Thursday, August 28

Today, Tommy's roommate, Pat, is leaving to go home, where he will have in-home cardio therapy sessions three times a week. Pat and his wife Ruth have been good company for Tommy, as well as for me, and we'll miss them. Pat was an airline mechanic and restored his old T-bird, so he and Tommy have a lot in common. They also agreed on the room temperature (71), which I have learned can be a thorny issue in such situations!
We've gotten to know so many people throughout this experience--patients, family members of patients, staff members. I've been staying in touch with a growing number of them, including Pat and Ruth, and we are hoping to get together in the future when everybody is back into their respective homes and routines. In the meantime, several of the guy patients who already are at home return every few days to visit Tommy. Since most of them have boats and like to fish, they have a lot to talk about. Although they do most of the talking, Tommy holds up his end of the conversations with comments and an occasional laugh.