Batty about Summer
July 2, 2024
It’s summertime (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the evening skies are alive with activity. As the sun sets, bugs are flying around and bats are
Merlin’s recovery news is mixed. For the first two weeks following the initial tumor removal, he seemed to be making a miraculous recovery. Then he started getting unexplained headaches and left-side body numbness. His surgeon was out of town, but when he returned he ordered a CT scan and organized an appointment for the next morning when he explained that the scan showed either a blood clot or an infection in his brain and that he would have to perform emergency surgery.
I took him directly from the doctor’s office to the operating room where a team of surgeons and anesthesiologists was waiting.
On recovery, it was explained to us that, in addition to removing a blood clot, they had found a bacterial infection. As a part of treating the infection, they had removed a several-inches-in-diameter section of Merlin’s skull, which will have to be replaced in a third surgery, probably in May.
Since bacterial infection in one’s brain is serious and cannot be treated by oral antibiotics, he’s having to continually wear an IV pumping unit and bag of antibiotic fluid for six weeks and meet daily with a specialist to adjust treatment and track progress.
Merlin is fast walking a mile a day, answering emails and doing some work at the computer, but he is not yet allowed to work out or drive. He is still planning to be back in the field photographing bats by late April. He has enjoyed hearing from family and friends and is deeply appreciative of all their kind encouragement.
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Michael Lazari Karapetian has over twenty years of investment management experience. He has a degree in business management, is a certified NBA agent, and gained early experience as a money manager for the Bank of America where he established model portfolios for high-net-worth clients. In 2003 he founded Lazari Capital Management, Inc. and Lazari Asset Management, Inc. He is President and CIO of both and manages over a half a billion in assets. In his personal time he champions philanthropic causes. He serves on the board of Moravian College and has a strong affinity for wildlife, both funding and volunteering on behalf of endangered species.