The rest of the story from 25 Feb that I should have written sooner.
The procedure of 25 Feb was the most painful episode in my whole cancer journey. It seems that the skin and blood vessels on my right arm are very tough. At least, that was the conclusion of the two nurses who after numerous attempts in two spots were finally able to get the IV in. I was literally groaning as I clutched onto the bed rails. Karen got up and came to the bed and rubbed my feet because she saw how much pain I was enduring. Afterwards I thought about just how merciful God has been to me through all this. Many dealing with their cancers are suffering so much more and for much longer then I did during my IV difficulty. I am certainly extremely fortunate.
After the IV, everything went smoothly and successfully. I met with the surgeon and told him over a hundred people were praying for him and we chatted about that a bit. We had an exciting ride on the gurney through crowded halls. Once I reached the operating room, I was asleep until I woke up in the room where it all started, and Karen was by my side. The aftereffects of anesthesia were minimal, and I was soon able to walk gently and slowly out to the car and go home.