Dear Friends --
A quick postcard here from the frontlines of Project Post Surgery Recoup, but first a big thanks to Mindy for her hospital posts while I was very much off the grid.
As Mindy noted, the surgery itself was a success. Dr V and K did their magic in my gut, and faster than we had expected. They discovered no new surprises beyond what we knew in my liver and colon and accomplished the job they went in to complete. It will be several days before we learn any pathology from the tumors themselves, or what kind of post-surgery chemo is likely still in store.
For now, the only goal is surgical recovery, and it's a slow a one. I was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, a lovely Christmas Eve surprise. As I left, I was warned they days ahead would be the most brutal in terms of pain (I thought surgery during Christmas might come with some kind of minimal pain elf magic dust ... but, yeah, no).
So the past few days I work hard to sit up, stand up, breathe deep, head out on slow walks around around my block, read, not get too distressed about Connor and Lucy binging on screens as only teenagers who just finished finals can, enjoy calls from friends near and far, and rest in the knowledge that soon brutal will become sore, and sore will become tender, and tender will become tolerable, and then tolerable might move me back to some semblance to normal. This is likely a monthlong project, and it's no doubt the slowest part of my hike up up the mountain.
In it all, you all have provided an outpouring of the sweetest and most life-giving encouragement. My heart is full as a result, which anchors my incremental pace line with a peace that can transcend even the worst moments of physical pain.
We're entering a season of bidding farewell the year behind us, and opening our imaginations to all kinds of hopes and new dreams for the year ahead. It's time now to look forward, with a deep confidence that all the steps ahead -- no matter how slow -- are headed in the right direction.
xoxo
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