A weird phone conversation with Raluca almost had me collapsing from my chair. Last week we were talking about Lucia and it all seamed fine and now all of a sudden Raluca's scared voice gave me the worst news ever - Lucia had suffered a septic shock. The disease din not have any noticeable symptoms so it was nothing but a shocking surprise.
The doctors knew what she had, but did not know why, so they didn't really know what to do with her. Her lungs and right leg seamed to be the problem. A huge campaign was started for blood donations. She needed thrombocytes, and because Romania, especially Bucharest lacks blood donors, there were non available. They finally managed to get some from other cities so she could be taken through surgery on her right leg.
This is how Lucia in two days went from being normal, with a slight pain in her leg, to a septic shock, to inducted coma and with her leg split in two in search of dead tissue.
Without a clear diagnostic, Lucia is still in hospital. Though she was taken out of the inducted coma she is still on random treatment, as her results did not come yet. It seams to be a mix of viruses - S. Aureus and probably Lyme disease.
Though they had to go through an unpredictable shock, they had to fight with the doctors and the Romanian medical system to make things go faster, her family and friends stood by her strong. It is amazing how many people got involved in the case and did what they could to help a 26th year old continue her life.
Unfortunately all I could do is promote the case. My weight is below the donor's accepted level, so I am not allowed to donated blood. I promise that when I reach the necessary weight, I will become a blood donor. I am sure that Lucia is only one of those many young people fighting for their life right now.
I hope she will get well and go home to her beloved cats :)
Lucia died on the 26th of February 2012....