Yesterday morning we pulled the plug. It's a hard thing to watch a person
die. These days, you read about it a lot, you see it in movies, but it's
really not quite like you'd imagine.
Today we are making a brief stop back in Boston in order to pick up clothes
for the memorial service and take care of a few chores here. Tomorrow it's
back to NY to meet with the funeral director and finalize the arrangements.
Today the news was broken to the family at the hospital.
I did a lot of driving.
Staten Island to Manhattan
Manhattan to Staten Island
Staten Island to Rockland
Rockland to Manhattan
Manhattan to Staten Island
Eventually we didn't get much done today.
Tomorrow we're pulling the plug and making funereal arrangements.
I still have no idea what to ask of the people who are offering help and support. Any suggestions?
I did a lot of driving.
Staten Island to Manhattan
Manhattan to Staten Island
Staten Island to Rockland
Rockland to Manhattan
Manhattan to Staten Island
Eventually we didn't get much done today.
Tomorrow we're pulling the plug and making funereal arrangements.
I still have no idea what to ask of the people who are offering help and support. Any suggestions?
As of 3pm today, Mrs. Li had no brain activity. She is not technically
brain-dead yet, but if things do not change before tomorrow, she will
be.
Even if she does not die, it is vanishingly unlikely that she will ever wake from the coma that she is now in.
Even if she does not die, it is vanishingly unlikely that she will ever wake from the coma that she is now in.
Well, today didn't go so well. The arteries in Mrs. Li's brain started to
spasm, which is increasing cutting off the flow of blood to her brain. This
is very bad. Tonight they drilled a hole in the top of her head in order to
allow fluid to drain if this becomes a problem.
I think that if I understood the doctor properly today, at this point she has roughly a 20% chance of surviving without significant brain damage. It is a good indication that she arrived at the hospital in good condition, but the current problems may cancel it out.
I don't know what I can do at this point, but I am hoping hard as I can.
I think that if I understood the doctor properly today, at this point she has roughly a 20% chance of surviving without significant brain damage. It is a good indication that she arrived at the hospital in good condition, but the current problems may cancel it out.
I don't know what I can do at this point, but I am hoping hard as I can.
It seems like Mrs. Li is going to be at least mostly okay. She's still a bit
confused, there is still some blood in her brain, but her spinal fluid is
continuing to be re-absorbed, she's not in very much pain, and the doctor
didn't have anything interesting to report today. She did re-gain the use of
the right side of her body today, and she can move her legs, so apparently
she is healing as expected.
The one slightly unsettling thing is that she continues to speak mandarin to me rather than english. Considering that her mental faculties seem otherwise in relatively good condition, I am not sure whether to be honored or concerned.
The one slightly unsettling thing is that she continues to speak mandarin to me rather than english. Considering that her mental faculties seem otherwise in relatively good condition, I am not sure whether to be honored or concerned.