![]() ![]() The rest of the year would bring a second cancer diagnosis, major surgery, six cycles of chemotherapy, genetic testing, another cycle of chemo, a serious and widespread staph infection, six more minor surgeries within eight days, a 27-day hospitalization, wound care, visiting nurses and a long recovery period. In January, a routine colonoscopy led to a terrifying diagnosis of a rare and aggressive form of colon cancer for my husband of almost 20 years. Lighthearted discussions about TV comedies, superheroes and science fiction - the crossword topics in his wheelhouse - were a welcome respite when it was hard to steer conversations away from the unpleasant facets of his disease. The puzzle I was mentally working on contained not only answers, but symptoms, medication dosages and instructions written in the margins. I had to raise my voice so he could hear the question. I would like to say that our crossword conversation broke up the quiet, but anyone who’s ever been admitted for a long period of time is familiar with the noise level of a busy hospital floor. “Hmm … Are you sure it’s not ‘Abu’? Oh, wait … that’s Aladdin’s monkey.”ĭecember 2018 marked my husband’s fourth (and longest) hospital stay of the year. ![]() “Apu,” he answered from his hospital bed. “What is the name of the Kwik-E-Mart manager on ‘The Simpsons’?” I asked my husband. ![]()
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