And you thought your weekend was lousy.

[HeartBreak]

The last 24 hours have been nothing but sheer and utter hell.

I got a call yesterday about noon. My neice, who is 17 years old, is currently in the local Intensive Care Unit. She was admitted with a severe infection.

When I say severe, I mean SEVERE. It started out as a lump on her right-lower-ribcage, extending around her like fingers. One lung filled with fluid, the other half way full. White blood cells up to 50,000 (12,000 is considered high, for those that don't know). Heart beating at 180 beats a minute. Poor kid was white as a ghost, and lucky to be alive.

The doctors suspect a staph infection. They have her hooked to fluids, antibiotics, and a sleep inducer (she was fighting them at every step. So much, that the doctor wanted to slap her. Guess that's a good sign, eh?).

She has undergone one surgery already, with at least one more to go.

Currently, as of 7am this morning, she is listed as critical, but stable, her heart rate down to 150, sometimes down to 140.

If this has taught me anything, it's this. Life is fleeting. That argument that was had last night, mean things said, etc. Don't let it go without making up; you might not get another chance.

 

[Hunter]

Sorry to hear about her being sick. Hope she gets better fast, let her know we are pushing for her.

 

[sweetdiesel]

Hope she gets well soon HB. We will be praying for her.

 

[FastEddy]

Live life,
Every minute could be your last.

I hope everything work out. My best wishes are with you and your family.

 

[Candyman]

Sorry to hear about that HB. Staph sucks bad. My best wishes to you and your niece. I hope she recovers, and quickly.

 

[jon2]

Hey HB,

I will include you and your family in my prayers.

Have faith in Him

God Bless

Jon

 

[NvNitro]

HB, My heart goes out to you and your family. And I hope that your neice over comes the infection quickly, and regains all her strength back. She sounds to me, like she is a little fighter. My best wishes to you and your family.

 

[Monkey Wrench]

Best of luck, HB! I'm sure she'll be right as rain before you know it!

 

[rossb]

Hope all turns out well.

 

[HeartBreak]

Thanks guys; I'm on my way out to see her. They're doin the lung-tap now, and thinking about taking her off the respirator as soon as this afternoon, if she's strong enough for it.

She's a little scrapper, that's for sure.

 

[SMaxxin]

Let her know there are people wishing her the best, and praying for her.

 

[HeartBreak]

I just got home from the hospital. She's doing much better. They took her off the respirator at 3:15pm and tapped her lung, and she's breathing under her own power, with 50% oxygen (a tad lean, huh?). However, she has a partially collapsed lung, from where the fluid was.

Her heartbeat is down to 130~140 a minute, from 180 (normal is 80~100). White blood cell count is down near 30,000.

The infection was confirmed as Staph, and it has infected her blood. She was two days away from cysts all over her body.

That there is the good news.

The bad news is, she has a 20% chance of going back on the respirator, and a 5% chance her heart is infected.

She's strong tho, and already has the TV turned on to her shows... Altho, she's out of it. Thanks for all your prayers guys; she appriciates it, even though she hasn't been real lucid. They have her heavily sedated, because she struggles against them.

 

[Lessen]

wow... that's scary stuff there. I wish her and everbody related well.

 

[digger]

Hope she is well soon HB.
My prayers are with her.

 

[HeartBreak]

Great news; she's awake; heart rate normal, goin up now.

 

[WoodiE]

That's awesome! Hope she gets to feeling back to normal soon!




-Michael

 

[HeartBreak]

I just got back from seeing her. She's already starting to act like her normal self. I'm so relieved to see her actually asking about her cat, and lucid. She can't maintain an O2 level yet, she can only keep about 30% or so on her own. They have her on an O2 mask. She's past the pain med phase.

She's a tough little stinker, that's for sure. She won't be out of the ICU for at least 2 more days.

Thanks again for all the well-wishing and support - this place is awesome. Like a 2nd family.

 

[HeartBreak]

Yet another update. There was a scare today at 6am Pacific time.

They went to do a CT scan on her without sedation, and she panicked. Her heart rate fell to 40, and she stopped breathing. They were able to revive her quickly, with no damage.

What a way to learn your niece is claustrophobic.

Anyways, she's resting comfortably, seems like she doesn't remember it, which is good. Once she is out of ICU, she will be told everything.

Aside from being in pain (on a morphine releaser - she had that button in one hand, the tv remote in the other), she's her normal self. Just a tad slow. She even burped. Small, but it was refreshing to see it.

Thanks to everyone for the support; And thanks for letting me vent this.

 

[Nitro_Freak]

good to know she's feeling better. I wish her all the best!

 

[digger]

How is she today HB?