One Last "Surgery"

Since his second surgery, Enrique has had what looks like a little pimple right next to his scar. It hasn't gotten better or worse. Once or twice it has bled a little bit.

Just a few minutes ago (after dinner at my parents' house) something popped out of it while Enrique was touching it. It looked like an inch of fishing line.

Enrique was a little freaked out.

We called the surgeon.

The line is part of a suture that normally dissolves inside the body. In this instance, Enrique's body rejected it and pushed it out.

The solution was to cut it flush with the skin.

I was appointed surgeon.

"Nurse, hand me the cotton balls and rubbing alcohol," I said to my mother.

10 second later, with the help of a sterilized toenail clipper, it was gone.

More about the Scan

I want to expand on what my parents posted about Enrique's latest scan last week.

We had gone to the hospital expecting to learn if there was any cancer left in his body.

After 30 minutes in a lying under one-ton scanner, a quarter inch from his nose, he was done. We learned that there wasn't a doctor available to interpret the results. That was frustrating.

In the meantime we were able to see the image taken by the scan on the monitor of the technician. It showed a big glowing patch where Enrique's thryoid used to be.

We both separately came to the conclusion that this was bad - although I tried to convince him it wasn't.

It wasn't until two days later, when we spoke with a doctor by phone, that we learned it was good.

The whole point of the scan was to determine if his body had absorbed the radiation - the glowing patch meant that it had. In 3-6 months they'll do another scan to see if the cancer was killed by the radiation.

Somehow we hadn't understood this from our previous conversations with the doctors. It's hard to know if we were bad listeners or they were bad explainers. But I'm more inclined to give us the benefit of the doubt than I would have four months ago.

Back in the Saddle

Enrique's first day back at work went well. No surprise.

They missed him and he missed them. There were flowers on his desk and lots of hugs to welcome him back.

He was pretty exhausted by the end of the day - but it was the good kind of tired.

First Day at Work

Enrique's doctors allowed him to go back to work today for the first time since the beginning of September.

He still has to take it easy, but he should be a able to work a full day.

I know he's really excited to be back.

Another first: we went back to the gym. I've gained 13 pounds.

A "last" - tomorrow should be our last regularly scheduled appointment with Enrique's beloved surgeon.