Now What?

He had a daughter who was a physician.  In a conversation with her mother (his wife), she said "you must not let anyone operate on him."  

Because that could mean any number of things, he asked her during a visit to the beach what she had meant.  Did she mean she didn't like the local doctors and hospitals and wanted him to go to Houston for his next surgery?

Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple.  She meant his chances of recovering from surgery with good quality of life had a very low probability.  

Her thoughts were: 
1. He had big time problems with low blood pressure last time and probably would again. 
2. Diabetes has left his tissues very weak. She compared them to wet Kleenex and said that sewing wet Kleenex doesn't work.  And, that the reason he had a gaping wound last time was because of this problem. 
3. She thought he had so many antigens in his blood now that he couldn't count on there being enough blood if something goes wrong in surgery. 
4. Last time he was in near Kidney failure.  He should expect that again.  And he might wind up on dialysis.
5. He has short bowel symptoms now.  If more of his small bowel is removed, he will have problems with dehydration because he would not be absorbing enough liquids.  He might be forced to drink Ensure for nourishment because it passes through the gut the slowest or be hooked up every night for TPN.  And he would experience much more problem with diarrhea probably to the extent that he would be home bound. 
6. The possibility of an infection taking him out is high.     

He asked her what would happen if he had the oblation  procedure.  She said she thought poking a hole in his bowel trying to reach the nodules was a bad idea.  The weak tissue healing problems and the possibility for a puncture becoming infected leaving him in the same messed up bowel situation that he had last time.  Therefore not a good idea 

She said he could fight the cancer and probably have these results which would limit the quality of life or he could decide to make the most of the time I have left and do nothing. 

He asked, "What do we do if it metastasizes to my Liver or Lung."  She said to ask his oncologist.

He thought Holy Shit!

Free Fall by Robert Crais

Today I read Free Fall by Robert Crais.

#4 in the Elvis Cole PI series.  Elvis Cole is hired by a young woman to find out what is going on with her fiancé. Mark Thurman is an LA cop and she thinks he’s in some sort of trouble. When Thurman himself shows up in Elvis’ office and basically says ‘go away I’m involved with another woman’, Elvis figures his work is done. Jennifer Sheridan, however refuses to believe it and convinces Elvis to keep digging.

And the madness is on!  A good read.

Savage Run by C. J. Box

Today I read Savage Run by C. J. Box.

Laconic Joe Pickett returns to his slightly offbeat duties in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains in C. J. Box's Savage Run. Joe is called to the scene when an exploding cow kills a famous ecoterrorist, Stewie Woods, and his bride of three days, who were peacefully spiking trees. A visit to the cow's pugnacious owner leaves Joe defensive, angry, and curious: Why doesn't the rancher ask any questions about the bizarre accident that happened on his land? Then Joe's wife, Marybeth, begins receiving phone calls from her high-school boyfriend—-the peculiarly healthy-sounding Stewie Woods. Stewie may or may not be alive, but his old pal Hayden Powell and other environmental activists are all turning up deceased in strange circumstances. As the body count climbs, Joe tries to sort out the bad guys, the good guys, and the truly dead guys in this sometimes funny, sometimes angry sequel to Box's award-winning first novel, Open Season. Box depicts the spare beauty and cussed individualism of the inter-mountain West with the sure hand of a seasoned writer. --Barrie Trinkle

Joe Pickett is still my favorite game warden.

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly

Today I read The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly.

• Mickey Haller (the Lincoln Lawyer) has fallen on tough times. He expands his business into foreclosure defense, only to see one of his clients accused of killing the banker she blames for trying to take away her home. Mickey puts his team into high gear to exonerate Lisa Trammel, even though the evidence and his own suspicions tell him his client is guilty. Soon after he learns that the victim had black market dealings of his own, Haller is assaulted, too, and he's certain he's on the right trail.

A fun read if you are a Connelly fan.  I am.

Just One Look by Harlan Coben

Today I read Just One Look by Harlan Coben.

An ordinary snapshot causes a mother’s world to unravel in an instant. After picking up her two young children from school, Grace Lawson looks through a newly developed set of photographs. She finds an odd one in the pack: a mysterious picture from perhaps twenty years ago, showing four strangers she can’t identify. But there is one face she recognizes—that of her husband, from before she knew him. When her husband sees the photo that night, he leaves their home and drives off without explanation. She doesn’t know where he’s going, or why he’s leaving. Or if he’s ever coming back. Nor does she realize how dangerous the search for him will be. Because there are others interested in both her husband’s past and that photo, including Eric Wu: a fierce, silent killer who will not be stopped from finding his quarry, no matter who or what stands in his way.

Her world turned upside down, filled with doubts about her herself and marriage, Grace must confront the dark corners of her own tragic past she struggles to learn the truth, find her husband, and save her family. ~ GoodReads

Hang on for a twisty ride.  Coben will suprise you.

Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais

Today I read Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais.

Max Holman knew the two minute rule: Get in, get the cash, and get out. But two minutes can be a lifetime. . . . In one moment of weakness he botched a bank job and was sent away for years. Now released from prison, Max wants to reconcile with his estranged son, an L.A. cop. Instead he receives the devastating news that his son's been gunned down in cold blood. To uncover the truth about the killing, Max aligns with Katherine Pollard, the ex-FBI agent who put him away -- in a father's search for justice and revenge. ~ Goodreads

Crais at his best.  And that's really good.

Worth Dying For by Lee Child

Today I finished reading Worth Dying For by Lee Child.  I'm sure I'll have a hard time telling you what the plot was about in six months.  Maybe even two months.  But who cares.  This is Reacher.  I love him.