Laura had a pain filled last night and day. She didn’t have the energy to get out of bed. Around dinner time her mother Natalie found her passed out on the floor beside the bed.
It was frightening, but she seems to be unhurt and ok now. We decided to check in to the Baystate Hospital early for Laura’s safety and our peace of mind. Right now she’s getting processed through the ER. It’s an incredibly chaotic place. Neither of us has been in a big city ER.
Early admission
Wed, Feb 6th, 2008 9:20pm by dkulp
Tags: Uncategorized
21 responses so far ↓
1 Janice Everett // Feb 6, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Keep us posted, I’ll check back before I call Momma in the am…love and prayers Janice
2 David // Feb 6, 2008 at 10:08 pm
they tell us it’s a quiet night…
3 David // Feb 6, 2008 at 10:31 pm
about to get another spinal tap to relieve pressure as per neurosurgeon’s advice. If of doesn’t relieve symptoms, too, then that calls in to question the value of the shunt. Why didn’t anyone think of this before?
4 David // Feb 6, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Just gave her a narcotic in her IV during a severe headache. Immediate relief. Too bad she couldn’t self administer at home. Or maybe she could have!? Tap up next.
5 David // Feb 6, 2008 at 11:12 pm
pressure was about 3 times normal and about 50% higher than previous tap. “good” sign.
6 Cousin Ralph // Feb 6, 2008 at 11:37 pm
David…just wanted to let you know we’re all thinking about you guys here out west. We know the situation has become desperate and scary, but really don’t know how to express in words how helpless we all feel. Just hang in there (easier said than done)…and hope you and Laura will overcome yet another one of these horrible setbacks.
Ralph
7 David // Feb 7, 2008 at 1:14 am
Still in ER, but I’m told that she’ll be admitted soon. But L doesn’t care. She sleeping soundly despite the ER noise.
8 Suzy // Feb 7, 2008 at 1:43 am
David…So glad Laura is resting. I hope you can rest as well. We are all with you during this tough day/night.
9 David // Feb 7, 2008 at 3:04 am
Laura is admitted and staying in rm 3511a in the oncology wing. Phone is 413-886-1428.
We have no idea if they’ll release her tomorrow morning and have her readmitted on Friday. Currently she’s pain free since the spinal tap.
For those trying to reach me, I can’t check email. (lame hospital firewall) but my mobile is 413-552-6859.
10 David // Feb 7, 2008 at 7:01 am
To MRI soon. No pain or other troubles for 8 hours. Makes us feel optimistic about shunt.
11 Tom Duesterhaus // Feb 7, 2008 at 7:39 am
David-
Thank you for the updates – keeping Laura and you in my thoughts & prayers.
12 Aunt Cathy // Feb 7, 2008 at 9:00 am
Laura is in a good place for her. Relief for both of you. Hope they keep her until the shunt is done. Thanks for the many updates through your vigil.
Aunt Cathy
13 Shannon Coleman // Feb 7, 2008 at 9:10 am
Our prayers are with you. Thank you for the updates throughout the night.
14 Dan & Rocio // Feb 7, 2008 at 10:03 am
David –
After months of Rocio and I wondering what we’d done with contact info for you and how we managed to lose contact, Suzy McDaniel VanDeMark just wrote and gave me the link to your blog and told me what’s been happening. What a terrible shock. Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers. We’re in Bolvia. I’ve subscribed to your posts about Laura. danandrocio at hot mail. I wish we could do more, of course, but count on our solidaridad. Send me your email and I’ll send an update and a link to photos we just posted. Much love – Dan Moriarty
15 Karuna // Feb 7, 2008 at 10:07 am
David,
Keeping you and Laura in our thoughts and prayers for some relief. How frightening for you both. I hope you can get a bit of rest.
May you find comfort in the Love and hope surrounding you now.
Love & Blessings,
Karuna
16 David // Feb 7, 2008 at 10:38 am
L had a brief seizure-like episode at the MRI w/ a mild headache. That’s a disappointment. But we don’t know how fast the pressure rebuilds. Or could indicate other complicating causes.
L will stay in the hospital until surgery tomorrow and will probably get an EEG while here to look for seizure signs.
17 David // Feb 7, 2008 at 10:48 am
Dan, thanks. Contact info is on “about” page.
18 Susan Rees // Feb 7, 2008 at 11:08 am
David& Laura-
So glad you’re in the hospital and pain meds are working. My good friend Monica is a nurse on the oncology floor- I’ll tell her to look out for you. If I can get over there tonight, I will.
Love,
Susan
19 Mark Taggart // Feb 7, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I’ve been trying to figure out what I should contribute to these comments since you posted the information about Laura’s leptomeningeal carcinomatosis diagnosis. In part because it was such difficult news to absorb, in part because the posts that followed described other rapidly-developing aspects of the diagnosis, and in part because Dave’s narrative (still) leaves me in a place of quiet thought where I simply couldn’t come up with the right (or any) words.
That being said, today it is clear that I can at least tell you two that I’m there in cyber-spirit as this surgery approaches and occurs. Though these new developments sound trying, I still hope the procedure offers some practical treatment for relieving some of those awful symptoms, especially the headaches.
Dave, your two-pronged coping response impresses the hell out of me: (1) the flexibility to be able to adapt to this swiftly-changing set of circumstances, and (2) your reliance on regularity/ritual to keep things stable (e.g. posting the photos, absorbing the season, writing this blog). I dearly wish my response in future times of crisis can be as full-on human as yours.
Again, I wish you good fortune for today & tomorrow, and hang in there as the wheels of the hospital turn. Let Laura know there’s all kinds of love on these pages to back her up, and I look forward to hearing about post-op improvements!
P.S.: I’m teaching two life drawing classes this semester, and yesterday I was lecturing about the bones of the leg. When I got to fibula, I mentioned to my students that I had a friend who recently broken hers, but that she was far too badass for it to get in her way. 😉
20 Lori Christian // Feb 7, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Laura and family,
My family and I are praying for you and your family. You have some many people who love and care for you… I hope you are feeling better and I hope the surgery goes well.
A friend in Florida!
Take Care,
Lori
21 Diane McLaughlin // Feb 8, 2008 at 2:35 pm
David, please let Laura know that all of Northern Virginia is praying for her. I sent an update to the St. Michael Christian Mother group yesterday along with the blog address again. I am amazed at your ability to write so well during such a hardship. Certainly you are guided by the hand of God. Once everyone starts reading your blog it is impossible to stop and I find my self checking often to see how things are going. Natalie is in our CM group here in No. Va. so she knows what miracles have been received from our prayers. We continue our storm of Heaven as true prayer warriors. Blessings, Diane McLaughlin