Please pray for my friend

One of my best friends, and former roommate, Julia is very very sick.

She was diagnosed with mono last weekend.  After several hours in the hospital, she was sent home.  On Tuesday when I called to check on her, she was back in the hospital.  She had been admitted the day before because she was in excruciating pain and had chest pains.  When I spoke with her, she seemed "out of it" but she was on lots of pain medicine.  She told me that they were running all sorts of tests because they didn't think it was just mono.  I told her to keep me updated and let me know if there was anything I could do for her.

Wednesday I sent her a text but didn't hear back.  I thought maybe she was resting and I planned to call her Thursday to check on her.

Thursday morning I received an email from her best friend from college.  Julia had taken a turn for the worse.  She was in critical condition in ICU, intubated and unconscious.  The doctors were still trying to figure out what was wrong.  By Thursday night, Julia was diagnosed with meningitis.

Friday morning they did a spinal tap, MRI, MRA and CAT scan.  They were concerned she might have had a stroke because her left side is limp.  The antibiotics were not working yet and they had not been able to reduce her fever or swelling.  The doctors indicated that she also had pneumonia.  By Friday night, she was still in critical condition, but she was stable.  However, the infection has gotten to her brain.

This morning I talked to Julia's sweet little Grandma.  She said that Julia is still in very critical condition and things were "touch and go" at this point.  The doctors think she may have a very rare disease called Lemieere's Syndrome.  She is on three different antibiotics trying to fight the infection.

I have been an emotional wreck.  Julia is a very special person to me and I just cannot believe that she is going through this.  I feel so helpless; I wish there was something I could do to make her better.

Please pray for my friend.  She needs strength to fight for her life and the doctors need knowledge to diagnose and treat her successfully.

Julia, I hope you know how much you mean to me and how much I love you.  Please keep fighting.  I know how strong you are; you can do this!  Jacks sends lots of licks and loves to his Aunt Julia too.