** 2/16: She’s awake enough to be talking. This is a very good sign. :)
*Edit: 2/14 I found out that her coma is medically induced. This is good because it means her body didn’t naturally go into one, but it is bad because he seizures were so severe and constant that they had to intubate her and put her into a coma so they would stop. The goal is to be able to bring her out of the coma and then assess where her brain is at and what damage has been done. Fingers crossed.
I got a phone call from my mother while I was trying to wolf down dinner between my dress rehearsal and concert this evening.
My twin sister is at the biggest hospital in Salt Lake City.
She is in the Intensive Care Unit.
She’s in a coma.
Translation: Yes, it’s critical. No, I don’t have any further information than that.
She has many, many neurological disorders and tonight she began seizing and seizing and did not stop.
Whatever is broken in her brain is fine in mine-despite the fact that we are identical.
Being a twin has been hard on both of us our whole lives.
We have a VERY complicated relationship.
You could say that we are estranged.
And yet she shares my DNA.
My face.
Can you ever really be estranged from someone that is a genetic copy of yourself?
It makes all of it worse, somehow.
I am feeling eleventyhundred different things right now. I know that if she pulls through little will probably change between us…it’s a very long story with even longer reasons behind it… but none of that matters at this moment.
I just want her to be ok.
Filed under: 
I’m so sorry. I am not a twin, but I have lost family members that I was estranged from and it is very, very complicated. I will keep you, and your whole family, in my thoughts.
I hope she’s OK.
Oh, sweetie. I’m so, so sorry.
Been thinking about you today. My sister and I are somewhat estranged also, but I would be devastated if something happened to her. I think the problems make it even harder because you might not get a chance to resolve your issues. People in a coma can hear, so if there is anything you want to say, I’d go ahead and say it now, just in case.
So sorry Loralee….I hope things are better today.
Love you!
Praying for you and your sister!
Hugs. Love. Prayers. All being sent your way from me. Since there are no words just know that you are in the thoughts and prayers of many!!
Hopefully you will have more information by tomorrow (one way or another) but know that you and your family are loved & prayed for by many. My sister & I are semi-estranged but I can’t even begin to know what you are facing or feeling. You are strong & will make it through this valley no matter what the outcome is!
<3<3<3
And then more <3.
Praying for you all.
Delurking to say I’m so sorry to hear the news! :( Being a twin, myself, I can understand the connection, but I’m sure you’d feel helpless in this situation, regardless. I hope everything work out!
Oh darling, while I can’t completely relate, I know how hard it is to watch a family member that you don’t have a fantastic relationship with struggle.
There is a bond there with family.
But sometimes when family hurts us it only makes it that much more painful.
I feel like all I have to offer is my unending friendship from afar and prayers.
Love you.
Saying a prayer and thinking of you and your family.
Sending love, my friend. xoxo
Thinking of you, and wishing your sister healing. From personal experience I know that sister (much less twin!) relationships can be very complicated as proximity and intimacy don’t necessarily equal enjoyment and affection. IMHO sibling relationships are a big deal even in absentia.
Oh honey. Praying for your and your sister (and family).
This is an adorable photo. So much isn’t conveyed. I am praying for you and your sister…on all counts.
Holding healing thoughts for her.
I will send good energies!
Well, at least they didn’t dress you the same when you were little kids. (oh, wait, they did. sorry)
LoraLee,
I have a book I’d like to send you…It’s called Pieces of My Sister’s Life and it’s about twin sisters, estranged for many years, who reunite and learn to forgive each other when one of them is dying.
Yes, it’s one of my novels, and I swear I never recommend my novel to anyone. But in this case, I want to believe it will help. Everyone understands the complex bond between siblings, and the bond between twins takes that love/hate relationship and multiplies it by a hundred. Being a twin, having a twin who’s so different from you and finding a way to come to terms with those differences (while forgiving yourself for them) can be so impossibly hard to work through, but in the end it’s necessary in order to find peace. You owe that to yourself.
Please email me your address, okay? I’d like to send you a copy, in the hopes it’ll help you work through everything you’re dealing with now…I wish you and your sister all the best.
this breaks my heart on many levels. as a mother of identical twin girls, i’m so sorry that your relationship has soured such. for your parents, for your sister, for you & the rest of your family, i hope she gets better.
That is good to hear the coma is medically induced. I am thinking of you my dear.
Oh, wow, Loralee. I’m thinking healthy thoughts for your sister.
Thinking of you and hoping for the best. **hugs**
Sweetie, I’m SO sorry that you and your family are going through this. Please call if you need ANYTHING! I mean it. I love you. You’re in my thoughts.
Sending prayers and good thoughts for your sister, Loralee.
I hope for the best for both you and your sister.
HUGE HUGS and prayers from all of us here in this house. I LOVE YOU and will be up there in a jiffy if you need me. Disregard my earlier texts, It’s important to note that you should always read someone’s blog before texting. Huge apologies for that one. I am dead serious about coming up and flying Aaron back here with me. I will do whatever you need me to. Please let me know.
I’m so sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with you and your family. xxoo
Huge hugs to you. I will keep you in my prayers
*hugs*
Goodness… I’m praying for you, kiddo… and your sister of course. Sending hugs your way…
Love you madly and am thinking of you. You both are in my thoughts.
praying for you and your family!
We were home all of 20 minutes from our vacation when Nooncy read about Pooh on your blog. Not, I repeat Not, a good way to find something like this out. We saw her last night and she’s fighting her way out of the coma, but she’s still having a rough time.
OMFG. No one told you? WTH? I AM AN ASSHOLE. Great. I thought Melly called you? I was running my head off trying to pull off Aaron’s blessing.
Dammit. :S
It’s not your fault we didn’t know. Melly called on Sunday but didn’t leave a message and I thought if it was important then she would’ve left one. It was just a shocking way to find out.
I’ll be keeping you both in my prayers. It is times like these that make you think that the things that made you estranged somehow don’t seem as important now. I hope everything works out for the best.
I’m wishing the best for your family….
I’ll definitely have you/your sister in my thoughts. The medically induced coma after Status Epilepticus (the series of seizures lasting hours) is actually very common-it gives the body & brain a chance to rest & heal. I’m an epileptic & just had another tonic-clonic (what used to be known as grand mal) seizure in the wee hours Saturday morning. I’m scheduled to go into the hospital next week for video EEG monitoring because I’ve been having them more frequently now that my perimenopause is progressing…which really sucks at age 34, but is pretty common for epileptics.
THANK YOU ALL for the good wishes and support. I am not the one going through anything but well…it’s a tricky situation so ya know…it helps.
I will be back to posting tomorrow. xo
@Wicked StepMom: Thanks. She’s been through this before and it wasn’t good at all, so as long as it isn’t as bad we will all breathe easier.
I am sorry for what you have to go through. Loraina isn’t a true epileptic…they don’t have a classification for her. We’re just lucky she walks and talks…her white and grey matter is really mixed together.
I’m hoping she can get out of it soon and that YOUR scans come back well.
(AND OMY? Premenopause at 34??? Yikes!)
Oh Loralee, I hope all is ok.
Steph
I’m so sorry for your loss – all of your loss. While I know it’s common for single zygote twins to be estranged, it’s still very hard and impossibly painful. Who could really understand the complexity of a relationship like that?
I only hope you are gentle with yourself – I will keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.
(((Hugs)))
My prayers are with you, your sister and your family. Virtual hugs are coming your way!
Peace,
catherine s.
OMG, I am so sorry to hear this news. I’ll be praying for her, and you, and your family.
X
supa
I hope she’s okay, too.
Oh WOW, Loralee. I’m so sorry. I wish I had seen this sooner.
(big hugs)Estranged or not, you just want them to be okay.
Thinking of you and hoping it all turns out ok.