Yesterday, a masseuse from the Integrative Medicine department of Sloan-Kettering helped Mara tremendously with sciatic nerve-related pain that she had developed.
She also had several physical and occupational therapy sessions with therapists called Hanna and Hannah. Mara's control over her right hand reached a new level: she is managing to write again (the bruise on her arm was caused by needle pricks).
Calculations are a challenge. As Suzy says, sparks are arching but making contact is hard. Here is a sample.
David: What's three plus four?
Mara: Um. Three plus four, let's see three plus four, three plus four.... Seven!
David: Good! Now, what is 33 plus four?
Mara: 33 plus four? 33 plus four... Um.
David: Let's go back. Three plus four is seven, right? Now what is thirteen plus four?
Mara: Thirteen plus four uh.... thirteen plus four. Thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen... seventeen!
David: Great! Now let's do 33 plus four.
Mara: 33 plus four... um. 33 plus four. I wish those people would stop talking! 33 plus four, 33 plus four... 37?
David: Yes, great. Okay now 63 plus four.
Mara: 63 plus four, 63 plus four, 63 plus four... Seventy six!
David: No. 63 plus 13 is 76. What is 63 plus four?
Mara: 63 plus four... 63 plus four... 63 plus four... um, 67?
David: Yes, great! Now, what's 93 plus four?
Mara: 100.
David: No. What is 93 plus four?
Mara: 100!
David: If three plus four is seven, 13 plus four is 17, 33 plus four is 37, 63 plus four is 67, then what is 93 plus four?
Mara: 97?
David: Exactly. Now what's the difference between 93 and 100? 93 plus what makes 100?
Mara: Um... 97 plus three is 100.
David: Yes very good. But to get from 93 to 100, how much do you have to add?
Mara: Well, 97 plus three makes 100.
David: Right, but I did not ask you that.
Etc.
Around six o'clock, Dr. Gutin came by and said that the results of the CT scan showed that there is still blood in the lesions, but in the one which is currently the biggest, it had actually gone down a little: Good enough to release Mara. Jaity the favorite nurse came to say good bye and gave Mara three hugs. Suzy helped Mara dress and pack, then also gave her a big hug. That is when I took that last picture. For Mara, who was indeed fed up with the hospital, the news came almost too suddenly. Leaving the hospital was a moment of many emotions.
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25 comments:
Mara sweetie,
How WONDERFUL that you are out of the hospital! It sounds like your nurses and various therapists were really kind, but still, hospitals are about the least restful, conducive to healing places I know . . . you'll be much better off in a relaxing home environment with people who know and love you.
Speaking of which - David, Mara's family, everyone on this blog - you all just make my days special (especially on a day like today, when I'm feeling down). All I have to do is read the (now, literally) hundreds of loving posts and read about how David, Mara's mom and dad and sis (and others I'm probably not aware of) have been taking such incredible and selfless care of her and I feel connected to something that is so amazing and wonderful.
To that end, I am going to post (separately), for anyone who wants it, my recipe for World's Best Jewish Mother Chicken Soup. I made some of this for Mara during her first cancer bout when she was still here in Portland, and if I were in NY, I'd make it for her again in a heartbeat.
I hope people don't think this is presumptuous of me to post an entire recipe, but I find both the making and the eating of this soup incredibly comforting. It's not hard to make (just takes a few hours), and the scent while it's cooking always feels so relaxing and homey - and then you get to eat it when it's done ;-).
So David and family - if you decide to make this for Mara, I hope it makes you all feel better and comforted too. God knows, helping a sick loved one can be unbelievably draining. Make a huge amount and you won't have to cook for days - it keeps great in the fridge or freezer.
See next blog comment for recipe. Enjoy everyone.
Love, Lisa
Great Jewish Mother Chicken Soup
The Essentials
1 big pot
8 chicken thighs with skin on (it's important to use only thighs - the dark meat really seems to create a richer flavor then one gets using just a whole chicken)
1 lg. or 2 med. parsnips, cubed
1 or 2 turnips, cubed
3 or 4 carrots, roughly chopped
1 or 2 onions, roughly chopped
Enough chicken broth (boxed is fine) to cover everything and about 1-3 inches more
The Optionals
1 rutabaga, cubed
2 or 3 celery stalks
The Spices
It's important to understand that the measurements here are not exact. I always add 2 or 3 times the amount I'm listing here, but that's because me and the boyz like rich flavor ;-). I wouldn't add less though, or you'll end up with kind of a bland soup.
3 to 4 bay leaves
Whole supermarket package of fresh dill (or a really good sized handful)
2 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp crushed or whole fennel seeds
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp tarragon (it's okay to use more, even though tarragon is a strong spice)
1 tsp crushed or whole caraway seeds
Bit of marjoram
Black pepper to taste (lots in our family)
Put all ingredients into a big pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 1 to 2 hours or so. Take out chicken thighs with a slotted spoon and take off disgusting, flabby chicken skin and discard. Take meat from bones and return de-boned meat to the pot, making sure you've gotten all the yucky gristle and cartilage off. Serve over (separately cooked) egg noodles which you can place in the bottom of each soup bowl. Don't skim residual chicken fat off the top of the soup - it's good for you!
If you're feeling daring (or at the least, not exhausted ;-), instead of serving with noodles, you can make and serve with . . . Matzoh Balls!
Great Matzoh Ball Recipe that is Not Mine
And a good thing too, because I suck at making decent matzoh balls ;-).
Ingredients
1 c. matzoh meal
4 eggs
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil or schmaltz (this is chicken fat - which I'm sure you all happen to have just lying around your homes)
4-6 Tbsp (roughly 1/2 c.) Chicken stock, water or seltzer
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat slightly. Add oil or schmaltz and mix. Combine matzoh meal and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs and oil or schmaltz to the dry ingredients. Add 4-6 Tbsp of either stock, water or seltzer to mix. Mix until ingredients are just combined. Refrigerate covered for 1 hour.
After mixture has rested for an hour, boil large pot of water. Form matzoh balls and drop into boiling water. Cook 40 minutes and then place into hot soup which should still be on stove simmering away. Allow matzoh balls to cook in the soup for five or 10 minutes to absorb flavor. Then everything will be ready to serve.
Tricks for Lighter Matzoh Balls
Do not over handle. Drop in water without making ball shape except very loosely. Use seltzer rather than oil or schmaltz.
Tricks for Denser Matzoh Balls
Make nice compact balls and don't worry about overhandling. Use the oil or schmaltz.
Notice that I have refrained from all adolescent jokes about loose and/or compact balls ;-).
Enjoy anybody and everybody!
Lisa
Dearest Mara,
I'm so happy for you that you're out of the hospital - yipee! I've been doing everything in your honor lately...on my run this morning through the rose garden in Buenos Aires I was running for you, and I danced by butt off in African dance class for you yesterday! I just want to tell you (again) how much you inspire me and (again) how much I love you and (again) how thankful I am to be able to feel like I'm literally "watching" you recover and heal on the blog. Heck, your math skills are already better than lots of people's!!
Much love to you and everyone around you these days,
Julie (Maurin)
Mara, It's an extraordinarily difficult path you are walking. The mixed emotions must be crazy. There's some comfort to being surrounded by doctors and specialists ready to help you but at the same time the sterile, noisy coldness of a hospital is not the place to heal. To no surprise, you made your incredible impressionable mark there even in such condition as you have all over the world. It will be a better environment for you out of there with loving family and special friends.
love,
Blanche
Lisa: Thank you for the soup recipe. I will do my best to carry on your tradition once Mara gets back to DC!
David: You've given us all another very special post, down to the photos. Thank you. Although I feel your pain on the computational challenges, I feel compelled to rib you a little.
My dear, I'm afraid in describing the math scenario you have revealed a critical gap in your knowledge of Mara. Frankly, I'm shocked given how much time you've spent with her. After all, it only takes a few shopping trips with Mara to know that her relationship to numbers has always been somewhat...mmm...tenuous.
Rounding errors are easy coping mechanism when you're standing at the Lord and Taylor counter with a handful of clothes you MUST have. Or when you are in a store of outrageously priced handmade European toys and you know how special they will be for friends' children. Or when you're picking kitchen countertops. To be precise in counting would impose a rationality that would reduce Mara's natural impulses of generosity and creativity. And that is just crazy talk.
Personally, I think a true sign that the brain surgery was a success is that Mara has retained her "unique" approach to math and computational sequences. :)
LizMcK
I saw a card once that I gave to a friend who was getting divorced. It said 'when you're going through hell the only thing to do is keep going'. It sounds like you are getting close to being out the other side of this particular chapter. Mara - I am so excited that you are out of hospital (although when I left hospital last year I also felt a little vulnerable and shocked so I know how that can feel). I talked with Neal and Nancy today who both sent you a lot of love and concern and best wishes. I also think you are incredibly brave and perserverant with all the relearning of things. I think I wouldn't have nearly as much patience.
Big big big hugs to you (and you David)
Anna
Way to go, Mara. As always, we wish you all the best!
Love, Joanie Harris
Hi Mara,
We admire your courage, humor, and grace. You're an inspiration for all of us. We're so glad you're home with family,
With all our love from Santa Barbara,
Mark and Terry Harris
mara. i miss you. i am encouraged by your progress. I am angry and sad you are going through this. I am touched by the way your spirit has drawn powerful friends to you from all across the globe. I believe in your ability to heal and regain strength and skills. Mostly I hold you in my heart from morning til night, praying for your resolute and permanent return to daily life as you want it to be. I miss you. and i love you. jo
Hey there! Mara, precision in math has always been HIGHLY over-rated, just remember that. Like many of the others who have posted, I can also understand the mixed emotions about leaving the relative safety and structure of the hospital for the outside world. If it helps at all, the outside world has so many people who love you in it. Just please be gentle with yourself.
To you and all who love you, take care. Love, JMRR
Hi Mara,
I'm thrilled to see that the hospital is now a memory. It was also great to read the latest entry and get a sense of all that you are going through in terms of getting your dexterity and brain power back.
There is so much here - between the posts, the updates and the photos, its hard to add anything beyond the love that we all share for you and some good doses (or attempts) of humor.
What I feel now and always have felt is such respect and love for you. You've changed my life and have left a rather indelible mark on the way I view things.
The following is one of my favorites from AL Tennyson. Accepting the "equal temper of heroic hearts" (I make no such claim) it seems about right.
Keep swimming Mara!
Charlie
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,--
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
SsssquueeeeakHissssssP-O-P!FizzzzzzWOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOAhhhhhh.
(What you have just witnessed is Ukraine celebrating Mara's release. Try this at home!)
Celebrating every victory with you in our hearts!
mara, good-bye hospital, hello opulent penthouse living with peace and quiet. i love the back and forth on the math -- god help me if i had to learn math again it would be a scary thing. i could barely keep up with the questions. in any case, it doesn't seem fair to start with math -- why not bulgarian? i arrived late last night -- will ring your entourage today to see if i might be able to come visit soon. xo, kristina (home!)
Hi Mara,
couldn't you combine two excercises into one new one: throwing -lemons-at- David-when-counting-each-of-them ???? (spot on his nose = one point extra!!!!!!)
Goeiemorgen, zeg !!!!
Must have been weird to leave the hospital...hope you are getting more sleep. Keep going! Dutch kisses, Ems
Lisa: what is a rutabaga ?????
dag! Ems
Yay, hooway, as Katherine would say! Take it from me, numbers are more trouble than they're worth...if you can't use your digits, then don't bother!
This is excellent, will you still receive PT and OT? My mom was a PT, this was her first question to me yesterday.
Love from us all, Andrew/Donna/Ted/Katherine
Don't sweat the math Mara...I still can't balance my checkbook!!! So glad you're out of the hospital and back in a cozy environment. Enjoy the peace and quiet and better food...hoping to see you down here real soon.
love,
jules
Mara,
You've made it through your own Paw Paw Tunnel - congratulations! We're so happy that you're out and into the sunshine and are making such great progress. Well done, as you always do! Forget the mental math -- calculators and computers are around to do that work. We send our love and cheers to you and all your family. And we send our sincere thanks again to David for keeping current the up-to-the-minute-and-always-captivating Mara Galaty blogspot; it has become my daily addiction reading, right up there with the NY Times!
Love,
Charlotte and Jon
Hey! I'm with Jenifer - hate math, almost as much as spelling. That is what the cash register and spell check are for! SO happy you are free of the hosptial!!! LOVE YOU! Chris
Mara and David - you will be happy to hear that Le Pain Quotidien just opened in Georgetown at 28th and M Streets and they are planning one near Blaine Mansion at 20th and P.
I love when even bakeries are thinking of our Mara....LizMcK
Mara dearest, A thousand and one hugs from Stamboul. We visualize you counting sheep quite nicely..! But not too many, just enough to put you into a lovely slumber. xoxoxo
Hi Mara! Reporting in from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Just want you to know that a group of Packers and their wives will be praying for you in their prayer group. So....the big guys of Lambeau Field are now your supporters too! Go Pack! But more importantly, GO
MARA!!
Hey, Mara, that's my girl!
I see you keep pushing the emotional level upwards! For everyone, not just yourself.
Now that you have occupied the thoughts and prayers of so many people, day and night, I know Charlie put it in the best way: you've left a rather indelible mark on the way each one of us views things.
David, you are amazing! I admired the slow way you went with Mara's maths and computational abilities being recovered! But here I must totally agree with Liz M. that the Mara-maths-relationship has always been tenuous. I don't really think either of you should worry about that so much (kidding, of course!): just between you and me (and my fellow-bloggers) Maths has never been Mara's best subject (please keep it a secret for face-saving's sake!) I remember exactly the day when she first learned that the sum of the angles in a right triangle is 180 degr. - and she was in her late 20-s, believe me! So... you probably have to check whether Mara knew the sums before the surgery, in the first place? Now, that I am attempting at a joke, I wonder if Mara has recovered her sense of humor (or rather, did she ever lose it?)?
On a more serious note, the photo of Mara with her arms raised made me cry with joy and pride! David, once again, consider becoming a professional photographer! I have always thought one major quality of profy photographers is to be good psychologists and know which photo to select and post to attain the utmost impact. You do that so easily and readily, and probably unconsciously, altogether!
In some funny way - and I think that holds true to all my fellow-bloggeres so far - this latest entry feels so home-like and gives such a strong feeling of cosiness, and makes you want to pray and laugh, and cry, and dance with joy, all at the same time! Thanks a million to you, David, and you, Aunt Mary, and the lovely brown house on the 23-rd and Broadway (if I remember correctly).
Mara, darling, you are HOME!!! Try to REST the long rest of the would-soon-be-well-people! Heal, my love! So many loved-ones' faces are watching your sleep!
Love, ever,
Zlatna
Apart from the lovely soup (which I'm going to make) has anybody , co-bloggies, a recipy of a decent pumpkin pie ? I mean, not the silly sweet ones, but a real Thanksgiving-one ??
I wuld be much obliged!! (Allthough in Holland, we don't have Thanksgiving, we are more or less overthrown with Haloween. Pumpkins everywhere !!
never mind, they look comfy)
Mara: have you lemmoned David ?
love, hugs, kisses.
Ems
I'm sitting here listening to Victoria Vox on the ukelele (yes!) and she's singing "It's not exactly what we planned; it's not exactly something we can understand..." And isn't that true about everything that happens to us in life--even when it's planned!?
So, dear Mara and the community of Mara lovers and admirers and soup-makers, don't we all agree that Mara makes the best lemonade of anyone!
Love,
Leah
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