Dec. 19th, 2002

purplerabbit: Dany at Pcon (Default)
I spent the night in my big recliner with the laptop, cell phone and landline phone. I am part of the family crisis switchboard. The women in my family have always done this. Like a phone tree only more organic than they usually are and never formally set up. We just call each other. Each one designates who they will call next and so on. It was our mothers, it is now my generation as well. The next generation is learning through us -- Alura at my house, Jamie is with Dru. I am sure my sister's girls watch while their mothers keep this vigil as well.

Dee is in a coma. They will be doing a scan today to try to determine how much brain damage there might be. She is currently "unresponsive." After the scan, Dee's doctor will sit down with Uncle Jim and Dru. We wait for their call.

Meanwhile, my sisters wait by their phones. Tammy, her son Terry and Alura's boyfriend Mark are all on the way to my house (despite the rain storm). We gather together where we can.

The storm rages outside. It reminds me of another night - May 31, 1975. Then the mother's phone tree waited their vigil while my dad lay in a coma. I remember writing about the world crying with us. That night I asked God to bring my dad out of the coma. Twenty days later he did -- brain damaged and broken.

Now I ask the Gods grant Dee either a full conscious recovery or a release from her body. I have made several vigils like this. For my cousin Susie, who died at 18. For my friends son, who lived. For my mother, who lived.

Margaret and her two small boys have come over to visit and to help. She is cooking soup. I suppose I will eat now. We are planning to lite a fire in the fireplace and have hot cocoa too. Comfort as best we can.

I love you all. Sweet messages from some of you have brought smile and tears. Thanks.
Dawn
purplerabbit: Dany at Pcon (Default)
Dee is dead. There is no brain activity. They will turn the machines off. Dee was so full of energy she made me look quiet and reserved. Now her body lays still, unresponsive. Now we must release her.

Tammy, Terry and Mark arrived this morning. We spent the rainy day crying and sharing memories. THe lovely and wonderful Margaret came over and helped care for the grieving. Troy and I both have migraines. We are now gathered together in our living room having a geek fest. They will stay thru our Yule celebration. Tammy flies to Florida on Monday. (Soonest we could get a ticket for less than a fortune.)

We started with Forbidden Planet (which none of the teens had seen before). We ate a Chinese take-out feast (again courtesy Margaret & Ken). Now we are watching the Buffy musical. We are such geeks that we can all sing the songs in unison.

The loss is still too great to really comprehend.

Dawn

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purplerabbit: Dany at Pcon (Default)
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