2 scans and a doctors visit

Today was a good day.  I only had two of the three scans that I thought they were going to have me do and the masses above the hip appear to be getting smaller.  YEAH!!!!  I got to go to Central Park and we met a nice couple there and had a nice chat with them.  We ate some good food.  I talked to the kids on the phone.  We got chocolates from across the street and donuts using our Dunkin' Donuts gift card.  We stopped at a book store and perused a little.  It has been great spending time with Angela.  She gave up an invitation to a Relief Society activity to spend time with me on our night before surgery.  TRUE LOVE!!!

Speaking of surgery, they are going to do the chest surgery as planned.  It will not be as long as the abdomen surgery and the recovery should not take as long.  It will be more painful so I will need to stay ahead of the pain.  The doctor said I should be eating by Friday night.  It took me a week last time just to get ice chips.  The sooner you are eating and making room for more to eat, the sooner you get our of the hospital.  Pray that I will not have a pesky drain that just keeps on giving and giving and giving.

I feel better about things today.  I realized that I had lost focus a little bit.  I just want to be done with this whole thing.  However, I have a hill to climb and lessons to learn.  I need to be willing to sacrifice some things that do not matter in the eternity and may not even be good for me in the present, but are things that my temporal body enjoys.  I need to focus on things that will make me feel good spiritually and physically and help me maintain a relationship with our Father in Heaven.

The doctor reminded us of the two trials that he recommends we try to get into.  We have to see if the insurance will pay for the surgery part - installing a catheter in which the medicine can be injected.  The medicine is free as part of the trial, but installing a catheter is not part of the covered cost.  There is another study in Maryland at the National Cancer Institute that is free if I can just get there.  We have some work to do to see if we qualify for the trials.  We will work on that this week.

Well, I have to be at the Hospital at 8:30 am - I am the 4th surgery of the day for my doctor.  Angela and I are going to start our bedtime routine.  I am not sure why I should bother getting rest - I will be asleep most of the day on Thursday anyway!

Thank you for all your prays, thoughts, love, and support.  We could not do this without your help!

-Doug-