Heart Pains

I just received the news today that a friend and former colleague of mine from several years ago had a stroke on Friday. I and the friend that called me to let me know are in absolute shock and disbelief. Like myself, apparently she has been dealing with HBP lately and in the past. She had been feeling tired and disoriented last week and before anyone knew it, she had a stroke and is in the ICU on life support at a local hospital.

Outside of being a smoker (which I'm not sure she was still doing), she was a healthy, active, beautiful person! Petite, brunette and funny, she had a lot going for her and would always do anything to help in a pinch. I'm absolutely heartbroken thinking of her lying in a hospital bed with machines attached to her and there being no hope of survival!

The stroke affected the part of her brain that controls movement and physical ability. At first they thought only her left side was paralyzed, but the doctors have stated it is her entire body and that she is in a vegetative state. It's too surreal. My memories of her are of her being bubbly, dancing, water skiing and always smiling. I haven't seen her in a while, but we kept in touch through e-mails. I had been thinking about her a lot recently, and now I know why.

Her family is completley devastated! She has a 13 year old daughter (who lost her father to a domestic violence incident with his 3rd wife) who is as beautiful as she is. Her family is torn, trying to decide what to do; let your daughter live in a vegetative state the rest of her life or take her off of life support and let her pass on?

I cried most of the afternoon and some tonight wishing I had done more to see her, make more of a frequent effort to keep in touch. She is only 41.... FORTY-ONE! Just a few years older than I am.... A STROKE! It just really hits home! My own doctor stated just 4 months ago that had it not been for medication I was taking before going on the beta-blockers that I definitely would have had a stroke myself, he had absolutely no doubt about it.

The thought of going to the funeral of a friend this week is too much. We shouldn't be dying, we should be living. This is the last place I intended to see old friends again... or even to have to say good bye to one. You always receive those e-mail chain letters about telling people how much they mean to you every chance you get. It couldn't be more true! I wish I had just one more chance to tell her what a great person I thought she was, superb manager and gifted in so many ways.

Please keep my friend Dorathy, her daughter and her family in your prayers this week. I'm only hoping a miracle will manifest itself this week and she will come out of this healthy and mildly affected. Miracles do happen, right?