Today we didn’t have to be any particular place at any particular time. What a luxury! We slept a little late, lazed over coffee and the newspapers for much of the morning, and went out to lunch with my aunt. After lunch, my sister Melanie and her boys, Max (29 mo.) and Reed (4 mo.), came over and stayed until about an hour ago. While I’m feeling less stressed than at the end of the past three days, I’m almost as tired. It’s amazing that one small boy can wear out five adults in just one afternoon. Max’s favorite word (uttered at high pitch/volume after an adult has done something that is both fun for Max and stressful to said adult’s body): AGAIN! It is good to feel tired physically, rather than – no, make that as well as – emotionally.

Late this afternoon Dr. Weber called with the recommendation from the head and neck conference. The Official Word: MD Anderson recommends surgery. They can’t give Paul a large enough dose of radiation to feel confident of its being curative. After saying to contact him if there was anything else MD Anderson could do for us, Dr. Weber’s parting words to Paul were, “Dr. Futran will do a good job.”

(If I thought that Dr. Weber was given to superlatives, his use of the word “good” would give me pause. As his style is measured, his comment made us feel comfortable with Paul’s decision to have the surgery in Seattle.)

Tomorrow we have another full day of hanging out with friends and family. I’d better rest up.