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Hello all, Visited Deborah and Robert yesterday and, based on our conversation and my observations, here are the five best things and the five worst things about her sojourn at North Shore: The Five Best Things (plus one): 1. Nobody there is knife happy! While I was there the surgeon came in after a long consult with the head of neurology. They were determined to continue figuring out what D. does NOT have before considering surgery. It was fun to watch him and Deborah. He would lob one medical term after another at her and she'd reply without missing a beat E.g., re ovarian cancer test: He - "What's the 'hit rate' on that?" She - "85 or 90 percent (accuracy, that is)." Meantime I'm thinking: "Huh? Gangland slaying? Web site visits?" 2. At Deborah's request, they ran a central line. No, we are not talking high-speed internet; this is a tube -- actually, three tubes in one -- going through the chest wall directly into the aorta so she doesn't have to be stuck like a pincushion while the nurses try to find one decent vein. It's ever so much more comfortable. 3. They let Deborah walk around with her I.V. so she can go outside and have a smoke. They tried not to, protesting that she might fall, but she pointed out that she was right next to the emergency room and wasn't worried. 4. They know Deborah knows what she's doing and they don't mind taking direction about what meds to give, how much, etc. Which is a good thing, because she tells them, in very specific terms. 5. The staff members on the floor are genuinely nice and they care about Deborah. ...and, a BONUS item, last but not least, #6: Deborah's phone rings with calls from her friends! In the time I was there she received calls from Joan H. and, all the way from Hungary, Olga! The Five Worst Things 1. The noise. It's a lively place, to say the least. On one occasion several of the staff were singing in French in the corridor. Go figure. 2. The food. Words fail. 3. The daily shakedown: $5 for the phone, $5.50 for the TV, collected in cash, every single day. 4. The decor. And hey, if one of the worst things you have to put up with is an ugly chair, vintage c. 1972, that's not so bad, is it? 5. One laptop, one phone line, two people. There's not a whole lot to do in the way of fun pastimes and diversions...the internet and video games are what stave off total boredom. I'm happy to report that Deborah and Robert mostly share nicely. Well, that's the news from the NY metropolitan area. Here is Deborah's address/phone, in case you want to call, or send a card or flowers or a laptop with remote wireless internet: North Shore University Hospital, Room 472 300 Community Drive Manhasset, NY 11030 516-684-5812 Signing off, Kathleen ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn