11/03/2008 - Monday morning, in the wee hours

We arrived at the Parkway Hospital Emergency Room in Forest Hills, and the nurses said Terumi's blood pressure was low, so they immediately started an IV to give him fluids. He was sent to X-ray, which didn't show anything. Then he had a CAT scan. Dr. Rahman, the good doctor on duty, was notified by the technician that the aorta running through the abdomen was dissecting (coming apart) and had an opening of about 8 cm in it.

Dr. Rahman said Terumi MUST be moved to another hospital immediately, and tried to get him into Mt. Sinai. For one reason or another (and it sounded like because no ambulance was available) they wouldn't be able to come right away. I could tell by his voice on the phone that he was really frustrated, but he never gave up.

Luckily, Dr. Rahman was able to reach our personal physician, Dr. Feldman, who directed us to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. Dr. Rahman asked me which it would be, and I told him, "Whoever can come first, but now we're going to be in rush hour traffic to Manhattan, so let's go to North Shore." During this time, he was resting rather quietly, except when he had a pain. He felt these pains in the left rear going through to the abdomen.

Finally, the team from North Shore arrived, and we got into the ambulance. "Take it slow and smooth, Billy." and that's just what Billy the driver did. I still felt every bump in the road; each one gave Terumi pain, and also had the potential to cause a rupture. I didn't get the name of the emergency technician, but we are really grateful to both him and to Billy, who drove so carefully. We were all joking, and Terumi was in good spirits.

Dr. Rahman said we would be met at the ER by Dr. Cerrasa, and so he did. Billy told me not to worry . . . if he was in Terumi's shoes, that's the physician he would want. I let Terumi know that. He was still in good spirits. Suddenly there were doctors and technicians everywhere milling around the bed where Terumi was. He was in the center. A pretty technician adjusted oxygen for him and he smiled. I said, "Pretend you're in ER, and you're the star! Hey . . . you are in ER!!" and he laughed. He was at least in good spirits.

While everybody left to consult, he asked for water, which he couldn't have. I put a drop on my finger for him. Sometimes even one drop helps.

They started to wheel him down the hall into OR, and I followed as far as I could. He gave me thumbs up and smiled.