This is actually Stephanie...I've stolen a few minutes here this morning before I head off to relieve Conlon and TracyAnn at the hospital.
Yesterday was a big day. We met with the whole team of doctors and social workers and care personnel first thing in the morning to determine the next steps. The neurosurgeon and his team of radiation specialists and oncologists came to the conclusion that based on the severity of the tumor there are no further treatment options that they can offer. So we needed to determine what we wanted next for our boy.
After long talks with the team, we (myself, Conlon, TracyAnn, & Brigid) decided that we would like to take him off the ventilator and leave Sean in God's hands. So we contacted all of his local docs and got their opinions and filled them in on the situation and then brought the plan to Sean, to which he did agree. The breathing tubes came out and he is left to breathe on his own, only being made comfortable by the nurses.
He is on a 50% oxygen mask and last night when I left, his pulse-ox rate was 91 which is pretty good. Last night they moved him to the 5th floor and out of ICU since he is stable. Depending on how long this takes, he will remain in the hospital for a few days and then, if necessary and if he remains stable, he will be moved to a separate end-of-life care facility.
Yesterday when Sean had awakened a bit more, all he kept asking was "Where's Brutus?" and was really wanting to see him. So our nurse arranged it for us to be able to bring the dog to see Sean. The nurses took Sean to the ER entrance and Brian brought Brutus from home. It was so nice for Sean. He was very happy to see him and pet him and Brutus was very happy to see Sean also. I have some pictures, but am hesitant to post them because Sean does look a little worn and I don't want to surprise anyone. If you would like to see the pics, leave a comment and I will have them posted in the next update.
Right now, we very much appreciate all of your love, support, and prayers. Sean is a fantastic person and it is always amazing to me how many people love this man. My dad said last night..."If you spent only four hours with him, he was your best friend for life." And it is so true. I have only been so lucky to meet so many of you and so many more wonderful people through him. And I never really understood the connection he had with everyone but I am ever so grateful for it. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts. We love you all!
a way for us to keep everyone informed about our ever changing life...
31 comments:
I am thankful that things worked out and all of Sean's family are near him to support both of you. I think of you both all the time and I am here for whatever you may need. Give Sean a hug for me and keep your faith strong. Love, Karla
Stephanie,
It's Chris from CSC (Rockville). I worked with Sean for awhile and I was also one of the guys that helped you and Sean move out of your Townhouse in Gaithersburg. I am so sorry for all of you. I have to admit, Sean is so friendly and such a nice guy. You do not meet people like him often these days. Please let me know if you wouldn’t mind people contacting the both of you because, I know there is a company full of people that think the highest of Sean.
Steph,
I am really glad the hospital let Brutus visit. I would like to see the pictures (mhughes1@csc.com). Your dad did an excellent job of describing Sean. Sean is a wonderful, thoughtful, caring and just all around nice guy. We all are very blessed to know him. He has shown us how to enjoy life and live it to its fullest. I know that I am a much better person having met Sean. You both have my love and support. Thank you very much for taking the time to keep all of us updated, I know I really appreciate it. Give Sean a great big hug for me and have Conlon give you a great big hug for me. Take Care!
Love You Both,
Mickey
A poem by Nicolas Gordon that I sometimes read --
I pray for you and wish I could do more,
But more I cannot do from far away.
Like leaves before the wind we cannot stay,
Ripped dancing, dancing to the forest floor.
I wish I could your ailing health restore
And bring you to the strength of yesterday,
But all we mortal souls can do is pray
That God might alter what we have in store.
The beauty in our fragile life is love,
The only thing that makes the moment matter,
The golden thread that binds us all in light.
I wish, I wish I could your pain remove,
But like a wall the truth my will must shatter,
And so I send my prayers into the night.
May God Continue to bless Sean and his family!
Curtis Moore (CSC)
Hi...Stacie just called me and gave me the blog address. I am glad that she did. I've only seen Sean once but I "know" him through you and the couple of times that we were able to get together and talk. I loved to hear your stories and through that I was able to see how special you and Sean are. You are both lucky to have each other. People don't get married/together for no reason...there is always a "higher" reason and we may not be able to understand at first but in the end we get that "click" and realize "this makes perfect sense".
Give Sean a hug and please do not hesitate to call me if you need anything. I will keep all of you in my prayers. Hugs, Deb Finley
PS: Yes, I would love to see the pictures of Sean and Brutus. I am glad that he got to see him again.
Stephanie,
It's Cheryl Croker also from CSC (Rockville). Sean was one of our IT guys, one I new over several projects and several years. Even though I didn't know him well, I agree that he makes a big impact on people. I especially found his attitude remarkable--I wish I handled things so well. I only found out about Sean today. I've never been into blogs but must say this is a great tool for communicating so much to people. I'm sure there are a ton of us CSCers that would like to send their best to him as I do. My husband Tom also sends his best--he used to run the building here in Rockville where Sean used to work.
Stephanie, what your Dad said is so right on. Sean once wrote in an email to me “happiness is a very important part of life.” I had only met him a couple of times prior to that so both his kindness and his positive outlook left a lasting impression on me..I still have the email saved over two years later..some people just touch your heart like that. You are both so strong and such an inspiration on how to live life. Please know that you are both in my prayers.
xo, Lynne Vellante
Sean & Stephanie,
I think I can speak for all of your friends and family when I say that you have all of our love and support that we have to give. You both are extroadinary people and have touched the lives of so many so far, and will touch many more to come. Your positive attitudes are infectious and your love for one another is nothing short of admirable. Sean is a spirit of his own uniqueness and has been a very special friend to me, as well as to many others. He has a zest for life that is a rarity and a way of looking at things, that most people can only wish for. If I could be half the person he is, that would be pretty damn good :-) Your dad could not have described him any better in a single line. And Steph, you have been right there beside him through all of this and I'm so grateful that he has you, he could not have asked for a better woman to stand by his side. You both are very special and if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. Give Sean & Mr. Brutus big hugs for me, you all are always in my thoughts and I only wish you the very best.
With all my love,
Jenn
Steph,
I've never had the pleasure of meeting you (or any of the other Carabines). I worked as desktop support with Sean in Annapolis Junction for awhile. There are not many people in this world with the special characteristics that Sean has. His humor, his upbeat personality, everything. To quote another poster, give Sean a hug for me. Please keep us updated. You're both in my thoughts and prayers.
-Kristen M.
Hey "hon", we are sad to hear the latest update knowing there isn't much for us to do. We will continue to pray and hope, Sean will not give up so neither will we. We love you both, give Sean our best and let him know that everything here is perfect and that Leah said yes. We both wish that we could be of assistance for all of you guys, give the Carabines and Aabs our best. We can't wait to come home, talk to you soon. "One Love".
Stephanie,
This is Vinh, I used to work with Sean at Shady Grove, but then I moved to North Caroline. I am truely sorry to hear the news. I would live to come up to Maryland to visit Sean, Please give me some information, like where is Sean right now, and the visiting hours. I will come to see Sean as soon as I have the information.
here is my contact information:
Vinh_Le@bellsouth.net
704-877-1731 Cell
Hi Stephanie,
My name is Kevin McMahon. I also worked with Sean for a short time in Rockville Maryland for CSC. I work in the publishing department in close proximity to the technical support team. I didn't get to know Sean very well. But he was always very professional on the job and always very responsive. My heart goes out to you and your family. I've been there with my own family members so I understand. I do appreciate this opportunity to give Sean a shout out through your blog. May God bless you all and please give Sean our best from CSC P2 Communication Services.
Kevin
I worked with Sean in Rockville. He was one of my first friends at CSC.I will never forget how his eyes lit up when he talked about you Stefanie. Your love meant everything. My heart aches for you all. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Kathy
Steph,
Stay strong!! It is really unfortunate you have to go through this.
Traci
Stephanie,
This is Terry Mullane from CSC. I've been incredibly moved by Sean's challenges since I saw him last at the Annapolis Junction site. He reported to me for just a brief period when I first started with the company.
It's true I've never known anyone to mention his name without remarking what an incredible guy he is. A few minutes with him and you want to be a better person and have a brighter outlook. That fascinating effect he has on others makes it a privilege to know him.
My thoughts and very best wishes are with you all and I'm certain I speak for the entire desktop support group here in sending our support.
Terry Mullane (CSC)
Stephanie,
We are so sorry that we will not be able to visit for it is too hard of a drive with the kids. We wish you would tell Sean that we LOVE him so very much and not a moment goes by that we are not thinking of all of you. We hope and pray that Sean is comfortable in these last stages and that you continue to be strong for we love you too! Please send us the pictures of you, Sean and Brutus. And if possible some of the rest of the family as well. We do miss you all and it would be nice to see your faces. Send our love to Conlon. Might not see you this time you are home but hopefully soon. Love and miss you all and if you need us we are only a phone call away.
Love, The Cantwell's.
Hi Stephanie,
My name is Tina and I had the pleasure of working with Sean at Eagle Alliance in Annapolis Junction. He used to be the IT Tech that we called on for help with our computers. He is a wonderful person and his smile always lifted my day. My prayers are with you both and please give him a hug and kiss for me as we all miss him at Eagle very much.
I saw my Shawn yesterday and he told me what was going on. Your blog was a great idea. There are so many people touched by you and Sean and we appreciate the difficulty in posting the updates.
Steph, you have always been a special person from as far back as I can remember, friends with both Shawn and Amber. When Sean entered the picture I thought it was amazing how you and my Shawn had met the same really great person. Shawn told me you had been talking to him on the computer before you met in person. Shawn met him at school. It is such a small world. My Shawn had spoken so highly of him between his knowledge and a passion for optimism and life. Sean shared that with anyone he met.
We were talking about how Sean helped Shawn move into the Townhouse. We all stopped by to see the house and help with what we could. The kids, of course, entered first. They came running back down telling us we were at the wrong house. There was some stranger upstairs putting things together. Guess who that stranger was?
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Cherish your moments.
If you need anything just ask.
Our love to you all,
Terri G.
Words can not express how much Zach and I love both of you. You both are our best buddies! Think we have become better people just knowing you both. Remember, if you need anything at all, we are just a call away! You and your family are in our hearts forever! Love, Your Buddies (Stacie, Zach and Simon)
It's Trish, another friend from Sean's days at CSC Rockville.
I'll agree with what everyone else has said about knowing Sean and witnessing his attitude and outlook on life. His strength and positive view of life are contagious. I'm privileged to know him. Sean also helped my best friend gain a better perspective and attitude about his own health challenges. For that I am forever grateful.
Please tell Sean we love him and we keep him in our thoughts.
The Carabine family:
Your love of family is truly admired. My deepest thoughts go out to all of you threw this dificult time.
God bless you
Linda
Stephanie,
I was so glad that the hospital was nice enough to let Brutus come see Sean.
I only met Shawn once but the many times I saw you, you are the happiest person in the world.
You and Sean are the classic love story that everyone wishes they had. I am glad that you have had the opportunity to share your lives with each other and with others.
My prayers and thoughts are with both of you and your families.
With many hugs for you and Sean (via Stacie),
Joanna
Hi.
I worked with Sean at CSC too. So upbeat in attitude, and at the same time laid back. That is, he doesn't tie himself up over little troubles; he keeps his cool. This combination of traits is why people feel supported by him, even when he is in need of support himself. He gets that support through you, and his loved ones, from whom he finds his true joy. That's what keeps a smile on his face when others are searching for answers.
My heart goes out to you,
Brian
Sean & Stephanie,
The strength and love by which you are bonded together is all inspiring. It takes remarkable people like yourselves to place life in perspective for the rest of us. I pray for the comfort of you both in God's arms at this moment in time. We love you both and we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.
The Morgans
Stephanie,
This is Peter Kim, I worked with Sean during his CSC Rockville days. I vividly remember all those lunches Sean and I had together - he always ordered the penne arrabbiata. During his earlier bouts with his health, at that time, he showed all of us how courageous and positive one can be . The guy just doesn't complain - ever! He goes forward and seeks the answers ... with a huge loving smile.
At one point, I was dating someone with lupus. She was emotionally down and had a difficult time dealing with her situation...my solution - introduce her to Sean! So, if you recall, btw you ordered chicken fingers, we all went out on a double date - Red Robin. Of course, I knew that once she met Sean, he'd be an instant inspiration to her. As it turned out, he made a huge impact on her outlook on life (including myself) He should write a book.
Stephanie,
Sean is by far the most unselfish and caring person I know. Sean is an amazing guy and as you can tell from all of the comments he is greatly appreciated. I would personally like to thank you and the Carabine family for allowing us to share our thoughts and express support for the family.
Hey Steph...I just got this blog address yesterday and am so sorry to hear about the struggles you're all going thru. My thoughts and prayers are with you all! I worked with Sean at EA-- I'm the CM scrapbooker-- he brought a bunch of your albums in to show me-- you do an awesome job, btw. If there is anything I can do- visit, bring you a meal, take Brutus for a walk or ANYTHING, please lmk! Stephanie cm_steph@cablespeed.com
Sean helped me appreciate the good that I have in life!! He both worked for desktop support when I started for EA and then joined my group. He did a lot for us!
Jennifer S
Hi this is Letecia, I too used to work with Sean at CSC. I just want to say my heart goes out to you and your family. I was elated to find out that the hospital allowed Sean a visit from Brutus. I can only imagine how much it meant to him. Steph, I must say that your strength is an inspiration. God could not have sent Sean a more perfect angel to become his wife. Continue to be strong and know you will always be in my prayers.
SEAN YOU WILL BE MISSED BY ALL.
Steph,
Sean inspired me and my family. We are all better off having known him, I will pray for you every day and look for a sign from him that he is okay. I know he will send us one. We will all miss him and his smile. Bless you
Love You
Mama Leah
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