RED LETTER DAY! Stomach Tube Out!!

Hurrah! The last invasive medical solution-that-becomes-the-next-problem is GONE!!

Dr. Shapiro took out the tummy tube Monday morning while Michael squeezed my hand (a local anesthetic was used, but basically they just take it out quickly like ripping a band aid off a hairy arm).

A bandage with stupid, insufficient tape was applied - I pointed the stupid tape out, of course, but they had to see it leak and get all over the bed and Michael's clothes before they would bring out the industrial strength bandage and then put a cotton pad with the same stupid tape over that.

(See, just when I try not to be overly assertive, something like this happens and I kick myself for not wrestling them to the ground on what I know should be done differently!)

Anyway, it required yet another bandage change after lunch - and Michael was grossed out and afraid to eat dinner. They told him the wound would heal overnight and just to cut down on liquids.

"But I don't want dinner to seep out," Michael said to PT Erin and me.

"Wow!" I said. "You hardly ever hear that sentence!" And we all laughed.


ARM EXERCISES WITH BOSSY DORIS - IN THE PATIO - WITH BILL LOOKING ON.

AND YES, THAT IS MICHAEL'S LEFT ARM, AND DORIS IS ONLY PROVIDING SUPPORT. HE'S TOTALLY LIFTING A TWO-POUND WEIGHT...AND HE HAS A FRESH HOLE IN HIS STOMACH, TOO. THAT'S HOW MUCH STRONGER HE IS!

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SPECIAL GIFT FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE.

I took this picture of my necklace, which I bought at the Cottage Hospital Gift Shop soon after we got here. Its message has been symbolic to me of our journey, and I've worn it daily. (Boy, my Blackberry takes great photos, doesn't it? Looks just like a photo in an ad.)

Anyway, I gave mine to Karen before she went back to SD to thank her for being my special ICU nursing buddy as we battled Michael's constantly spiking fever and illness back in Templeton (shudder).

I'll be gifting a few more of these as thank yous to other special women who have been in the front lines with me on this strange and stressful turn of life.

If I could afford it, I'd get this necklace for the less visible, but equally important people - men and women - also on the front lines of prayer and healing energies sent Michael and me during all of this, but I'd have to buy hundreds, maybe thousands of them. So many people have been prayer warriors for us and we have gone so many group prayer lists! I feel strongly that everyone's loving efforts have been an essential part of Michael's recovery. Thank you ALL!

It's not over yet, of course, but with the tummy tube out now, I can really see us going home in a couple of weeks and starting to pick up our lives.

Keep tuning in, folks - I think it all gets better and better from here on out.

Hugs!