"Going home IS rehab!"

Dear Family and Friends,

Very briefly, because I'm going right to bed in order to be at the hospital early again in the morning.

Our meeting with Dr. Blazier, the head Anesthesiologist we've been waiting for, couldn't have gone better. He looked surprised when he saw Francis and told him he was "pleased how well you look!" He had expected him to be "slugging along."

We talked technical stuff about the PCA and the fentanyl patch, AND, briefly about the "TENS unit" Francis will also be getting for pain control.

His best line came just as he left when I told him that some people thought Francis might want to go to a rehab facility. I was alluding specifically to Francis own primary care doctor who said this morning that since Francis MIGHT want to go for a week of rehab since he is now at the end of radiation (1 more tomorrow) -- and here Dr. Katz traced in the air the bottom of a hill which Francis is about to climb out of and up to the other hill, where, he said, he'd feel much much better in a week to a week and a half.

But Dr. Blazier said: "Going home IS rehab! Go home and do some things!" he added. That did it for Francis! He had felt a bit fearful earlier in the morning, -- afraid of burdening me, -- but we had cleared up those fears with my assuring him I wouldn't be alone. There'll be VNA services, and "lotsahelpinghands!"

So now he's clear he wants to come home "and do some things!" Barring some unusual development, -- it'll happen tomorrow or Wednesday.

Elaine