One of the other things I've been dealing with this week is the news that a friend from high school is seriously ill. I haven't written about until now because I was still processing it.

See, she has an Arteriovenus Malformation (AVM) wrapped around her brain stem. She had a bleed in 2007 and that caused her to crash a car. She had symptoms of a stroke, so they gave her radiation therapy. In the last few months she rapidly declined and has lost her speaking ability, her muscle strength is gone and she can't walk, even with her walker. Now, after a few bouts of pneumonia, she can't eat or keep her eyes open. She's in a nursing facility not far from here and has a feeding tube. The neurosurgeons think she can hear visitors. Some of the old gang are planning on going down. I don't know if I'm going to go with them or on my own. I've been so out of touch with my high school friends until recently (yay, Facebook!), that I don't know if that's where I want to have a reunion with them, you know?

The hardest part about all of this is you have to have know E. She was amazing, bubbly, enthusiastic, vivacious, lively. In my mind, until I heard this news the other day, she was living a happy life with a hubby and some kids, still in the Philly area, bringing joy and life into every room she walked into. She was that kind of person.

Anyway, I'll be going to visit her this week. I don't know that there's much time left for her. I just hope I get to see her before she goes. Prayers, healing vibes, good wishes would be appreciated.