it never rains it pours

[al from Canada]

Just a note that I need to take time from the group as (Linda's) daughter who is 22 and lives here with her brother and I, has been admitted to ICU with blood clots in her lungs. This happened after doctors dismissing her complaints for weeks as stress. On Sunday she was so sick she ended up in ICU. Many tests yesterday and today. Hopefully, we will know a lot more but we do know that she has "multiple clots". She will be cleared from ICU when the crisis has passed and will maybe spend more than a week in the medical wing. She has been sliding into a depressive state lately and all of us have been working very hard to pull her out. She was not only a daughter but also Linda's best friend and extremely close tp her mom. I have attempted to get her to coucilling many times over but no buy-in.... and what scares the hell out of me is I hope this isn't some kind of death wish.
Linda may have entered this world as a warm summer breeze but she sure left like a hurricane. The feelings of loss in her wake have been overwhelming but ....... I don't think any of us really have the luxury of giving up so.... there's business I have to take care of and will check in later.

Keep kickin' ass ladies because you owe it to yourselves and your families.
Al

[RhondaH]

Our prayers will continue for you and your family. I hope she gets better soon. Take care and God bless.

Rhonda

[kimber]

Take care of your family Al! God bless. Hope to hear that all is getting better soon. - kim

[Lolly]

Al, I'm thankful you let us know what's going on so we don't worry while you're gone. Take good care, and I'll keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.

<3 Lolly

[rinaina]

Time to take care of your family, they come first and foremost. We will hold up the fort in your absence and keep kicking butts as you so well put. No one is giving up here ever!

[tammymarie1971]

Al, so sorry to here about your daughter (step) I sure hope all goes well!!
She has an awesome advocate on her side!!
Tammy

[Ann]

Al,

Please let Linda's daughter know that the members of the HER2 support group are pulling for her. I am sorry that this has happened.

[Susan2]

It's truly not fair. I can not begin to imagine the rough go that Linda's daughter and your entire family is having.

We wish you all the best,
Susan

[Babycat21]

AL I'm very sorry to here about your daughter, my prayers go out to your daughter, you, the rest of your family. Be strong for her!

Hugs
Annette

[bobbiw]

Oh Al I am so sorry. Best wishes and take care. Keep us posted.
Bobbi

[Barbara H.]

Al,
She should not be going through this at 22. My heart goes out to her and to you . Perhaps with this happening they will take the situation seriously and get her some real help. A former student of mine just lost his father, and I am trying to help him. This is not easy and depression does affect the immune system in serioius ways. Try to insist that the hospital help out with therapy while she is there.
Good luck and best wishes,
Barbara H.

[karenann]

Dear Al,

I am so sorry to hear about your step daughter. I hope they find the cause of her illness very soon. I suffered from horrible depression when my dad died and it took awhile before I felt better. I ended up joining a bereavement support group through the local hospice. It really helped me a lot. It is a process, as you know.

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Hugs,
Karen

[R.B.]

I know I grind on about fat intake but I would recommend reading Smart Fats by M Scmidt. It is available on the internet.

Cracking the Metabolic Code James B LaValle is thought provoking.

The are quite a lot of trials on the implications of fats in depression.

Omega three DHA EPA have roles to play in the vascualar system, clotting, arterial degredation etc.

There are lots of trials on

http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/

Here is the result of a search on that site for "clotting dha epa".

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed

And one for "depression dha epa"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed

It is also important to give thought to balancing the omega threes and sixes - please see the posts on this site. This for most people requires examination of diet, looking at the content of processed foods, intake of greens, coloured fruit and veg, variety etc. The health of the digestive track is also key, and is a factor in fat metabolism.

If this is all well and truly covered please forgive the post.

I hope the treatment goes well.



Please do discuss any dietary changes with your doctors.


RB

[Helen]

So sorry to hear what your family is going through again. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Take care,
Helen

[Mgarr]

Al,


Just know you and your family are still in my prayers.

Mary

[Cathya]

Al;

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. Please remember that depression alone will not give her clots in her lungs. This is a medical problem and she must be aware of that as well. What a horrible time for your family. God bless

Cathy

[Montana]

Sending good thoughts. She is lucky to have you....

[Liz J.]

Hi Al,

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. God has given you strength and will continue to do so.

Sincerely,

Liz J.

[StephN]

How much can one family take??
Spend all the time you need with your daughter and ride those docs as we know YOU can.

[eric]

Al,

Sorry to hear that your (step) daughter is having such a hard time managing with such a terrible loss. My thougthts and prayers are with all of you.

Eric

[mamacze]

Dear Al,
It goes without saying that when it pours, I know you will get out an umbrella and keep on keepin on. Thank you for giving us a heads up re your upcoming absence from the boards; you know there are more than a few of us that are up nights with worry when you are not posting.

Here are a few links that may help as you research this unbelievable new dark cloud that has moved over your house:

http://www.vascularweb.org/_CONTRIBUTION_PAGES/Patient_Information/NorthPoint/Pulmonary_Embolism.html (http://www.vascularweb.org/_CONTRIBUTION_PAGES/Patient_Information/NorthPoint/Pulmonary_Embolism.html)

http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/a-z/embolus-embolie/index_e.php

How fortunate Linda's daughter is to have you.
God speed.
Kim from CT

[Chelee]

That sure makes me angry that they would blow off her complaints for two weeks. She KNOWS her body better then they do and they are suppose to be medical professionals and know WHEN to LISTEN!

I get angry because when I first started chemo I called my oncologist for 4 days in a row telling him I could NOT breath!!! He dismissed me too just like they did Linda's daughter. I landed in the hospital and could of died..it WAS very serious! Some of these doctors just think they know it all without even looking at you.

My heart goes out to Linda's daughter and you. I sure will be saying a prayer for her and family. At least now she IS getting some help. I pray she is on the mend soon. Take care of her and yourself.

Sending warm healing thoughts your way.

Chelee

[DeborahNC]

((Holding you and your step daughter close))

[Sheila]

Al
Hoping your daughter heals fast...just as you are, she is going through alot right now....take time to grieve, it helps the healing...your step daughter has the best caregiver in the world looking after her.....give her my love.

[Jean]

Dear Al,
I am thinkiing of you and your family - will continue to keep you in my daily prayers - stay strong (as you always are) !

Warmly,
Jean

[Kim in CA]

Al,

I'm so sad that you and your family have been through soooo much. Just wanted to say that I'm thinking of you and sending prayers and healing energy your way.

Love, Kim

[TriciaK]

Dear Al, My heart aches for you and your daughter! We all will be thinking of you and her and praying for some quick answers and healing. You and your family are very special to us. Please keep us informed as you can, and know a lot of sincere prayers are being sent your way. Hugs, Tricia

[sarah]

Al,
you know we're all hoping for a speedy recovery - 22 is so young but she comes from strong stock.
all the best through this new worry.
Sarah

[al from Canada]

Thank you all for your support. Today they actually gave her washroom privleges (no bed pans), which means a huge improvement and although she is not out of the woods yet, she may be sent home sooner rather than later. We found out she has a number of clots which obstruct the function of the upper right lung. She vitals have improved tremendously which means the clots are disolving. The trick seems to be to get her clotting factor down and stable.... then she will be on oral thinners for 6 mos to a year with monitoring.
It seems the reason this was misdiagnosed was because she was missing all the other warning signs like deep vein thrombosis in her extremedies etc. and she had no real risk factors. Because of her age and lack of other symptoms, they were stunned to find numerous clots magically appear in her lungs. I will post when she comes home.
Again, you guys are magic..... Al

[CLTann]

Al,


It seems unfair that you and your family have to go through so much. We are rooting for you. Cheer up, tomorrow will be a better day. Our prayer goes with this message.

Ann

[chrisy]

Al, Steph said it best:
"How much can one family take??
Spend all the time you need with your daughter and ride those docs as we know YOU can."
Be strong and know that many prayers are swirling up on your behalf.
Chris

[MCS]

Dear Al,


I'm certain she will do ok. She is young and will do fine.

I know. It seems that those of us who are "hit" are hit again and again! Unfair I know but that is life.

Hang in there. Thank you for keeping us informed. I know that you can count on us for support and prayers

XO

MCS (maria)

[marymary]

Dear Al,

I've been following your posts following the loss of your beloved wife Linda. You are such an admirable man to have taken such good care of your wife right up to the end while at the same time reaching out to others to lend a helping hand. And now this. It seems unbelievable that you would be dealt such a one-two punch. From experience I know that the older I get the wiser I get and I am better able to deal with life's trials and tribulations. From reading your posts I can see you are a first-rate fighter and will get through this too. Sometimes I get a "feeling" of a flash of insight and for some reason when I read your post I immediately felt/believed that your daughter will be just fine. Anyway, I sure hope she gets well and soon.

Take good care of yourself, too, so that you do not get too worn out from taking care of everybody else in the family. Easy to say, hard to do, I'm sure.

Lately the little blessing the Father says at the end of church has been running through my mind:

May God bless you and keep you
May He cause His face to shine upon you
and give you peace

Mary

[Lolly]

Dear Al, I'm so relieved to hear you're daughter's showing improvement. Maybe the worst is over, and I hope and pray she continues to improve and can GO HOME SOON :)
What a strange complication for you all to have to deal with, but once she home it will be easier to handle the follow-up treatment. Take care of you.

<3 Lolly

[LovingDaughter]

Al:

I know what it's like to get hit like this. I will keep your step daughter in my thoughts and prayers. She is lucky to have you to guide her through this most difficult time.

All the best,
Jayne

[geraldine]

It's a very testing time for you all

Your in my prayers
God Bless Geraldine

[bjj]

Al

I am so sorry to hear about your recent problems - my heart goes out to you.

It might not be relevant but I thought I would mention it anyway. There is a history of clotting in my family at a young age and because tamoxifen increases the risk I inisted on having further blood tests - I am in the UK, the tests are expensive and I had to stamp my feet. Apparently 5-10% of the population have Factor V Leiden blood which is more likely to cause clotting problems - I have this. I have to take aspirin every day and have Heparin injections if I have surgery or a medical procedure which involves being immobile for a while. My niece has the same problem and ended up having a stroke at 19 - her risk was increased by being on the pill. Not sure if this is of any help .....

Thinking of you and your family

Love

bjj

[al from Canada]

Bjj,

what is Factor V Leiden blood?
Al

[bjj]

Hi Al

Factor V Leiden blood is blood that is more likely to clot - it wasn't know about a few years ago. The following link might help you.

http://www.fvleiden.org/

It might be worth seeing if you can get tests done for Linda's daughter. It's very unusual otherwise for a 22 year old to have such problems.

Please don't hesitate to ask if I can help with any more information.

Love

bjj

[al from Canada]

Thanks Bjj,

That's excellent stuff...esp the Cardinal Glennon guide.
It's always an education....
Al