Mara had yet another seizure this morning even though she has been on anti-seizure medication since last night. Her right arm and leg are number than they were, and she feels nauseous. These symptoms are due to pressure on the brain. She is being given a large dose of steroids to try and bring the pressure down. She is getting an anti-nausea drug, which has the effect of making her feel very sleepy and reducing her appetite.
Mara is not in pain and spent almost the entire day sleeping. She was taken down stairs to the large MRI machine for a scan of her head and underwent an EEG right in her room. The results of these tests have not yet come in. As I am typing, she is being wheeled away to have a spinal MRI done. The doctors do not know yet what exactly is causing the new symptoms, but it is clear that Mara's condition has worsened. Their aim is to stabilize her so that she can go home to Washington.
Carol managed to take the first picture last night during the ambulance ride to the hospital.
The next photos were taken today when the EEG was being done, which took about an hour and a half. One hour of that was taken up with the attaching of 28 electrodes. Mara slept through much of the actual brainwave monitoring/recording. After each procedure that she undergoes, Mara thanks the medical technician or nurse and tries to give them one of her famous smiles.
Carol is always near Mara. I am with her much of the time. Mara likes to be softly stroked even when she appears to be asleep.
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43 comments:
Dear Mara,
You have such incredible strength- I'm sure they will have you stabilized in no time. We can't wait to see you in DC in just a few weeks.
Some gentle stroking, love and healing thoughts from us all.
I love you,
Jodi
Dear Mara- much love and good thoughts from San Carlos, California. Thanks to you and everyone involved in the blog that keeps us informed. Love is coming to you from everywhere. You are such a unique and marvelous individual.
Joni and Tom
JO here, sending you, Mara, all my love and prayers for you to find strength anew to jump, and clear, this new hurdle with grace and warmth. I am so thankful to David and Carol and all the NYC team, medical and family/friends, who are walking with my girlfriend, my soul sister. I am on 24/7 Mara prayer duty. Just know we are all out her in the blogosphere, Mara honey, like a million shiny stars, all rooting for you, our beloved friend, our heroine.
Dear Mara, We love you here in Jordan. We are sending you strength, as we are to Carol, David, and everyone else. Love, JMRR
Very well put, Jo. Here is another shiny star checking in for duty. Mara, get all the strength, love and comfort you need from us. And as you fight yet again, know we are all here. Indeed, you can be sure there is not one second passes without a whole universe of people praying with you, walking with you, and fighting with you. I really hope you, David, Carol, Elise and everyone around can feel our love. We will never stop.
Your shiny little star in Egypt, Rob
Mara, Carol and David
All I can say is that may the God Almighty be with you all at such stressful times. We are all here with you, thinking of you, feeling with you and praying for you .
With my fondest love and thoughts and endless thanks for taking the time to keep us all posted despite the stressful time you are all going through.
God bless.
Maha
Hi, it's Luke and Chris from Dhaka, the bald stars from Bangladesh....I really do think you have the world covered. Draw on us, and all the collective love you are getting from here. I've certainly drawn on your strength before, it is the least we can do back. You are very special to me, Mara, and you amaze me every day with the number of lives you touch. h You are never out of our thoughts, and we love you very, very much.
Luke
Mara, canim Mara,
I kiss you more and stroke your arm in my mind from Istanbul. And I don't want any pain or anymore suffering for you. I enfold you with my love from here. We pray for some kind of spontaneous healing for you. You are in our hearts.
Julia, Carmelo Kagan, Ronaldo Atilla
Dear Mara,
You are in my thoughts and feelings daily. I am going to Progreso,Yucatan. Mexico on Thursday this week to my house "Casa Mara Del Mar."
Here's a reminder of how I named the house in 2006. An email I sent to you then:
robin@voyagerequipment.com> wrote:
August 2006 TO: Mara Galaty: a lovely senorita
We are very pleased to announce that a very special Casita in Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico
On Calle 50, #99A; received, in the month of February, 2006, a much needed name; a name that reflects the unique qualities of comfort and charm that the house embodies and also, a name that
fits perfectly with the environment of the Sea.
We are honored to christen the house with THE name that came to us in a whisper while
lying in a hammock, listening to the sound of
"El Mar"
CASA MARA DEL MAR –(MARA OF THE SEA)
Your spirit is everwhere in that house and town; and it is Here and There and Everywhere.
Love you Mara,
Robin
Keep thinking of the magical times you've shared with the amazing people in your life! And may that fabulous smile reflect back and make you happy.
Hi Mara, Carol & David and the rest of the family.
As always I'm at a loss for words. You are all such wonderful people. Your positive strength and dedication is an inspiration to us all. Simply said, Mara could have no one better to help her through this.
We are thinking of you constantly here in Ireland and over the weekend lit a few candles in our church in Greystones.
Keep swimming Mara.
Charlie
Dearest Mara,
as people everywhere in the world, Kiara and I are thinking of you and sending you all our love from Berlin.
It is so wonderful of your family to keep up this blog and all of us involved in your life this way, even though many of us feel helpless for not being able to help.
I just imagine all the love and energy from all over the world somehow floating around you, embedding you in a gentle light of healing.
Greatly hope to see your smile again soon.
Sandra and Kiara
Dear Mara, Carol and David,
thanks for keeping us informed and posting pictures even when the news is not good.
I do hope the stabilisation will work so that Mara can go home to DC.
Keep up the softly-stroking-bit, David !
Much love from David's-Dutch-family-and- friends,
and a big hug from us,
love Ems
Mara, let the force be with you and your love-ones. jeroen
Dear Mara, Remember the words "Faith, Hope, and Love, but the greatest of these is Love." Mike, Chris, and Cindi join me in sending our love. Draw your strength from this love holding you up everywhere.
Mara, all of us in Baltimore are sending you love, strength, and our not-so-famous smiles. To you, Carol, David, and everyone I say: bleib stark!
Andrew/Donna/Ted/Katherine
Hi Mara,
This is Kathleen, Jamie's old girlfriend from college and Portland era. I'm not sure if you received my e-mail, but I've been a devotee of the blog here and you've been on my mind every day. I even got my sister, who's a doctor in Boston, hooked on your daily updates. Anyway, I wanted to drop a note letting you know how much I love you, how much I love Carol and the rest of your incredible family, and how deeply I'm pulling for you. I have to believe there's power in thousands of people around the globe wishing and hoping and praying as hard as they might for one thing.
Sending you reams of good wishes, daily, from Florida (not as exciting as any of these other places!)
Kathleen
Dear Mara,
Our hearts are all connected to you - love and strength being sent to you from all over the world! You will be home in Washington soon. Until then, a warm and gentle hug - love, Malia
Hi, Mara,
I have tried to post a couple times to wish you well but have somehow been sending my comments off somewhere into the ether, never to be seen again. My blogging incompetence notwithstanding, I have been following your journey towards recovery (and many thanks to David and your family for keeping us all up to date.) I was excited to hear of your progress after surgery and release from the hospital, and saddened to hear of the setbacks in the last couple of days, but like everyone else posting am sending all my positive thoughts and energy your way -- hoping that you will be home again soon. Cathy
We're all rooting for you, Mara! Stabilization would be good, but I'm still holding out hope for spontaneous remission. In the meantime, so glad to hear you are not in any pain. Carol, David - hope you are finding time to rest and take care of yourselves, too, as the nearest sources of support for Mara. Looking forward to better news tomorrow.
Much love,
Eden
Dear Mara,
Please picture huge clouds of love coming up from the ground and forming this protective Saturn-like ring around you showering you, your family and loved ones with the greatest love you can imagine. I along with many others have the greatest admiration and respect for you. You're smile, personality, and spirit are magical. You are one of kind and are rare in that you as a single person have made your imprint on so many people everywhere around the world. It is said that if you can affect and change the course of just one person's life, you have achieved great things. In your case, you have done this countless times.
we love you,
Blanche and Ziv
Dearest Mara,
Well Mara, this is the first time in my life that I post a blog! Unbelievable but true. We check this blog every single day to be with you. Thanks so much David for keeping us informed of how Mara is doing.
My dear Mara, you know that we are thinking of you all the time. Here come immense amounts of love from Amsterdam. There is a longer letter in the post on its way to New York (it's the only address I have). Hope you enjoy Samuel's drawings. He makes them especially for you.
Huge hug from us all,
Hanneloes, Stefan, Samuel and Esther
Dearest Mara,
More love from Jordan!! I sometimes just walk into the DG area so I can feel your presence and your magic. You are always in out thoughts and our hearts.
Love you! Dana
Dearest Mara,
You continue to amaze me with your strength and spirit - the ability to smile through anything! Know that you are constantly in my thoughts and prayers. I love you dearly and am wishing strength for you with all my heart, so you can pull through this latest crisis and get back home to DC!
I hope that the warmth of all the hundreds (no thousands!) of "e-hugs" we are all virtually sending gives you comfort and strength. There isn't a moment in the day that we aren't with you!
David, Carol, Aunt Mary and others who have been with Mara in NY - my thoughts and prayers are with you. You are truly Mara's angels.
Love always,
Carrie
Dear Mara-- Two more here thinking about you lots in DC, and looking forward to seeing you soon. Much love, Charles and Pamela.
Mara,
Come back to us.
Love,
Liz
Sweet Mara:
"Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
Thinking of you during this time and praying for you. Stay strong. I love you so much and wish I can be there for you to hold your hand and comfort you. Arwa
I wish I could make it to DC to kick your butt in travel scrabble just like I used to on the train from Sofia to Gorna Oriahovitsa.
We send our love and positive thoughts.
Love, Mark
Dearest Mara,
I have been sending you thoughts of love and health every day from Moscow, but am now trying to send you every ounce of energy I have as you face this setback. You have always been a source of strength, inspiration and laughter for me and I wish I could be with you now to offer some in return.
It is monumetally unfair that you are in the grips of this illness but, as in all aspects of your life, you are facing it with grace and immense courage.
Huge thanks go out to David and others for maintaining this blog when you have not felt up to it. I am with you and your family in spirit and send you all my love now and always.
Love, Tracy
Sweet Mara- I am in awe of the calm grace you always show through difficult times.
And yes- around the globe, so much love is directed to you. I can even feel it!
Been away from the blog b/c of travel and yet each moment you have been in my heart and mind. I leave for Thailand tomorrow and plan to visit as many temples as I can in 6 days to give offerings for your well being. In fact, I will be with 150+ Backroads folks and all of us will be sending prayers to the gods specifically for YOU.
I love you,
Evie xoxox
Let me add my love and hugs to all the others. All my love and support to you, Mara, and to all those who are taking care of you.
xoxo
Judy
Dear Mara,
I am sending my love and prayers to you and your family. You are in my thoughts - every day, every hour, every minute.
Love,
Claudia
Please give Mara a big kiss and hug from me, Chris, and Ruby. We love you!
Kim
Mara,
It is a cool morning here in Portland, the air at once invigorating and soothing. You would enjoy the soft feeling on your skin. I am thinking of you.
Love,
Laura
Dear Mara, Carol & David,
Love, strength, warmth, energy and positive thoughts all coming at you from the "left" coast. I'm adding my daily thoughts to the many rays of light from all over the world that wish for your recovery...and love seeing that beautiful smile, even if in a picture on your blog.
Hang in there, cuz!
Love, Kate
Mara, dear,
You are now being stroked and loved by people from every corner of the earth! We're all harnessing that positive force in tandem, in unison, unconditionally.
And we're sharing it with the wonderful people around you, too, helping all of you to find the strength you need.
Love,
Leah
Mara, my love, everything around me, both at home and at the office reminds me of you. Your smiling face from the walls (both here and there), books, vases, the votive candles bought by you and now burning for you, my scarf, Mattie and Ludmil's fleeces, cards, letters in my mail, pictures, scores of gifts! The soft divans you used to lie on while we were just hanging on chatting - you stroking my hand, me - stroking yours. The two of us sitting in the back of the theater house, whispering, laughing and applauding, your heated chats with Mattie and L. and so much laughter! I wish we would do that again and again. I wish I were stroking your hand softly now. But then I am, darling, even from a distance. Rest, my darling and recover!
Carol, David, words fail me to express what I feel for you. May all the good vibes coming your way, give you strength. I hope you don't feel lonely in your quiet sitting there while Mara is asleep and recovering. Please know there are so many of us sitting right next to you, holding hands!
All my love to you, always!
Zlatna
Dear Mara,
You are in our minds constantly. Hang in there. Those electrodes are surreal. Just wonderful to read you still can give that great smile every so often!
Much love from Jonathan, Sigrid, Julia and Rosa!
mara - so many many thoughts
we love you so much
Anna
Dearest Mara,
I am holding you close. You are pulling through. Keep on. This too will pass. You are brave and strong. I send you all my love. Love to you David and Carol! Paula
David and Carol,
I've never met either of you, but my heart always goes out to you two - this week more than ever. You are in my thoughts as much as Mara is.
Mara sweetheart - I echo Liz. Come back to us.
Love, Lisa
Dear Mara,
You are still in the prayers at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral every Sunday here in Portland and we keep lighting candles for you in faith and hope. We also send Buddhist blessings
to give you strength and courage to carry you through the hardest of struggles.
Your dad's friend,
Linda
Dearest Mara,
In my life, I have had the sacred honor of meeting a handful of people who are the living manifestation of the Divine love in the flesh. You are one of those few. Thank you for teaching me how to "love wastefully". Your spirit is one with the the Universal Spirit that binds us all together and I feel your spirit with me, now and always. I love you honey and wrap you in my prayers and love.I will always be grateful for the amazing acts of love that you performed for the Guatemalan people. Thank you David and Carol for your loving care of Mara.
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