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Best Friend May Die

Hi,
I joined this forum because my best friend of 11 years is on her way to University of Alabama Birmingham Medical Center via medivac from our local hospital. She is 23 years old, step-mother to my seven year old nephew, and the primary babysitter to my three year old. Here's a little bit of her story:
She left work with vomiting and severe diarrhea to go to the ER and was admitted to the hospital with, what they believed to be, appendicitis. After blood work, CT Scans, and examinations, she went into surgery. The surgeon informed us that things were much more serious than they were originally thought to be and there was a possibility that she might not make it through. The surgeon removed 2 feet of her lower intestine and a portion of her colon. The surgery and initial recovery kept her in the hospital for about a month and provided the diagnosis of Crohn's Disease.
After seeing her GI, she was put on Prednisone (which she was on for over a year), Imuran, and Cimzia. She has made countless trips to the hospital and has been admitted at least 10-12 times in the year and 2 months that have passed since her initial surgery.
She was rushed to the ER with stroke-like symptoms that were said to be caused by low potassium and magnesium levels about a month ago. The hospital discharged her with a few days despite the fact that her levels were still well below normal.
Last Tuesday, she went back to the ER because of abdominal pains, bloody stool, numbness/tingling in her extremities, vomiting, and severe diarrhea. She was sent home after minimal blood-work and very little examination (note: her GI doctor was never contacted) with the diagnosis of a simple UTI with antibiotics and pain medication. Last friday, however, she went back to the ER with the same symptoms plus shooting pains from the front of her abdomen through to her back and dehydration. She was admitted with the diagnosis of Pancreatitis. Later on that evening, her kidneys began to fail along with plummeting blood pressure, potassium, and magnesium levels. Yesterday her kidneys were showing a lot of improvement; however, everything else was getting worse. Her blood platelet count was extremely low, she developed pneumonia, and the pancreatitis showed no improvement at all. Also, the doctors said she had developed DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulopathy) which prevents the body from forming blood clots.
Her doctor's believe that all of these problems have been cause by a couple of different factors: Imuran, Prednisone, and the severity of her disease.
If the doctor's and nurses had listened, really listened, to her then my friend would not be inches away from death at 23 years old. She told them all of her symptoms and even showed them pictures of her stool (because it was nothing but blood). I just want someone to know her story because this all could have been prevented. The doctors said that, if it had been discovered a week earlier, then she would have spent a couple of days in the hospital for IV antibiotics and pain medication as opposed to a week in the ICU and an emergency transport to the university hospital.
 

Jennifer

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I'm so sorry to hear about your friend britanies. :( The doctors really should have stayed on top of her condition better well before she started having such extreme symptoms. I really do hope that she pulls through and gets proper treatment thereafter. Thank you for sharing her story and being such a good friend to her. I hope that you'll be able to return and keep us posted on how she's doing.
 
Hello Britanies,

Thank you for sharing this difficult story with us, I am glad that you came to us cos we do want to support you as you support your best friend. I hope very much that your friend now receives the best care possible and comes through it all. I will be thinking about you both and praying that the situation improves, please keep in touch and let us know how she gets on. Best wishes and big hugs. :ghug::ghug:
 
britanies,

I am so saddened to hear about your friend, and I really hope and pray your friend makes it through everything she is suffering. :( Stay strong, and stay positive in your prayers and support for your friend. Please keep all of us updated on how she's doing and how you're handling the situation, we're all here for you. :ghug:
 
Such a sad story :(. I really hope that your friend is now getting the proper care and treatment she needs . Thinking of you both (((hugs))) :ghug:
 
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