Stent went well

Jim had the stent put in yesterday. It was a very successful procedure. In fact, the doctor was running behind so we actually spent more time waiting than Jim spent in surgery! The doctor said it took around 10 minutes. They did not use conscious sedation, they used general anesthesia. Jim was very happy about that. Under general anesthesia there's no chance of waking up. The anesthesiologist came in and spoke to us before the procedure and he really seemed to "get" Jim, so that was a good feeling. They decided to use general anesthesia because Jim cannot lie completely flat. He has to be propped up or he feels that he cannot get enough air in his lungs. So his recovery time was short, the nurses took great care of him, and he wasn't sick in the slightest. Yippee!

Yesterday was a busy day. I went and met with two of the nurses at The Vince who have really guided us through this whole process. I just needed to talk to people who have experience in this whole thing. I felt a lot better after talking to them. They were explaining to me that there are different stages that people go through during this whole process. I sometimes feel like people around me are crying and I'm sitting there like a stone with no emotion at all. It's not that I don't feel it, but sometimes I feel all cried out, or I think it's important to let someone else cry without me bawling, too. And sometimes I'm at peace with everything that is happening. I met with Deb and Stacy until it was time to take Jim to the hospital.

Then the procedure.

Then Rachel and I burned over to the drug store to pick up his new medications that go with the stent and some new test strips - they want me to check his blood sugar twice a day. I had gestational diabetes and I hated checking my blood sugar, but I get the impression that Jim thinks a little finger prick twice a day is the least of his worries.

After we got back from the drug store we hooked up his TPN.

And now I have a confession to make. I went to see The Bourne Ultimatum with three of my girlfriends. I asked Jim if I could go. He knows I've been dying to see it. And he told me that if he feels well enough to go see it soon, I can always go see it again. Amen to that! I haven't asked anyone to go see it with me because in my mind, it's a Date Night movie. I sort of felt embarrassed about asking anyone. My friend Judy asked me if I'd like to go and I jumped at the chance. Her husband volunteered to babysit. Now those are good people. So we invited our friends Amy and Susan and off we went! I told my mother-in-law Janet that I was leaving to get drunk on movie popcorn and Sprite. And that's just what I did.

Let me say this: Jason Bourne does not disappoint. If you're waiting for The Bourne Ultimatum to come out on video, run, don't walk, to the theater and see it on the big screen. It was AMAZING. And I truly felt blessed to have girlfriends that were willing to abdicate their own date nights in favor of seeing a Bourne fan through a potentially lonely experience. I didn't make it home until after midnight. And then Janet and I stayed up and talked until after 1:00! It was worth it. It was an exciting day and it seemed as though things went in our favor.

Jim had a rough night last night - he woke up multiple times. He didn't get much sleep at all. He slept through about 90% of today. Hopefully tonight will be a better night for him and he can recharge his batteries for tomorrow.

One of the Interventional Radiology nurses from Northwestern called me today to check up on Jim. She seemed happy with his progress and that the microspheres haven't completely wiped out his energy level. When I told her that Jim seemed to have some pain relief, she told me that was very possible because the microspheres can actually soften tumors that are pressing on other parts of the body. I was delighted. She also agreed to letting Jim have his scan here and then sending the pictures down to Northwestern if he's not up to the drive. I was happy about that - it's another option and we like to have choices.

We appreciate all the prayers, comments on the blog, cards, letters, and gifts. Thank you so very much for thinking of us and for supporting us through this journey. Even in the face of cancer, we find so many blessings to be thankful for. A friend of mine wrote and said that we should look for small miracles every day. I thought that was a wonderful sentiment - and a good way to go about the next steps in our journey. Lightening doesn't have to strike the house to cure Jim (although I'd take that, too) - perhaps our miracles are occurring, in small ways, and we need to open up to receiving them.