GOING HOME!

I finished bag number 4 at 12:30 pm, and at 2:30 the doctor was satisfied enough with my progress that he's sending me home today. Time to pack the bags.

Just like Maxwell House, good to the last drop. Chemo bag 4 of 4 is down to the last few drops.

Nurse Marcia removes the chemo line. No longer tethered to a pole.



Goodbye, PICC line.

My daughter Christina and her husband Jon stopped by this morning.



And my brother Bruce was here for the good news.

Bags are packed . . .

 . . . Now I'm just waiting for the discharge papers to be done. Then...freedom, baby!

Four of Four

Thursday was a busy and tiring day, with friends dropping by and nurses taking vitals for what seemed like every 15 minutes.  Ha.  So I thought I would just consolidate Thursday and Friday's developments into one update here, along with a few new photos. The doctor is pleased with my progress so far. I've been able to escape each day for a 10-minute sit on the outdoor patio. And with this nice weather this week, it's been nice to sit in the sun. I'm walking the floor several times a day talking with the nurses and aides and trying to stay out of trouble. Overall, I am feeling pretty good, just a little tired, but the doctors said that was to be expected anyway.  

I've tried to get pictures of my visitors and include them in these updates, but sometimes they get away before we get a chance to snap a photo. I appreciate all my friends and visitors who have stopped in. Most of all, THANK YOU for your continued thoughts and prayers. They are invaluable and much appreciated!!

Melanie Wood, stopping by to make sure I'm still listening to my Spanish music and memorizing it for the Cuban National Choir program on July 1!!!

Fraternity brother Jack Martin, no doubt wondering if I was going to share my pumpkin pie that they brought for lunchtime dessert.

Holding court. Too bad it's not the tennis court.

Another in a long line of investment advisor friends who've brightened my day . . . Shaun Chelf of Hilliard Lyons. A great friend and fierce competitor.

Michael, a very competent and friendly aide here on the 3rd floor is from Cuba. He will help me with some of these tough Spanish translations and dialect for our Cuban National Choir program at Southeast Christian on July 1. He and his wife are bringing their children to the concert and are excited to be going. 

Friday

It's Friday May 8, and I'm just chilling on the blanket Christina and Ashley made for me.

The nice flowers were sent by my mom . . . Thank you, Mom!!
And my favorite hat from my favorite South Carolina tennis facility, The Litchfield Racquet Club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

Nurse Julie starts the fourth bag of chemo cocktail. Just 24 more hours of being tethered, and then freedom, baby!

Tennis buddy and St. Louis Cardinal fan extraordinaire, Ed Farmer.

Day 3

No side effects whatsoever yet. Resting in between visitors now. Enjoying the park view but wishing I could be out on the boat or on the golf course enjoying this nice weather. I got a taste of it for 7 minutes today when the doctor gave me a hall pass between chemo bags.

1st bag of chemo is done.  Wish it could be a"one and done," but not to be!

Hello, bag 2 of 4

Checking messages back at the office...

Visitors

Business partners Brian and Linda Marcukaitis

Tennis ace and PI attorney extraordinaire Nick Stein







Jessica . . . the cutest and sweetest aide I've ever met . . .

P.S., guys - She's single too

Fellow Southeast member and Masters Men baritone, Zach Coblens.

Zach is a bass-section wannabe because he's known what I've know for years and that is that the bass section is the FUN section!

Let the Chemo Begin

Sarah starts the first of four twenty-four-hour drips

Still feeling great. Enjoyed a lot of visitors, take out food, and M&Ms

Visitors

Corky Klingenfus, Minister of Pastoral Care at Southeast Christian Church

My brother Keith, long-time tennis friend, E.C. Thirlwell and me

SAGA Corp. CEO Steve Aronson and me

My fellow investment team members Angie Kelly and Scot Hutcheson

Kosair PICU nurse and oldest daughter Christina

Youngest daughter and soon-to-be bride Ashley

A thorn between two roses

Ski aficionado and oldest child Brandon

Christina, Ashley, and Keith trying to teach my 85-year-old mother how to text or respond to my medical updates

Catching up on Facebook

I'd rather be fishing

Note: I am in the Park Tower, behind Baptist on the far east side of their campus. If you come to visit, turn onto the road immediately adjacent to Brown Park, which my room overlooks. The best place to park is the garage down that road just a bit and on the right. Parking is free. I'm in room 386.

Comments! Please leave comments below!

Check-in at Baptist Hyatt

The CBC group

Chillin' at Dr. Zhong's office: 7:45 am

Where's my latte?

Information and risk assessments on each chemo drug.
And I thought stock and mutual fund prospectuses were chock full of legal mumbo jumbo . . . HA!!

Getting the PICC line

Let the hydration begin! Next up: chemo starts mid-day Tuesday