Update from Tom - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2009 11:43 AM, CST

[Guest guest]

had another long visit at town. Everything remains positive overall. I'm still anemic, so they increased the dose of Aranesp and put me on a 12-week course of treatment, so my hopes of cutting the weekly visits to the hospital will need to be delayed.

We also talked about the pain issue. While pain during the healing process can be extended, they did an ultrasound anyway to rule out anything serious. The results were nothing but good news. The leaks are gone, the liver is the proper size, and there is nothing suspicious that demands further study.

I am going to shift pain meds from Percocet to Ultram. It's a longer lasting drug that should be as effective as Percocet, but without the roller coaster of pain relief followed by bouts of discomfort.Finally, I gained a pound this week! For me, that's a big victory. One down, nine to go by April.

Tom

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