Kayla Quote: "I have become numb to myself. I'm constantly fatigued and sad. I want to be out with friends, living life, taking classes, being active in sorority, holding onto my part time nanny job and part time Lia Sophia job, possibly finding love?....I'm just a million little pieces now waiting to be swept away by the wind.... Kayla, Sunday, January 16, 2011 3:30 a.m.
Short Synopsis: They have taken Kayla off most of the sedation so there are expecting more response from her, not just fluttering eyes and flitting limbs. Her yellow eyes should brighten and become whiter.
Amazingly, Kayla responded. She knows her name! She is watching the TV a little bit - they have nature scenes and beautiful soft music wafting from it. She answers yes and no questions. She is beginning to follow simple commands. The brain is definitely there!
Now, why wouldn't they give me hope yesterday? They couldn't. In the medical world, they have to be more sure before they give you emphatic input. They take the scientific, correct route. There must be evidence before conjecture.
"The Kayla" is on her merry way....a long, slow process, but moving in the right direction.
I am told there is a set-back though. She has pneumonia! I am smarter....I ask the attending doctor in the ICU, "Is this normal fare?" Yes, it is.....
They are watching her temperature and the clouds in her lungs. She spikes up to 102 and even near 103. Then it goes down...up and down, up and down. It's a waiting game again. They fiddle with the antibiotics, switching them around, to get reactions.
Kayla gets pain medicine every four hours. She is restless, anxious and in pain. She only sleeps for two hours at a time. She has done this twice, more.
They are considering scans of her brain and of her chest. These are the critical areas they are following.
The Long Story: God sent me an angel today in the form of Sarah Bel. Sarah met Kayla when they were 5-years-old. Sarah has the most beautiful face. She is majestically tall with a confident air. She is bright, with a degree from Fordham University. She now lives in New York City and works for St. Anne's School in Brooklyn in the finance department. She is organized and keeps those around her organized.
Most importantly for me, she cares about Kayla...deeply. When she found out that Kayla was in the hospital, she came over to see her twice today. She read to her and spent time talking with her. I didn't recognize Sarah when I saw her in the hallway. She had glasses but when she took them off, I did recognize her!
Sarah believes in prayer. She told me a story of an old priest, whom she is very attached to. Every Sunday, this priest said the same thing in his homily at the university -
"We have to be thankful for the people who challenge us to grow when we don't feel like growing." - Father William O'Malley, Jesuit Priest, Fordham University
This priest was very sick and dying and in a hospital. Somehow Sarah found out and she was very frightened and upset. She had a close relationship with him. Sarah began to pray every day for him, day after day. All had given up hope for him to recover but not our Sarah. She prayed even harder. He then recovered. After much time, Sarah visited him and he found out that she had been praying for him. It was Sarah's prayers that made his health turn as the timing was exact.
So now Sarah is visiting Kayla. She had a book that she had with her so she began to read this to Kayla. By this time, I was in there visiting as well.
I turned to Sarah and handed her the latest People Magazine with Jennifer Lopez on the cover...the most beautiful women in the world, etc.... On the back pages were the designers who were all vying to be the one who would design the dress for Kate Middleton's royal wedding for April 29. Soon, she would marry Prince William and many millions across the world would watch this ceremony.
"Sarah, here is what you need to read to her! People! Not that boring book!"
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