Melinda's condition

On early Saturday morning Melinda was in a very bad car accident. She was critically injured and mediflighted to OKC. She is in OU Medical Center in the Presbyterian Tower. Melinda is in Trauma ICU. The injuries that Melinda sustained were very substantial. They include a traumatic brain injury, neck injury, back injury, rib injury, bruised lungs, and a broken pelvis. The doctors discovered that Melinda had pressure building up on her brain. The doctors put a bolt in so they could effectively monitor the pressure. The doctors began by using medicine therapy. They continued with the medicine until Tuesday and determined that it was unsuccessful. Therefore, they put a catheter in to the brain where the fluid was building. This has helped Melinda. She is stable and improving a little each day. She has pneumonia and they are in the process of treating this with antibiotics and other respiratory therapies. The doctors have sent culture off to have analyzed to make sure they are treating her with the appropriate antibiotics. The doctors still have Melinda sedated in order to help her body heal. When Melinda is able to manage the pressure more effectively on her own they will lower her sedation level. This is a balancing act that the doctors have to manage because they want to make sure that Melinda is ready to be off the medication. It is important that Melinda is comfortable and able to rest because this is a way that the body can heal itself. Melinda's other injuries are on hold until the pressure in her brain is under control. Melinda continues to improve but it is all in baby steps. When more information is available, we will update this so that all of Melinda's friends and family will have accurate information.