for chase, part iiii + continuing my fight

thanks for all of the continued good thoughts and prayers for chase (aka "captain america") - you all rock!

here is the update on how today went for the little fighter:

+++ chase seems to be responsive to him mom and dad's voices and knows when they are talking. his breathing and blood pressure were going well, and oxygen level was great. his arm was still swollen but was looking better. the doctor explained that since chase has not been sedated since monday, he should be showing more of a fight - like discomfort with the ice packs, pulling at the tubes, in general - just getting mad. so it was time for his "captain america" to come out:)
+++ the doc took him off of the blood thinning medication which was awesome, so they could start giving him meds for his fever every four hours instead of six hours. he was iced down again to get his temperature down. they put in a 2nd iv so they could take out the central iv which is more prone to cause infections.
+++ chase was breathing on his own for almost two hours - yes!! that is great because it helps him to build up his lungs as they are having to suction more fluid out to get the infection out. his temp got under control and his vitals were right where they needed to be. he followed a flash light to the left and to the right with his eyes which was fantastic. he also got started on physical therapy to help with stretching and movements.
+++ best news: he lifted his right hand out on command several times and grabbed his mom and dads hands. he also wrapped his fingers around their fingers. fight chase fight!!!
+++ if you would like to help the family, there have been two sites set up by friends to help chris and lisa. one to help with meals (http://www.mealtrain.com/view/?id=736T%2f4e67AM%3d) and one as a general fund to help the family (http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/superhero-chaser-fund-/51107).
+++ at the end of the day, chase made another huge stride. he finished breating on his own for an hour and 45 minutes which was the second time he was taken off of the ventilation system. that was huge since he is still fighting the infection and the pools of fluid that have to be pumped out of his stomach. he now has a airway clearance system to help with clearing out his lungs, and he doesn't seem to be a big fan as he lifted his hands a couple of times during the session. his vitals were good and tylenol and advil are helping to keep his fever down. he is surrounded by fighting sioux gear to rally him for tomorrow.

a good day with lots of great accomplishments - go chase!!!! carry on, little man, carry on. you are rocking it!

i have been sending chase a ton of my fighting strength and continue to fight at the same time. if i keep telling chase to fight, i of course need to lead by example. a lot of fighting vibes going on around here this week.

+++ we had a great easter, loved getting to spend the weekend with my family and all of the traditions that make our easters so special. as always, and even more now, holidays are so bittersweet for me. i love the time with family. i love the traditions. i love the fact that those are special days that only happen once a year. it is that part of them happening once a year, and that little voice that creeps in from time to time about the uncertainty of the future, that makes them a little (ok, a lot) bittersweet. but they are sweet nonetheless, and if anything, i love holidays more than ever and i try to soak in and capture every single second.

one of my favorite parts of easter is my mom's awesome (and i mean awesome) eggs benedict. pretty sure that i told you all about them last year. although cheese sauce, ham, and muffins aren't on my current diet, i had my yearly serving. i made myself a deal when i made the switch to this new diet. i would not pass up key moments in my life because of food. eating smores with malena is one example, i wasn't going to miss sitting by a campfire and eating smores with my girl. i wasn't going to miss one of my favorite parts of easter either. i am going to keep living, and living means that sometimes there are things worth eating that don't match up with the new plan. but that is ok, i am following the plan the other 99.9% of the time. i also had some jelly beans, and they tasted as good as i expected...and i miss them already;)

+++ it was time for my monthly dinner with my friend chris and we changed it up and went to a great vegan restaurant. our dinner was so good. love our monthly dinners, one of my favorite traditions. it is amazing to me to think about how many things in our lives we have talked about over dinner during the almost 15 years we have met every month.

+++ i continue to try new things with food, some i like better than others. but i am proud of myself for trying them and being brave in giving everything a try. the new one today was making a smoothie with beets in it. as my friend michelle told me yesterday when she tried a beet in her smoothie ("this just in - beets taste like dirt") it wasn't my favorite. but i tried it and i will experiment more - i have to, i have two beets left - why do they have to be sold in groups?;) this is what my breakfast looked like today....buckwheat cereal with cinnamon, almond milk, strawberries and a smoothie with a beet, spinach, carrotts, and apple.

another new veggie that i incorporated into my diet this week was radishes. i don't mind them but i don't think that i have ever bought one in my life. i did this week, and they are so good. i have been eating them on my salads and added some into my quesadilla last night.

my quesadilla had radish, spinach, mushroom, dill, kale, and brocolli with some avacado on the side. yum! i also made some roasted brussel sprouts and they were so good, if you like brussel sprouts, you need to try this recipe. you will thank me, and you are welcome:)
+++ loved this - saw it on kelly purkey's facebook page. i never knew i was a mermaid, but glad that i figured it out now.

+++ awesome wednesday with malena today. we got lots of rest, including a nap in the afternoon because we were both super tired. first nap in a couple of weeks. i heart naps, and always feel like i have a little more energy after them. we had a great time at gymnastics and at the park enjoying some blue sky (with our sunscreen on of course).

happy thursday peeps. i can't wait to see the great things that chase does.  i know you feel the same way. xo