The New Year Is Here. . .

The new year is upon us and it seems that (surprisingly) not much has changed. The US is still in a god-awful war, I have had increasing bouts of heartburn and one of my good friends returned from Texas with a horrible case of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus).

Chris is now hospitalized at UW medical, after being moved from Highline Medical in Burien. I can't say I am not worried about him. I visited him New Years Eve and he looked rough. He was intubated, because the infection had spread to the sack surrounding his lungs. Without the help of intubation he is unable to breathe. This means were it not for the life-support he would be dead right now.

After researching MRSA with some thoroughness I am even more scared for him. It has a high fatality rate and of "bugs" of it's kind (MSSA for instance) it is more fatal. The good thing is that Chris is young and strong, and that he got this bad because of lack of attention to a lip infection and lack of medical insurance.

When he finally recovers he will be weak from being bed-ridden and will have a pile of medical bills sky-high. Luckily, he has a good support structure. His parents are wonderful people and they are there for him, as are his friends. Most notably being a mutual friend of ours, Andy Kaburka.

Andy has spent much of his holidays in the ICU with Chris, and was with me when I went to see Chris on New Years.

It was an odd sensation, stepping into a hospital to see a friend. I have always gone to hospitals as the one sick or because a family member, mainly my now deceased grandfather, was ill. To see a good friend hooked up to all manner of machines designed to drain, suck, feed, and keep alive is something I wish on no one.

Being intubated he could not speak, and was not in the mood to use his writing board. I was nervous and scared for him. I tried to make small talk and after a few minutes started to relax. Then I had him laughing about things, which made things worse, because every time he laughed he would cough.

He was hooked up to this machine that makes Dr. Seuss/ Willy Wonka type noises that depend on the severity of his cough. I'd make him laugh, he'd start coughing the machine would go ape shit and I'd laugh more. Then he'd laugh more. Then more ape shit from the coughing.

At least I made him laugh a bit.

Chris, my prayers are with you for a speedy and healthy recovery.