Jamie Swenson Update

For those of you that I haven't updated, here is the story of Jamie's Sunday "adventure" thus far in a nutshell. Not a very good day today, but we're hoping tomorrow will be better. I'm awfully tired tonight and know that he has a long road ahead (apparently), so decided to come home for the night. When he's no longer in ICU it'll be different. What a GREAT hospital Swedish is though, with the smartest and cutest nurses I've ever met! Anyway, here's the latest: Well, it's been an interesting "birthday week". This is the week I brace for when Gary, Jamie & Sam all have birthdays in 4 days.  But this year is VERY different. On Sunday, we got a call from Search and Rescue from Granite Mountain in the Cascades saying that our son, Jamie, had collapsed and was being airlifted out. His temperature was 91 and they were unable to raise it. He was not responding to what the ground S&R people could do.  Long story shortened, he was airlifted (doesn't remember any fabulous basket in the sky stories, which we've all secretly wanted to be privy to, dangit) and then transferred to an ambulance and was rushed to Swedish Issaquah. 2 hospitals later, he's in Seattle Swedish Neuro Center having apparently had a brain hemorrhage and not the aneurism we had been told he most definitely had had. That was one of many very low moments. Apparently what we "know" so far is that a blood vessel burst in the back of his head -- he actually remembers hearing a "blip" and being dizzy and tripping/falling on his descent, still close to the top of the mountain -- where he'd blessedly met a hiker and talked for a few minutes before taking off down, alone.  30 min. later that same hiker (angel #1 of many) found him in the snow violently throwing up and unable to get up. He had to lie there in a sleeping bag he had wisely packed for hours before the ground S&R were able to get there, order the helicopter, call ME for the first time, etc. Now safe in the hospital and following multiple tests (billions of dollars worth we're certain) he's in remarkably good condition and now must remain in ICU while they watch him very closely for brain spasms that can follow an angiogram, etc. -- which could result in a stroke. So not out of the woods completely, but we're MUCH more optimistic that he will have a full recovery and lead an active, mountain-climbing life (grimace) after a few months of taking it easy.  Next step hopefully is another angiogram to see if there is an aneurism that was undetected b/c of blood in the brain. Headaches, nausea, exhaustion, lack of appetite -- flu like symptoms -- are all normal they say. But he's okay and RELATIVELY happy here in the Neuro department where THE cutest and smartest nurses in the world are. It's been really fun (and sometimes awkward for me) as all (including Jamie) are laughing and smiling and talking together. Sometimes when I add a quip to their funny conversations, they look over in surprise at me, like: OH I forgot your MOTHER is here! Oops. Zip it Mama. I'm trying. There you go. Now I don't have to tell this story a zillion times. We're starting to laugh about it here and there, so it's okay to share this now. We feel like we can breathe again and feel our emotions without falling apart.  Keep him in your thoughts for a speedy and full recovery. He's a rare gem and is celebrating his 30th this Saturday and we're all feeling luckier than we'd ever imagined. Love Sally