Randy Cardwell Status

Sunday, June 18, 2006
11:18pm

I'm sorry if I have not been able to call some of you directly or
respond to messages and texts. I can manage this e-mail presently to
bring everyone up to speed and will update as time, information and
emotion permits.

The cause of everything is still not completely known. There is a lot
of speculation from doctors & friends so I'm not going into that now.

On Friday, Randy was admitted in to the E.R. at Rancho Springs Medical Center in Murrieta. Mike & Joe found him at home out of breath and
not completely coherent. Upon arrival to the E.R. he went in to
septic shock, kidneys began shutting down and one lung was full of
fluid. He was placed in ICU. A decision was made to put him into a
medically induced coma so that they could try to stabilize his body.
His blood pressure was in the low 60's over 19. (Normal is 120/80)

Saturday... blood work and biopsy was done. Dialysis could not be
done with his kidneys because his body could not handle the stress.
Doctors were trying a wide spectrum of antibiotics with blood pressure
medication to get him to stabilize. A tube was placed to drain the
one lung.

Sunday... test results came back showing the infection to be strep
that had gotten into the bloodstream. Antibiotics were changed to
aggressively treat the strain that he has. The one lung still
draining, the infection spread to the other lung and the fluid began
putting pressure on the heart. Another tube was placed to drain from
the 2nd lung. His body was not releasing any fluids so dialysis had
to be initiated. A 24hr, slow dialysis was initiated because the
normal 3hr dialysis would be too much strain on his body.

As of leaving tonight, he still has a fever, blood pressure is being
maintained medically at 120/60, lungs are still draining and we're
waiting for the antibiotics to start killing off the infection. He is
in critical condition.

I will be back at the hospital Monday morning. His family is there
with him 24/7. They are aware of all our love and support for Randy.
There is no phone in ICU, nor is he awake anyway to speak to anyone.
Please do not call the hospital. Everyone there is working hard and
doing what they can for him.

love ALL-ways,
j.r.me