Good evening!  I just returned from 14 hours at San Ramon Regional
Medical Center.  When Dr. Taylor came to get me in the waiting room at
12:30 this afternoon, the big smile on his face was a very welcome
sight.  The LRP went exactly as expected; the prostate, along with
Don's right nodes and right nerve were removed and the left nodes and
nerve were left intact.  Dr. Taylor said that everything looked nice
and clean, but of course we won't be 100% certain until we get the
path report and the regular PSA tests.  Don is as hungry as a bear,
but he's limited to ice chips until tomorrow morning when they start
him on a soft, clear diet.  He said he'd much rather have a T-bone
steak.  At lunch he'll be given pudding and ice cream and if he
tolerates them well he gets to go home tomorrow afternoon.

When I left him this evening he was watching Monday Night Football and
upset with the Raiders for their poor performance.  When asked about
his pain level he said it was a "one" but he was using the morphine
button every hour and a half just to make certain that he keeps on top
of the possible pain (doctor's and nurses' recommendation).  One of
the first things he told me when he was wheeled to his room from the
recovery room was that he had to "pee really bad"!  He has two drains
on his right side, he's been shaved from the middle of his chest to a
bit past his groin (all of that lovely red hair!), and of course his
friend for the next week, Mr. Foley, and those lovely white pressure
hose.

This journey would have been much more difficult and frightening
without the support of all of you.  I pray for the day that we no
longer have to admit members to this group.

Linda Smith