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View Full Version : Re: Barbara (Circe) is doing well (cross-posted)


Kari
July 8th 03, 08:28 PM
Thank you for letting us all know, I've been thinking about her and checking
the group often for updates. Please send along well wishes and lots of get
well soon vibes :)

Kari
mom to Kaylie (7) Noah (4) and #3 due Sept/Oct

"Katie Jaques" > wrote in message
om...
> Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts and wishes. I knew you
> would all want to know about Barbara's condition.
>
> When I left the hospital about 10:30 this morning she was still asleep
> under sedation, but they were just waiting for an order from the
> doctor to wake her up and remove the ventilator tubes. She had a
> reasonably restful night, but when the nurses came to change her
> position in the bed, take blood, etc. she roused easily and was
> responsive, and she knew I was there.
>
> It appears we are out of the woods, although we came terrifyingly
> close to losing her. In the emergency room early yesterday morning
> she was in complete pulmonary and cardiac arrest for about 5 minutes.
> Her own initiative in getting up and calling 911 probably saved her
> life. Had she not done that before rousing Michael, she might not
> have made it, or at best she might have had serious brain damage. As
> it is, everyone tells us she should have no permanent effects.
>
> Barbara has had asthma since she was 2-1/2 years old. Her father
> suffered from it all his life, and her sister's son, Parker, also has
> it. I have lived with asthmatics for more than 40 years and have seen
> some fairly rough times, but never anything like this. It was a huge
> shock to me. We made a few midnight runs to the emergency room in her
> childhood, but not after we got the home breathing machine so we could
> do the albuterol treatments ourselves. When she recovers from this
> episode I hope we can find a specialist who will put her on a
> maintenance protocol that will prevent future events. She has just
> been treating it symptomatically, and obviously that is not working
> now.
>
> We have no idea what triggered this, although she had been pulling
> weeds out by the pool a couple of days ago, sending up clouds of
> pollen, and on Sunday the family had gone to the San Diego County Fair
> and visited all the farm animal exhibits. Any of those things could
> have brought it on, although it seems like a delayed reaction when it
> hits at 3 a.m.
>
> Fortunately we have a good-sized family here, both natural and
> volunteer, so there are many hands to share the burdens. We are so
> grateful for Ninian, our au pair.
>
> Keep those good vibes coming, and we'll keep you posted. I hope it
> won't be long before she is on line to acknowledge your good wishes
> herself.
>
> Grandma Katie
>
> Mom to Barbara (Circe) and Valerie, Grandma to Julian, Aurora, Vernon,
> Parker & Cora