NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece

Subject: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Mrrzy
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 09:57 AM

Just got a call only marginally worse than the one my sister got at 5 am - my eldest niece (the only college student) is in a coma after crashing her car drunkely into a tree. Nobody else in car or tree. All thoughts and music appreciated. Will keep you poseted.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 10:17 AM

Ah, Mrrzy, sorry to hear that. A young body can be incredibly resilient, though. My girlfriend's niece went off the road, this winter in a blizzard. Was in a coma with internal injuries, not expected to come out of it, nor to live. That was before Christmas. She is now awake, has had several surgeries to repair internal injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. Her spirit certainly did not want to let go.

May your niece's spirit be as strong and the doctors be well-guided.

Good thoughts and lighted candle here for your niece. May we have her first name please?

kat

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: SharonA
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 10:24 AM

Geez, Mrrzy, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she pulls through this. All my good thoughts go out to you and to her.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: SINSULL
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 10:24 AM

Mrrzy,
Young people don't believe that they can die or even break. But they are resilient. Stay strong for your sister. I will keep you all in my prayers.
Mary

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: MMario
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 10:33 AM

my thoughts are with you - at least when my nephew ended up in the hospital the morning of new year's day he hadn't been driving -

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 10:48 AM

Aw NO!!!!

I'm here. See PM.

~S~

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Jock Morris
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 12:02 PM

You've just got to love this site where people feel so much at home they can post a thread like this. Where else on the internet would you find such openness on a public forum? Best wishes to your niece; hope she pulls through and lives to learn a valuable lesson that cars and alcohol don't mix.

Scott

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Allan C.
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 01:35 PM

kat, her first name is Dorian. She is one of the two beautiful daughters of my friend Kathy's sister.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Hollowfox
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 01:48 PM

Oooo. My thoughts go out to you, her, and the family.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Morticia
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 02:58 PM

Sending up all possible best thoughts for you and your niece, keep us posted, huh?

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Maryrrf
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 03:03 PM

Mrrzy, my thoughts and prayers are with your niece and everybody concerned. I know how you must feel. My oldest son ran into a tree the day after he got his license, and I got the dreaded phone call at 12 midnight. I got to the scene and the car was so crushed I thought there was no way he could be alive - and to complicate matters more he is a hemophiliac - meaning his blood doesn't clot well. It took ages for them to cut him out of the car. I had his medicine there and persuaded them to give him an IV containing clotting factor right there at the accident scene. He was rushed to the hospital but only had a broken ankle and cuts and bruises. Miracles do happen - let's hope your niece will be okay.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 03:23 PM

Mrrzy, This must be a real hard thing on all of you and your family. Just knowing she is still alive gives much hope. I will send healing energy out for you and for your niece.
A good friend of mine died two weeks ago, driving under the influence and hit a tree also. She got thrown out of her vehicle and died instantly.I guess my point is you have time to be with her, talk to her and help her find her way back!
Rustic

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 03:25 PM

Oh, Mrz, I'm so sorry. Hope she will be OK.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 04:38 PM

Thanks, Allan.

{{{{{{Rustic Rebel}}}}}} Sorry to hear about your friend.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 11:08 PM

Thanks, all. No real news, but here is what I know. She went off the road and rolled her car, airbag and seatbelts worked and somebody heard the crash and called it in, so the paramedics got there about 20 mn after. Blood alcohol above legal limits, I don't know how far. She was breathing but her pupils weren't reactive, suspended in her seatbelt. In the ambulance she started having trouble breathing so they intubated, and by the time they got to the ER she was havins sluggish pupil responses. Initial exam shows trouble on the right side, extent unknown, details unknown. She has compression fractures in 4 vertebrae (c5,6 and t3, 8) but no spinal cord damage, apparently she was very straight in the seat when the roof caved in on her. She responds to pain in all extremities, but more so in the hands than the feet. The hospital put her under very heavy sedation, basically knocking her deeper into coma, to decrease swelling in the brain, and this afternoon they weaned her a little to see what came back, and they got more response to pain in extremities, some occasional spontaneous movements, and some breathing attempts - no pupillary response. She coughed once, a good sign. Her intercranial pressure was 5 this morning (0-20 is normal on the scale they are using) but it was up to 12 by this afternoon, and went over 20 when they rolled her over cleaning her up; the swelling isn't likely to peak for a couple-three days, so it will get worse before it gets better. But I'll be back at work tomorrow and will post anything new that I know - and meanwhile I'll check in anyway to see all the support I'm getting, thanks, all.

I find myself not worrying IF SHE'll wake up; I wonder WHO will wake up, whether Dorian is already gone and we'll have someone else, changed, different. I want DORIAN back.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 11:17 PM

Mrrzy, with Mudcat being down and then up, I think you did not see my PM about asking if this should go to the prayer chain. What I am going to do is give it to them as a NEWS item, not a prayer request... and hope I have not offended. Normally I would only give the URL-- let people come see for themselves. With Mudcat going down like this-- I can;t be sure that when they come look, they will be able to see the thread. I am going to give them what you have written. Cuz... that is what I can do, and I can't do nothing, instead.

I hope if the Cat goes goofy again you will come tell us how it is going, over in the Annexe... or e-mail someone who can post there for you....

love ya-- hang in there-- rest when you can--

~Susan

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Mrrzy
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 11:17 PM

My post after resetting cookie vanished into the ether somewhere....

Thanks for the PMs, all. One common response - feel free to send this to prayer chains / song circles / ANYTHING you think might help. I have great faith in the power of united thought - and in the particular hospital. Also, I reread my above post, and the right side I was talking about was the right side of the brain.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 11:25 PM

OK Mrr--

It is out to the prayer chain, in your own words, with a reminder from me to be respectful of your beliefs in this matter.

Perhaps someone else will start an Annexe thread as well?

Cross-postingly yours....

~Susan

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 04:31 AM

Mrrzy - Thinking of her, and all of you in her family and friends.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Giac
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 08:06 AM

Positive thoughts with your niece, Mrrzy, and with you and the rest of your family.

Mary

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Mrrzy
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 10:19 AM

I can say this even if you nice people can't - )*&%)%^ my beliefs. Please, anything you think will or might help is fine with me, please feel absolutely free to DO WHAT YOU WILL TO HELP DORIAN, everybody. I really want her to come back.

But (hint hint) some music would be helpful. I keep thinking of goin' down that long dusty road... which I do not want to be a one-way street! I'm thinking of Sam Stone, who came home but wasn't there. What else is there?

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Mrrzy
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 10:36 AM

She's off the ventilator and breathing on her own!

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: jeffp
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 10:53 AM

Good news! This shows that progress is being made. Hang in there, Mrzzy. Dorian too.

jeffp

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Big Mick
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 11:01 AM

Fierce prayers for this young one, Mrrzy. I pray she is your Dorian on the other side.

Mick

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 11:11 AM

We're on it, Mrr.

~S~

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Jeri
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 11:27 AM

The road back home is long and and dark
As it stretches through the night
And the empty, endess highway
Rolls on til dawn's first light
When the hills on the horizon
Will be touched with glorious gold
And the road won't seem so long and bleak
With a new day's hope to hold

Good news, and it comes fairly soon after the accident. She has a decent chance at full recovery. I am, and will be, pulling for Dorian and for you.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Jeri
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 11:33 AM

Long Long Trail is a good one to sing, I think. It's hopeful about being reunited with a loved one and walking it together.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: SharonA
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 11:58 AM

That's positive news, Mrrzy. Am sending out thoughts and hopes for continued improvement. Can you give us a general location (such as US state) toward which to direct all this energy?

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: KathWestra
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 12:17 PM

What a frightening time for you all. Add my hopes and thoughts for both you and Dorian to the well-wishes.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 12:24 PM

Healing and positive thoughts coming from this direction, too.

A number of years back a friend of a friend was in a coma after a skiing accident (yeah, I really wish those trees would stop jumping out in front of people). The coma lasted a fair amount of time, but my friend Bill visited almost every day and just kept talking to him. It's sometimes hard to keep up a one-sided conversation, but it seems to really help. And eventually the conversation wasn't one sided any more and Bill's friend made a complete recovery.

Don't forget to take care of yourself, too.

Linn

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 12:26 PM

And get music in the room-- it reaches deeper than our words can. Music she loves, the peaceful ones... or some harp music....

~S~

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Bobert
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 12:32 PM

After reading the initial post, Mrrzy, I stopped and asked the Lord to put His healing hands on Dorian. I will continue to pray fro her full recovery and to check back on this thread. Bobert

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Ebbie
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 12:52 PM

My niece, a little bitty slip of a girl, was 19 when she did the same thing. She was in a coma for 31 days. When she came back, it's true that she was younger than she had been- for instance, she giggled for hours at the idea that she'd ever owned a car.

She is now 38 and has had a good life. She's never married- but then she never did plan to. She has long-term close relationships.

She has two rottweilers and a mini-pinscher; bought her own place with a large back yard several years back. Rescues all manner of animals in need; her animal food bill is larger than her own, and her annual vet bill is enormous.

In other words, Brenda, as such, did not come back, exactly, but the one who replaced her is a compassionate, lovable, sharp little gal.

In Dorian's case, it is a most hopeful sign that she is already breathing on her own. I'm adding my prayers and thoughts to those of others.

Ebbie

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Mrrzy
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 02:30 PM

Thanks for Long Long Road, exactly what I'm seeking.

More news gleaned from today's lunchtime visit: She is breathing on her own BUT they do still have her on a ventilator; they have taken her off all the sedatives and gotten nothing back - yet. She still is not responding to any stimuli to her eyes, either light or touch, so they are talking brain-stem damage. But she was in for an MRI, we'll know a lot more after that. I keep trying to remember how young she is and how resilient that makes her brain... and it's Central VA, Charlottesville in particular, UVA hospital even more particularly. One of the best in the world. Her condition is still listed as Critical.

I'll check here periodically and will post when I know more, thanks, all.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: CapriUni
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 03:35 PM

Aiming my good thoughts west toward central VA

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 03:50 PM

Good thoughts your way. If it were to happen at all, Charlottesville hospital is a place where she can get about the best care you can get ANYWYERE. Hope when (not if) she comes back it will be FULL recovery. Thinking of her-- and you, and your sister.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Allan C.
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 05:20 PM

Dorian is an absolutely beautiful, strong, vital and intellingent young woman. She is surrounded by a loving family as well as an extremely wonderful extended family all of whom I have been blessed to think of as my friends for quite a few years. Dorian has a great number of reasons to do all within her power to come back from that foggy land where she now resides. Any strength that can be sent to help her in her effort to return could do nothing but help. Thanks, you guys.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: DancingMom
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 08:43 PM

Sending hope and best wishes from Richmond. She's in a good place, UVA. I'll be thinking of you all. Sharon

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Amergin
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 09:14 PM

Jesus, Mrrzy.....(((((mrr)))))

You and Dorian are in my thoughts, my dear friend.

Take care.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 08:52 AM

Very, very bad news, folks. The MRI revealed severed brain stem nerves, effectively (as I ken things) isolating her newer, human brain parts from the older brain parts that run the body. She has virtually 0 chance of even regaining consciousness, but they wont' call it 0 because sometimes, patients surprise them. But the neuro guys have never in their combined experience seen anyone recover from this kind of damage. The parents have been told that they'll wait a couple of days for the swelling to go down and see what happens, but if nothing does, a "decision" will have to be reached, which I assume will be the decision about terminating life support, but don't know for sure. I couldn't go to the hospital last night, I couldn't find anybody to take the twins and it was getting too grim for them to be there, but I'll go over tonight, the boys will be with their father who will be there today. I'm rambling, OK, I'll stop now. Allan C., sweetie, call me, you know my #.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Morticia
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 09:13 AM

Oh shit, Mrrzy, I am so sorry.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: SharonA
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 09:26 AM

Me too, Mrrzy. This sucks. Still, let's not give up unless the doctors and the parents have to "decide" to do so.

Still hoping for the best,
Sharon

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: MMario
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 09:41 AM

Very sorry to hear this Mrrzy.

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 10:06 AM

With you, Mrr.

~S~

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 11:58 AM

Stay strong, yourself, Mrrzy. Take one day at a time.
Mary

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 12:08 PM

(((((((((Dorian))))))))))

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 12:48 PM

Very sorry to hear this, Mrrzy. Will continue to hold her in the Light.

kat

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: CapriUni
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 01:01 PM

Mrrzy}}}}}}

All I can do is share my love. Nothing else I can say is worth much right now...

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: CapriUni
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 01:03 PM

That was, of course meant to be a two armed "hug".

Love, Ann

Subject: RE: NonMusic: Thoughts for Mrr's Niece
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 02:08 PM

rats! Don't give up the ship. Typing through tears. How can we help you all deal with this horrible news? do NOT give up hope