Twas the Night Before Surgery

Today I took some significant steps toward sharing our situation at work. First, I called my friend, Julie, who is still at home recovering from liver cancer, and told her. I hadn't wanted to burden her with your news because she has been fighting her own fight so bravely, and she has really beaten the odds. But it was time for her to know; you're going into surgery tomorrow, they will take a biopsy, and it just can't be the big secret it's been up til now. She was wonderfully supportive! She gave me tips on support groups and was very pleased with the things we have done up to this point in your battle. Then I finally told my exercise partner. I couldn't keep doing Pilates alone with her twice a week without telling her. She used to be my jogging partner twenty-five years ago. We've known each other for thirty five years. It was time for her to know too. Then finally, I went to Roberta. She lost Roger fifteen months ago. He had melanoma for only nine or ten months. Finally, they had set off on one of their dream vacations, only to come home two days later for him to die. I needed to talk to her and find out the things I need to know that I don't know that I need to know. She was very helpful. There is still more I must ask her. She talked about so many odd things but they were feelings, situations, inklings I have already been having. I learned so much.

Tonight I was invited to a birthday party, a girl thing, for a newer friend of mine. I really wanted to go but at the last minute decided that, despite loving my friend and really wanting to be with her on her birthday, I wanted to be with you more. I was glad I did. We spent three and a half really good hours together. We walked, sat, talked, gave you a sponge bath, got in trouble with the nurse for eating ice chips and discussed the surgery. The doctor wants to do two things: bypass your duodenum and get a tissue sample to biopsy. He will try to do it laproscopically, but will open you up if he has to. The surgery will take about three hours, he says now. It will be done upstairs in the brand new operating room. The facilities sure are nice. I will go at about 6:45. He will talk to me if I'd like, so I'm writing down my questions. You could be home by the weekend. That would be good. Then we'll have a Bob's Big Boy.