5 mile therapy session even beats Improv
11/12
Improv class has been a great diversion from all that’s happened this year. Soon I’ll post a short video from my Improv Graduation Performance. Many of you have seen similar performances in my real/everyday life, but being on stage with fellow Improv-ers is quite exhilarating.
As therapeutic as Improv has been, yesterday reconfirmed that NOTHING helps my sanity more than running… It just cleans all the stress & crap straight out of my system. Helps me to feel calm & confident. A hot shower than convinces me all is going to be OK. Well, here I go again….5 mile therapy session babeeee! Ipod on!
Doctors Encouraged!
11/13
Hannah is gradually taking more of mom’s milk (through the nose tube). When I got to the Hospital last night she had a huge poop, which is a GREAT sign, except I had to change her diaper, which was actually a pleasure! ☺
I held her for a couple hours early this morning before heading back to the office, and the doctors were VERY encouraged by her progress. Keep going banana! See you tonight baby
Digestion & Breathing are easily Taken for Granted!
11/16
I filmed a fabulous play Fri eve, a touching “Celebration of Life” Sat.
My work is such a wonderful creative outlet for my soul. I LOVE & need it! I’ve filmed several similar services. They are very uplifting and inspiring, with friends & family so eloquently explaining the person’s life in such a positive, serious and many times, funny way. We all should “Celebrate Everyday of our Lives,” than it’s OK if we miss our final Celebration. ☺
In between those gigs, office work, running, eating & sleeping, I adoringly held Hannah for several long & short stretches. Slept in Sunday, headed to hospital & held her 12p -3p. Changed a HUGE poopy diaper! I’ll never complain about changing a diaper because I’ve learned that digestion & breathing are blessings that should never be taken for granted!
Instead of TV-football Sun evening, Jeff Werner-DJ/MC, & I performed Improv in SF, than downed a couple of killer Russian River Brewery IPA beers at Toronado Pub, SF. It’s a small hole in the wall joint, and they’ve got like 100 brews on tap! YUM! Love that place!
Hannah’s Remarkable About-Face!
Will she come home soon?
11/18
After three of weeks of fierce struggle, Hannah is accomplishing a remarkable turn around! She’s off intravenous feeding, and completely on mom’s breast milk again(mostly via the nose tube). Her feedings have been increasing every 3 hours, and now she’s also been taking milk directly from momma. HUGE! She’s also pooping with the best of em! And get this…(gave you an elbow, turned my head away quickly & now back to you) …her weight as of last night you aks? 6 lbs. 10 ozs! Unreal!
This kid just keeps battling; she’ll never give up! She has been through an incredible ordeal, and I believe it’s finally headed to the finish line.
I don’t think I reported this, but two weeks ago when she was getting all the needles, they decided and we approved the PICC Line, a frightening surgical procedure. The PICC line is inserted into a peripheral vein under ultrasound guidance, in the arm, and then carefully advanced upward until the catheter is in the heart. This is usually done by feel and estimation; an X-ray then verifies that the tip is in the right place. With PICC line she needs no more needles, everything is inserted right into the line.
God in heaven the entire last 3 weeks was harsh enough on Betsy & I. But my Hannah struggled, hurt, suffered, cried from pain, and endured. Betsy & I felt so helpless. It’s been 1000 times tougher on me than Surgery for prostate cancer, 8/3/09. (I’m completely healed & cured, by the way.)
I went through a couple of weeks thinking I was dying, than the cancer was downgraded. But they still suspected it had spread.
The surgery was 8/3/09 @ Stanford to remove the entire prostate. The pathology report after surgery mentioned that the tumor, which filled almost the entire prostate, was confined to the prostate, which meant they got it all. I’m CURED!
******The video tells the story of my life in 5 minutes. I edited in the days right before surgery, and it was fabulous therapy!****
There were a couple of days after surgery where I felt like I was dying. I never felt so sick and horrible, puking black junk for hours, moaning— and I wouldn’t let Betsy leave my bedside. At one point they had to place a tube through my nose and into my stomach, and after a horrific ½ hour, they had to pull it out and try the other nostril. That took another excruciating hour. The complete opposite of fun.
My point is that I went through a tremendously horrifying ordeal, than less than a month later Hannah was born. What she’s had to endure was EASILY 10,000 times more difficult than my ordeal.
I’m so proud of Hannah’s inner strength, I love her from top to bottom! And I’ve been getting tons of kisses ☺
The PICC line should be out this weekend, than if all keeps going the same, the feeding tube in her nose will be removed Thanksgiving weekend, that’s if she can totally feed from mom. Than all the other monitoring wires will be removed, and baby is wire free!
We may be headed home the week after Thanksgiving. Prayers anyone? BTW- her due date was 12/7
Tags: A MUST SEE. coming Tue-ish, Chris's Improv Performance
11/20/2009 at 4:56 am |
That kid is a rock star! I am so happy to read such a positive update. GO HANNAH, GO!
11/20/2009 at 5:19 pm |
Glad to see little Hannah is improving. Just a few more days and she should be off the nose tube? Will keep her in my thoughts and prayers that her recovery is complete by her Birthday or sooner!