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From January 4, 2020

Hi Friends --

Hello from Recovery HQ. I'm so grateful to report that I'm making good progress post-surgery. Pain is less intense, sleeping is much improved, walks are a bit longer, and my spirits are up. Bodies at their best truly love to heal, and I'm a little in awe at how all the millions of components in my 2.0 gut are continuously doing the brave work of adjusting to life now without a big part of my liver, a semicolon instead of a colon, no spleen ... oh and here's a new surprise ... no gallbladder! Who knew? I didn't. Anyhow, that's gone too. With all of that, Gut 2.0 is slowly beginning to feel somewhat normal, and how extraordinary is that.

In recent days I've also received some encouraging news from the initial pathology report following surgery. There are good headlines to report: no new cancer was detected in my colon or liver, and the tumor in my colon had shrunk down to .4cm, although it was tucked into a fairly large polyp. Still, this little guy was ground zero for this entire adventure, and clearly Foxy had her way with it over these past many months. And perhaps most encouraging -- no evidence of cancer in the 13 lymph nodes the surgeons removed. Given how advanced my cancer was when I began this mountain trek, it's about as strong a report as we could have hoped for.

That said, we also know there are little cancer sparklers still sparkling about, and this mountain is high. Next week marks the Return of Dr C, who is the master of snuffing out sparklers through Foxy and other cocktails. She and I will meet and sort out the map for the next part of the mountain, which I expect will include some swirly wind gusts and clouds, but even more spectacular views.

For now, life continues. And there's absolutely nothing small or ordinary about that. Continue means forward, and purpose, and progress, and investment, and having eyes to see all that might be possible if our hearts and dreams are generous enough to imagine it.

A friend sent me this gem below that captures this magic far better than I ever could, which is now my 2020 anthem.

Continuing on, upward, onward, and with courage and gratitude for every step.

xoxo

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CONTINUE: a poem
by Maya Angelou

My wish for you
Is that you continue

         Continue

To be who and how you are
To astonish a mean world
With your acts of kindness

         Continue

To allow humor to lighten the burden
Of your tender heart

         Continue

In a society dark with cruelty
To let the people hear the grandeur
Of God in the peals of your laughter

          Continue

To let your eloquence
Elevate the people to heights
They had only imagined

         Continue

To remind the people that
Each is as good as the other
And that no one is beneath
Nor above you

        Continue

To remember your own young years
And look with favor upon the lost
And the least and the lonely

        Continue

To put the mantle of your protection
Around the bodies of
The young and defenseless

        Continue

To take the hand of the despised
And diseased and walk proudly with them
In the high street
Some might see you and
Be encouraged to do likewise

         Continue

To plant a public kiss of concern
On the cheek of the sick
And the aged and infirm
And count that as a
Natural action to be expected

         Continue

To let gratitude be the pillow
Upon which you kneel to
Say your nightly prayer
And let faith be the bridge
You build to overcome evil
And welcome good

       Continue

To ignore no vision
Which comes to enlarge your range
And increase your spirit

       Continue

To dare to love deeply
And risk everything
For the good thing

       Continue

To float
Happily in the sea of infinite substance
Which set aside riches for you
Before you had a name

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And by doing so
You and your work
Will be able to continue
Eternally