A Lake Wobegon Monday

Mary had, as they say in Lake Wobegon, a pretty good day. Mary finds her strength and appetite is in the first part of the day and tapers off late afternoon and into the evening. She continues to lose the excess water and her bloated limbs are significantly less--darn near normal at times.

Reenie and Mary decided the ostomy bag was not accomplishing anything so they removed it today and replaced it with a simple bandage. That is as the surgeon predicted once she was off the 6,000mg of salt per day and is one more step towards Mary's liver carrying a full load.

The kidney-renal-nefrology doctors called to see Mary on Thursday and Mary'll set the appointment time when she calls back tomorrow. This is called a "routine post-operative visit" being held at the request of the surgeon.

Mary continues to have muscle spasms from time to time that are very uncomfortable. A heat pad and our electric massage tool helps to knock them down but not very quickly.

As for the Lake Wobegon of Prairie Home Companion reference, Garrison Keillor placed his imaginary Lake Wobegon in the very real Stearns County of Minnesota. The very same county where Mary spent four years going to college at the College of St. Benedict about a two hour drive north and a bit west of St. Paul. Her class is having a major reunion at the end of June. If this cholangiocarcinoma had not appeared, we'd probably be there enjoying the visit because it is timed during the very short season (3rd weekend in June) between the last frost and massive summer population of hungry mosquitoes.