Chapter sixteen- Hold on
But the sun is always there to shine
The clouds block out the sky,
Oh hold on,
Just once more day,
Oh hold on,
You know you'll find a way,
Hold on,
You've got stars in your eyes
So lets paint the sky
Oh hold on,
Just one more time,
Hold on,
I'll be your reason why,
Hold on,
You've got stars in your eyes,
So lets paint the sky...
-Hold on, Extreme music
Late that evening- June 22nd
Amelia knocks on Bailey's office door 3 times. "Come in," Bailey prompts. Amelia walks into the office and sees Bailey sitting at her desk doing what she assumed to be paperwork.
"Bailey, I am being paged to the helipad, any idea what that is about?" Amelia asks as she walks closer to Bailey.
Bailey looks up at Amelia, "Yes I do actually. Derek and I will be attending too. Christopher Wilson had a seizure and hit his head while he and Jo were honeymooning."
"Oh God," Amelia states. "We'll have to do a full neuro work up and scans and ensure that this isn't a complication of the surgery. Although given how far out he is from surgery I highly doubt it is a complication."
"Well, they'll be here in ten minutes, we best get moving," Bailey orders.
Amelia and Bailey rush up to the helipad where they find Derek waiting for them. Derek heat the ding of the lift arrive and turns and looks behind, "great, you're here."
"ETA?" Amelia questions as they rush over.
"Approximately 5 minutes," Derek responds.
Derek, Amelia and Bailey all wait and move slightly back towards the lift when they see and hear the helicopter start to land.
The cold air pressed down by the helicopter causes the doctors to shiver as the helicopter executed its landing. The doors burst open and the paramedics rush out with Chris on a gurney. At the same time Amelia, Derek and Bailey rushed towards them. "What's going on?" Amelia asks the paramedic. Jo immediately steps out of the helicopter and follows behind.
"28 year old male suffered 1 minute and 45 second seizure, hitting his head in the process. His wife let him ride the seizure out and he's been conscious ever since. Heart rate is slightly elevated," the paramedics explains.
"Right, lets get him down to neuro so we can do a full work up," Amelia orders.
The hour wait for test results were agonising for Jo, who was anxious to know why Chris's seizure occurred. She sat by his bedside and held his hand while he slept. He was exhausted having the seizure and after having countless tests and scans run, something that wasn't uncommon.
There was a quiet knock on Chris' door, which caused Jo to jump slightly in surprise, "Jo?" The voice said quietly.
Jo turns around to see Amelia, Derek and Bailey standing by the door. Jo gently places Chris' hand down on the bed and walks out of the room to talk to the three doctors.
"Did you find anything?" Jo questions urgently while looking anxiously at the doctors.
Derek nods his head, "We did actually. A Thrombus….. or simply a blood clot."
"The thrombus is in the basilar artery feeding the cerebellum," Amelia continues.
"And is that what caused the seizure?" Jo questions.
"Effectively, yes," Derek begins, "It can also cause other symptoms such as nausea and mood swings. Has Chris been experiencing any of these?"
"Just anger issues, but that subsided after he regained his memory. I assumed they were just a part of this 'Jake' guys personality," Jo informs them.
"Most likely the seizure was caused when a smaller piece broke away from this mass and obstructed blood flow of somewhere else," Amelia adds.
"So, are you saying that there is two of these clots now?" Jo asks curiously.
"Well, no, not necessarily. The smaller fragment may have broken up and dissolved into the blood stream. That's what we hope for in a case like this. It would also explain why there has only been one seizure so far. Our concern now is that this original thrombus or another larger fragment from it will migrate and possibly create a greater obstruction somewhere else. That's what we need to try and stop," Amelia expresses.
Jo places back at Chris and then back to the doctors, "Why didn't you find this sooner? I mean, there were so many tests done."
"Well, for the same reason there weren't any seizures before. The mass has to reach a certain minimal size before it will show up as an anomaly. Unfortunately that is also when it can do the most damage," Derek explains.
"Can you operate to remove it?" Jo asks.
"Yes. We would use catheters to reach the verses and then we'd use a laser to break the clot apart. Ideally the resulting particles will be so small that they'll be harmless. But given the areas of the brain we'll be dealing with, if the laser damaged the arterial wall or the Catheter itself perforated the artery, we wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding," Derek explains.
Jo sighs and rubs her forehead with her right hand, "I really thought the worst was over."
"Right now we need to focus on helping Chris. The next little while is critical. Talk to him, talk to his parents and let us know what you decide," Amelia advises.
Scene break
The next afternoon- June 23rd
"I know thats its different to face the prospect of another surgery. But unfortunately the alternative isn't very promising," Amelia explains and Jo and Chris sit in a consult room alongside Derek.
"But, the new surgery could be as risky as letting the clot break up naturally. Maybe his body will take care of this clot like it did the smaller one?" Jo questions hopeful.
"Given the size of the clot, that is not a real possibility. A thrombus of this type if like a ticking time bomb in Chris' head. And we're not just talking about my instincts, or Derek's instincts, we have identified the problem. You need to trust us to go in there an fix it…. Soon," Amelia encourages
Chris shakes his head, "No, Amelia, Derek, I'm sorry."
"Listen, Chris…" Derek begins.
"I'm the one who's been through it all. I'm the one who has to go through post op and rehab. I don't have it in me to do it all again," Chris responds. Jo takes a hold of Chris' hand and squeezes it.
Derek sighs, "Chris, I don't think you understand the likely prognosis here. Do you realise you could die?"
Jo gasps emotionally, "Oh god."
"I could die either way though, right? The surgery may not even work," Chris states.
"Well, that is true," Amelia responds.
"I think I'll take my chances without the surgery. I'm going to go get something to eat," Chris responds before letting go of Jo's hand and getting up.
Jo, Amelia and Derek all watch as Chris exits the room, "He's scared, and that completely understandable. But Jo, I am telling you that his best chance is to have surgery, and I know that you know that."
Jo sighs and nods her head, "I know. But I'm not him. I'm not the one thats having the surgery. If it were me, I'd have it done in a heartbeat. But I'm not him. You need to give him so time, and me some time. I'll get him to have the surgery."
"We really don't have much time Jo. The sooner we get this clot out the sooner Chris is on the road to recovery again."
Scene break
"There you are. I've been looking for you," Jo says after she walks over to Chris, who was standing outside the window looking in on the daycare.
"I'm sorry I walked out. It's just…." Chris begins.
"I know you're scared, but this surgery, it's necessary…" Jo begins.
"You don't get it Jo. You're not the one having the surgery," Chris responds.
Jo sighs, "This isn't the way I wanted to do this. I wanted to have some kind of cute thing set up and involve the kids. But I guess right here will do….." Jo trails.
Chris turns to look at his wife, "Whats going on?"
"I'm pregnant Chris," Jo replies. "And I'm not going to be going through this pregnancy without you. And I don't want to raise three children on my own, I won't be able to do that and my internship without you, heck I struggled to do it with two kids. I need you here Chris, so call me selfish or what ever you want to because I can't do all of this without you. I mean, you say that you love me and you love the kids, but if you truly loved us you wouldn't give up. You'd have the surgery so we could have a chance," she rants.
Chris sighs and holds onto Jo's hands, "Slow down honey. Take a breath," he instructs. Jo nods her head and breaths in deeply, "You're pregnant?" He smiles.
Jo smiles, grins and nods her head, "yeah. I'm guessing it was reengagement night. We didn't use anything."
Chris chuckles, "We were very caught up in the moment that night. And Jo, I do love you and I love this kids. I love everything we have…. Everything we've built. So, okay, I'll have the surgery, because as much as I'm scared, I know that I want this family more."
Jo nods her head and smiles. She leans in for a hug and they both turn to look at the kids, were were happily playing. Theo was reading Grace a story while she was smiling and giggling while shaking a toy in her hand.
Disclaimer: part of the medical scenes used in this chapter were modified from Everwood.