My 14 year old nephew had surgery today at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota today to remove a paraganglioma tumor, the same kind of tumors I have.  He only had one tumor, and we are praying that he'll never get another one.  My mother had one in her mid-twenties and never got another one, so it's very possible that he'll never get another one, and not be like me.  His tumor was located between his kidneys, and between the two major veins running up to his heart, just in front of his spine.  They were afraid they were going to have to take a kidney and do a skin-vein graft from his thigh, but the tumor came out clean without any added destruction of the close organs.  He'll be out of commission for the rest of the summer, which means he won't be playing football or racing motorcycles.  He's so disappointed, but I think he'll be focusing on recovery for awhile.  He's got a 10 inch cut in his stomach right now, so football will probably not be first and foremost in his mind for awhile.  My sister and her husband have been in a hotel with him for 2 weeks, and he'll have at least 5 more days in the hospital.  Please pray for his recovery, and their peace of mind. 

As for me, I've been eating soft foods and drinking a little for about a week, and doing my swallowing exercises.  It's a lot harder than I thought it would be.  Eating a small plate of pasta wears me out.  And I still get liquids through my nose if I take too big of a drink.  But the therapist and others have told me my speech is getting better.  The trache site is still healing. I still wear a bandage over it because it's still an open wound, probably a 1/4 inch deep in the center.  But it's slowly closing.  The slowest progress is my left arm.  Any pressure at all really really hurts, and I can't move my wrist much at all.  The scar still looks pretty gnarly, but the one on my neck is not very noticeable at all any more.  I hope to get the stomach tube out next week, if I can swallow better.  I only use it for water and medicines now, and the occasional can of food if I'm too tired to try to eat.  I see the oncologist next week, and will hopefully start back on the chemo in 2 more weeks.  

I took the kids to the fair today for a few hours.  It was so nice to be out in the sun, walking around, watching them have fun.  I'm going to sleep good tonite, I think.  I'm worn out.  Thanks for checking in on me.  Please keep my family in your prayers tonite.  God is love.