A daytime blog

Hello All,

I returned to Glen Head last night after spending a long day with darling Bernice. I have a number of things which must get done here but I plan to return today so I can get into the hospital, perhaps early enough for her second procedure. Bernice believes she is feeling no back pain but there may be some masking because they have have continued her daily dose of a single morphine tablet she takes orally. We suppose that the doctors do not want to chance her having any pain prior to the Monday procedure. So, to all appearances, the back operation is a success and we have hopes of a similar result for #2. She is a little shaky on her feet. Harvey thinks it may be due to her brain trauma but we will see how things are after Monday.

Harvey and Sandy arrived for an all day visit yesterday having trained down from New Haven on the Metro North like veteran commuters. The three of us took a break during the afternoon, while Bernice had a rest, and we strolled across 5th Avenue into Central Park to enjoy the glorious day. Temperatures in the mid-70s, low humidity, and abundant sunshine brought out the joggers, bikers, dog walkers, and casual strollers like us. We settled on a grassy knoll and looked back to see the hospital buildings and tried to pick out Bernice's window from which she enjoys the reverse view. Harvey's iPhone (amazing instrument) showed us an aerial view of our location with extreme details including the path we took in the park, the baseball fields we could see, and, of course, the sprawling hospital complex. The hospital portion housing Bernice's room is a handsome 11-storey structure designed by I. M. Pei with soaring atriums that provide almost universal window views for patients. From street level outside I was not really aware of the much higher and larger adjoining Medical School and Laboratory building.

Our very dear friend Vaughan and her daughter Amy, who we knew as a pre-schooler, delighted Bernice with their visit. They are in the city for a short time to "install" Amy's son Peter in NYU for his freshman year. Late in the afternoon our son Lincoln came. In addition to his job as a computer engineer Lincoln has many diverse interests including being an EMT (emergency medical technician/ambulance person) and he is in the city for a two-day continuing course in new medical protocols and whatever required by NY State for all EMT people. After we left Bernice, the four of us strolled down Madison where Harvey and Sandy treated us to a lovely dinner. I then headed home on the LIRR which is still recovering from the disaster of last week. Son Dave picked me up in Port Washington and intends to drive me into the city later in the day when he will also visit his mom.

Have a good day everyone,
love, Merwin