Chris is up to 105 pounds, some of which is edema. Nevertheless she is clearly gaining weight and being much more active. Her blood pressure is still very low and she is on many medications for this, antibiotics, nausea, etc. She is starting to really detest this constant potpourri of pills, but she has no choice.
There are two issues she is struggling with. She is not sleeping well at all and is now in the habit of waking up almost every night for a few hours. She falls asleep quickly, usually wakes up around 2 or 3 am, and then sleeps again until morning. We are not sure if this is due to the medication, too long of a nap in the afternoon or just what. She is dealing with it, but it does mess up her daily rhythm a bit. My guess is that she is going downstairs ans secretly watching watching season 9 of Friends.
The other issue is one that concerns me much more, and that is a general feeling of depression that she still feels. I spoke to the medical team about that, and they indicate that this is not unusual, particularly in women (sorry, I'm just quoting). Chris occasionally feels like a "victim" or asks the question "what did I do to serve this?" During these low periods, she feels less energetic, less mentally sharp, and sleeps often (typical of course). This may be compounding the sleepless nights.
This week we will get her up to the lake house in NH where she will be able to really relax and not worry about the stresses around the house. I know she is anxious to get up there, but we needed to make sure the ride was ok and she did not have serious nausea.
Overall she is still very frail, but without a doubt she continues getting better and better. We will work on mental state and get her enjoying the rest of the summer. Abby leaves for school in 4 weeks, so it will be important that she knows Chris is doing well.
The calls and cards are greatly appreciated, they mean a great deal to Chris, so thank you.
Finally to the mystery e-mailer who sent the attached picture - please identify yourself.
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