Marcel's first night on life-support
July 23, 2005 3 AM
ICU Waiting Room - freezing cold,
Northridge Hospital
Marcel's first night on life-support
Marcel was put on a Respirator and medically
induced coma (sedation) three hours ago when he could no longer breathe on
his own while on oxygen assist.
Earlier in day and night, following ER the night
before, my supportive sister Faye was with us, dear friend Shelly R., and Rabbi
Eli Rivkin, offering prayers.
---
MY Bear overcame fear.
Marcel worked hardest to overcome all obstacles
to be #1 and he was. A really hard challenge for Marcel was his severe
scoliosis getting in the way of his good golf swing. (The corrective
Harrington rod was always in the way of reading x-rays and diagnosing tumors
fully).
The last thing Marcel did tonight was to try to
breathe on his own. Marcel told us that he was really scared and asked us
not to leave him. Marcel needed the help of Hashem. The breath of G*d. Marcel chose
to battle like a warrior and do it. He wanted the chance to try his best,
so he chose to try the respirator, his own tool of his Pulmonary ICU trade; To
see if he could do it on his own. Marcel had written in all his Medical Directives
"NO" and said, "NO" to the respirator in front of all the
doctors when he could no longer breathe. Marcel told me whom to
call.
I called Aviva and I then told Marcel that Aviva
would come the next day. Marcel said, "Give me a few days and I will
see how I do."
Prior to that in his last days of physical therapy,
I watched Marcel as he was directed and motivated to sit on the edge of the bed
(in his paraplegic condition) and to let go of his two hands, and not hold on. Not
with even one. The fear factor was great but Marcel showed all of us
watching that he could do it! I remember a couple years ago at
Cedars-Sinai hospital following another spinal cored decompression surgery,
that Marcel was petrified getting out of bed with PT assistance with paralysis
beginning, and the bed was right next to a big scary clear glass picture window
on a high floor overlooking the city. Marcel did his best.
Just before entering the hospital this time and
on Marcel's last outing a couple days ago in the wheelchair van after visiting
the plastic surgeon, wearing his beautiful new Hawaiian t-shirt that Aviva and
Brett brought back from their honeymoon, I ran (so that we would not miss the
van) a couple of blocks in 100* + temp to get Marcel the sandwich he loved from
the kosher butcher - turkey with corned beef on rye with pickle. The
night before that I brought Marcel an Indian vegie meal which he loved
and the night before that I brought to Marcel a Chinese fish dish with
cabbage, his favorite, and also a Subway tuna sandwich, all his favorites
in the last few days, not knowing that these were his last meals. Not doing
well, Marcel worked hard at enjoying his meals, and especially that Kosher
sandwich which I had cut into small portions. We shared the pickle. Marcel
was #1 in enjoying his meals.
love, JOY
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