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Saturday, December 15, 2007

Stardate: December 4, 2007 Bad, Sad News

A colleague, Josette, just passed away from breast cancer. She was only 66. In many ways, it felt very sudden. I don't know why. And another colleague, Gale, is gravely ill (he has subsequently passed away, too. Goodbye, guys, you'll be missed).

Simultaneous to that bad news, Antonina's dad had a stroke. She was very upset, obviously, but with the manner of health care here, you wouldn't have believed some of the choices they all made. He didn't tell anyone for three days. Finally, she and her family found out when they called and he couldn't talk. They rushed over to find him 1/2 paralyzed, but trying to do things for himself. He hadn't eaten for 3 days...only had some water. Then they didn't take him to the hospital; they only called an ambulance to check him. They went to the pharmacy for a prescription that the ambulance medic told them about... Anyway, it goes on. How horrible. He has been helping Pat research the Great Hunger for a capstone project. He is a preeminent scholar here on the topic. Well, anyway, now Antonina has to take food to him daily and check on him, bath him, make sure he takes his pills (which he doesn't want to do), etc. It’s a huge stresser on her and her family, but there is nothing else to be done.

Maddy is growing up so fast! We just had to buy her a new winter coat, because she has outgrown the one we brought for her. We got her a cute little brown leather and fur coat with a hood and little pom pom ties. She looks like a little Ukrainian girl. In the photo, she is making snow angels!

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