Update from Tom - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009 02:40 PM, CST

[Guest guest]

Here is the plan:I will have the drain surgically removed on

Thursday morning. It should be a very simple procedure lasting less

than a half hour. With me under general anesthesia, they will make a

small incision at the point of the blockage, and pull the drain from

there. Then, they'll stitch me up and I'll be finished with the great

drain saga.I met with Dr. Fishbein this morning to discuss the

plan and if there was anything he saw that would prevent me from going

home by Friday. He told me that this is the last issue. The coumadin

therapy has thinned my blood almost too well, so they are discontinuing

it until after the procedure tomorrow, and that should bring the

numbers back down into the proper range. Then, I'll be on a lower dose

when I go home.The good doctor did make the mistake of trying

to pull the drain here this morning, which sent me into orbit again

from the pain. My whole belly hurts as a result. I guess he needed to

see for himself that the line was really stuck. Combine that with the

stored fluid in my gut, and I'm still pretty uncomfortable. But,

I've already lost some weight from the diuretics, and they will

increase the dose to accelerate the process. I still look like a cross

between the Michelin Man and the Sta-Puft Marshmallow man, and I can't

wait to start looking like Tom again.Meanwhile, everything else

looks stable. Blood pressure is still good, I'm eating reasonably well,

and the other blood tests look ok.Please keep the prayers and comments coming. I welcome them!Tom

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