Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes for my sister in New Hampshire. A week ago, her stomach bloated out and she was in excruciating pain. This is saying a lot as my sister, Nidia, has always had a high tolerance for pain.
She has been in the hospital ever since. She has an infection stemming from her gall bladder, which has spread to her liver and kidneys. Her organs are so swollen that they have crowded into her lungs and have caused severe inflammation. She is swollen all over her body. And because her liver has been affected, she is also jaundiced.
Ideally, the doctors could take out her gall bladder, but the swollen liver is right on top of it so they really can’t see anything. One silver lining: the swelling seems to be going down as, initially, they gave her a 30 percent chance of surviving any surgery and now her chances are 50-50. It’s scary. Her partner, our parents, our grandmother and other family and friends have been with her. I am talking to her every day and waiting by the phone. If anything changes, or the doctors do decide to operate, then I will be on the next flight to New Hampshire.
Right now I am in Las Vegas with a friend from Spain, who has encouraged me to go and be with my sister. Because nothing has changed for a week and there is nothing to do but wait, I have decided to hold off. I leave for California tomorrow, and it would be easier for me to get east after I’ve had time to check in with my family and re-pack for another trip.
I will keep you all updated. In the meantime, please keep my sister, Nidia, in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks!
