Happy Birthday Laura

Well, it may not be the most exciting venue, but today is Laura's birthday! I hope that she's enjoying her main birthday present of a newly healthy body.

We have already decided to postpone any major birthday celebrations until sometime in March, once Laura is recovered and ready to tackle the world again. We're considering a quick weekend holiday to Belgium as a nice post-recovery celebration.

On the recovery update side of things, Laura is doing very well. She was up and walking around without assistance today a number of times, which I think is amazing considering she had surgery just a few days ago!

Our new goal is to be out of hospital by Friday, so we'll see how close we can get to that.

Feel free to leave happy birthday messages in the comments, I know they will be well received.

Surgery Update: Recovery in Progress

Laura has been doing very well in hospital since the surgery. There were a few rounds of pain management, but now that's all covered and she's been making great leaps forward.

It is really exciting to see her bright and full of excitement, ready to get healthy and out of that rather dreary place. Not only that, but the concept of no longer being sick is just starting to sink in. For someone who has dealt with this disease for so long, already having a day (even in a hospital bed) where she's no longer in pain is a monumental step towards being 100% again.

Thanks for everyone who's been supportive and sending in get well messages. If you haven't put up a picture on the Wellness Brigade, it's not too late. Send them my way and I'll be sure to get them up and ready for Laura to see.

Hopefully it'll be just a few more days before Laura is walking around and then on her way back home to recover in her own flat (with her own personal butler of course).

Surgery = Done!

Laura is out of surgery and on the road to recovery.

It was a very long day of surgery, and a very long day of waiting to hear what was happening. I got to see Laura just after midnight tonight.

We've all had a very, very tiring day and are getting as much rest as we can (Laura included).

More to follow I'm sure. Thanks for all of the well wishes.

Wellness Brigade To The Rescue!

Tomorrow is the big day. Laura's at hospital now and prepping for her surgery tomorrow morning. It'll be a long day of waiting around tomorrow, but in the end Laura will emerge victorious!

I'd just like to say thank you to everybody for sending get well messages her way. Along those lines, if you weren't part of the original email list, I'd like to announce the official launch of the Wellness Brigade (http://www.LauraWellnessBrigade.com).

(A special thanks to everyone who has already submitted pictures for the Wellness Brigade.)

This concept was born out of the brilliant mind of Jacob to help give Laura a taste of just how much her friends and family back home are thinking of her and wishing her well.

If you want to contribute, please email me (harwig [at] gmail [dot] com) with your submissions. As you can see from the site, you're welcome to string together multiple pictures into a super-get-well-soon message if you're feeling clever.

I will update again tomorrow evening after the surgery.

A Note from Laura

As some of you already know, I have been battling a gastrointestinal disease for over 3 years now.  I have finally decided to have surgery to take care of the problem once an for all.  While it is a major operation and will mean tons of painful recovery time, I am very excited about the idea of feeling healthy again and getting my life back.  

I saw my doctors last Thursday (the 8th) and they checked me into the hospital because I was experiencing some of the more severe side effects of my disease (like anemia).  I was already in the process of planning my surgery, but it was not scheduled until March.  While in the hospital, I met with the surgical team again and they decided that the date should be moved forward.  I will now be having my operation next Thursday (the 22nd).  After spending 5 days in the hospital (and getting my blood levels topped back up thanks to all the fabulous blood donors out there), the doctors decided that it would be alright for me to go back home and wait for the surgery (I was having a hard time dealing with being in the hospital emotionally and there wasn't really anything they could do for me there anyways other than watch me and wait).  

So, I will be home until Tuesday the 20th at which point i'll go back for surgery prep and the actual operation.  I should be in the hospital for 7-10 days post-op and then home from work for 4-6 weeks after that while I recover.  

I am nervous about the operation, but I know its the right decision for me and I really have complete faith in my doctors.

Bobby has, of course, been amazing about all of this and by my side through the whole thing.  My parents are also coming out to be here for the surgery and the week or so following, so I have lots of support.

Thanks to you for all of your love and well wishes.  Bobby will put updates on the blog about how the surgery goes and my recovery.

Love you all!

Laura

Things I Love About London, Part III: New Traditions

One fun part of living in the UK is learning about and then adopting British traditions into our holiday celebrations.  If you read the blog/look at our pictures, you may notice that, around Christmas time, there are often pictures of Bobby and myself wearing rather silly looking paper crowns.  These come from my favorite and henceforth adopted British Christmas tradition known as the Christmas Cracker. 

Basically it's a little toilet-paper roll wrapped in Christmas paper.  You and a partner each pull on one side (very wishbone-like) and the cracker makes a rather pleasant popping sound as prizes jump out.  These prizes almost always include a paper crown, a ridiculously cheap toy of some kind and a joke or riddle.  

I don't know why I enjoy the Christmas Cracker so much.  I think its just a lot of fun to see everyone sitting around the dinner table in a ridiculous paper crown.