(no subject)
So I will just start at the beginning of the weekend and see how it all comes out.
I left work on Friday has happy as can be. I was looking forward to a "long" weekend because our central AC was to be installed on Monday and I'd taken the day off to supervise. Nice. On the way home, I stopped and picked up a actual-paper copy of "The Watchmen" graphic novel along side an actual-paper copy of the first issue of the new TRON comic. Awesome. I also swung over to the movie store and picked up a copy of Natural City. Val was (very) late getting home but we watched the movie (good flick) and turned in for the night.
Saturday morning, as usual, we went off to the Farmer's Market with some friends. Just as we were finishing up with that, I got a phone call on my cell. It was Mike. Their baby was on its way. 7 weeks early. I've encountered premature babies before and I know that though things can get complicated, that often - with care - things turn out just fine. I asked him to keep in touch and told him that our thoughts were with him and Sandy.
The day wore on and I even got to hacking the Wisteria in the back yard using my new chainsaw (awesome). We watched another movie (Date Movie, not so awesome) and hung out with Kevin for a while. Then another phone call. Baby was doing fine - Sandy was not.
I'm not sure I have the capacity to actually write down the details. Suffice to say, there had been a few separate complications related to the birthing and Sandy was having trouble breathing and staying conscious. She was moved to the ICU. The worrying began in earnest.
Sunday morning rolled around and we received another call. This time from Mike's mom. Mike needed us. We packed up and drove off to Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga. We were there the whole day riding on waves of news from the ICU doctors. Some positive, some not so much. She was not awake but seemed to respond to some people's voice or touch. Various CT scans and MRI's showed that her lungs had cleared but that she was not out of the woods. She'd been bleeding from a part of her brain stem and the excess fluid was causing pressure to build. She was very critical. Her mom arrived, fresh off of a flight from England at around 2. Mike's brother Tim showed up from Ottawa around the same time. Other family members poured in and we all sat on the edge of our seats all day.
I haven't heard any news today yet - but I assume that means that there has been no change. The doctors warned us that it could very likely be weeks before we see any improvement. They also told us that the worst may yet happen.
Finnegan, their newborn son, is doing wonderfully. He's huge (18"!) for a 7 week premie and everyone at the hospital has been very happily surprised about his progress.
So we're sending our most positive energy to Sandy and hoping with all our hearts that she comes out of this. Her son and husband need her. We all need her. You could wander far and wide and never encounter a sweeter and more caring person than Sandy. Her heart has always been full with compassion, understanding, and empathy. She's always the best person to talk to when you feel bad or uneasy about something. She has a way of turning you perspective around and showing you the good that you're missing.
She's sick - but we're all confident that she's going to get better.
