Posted on 12/09/2003 4:43:34 AM PST by Beach_Babe
They moved my sister to the ICU unit at Ocala Regional Medical Center yesterday and she is scheduled for surgery today to drain the excessive adominal fluid. The surgery was originally scheduled for yesterday, but she's now developed a URI too.
She is very, very sick and so weak. Any prayers that can mustered up for her would be more than appreciated. Her name is Marilyn and she's 51 years old.
She has a rare spinal cord abscess. Usually, surgery is performed to lance the abscess. But she's not a canidate for surgery because, as a health care professional, she contracted Hepatitis C years ago which has caused extensive liver damage.
12/7/03:
They are not treating the liver at all --- they are trying to get rid of the spinal cord abscess --- which, I guess, they think is a more immediate problem. Everything Ive been able to find on the web about spinal abscesses says that they require URGENT surgery. But she doesnt have the option because of the damaged liver. Shes on six-weeks of antibiotics, then theyll do another MRI. I think theyre in the fourth week now. But again, from what Ive read, the antibiotics will not penetrate the abscess.
Until this week I did think she was improving. She wasnt as groggy as in the beginning and wasnt sleeping as much. But this past week has been all down hill. She was without a catheter for about thirty-six hours --- but thats back in. And back in a hospital gown too. Until yesterday she was asking for the bedpan for bowel movements, now shes just pooping in the bed. Another spinal abscess symptom. Urine, which was black until the day after I posted the original prayer thread, remains reddish. At one point it turned to a darkish yellow for a day or two. Eyes remain white but there is a yellow tinge beneath them.
She is not eating; her face is becoming thin as the rest of her body swells. Her torso and legs are gigantic. I can hardly fit a sock on her foot --- Im bringing down crocheted booties today, theyll stretch. Shes always cold. I tucked her in last night with three blankets and wrapped another around her head. Im bringing a hat too. Its supposed to go down to freezing here tonight.
They have those pulsating leg thingies on her now and have put a trapeze above her bed --- so she can grab with her arms to try to move. Shes just about paralyzed --- has trouble turning her head. She cannot roll over by herself to get cleaned. If unabated, the progression of the spinal cord abscess is severe permanent paralysis and neurological damage --- and possibly death. Her breathing was labored last night and shes had a cough for a few days. Her speech is slurred --- very slurred --- I have trouble understanding anything she says. Tho everything shes been saying is so confused --- shes paranoid --- if its not the army people, its someone stealing something from her at her home back in New Jersey, or people hiding in the bathroom.
Marilyns being hit hard by two different things right now and I dont know if shes going to make it. Shes so weak.
On top of it all, she has no medical insurance and the hospital has been bugging me about her assets. As theyve pointed out, she owes them hundreds of thousands of dollars and they want to put her on Medicaid after taking just about everything she owns. She recently relocated to Florida from New Jersey and wasn't able to find employment here yet. She wanted to leave a hospital setting and either work with animals in her new life or in a doctor's office on a part time basis.
Leni
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I want to post a photo of her --- but can't find the cable which attaches the camera to the computer, grrrr. I'll keep on looking.
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