Success

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing this evening from the lobby at the UCSF hospital where the United Nations are in session. Seriously talk about a cross section of the world, this is it. Nan is resting in her bed in a place called short stay. While she has pain and the fluids running out of her nephrostomy bags is bright red we are told that the procedure was a total success. Does that mean the fluid or leaking is over? No one can say for sure but at least both ureters have little balloons blocking any flow through them now. There is even an additional tube coming out of Nan's back on each side which goes to the balloons. She won't be jazzed about that for sure. If this does not work they are prepared to go back in and using medical glue try that method of stopping the leak. We arrived on time but waited three hours with Nan sitting in her wheel chair before they took her in. She was sort of tired before even getting to start. We finally got to the room about 6 tonight and they are very nice giving her good care. Typical red tape caught up with us. I brought a bag of TPN from home and kept it on ice last night so we would be ready to feed her this evening. The hospital ran it back and forth and finally decided they could not allow that, even though I have been putting the TPN bag on her for the past 3 months without infection or problem. So the TPN goes back to the car and on ice and tomorrow when she loads into the car we'll hook it up then. Bummer, the nurses fought for her but lost. So after that she did not even bring up the Gleevec and Rapamune, she just took them without a war.

There is no cell signal on her floor so I'm in the lobby sending this message out.

Nan is doing vintage Nan, strong, stoic and very hopeful that this will help her in lots of ways. We expect to leave for home tomorrow between 10 and noon and will have to do an appraisal review on the way home, fortunately it is on the way and won't take a lot of time. We are really looking forward to getting back home and enjoying the fire, seems we have been cold in the hallways, the rooms and even the waiting room was icy today. I didn't get a chance to eat until about 3 after Nan was through with the process, then I headed down and got a plate of vegies at the cafe, good stuff and I was ready. They found some vege soup for Nan this evening and she is watching TV and sleeping, mostly sleeping.

How can we ever thank you for your loving kindness and prayers for Nan? We thank you each and every one. We especially want to thank Brad and Kathy for letting us stay at their home last night and tonight for me, its only about 30 blocks away and helps so very much.

We were so glad to hear that Roger and Carol are back from the mission field and all that warm weather, back to their home and work work work. We ask that you pray for Irene as she has a CT scan tomorrow at 11. For those of you who face these all the time they can be very scary.

Well I'm signing off and going back to sit with Nan for awhile and then to Brad and Kathy's for rest. We are thankful for the success of this day and the fact that Nan handled the procedure well. We send our love first to our precious Children and Keanna, then the larger family and then our friends and fellow GISTers. Life is precious, treasure it, embrace it and enjoy people, love people, touch people, listen to people, care for people.

Sending our love,

tim and nan