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Still no word today (October 3) on when Mayumi will be discharged from the hospital, but her body appears to be almost ready. Her surgeon stopped by to tell her the results of her pathology report: following her surgery, there is no sign of cancer anywhere in her body; she is cancer free! More good news came from the radiologist, whose x-ray examination of her reconstructed esophagas this morning detected no problems at all. A speech pathologist also stopped by her room, and observed Mayumi as she was asked to drink a sip of water and eat a small bite of pudding. Mayumi had no problem swallowing either of these items. The swelling in her hands and legs has also disappeared. As for the water in her lungs, the surgeon has decided to monitor this condition for now, to see if it will clear up on its own.

Reflecting on all that has happened over the past eight days, Mayumi is profoundly grateful that each stage of her surgery and recovery has gone so smoothly. She is convinced that the energy and strength that she has maintained throughout this experience is due to the thoughts and prayers that she has received from so many friends and family.