Slipping into crisis

Mon 07/02/07
Susan had variable pain over the past few days. Saturday was tough; but she improved Sunday and Monday. We went to church and were surrounded by love and prayer on Sunday.

Tue 07/03/07
Preliminary lab results on Susan's biopsy indicate a stage 2 (early) astrocytoma, a term for a common type of brain tumor or glioma.
The worst day yet – pain in the morning, a 2 hour nap after breakfast, and pain with vomiting 2x by early afternoon. I called the doctor, who recommended we go to ER right away.
As I was helping Susan get out of the car near at the loading zone, I saw her eyes roll back as she slumped in my arms – she was dead weight, totally unresponsive. I thought she was dying, got scared, and kept telling her to hang on, not to leave me. I managed to call for a wheelchair and got her inside. She was barely awake, groggy and lethargic. She had extremely limited speech and was not able to hold my gaze for more than a few seconds. She could respond to verbal cues by squeezing a hand, lifting a leg, extending a foot, etc. Lots of writhing in pain. She was admitted to the neurological ward at about 10pm (same room, same bed as last week!).
I stayed with her as the nurses settled her into the unit for close observation and went home.
I arrived home at 12am and received a call from the hospital – Susan had a seizure and was unresponsive and placed on a ventilator. I rushed back.