"A Speed Bump"

Maria was admitted to the hospital oncology unit on Sunday. After reporting a high fever and body chills at 2:30 AM the night before, her doctors required her to visit the infusion room for blood and urine tests. With a fever as high as 104, shortness of breath, blood pressure dropping from seated to standing, a 10+ pain level in her leg, dehydration, anemia, and dangerously low white and red blood cell counts, suspecting an infection, but unable to pinpoint exactly what type, they admitted her immediately.

Today was her first full day at the hospital and she and Ron, her husband, say, "This is a speed bump along this road that came to tell us to slow down and that [Maria's] broken down body has a long way to come to recover."

The doctor's confirmed there is an infection stating they are waiting for culture tests to confirm the type and taking more blood for testing to boot.

Maria received three units of blood through Sunday night and this morning along with other fluids and general antibiotics. She says she feels better and stronger, but the pain in her leg persists at the same level as before.

The pain in her leg started baring it's ugly head mid-week last week. It came on strong and hasn't let up. Suspecting a blood clot, Ron and her daughter, Monica, took her to get an ultrasound and were very relieved to find out that was not the issue. However, this left the culprit up in the air and the fact that it is still unknown is unnerving for everyone.

Please pray for Maria and have her in all of your positive thoughts. She needs a quick recovery and has been given doses of medicine that is supposed to catalyze splitting/duplication of white blood cells, the good guys that fight infection. In the words of the infusion room nurse, "Maria has nothing left to fight any bug of any sort. The chemo treatments have left her body helpless and we need to get on this right away."

Today, Maria's doctor sincerely thanked her for waking her up at 2:30 AM on a Sunday night verifying that if she would have waited longer, this 'speed bump' would have been quite larger.

Thank you for your support in these trying times. Hospital bills and ultrasounds mean for more bills and up front costs. Please pass this plea on to anyone you know would be interested in donating to this cause. The donation button is on the upper right corner of this page under Maria and Ron's photo.

Please write help4maria@yahoo.com with any questions and follow her progress on Help4Maria on facebook as well.