FROM ASHLEY

Maria blogged about my mother having a small stroke last week. At first my parents thought Mom had had a migraine that had affected her vision. Fortunately they didn't rely on their best guess and Mom got a serious wake up call that she has to be vigilant about her blood pressure. For most of her life, she's had great blood pressue. She's fit, active and healthy, so it was easy to resent/ignore the nascent blood pressure problem her doctors told her she had a few years ago. No more. Now it's time for medication daily. She's disciplined so I know she'll stay on top of it. I'm not worried. (Initially I was, I kept yelling at Tim, "Wait, our mother had a stroke?") Our youngest sibling, Matthew, flew in from Austin TX, to help Mom and Daddy adjust to all this.

Matt's great. When last year's chemotherapy was trying to kill me, Matt visited, reorganized our whole kitchen, made Sunny four birthday cakes for a mammouth sports birthday party she was having for her 11th birthday, helped me cull books for the thriftshop, bought me an Ipod and loaded it up with loads of great music (to hear Matt's band, google Twanguero) and, to me, said all the right things. So, I'm happy for Mom and Dad. Getting Matthew up there is a damn good consolation prize after a serious diagnosis.

As for things here for the Osment-McSurely family, we couldn't be more grateful for all the meals people are bringing. Since Tanya and Nancy set up the food delivery, we have been in culinary heaven. These dinners make possible the hands-down favorite part of my life -- supper with Sunny and Al. Sunny sits at the head of the table, flanked by Al and me. I sit closest to the kitchen because I neurotically get up for napkins, different silverware, dishes as they're ready to be served and other such. Sunny regales us with stories of her day, Al gets out of his revolutionary head, and I relax and laugh and revel in how much I love my family.

Sunny has started bringing her classroom math work and her extracurricular math superstars work downstairs for her and Al to enjoy together. She and Al rock out talking through concepts and logic that loses me nearly immediately. What doesn't lose me is that this old guy and his youngest daughter are laughing, complimenting each other, outsmarting each other for a good hour and it's just so fun for everyone. I swear their relationship will stay strong forever if they keep math in the mix.

I had seven hours of conventional chemo today (taxol, carboplatin and avastin) and am in fullswing with the Vitamin C regimen at home (six infusions per week). The contributions that flowed in for the Vitamin C were humbling, much appreciated and just may be working. Thank you everyone.