Tanya Today
St. David's North Austin Medical Center, a 228-bed full service hospital, combines convenience with state-of-the-art healthcare services. Located at the Parmer Lane exit of MoPac Expressway North > (Loop 1), St. David's North Austin Medical Center has offered comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services since 1995.
We left Tanya last night a bit after 3:00 AM last night/morning in the post-op area of North Austin Medical Center.
Dr. Anant Patel, neurosurgeon, and Troy Hebert, physical therapist and Medtronic pump specialist, were there for the duration last night. By 10:00 PM last night, we knew that there would be no surgery actually involving the pump itself or the abdominal area in which it sits. It was the catheter running along Tanya's spine that seemed to be occluded (clogged). That is where the surgical action would be performed.
SO...the surgical and pump team when to work at 11:45 PM last night to check out the catheter and repair or replace it. They finished their work at around 3:00 AM this morning. The results of their efforts are, thus far, extremely encouraging.
The catheter that distributes the baclofen along Tanya's spine is now free of occlusion according to tests Dr. Patell and Troy did late last night. They used a dye to make certain the distribution was working as expected and took several xrays for another neurosurgeon to review (at 2:00 AM this morning). After the third opinion came in positive, they closed up the small incision in Tanya's back that was needed to diagnose repair the catheter.
Last night, the thought was that Tanya would be in the facility a short period of time. She may even be released today. I will post news here as soon as I hear it. She had been fasting 27 hours when we left her last night. She's one tough cookie, our Tanya is.
Check out Tanya's cool titanium pump that delivers baclofen to her nervous system allowing her to get around with her sticks as she goes about her business on behalf of the disabled folks of Texas.
