Subject: Jen wellness update #22 (05Aug00) Le Weekend Jen Watchers, it's the weekend again. And we've had no really high drama all week. Jen's been quiet (yes, really) in order to let her neck wound heal properly. Jen is so lucky to have parents who are willing and able to fly 3,000 miles, stay nearby but not in her apartment, and pitch up every day to run complex errands for her. I feel lucky, too, that Jane & Larry have been here over this time. I've therefore been able to go back to work this week - useful because were it not for Oracle's health insurance plan the costs of Jen's treatments so far would bankrupt all but a minor-millionaire. For those of you from countries where the costs of health care aren't made as crudely explicit, we received a ten page bill from UCSF. The tiniest care item is documented and charged, and for things that you can recognize, the charge is about ten times what you'd consider usual. And the total? fifty grand for five days. No wonder Jen was keen to be discharged early! Jen's physical healing is really remarkable. She has been sleeping with her trachea-tube out, for comfort, and on Friday morning the wound had magically just closed up overnight. The reconstructive surgeon was so happy to see how well she had healed on Friday that he nearly peed in his pants! He and cleared her to talk if she wanted, although warned her to ease into things. And her mental healing is happening, too. We've both been able to get some sleep, and Jen's dreams, although still vivid, aren't as dark. One night she was convinced that our friend Paolo was here, another that she was a nurse and wanted to know where all my tubes had gone. (Luckily, there wasn't an enema kit in the house!) Next week should be quiet, too, whilst Jen prepares her body for radiation and chemo on 14th August. regards, Karl |
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