Home, safe and sound

Dear friends and family,

I wanted to title this blog "All's Well That Ends Well," but that seems rather hokey, doesn't it. The biopsy of my lungs was reasonably successful in getting examinable tissue, and the verdict is NOT the horrid BOOP or other conditions that require many months of treatment. What I have seems to be a pneumonia, which people with suppressed immune systems like me can get. It's treatable with an antibiotic, which I got through I.V. from Sunday through today noon, and I will continue this for several days. So that's enough about that: I went from not being able to breathe, to free breathing today. The pneumonia is not gone, so there is still a residual breathlessness.

But I am happy. I lucked out in that we decided because of the snow to change plans and go directly to Glen Head on Sat. evening after a terrific Loves Labors Lost in NYC. That was the good part, because what would we have done if I had had to find some NYC hospital in the middle of the night, especially since all my doctors are at North Shore on LI? Of course with all the snow getting to the ER on Sunday was not easy, and it took the whole day for me to get from a close-by hospital to the ones our doctors use.

What was good: excellent care, totally responsive physicians in all three areas: general med, hematology, pulmonary.

I lucked out in getting a room with a view of a gorgeous stand of trees, mostly bare but with tiny leaves on some branches. These are remnants of the Whitney Estate, evidently. The Whitneys donated money and land for the hospital, and a condition was that a portion of profits be spent on maintaining the remaining Whitney land. Lovely play of light on this dense stand of trees.

The support of family is great. Harvey came as soon as he could, and being a doctor himself, he can communicate well with all the people involved, including the pathologist and radiologist. Lincoln and Dave were around, and Arthur phoned several times a day. I like my Dr. Janus, the pulmonologist, a mother of three girls. Dr. Uppal, from the hematology office, was very warm, helpful, and knowledgeable. My regular hem is on vacation. Our internist and one of his hospital-based doctors came every day, and watched over the whole process.

But enough of that stuff. What am I fantasizing about while I am getting better in the hospital? Greek style string beans, curried potatoes, and spinach pie! That's our main meal for tomorrow for Merwin's birthday. So the 1st thing I did at home was throw a chicken in the oven for the men's supper tonight and begin the process of making those special dishes. I have Harvey helping with slicing and such, and I am taking it easy. The breathing is breathy, but at least I can breathe!

More on other topics soon,

Love to all,
Bernice