[Note: If there isn't a picture here, please provide one! Also, some people have requested that the caregiver journal be published. If you would like your entry(s) published, please let me know.]
Finally here is the opportunity to meet all of the wonderful people who did so much for me during my treatment. I have not included my family here because they would take up too much space, but you can meet most of them in my family section. In addition to who you meet there my many grandparents were wonderful, always knowing when I needed a pick-me-up. Also, since virtually all of these people bought me meals and/or took me to movies, I didn't mention that stuff.
In any case those who participated in Li's Medical Mystery Tour and survived are:
Kurt Lidl, who flew me to Maryland for New Year's 1996 so that I could see everyone at a time when I really needed to. Being with friends I've had for a decade was a good reminder of all there is to live for, and he didn't make fun of me when I asked really simplistic HTML questions that seemed really hard at the time; and Debbie Greenberg Lidl [or Debbie Greenberg, either way, Kurt's wife] who called a lot of people for me to tell them the news, came out for my port surgery, honored me by asking me to be her maid-of-honor in her June wedding, and always knew the right thing to say.
Tom Meixner, who helped me to get all these pages started to begin with, who helped me manage the whole caregiver scheduling fiasco, and who came out here in July for one of the sessions. Tom was very helpful by getting cancer himself in '94 so that he would be prepared to help me through this! =) We're done now Tom!
Andrea Bentley, who came out in January
in the bitter cold to attend the longest chemo session I had:
5hours! She's been a friend for 11 years, and even though we don't
talk as often as we should, I always know she's there if I need
her.
Gina Engelken, who made the first chemo
ever so easy. She took me to a movie the night before so I couldn't
think too much, she stayed the night of my first chemo just in
case, she handled the pharmacy like a pro when we had trouble
getting drugs, etc. Gina made multiple trips with me, including
one with only 3 hours notice. Kansans are good people.
Nikka Hellman, my own personal slave.
Well, I'll bet she felt like that anyway! =) She went to multiple
treatments, carried many heavy objects, helped me move, cleaned
my old apartment when I moved out [people she washed the *walls*
for me!], helped me with laundry, etc. She even did my dishes
for fun. It's really too bad that she moved to Ohio! =)
Mary Taylor, another Kansan with a heart of gold. Mary went to a chemo session, but more importantly she was always there for the little things. Laundry, helping to take down the Christmas tree, a ride to the mechanic, etc. She's in Maryland now, seems like a perfect fit to me!
Chris Innerst. Hmmm. What can I say? What *should* I say? Chris called me every week to make sure I was doing ok, to see how chemo went, etc. She came out in February for a treatment that didn't happen, but I know that if I ever needed her again she would have been there. Heck, it'd be cheaper than our phone calls! =) Personally, I think that she stayed in a screwed up job just so that she could keep me entertained through treatment! =) After all, she moved to New York the same day I was declared in remission!
Lewis Bruck came out at the perfect time: the NCAA tournament. Not only that, but he washed and vacuumed my car! It was like John Nam was here, except Lewis isn't as vocal about referees! =) Lewis also was here when I decided to rent this house. I think he's a good luck charm!
Andy Quintana who had the misfortune of being in Kansas when I moved, again. Poor Andy has helped me move as many times as Kurt has and I had to promise Kurt he'd never have to do it again. I couldn't have done it without him though. Luckily we were able to have more fun the last time I saw him…at DISNEYLAND!
Brian Barney came out in May. Just like old times, huh? In addition to treatment, Brian got to put all of my pictures up on these lovely plaster walls. Of course, I have a couple more things if you want to come back, Bri. And I still love the hat! =)
Jen Hsu, who not only flew out here for treatment, who not only flew back with me to Maryland via Kansas City *and* Philadelphia, but who brought my beloved wing chair with her.... There are not enough words to say thank-you! =)
Laura Smith, who came out and helped me have fun even though I was exhausted. She was a wonderful sport who helped me frost a *lot* of cookies in very interesting colors, and who is my only witness that the Botanical Gardens weren't much more than somebody's yard in the rain.
Jeff Evarts who had so much fun taking me to a blood test in Maryland that he just *had* to fly out to Manhattan for a chemo treatment. We had a long weekend of discussion (for those in Maryland who aren't familiar with the term, it's what you do when you don't go to a movie or rent a video), debate, real estate, and the usual.
Brad Passwaters who flew me to California for a much needed vacation. Thanks to Brad I got to see Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Heart Castle, Disneyland and more rather than just my living room!
Peter Guethlein, who in the middle of all of this gave me true happiness for the first time in a long time, who understood my massive mood swings, and who gave me hope for the future. I believe in our future and went to Vegas to prove it! ;)
Ok, last but no where near least, is Stephanie Wesemann. This woman is so nuts that she spent my first day of gallium scans with me (a 9 hour affair), went to more chemos than anyone but me, and still agreed to live with me! =) I owe her a lot, and I know that she'll collect one of these days. It's not like I can hide from her! =)
Last updated July 19, 1997.