My Community

I wrote a letter to the local paper about a year ago about a community effort to facilitate the recovery of a dear friend.  I was so warmed by the instant outpouring of expertise, facility, labor and love that I suggested everyone should have such a network.  Never in my wildest dreams did I expect I would warrant one.  I am gob smacked. After two days of a miserable head cold I answered the front door about 8:15AM to find my front yard crowded with cheering friends, human and canine.  It was an impromptu flash mob brought on by my not going to the “bench” this morning.  It was supposed to happen there at the bakery.   As I stumbled down the walk I saw the crowd was spilling down the street.  There were so many faces watching me turn scarlet with embarrassment.  There was a loudspeaker aided presentation by several of the primary instigators and a lovely young woman from a local bank informing me that in addition to the big white present in my yard I was also aided with an emergency fund [with an astonishing balance] which resides at her bank.  The crowd parted to give me a full view of the “present.”   I am now the owner of a fine automobile capable of taking me to and from the SFVA with no worries.  My auto guru, on last inspecting my Beemer suggested it might not be wise to take it on long drives.  It was getting old [20 car years is 80 in human years] and as he could not find anything specifically wrong he advised caution.  My community knew I was in the market for a new one and had my eye on one in particular.  This effort had been going on for some time and I am surprised I did not see the behind-the-scenes shenanigans at all.  I was anxious about getting the car but didn’t want to push.  I can’t believe that over 200 people [many close friends that I see almost daily and others I see at least frequently] could keep this effort a secret from me.  “Ask Mikey; he knows everything that goes on in Healdsburg.” I am venturing out this morning, feeling that the worst of this bug is over and will see many of these wonderful friends again, in the usual surroundings.  But I will see them in a much brighter light as caregivers, supporters, guardians, providers, philanthropists, advisors, and advocates.  They are everything that friends can be and what a community should be.  Thank you all; I am so deeply moved.

Oh, yes; hand-written thank yous will follow soon.  

Breakfast in the Outer Richmond

I finally had breakfast in the Outer Richmond.  Joe’s seems to be the only venue and I was not impressed.  The reviews I read on Yelp did not hold up.  It’s a small greasy spoon with about 6 tables and a counter.  It sits maybe 20.  Piled everywhere are bags and boxes of their offerings, all pre-mixed bulk.  I had corned beef hash, two eggs and hash browns.  It wasn’t so bad but it’s so plain.  The elderly couple running the place made no eye contact and barley spoke.  He cooked and she took orders.   It is next door to Paul’s Hat Works, which was announcing the imminent opening of an additional location at Wingtip [550 Montgomery].  They had one of their Panama Top Hats in the window.  Very handsome.  

I got to the VA by 8 and was seated in the Salon by 8:30.  My meds were started by nine and I was finished a little before 2.  No Traffic!  Yay!

My next visit is the 1^st and involves the “atomic” juice PET Scan. Then I have an appointment with Dr. Mannis on the 9^th [with a stop at the Lad for blood work] when we will discuss the results of the scan.  I will then continue on to SFO for a PM pick up.  I return on the 10^th for 2 days of chemo.  That is repeated again in November on the 6^th and 7^th.  That may be it for a while.  I hope so.  I found I was quite tired when I got home yesterday.  After retrieving Ziggy and Charlie from King’s Kastle we fell asleep and slept through many phone calls all of which I will return today.       

No nausea! The picture of health.

Wednesday morning at my brother’s house in Oakland started with a nice fresh cup of coffee and kisses [and white dogs hairs all over my black clothes] from Emma.  I don’t think I will ever plan on what to wear.  I get up and my style demon says “Black!”  I have a reputation [ask the Walters] of wearing a white shirt whenever we have ribs or something with marinara sauce… anything that can stain.  I am feeling quite normal today, even after some indulgence last night.  Two dear friends from long ago came over for pizza and reminiscences.  Our dinner was accented with several wines and artisanal brews and capped with a little moonshine [ARK: the gift that keeps on giving].

My appointment with Dr. Mannis was very upbeat and encouraging.   My blood-work  was everything he’d hoped for and we discussed the remaining protocol.  I have a PET scan on the 1^st of October that, he feels, will show that the bulky disease in my abdomen is virtually invisible [I suspect there will still be some but I am stoked] and the others will have gone the way of the neck lump.  I forgot to ask about my spleen. Next time.

The treatment was the same and I slept through it all.  My next session is 10/11 October and then 6/7 November.  That may be it for some time!  If all goes as planned then I will be screened in 4 to 6 weeks spacing further apart as will allow to keep track of any recurrence.  More tomorrow.