Very Good News

After a weekend at home, I arrived back to Chester's loft this morning as his weekend companion was leaving. We thought we were expecting his Physical Therapist for a 9 am session, but when we called at 9:30 it turns out there was a mix up on the schedule and there was no session planned for today.

Chester and I sat and talked for a bit, over a breakfast of sliced apples, goat cheese and slices of his brother's cured deer meat (yum!). Then we walked to the bakery for scones, enjoying the walk together as I pushed his wheelchair down the bumpy sidewalks. We got home just as it was starting to rain.

The phone rang shortly after we got home, and we were graced with excellent news! Chester has been approved to receive FREE chemotherapy drugs! After paying for the first month of his at-home Temodar treatment, at $2500, we applied for a program through the pharmaceutical company. A week ago we received a letter telling us we could get a %20 discount (a little help, but not much), and then today the representative I spoke to let us know that they had continued negotiations with the insurance company and had approved Chester for free drugs! The news came as a bit of a shock to us both- sometimes we are unaware of the tension a financial matter is creating until it can be released- and whoosh! lifted!.

So we are celebrating, and are staying hopeful that Chester will get approved for Medi-Cal in the coming weeks. But for now, we are enjoying today's good news and sending thanks to our social worker angels who helped us apply for the program. Over and over again, we get unexpected good news from the health care bureaucracy. It feels more humane than we expect sometimes, and still I pray that someday we'll have universal health care and everyone will have access to compassionate and wholistic medicine.

Three Cheers for Free Drugs!

Scenes from Home

Counting Pills, Clowning Around
Saturday Morning at the Loft

Chester the Pie Queen

We just got back from lunch with Jaime and his friend Duane at the legendary local "Lois the Pie Queen". Fabulous soul food restuarant- Chester had "smothered pork chops" with eggs and biscuits, topped off by a slice of heavenly pecan pie. Yum. It is only six blocks away, is wheelchair friendly and the folks were lovely. We'll definately be back.

We are looking for a companion to stay here with Chester the night of Wednesday, Feb. 1st. I have two days of work available to me in the city, and it would be a huge help if someone would be able to hang out with Chester from morning/afternoon on Wednesday until dinner time on Thursday. If you wanted to stay longer, that could be a possibility. If this is possible for you please be in touch via email (openhands@mac.com) or call the loft at 510.658.8538. Many thanks! Of course, also be in touch if you are wanting to come and stay with Chester at other times as well- we are still open to other companions joining the team!

February is right around the bend, and it will be an exciting month for Chester. He has a friend staying here from the 6th-14th, another out-of-town friend from the 14th-18th and on the 18th his mother and sister-in-law arrive for a week long visit! He is so happy that his mom is able to make the trip, it means a lot to him to be able to see her. I am also looking forward to meeting her- talking with Chester's family on the phone has been so wonderful. They are all so full of heart, it is easy to feel the family roots there. There is so much love for Chester in their voices, and such genuine appreciation for those of us assisting their son and brother. It will be a true honor to meet Mama!

We are going to take a post-pie nap. Enjoy your weekend, everybody! Be in Touch!

The Next Step

Yesterday Chester had a very intense and focused session with June, his Occupational Therapist who truly understands the concept of "the resilient edge of resistance". She knows how to get Chester to ride that edge and reminds him to keep challenging what he believes his body to be capable of.

When we told her that Chester has been walking consistently and strongly, she then invited him to begin refining his gait. She validated that he had come very far in his walking abilities, and recognized that he has worked hard to do so. Then, she pointed out that his current gait pattern is one that is dependent on compensation. To swing his right leg forward, he uses the hip and lat muscles to hike up the leg and throw it forward. It works, and was necessary to begin walking. Now, with his strength and confidence, she invited him to begin developing a more natural walking style that will activate more muscle bodies in his leg and prevent other muscle groups from the stress of compensation. She modeled the natural gait pattern for Chester and walked with him a bit. Once he had a clear understanding of the changes to be made, he quickly was able to start integrating them. The outcome is a smaller step but a more natural flow and eventually he will be able to start increasing the length of his stride. She also made him a new brace that will keep his arm extended and straight while walking, so that his arm and wrist don't go into curled tension as is the tendency. This woman works miracles with duct tape and foam!

June then had Chester work on getting up and down from seated without pushing off from his left arm and leg, as was the style he has developed. Again, it worked for a time and now he is ready to start activating his right leg more fully and trusting the balance between his legs. They worked on the edge of the massage table, practicing the bow forward, activation from both legs, the rise to standing, and the graceful return to sitting. It is exciting to be moving on to the next steps of rehabilitation, from basic ambulation to more refined motion patterns. Chester, of course, welcomes the challenge and will be quickly integrating his new learnings into his daily movement.

Today Chester spent the day with his friend Gil, so that I could go to work for a day. They had a full and fun day, including a trip to the shoe store (where they were reportedly flashed by a young man in a red tutu skirt) and to the gourmet market where they smelled cheese and ate some raw ahi tuna. Gil is a gourmet cook so there was a delicious dinner upon my return home, and Chester even got some time on the massage table. Yum Yum.

It is now just past 8 pm, and Chester is comfortable in bed. I've just read him the above posting, and he approved it for posting. It is a funny dynamic, that I am called to write about his daily activities and state of being. Sometimes it feels invasive, or that I am projecting my words onto him, or that I am writing about mundane details and missing the good stuff. But recently, upon looking at the "map of visitors", and seeing the timetable of your visits, stretching from Oakland to Melbourne, I am reminded that I am not writing into a void. I remember that so many of Chester's friends and loved ones depend on the blog as their primary connection, and that even the small details are rich windows into our days. Again, I write here in service to all of you, so if there is information you want or a picture you are aching to see or something you are curious about, let me know and I'll do my best. Pictures from this week will be posted on Saturday when I get home- I left the USB cable to upload pictures on my desk. . . ah technology- It only seems to work when you've got all the parts!

So as Chester begins taking "the next step" in his rehabilitation, finding balance and grace, activating his right side more and more, and developing a more easy gait, let us all be reminded to love our bodies. Chester has been issuing the call, encouraging all of us to honor and celebrate our bodies as they are- not taking two-handedness or two-footedness for granted, staying fully conscious during challenging times, and finding grace and flow with each step. May we All savor and deepen our own embodiment, whatever that might look like.

Walking and Talking

We began our day with our daily dressing ritual, easing Chester's legs into compression stockings, choosing what colors to wear, wiggling his shoes on. After a breakfast of Kix and bananas, I ran to the drug store for a few things and when I returned at 8:55, Chester was all set and ready for his physical therapy session. Chester and his therapist agreed to go "beyond the walls" of the apartment complex and so we all drove to downtown Berkeley and Chester practiced walking city streets and crossing the street in the time allowed by the traffic light. The biggest challenge of "city block walking" is all the people- lots of folks just rushing along, and even with the three of us- Chester and his cane, Doreen walking alongside, and myself following with the wheelchair, many folks cut right in front of Chester. So it is a practice and a challenge for him to stay focused and steady with all the extra stimuli and obstacles of the parade of Berkeleyites rushing by.

We returned home after walking about three city blocks, a full two hour adventure, and had just 30 minutes until speech therapy. I heated up fish and mixed-root-mash for lunch. As Chester was eating, he approached me about my "distraction" over the past few days, and took the time to offer me some beautiful supportive touch as I grieved a moment for all the illness and loss in my family in recent weeks. Even with all of his physical challenges, he is still such a powerful ally, still has the ability to reach inside and touch the most tender and vulnerable places.

After his speech therapy session, Jaime arrived just as Chester was sitting in bed for a rest. The three of us sat together and finished the application for Medi-Cal, which will be a HUGE relief if Chester gets approved. He is absolutely eligible, so we are all confident that he will get enrolled and they will start taking care of the insurmountable medical bills that keep arriving daily. It felt great to finish the application, have Chester sign all the forms, and get them off in the mail. We'll keep you posted!

Then it was off to Dr. Fitzer's, Chester's general practicioner. He didn't have much new to say, but was very reassuring. He confirmed that Chester should up his dose of the anti-seizure medication, checked on his head wound progress, and said that his thrush looks mostly cleared up. So Chester will stop the thrush medication, and one less medication is always good news. It was a good visit, and Chester felt confident as we left.

This afternoon we talked about the level of cognitive impairment Chester is experiencing. He is starting to name and give voice to the confusion and unknowing that he has experienced for the past several months. I've noticed it for awhile, but we are now starting to name it more specifically. I told him that I have noticed only a mild progression of the cognitive impairment, and that I will be honest with him (and with you all) as I continue to bear witness. Currently, it mostly presents itself as mild confusion (that quickly clears when we offer him guidance or explanation), some memory loss, and the twins aphasia and apraxia that are compromising his speech. Ultimately, we agreed that he is cognitively impaired, but not incompetent. This distinction was important to name. We agreed to continue being easy with it, allowing and not struggling, and to be as fully conscious as we can be throughout.

The best thing about today was the amount of walking Chester was able to do. More and more, he is getting out of the wheelchair for all the short walks he can. Instead of rolling into the bathroom, he parks and walks in. To the car, in and out of the doctor's office, back home. . . Walking, Walking. He feels more and more confident with his stride and is glad to have the extra movement in his day.

So another good day here. The rest of the week is pretty quiet- a few rehab sessions, a visit with friends, lunch with Jaime on Friday. Nothing major. So I'll write if there is anything to report, or any hilarious moments to share. But know that Chester is feeling pretty good and making great strides.

A Fuller Update

When I checked in with Chester this afternoon about how he is feeling, he reported a mix of "tiredness and exhiliration". This made sense to us after the weekend class. He spent the entire two days as Teacher, maintaining a steady focus, speaking over long periods, giving clear instructions to a group of 25 breathers, and climbing up and down the tower of stairs leading to the classroom studio.

This morning Chester had a great physical therapy session, taking a long walk down the city street (practicing endurance and balance on the uneven surfaces) and climbing small flights of stairs with no railings. At one point, at the end of the session, he had a near-fall on one of the stairs. Doreen and I supported him, he rested in his chair for a few minutes, and then tried again with success. While resting, his frustration was penetrated by the warm sunlight that was flooding the morning. He noticed this, and said to us "Forget frustration, enjoy the sunshine!". We share many moments like this- confronting frustration and fear with "in the now" enjoyment, remembering to savor all of the pleasures of being alive.

Last week was overall a good, restful and stable week for Chester. He enjoyed the company of his out of town friend, tried some new foods that she brought from her organic farm, and had several great rehab sessions. He conquered the goal of crossing a city street in the time of a crosswalk light, and continued to work on regaining movement in his arm. So all in all, a good week with not much to report.

However, last Thursday evening he had a seizure. His friend was preparing dinner, and Marilyn was hanging out as Chester was waking up from a nap. He sat up in bed, and when he turned his head to look at the clock, he went into seizure. It lasted about two minutes, and was a full-body seizure. He remained conscious throughout, and was cared for by Marilyn and B during and after the experience. There is not much to do during these seizures other than pay attention, so we can communicate to the doctors later, and make sure Chester isn't endangered. He was on his bed and "rode it out" ok. We have been in touch with his doctors, he temporarily doubled his dose of anti-seizure medication, and we have an appointment tomorrow to see one of his doctors. We'll keep you updated if we learn anything more.

Chester reports that in the wake of this last seizure he has a lot of fear about recurrence. He is also knows that there is little he can do to prevent or predict a seizure, so he is being with his fear but also moving through it. We are paying close attention to his daily health, taking lots of vital signs, and tracking any changes. There is so much unknown in this whole process, and the best we can do is take it as it comes.

Please continue sending Chester your love and thoughts via email or post. He loves hearing from all of you and even if your email isn't returned, please know that he reads them and appreciates the support and communication.

I'll write more in the coming days, including anything we learn from the doctors, or any (mis)adventures in the rehabilitation work.

Be Well, All!

Still Breathing Strong

Hello All.

Just returning home with Chester from our weekend breathing class. Celebrated another very successful class with a sushi dinner and we are now settling in for the evening.

I wanted to post a quick blog note to let everyone know that Chester is going strong. Once again this weekend, the Master Teacher guided a circle of over 25 participants in two days of Conscious Breathing. After what Chester is calling a "rough start", the weekend went beautifully and he completed teaching yet another class. There were many tears, gratitudes, and radiant faces at the end of the day today.

I will write more tomorrow and update everyone on the details. I'll try to take a few pictures and post them as well. There has been no postings this week because an out-of-town friend was staying with Chester (thanks B!) and didn't have blogging access. I'm going to try to remember to make sure that folks who are staying for more than a night or two are added to the blogging team so you all can stay better informed. I know there was curiosity and concern in the past week. Please do know that if anything major happens we'll get it up here as soon as possible and keep you informed. As we've learned, in the medical field "no news is good news". But I'll get you all updated tomorrow anyway.

For now, good night. I'll be breathing myself to bed any minute now!

Fancy Feet

Chester and I went shoe shopping today. We realized over the past week that his shoes are quite tight, even when the swelling was down. So we got new shoes in a half size bigger, and the difference was quite exciting for Chester. Not only did the new shoes fit better, but the sole had less surface area and traction than his last shoes, making walking much easier. He was so excited when we got them on that he even stood up and did a little dance to the ABBA that was playing. When he took a walk in his new shoes, and his new monkey pants, his gait was more graceful, efficient, and steady. Oh the difference a new pair of shoes can make!

Chester is feeling good after his chemotherapy course, was less tired today and we were laughing and joking for much of the day. Last night was the first night I have spent here with him that I slept all the way through the night- I awoke at 5:30 and was startled to see the time- I peeked in on Chester and he was snoring away. So we're both feeling good about it all right now, feeling strong and resilient and ready for the coming days.

Course Complete!

Today Chester took his fifth and final dose in this month's course of chemotherapy. He was relieved that the biggest side effect was fatigue, which was managed with lots of naps and rest. He finished up just as the moon turns full, and we are hoping that he will regain his endurance and have more energy this weekend.

As part of Chester's occupational therapy session today, June had him go through the steps of getting a ride from Paratransit, so that if in an emergency he needs to use the service to go somewhere alone he will have already done it once. He made the phone call and arranged a pick up, met them outside and got a ride over to Dr. Tang's. June rode along to guide him through the process and I drove over and met them there. June had Chester go all the way up into Dr. Tang's office on his own, opening the doors, getting himself up the ramps, into the elevator, and to the office. Chester was surprised by the experience of being "on his own" (even as June and I walked beside him). There are so many little things we help him with every day that are invisible to all of us, and it was useful for both Chester and I to see him move through the world independently without help. The verdict? That he is capable of doing so much alone, but it takes a lot of exertion and concentration to get through it. In the dance of assisting him and also encouraging independence, we must find a balance that changes every day. When is it more appropriate to give him a hand to lift his leg into the car, and when should I stand back and let him do it himself? When is his "struggle" worth it, allowing him to build confidence and strength? We move with this every day, and the level of assistance we offer Chester changes dramatically. But more than not, we are leaning towards allowing him to do things alone, even if it takes longer and is a bit of a struggle. Especially now, when he is in overall good health and spirits, the efforting is often rewarded with a sense of accomplishment.

While we were there, we paid a surprise visit to Dr. Tang (reminder: Tang is the neurosurgeon that performed Chester's primary surgery on Aug. 30 and has been generously providing lots of after care and advice ever since). They were glad to see us, his assistant proclaiming "You are our favorite!" to which June responded "You are everyone's favorite, aren't you!". This got a blush out of Chester, who knows that his kindness and presence has fostered the same in so many health professionals we've met along the way. Dr. Tang took a few minutes between his scheduled patients to check in with Chester, look at his head wound and reassure Chester that it still looks like it is healing (slowly), and gave us a new prescription for 2 mg. tablets of Decadron so we don't have to quarter the 4 mg. tablets for Chester's evening 1 mg. dose. It was a very productive excursion.

Home now and resting. Chester is in bed listening to an audio recording of "The Secret Life of Bees." Tomorrow a friend comes for an overnight visit, and then another friend from Seattle arrives on Sunday for a week long stay leading into the breath class. All is peaceful and at rest.

Blessings to All of You on this Full Moon (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least! Blessings to all of our friends "down under" as well!) (Correction! Chester continues to teach me so much. . . . While out gazing at the moon just now, Chester corrected me in my assumption that the hemispheres have different perspectives on the moon- we are ALL under the full moon right about now, apparently- y'all in Oz are just a day ahead! So Full Moon Blessings to ALL of us, all the world around! )

Tired Face

Day Four of Chemo and All is Well.

I wanted to get a more recent picture of Chester up so folks can see that he is still radiant and going strong. We kept getting "sad face pictures". Here is one that is simply "Tired Face".

More action photos to come, now that we are up and running with a working camera and working software, at long last.

Fatigue is a Friend

Day three of the five day chemotherapy course.

Chester has been very tired but is otherwise doing well. He has been sleeping long and hard at night, and taking naps all afternoon. Sleep is a strong Ally right now, and we allow as many naps and rests as he needs to get through these days. We are glad that his schedule has been quite open this week, and have not scheduled any additional social visits or appointments, to allow for ample rest.

Today we ran errands together; got an extra car key made at the dealership, picked up his favorite goat cheeses at Trader Joe's, got another pair of elastic shoelaces. We also had a very productive meeting with Gale, our very kind social worker at the Alta Bates Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is helping us apply to get the chemotherapy drug paid for (it runs $2500 a month- or $166.66 a pill!) We will also be applying for Medical, which will be a better health insurance than Chester has in place and will be free. Hopefully these two programs will be approved and go into effect in the next month or two. We are navigating the system the best we can and staying afloat.

Tomorrow a friend is coming as a day companion for Chester so I can go back to work (my first full day of paid work in five months!), and will be cooking another gourmet dinner as Chester rests in the afternoon. I look forward to coming home to Chester, a hot meal, and good friends to share it with.

Not yet 8 pm and Chester is fast asleep. He'll be up before sunrise, trying to be quiet as a mouse so as not to wake me. He'll take an anti-naseua pill and then wait a half hour. Then he'll take the fourth dose of chemotherapy, again unleashing the chemical predators, sending them to hunt in his brain and devour any tumor cells they come across. We'll wake again together, have goat cheese omelettes and warmed bread, again finding ourselves alive and breathing.

Sometimes I am swept away in wonder. . .This Simple Time. This is the time we've been gifted.

So Far, So Good

It is a chilly but clear Tuesday morning here in Oakland. We just came in from a long walk outside and our ears are still cold. Chester completed his "circuit" (the length of the building, up the back stairs, across the mezzanine and back down the front stairs) in record time, about 20 minutes. There is no sense of it being a race, rather we are looking for a nice, even gait with consistent pace. His physical therapist then assisted him in practicing walking with a shopping cart- strapping his hand onto a board across the top so that he can steer the cart and use it as support to walk with. This is towards the goal of being more mobile within public spaces, and also has the challenge of using a wheeled support in front of him to walk with, rather than a stable cane at his side. Now we are back inside and Chester is doing some weight-bearing exercises on his right arm.

Today is Chester's second day of chemotherapy. He began his five day cycle yesterday morning. The dose is strong- 300 mg of Temodar taken first thing in the morning. So far, he has continued to tolerate the chemotherapy astonishingly well. Yesterday he was a bit tired after a long day of shopping excursions with Jaime, and took a 2 hour nap before dinner. We joked that given the choice between fatigue and naseua, fatigue is the better choice! So we are continuing on with the treatment, and are feeling good about it so far.

We are enjoying the break from the daily hospital visits, and have been savoring this stretch of time without a lot of doctors and treatments. Even with the chemotherapy course, our days are still feeling less medicalized and regimented than in previous months. We are enjoying more time just relaxing, listening to music, playing card games, and having easy conversation.

Several folks have been in touch about stepping up to offer time as Chester's primary companion or offering other kinds of assistance. Many thanks! There is still room for more help, so let us know if you are considering it. Also let us know if you want to come visit and just say hello, and we can make that happen. Our days are spacious and relaxed right now, and Chester is in good spirits. A good time to come and sit with him for a spell.

Be In Touch!

Free Flowing Veins

This morning Chester and I went to the hospital and received an ultrasound on his right arm to check the progress of his blood clotting. These clots were caused by the PICC line delivering the antibiotic, and were discovered one month ago. Chester has received daily blood thinner injections for one month and has a very bruised belly. So we were very thrilled to learn that the blood clots are almost completely "resolved", except for one small area in his upper arm that the nurse assured us was "on its way". I was quite mesmerized by the technology and the ability to look into Chester's veins, watching the swishing movement of his flesh, seeing the vein compress as the nurse applied pressure. I joked with Chester on the way out "well, i've had the chance to look at your brain and your veins, what's next?".

We are still waiting to hear from the oncologist if Chester needs to continue the blood thinner, and if he is cleared to begin the next round of chemotherapy. Chester took a daily dose of Temodar with his six week radiation treatment, which ended on Halloween. He now will move into a cycle of a very high dose for five days a months for six months. We are hoping that his tolerance for the chemotherapy will hold despite the higher dose.

UPDATE!
Just as I was writing this I received a call from Dr. Hartman's practice nurse. She said the ultrasound report looks GREAT and that Chester doesn't need to receive any more blood thinner for the time being. This is great news on so many levels. Every time we get to eliminate a drug from the routine it is cause for celebration. The clots clearing means that Chester's body is doing what it needs to do to heal and clear, which is good news all around. And, we don't need to make daily trips to the hospital for injections. This may just mean we have some days with _nothing_ to do! I've been researching parks and hiking trails in the area that are wheelchair friendly so that we can go spend some time outside and just be.

UPDATE 2!
Another phone call came in and we were told that Chester can begin the chemotherapy again when he chooses. This means that those "chemical predators" can once again be unleashed to eat up the tumor cells. This predator image is what came to Chester before his first round begins, and it continues to serve us well. Predators are precise, thorough and clean in their kill. May they pass by the healthy cells and go straight for their prey.

And! It is SUNNY today! For the first time in over two weeks, sunshine is pouring down and it is (almost) warm out.

A good day. We'll keep you updated on when Chester chooses to start taking the oral chemo so that we can all send his body lots of good loving prayer to sustain his health and energy as the chemo does its job.

Meeting each moment as it comes,

Chrys

Rainy New Year News

Greetings from the saturated, soaked first days of 2006. It has been raining non-stop in the Bay Area for the past two weeks, and shows no signs of letting up. The earth is totally hydrated, the ocean is teeming and the plants are full up. May 2006 be "filled to the brim" with wise adventure and loving connection for All of Us. And may the sun shine in as well!

These have been quiet days for Chester. After a four day long visit from a dear old friend, Chester was well rested and in good spirits when I returned yesterday. Everything seems to be stable right now, and we are continuing to work on rehabilitation and moving through the days.

At least the first two weeks of January has been approved for continuing Rehab Without Walls, which is comprised of a team of an Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist and Speech Therapist. We are hoping that the insurance angels will continue to extend therapy for several more weeks. We are also learning as much as we can so we can continue to complement his scheduled sessions and be competent to continue rehab when needed. Once again, I am finding that being in a circle of bodyworkers is a huge blessing, as so many of Chester's friends are competent and confident in assisting Chester in stretching and regenerative exercises. Each time I help Chester move his right leg I hear that little Chester voice "heel towards midline, don't hyperextend. . ." Being comfortable with bodies and motion is a huge asset in this process.

Today Chester was proud to walk the entire "circuit" of his apartment building- down to the end of the complex, up the 18 stairs, across the walkway on the 2nd level, down the front stairway and back into his apartment. This took about 35 minutes at a steady and comfortable pace. The past two weeks have brought a "sudden and dramatic improvement" in Chester's ambulation.

Tomorrow morning we go to the hospital to get a doppler ultrasound to check on the blood clots in Chester's right arm. It has now been a full months of daily blood thinner injections, and we are hoping that the screening reveals that his body has succesfully cleared the clots safely. We'll take it from there.

Perhaps the biggest frustration right now is Chester's speech, which has hit a rehabilitation plateau over the past few weeks. Communication is possible, but not consistent. Sometimes, words flow out and articulation is clear. Other times, simple words and phrases are a big struggle. Chester is actively working with the frustration that comes with not being able to say what he wants to say, and all of his companions are actively practicing patience and relaxing into silence.

The request is still open for those of you who can be of assistance in any way. Please be in touch. A special invitation to out-of-town friends who may want to come spend several days or a week as Chester's companion. Everyone who has visited him and stayed with him for several days has reported much nourishment, a strengthening of their friendship with Chester, and profound learning from the experience. If at all possible in your situation, I invite you to consider a visit in the coming months. You surely will profit from it.

Also, I know many of you are eager for regular photo updates to the blog. I have been doing my best to take pictures at least every couple of days. Right now the photo software on Chester's computer isn't working, so we have been unable to upload photos from here, and I've been trying to do so on the days I find myself at my own home. I hope to resolve the software issue soon so I can give you more up-to-date images of Chester and his daily adventures. I also realized that the photos disappear from the blog after a certain point, so I will also be working on an online archive of images (stretching back to before his operation), and will also be gathering images from Jaime, Marilyn, Cath, Jay and others who have taken photos of Chester in the past five months. I'll let you all know when that is up so that you may download or order prints of images that resonate with you.

We just got word that at least 11 participants are registered for the breathing class in three weeks. We are looking forward to breathing with you all! If you are interested and have not yet signed up, go for it!

In Breath, In Touch and In Friendship,

Chrys