Get Up and Move Around ...or...

Funny how, people looking at us from the outside thought we detested each other with the way we treated one another. But when there was nobody else around, we got along just fine.

I hadn't seen my brother in quite some time a few years ago. Mom told me he had "expanded his horizons" but I was still a little surprised at how much weight he had gained. My spinster aunt was sitting across from him when I saw him, so he had to behave. Sort of.

I saw him and said, "Hey, there's my biiiiiiiiigg brother!" He flipped me off, hiding the bird behind his other hand so our aunt wouldn't see it. I still laugh about that. It was comforting to konw the family dynamic never changed even though we were supposed to be adults.

I said supposed to be.

 

He has been moved out of CICU and is somewhere between going to a rehab facility and a full-blown hospital. His brain does not appear to have been affected at all. He still has some skin grafting to go through and lots of healing. Of course, his meds have been changed to add an anticoagulant, among other things. His diabetes is being kept under control with insulin for now, but that's only because it's easier for the medical staff to monitor that way.

It appears he will make a nearly full recovery. If he plays his cards right, he may be able to go back to driving.

His health insurance has been kept current, and from what I understand, is pretty good.

My brother is lucky to be alive.

 

There have been a few requests for an update.

Here's what's been going on. My brother had to get several skin grafts done to repair surgery sites and skin lost due to the lack of circulation. This is an extremely painful procedure, but it's all finished now. He had to get dialysis a few times because with all the other stuff going on in the short term, he has had polycystic kidneys for several years. His blood had to be cleaned of toxins and excess sugars but his own kidneys were not up to the task.

He has been in rehab for most of his time in Albuquerque. No, not that kind of rehab. Physical rehab. Once known as a nursing home. But....*drum roll*.... my brother is HOME now!

I got to talk to him yesterday, for the first time since all of this happened. His speech is a little slower than I remember and his vocal inflections aren't quite what they were, but there is nothing wrong with his mind. When I told him he scared me, he said, "I scared myself." He wants to get back truckin.

So here's the other good news: he lost over 40 pounds while all of this was going on. The better news: he no longer has to use insulin or take diabetes medication of any kind. It appears his weight loss has corrected the diabetes.

Now for the next big (huge) challenge. His kidneys are four times the size of normal kidneys. This is due to them being full of cysts ...hence, polycystic. He will be seeing his nephrologist this coming week to see whether there is reason for concern. When he left Albuquerque, the doctor said that although his kidneys were so large, they were functioning "normally." That said, we will wait to find out what the nephrologist thinks and little sister might be going in to get a tissue type done. I would happily give up one of my kidneys to keep my bro around.

The best news of all: My brother is alive.