Home at last!

True to our past experiences at Strong, one discipline does not communicate clearly (or at all) to another! The docs were all ready to release him on Wednesday - we're all packed up and smiling only to have the nutritionist put the skids on his release...frustrating to say the least. While I don't believe that she did anything in the subseqent 24 hours (except annoy Joe and I), we finally sprung him Thursday at 1:30. I wisked him from Strong to Rochester General where we met with Dr. Riggs, a vascular surgeon. He took a look and listen and determined that he wants to see the lymph system in action, therefore he scheduled Joe for a lymph angiogram on May 11th. After seeing the results of this, they will schedule him for insertion of the Denver Shunt. Joe is a good candidate for this procedure and the docs believe will solve his issues.

They have him back on a low fat diet along with his nightly TPN, he's slowly being reintroduced to food - with a small belly it's been a slow process. Eating along with the TPN is generating a lot more chlyous ascites fluid, so we're draining at least 2 liters a night.

He will see Dr. Kohli on the 10th for an oncologist visit, the 11th is the lymph angiogram, and he has an MRI on the 14th (Yes, Sunday!) to determine what the extent of cancer is on his right shoulder bone.

He is still weak but feeling better and happier to be home than in the hospital. Thanks for all the cards and letters - - he is bummed as he will not be reffing the Empire Cup this weekend - but Tom will be playing so hopefully he will feel well enough to come and watch him play - and WIN! :-)