I walked out into the kitchen yesterday morning and caught Jim with his fly-fishing scissors trying to cut out his belly staples.  He said knowing how bad it hurt to have the staples taken out of his knee 10+ years ago, he would get a head start on the belly ones.  He only got one out, and only because I caught him mid-stream cutting on it.  The scissors were taken away along with the needle-nose pliers.  Good Lord!

He will head to Billings tomorrow to get all the staples out, a couple scans and a game plan for future surgeries.  Jim's medical oncologist followed up with a call this morning.  Since he left for vacation the day after he gave Jim his prognosis, we still did not have the complete results on all the cultures taken from his organs.  The doctor shared that the lining of his stomach was also Stage 4.  All of Jim's organs are now Stage 4.  He has lost 17 pounds in the last week.  But I am happy to report that I have gained those 17 pounds (or so it feels) from all the stress and sadness.  This too shall pass.