From Carlos - Christine in Hospital for New Year's Eve

Hi, everyone.

I spoke to Christine this morning, Friday 12/29. She sounded not happy about still being in the hospital for obvious reasons. Overall she was positive though, said she was happy, pointing out that she reached the anniversaary of when the doctors told her she had less than a year to live. It's been a year, she is still here -- enough said, as she put it.

She's been in the hospital for 10 days now. She has "complications" but so far the docs have not been able to figure out specifically what they are. It's not a virus, it's not a bacteria, it's not GVH (thank God, she said). They have been giving her vitamins and minerals as they continue trying to figure out what's going on.

Most likely, she will still be in the hospital on New Year's Eve, as she was on Christmas. If anyone wants to put on a hospital mask and hang out with her, they are welcome to. She's thinking about escaping her room and partying on the roof. Or maybe holding wheelchair races in the hallway (winner gets hospital ice cream). She also pointed out that she can score pretty much anything from the pharmacy -- morphine, vicodin, or my personal favorite, codeine. If anyone has other ideas as to how she can ring in '07, she is open to suggestions.

She's also open to suggestions regarding a nickname that would reflect her recent weight changes. Before going back to the hospital she had lost 27 pounds, and since being in the hospital she's gained 13. She thinks she should have a nickname. She doesn't want to be called Yo-Yo Pechara because that's "too easy." She's thinking maybe Spongebob Pechera or Shrinky Dink Pechera.

In closing, she asked that I say to everyone on her behalf the timeless words of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, everyone." Then she laughed, which was a relief because for a second I thought she was turning cornball.

Christine's friend, and possibly yours,

Carlos