Sunday, June 6
Don decides to take a later train up to The City (good planning
skills!). His plan is to meet Roger in Ross around 11:00 AM or
noon, and the two of them will try riding his mountain bike
on a familiar trail.
We arrive at the platform early enough to hug, talk, and plan for
next weekend. It is not as rushed as the last time he caught
the train back home. By 9:15, the train has gone and I have the
rest of the day for myself. It almost feels like a holiday.
That evening, he calls to tell me how the ride went. He is fine
on the uphill, but downhill is, as he puts it, "trickier."
"Did you fall?" I ask.
"Well, braking on downhills leads to falls," he says, evasively.
"You have to put a foot out and you end up dismounting."
I gather from this that he did fall, but just doesn't want to tell
me about it.
"So," I ask, "were you 'fragile'?"
"No," he says, "not really."
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Monday, June 7
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Tuesday, June 8
Don called me last night with great news. Dr. Lowenstein has
cleared him to go off the Dilantin. Starting immediately, he
can reduce his dossage by 100 mg. every ten days. That means
he will be down to 200 mg. starting today, down to 100
mg. a day on the 18th, and completely off the stuff by June 28.
Judging on how well he was doing before they upped his dossage
to 300 mg., and how dopey he was once they did, I anticipate
rapid and dramatic recovery of his mental abilities over the
course of the next three weeks.
Yippee!
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Wednesday, June 9
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Thursday, June 10
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Friday, June 11
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Saturday, June 12
This is the last entry in this journal. It has been six
months since Don's hospitalization. His recovery has been
remarkable - perhaps even miraculous. He attributes it to the
love and prayers he has received from his many friends. Without
them, he would not be here. I believe this too. Without love
and friendship, none of us would be here.
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