Talk About Thanksgiving!

Whew!

On September 17, I received a call from my little sister, Mary Kate (Gedro Brown) who told me she had a headache. She was a bit troubled because she does not get headaches. Actually, I am the queen of headaches in our family. When we were children, I got migraines that were so intense that they were disabling. One time, I laid in agony upstairs in a bedroom, and hours later my older sister, Ellen poured me into a car and drove me to the emergency room at Riverside Hospital. I was treated with Demerol. Since then, I can manage and live with headaches. Back to the main plot here, which is not about me. Mary Kate felt badly about calling in sick for work and I told her to please take care of herself. This is a woman who has spent her life in physical pursuits: swimming, hiking, horseback riding, cycling-she does it all. She clearly got the Gedro athletic gene. The next day, her husband insisted that they go to the doctor. After spending the better part of a day in the emergency department at University of Rochester Medical Center , she was admitted to a room because of a high persistent fever and difficulty breathing. By Friday, I had received a call from Robb that it would be a good idea for me to get over to the hospital. On Saturday, I was with Mary Kate as she struggled to breathe. They took her in for a CT scan and when she came back, her breathing was frighteningly labored. They put her in the intensive care unit and began a discussion about intubation. I waited until Robb got back (he had gone home to take care of their three young daughters) and advocated for intubation. This whole time, it felt like the world was moving in slow motion, a bad dream that you are so relieved you wake up from. For days on end, Mary Kate's vitals registered high fever, and infected, weakened lungs. She was intubated, sedated, and then on life support. Doctors asked all kinds of questions: where had she travelled, had she been around birds, and so on. Bacteria, autoimmune, and fungus were all ruled out as culprits.  On Wednesday, September 25, her condition was downright scary. My older sister and her husband diverted their trip from Scottsdale to San Antonio to Panama, and came to Rochester. Mary Kate's kidneys were starting to fail. It was a terrible, terrible, scary time. For two days, we were suspended in time, silently wondering how this could happen and what was next. Their priest came and prayed over Mary Kate and anointed her with oil. I spent Sunday night and Tuesday night at her bedside in that room, on a little cot. She later told me that she knew I was there.  From Wednesday, October 2 through Friday, October 4, she rallied. She was extubated. I was there for that-what an awesome moment to watch them pull that tube out.  On Friday, October 4, she was transferred to Acute Care. By Monday, October 7, she was home.

Words are insufficient to express how relieved I feel, and how grateful I am that Mary Kate is alive. I went over to Rochester this past Tuesday, and we went for bloodwork, and then had a marvelous lunch. I can't remember a time when I enjoyed conversation and a meal so much. Mary Kate is very thin, and weak, but I can see the fire in her belly. I have a sense she is going to come back strong. Thank you to all of the YTNR community who were so "present" with love, support, and prayers. Truly, I feel this has been a miracle.

Thank you to all of you, thank you to all of Mary Kate and Robb's friends (amazing people), thank you to the nurses and doctors and staff at University of Rochester Medical Center. And finally, thanks be to God.