Thank you Dr. Grennan

Another thumbs up message from the oncologist this morning. Good news comes in waves! "Eat, eat, eat," was his prescription for the Patient. He weighed in at 147.5 with clothes and shoes, so it's probably more like 144, but that's up 2 or 3 pounds since a week ago. If he had not been sick and was eating as he is now he would have put on 20 pounds in the last two weeks alone. He eats as many carbs as he can manage, probably 500 grams a day. In light of his new figure he has decided he wants to go shopping. Shopping?! This is absolutely unheard of and completely out of character. But I am happy to accompany him to be sure he doesn't make some unforgivable sartorial errors. Actually, it will be jeans and trousers that don't show his baggy rear end, but still have a bit of expansion room as those carbs stick and fill out his figure. (The doc said that his body is spending all its caloric energy getting him well. That's why he doesn't gain weight.) If this is what it takes to get him into a fitting room . . . No, it wasn't worth it. But I am glad he will get some new duds.

We are now concentrating on getting plans settled for Italy; a week in Florence, two weeks in Vicenza. Our favorite apartment is not available until after November 4. We will travel first to Florence at the end of October, then on to Vicenza the first two weeks in November. It is exhilarating to think about travel and, essentially, the future, now that the Patient has been cleared for take off.

New reading: Kinglsey Amis's The Alteration. A great romp!