Mara went from the doctor's office on Monday right into the Hospital that night. These are photos from Tuesday morning until Thursday morning.
Hospitalized, with markers glued on Mara's head right before the MRI to be used during the operation as guidance to the surgeon.
Room decorated with drawings from nieces, nephews, and friends' children.
Elise letting Mara see what has come in on the blog.
Night before the operation: Sisters watching a sitcom.
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19 comments:
SUCH good news....my heart is smiling. Mara, you are truly incredible, and seriously, you are looking wonderful considering what you have been through.
Package people: not to intrude, since it's out of my hands now, but I think it would be good if Zlatna sent it on to Holland, where Kristina and Ems could get their stuff into it, and then on to Ireland, and if there are any stops afterwards or before that? The more international we can make it, the better and more exciting! But I don't know if it will be possible to get it to Claudia in time for her at the Hague. It might just be easier to have whomever gets it last send it straight to an address in NYC or Washington....which is why we need the final address (David? Carol?..)I'm only saying this because it might not even reach Holland until Friday, since I sent it yesterday from Istanbul, and it won't be in Sofia til Tuesday. Slowly, but worth it in the end. Love to you Mara, and to the blog community friends.
Julia
Mara, dear,
You continue to amaze and stun us with your courage and strength. To see your beautiful brown eyes is a gift beyond words. Keep POWERING ON, Mara!!!! So much love and prayers to you, David and all who love you.
Karen
What wonderful pictures to brighten up a rainy Portland day.
Your smile radiates and makes me feel so humble to watch you. I am hugging you with every fiber of my being right now. And Mara I know you want to be better yesterday - but just let the body heal and do what it needs to do. So good to see everyone around you, David, your mom, dad, sister. And so many sending love from all corners of the globe.
Just to update Lisa and I are still planning to go to DC next weekend - and if you're in NY we'll hop the train and see you there - small visits - whatever you want- but the boobless women are on their way. Sending you huge quantities of love
Ann
Mara,
I just posted a blog comment on one of the other original posts from today (the "Slow but Steady Progress" one), and then came back to read these messages from additional friends and loved ones. Would like to clarify - I'm not the boobless Lisa ;-)). Afraid mine are hard to ignore, and cause me no end of sweaty discomfort during the summer.
And btw, boobless Ann & Lisa - thanks for the great laugh!
Love,
the other Lisa (Kenn)
Mara,
I raise my right arm to you in return--and slip a few extra energy electrons into yours via this blog.
Thanks to all who are keeping the rest of us current!
Love.Leah
Mara, darling, what great pictures, how informing and encouraging, too! Rest, my darling one! We all send you our love and energy. Hugs, hugs, hugs from the Bulgarian gang!
XXX,Zlatna
Mara,
Something my friend Hulya reccomends for nausea, and it really truly works, for I have tried it: dried, roasted chickpeas. They are chalky, and perfect for sort of soaking up nausea-juice and vapors in the stomach. And if you wash them down with plain soda water, as in bubbly mineral water, even better. There must be a store somewhere in NYC that sells these-send someone out on a hunt. I wish I had put some in the package yesterday...still, I bet you could find them.
Julia
I love to see you smile again Mara! Ruby, Chris, and I are sending good thoughts your way.
Love,
Kim
You are truly amazing in so many ways as you navigate the depths of this journey. We send you our love and prayers. May they be a soft cloak to wrap around you to bring comfort and ward off ills. Many cheers for all the steps you have taken today and for your right arm moving again.
It is amazing to read your blog, see your pictures and feel connected to so much of your life right now. It is an honor to be part of your greater world circle. Thanks for letting us in so close.
We send as much sun today that just broke through Portland's mass of cloud cover that has been hanging over us for days. You and your friends and family are in our thoughts so often. May each new day be filled with as much healing and recovery as today. Love, Gail, Joe, Tessa and Claire
Dear radiant warrior woman, bravissima. I was telling my friend Jeannie about you last night, and Jeannie wants to add a Vietnamese healing amulet to the gift train that is chugging across various continents toward D.C. [Claudia, I sent off one packet to you yesterday, I'll send this one from Jeannie on Monday morning...to your DC address]
Jeannie spends a lot of time thinking about healing; she and another friend, Carine, recently co-curated a healing show at our local Craft and Folk Art Museum. You might recognize Carine's name because she produced and gave Julia the henna kit you all used before Kristina's wedding, and with which you all adorned your hands and various other body parts (...does that make you smile?). Both Jeannie and Carine are natural healers.
Well Jeannie told me a powerful story last night, and I must pass it along for you, Mara, and for anyone with whom it might resonate. Here's the story: Some years ago Jeannie had breast reduction surgery to undo a breast augmentation surgery from years before--she deeply regretted the original surgery. Well, one of her breasts just wasn't healing and she started feeling impatient, frustrated, scared, angry and heaven knows what else. She wanted to be well right away and her breast was not cooperating.
Finally she realized she had to pay attention. She decided to have a ceremonial conversation with her body. She set up a circle of tealights and sat in the middle of them and said to her body, "oh, body my dear, I'm so sorry. I really love you. I'm so sorry if I neglected you, or didn't pay attention when I should have; I'm sorry if I dishonored you in any way. I'm really, really sorry. Please forgive me..." She had gone into a sort of trance state, rocking as she made these incantations to her body.
All of sudden, she felt and heard a huge whoosh, an incredible surge of energy that came from her root chakras and galvanized her entire body. She hardly knew what had happened except that something was different. She sat in silence and knew that all was forgiven and that she and her body were one again. From that very moment, her breast started to heal and in a matter of days it was completely fine.
Having just revisited Dr. Weil's Spontaneous Healing, I think that the 'whoosh' Jeannie described was a sudden charge of energy that kick-boosted her immune system into radical action.
Jeannie says that she now routinely has intentional conversations with her body--for example, before any medical or dental trauma. ('now body dear, I know this will be unpleasant, I'm sorry you have to go through this, but it's probably necessary and we'll get through it together, I love you...')...
Maybe when you're unhooked from tubes and in a private space, you might want to try a little personal ritual like that. I'm going to try it myself, don't we all need that conversation!
xoxoxo
Mara,
Just landed in DC from Moscow and the first thing I did when the plane hit the runway was to flip on the blackberry and pull up your blog. I have been checking it daily from the other side of the pond to get regular updates. Unfortunately, each time I tried to leave a comment, my blackberry failed me.
But my failed messages to you over the last few days have been simple: there are literally hundreds of us out here ready to help you through this. After many years of putting others' needs and interests above your own, we're all ready to carry you over this hurdle. We stand by with well wishes, lots of love, laughter and everything you'll need on the road before you.
Know that my David and I are thinking of you and sending you hugs and kisses from DC up to NY.
love,
Jules
PS - many, many, MANY thanks to your David and family for keeping us all up to date. This is by far the best use of a blog I have ever seen.
Oh Mara, today it's walking and tomorrow it will be cartwheeling and I gotta tell ya girl, the other neurosurgery ICU patients called to complain. In so many words, they think you're showing off.
Now I did my best to calm them down and over their protests I explained that you would not perform cartwheels down the hall tomorrow BUT if they were polite you might teach them that Michael Jackson moonwalk move.
Personally, I think they're jealous in addition because no one besides you could make those pasted on head disks look good.
OK seriously, why am I not surprised that you walked today? I expect nothing less from you my dear. As another blogger put it, POWER ON Mara, POWER ON!!! xxxxxoooo lizmck
Hi, Beautiful!
It's early morning in snow-covered Sofia now and I am kicking off my day re-reading bloggers' comments for the n-th time and looking at this great picture (just one out of so many great pictures!) of you and Elise watching a sit-com! You two, guys, look so relaxed and as if you were having so much fun! I so much hope this IS the case!
Love, lots of love and energy for just another day of struggle!
Zlatna
ZLATNA / MARAMAIL
I do not think the package will arrive here in time; perhaps Ems and I should arrange to get things to Claudia and you send it along to Charlie in Dublin.
Do let me know; I will then try to meet or send to Claudia as soon as possible since I have an unpredictable schedule with the baby coming and wouldn't want to miss the chance to send my stuff along.
Lots of greetings to the folks in Bulgaria,
Kristina
Hey guys! Mara, you are the epitome of "Cowboy up!" Thank you so much to everyone for all their hard work on this blog, both the family for doing it and the loving people who comment. You all are inspiring.
Have a great day, everyone, Jennifer, Matt, Radhika and Rhys
Wow! Keep that arm moving...and the smile too! Thanks for the pictures and the info; love them both.
From a coldish Holland we send you warm greetings and a firm handshake
and lots of love. Hou je haaks!! Hugs and tailwaggings galore!!
Ems, Jeroen, Loodi, Kiphond, Barend
Hi Mara,
Chris got me a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting - one of your favorites, this intensely rich recipe from someone here in Dhaka -- for my birthday, and we'll set aside a piece for you. You know what I'll wishing for when I blow out the 27, eeks, I mean 37, candles tonight, too.
Love,
Luke
Great to hear the updates and that you are doing well Mara.
In typical fashion it seems that while the rest of us are looking at the schedule and wondering what track to find, you are already on the train moving forward.
Go Mara.
Charlie
Circle of Love folks,
I wanted to weigh in that I don't want to cause stress on this count. I'm happy to get all or part of the package while on your side of the pond -- OR, I am happy to have it keep winding its way one to one, with it being mailed over the ocean. I will have talismans from 3 persons from the States to get into it, but we can handle that Stateside. Whatever.
Loads of love to you, Mara. You just keep breaking through barriers each day! The critters at the National Zoo want to know if you are secretly in training for the NY City marathon.
Hugs and love,
Claudia
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