As Terry was told by the lead surgeon, this will be more like a marathon than a sprint, so we are preparing for a very long road to a full recovery--much of the extra time and effort due to the infection that surfaced during the surgery.
We met with Dr. Roser today and he is pleased with the healing progress in my mouth. We see him again a week from tomorrow. If all is still going well, the nasal feeding tube can come out and I can start eating orally. Still a long ways from enjoying green chili cheeseburgers, but it would be a start.
The home care schedule is brutal on me and Terry. Just the IV antibiotics take 9 hours a day--three, 3-hour sets, starting at 4:30 am and ending around 11 PM. In between are meds, feedings, cleanings, etc. It is consuming us right now but we hope to get some relief by having an extra IV line available tomorrow--that will cut the 9 hours down to about 5--a huge difference.
I am out of the walking boot and using adjustable sandals for my swollen left foot. It is swollen from that calf being the donor site for the new jaw tissue. Once that foot and ankle gets down to a size that can fit my running shoes, I'll start getting ready to walk the Peachtree 10K. Right now my walking distance is limited to short walks around the cul-de-sac, with no inclines allowed.
Two GSU colleagues and my three doctoral students have offered to walk the Peachtree with me on July 4th. Consider this an invitation to any locals to join us at the back of the long pack that day. It will be strictly walking--no way I'll be able to run it by then. So, let me know if you want to join us--I'll buy the "coldest beer ever" after the walk.
In the meantime, keep the Good Vibes going that progress keeps getting made, even if much slower than first estimated.
Mike
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