Cynthia, Jan Hermans

Cynthia has had her spinal fusion surgery @ Duke on 5/31. She came home quite soon and recovered rapidly. She soon was able to most everything, although suffering pain in her back and abdomen because of the stretching: she is 3 inches taller than before the surgery, as well as standing much straighter.  But last week she went back to Duke hospital for another surgery, for a large hernia. This led to an unexpectedly long stay in the hospital due to bowel and stomach problems. It looks as if she can come home tomorrow (Tuesday July 18).

Jan has had his  surgery for pancreatic cancer @ UNC on 6/2, and is in slow but steady recovery. The idea is to heal, gain strength, and eventually some weight, spending 15  hours being fed canned nourishment through a tube in his side, and each day upping the intake of real food by mouth.

Meanwhile poor little Garbo hurt her back somehow when Cynthia was in the hospital and Jan in bed. On Sunday morning she was a pitiful sight, crawling on the floor with paralyzed rear legs. Today (Monday) she was operated (in Cary) to remove herniated material. The one positive is that she still had sensation in her toes before the surgery.


updated Monday July 17