Things are looking up (shhh - don't say that out loud!)

Today was a good day.  My sister got to check her son out of the hospital today at the Mayo Clinic.  They fly home to Bakersfield tomorrow.  They seem in really good spirits, and I'm so thankful this part of their lives is over.  They've been spoiled with their health care, though. They'll never find nicer people, or more competent, than at the Mayo.  

I had a checkup with my throat surgeon yesterday.  He used the nose camera again to look at the back of my throat, and studied the front.  He said it's odd to see skin back there, but everything looks good.  I am eating more and more different stuff, and I even swallowed a Tylenol with water.  I had to plug my nose to keep it from coming out, but it worked!  The trach site is still open a little, so he had to chemically cauterize it to help it close.  If it's still open by this weekend, I have to go in a get a couple of stitches.  And - drum roll please - I get my stomach tube out tomorrow morning!  I'm very excited to be tube free after almost 4 months. I've been using Ziploc bags an tape to cover it up in the shower for so long, I can't wait to wash my stomach.  I think I have permanent adhesive stuck there from the tape.  

I saw my oncologist this morning also.  He's concerned about my weight loss, so when I start back on the chemo in 2 weeks, I have to take a lower dose to see how my body reacts to the side effects.  So, there is actually a down side to losing weight.  Don't get me wrong - I am thoroughly enjoying my new size 10 jeans that are loose on me =), but I wouldn't recommend a feeding tube because your spine is exposed through your throat.  Please pray that the skin graft holds forever.  

We are taking the kids to a local resort for the 4th of July weekend to spend some quality time in the sun at the beach, and we go on our annual vacation in the mountains on July 11 with Ken's family.  Our ten year anniversary is coming up, too.  God is good.  God is love.