Update

Thanks for all of the well wishes, everyone.

I got out of the hospital in less than 24 hours, they were so happy with how fast I recovered. My only real pain was on the left side of my back, kind of in the middle. All of the things they said would hurt didn't.

Now I'm sort of feeling it in my right armpit, where they removed the lymph nodes, but Percoset is taking cae of it nicely without any ill side effects.

We are at the Hilton. My baby laptop died sometime during the trip down, but it was 10 years old and I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. The Hilton has a free business center, so I'm writing from there.

I'm sure I look really odd, with this crazy bag I have to carry around my neck, with all of these tubes in it, delivering lidocain to different places in my chest and armpit. That will come out on Monday.

I also have three drains in different places, but they are hidden pretty well under my shirt. It is obvious something is wrong, because tubes can be seen from under my shirt and the wrap is about 2" thick around my torso, but since people never really look closely at other people anymore, I've yet to get any weird looks.

Carl, I'm sorry, but your package never arrived. We are going to keep calling the hospital and hope that they keep it there, instead of returning it to you.

Iggy, thanks for the flowers...but why flowers??? Btw, they spelled your name Eiggy, hehehe. Serves you right.

Thanks for all of the tons of comments and mail. Thanks for calling yesterday, Carl.

I was too chicken to look at my chest today when the surgeon took off the wrap, but I'm stealing myself for it, for Monday. Glenn couldn't bear to look either. We're both preparing ourselves, but hope it will look a little more "human" by Monday.

The surgeon was so impressed with my ability to heal, both mentally and physically, she is almost sure I'll be released on Monday, even if she is unable to remove the drains.

Everything has worked out well. Phase one is over, at least.

Felicia :)