Crossed the finish line

Well she finished out her ATG yesterday at 10:48 p.m. without incident, phew.  Tom, however, had to keep "running" through the night, escorting her and dealing with the ding-a-lings of the respiratory rate monitor.  They did not want to turn it off or down last night due to her earlier episode.  Chinese water torture.

Tom must have gotten a bit of sleep because Annie informed him that she made a bathroom run by herself  so he could get some sleep.  I've learned to accept the necessary role of hardship in the lives of my children.  So much of what I like about them has come from their having to respond to difficulty, not the absence of it.  Even in these past few days Annie has made some profound changes.  Where she used to ignore Katherine when she would say "I love you" at night or when parting, last night Annie only wanted to hold Katherine's hand.  Where Annie used to take her parents for granted she now realizes, on her own, that we have needs and feelings.  This was evidenced by her unplugging and wheeling herself back and forth to the restroom, her impulse to reach out and comfort me with a hug and her saying, when the fire alarm went off, "Mommy, I'm sorry the alarm woke you up, but at least you have something to write about on the blog." :)

This recognition that she isn't the only one trying to live a good life in spite of challenges has been brought home by her uniting with the cancer patients in the play room, hearing the medevac helicopter arrive and witnessing the events outside her window this morning.  Tom and Annie awoke to the LA Marathon streaming by their window and it was the handicapped athletes who were going by at that moment.