Sunday, September 21, 2008

I have only intermittent web access right now...

but here's news passed along from Rich Archibald on Steve's condition, which is news that began developing during the recent weather issue...

---

"Longtime HAL & HLUG member Steve Musacchia is in the ICU at St.
Joseph's Hospital.

He was admitted through the ER Tues. morning a week ago (9/9) & was
put in the ICU Wed. evening (9/10) after having a seizure at the MRI
machine. He was put on a ventilator (contrary to a previous report),
& has been kept kept sedated (unconscious) since then to control the
seizures he continued to have. Sedation was discontinued yesterday
(Wed. 9/17), & he is expected to regain consciousness soon.

His symptoms, which so far have baffled his doctors, started as early
as the Microsoft Server (formerly MCSE) SIG at HAL on Fri. the 5th.
Initially, they thought he might have had a stroke or a series of
strokes; then, bacterial meningitis was suspected; currently, the best
guess is an unidentified infection. Cultures have been taken, but are
not back yet. Although the underlying disease has not been diagnosed;
various symptoms -- blood pressure, the seizures, & fever -- have been
controlled. His condition is bad, but has been stable for the last
week. When he was admitted to the ICU, his survival was in doubt;
now, it looks like there is a chance he will pull through. Almost as
worrisome is the question of possible brain damage from the seizures,
& the possibility of long term disability.

Please keep him in your thoughts & prayers."