She's Alive!!!!......She's Alive!!!!

Hello Everyone, Sonja here.

I was released from the hospital two weeks ago today and I couldn't be happier to be home. What an experience! I hope none of you go through anything close. Being on the other side of it, I must say I have never felt better. How strange is that? They still have no idea of what caused my organs to fail...or what made me blow up to resemble the Michelin Tire Man.....or what made them so sure I would need a liver transplant...etc. The upshot of the entire experience is that all of my organs are back on line and functioning at 100% capacity. The irregular heartbeat is still there, but the cardiologist is talking about "shocking" me back into a regular heartbeat. They do it all the time. Sounds a bit daunting but you are knocked out for the procedure, so what the hell.

I am on lots of meds, using a walker but I'm getting noticably stronger daily. And very very happy to be here. I go back to teaching at Cornell the middle of January. By then I hope to be snow-shoeing through town.

From what I'm told, I was "sundowning" quite a bit during this illness. I know that in my head I was many places other than my hospital room. Initially, I was convinced I was making a movie, playing a Dutch girl (??!?!don't ask), then I was convinced I was going on Oprah and my entire situation was being made into a sitcom (so in true actor fashion my delusions were about looking for work) then I was convinced they kept changing my room on me, and oh, yes, the headless cats running around. Thank God for Paul keeping track of this stuff. Speaking of Paul, let me go on record and say that I have the most wonderful husband in the world. He never left my side. There is no way I could have gotten through this experience without his love and support. Then and now.

Let me also go on record and say that neither of us could have weathered any of this without our friends and family. I was humble and grateful and oh so thankful for all of you and for your comfort, your prayers and good wishes, and your support at every turn. There are no words that can say what I feel.



Merry Christmas to all of you. And a Happy New Year. I hope to see you all this coming year.

Love, peace & good health,

Sonja

-- Paul and Sonja
959 Dryden Rd., #D
Ithaca, NY 14850
334-669-8657