99.9% Out of 100--Great News

We are home from Edmonton where Lew had his surgery on October 1. Nobody (including the surgeons) knew what the outcome might be. We were given "possibilities" as grave as: 1.) He may lose all use of his left arm. 2.) He may have to have the nerves removed and reconstruction attempted by taking nerves from his leg. 3.) He may have any degree of mobility up to 80%.

He was under the knife for a little over four hours. Result? The A-team pulled through! He has at least 85% mobility in his arm and hand with no numbness or tingling. They were able to excise 95% of the tumor. He was released yesterday at noon, only three full days after surgery. He is on precautionary antibiotics and only takes a pain med at bedtime. We will phone the oncologist tomorrow and begin proceedings for radiation. The dosage will be quite low, and there is almost 100% guarantee that the tumor will be completely eliminated. Thus, this past year will become a "blip" on the road of life, we hope.

For anyone who questions the existence of a Higher Being, I can't help but disagree. Our prayers have been more than answered.

My mother looked after house and cat and had a lovely supper ready for us when we got home. Last night was the first night that Lew had a really good sleep. Hospitals are notoriously noisy and disruptive. Although he had a room all to himself, he was right across from the nursing station and public washroom, and everyone who came into the "West" wing had to walk past his room from the elevators. So sleep was not an easy thing for him, especially when he doesn't sleep that well anyway.

He stayed awake for the six hour drive home--probably because I was driving! I think I did a really good job of getting us home safe and sound. Edmonton has grown phenomenally in the past several years and the traffic is getting a bit crazy, but no problems were encountered.

Unfortunately Lew spent three of the most gorgeous Fall days stuck in the hospital. The temperatures were around 26 degrees during the entire time. I made sure I went out for a good walk every afternoon. The drive there and back was beautiful with all the colours. Nobody needs to say that Ontario and the Maritimes have the market on Fall colors. This year on the prairies is more beautiful than we have ever seen. Even my mother, who has gone through 83 years says she can't remember ever seeing such rich color. And to date we haven't even had a significant frost. Flowers are still in full bloom!

Today we are having the first rain in about six weeks. It is an old-fashioned "soaker"--just the kind we should have before winter sets in. Amazingly there were still many fields of grain not combined as we drove home yesterday. I have no idea what the excuse is. Never in my 60 summers has there been a drier, more wide open Fall. I guess too many farmers have too much land and just can't get it all covered.

For now, no further exciting news. We hope everyone else is happy and healthy. Now, "wealthy"--that's another issue with the world economy in such an uproar and the stock market in chaos. Oh well, c'est la vie.

Take care,
Phyllis and Lew