13 Jun 2006 Updates (from Wee Bin):more - he cycled on a stationary bike yesterday for about 7-8 km - and at about 22 km/h!!! By himself, non-motorised!
he continued to walk more steadily with the walking stick.
he has started to be able to wriggle his fingers and lift up his arm and leg about 30-40 degrees.
he said a full sentence by himself without any prompting in response to the therapist.
12 Jun 2006 Updates (from Wee Bin):
just to let you know he's continued to make progress - he can say:
"It takes such a lot of effort..."
"Terrible!"
"Bye"
"Hi"
"May Yin"
"Urine"
He can walk with a walking stick and support - he's walked up and down at least 5 times.
He can understand much better and respond appropriately.
He can move his arm and leg on his own a few inches.
Praise the Lord!
6 Jun 2006:
Praise God! Rev. Dr. Lim Boon Young's condition has stablised - with a constant blood flow and an acceptable blood pressure to his brain. The doctors have declined to perform a stent surgery as the length of damage on his artery is longer than the stent tube.
He is currently on anticoagulant medication (aspirin-like) to thin his blood so as to prevent further clots and to improve blood flow. He begins rehabilitation today starting with speech therapy in the morning and physio-therapy in the afternoon. Rehabiliation would usually take 3-4 weeks, during which, in this period of time, the therapists would determine accurately the extent of damage from the stroke.
He is already looking much, much better. He is able to eat soft-solid food on his own. Currently, he is responding well (by means of nodding and smiling) to questions and conversations although he is unable to speak coherently. In the last 1.5 weeks, he has shown great improvement in his recovery process.
May Yin (his wife) said that when the stroke first hit, everyone was praying that God will preserve his life. And, He did. Then, we prayed that his condition will stablised. And, indeed, he did. Now as we continue to pray for his recovery, we really want to pray that the extent of damage will be kept to a minimal. In the course of rehabiliation, we ask for a faith that will move mountains and pray that he will be fully recovered from the stroke as soon as possible.
Amen.
P.S.: For now, his condition is stable enough for him to receive visitors but please keep your visits short as he can be very tired from them. Continue to pray for his recovery.
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2 Jun 2006 Updates:
Rev. Lim has now been transfered to a private room, Ward 74, Room 3. His condition has improved slightly and he can move his right arm and legs if he focus all his energy on it. There is great hope on his recovery process. The main thing now is for him to regain back his comprehension abilities as it is his left brain which is affected by the stroke. Physical mobility would take some time but because he is young, his chances of full recovery are high.
Please continue to pray for him.
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Rev. Boon Young is suffering from a form of stroke, known as Carotid Dissection. Basically, the walls of his main artery on the left side of his neck (the main source of blood-line) is torn or broken down, resulting in less blood flow to his brain which led to the stroke.
Currently, his condition is quite stable, meaning the doctors were able to thin his blood such that a steady flow of blood is able to reach his brain, although the blood pressure is not as desirable. From the MRI scan, it shows about 1/5 of his left brain is affected by this complication. Some of the brain cell from the further parts of his brain may have been slightly damaged, but the extent of the damage is inconclusive, as they are not able to analyse his physical mobility at this moment.
The doctors are currently discussing whether it's advisable to replace the damaged artery with a stent (to bypass the damaged blood-line), but because the affected area is located at a very sensitive part of his body (the neck), the stent surgery may lead to some undesirable complications.
So, for now, they are still monitoring the situation and providing aspirin to continue thinning the blood for it to flow smoothly, and also to prevent clots. Apparently, everyone of us has blood clots in our system, but because in a normal body, the constant blood flow is able to expel the clots very quickly. But in Rev. Boon Young's case, the constricted blood-flow resulted in a sudden stroke.
Currently, he has much difficulty moving the right side of his body (hands and legs, mouth and even hearing). He could smile and respond to some simple things we say, but not sure if he can totally comprehend our words at times.
It is not advisable to visit him in his ward (as it would really tire him out seeing his vistors), but feel free to visit his family and friends who are outside at the lobby most of the day. He is resting in the immediate care unit at Singapore General Hospital, Ward 74, Room 3.
Prayers:
Please pray for added strength and will-power for him to overcome the physical contraints of his condition. He must try to work his muscles on his right so that the tissues will not waste away.
Pray that his condition will improve in the next few days so that the extent of the damage could be reduced. It is now quite stable, but must be careful no other clots appear in other places to complicate matters.
Pray for peace of mind for his wife (May Yun), his daughter (Si En), his son (Zhang Xin), and also for his parents and Boon Young's external family and friends.
Pray for speedy recovery, and extra-ordinary faith in the healing powers of our Great Lord Almighty!
PS: Last night, I actually dreamt that he recovered fully from the stroke with some mild hip movement difficulty. I hope this dream becomes a reality soon.
More information about his condition from the internet...
A stroke is the death of brain tissue that occurs when the brain does not get enough blood and oxygen. A stroke from carotid dissection occurs when one of the carotid arteries in the neck is torn, or dissected.
What is going on in the body?
A carotid dissection occurs when the layers of the wall of the carotid artery break down. Carotid dissection is sometimes caused by an injury to the head or neck.
The carotid dissection causes a blockage of the artery and impairs blood flow to the brain. The brain cells then die from lack of oxygen. In turn, the blood also damages the brain cells. The products released when cells die cause swelling in the brain. Since the skull doesn't allow much room for expansion, this swelling can damage the brain tissue even further.
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