Posted: Sept. 25, 2009
Addenda: Sept. 26 & Oct. 1, 2009
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Addenda: Sept. 26 & Oct. 1, 2009
All of us at CBBS – so many of whom have benefited from Paul Holland’s knowledge, wisdom, generosity, and kindness – wish Paul a full and rapid recovery. We encourage you to do the same by communicating with him via the contact information provided by his family. We will be posting updates as released by his family. Thank you.
Please see updates of Sept. 26, Oct. 1 & Nov. 27
September 25, 2009
Dear Family, Friends and Colleagues;
On Wednesday morning, Paul suffered a massive stroke while running errands in town. The quick action of emergency response along with an excellent team of surgeons at John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek were instrumental in saving his life. The surgeons were able to successfully administer TPA, a drug that may only be used within the first 6 hours. They also performed a delicate surgery to remove a large clot in his brain causing the stroke. We believe these quick, expert actions are responsible for the miracle of Paul making a tremendous recovery in a such a short period of time. We are eternally grateful for everything this stellar medical team has done.
As of today (Thursday), Paul is doing very well. He came out of surgery yesterday quite coherent, which came as a pleasant surprise to his doctors. The first 24 hours were extremely important for complications and we are grateful nothing major occurred. As each hour passes, Paul makes incredible strides in regaining strength and clarity.
Our immediate family has gathered together to support Paul. We are very touched by all the well wishes received and thank you for your love and concern. We are hopeful for a full recovery, but it will take some time.
In the interim, should you wish to send greetings to Paul, please do so by email (pvh@abotogo.com); it will be a short while before he is able to access them but will appreciate them when he sees them. If you have any urgent business issues or requests, please contact Paul’s daughter, Kathy Besser, (khb@graystar.com) and she will do her best to assist you.
In closing, we thank you for your love, friendship and kindness towards our family. We feel blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people.
With love and gratitude,
Patti Holland, Lori and Jeff Ried, Kathy and Paul Besser, David and C.C. Holland, and Todd Holland
Dear Family, Friends and Colleagues,
We are very pleased to report the excellent progress Paul has made in the past 72 hours. His return to form has been nothing short of miraculous. We attribute his good health and mental acuity to the swift and excellent care he received at John Muir Hospital. This, along with his own good health, positive mental outlook, and a tremendous amount of luck has given Paul the best possible outcome despite the initial severity of his condition. While he is still in intensive care, he has been moved to a progressive care room, indicating the overall improvement in his health status.
We have received well wishes, love and support from family, friends and colleagues around the world. We thank you so, so much for reaching out; it means the world to us. We printed each email and brought them to Paul in the hospital today. He is in very good spirits and is humbled and grateful for your concern and caring.
The plan is to release Paul sometime next week. He will then continue to receive outpatient treatment and therapy in the coming weeks. At this point, he still does not have access to his computer; if you need anything urgently please continue to contact his daughter, Kathy Besser (khb@graystar.com).
We welcome your assistance in spreading the good news about the vast improvement in Paul's condition.
With love,
Patti Holland, Lori and Jeff Ried, Kathy and Paul Besser, David and C.C. Holland, and Todd Holland
Dear Family, Friends and Colleagues,
We are delighted to inform you that Paul was released from the hospital yesterday. His prognosis is excellent and he is relaxing at home with family. He will be taking it easy in the immediate future; focussing primarily on rest and recovery. We have been so pleased and impressed with the post-operative care Paul has received. We have a discharge binder with every piece of information related to his experience and medical condition. It is a most impressive piece of work by the John Muir staff and will accompany Paul whenever he leaves our local area. Some day, we hope to share this valuable tool with you, our hope being that every patient receives one should it be necessary.
We would like to thank all of you for the many cards, messages, gifts, fruit, flowers, prayers, etc. We have deeply felt your love and support in all aspects and hope you will know how much it means to us. We will be getting back in touch over time (respecting Paul's need to slowly reconnect with his personal and business network). Thank you very much for your understanding.
In closing, we are blessed that Paul is still Paul.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
The Holland Family
Dear Family, Friends and Colleagues,
Paul continues to do well two months post stroke. I am sending a group update since it is taking a while for us to individually reply to your email well wishes. Thank you again for reaching out to us and keeping positive thoughts for Paul's continued recovery.
Although he remains a bit saddened by a glimpse into his own mortality, his intellect is completely intact and he is fully back to work. Despite his voice occasionally being hoarse, his lectures remain as riveting as ever. I have accompanied Paul on several business trips and have had the pleasure of seeing many of you at the fall meetings. Paul is thrilled to be among his colleagues again and has resumed work on most of his projects. His latest research paper is due out in January.
Understandingly, Paul is not happy that his tennis game (of all things) has suffered most from the stroke. We are hopeful that time and perseverance will allow him to regain his former tennis prowess.
We are looking forward to our upcoming holiday trip to Los Angeles; we plan to spend Christmas with the entire family at Todd's.
Fondly,
Patti (for the entire Holland family)