How long ago was his myeloma diagnosis, and, because I cannot remember, was it smoldering or symptomatic at the time of diagnosis? (Asking, literally, for a close friend with it looking for real-life outcomes.)
I'm pretty sure it was over the 2019-20 holidays, and it was symptomatic. It had been smoldering for several years but he hadn't told any of us. He got excellent care at a hospital in NYC whose name I cannot now recall, and he's currently in a state known as "we don't use the word
remission
in this kind of cancer but if we did we would be using it for you."
Or it might have been 2018-19. I don't know. I do know that he was very sick and bald and weak during the worst of it, but kept all of us at arms' length. Which was easy enough what with the lockdowns, but as a consequence none of us have any real idea of what it was like for him (his husband took tremendously good care of him and shared well-written but personally spare updates with all of us, but nobody ever saw him until the not-remission.
You're not wrong.
You're right on the park. It's got to be pure misery!
He got excellent care at a hospital in NYC whose name I cannot now recall
A strong likelihood it's Sloan-Kettering.
Very likely! But your city really has an embarrassment of medical riches, so I don't want to say for sure.
Went down to Borderlands to distract myself and offer support to my friend, Eleanor, who works there.
Gunfire broke out on Haight Street.
Nobody hit as far as I can tell but people were scampering in one direction and seven police were headed towards it looking grim, and I could hear over their radios the suspect was running down Page street (which runs parallel to Haight).
You're right on the park. It's got to be pure misery!
I've learned to practice strategic avoidance. I work from home to avoid running into the hordes of stoners and the terrible traffic. If I want to go out, east of my apartment doesn't exist and I don't know her. I went west into the Sunset this afternoon and it was pretty quiet.
Gunfire broke out on Haight Street.
😬
I thought weed was supposed to be chill???
Right before we closed one of our regulars came in on a very stinky wave of 420 fumes, asked if he could use the copier (it was broken), asked if he could have a couple of pieces of paper (yes) and then wandered out again.
I'm pretty sure it was over the 2019-20 holidays, and it was symptomatic. It had been smoldering for several years but he hadn't told any of us. He got excellent care at a hospital in NYC whose name I cannot now recall, and he's currently in a state known as "we don't use the word remission in this kind of cancer but if we did we would be using it for you."
Thank you! (Smoldering is such a weird term for a cancer stage. I mean, I get why they call it that, but it just makes me think of purple prose romance, not something that will eat holes in your bones.)
