miserable and irritating to your nose. If he isn't able to swallow in the next few days they will look at putting in a feeding tube that goes thru the abdomen and is more comfortable.
I am racking my brains to find something that would be cold and soothing to his mouth without having any liquids that might make their way into his lungs. We are currently using mouth swabs with Biotene and have tried a gel mouth moistener. Lollipops are a NO. Popsicles are a NO. Im hunting for something, anything that might feel good to him so, I bought 4 different kinds of baby teething rings, a small gel ice pack and a squishy banana looking thing. They are all in this little freezer in my hotel room. I've also thought about a metal spoon....they get pretty cold. I would appreciate any suggestions. It breaks my heart seeing him so sick and so miserable. If I can do that 1 little thing for him maybe he can get a little bit of relief. Suggestions please.”

During this difficult time Tom’s wife is staying in the city and could use assistance with off setting hotel costs. We set the goal at $1000 but obviously more will help.