Physically Mary is making constant progress that I don't get a chance to observe, but she is walking a lot faster - still with the aid of the walker.  Friday we drove to Mira Mesa for a threading appointment and Mary negotiated a construction zone  without problem.  On the way home, we stopped at Red Lobster for dinner, but the food still does not taste right. This is Mary's other problem.  Food does not taste right and she does not like to eat meat. This is a recent change, something that has occurred since we got home.  At first I thought it was just my cooking.

Mary still does not feel like sitting down at the computer or talking on the phone - too tiring.  All in good time.
 

I will write more as soon as we have some closure on the operation. Probably Monday or Tuesday.

I left off the most important part.  Mary walked into the ER under her own power without the aid of a walker.  She had walked to the mailbox and was ready to begin taking longer walks around the neighborhood.  She had said that the pain was less if she was exercising.

 

Yesterday we went to the oncologist for another (possible) round of chemotherapy.  The oncologist decided it would be best to hold off with the chemotherapy until the staph infection is under control.  As I understand it, the radiation is having it's effect here also as the circulation in the area radiated is not as good as it should be and therefore the antibiotics have trouble doing their job.

When Mary wakes up she is alert and moves without the aid of the walker. She still has pain in the left leg (which was the one most affected by the compressed disk in January,) but the pain lessens after she has walked a little.  She still tires easily and we have trouble identifying when she should stop as to not have more problems as the day progresses.  She has still not sat at the computer and her e-mail is at 199 unread messages.  I read many (that look like simple messages) and pass on the information, and re mark them as unread so she will see them again when she feels more like writing people.  If she returns an e-mail please make your response short as I don't know how long she will be able to sit at the computer.
 

The oncologist decided to withhold the chemotherapy in order to give the antibiotics another month to do their thing.  They did give Mary the bone hardening therapy (zometa.)

Mary is beginning to look at her e-mail and hopefully will respond to your kind wishes as soon as she can.  She still tires easily and I try to make sure she does not overextend herself.
 

We went to Balboa Park to see the House of Colombia presentation and Mary spent an hour and a half there talking with some old friends and watching the program.  On the way home we stopped at a mexican food place and Mary ate a small chicken soup and half of a taco.  She had no problem with the food.  Hopefully this is a good sign.

Mary is still fighting overall tiredness and dizziness, especially early in the morning. We went to an afternoon movie last Friday, and she felt tired after it was over.  She is eating more types of food, but does not like meat.  She is still eating only small amounts of food.

Mary is beginning her third day of chemotherapy after almost three months of no therapy due to the need to eradicate the staph infection she had apparently had ever since her stay in the hospital after radiation.

She is still feeling pain and weakness on the left side of her body and has just been approved for therapy to see if that will help.  Therapy will be three times a week for (hopefully) six weeks.