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I arrived at the hospital a little before 9:00AM. Renee was sitting up in her chair looking fairly cheery. I told her about all the great comments on the blog. Thanks for reading and sending us these notes. Renee may be able to read them starting tomorrow. There are computers at the end of the hall so hopefully it's a little incentive to get her up and moving. Not that she's not motivated on her own.

She did get up and walk four times today, each time a little further. The last time she made a full circuit around the nurses station. We're on our way. Pain level she said was down to 4.

We got a visit from the local Rabbi today. He gave me the code to the Kosher Pantry on site. Generous donors have stocked a small kitchenette with all sorts of goodies for patients and families of those of the Jewish faith. Later two volunteers from the Pantry stopped by to say hello. Very nice! They saved me from buying lunch. It looks like we're going to be making at least two more trips to Cleveland so I'm going to be pinching pennies. So I send hearty thanks to those who provide this resource, even to a Catholic boy.

The surgeon visited again today and seemed pretty happy with Renee's progress. He was impressed with her ability to work on the breath machine. He's saying five to six days in hospital, which means travel back to Kentucky maybe Sunday or Monday. He started her on a liquid diet. Now she gets a little more than ice chips - broth, tea, jello. So she's back on the same diet she was on before surgery. With luck we'll have her on mashed potatoes before Sunday.

Gross update - turn away if queazy - Catheter came out today. Urges to go but no luck so catheter went back. Bag also started working and needed to be cleaned while I was there. Luckily it was well before lunch because I lost my appetite for a while. The regular bags will be disposable so the mechanics of cleaning and changing will be a little different. I think tomorrow the Stoma Nurse starts the lessons. They are also setting up a visiting nurse to come to the house at the beginning to make sure Renee knows what she's doing. She'll be a pro at it in no time.

Now we just need to work to make sure she is well enough to travel home.