The drain has been gone for 11 days and I sure am energized by the freedom. There is no way to check the amylase leak now except to keep an eye on my symptoms. But all signs are very good that I continue healing, praise God! 

My next checkin with the surgeon is Friday (by phone). My next abdominal CT is August 10th. I appreciate prayers for continued healing without complication.

Last week we took advantage of my new flexibility. I hitched a ride with Larry on his work trip to Springfield, Missouri and then stole away in his car for 4 days with my parents who now live near Branson. Oh what fun it was to watch their jaws drop in shock when I walked in the door on Monday asking what was for lunch!

My parents moved to Table Rock Lake in Missouri last year, just one mile from my sister and brother-in-law's lake home. I hadn't seen mom and dad since Thanksgiving. Amazingly, with only 48 hours notice, Carly's incredible staff added overnights and a couple of other unexpected shifts so I could steal away for the visit while Larry worked in the city all week. 

As you might imagine, giving hugs and catching up without a FaceTime screen was very comforting for everyone. With me recovering and my mom still healing from a broken humerus (February), it's been extra hard for all of us being apart. We enjoyed meals (e.g., dad's lamb chops), table games, a couple of projects and a beautiful afternoon boat ride with my sister. My folks are greatly enjoying their home and mom is healing. She raves about his spectacular care for her in recovery and I can certainly verify that. The man rarely sits down and jumps to most every request. 

Unfortunately, Larry hit a health roadbump along the way. Long hours in the car and long workdays on top of the treadmill he's been running here at home took their toll. He struggled with sinus pain and low fever all week away then arrived home for the Father's Day weekend with extreme fatigue, high fever and leg pain. After a few hours in urgent care Sunday, he was given antibiotics for cellulitis in his leg and a sinus infection. We're grateful  he's on the mend at home. 

I can't wrap this up without sharing a very funny and heartwarming story about Carly. She went on a wild outing yesterday afternoon with her long-time friend Emily and another dear friend Katie. Get ready for this...Carly went with her friends to a TATOO PARLOR!

Not in a million years did I ever imagine typing that sentence.

For about 5 years, Emily has been dreaming about getting inked with Carly's signature (a "C") and asked my permission a couple years ago. Emily started working with Carly at 16 years old and is now a Physicians Assistant in Mesa, AZ. She's back in Minneapolis this week for a visit with family and decided it was time to bear (literally) a statement of her friendship with Carly.

At our kitchen table, Carly wrote several C's until Emily was satisfied she had one about the size she wanted. Then off they went, sending me pictures every few minutes of the milestone event. Thinking it only fair and fun, I invited Emily to write her "E" in Sharpie on Carly's ankle. (Sorry, no permanent inking for my girl.) When it was all finished, Carly and Emily even got to clang a gong in celebration. (What's up with that? Even I didn't get to ring a bell when declared cancer free!) 

After they arrived back home, we laughed. We cried. We hugged. Carly is proud, and perhaps even a bit oblivious. But she KNOWS she is LOVED and having a blast with her buds. 

Never could I have imagined Carly would enjoy such rich friendships in her life! Honestly, I limited God and I thought lies about how disability needed to invade parts of Carly’s life that it had no authority in. Friendship and community are gifts from God that every person needs. And I’ve watched awesomely rich friendships blossom around my daughters. 

Larry and I both want everyone to know how blessed we feel. Thank you for being our family's community, friends and prayer warriors.