Reflections From The Mayo Cruise
Last evening we noticed a convent looking building on the hill across from our hotel - what a lovely view. Tuscany in Minnesota.We found out today it is a convent. Sisters of St. Francis. I wonder if there are tours - it's a lovely building, and there seems to be a great deal of art.
The Mayo buildings - whether by design or by function - seem journey-like. Many waiting rooms feel like retro train stations, the exam rooms have the feeling of a nice-sized 40's sleeper car, the atrium in the Mayo/Gonda building feels like the deck of a ship to me.
If life is a journey, today felt like a Mediterranean Cruise! I keep telling Gerry when I go to France everything will look like Minnesota to me. The first time I went to Belgium it looked so Ohio-esqe. We view new things through the eyes we have. Right now we have the unique opportunity to see only each other with the kids away and this time alone.
Before leaving today we set up a mini kitty apartment in the bathroom with food, litter box, cushions in the tub & toys because we had to lock little Gigi up.The room needed to be thoroughly cleaned. It's a smoke free room, but when we return home at the end of the day it smells as if there's been a poker game going on, so evidently the last guests were secret smokers.
The hotel will move us if we want - we'll see how the deep clean went today...
Gigi was NOT happy about the arrangement - not even with the little catnip filled sock I made for her. Poor, angry kittty. She would be terrifying if she weren't so darned cute (and slightly demonic)
Our first appointment was pleasant, easy, very informative - we really enjoyed meeting the nurse - she put us at ease and explained the full procedure quite clearly.Then we walked around, checking out the magnificent artwork - I kvelled at a Calder mobile, Fish.
I love Calder. Gigi loves fish.
There had been a Calder stabile in front of WTC 7 when I worked there and I had lunch near it as often as possible. When that building came down - empty - later in the day on 9/11 - I wept for the Calder on top of all the tears for the folks in WTC 1 & 2.
One of the pieces is of an ancient Roman mosaic - I love this, the lines and strength make me happy. It's a nice perspective-esque for an early Roman piece - abstract. Who knew how much I like abstract stuff?
A more realistic sculpture is this bush/tree thing - it looks more brain-like in this image than it does in person - with a groovy shot from inside the sculpture.
Everyone here is so friendly, SO clean cut with little name plates that are a little too close to the LDS name plates. Hmmmm.There are folks from all over the world here - so many examples of interesting and beautiful cultural dress - I think I counted 5 different types of woman-wrapping garment yesterday.
There's a very large sculpture of a man with a fig leaf in an appropriate space, but NO revealing sculptures of women. The only realistic dimensional representations of women I've seen, actually, is a bas relief showing nuns in traditional habit - interesting...
A few Mennonites rode by on bikes as we walked home - just odd little touches all over the place - the sorts of things that make us feel that we're in a very unique place.We stopped by Kristen's Knits on the way home this afternoon [a lovely shop, by the way, with very nice yarns - good selection - and INOX Express needles!!]
It was a relief to walk around the shop and just LOOK at yarn, not think, "How can I find a way to bring up this yarn in class so folks will give it a second look..?" - which is what I do quite often when I teach. However, I do have my eye on some King Tut Egyptian cotton - I may pick some up later..!
Kristen was so kind - she knew who I was (we stood in front of the shop for 20 minutes finishing up a call with Gerry's aunt - not very conspicuous, huh? Well, I thought it would have been rude to walk in chatting on the cell phone) Kristen walked out to help us inside, loaded down as we were with bags and walker.
I saw some women from a distance who appeared to be wearing 14th century Dutch headresses - I have to find them tomorrow and see exactly WHAT they have on!
Speaking of Holland, we went to Pannekoeken for lunch - excellent salads, and the ubiquitous PANNE-kochen! carried out by singing waitresses. Gerry and joked about the singing - it would have been interesting to hear the waitresses sing it to the tune of Pennsylvania 6500 - "Pannah-coke-en six-five-oh-oh-OH!"After lunch we met with Dr. Costas again. He's here at the Mayo on a fellowship working in the Blood & Marrow transplant department and has become one of our favorite folks to chat with. He's Brazilian, a very nice guy, and has an easy-going way of explaining complicated procedures so we can understand them.
He has a slight accent - it seems ridiculous to even mention it since I can't imagine what kind of an accent I'd have if I tried to speak Portuguese - but at one point he told Gerry that by the time we went home at the end of this entire procedure he'd only be taking a 'cupful' of pills every day.
- A cup full? That sounds like a lot...
- No, a cup-pool.
A couple. Big difference. So that's our goal. Brand spanking new stem cells and a couple of pills a day in 8 easy weeks.Of course, continuing in our search for inappropriate music / magazines in the waiting rooms, we found a Rochester magazine lying around with this interesting ad for a local casino.
Gerry thought the subtext was NOT by accident.
At one point today we rode the elevator with a mom and her teenage daughter who'd just finished her stem cell transplant experience and was heading home - bald but healthier than she'd been and with a brighter outlook than the mom had expected.
It was easy to see that the mom was just barely holding it together - the emotions and gratitude showing in every part of her face.
As we parted, she said to me, "He'll be okay, you'll see!"
Which was a very nice thing for her to say. And an even better thing to hear. Just the connection with another Mom - another woman about my age - was a nice thing. So many of the women I chat with here are in their 70's or older. I was supposed to go to a knitting group on Wednesday, but wasn't able to make it. I'm REALLY looking forward to making it there next week - new friends are good.
Speaking of new friends, one stopped by this evening - how lucky are we to already be making friends? Linda had emailed me weeks ago with advice about a local boarding kennel, and stopped by to drop off the BEST molasses cookies I've ever had. Note to Gerry: Hide the cookies or you'll have NONE of them!
Gerry and I (okay, I) talked nonstop to our poor guest this evening - I was a little overwhelming - and I realized that it's been a long time since I've just had a VISIT with a friend.Most of my interactions have been teaching-related, bathroom reno-related or health related lately, and I'm ready to just chill with friends!
25 Comments:
I also miss the Louis Nevelson wood relief, "Sky Gate, New York". http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0211/911-treasures.html
I hope Gerry's odds are better at the Mayo.
Wishing you all the best on this journey! And so glad Gerry's not going to need a CUPFUL of pills! (I laughed so hard when I read that! Just what I needed) So glad your sense of humor is remaining during all this. I wish I was there to just chill with you, 'cuz I certainly feel like you're a friend!
It was a pleasure meeting with both of you this evening, and no, you weren't overwhelming.....I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and felt enriched by our conversation.
I do so hope and pray that things go well for Gerry through this treatment, and that you'll be the one meeting others in the elevator and telling them "he'll be okay, you'll see!".
So glad to see you've had a few minutes to "kick back" and enjoy the little things of each moment. That is so important, even when you are facing such scary stuff!
My husband, Jan, is currently riding the Pan-Ohio Hope Ride, to raise money for the American Cancer Society Hope Lodges in Cleveland and Cincinnati. These facilities provide free lodging for out of town patients being treated for cancer (sort of a Ronald McDonald House for grownups).
I know that Jan is thinking about Gerry and you as he rides, and has made a point to tell people what you have had to go through to be able to afford a place to stay during the transplant process, so others will know how important the mission of the Hope Lodges is.
Keep us posted as best you can; we know there are days you'll be too busy or just too exhausted to blog. We'll be here when you have time.
Hope the deep clean goes well--even though you haven't been there long, moving hotel rooms is such a pain.
Cathy
If you burn a candle in your room for a few hours, that smoky smell will disappear. Just an ordinary candle, not a scented one or anything. It's something to do with carbon chemistry and it works: we used to have a family member who smoked heavily and we all got very good at cleaning up after him by lighting candles. It takes the smell out of the curtains and carpet and everything, even out of your hair, much better than deep-cleaning. Of course, two or three candles around the room does it faster - and you might want to ask the hotel before you turn the room into a fire hazard :) But if you do it from the time you get home to the time you go to bed, I guarantee it will work.
Maybe they don't have naked ladies in the artworks because of having visitors from many different cultures, some of whom might find them too much to handle. Thanks for the Calder gif; it's enchanting.
Your descriptions of everything you're seeing in Rochester make me homesick (but not in a sad way). It's so interesting, seeing a familiar place through someone else's eyes. I don't know whether or not St. Francis offers tours, but it's definitely worth seeing if they do...when we lived there (this would've been early 90's) they let the Unitarian Church use one of their halls and it was such a nice place to be.
I hope Gerry's treatment goes well...I bet the odds are better at Mayo!
We missed you on Wednesday night! But it was a small crowd since some of the gang were at Stitches MW. We'll look forward to seeing you on Thursday!
Did you see (how could you miss?) the Chihuly installation???? (can you tell I'm fixated on the glass exhibits?)
Judy in (Rochester) MN
I meant Wednesday....argh....must.not.type.before.TWO .cups of coffee
great picture of Gerry--(with the your odd are better here)Just being in Mayo makes him look better and healthier than he has in recent photo's!
look forward to seeing him look healthier still, (even if bald!)
I love the picture of Gerry - I know his odds are very good at Mayo.
Wow, how cool that there is a Chihuly installation. If you see it, can you post a picture? I'm a glass nut besides being a knitting nut!
Look forward to your next entry. I think of you and Gerry every day. It is so great that you have such a wonderful sense of humor and outlook. That goes a long way. :o)
"Your Odds Are Better Here"== What better message could you hope for? I am glad that the Mayo is a kind and friendly place. Not all hospitals are. Gerry looks good so far. I loved the Calder mobile, it looks quite surreal. Keep laughing.
Annie - the convent was undergoing renovations a year ago or so - we had a rug hooking retreat there about 3 years ago within the calm surroundings - Hmmm, potential for a knitting retreat? The grounds are not to be believed, and the atmosphere was very welcoming. Drive on up, I recall there were no restrictions on access to the driveway/grounds.
I used to teach h.s. in the late 70s with a number of very dynamic women who were School Sisters of Saint Francis. Forces to be reckoned with, they were--not unlike our Annie. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, these women would be great to have on your team. Hope you can make a connection with them beyond touring the convent.
By the way, you excellently manifest the advice to "Bloom where you're planted". Gerry is so fortunate to have you at his side.
I loved seeing the photos of Gerry -- he is lookin' good already! {{{hugs to both of you}}}
You're seeing women in 14th Century head dresses and the insides of sculptural brains?
Might I suggest that you limit your practice of pre-tasting Gerry's pills?
Seriously, though, it is wonderful that you have the opportunity to experience and notice these things. Time spent in hospitals can he mind-numbing encounters with ookiness.
MAX Sighting!!!! So, Annie, there I was sitting in NetNomads on Springfield Ave., where I generally meet a few knitterly friends on Saturday mornings, and in walks a family of Saturday morning regulars.....with an extra kid - an extra red-headed kid, an extra red-headed kid who I recognize. So, I ask Ian, very quietly, is that Annie's son? Oh, you know her? he asks. Well, not personally, but hers is one of the two blogs I read regularly. I don't blog, so I'm trying to figure out how to send the picture I Kinneared for you (now you know my other favorite blog!) Max looked like he was having a great time, he and the other Max were very happy together. I spoke to your Max, told him I'm a fan of his Mom's and how I knew who he was. Ian told him he's practically a celebrity. Than one of my knitterly buddies came in - she'd just been at the yarn store down the block and had picked up one of your flip books. It all seemed very ironic. Best of luck - sounds like you and Gerry are being well taken care of and you're getting lots of encouragement. Our thoughts are with you - and Max is being well cared for! Judy in NJ
Yay, a Max sighting. So cool. When you're a kid you can't go anywhere without your parents knowing.
Gerry does look better than usual, maybe it's just knowing he is going to be "fixed".
The scenery looks awesome. Too bad you couldn't have seen it under different circumstances.
Candles do wonders to rid cigarette smoke.
So glad Gerry is finally getting his treatment underway. Odds ARE better at Mayo. If your hotel room continues to smell smoky even after the deep cleaning, it could be the ventilation system bringing smoke in from other rooms -- we once had to stuff towels in the bathroom air vent to be able to breathe. (I hope that's NOT the problem!). My thoughts and prayers are with you and Gerry.
The name of the convent is Assissi Heights. It's actually a retirement home for the nuns in the order. My nursing class rented classroom space from them and the nuns were just wonderful to be around. I'd chat with them during our lunch break and they were just tickled to have "the little Lutheran nurses" on site.
I remember getting a tour when we started class in the fall, just so we knew where we were and weren't allowed to go during the year. It's a beautiful place and it wouldn't hurt to drive up and ask.
In the convent where I grew up we had some Dutch Sisters who wore those typw of headdresses/veils. Perhaps you were seeing some Sisters from the retirement home? I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers ... I know how draining these situations can be. Hang in there.
So glad to hear things continue well (though Gigi might not agree). You all are in my thoughts daily.
Thanks for the details about Mayo. Good art really is healing.
Cate
"Everyone here is so friendly, SO clean cut with little name plates that are a little too close to the LDS name plates. Hmmmm." Had to chuckle at that; those are my peeps, as one of my young co-workers would say.
The pictures are lovely, particularly the convent and the Calder, and it's good to hear hope in your "voice".
Adding my vote to the others' -- if you get a chance to go visit that convent, take it! Places like that are made holy by devotion and service to others [rather like the Mayo, no?], and you can't help but absorb at least some of that comfort.
I hope everything is going well and there IS no better place to be. I've been going back and forth to Mayo and my tiny town of Hackensack for about a year and a half now. I truly am thankful that they are here to help. They are so nice there! And I love to walk around and look at the art and architecture in between appointments. It was during a lull in that we were walking around and we stopped into a kids store(it's across from the drug store past the cafeteria) to look at stuff for my boys and I picked up a Klutz knitting kit so I had something to do and now am totally addicted! I wish you & Gerry the absolute best!!
Gigi is doing a face like my little Spike, whose birthday was yesterday, the spoiled beastie. You're right about the Threadbear boys -- they're awesome!
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