We're Off To See the Wizard

On the Eve of Admission

Setting the Tone for Excellent Care

Laundry as a Sedative

You Won't Get Cuisine Like This in the Hospital

Lurking Voices

JoAnne spent an afternoon at the Clinic last week as her respiratory issues were acting up. They put her on steroids and antibiotics that quickly brought it under control. Follow-up visits today confirmed that she is ready to matriculate at the U of MN. We are scheduled for a 10 AM admission on Tuesday. Her primary objective for the day is to get settled into her room and undergo a brief surgical procedure for implantation of a Hickman catheter. It is a double lumen plastic tube that will hang out of her chest wall just below the left collarbone for the next several weeks. Blood draws, chemo, nutrition, antibiotics and myriad other solutions are imported and exported through this portal. I will provide a better idea of her schedule in subsequent posts.

I think we got everybody's attention at the Transplant Clinic today in a way that will assure top notch care. JoAnne's brother was also on the schedule to swing by for a blood test since he is the donor. This Hennepin County Sheriff (Mpls) took a few minutes out of his work day and arrived in full battle armor. I can't remember everything he was carrying, but I do recall at least a cell phone, two way radio, Taser, semi-automatic handgun, hunting knife, flashlight and ammunition. I am pretty sure there was a Jedi Lightsaber in there somewhere but he wouldn't own up to it. It has to be tough chasing bad guys while carrying all those armaments. In our case, it adequately intimidated the staff. It looked like there were a couple of patient family members who were anxious to exit the premises as well.

  
Admission is not coming a day too soon. JoAnne keeps a closely guarded secret that her favorite domestic chore is laundry. For reasons that are clear only to her, she can achieve a Zen-like harmony with the universe by keeping all of us in clean clothes. It has something to do with productivity, control, orderliness and textures. With a minimum of 6 adults and 2 children in our household, she has ample opportunity to ply her trade. She doesn't bring it up often as it is not a particularly glamorous avocation. Be it known however, that there exists a quiet but proficient denomination of closet laundresses in our culture of which she is a devout practitioner.

In our case, JoJo uses laundry to manage her anxiety. The more anxious she becomes, the better we look and smell. Downy soft and static free. As one might expect, the lead up days to the transplant have been underpinned with some anxiety. I fear she will begin pulling clean clothes out of my closet and drawers just to stay busy if we don't get her committed admitted soon.  She did announce on Mother's Day, that she would be doing her last loads. Mind you, we try to pitch in and help, but she just can't help herself. It's her thing and we do benefit. In anticipation of her pending absence, we are sending out recruiting feelers to Uncle Charlie of My Three Sons, Alice of the Brady Bunch and Mr. French of Family Affair (old TV shows for you younger readers) in hopes that they are on hiatus and would be willing to barter their laundry skills for room and board.

We also continued a long standing Petersen family tradition by having one last supper together at our favorite local haunt, Zantigo's. They are known for their haute Mexican junk food lovingly prepared with the Northern European palate in mind.  Our favorite is the regional Swedican menu that is centered on a red sauce formulated from 4 drops worcestershire, 3 drops Tabasco (4 for zesty gastronomes) cut with a table size bottle of ketchup. We prefer Heinz because our daughter-in-law Alison works for HJ and company. Swedican relies heavily on ground beef for protein generously ladled onto lefse/tortillas. Although geographically close, Norwegican cuisine is easily discerned by its propensity for relying on herring based recipes for protein and white sauces concocted from cream of mushroom soup.

JoJo and I became Zantigo-ites when we were dating, shared a taco burrito the second night we were wed and have been commemorating family births, deaths, graduations, weddings and other special events ever since. We also visit when we've got nowhere else to go.

All kidding aside, these last few weeks have been odd. JoAnne is heading into a procedure that has the potential for high reward, but it is equally high in risk. As we see people and do things, there is a lurking voice that wonders if it will be the last time. It is unsupportive to tell a cancer patient, "Don't worry. Everything is going to turn out just fine." It diminishes the seriousness of their predicament. For the last few weeks, it has been about the emotional struggle. Soon, the physical component will weigh in. Next stop, University of Minnesota Hospital's 4th Floor Transplant Unit. Details to follow.

Cancer Sucks