CAROL

Today I got a message from Nicole saying that Carol was in the ICU in very serious condition. Her baby, born two months early is doing well but Carol is not. Supposedly, she went into the hospital with severe pain and a high fever on the 10th and they ended up taking the baby by an emergency C-section moments later. She was in surgery for hours, her blood pressure would not come down and they put her on dialysis. I am in shock and overwhelmingly distraught. I have not been the best at keeping in touch over all of these years, particularly in the past 8, but I LOVE Carol! In elementary school, in middle school, in high school I always considered her my best friend. No doubt we struggled at times and I am quite sure that there are at least a few other people who called themselves her best friend but it didn't matter to me! She was THE one person I turned to at the most difficult time in my life, when Dad died, she was THE friend I knew would always be there for me and she was THE person I honestly admired in so many ways which included the unbelievable spirit she had about her. In going through old photos for this summer's Reunion, I was curious to see that in a huge majority of them I am standing next to Carol, arm around her, her arm around me, holding hands! What a horribly difficult thing she and her family are now faced with. I am overcome with sadness and helplessness as I wonder what I can possibly do and why is this happening to such a wonderful individual!

On the recently made blog her husband, Scott, says this, "She has a Streptococcal Pnuemoniae infection. A septic infection...the worst.....with all possible complications. All major organs have been effected including her skin. The scariest part of this, is a syndrome called DIC. This has effected they way she clots, and bleeds. It's fairly complicated, but she clots where she shouldn't, so when she bleeds somewhere, all her clotting factors have been used up, so she bleeds.This has made putting in every needle, tube, etc. very dangerous. All the clotting over her skin is starting to "boil". The hope is that these spots are just on the top layer of her skin. If they are deep, it would be like she had been on fire, and will need to be transferred to Harborviews burn unit to deminish chanced of a secondary skin infection."