This blog is very important to all of us, it has been created to express our feelings and love for our Andrejka and how we all, despite all the "desperation and hopelessness" want to help her.
She is our friend, girlfriend, for some colleague, but mostly she is a mother of two children, a small Adamek and Nikol, who ended up all alone in this situation. She is surrounded by many friends and family, who are doing their best to provide her with comfort and help, but she doesn`t have the most important person in each child`s life....her mom.
This blog is not just about feelings and emotions, but we would like to bring an attention to a person, who we all know, who is a mother of two beautiful children, who need the security of their future, but none of us know how all this will unfold and where it will go next.....
We all feel better in situations, which we understand. Unfortunately, what happened to our friend Andrea, none of us can grasp. There are moments when you meet with God, even thought he doesn`t look like the one on the cross. Andrea met with him not only once in her life and even now they had long conversations or still having.
Why does she have to go through this complicated situation remains a big question, we are all waiting to be awaken from this long, terrible dream, but unfortunately this is our daily reality.
There is no easy way to be describing this, but someone who is all alone for everything, with one adolescent child and one toddler, doesn`t have it very easy. Under this pressure her immune system was weakened and could not fight the attack of this dangerous bacterial disease. Now she is fighting for her life in hospital and all she has left is us, her friends.
Unfortunately the reality is very unforgiving, Andrea has a mortgage, which each month eats a big chunk off of her account, as a single mother on a maternal leave and now in the situation she has ended up in, it is very urgent for us to help her with all we can. There is always the possibility she might loose their apartment and then when she wakes up......so, we firmly believe that her situation is so serious, she won`t be able to do without outside help.
In this way we would like to ask everyone, whether friends or others who feel compassion for her, her babies and for those who went through similar ordeal.....THANK YOU!
Friday, 12 of. November 2010
As it happened...
Here I present to you incoherent and confused, but SAD TRUE LIFE STORY, which happened recently and since then it has been the center of our thoughts and actions.
This story is ostensibly the experience of our last three weeks, it seems to us as imperfect, foiled, unbelievably insane dream, but unlike from a dream, we can not wake up to a another reality and throw everything "not well dreamt" behind our heads. NO. We weren`t and still are not adequately prepared for the horrible reality malicious infectious disease, the speed and extend of devastation of a healthy individual, who after few hours feeling unwell is struggling for her bare life and consequently the possibility of a "quality" her next being.
INVASIVE MENINGITIS DISEASE, still relatively rare in medicine today is caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria or meningitis. The purpose of this blog is to inform and raise awareness, to tell everyone who knows Andrea about the sequences of related events in recent weeks, her current situation and your possible help. To write a note on the awareness and prevention of the causes and consequences of this outrageous insidious disease, which we did not even know that all this is possible just a month ago, but it all happened.....in our immediate surroundings, suddenly without slightest hint of trouble or problem, Andrea who is so close to us, becomes ill and in one night all of our lives changed, as in family, friends and colleagues.
Information about this incredible and almost unknown disease to the public, especially here in Czech Republic is almost zero. But it`s course and particular threat to life is very fast and the extent of irreversible consequences of this disease is highly morbid and extremely dangerous. It can be called a "workbook example", not many doctors encounter this type of disease and even for them it is too difficult too initially recognize it from common viral infection-and in terms of frequency of illness(counted all 5 previously known type of strains). it is mostly common among children and total amount yearly is 80 severe cases(of which about 10% ends deadly or heavy devastation for the whole body- limbs amputation, seizures, memory loss, skin necrosis, blindness and deafness). Since in our country we have a relatively small number of cases(and thus treated) little effort goes into educating and informing about prevention-comparing with exaggerated and ultimately unnecessary publicity and prevention of pandemic disease in the modern form of avian and swine flu.
Therefore, despite all the pain, through all the bad news and uncertainty in the hospital, we write these lines with the aim to share all the relevant information and experiences with you. Not only the professional insights and facts, but also our own feelings and those around Andrea. Misfortune of one can be, paradoxically, as a source of a lesson to help other or others. And this is perhaps the only positive aspect of our present situation and the writers effort.
Weakening-Disease-Sickness- Hardship-Aftermath-The future
Everything bad around and with Andrea possibly started sometimes before the beginning of this year, but it rapidly peak sometimes this October. Over a year ago her deep desire to become a mother again to a baby came true with a birth of a precious baby boy Adamek, exhaustion, stress and immunodepression(autumn flu season), may (according to medical literature) in combination with other special effects and ones own characteristics, add to creation of conditions for the onset of the disease. That was probably on of the reasons what then happened with Andrea during October. At this time the encounter with the meningococcal carrier(it is normally about 10-15% of the population and under normal conditions is harmless) probably took a place. Or meningococcal grouped in the nasal mucosa under favorable conditions for it`s high activation of dangerous infectious form which prior to this day, possibly thousand times, was harmless, but this time recent short-destruction attack changed into TOTAL HEALTH BREAKDOWN, unfortunately with fatal consequences!
Suddenly an avalanche of malicious health problems and complications had started. On Friday, October the 8th. seemingly all looks like a standard medical ailment, that seems to recede on Saturday morning, when Andrea was taking a relaxing weekend off with friends of her. But it should have been a warning the appearance or presence of irregular red to purple spots on her skin and identically colored lips. In that afternoon her state of health went rapidly down, sickness, pain and fainting at the end. Unfortunately, visit to the local hospital- in Vrchlabi, just pointed to the state of our health department, where there is a great lack of funds and medical personnel. There where many precious hours lost by not recognizing the danger of this disease. Hours later in different hospital,-Hradec Kralove, it was immediately recognized and horrifying diagnose was announced. Due to Andreas age, completely incomprehensible and perhaps impossible - MENINGITIS TYPE C strain ( be aware-occurs mostly in people age 20 years and it is widely vaccinated).
Immediately all needed measures take place, including prevention action in Andrea`s closes surroundings for the last 5 days, especially examinations and vaccination of children!!!. The strongest antibiotics are being prescribed, she is in the finest professional care(this clinic is one of the best in this field), but we aren`t doctors or medical stuff and all we describe here is from the information provided to us or from hastily read medical articles and literature, therefore please accept and understand any mistakes or inaccuracies, but be aware of the most fundamental facts and experiences. During Saturday night, being under the attack of this hideous infection and bacteria for this long time causes total poisoning and breakdown of her whole organism. at the cellular level, many activities of her vital organs and links between them and the overall consistency in her body are being attacked. During Sunday the situation becomes critical and initially normal influenza illness is becoming real KILLER. Now, Andry is fighting for her own life and for the mitigation of all the horrifying effects and potentially irreversible consequences of the disease. The first effort is being successful during two following days, but the latter according to our present experiences(perhaps contrary to opinion and undoubtedly the incredible efforts of the teams of doctors) have less. Body-ridden fever, recurrent sepsis-whole body and partial body parts, the need to support vital life functions with external devices and method. Fortunately, all while under artificial sleep with precisely metered anesthesia(that continues today and will continue-nobody knows for how long...).
So Andrea fight without awareness, and perhaps without apparent pain, but with contribution of the subconscious, where everyone contributes with emotional support and with a great believe we will deliver her the much needed endurance, strength and energy!!! After three days, which had been won by fight for her life, the first feeling of joy comes, but is very fast followed by a shocking sobering facts. The situation with Andrea is still very serious and local complications come-she is not breathing on her own, locally, especially in the limbs blood circulation cease to function and from the original spots on her body a massive scale necrosis is being formed(dying of a large parts of skin and subcutaneous tissue including other deeper tissues), persistent risk of sepsis, other infections and diseases.
In the next week there is at least partially stabilization of her condition and her immediate family is allowed to see her-meningococcal bacteria is already destroyed and Andrea is not contagious and dangerous to her surroundings. At this time, Andrea is being transferred by a helicopter to the city Brno(that is where she lives all my family is living presently also), she is transferred to the care of Faculty Hospital in Bohunice, where she is admitted in to the KARIM clinic(Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care). They have an excellent medical care and support, but even this might not be sufficient help in smooth recovery. Doctors try to minimize the consequences, but the fight is still to difficult. 11 days into the outbreak we get another bomb, in order to safe her life, they need to amputated both of her non functioning legs, which are becoming a great thread to the rest of her body due the the infection. In two separate operation, she is losing both of her legs forever, maybe a small hope here is that only in the shins area, which might be little more acceptable for future life. Further pneumonia and incidence of unpleasant necrosis seems to be small concern comparing to what Andrea has been through so far. At least at this time all vital organs are recovering and she is becoming self-sufficient-even if only in sleep mode, the artificial sleep. And this is the current state. But still like in a swing-a moment of relaxation and partial healing, but beware of the dangers and all kinds of local complications, every other day change the bandages on essential body parts, sub sepsis, temperatures and more. Permanently very serious and debilitating condition, constantly worries us"somewhat insightful" what will be today, tomorrow morning, noon, evening, and tomorrow....what is next??? In addition to normal worries in our lives and works, we can not just whine and let this destroy us. It is necessary to ensure the functioning of the rest of the family, handle the necessary administration work and to take care of the children. There is a family meeting(unfortunately in Andrea`s case very incomplete, but affectioned and determined to help), so even today, to addition to present condition, further steps and measures have taken place. And this is another way to overcome bad thoughts and frequent skepticism.
It is very difficult to write, to try to explain if it hasn`t been lived up close, it seems hard to believe all this. These past three weeks felt to us like the whole year, threatened with every call and message, always and everywhere thinking about Andrea and her suffering and the outrageous misfortune and injustice in our lives. Why her? Exemplary and responsible, caring mother, good friend, reliable worker and a great human being....? What more she will have to go through and endure?? There is much unknown, and the worst for us is that we are still completely helpless. The reputation and the money won`t help, only luck, fate and TIME! But then, THEN WE WILL HELP! We all will help and maybe you too-I BELIEVE AND I PROMISE TO YOU ANDREA-WE ARE HERE WITH YOU AND FOR YOU!!! And we won`t be just waiting, that`s why we conclude our sincere and personal testimonies, we did not make it up, we have lived it and still are, our toughs poured to this paper by themselves in burst of ideas to such wishes:
* We want everything to result in good health and for Andrea to rapidly begin get better-then we can really help, care and with common believe to heal
*We shout to the world`s injustice, suffering and other important information for others, not to hide the horrible reality and experiences and to draw attention to everything as it happened, as it is now and maybe a lesson for others who are unaware as we were maybe a three weeks ago-so please, do the same as we do, bring awareness to yours and others possibly affected before the monster strikes again in its all power.
*We want to arouse your interest in both the state of our Andrea, but also about this disease and its possible prevention-please seek as many info as you are able and maybe send them back to us, maybe you have a similar experience or someone you know-let`s have a discussion, let`s help each other, take a stand and educate your self and your families and friends about prevention, vaccination, particularly in children and young people.
Who of us would have ever thought that today, at the high level current medicine, there is A DISEASE THAT CAN KILL YOU WITHIN 24 HOURS OR LEAVE YOU WITH PERMANENT DAMAGES without the possibility of your own protection after the outbreak.
Everything bad is happening in the first few hours of the disease, and then you "putting of the fire" and try to minimize the dire consequences. Right now you are finishing reading our terrible personal story, story of misery and struggle and ruin with so far unclear and open end. Our friend Andrea is still fighting and now it depends mostly on her how her fight will end and what will follow, we are here to help her in her journey as much as we can, will you join us???
So, keep your fingers crossed and thank you for your patience in reading and for any further cooperation.
In Brno, November the 6th.
Translated December, in USA
Look for further improvements in Andrea situation.
Since this has been writen there have been changes, once I get a note from my family in Czech I will write more. Thank you.
Nadezda Brzobohata, ex sister-in-law
I keep you in my heart and my thoughts.
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