One LUCKY Guy

That Terumi! Some of you know him as "TJ", some as "Mr. T" and some as Terumi. Whatever you call him, he has got to be one of the luckiest men alive. In order for him to survive, everyone had to make the right decision at exactly the right time, and every situation had to be just right.

- The first thing that happened (or rather didn't happen) was that his weekend business trip to Washington, D.C. was cancelled.

- Terumi was able to feel there was a problem that was way out of the ordinary.

- We made the decision to go to the emergency room more quickly than usual.

- Our landlord, Barry was home for the weekend, and not in his weekend home in Pennsylvania.

- The nurses who first saw him started giving him fluids right away because of low blood pressure.

- The CAT scan operator found the 8 cm opening right away.

- Fortunately, something was holding the vein closed.

- Dr. Rahman, who didn't have the means to get the surgery done at Parkway Hospital, was trying and trying to get Terumi into a big hospital. He was getting frustrated, but was able to reach our doctor - Dr. Herbert Feldman - at 5:30 am.

- Our doctor told him to send us to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, and we were able to do as he directed rather than get stuck in rush hour traffic.

- Billy, the ambulance driver, did his best to avoid any bumps, because every one gave Terumi pain. He was in a good humor nevertheless.

- The receiving MD had been already briefed by Dr. Rahman, and everything was ready for the surgeon, including the CAT scan we brough with us. (Billy, the driver, assured me how good Dr. Cerrasa is.)

- Dr. Krishnasastry, who tried to find the right stent, and could not, assured me he had performed the old fashioned version of the operation before with success. He also cautioned me that the survival rate was 40-60%.

- Terumi was in good spirits, and in very good condition. He gave me the thumbs up as he went into the OR.

- Later, Dr. Krishnasastry told me that the vein ruptured as they were going into surgery, and so, although Terumi got a belly full of blood, and his chances went way down, they were able to save his life !!!!!!!!!

- The thing that really startled me was what Dr. Feldman told me later. Parkway Hospital closed. Terumi was probably one of the last, if not THE last patient to benefit from the emergency room there.