My aunt called this morning -- yesterday my Mom told me my brother was in the hospital for a tonsillectomy. It turns out that she was only told a partial truth -- he did have his tonsils out, but also some lymph nodes and a tumor, and they're going to be evaluating just what kind of cancer it is, how malignant, and what treatment, and what outcome he'll get, not to mention whether he'll keep his vocal cords, be able to swallow or talk and bunches of things like that.

I think I'm in shock. He's just turned 50.

I don't think you have to think you're in shock, Theo. It would make total sense for you to be. I'm so sorry. (And what is with these partial truths? Aren't we all grownups?)

Theo,

thing is: a tonsillectomy at your brother's age is pretty dangerous. Although I am not sure everyone is aware of that. I happen to know because my ENT doctor told me so when I was having tonsil problems.

A lot of 'ma for your brother. I hope is recovery goes okay.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the premise of “Angry Birds,” a popular iPhone game. In the game, slingshots are used to launch birds to destroy pigs and their fortresses, not to shoot down the birds.

Correction to an NYT article.

Yikes, Theo. How scary. I'm sorry, and hope for the best possible outcome for your brother.

That's terrible, Theo. May it please be something limited.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the premise of “Angry Birds,”

Clearly the Times staff is not wasting enough time.

My husband's first world problems: Football, baseball, Walking Dead, Dexter AND Boardwalk Empire tonight. No way to watch and/or DVR it all!

Our neighbors got a deer two days ago. He brought us the inside tenderloin yesterday. I put it in a simple marinade of olive oil, vinegar, sea salt, coarse ground pepper, garlic and onion and then broiled it up with roasted red potatoes.

HOLY BALLS! DELICIOUS!

Oh shit, Theo, I'm so sorry. All best wishes that it turns out to be as nonthreatening and easy to handle as possible.

And thanks for the ~ma for my friends, y'all. S's wife just posted to say that they're all doing OK, just taking things slowly, and labor has not started yet. Now that I know everything is OK and she hasn't been laboring for two days, I'm kind of hoping the baby holds off until tomorrow so it can share my birthday!

Theo, I hope your brother's cancer will be as localized and non-malignant as possible.

I'm usually reticent to play the "keep the news from family member" game, but currently my Mom is not only not doing well healthwise, but she's having panic attacks that she's under a doctor's care for. At this point, she's having major upset if a home health aide is a half hour late, so waiting a couple days till we can tell her a definitive version of what's going on seems to actually be a good idea, for once.

I didn't know tonsillectomies were that major in an adult, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He's had to have a tracheotomy to let him breathe easier at this point, because of the swelling from the surgery, which also isn't much fun.