I returned to the hospital this morning to find my mother feeling quite well and in good spirits. Her surgeon felt that she had tolerated the procedure well and could be released. We made our escape by early afternoon and joined her sister, Maruja, for a late lunch. My mom will stay with her sister and brother-in-law for at least a week at which time she needs to check in with her doctor again for the all clear.  They live just minutes from the hospital on the shore of Little Neck Bay.