[BY SUSAN]  It has been a LONG time since we've written anything here.  Once life got somewhat back to normal (the "new normal," the docs call it), I think that this blog became associated with being sick...with all those months of hospitals and clinics and feeding tubes and such.  Neither one of us wanted to go there, even when the news was good (which it has been thus far).

The new normal has been pretty good!  Peter looks great, has gained weight, and rarely misses a day of exercise...lifting weights and/or swimming.  We put a deer fence around the garden and there is a new bush or bench down there every time I come home from work (planted or built by Peter).  He's playing music, singing, and hanging out with friends.  I am working part time and enjoying a great group of new interns, plus the pleasure of working with alumna Tricia Lindley.  Holli and I finished the triathlons we entered back when Peter was in the hospital, and I am keeping on with running and riding (both bikes and horses).  Amanda and Jessie are close by (with Alejandro and Matt), and now we're planning a wedding.  It is a good life.

On October 5th Peter went back to see Dr. Seth Cohen, the otolaryngologist who worked with restoring Peter's voice.  You may recall that in May Peter had some collagen injected into the paralyzed vocal cord to "plump it up" and hopefully restore his voice, which it did.  He had one or two follow-up appointments in which we found that the cord was still paralyzed from the surgery, but the cords were touching, and thus making a voice that still sounded like Peter.

I was not able to accompany Peter to that meeting because of work commitments, so I don't know the details (such as...is the cord still paralyzed?), but the good news is that Dr. Cohen told Peter not to come back!  The collagen would have been completely reabsorbed by now, and they don't expect the voice he has now to deteriorate.  So...Peter can talk and sing.  Good news indeed, and no more interventions needed.

Right now I am writing from Clinic 3-2 in the new Duke Cancer Center, and Peter is down in another wing getting a CT scan.  This is the first scan since the one immediately following surgery.  We delayed it a bit, because we wanted some time for normal life before returning to the ups and downs of scans and decisions.  We asked some hard questions at the last oncology visit, and there isn't much to be lost by waiting a few extra weeks.

The new hospital is nice, and right now the waiting room is sparsely populated...which I take as good news (not as many sick people as they expected?).  I ran a 5 mile run this past Sunday to support this place and don't know how much they raised or what it goes to support.

Well, look for something here in the way of a report this afternoon or evening.  We meet with the surgeon at 12:15 and the oncologist after that.  The oncologist ran in the same race last Sunday, but finished the half-marathon.  I saw her shortly after and she said that she'd wanted to quit on some of the hills, but reminded herself that her patients can't quit, so she kept running.  Her time was pretty good!

Until later, lift up whatever it is you lift up in the way or prayers or petitions.  We'd like more of this new normal, please.