April 27th - Out of ICU, Into Regular Ward

Today is another day. For breakfast, Eileen eats a poached egg and two delicious buns with custard filling, and then cleans her lunch box like she always does before. She is back to being herself, always with good appetite. She needs this for a speedy recovery.

11:00 AM - One hour visitation with family, she recounts her experience of last night. Everything is so tranquil that she feels she is in paradise or a green pasture by the water. “Comfortable” is another word she uses.

She reclines on her bed, semi erect. She voice recovers a lot more and talks more.

She will be transferred to a regular neurosurgical ward at 2:00 pm today, according to Dr. Hsu. The surgery is a successful one since Dr. Hsu and the team do a good job ridding off the solid tumor as whole. A follow-up MRI will confirm this. Yet we’re told this is not a primary brain tumor, rather one infiltrates from other part of her body outside the brain. It’s a malign one for sure. Never a dull moment, Ah-ha!

2:00 PM - Soon she will undergo a battery of tests, first ultrasound, then followed with CT scan when the tumor origin is identified. At the same time, radiation treatment of her brain will be administered soon lest the lesion spreads already, pretty much nipping in the bud The silver lining of this not being primary brain tumor is that there will be more alternative treatments indicating more ammunition to either bludgeon the cancerous cells and/or contain its growth to spread further out inside the body.

6:00 PM - Dr. Hsu stops by Eileen's bed. Told her that he will have her close wound blood drain (引流管）pulled sometimes tomorrow. She will have a thourough ultrasound check about her internal organs to start the hunt for the origin of tumor. Dr. Hsu suspects this tumor may belong to gynacology dept. (婦科) when asked to where his professional hunch would points.

7:00 PM - Ms. Li, our 24 hrs. care aide shows up. She seems to be quite confident what this job involves.  She is about mid-size but strong and well built. She is from 四川，綿陽 and has been in Taiwan for over 8 years now. Eileen tells her that Michael loves Sichuan food.

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When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my sould.


It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
…


And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul.


It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

暴風雨中之避難所

一 主是磐石容我藏躲，
暴風雨中之避難所；
災禍來臨我得穩妥，
暴風雨中之避難所。
二 日間遮蔭，夜間保護，
暴風雨中之避難所；
無事可驚，無敵可怖，
暴風雨中之避難所。
三 狂風暴雨四面來襲，
暴風雨中之避難所；
我們絕不離開蔭蔽，
暴風雨中之避難所。
四 神聖磐石，親密隱處，
暴風雨中之避難所；
一旦有難，作我幫助，
暴風雨中之避難所。
（副）
主耶穌是磐石，我之避難所，
如沙漠地，有蔭涼所；
主耶穌是磐石，我之避難所，
暴風雨中之避難所。