Room 505

Good morning and greetings from room 505 at Presbyterian St. Luke's in Denver, Colorado! I am now 48 hours post-op and am thrilled to report that the recovery is going great! I was able to get out of bed yesterday, make 2 laps around the floor, and sit in a chair for almost two hours.

I guess I should back up a bit first. The surgery was a complete success! Dr. Sellers and his team did an amazing job removing my rectum and setting up my stoma. I was so thankful to see all my family in my room when I returned about 2 PM on Monday.

So now it's early Wednesday and I'm ready to make some more steps forward today. I had a great night sleep and feel rested and strong. Dudley will be stopping by this morning as well as Janet for my stoma teaching class. I think I will start weening myself off the morphine today to begin to prepare for my release on Friday or Saturday. More walking, sitting and standing are also in the schedule for today.

I can't stress enough how thankful and encouraging all your support has been. Whether you visited me, called, posted on Facebook, emailed me, prayed or brought meals to the family at home, the team I have around me is simply amazing! That has also been a huge help to my successful recovery. I love you guys! And thanks to Big Andrew for the great balloon. It has been quite a conversation starter for all the people who have been in and out of my room this week.