LadyRed's blog: "Life..."

My uncle passed away over the weekend. He'd been fighting with Leukemia for some time and had just had a bone marrow transplant. He seemed to be winning. His counts were going up. He was eating more and had more energy. His wounds were healing. His hair was growing back. Then...overnight he was just...gone. This is first time I've lost someone close in the family. I can't go to the funeral because it will be out of state and I won't get paid if I miss work. I feel miserable that I can't go.

Yesterday afternoon while my husband, Beazil, and I were at work, early in Beazil's shift, Beazil received a call from his ex-wife's fiance. He told him that she had been on her way back home from Tulsa Oklahoma with Beazil's son and they were involved in a severe car accident. Beazil's son was too critical to be transported by ambulance so he had to be Star Flighted to Children's Hospital here in Dallas. Beazil left work immediately and went down to the hospital. His son was having a CAT scan done. No broken bones, but it did show air pockets in his abdomen. (Sign of ruptured organs) and they needed consent to perform immediate exploritory surgery. Beazil of course granted permission. Two and a half hours later they came to tell Beazil that his son's stomach had been found severed from his intestional track and was spilling stomach acid into his abdomen along with bile, bacteria from the intestines and all kinds of crap. They fixed that and had to move several things around as well as create a by-pass to avoid the acid in his stomach from reaching the stitches in the patch job. This is a VERY SEVERE injury. The doctors can't even give us a prognosis at this point.. He could go either way and we are just going to have to wait and see if he'll get better. Now he is laying in ICU, unconscious and hooked up to a breathing apparatus. He's got tubes and wires coming out from everywhere. It was so eerie watching a machine breathe for him. He looked so small. They are going to have him on monster anti-biotics for a while to try to keep his insides from getting infected from all the crap that got dumped out of his stomach and intestines into his abdomen. Beazil and I are both feeling pretty helpless right now. There's nothing we can do but wait. Beazil's held up really strong and I am trying to help him as much as I can. His son needs some serious prayers to help him pull through this. Please...take a few minutes to send healing/positive energies his way or prayers or whatever works for you. He'll need it all. ********************************************** 03/22/08- 9:30 a.m. Update on Beazil’s Son: They are scheduling him for an MRI right now. They think there might be a break between his L1 & L2(?) vertebrae. In other words, a break in his back....on top of everything else. ******************************************** 03/22/08 1:02 p.m. Latest: They are taking him back into surgery. He’s been producing way too much bile for his size and the surgeon has been tossing and turning all morning about it. They are going to open him back up and check to see if any sutures (sp?) are leaking or if there’s another problem. ********************************************** Update 03/24/08 12:27 p.m. They leaky sutures were successfully fixed. He was able to be taken off the respirator and is awake...somewhat. They started him on IV nutrition. He’s going to be fed that way for at least 2 months. The poor kid says he’s really hungry but can’t ingest anything. I bet he feels miserable. The MRI does actually show there are several cracks in his spine. They now have him laying flat on his back as a precautionary measure. Not sure yet what they are going to for his back. He had to have a blood transfusion this morning. His hemoglobin levels dropped way low. The man that was in the car that hit them died this morning. Say a prayer for his family.

My husband's aunt in in the hospital, listed in critical condition. They don't think she's going to hold out much longer. She was a contortionist in her younger years and, I gather from the stories I've been told, has lived quite a life of adventure. It's hard to picture a woman that was once so full of life laying there, so still, in that hosptial bed. He was near tears when he called me with the news that she had taken a turn for the worse, as he was close to his aunt. I sat there on the phone listening, and I hurt for him...but I found myself at a complete loss to know what words to say that would actually do him any good. All my feeble brain could come up with was "I'm sorry" which sounds incredibly weak and shallow. I've never had anyone close to me in my family die. I can't say that I understand how he feels because I haven't experienced it. How can I offer any real comfort to him if I don't know the right words to say? I am sure everyone is going to be saying "I'm sorry."

Dang...those that really know me will agree that this really fits right now...lol ******** Daily Horoscope: Taurus For August 25,2007 Try not to worry too much about the state of the world -- it'll still be there for you tomorrow. It's a much better time to focus on your own issues and needs, and try to grow in a positive direction.

Wish us luck. Going to go meet with a lawyer to begin a custody battle for Beazil's son. It's a whole long story as far as the history with Beazil's ex-wife goes...but trust me...she's nuts and we need to get Beazil's son out of there. (I'm sorry...but a 6-year-old shouldn't be obssessed with demons...or be making himself puke...or holding down other kids at school and beating them...etc.) It's going to be a hard fight...but with all the contempt-of-court issues we have documented on her...where she's completely gone against the decree of the custody papers that are already en force...and Beazil's son's behavioral and emotional difficulties...we think we have some chance at least. We want to get him into a stable home with discipline and love. He needs structure and to see two responsible parents who can raise him to take care of himself responsibly as well. We have got to get him out of the trailer his mom lives in and out of the welfare-baby life!! Wish us luck!!