Dina's notes on visit with me during 6th cycle

Liddy, I had such a lovely visit with you. Thanks for having me.

Here are some of the highlights of the afternoon, for your chemo-brain pleasure.

You finished your performance assessment and sent it off to your office. We talked about sex and dryness and pregnancy stuff (I do reproductive health research and have worked in an abortion center, so please ask me if you have other questions and concerns). We played gin and skip-bo (or something like it), and you beat me at both. We talked about Tom and his birthday "party" (with Yurtle the Turtle) and his job and what he can do next. We talked about you redoing your floors, and I'm going to get in touch with my friend Brad for you who just redid his with tongue and groove laminate. We talked about cancer stuff like our comparative hair losses, our reactions to various drugs (chemo generally, decadron, radiation), and compared catheters and treatment centers. You told me about your surgeon at MSK, and why so many people rave about the institution. We talked about you and your doctor working together to get that second opinion from another doctor at MSK and why you're on a doubled dose this time. I looked at some of your Alaska pictures. Lisa (whom you and Tom know from college) spent some time with us. We had lunch (and you finally got on their food delivery radar). We talked about your journal writing (although I forgot to get your site address) and your plans to publish, as well as your plans to go to some kind of memoir-writing workshop at Gilda's on Saturday if you can get Tom to the yoga class. You also invited Lisa over for a cooking class on Saturday (I hope they don't conflict). You told her to check with Tom before she put it in her calendar. We also talked about other reading you're doing such as romances during chemo and medical horror otherwise. Not that it was my fault, but I happened to have been the last one to use the toilet before it overflowed, but I did get the guy in there right away to fix it. We ate some of your chocolate, and you gave me some to take home. I left you the pretzels and m&m's I brought. I also left my playing cards there. We talked about getting together as a 4-some, when Neal's work calms down a bit (it's 10:30 and he's still not home--so much for making the 9:00 Fed-Ex deadline). We talked about your biking and the need to add some weight-bearing exercise to your regimen (I suggested the steps at Columbia's main campus at 116th and B-way as good low, flat steps). You told me the best park near you to bike has 10-mile an hour winds (yikes!). You went tag-saleing with Tom's mom over the weekend and got lots of fun stuff. We talked about the unpleasantness of some of your former roommates, as well as the glamorous time you had on the fancy floor. Your roommate moved out, and you were tended to by a nurse trying to get certified in chemo (who checked, double-checked, and checked everything again). Linda, your regular nurse, told you about a young adult support group that meets Fridays at 11:00am in a room that's not the main lounge (but I have no idea where).

If you remember stuff I forgot, then good for you! As you explained, you do appear extremely lucid and in control.

Keep feeling good (only 2 days to go!!) and, yes, let's certainly make a date soon.

Best, Dina

Copyright © 2003 The Shriver Family: Last modified: 01/06/04.