Thanks for all the tips and encouragement. It's only five days away and counting! And, William, I'll remember to lay off the diet Pepsis for a while, thanks! Well, I survived my first day back to work yesterday. I've been a Bell Captain for 21 years, managing a crew of about 36 (downsized from 60+). I gotta say, the company I work for, Bally's Las Vegas, has been AWESOME through this. Not only did they hold my job for me for 8 months, they paid all of my insurance premiums so I wouldn't lose coverage. Now that I'm back, they're letting me work a day, take a day off, work a day, take a day off until I get my feet under me. Returning to work and getting the feeding tube removed marks the final steps for my transition from "patient" to "Survivor". I swear, it feels like Graduation Day. There were times through this when I felt I couldn't take any more of it, and was very close to giving up. But, my wife Diane, and my friends in this forum wouldn't let me just lay down and die. So, to all of you, thank you. You quite literally helped to save my Life. And to those just beginning to fight, know this: It CAN be beat. It WILL be rough. And the reward is SO worth the fight.
Love and thanks to all.