Tuesday update

This is Tuesday, and a gorgeous day in Aurora. Woke up about 5 and watched the sunrise from my 9th floor window. Pikes Peak is covered in snow, as are the other high mountains and the foothills are dusted with snow. Yesterday afternoon we had a nice visit from Don and Linda Kaufman, fellow grandparents of our precious Norah who happened to be in town. It has been a slow but eventful day today. Much slower pace than yesterday as to procedures, etc. Did start off with a xray, but then nothing else till this afternoon. So I went for a walk with Bev around the floor. When I say walk, that is just the technical term. We have to put my chest tube buckets into a wheelchair, along with my catheter bag and drape the hoses over the back between the wheels. That is what I push. Bev handles the rack which has the four bags of stuff attached to my Picc line and the five machines that control them. She handles that, plus holds the cords as we walk around the floor. Sarah, my nurse today, said she was so happy that I was going around so much considering the invasive surgery I had last Friday night. That made me happy. Then my Doc caught up with us and told us everything was going good so far and that he wanted to try tomorrow to remove one of the two chest tubes I currently have. Later, they said they could remove my heart monitor and catheter. The heart monitor was heavy and sat in my pocket. It was attached to five different spots on me adding to all the tubes going everywhere. To take that all off was great. Then because the epidural is now gone, they released me from the catheter. For all you men, you know what that means. Of course the challenge was that I would have to urinate within 8 hours or would have to reinstall it again, which had happened in PVH the second time. Very painful. So out it came. Because I am only drinking water and have four bags of stuff attached to me, I hoped for the best. Sure enough, in only 45 minutes I had to go passing the test. You can't imagine how relieved and happy I was. So now, just my Picc line and the two chest tubes is all that remains. Hopefully only one tube tomorrow. So progress is happening. And while still taking pain pills and a pain pump, I am feeling good. God has blessed me almost a month of being a cancer survivor and I can honestly say I could not have done it without Bev, family and you who read this. Your support comes to me in so many answered prayers that I feel as though I am living a miracle. For sure I am living a different life than I had in February. Thank you all for everything you have done. I was telling a chaplain about all the kindness and caring you have shown to Bev and I and what he said was true. He said it is like love, the more you give out, the more you get in return. I hope to repay your kindness by sharing with others when I get out of here. Have a great day! Give someone you love a hug, or at least a call!