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Alicia had a CT of her head to see if there were any neurological issues causing her lethargy. Not sure why they did this AFTER she woke up, but whatever. They are really on top of things here and have caught things before they got out of hand. One example is the Respiratory Therapist (RT) who we will call Rocko (not his real name). The story goes like this: “Every second is one that I will cherish. Alicia was doing what someone called “end of life breathing” on Sunday afternoon (2/10/13) when we were in the regular ICU on G5. Then something happened that we had been waiting over two years to happen, we got an offer of new lungs. They wanted to move us from the regular ICU to the surgery room, but the pulmonologist in Cleveland did not want this, so Alicia was brought to the “Heart/Lung” ICU on J5. Rocko worked with Alicia’s respirator for over five hours tweaking it until she was breathing comfortably. I feel Rocko was responsible for getting Alicia to transplant in the best condition possible. If the lungs did not come when they did, Alicia might not have gotten to Rocko in time. Power of prayer and God’s Will comes through those that can actually help the truly ill. Because Alicia and her brother Nicholas have cystic fibrosis, we have been involved in the medical community for almost 20 years. Heath care improvement is not only a goal, but a passion for our entire family. I can count the number of providers that have impressed me as much as Marco on one hand. His passion for quality healthcare is as high as mine.”
We got a call today while in the ICU, but we cannot take cell phone calls in the ICU because it might affect some of the older equipment people have like pace makers. A message was left, so I went to the waiting room to listen to the message. It was Dr. Amin, Alicia’s Cincinnati Pulmonologist. He said he was going to come to Cleveland to visit Alicia, so I told him to call when he got here and I would walk him up to her room. When he got here, I could tell he was very worried about Alicia by the expression on his face. To come back to ICU, we call to get permission in case they are doing a procedure on Alicia or someone else in the pod. Waiting with Dr. Amin was the longest I ever waited for permission; they usually come back quickly with either yes or no. So, I hung up and called again – they said come on back. Dr. Amin did an evaluation and talked the nurse into looking at the chest x-ray and other items in her chart. He called the Cleveland Pulmonologist on Friday and again today when he came in, so they knew he was here. When he left, you could see the relief on his face. He said Alicia was in great hands and is a fighter, so she will be fine.
Please continue to pray and tell others Alicia’s story. Let them know that if the lady that saved Alicia’s life was not an organ donor, Alicia may not be with us today! Tell them to donate life!
So glad Alicia was able to receive those new lungs when she did. Dr. Amin is such a caring person. Glad to hear he was reassured when he saw Alicia. Prayers for continued improvement for Alicia. Don’t forget to take care of yourselves too and get the rest you need so you can be at your best during Alicia’s recovery.
Thank you for sharing this, we can see she has came a long way since last Sunday .Hearing those words from the Dr. Is so encouraging. I am trusting God that he will wake her up when her wore out body has rested. praying for all of you.
Alicia – I remember your joyful, smiling face from Girl Scouts. You have become such a beautiful young woman. I am so excited to hear about your new lungs and pray that your continued improvement. Stay strong!