Blog Updates on Eric De La Cruz

ETA,

Quick update on our meetings today in Washington. We had meetings with Health Care for America Now (HCAN), NY Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office and Sen Majority Leader Harry Reid and two of his aides. We really accomplished a lot and I am very proud. I think #Eric would have been too. My only regret is that he is not here with me. It was a very difficult day and there were a lot of tears, after all, it’s the one month anniversary of #Eric’s passing. I took a few pictures on the train on the way here that I want to dedicate to #Eric:

Another one I snapped on the train:

Here is a picture of Washinton at night:

And this one I think is the most important for #Eric because it really says, WE MADE IT TO WASHINGTON.

I am just sad and depressed #ERIC isn’t with me. I learned a lot in my meetings today and I want to share the details with you, but I need to get to bed because we have round 2 of meetings and they start early. What I do want to say is WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please help us get health care reform passed. Pick up your phone and call your senator or congressman’s office and DO IT ASAP #ERIC.

We are hoping some of you will set up phone bank/ date entry teams in your state. There are steps on how you can do so at http://mybarackobama.com. I think Amber (@bagoflips) made 106 calls today, which is amazing!! Even if you think your rep is voting for the bill, it doesn’t matter they need to hear from you anyway. Congress will break for recess on Friday and then attack ads start. You will hear everything from Barack Obama was born in outer space to HCR is going to kill your grandma.

PLEASE DON’T BELIEVE THE LIES.

They are all set up to distract u from the real issue, which is millions of people are uninsured or under-insured and need help. There are more #ERIC’s out there.

We have a very small window of opportunity to get this bill passed or else it gets swept under the rug and we lose our chance for change. This is a historic time, we have the opportunity to save lives and help future generations. Please work to get health care reform passed. Nothing will happen if you don’t open your mouth and demand change. If you can’t make it to Washington, tweet, email, make a phone call attend townhall meetings!! Tim (@thedrich) and I had a lengthy discussion about townhalls with Senator Reid and two of his aides. Reps and Senators will still be working on this bill through recess. If you can’t make a townhall, schedule a meeting with your rep and tell them #ERIC’s story, tell them about #ETA Tell everyone you know #ERIC’s story, so they understand the importance of #HCR. Special thank you to @HCAN, @sgcatalyst for the meeting today.

Thank you to @BagofLips for being an amazing activist and please pay attention to @Esquire666 who is working in a certain senator’s office and will be helping us coordinate online efforts throughout the day before congress breaks for recess.

Thanks to @nineinchnails and @ninhotline for their continued support as well as the rest of you, #ETA. We will post more tomorrow. Getting ready for round two in DC.

Goodnight, xo

–Veronica

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(Tweets compiled by David)

ETA,

As you can imagine, the past month has been extremely difficult for me and Mom. It’s been hard to get out of bed in the morning and I spent the first two weeks after #Eric’s death hiding at home with the curtains drawn. I am slowly but surely starting to get moving again and have been made aware that the time is now in regards to the fight for health care reform. With that said, I have decided it’s time to take a trip to Washington. I am here with @Thedrich and @dronsayro. Over the course of the next few days we have meetings set up with Senator Reid, H-CAN, the offices of Pelosi, Schumer, Durbin, Boxer, Titus, Gilibrand, etc. –  with more on the way.

It is more important now than ever to share #Eric’s story. Please pick up the phone and call your Representative NOW. Tweet, email and demand change. No more discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions! House is in recess — YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IS HOME AND WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Midterm elections are around the corner and your elected officials want to know health care reform matters to you. For Eric and for others like him, please make a difference.

xo,

–Veronica
Links to contact your Representative or Senator in DC:

Congress  –  http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

House of Reps — https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Senate — http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

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(Tweets compiled by David)

Eric’s Twitter Army,

I am pretty useless these days. The days are hard, the nights are harder. I’ve been having trouble sleeping, and find myself crying spontaneously without any type of warning. There are reminders of my brother everywhere. While my Mom and I continue grieving. @thedrich has said he will try to put a gameplan in place so that we can start our work that I know we need to do for #ERIC.

I miss him so much. I only wish I was more capable right now, but it’s still too difficult to talk about it. I am trying to make sense of it all but can’t and probably never will. What does make sense is making sure there is proper change in healthcare. Please continue wearing your #Eric banners in support of this and see @thedrich for more on activism.We can do this.

My love & appreciation to you all.

xo,

–Veronica

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(Tweets compiled by David)

We were at the hospital until 4 a.m. with #ERIC. It’s been very challenging. His O2 saturation is very low even though  they have it set at 100%. I am exhausted and am praying to God for strength. I need strength to keep going and so do #ERIC and Mom. I was crying to #ERIC’s friend Sarah this morning and she sent me something #ERIC once said, “It’s good to be sad and reach low points in life, because it’s a balance to how equally happy you’re capable of being.” Sarah goes on to say, “that applies to weakness and strength. As weak as he is now is as strong as he will be later.” She also reminded me to lean on my faith, but in times like this, it’s so tough. You feel helpless and might not be sure what to do.

Let’s all pull together right now for #ERIC.

–Veronica

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(Tweets compiled by David)

So worried about #Eric today. His blood pressure is low again and he keeps bucking the ventillator. He starts hyperventillating and can’t get air into his system. They are changing the Eric’s lines so they had us leave his room. Like I mentioned before, I am very worried about him today. He has a very high fever - 103. They have a cooling blanket on him.

He hasn’t been able to shake that infection and it really scares me. It’s been very difficult because all the methods I aren’t working. They’ve turned his sedatives way down, but have to go up and down like a yo yo because he can’t seem to tolerate it when they are barely there. The past two days he has almost come all the way down and then he starts panicking and they have to go all the way back up again. I used to talk to him, rub his hands and feet, play him music, pray with him, but now if he hears your voice he panics and starts breathing too fast. I am so frustrated, I dont know what to do. I really want to help him though this and offer him support, especially now with his fever but am unsure of how to do it. I never knew getting him off the breathing tube would be so difficult and I can tell #ERIC is really struggling.

Mom started crying today because she is scared that we are putting him through too much and she hates seeing him suffer like this. I agree with her it’s been difficult watching him struggle/suffer but I believe that he wants to fight so there are no other options. We have to keep pushing forward. #ERIC can do this. If anyone has any tips on weaning someone off a breathing tube (psychology behind it).

that would be helpful. Every night we make a message to play for #ERIC while he sleeps. Here is a pic of our workstation:

I make all the messages using Garage Band and Sarah helps me find all the research to put the messages together. This is a picture of us from two nights ago when #ERIC was doing much better. I look way more relaxed.

Thanks to Josh and family Sara Joy, Barbara and Bill for taking this to AMMA so she could bless #ERIC with a hug

And to @MoWandell for bringing this back for me from Amma. I draw strength from it everyday. Especially the middle stone:

And of course to #ERIC‘S TWITTER ARMY, whose cards I AM STILL TRYING TO GET THROUGH FOR #ERIC! The boxes keep coming. On behalf of #ERIC - TY!

You guys have been wonderful and I always turn to you for love, strength and support. I know Mom does too. Now let’s get #ERIC through this!!!

More soon. xo.

–Veronica

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(Tweets compiled by David)

Been here in the hospital all day with #Eric. They are trying to wean him off the breathing tube - which is proving to be quite a challenge. They’ve been bringing his sedation down, but then he becomes very aware of the tube and panics. His monitor starts beeping and going nuts. I just worry that he is not getting enough oxygen. The past hour he has done well. He fell asleep and I did too at his bedside.

Its been interesting watching him re-learn everything. I can only imagine it’s like catching baby’s first steps. Everytime he does something new I clap or get really excited. Yesterday he shook his head yes for the first time. He wiggled his toes. He’s still hanging tough and fighting. He has gotten really skinny though. He hasn’t had real food in more than a month, just a feeding tube and that makes me worry.

He is tossing and turning a bit so I will write more soon. Xo

–Veronica

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(Tweets compiled by David)

Hi Friends,

Home after a really long day. Mom was feeling sick again - hasn’t been eating much food and complaining of stomach pains so we had to take her back to the doctor. Thank goodness for Michele, because she is such a help. I spent the majority of the day with #ERIC while Michele took Mom to the doctor. #ERIC is waking up a lot more, which is good and bad. Good because he is moving around more, which is nice to see, but bad because I can tell he is uncomfortable and hates his breathing tube. His chest x-rays are more than 50% improved, which is great because it means his lungs are clearing up. The doctors were so surprised, they said they couldn’t believe they were looking at an X-ray of the same person.

You probably remember by now just last weekend the doctors didn’t think #ERIC would make it. Well, here we are…one week later! Yay! I am so proud of him. SO PROUD! Tomorrow is a big day for #ERIC, they are going to try to wake him up completely. I am excited but scared because I know he hates the breathing tube and it’s going to be tough having him awake with the tube still in. If he does well however, they are talking about extubating him by Wednesday or Thursday. I am in no rush. I just want #ERIC to be comfortable.

I can’t believe how far we’ve come in one week. It’s a miracle. Everyday I see God at work in #ERIC’s room. I am falling asleep as I write. I hope this is making sense. I tried to add everyone with an #ERIC banner.

Welcome to #Eric’s Twitter Army!!

Wish him luck tomorrow. Good night xo

–Veronica

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(Tweets compiled by David)

Hey Friends,

It’s been hard to tweet because we don’t have an internet connection in the new place. Regardless, I can’t begin to tell you how nice it is being so close to the hospital. We moved all day Friday and then Mom got sick, so I have been juggling taking care of her and Eric. Michele was a godsend yesterday. She took Mom to the Doctor while I stayed with #Eric in the hospital. She may have the flu, but doctors think it’s her diabetes. Typical Mom; the doctors had prescribed her insulin pills/injections and she was foregoing injections in an effort to save money.

I am very proud of #Eric. The doctors are shocked at his turn-around. His numbers are holding steady and we are inching along, making progress. It’s been babysteps, but there is progress. The next challenge is getting him off the breathing tube. They are slowly trying to take down his O2. I can tell this really bothers him because he hasn’t been oxygenating as high. He looks like he’s having a bit of trouble and it makes me nervous. Otherwise, he is starting to do a bunch of stuff I have never seen before. Yesterday he scrunched his face up. He’s moved his lips. And he gave me the biggest handsqueeze ever.

Mandy on Twitter sent a prayerbook and I told #Eric we were going to pray together. He squeezed my hand really hard! It’s always nice when something like that happens. He is still completely sedated and I truly believe that doesn’t matter. I believe #Eric can still hear me even if he isn’t always responsive.

So we are still headed in right direction and it feels great! Love the new place. Nice being so close to hospital; just need Mom to get bettr now.

More later, xo

–Veronica

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(Tweets compiled by David)

Good morning #ETA!

It’s moving day for me and Mom. No more hotels, no more one hour plus drives to get to the hospital….we finally found an apartment in Los Angeles close to the hospital. #Eric is hanging tough this morning. Still trying to fight off the infection in his lungs but the doctors changed the flow on his right VAD in hopes that it will allow that area in his lungs where the infection is to dry out. We’ve been spending very long days at the hospital, filling his room with as much love, prayers and positive energy as possible. Every night before we leave we make a message for #ERIC to listen to throughout the night with positive affirmations.

Last night Sarah came to visit and we played some of the music that he made and I noticed his blood pressure went up and he tried to raise his arm a few times. We even danced around a little to cheer him up (he was sedated, but I believe he can still hear everything). Sarah and I also massage #Eric’s hands and feet while he sleeps so he stays comfortable and we’ve been doing reflexology. We also do some exercises the nurses gave us to help him stretch a little since he has been in bed now for more than a month. Here is a picture I took last night of Sarah at #Eric’s bedside:

Today we r going to put more pictures around #Eric’s room Hippo and Bear are now holding pictures for #ERIC (don’t they look happier?)

Sarah gave me this photo for #ERIC’s room, too. #ERIC took Sarah to a Ducks game before he was hospitalized:

Thank you for the photo Sarah, it’s beautiful. We are going to print that one out and put it in his room too. So the radiologists finally confirmed that they did not see anything on #ERIC’s CT scans except for the infection still in his lungs (yay) — so we are still headed in the right direction. Thanks as always for marching with us and lending us your strength.

#ERIC loves you. We all do. More soon. xo

–Veronica

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