Update 3-8-08

It's not good. : (

I am heartbroken - I've just had the hardest hour. I called my sister to check on her and she was screaming and sobbing in agony. I've never heard her cry so horribly in my life. Her pain medication had worn off and she was in incredible pain. They did *not* amputate the finger last night as planned and she is in such pain b/c she says she can literally feel it dying. The Dr had to remove the artery to her index finger b/c it was completely closed. He then bypassed another artery to open flow to her thumb and middle fingers but isn't sure it will work. He decided he would wait 5 days to remove the index finger so that he could get all of the dead tissue. My sister says she can't stand the pain and wants him to just take it now.

To make matters worse the Dr has found that all the arteries in Cheryl's body have shrunken to half closed. Again, I know that's not the correct terminology but whatever. She has some kind of Arterial Syndrome (can't remember the full name) and they told her it's hereditary. After talking to my sister about my Mom and her amputation as well as strokes at such a young age they are saying she must have had it. Cheryl is now on hypertension medication, plavix, an anti-coagulant and a blood thinner. She will be on these for the rest of her life and has to make changes to her lifestyle in order to healthy.

I think I've gotten it all down but I'm a little numb right now so pls forgive me. Again, thank you for asking about her. I've told her how many ppl are praying for her and it means a lot to both of us.