Monday brings progress

Yulan San, Bob Ingram and the two of us at the castle ruins in historic Valkenburg, just outside Maastricht in summer 2006.

Another good day for Martijn. He drank one cup of bullion very slowly and produced his first "bagged bowel movement" - an important accomplishment heralded by his medical team! We had his massive sand bed shifted so that he could face the television, a service that we began today as well. Also, they constructed an apparatus over his bed with a hanging metal triangle so that mercifully he can lift himself ocassionally providing moments of relief from the flat on his back position. And, they took him off the oxygen and clamped the stomach tube. However, they left both tubes in, just to be sure he's on his way with lung capacity and eating, respectively. His wounds continue to drain properly, so such as it is, Martijn is making progress.

Spending the early morning and afternoon hours alone together was almost cozy. When mother, Marcel and his youngest brother Noel arrived, I felt cramped, and actually a bit uncomfortable. It felt too busy. I sense that Martijn needs more quiet and we agreed that tomorrow we'll make a better plan about who comes at what time.

There was a little break tonight. Our friend Frank visited Martijn at the end of the afternoon bringing nice books on cd and we left together to have a little dinner out. A moment of normalcy in a sea of abnormal.

My stress peaked today - a visual migrane and extreme intestinal disruption lowered my energy level significantly. Thankfully I have a shiatsu sheduled for tomrrow as well as a trip to the cancer support organization here, the Toen Hermans Huis, that my dear friend Ursula scheduled and will accompany me.

This week brings the removal of the epidural which they delayed until tomorrow and the pathology results from the tumor on Thursday. My brother-in-law, Jan, will return to be with me for that momentous moment. I hope for a good night's sleep for both of us and each of you. Sweet dreams, Suze