My aunt is a little crazy. She's always been a bit off but when my Grandmother died in 1985 she never quite recovered. She's the baby of 11 children and my Grandma babied her. My aunt returned the favor, she took Grandma to lots of her appointments and did anything for her that my mom couldn't, mom's #10. When my Grandma got sick there were 10 children who were still living. In April 1985 (I think, I was 9/10), my aunt passed away she was #2. Two days after we buried my Grandma another aunt passed away, she was #1. That would mean #1, #2, and #4 have passed away. #3 lives in PA and I have no memories of her, she could walk up to me and speak and I'd have no idea who she was, unless she looks like my Grandma. #5 is Mormon and lives in Utah/Oklahoma, his daughter is widowed with five kids and they split their time between their home and her home. #6 lives around the corner from my office, #7 is a twin and he lives in Austin, #8 is the other twin and she lives in East Bernard, #9 lives in Austin and is the baby boy, my mom is #10, and my Aunt Mary is #11. A few years after my Grandma died Aunt Mary married her forbidden (by my Grandma) love. He was like 20 years my aunt's senior. Around 9 years ago he passed away. My Aunt has had hard time dealing with his loss.

In the past year she got very very sick. We tried like hell to take her to the ER but she'd have part of it. So my sister, the nurse, nursed her back to health.

Around New Year's my Aunt tried to try to kill herself. Yes, you read that right, she tried to try. She thought she was taking this one medication, which she knew how much would make it look like she was trying to kill herself but not succeed. In actuality she took something different and did almost kill herself. She was then committed temporarily.

She got better, kind of, and life went on. Sunday, my mom went to visit with her as usually does on the weekend. Mary wasn't right. My mom could tell she was off, but she wasn't sure if Mary was acting or if she was really really sick. So she took her to my aunt's (#6) house. That's the best way to tell if she's faking, taking her around someone else. She improved some but not much.

Monday, my sister went over there to check on her and called my cousin (#6's youngest). Then when my mom got off work she went over there. They had cleaned her house some but there was no water pressure so my cousin took her to over to her own house so my aunt could shower. The three of them have been trying to get her to go to the doctor and nurse her back to health.

Yesterday she had an appointment with her shrink. My cousin and sister got her ready. She was coherent and cooperative. When my mom, aunt, and sister got to the shrink's office my aunt passed out. They got her to come to and took her inside the clinic. My aunt passed out again, but this time wouldn't come around. So they asked the clinic to call for an ambulance but they wouldn't. WTF?

So my sister loaded her into my mom's car and they were going to take her to a county hospital. My sister called her boss to tell her what was going on and her boss redirected her to the hospital down the road from the clinic. My aunt has been approved for Medicare/Medicaid and disability benefits as of Monday.

When they got to the ER my aunt's blood pressure was 64/ over something even lower. The ER doctor immediately started her on a central to get fluids in her. Three hours later I get a phone call from my sister, that Mary had gone into Septic shock. She told me her kidneys were failing, because her BP was so crappy they wouldn't be able to dialysis. It's a 50/50 mortality rate. She asked me to call #8. I called my aunt and told her and dropped everything and headed to hospital. The ER doctor thought my aunt wasn't going to make it. It all boils down to the patient's will to live.

I got to the hospital and her BP was already up to 90 something and the ER doc was feeling much better. They were getting ready to take her CT and then up to ICU. Between the phone call and my arrival they had sedated her and intubated her and hooked her up to a ventilator. By the time I got to see her, she was peeing (good sign), her BP was 128/60 something. She looked like she was getting some color, she was heavy antibiotics. I went home. Leaving my mom, #6, #8, and #6's #2&3, with #1 on the way.

My sister, #8, and #9 went to the hospital this morning. #9 drove in from Austin last night, as soon as #6 called him. I was shocked my uncles totally suck in the supporting of Aunt Mary. He got big brownie points from me. #7 is supposedly coming in this weekend and #5 wanted updates.

I called my sister earlier and she told me they took her off the dopamine. Aunt Mary was responsive to her, Aunt Shirley (8), and Uncle Leonard (9). I called my cousin Valanta (#6's #1) and told her the good news. Then my mom met me for lunch and while we were at lunch my sister called and told her they were taking the tube out. I called and relayed it to Valanta. That's a day earlier then they thought. She's improving. YAY.