• 200 mL (cubic centimeters) = how much blood pooled in the right side of her brain after an artery ruptured. 80 mL of that was extracted through a “burr hole” drilled into her brain to relieve the pressure. 200 mL is equivalent to almost 7 fluid ounces.
  • 2.5 cm = how much of a mid-line shift there was of her brain. This mid-line shift also pinched off her brainstem, which is why she wasn’t able to eat for six months after the stroke. The mid-line shift is also why she had some right-side effects from her stroke. Her right foot was completely hyper-extended and inverted. So whenever we had to help her with transfers, she would be pushing on the outside of her foot. This took serial casting and lots of stretching to correct. Now, thankfully, she is able to put her heel flat on the ground. Praise the Lord!!!
  • 6 months = how long she was gone from home following the stroke. This included the St. Vincent Neuro Critical Care Unit immediately following the stroke, the Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas, Avamere Rehab facility, and the Rehab Institute of Oregon. She also had a few “relapses” in which she lost consciousness. I believe one of the places she was at messed up her medication and she had an overdose. During those episodes, she completely lost consciousness and was rushed back to the ER. Each trip to the ER found Michele taking a few steps backwards with her therapy…every time.

She also endured another brain surgery on 1/8/18 to correct the left side of her brain. The Moya moya disease created bilateral (both sides) arteriovenous malformations (AVM). If the left side weren’t surgically corrected, she could have suffered another tragic stroke.

  • 2 = the number of babies that are waiting for us in heaven. We lost one in 2009. Michele was 20 weeks pregnant and Jacob’s heart stopped. Michele was forced to endure an epidural and vaginal delivery. We spent the next several hours holding Jacob in the palm of our hand. We were grateful then to have family and friends gathered around us in Spokane, WA.

The same time we were grieving the loss of Jacob, my enlistment in the US Air Force had just ended. We had to move off base into her parent’s home. I had to start a new job within days of losing the baby. We thought that was the hardest thing we’ve had to deal with. Little did we know what the Lord was preparing us for.

Michele was about 6 weeks pregnant when she had the stroke. Because the pregnancy was so early on and due to the Moya moya disease, all of the doctors at the hospital recommended we terminate the pregnancy. There was a very high chance that Michele could suffer another stroke if we resumed the pregnancy. I wanted to increase the chances of our boys growing up with their mother here. I sought much counsel before I made the final decision. I wish I could’ve talked about with Michele. But it was still very early on after the stroke, she wasn’t able to communicate very well at all. However, one pastor I talked with at church said this, “God the Father allowed His Son to die so that we may live.” Right then, I knew what the “right thing” was to do.

That week, I signed my name with tears. That was the hardest signature I ever had to give and probably the hardest I’ll ever have to do. I had to give the consent for the baby to be aborted.

  • 24- 48 hours = the time every provider told me we didn’t to wait to see if she would survive the stroke.
  • 200 = the number of squats she did on the Total Gym yesterday.
  • Countless = a description of meals our family has received from the last two years since her stroke.