You can reach Sue at (314) 452-3685 or (314) 726-2032. You can write to her c/o Rose Holt, 905 Barnard College Lane, St. Louis, MO 63130


The big news this week for me is that I saw my new neurologist, Joseph Dooley, yesterday. [New insurance coverage has required me to make this change since Dr. Bennett Frank is not a provider for Blue Choice.] Dr. Dooley is recommending that I go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, to see a specialist there. Dr. Dooley will set up the appointment, and I will be going in four to eight weeks. Rose will accompany me to Rochester, and we anticipate a stay of few days. In the meantime, I will continue the Solumedrol and hold off on the next level of treatment, the immunoglobulin infusions.

Dr. Dooley, like Dr. Frank, has no definitive diagnosis for my condition. He says I may go through the Mayo Clinic and still not have a diagnosis or a better treatment plan, but he also says that if he were in my place, he would go to Mayo.

We like Dr. Dooley very much. He personable, warm, and very communicative. He also has a great sense of humor. I should know this week my schedule for the trip. Rose and I came straight home and looked up info about the Clinic on the internet. For what we knew before we saw Dr. Dooley, we could have gone to Rochester, New York! Turns out the Mayo Clinic has a great website with every piece of information one could need.

Monday was Den's and my 13th wedding anniversary. Den sent me a beautiful bouquet which I am looking at this very minute.

On Saturday, Rose and I went to Whole Foods to grocery shop. For the first time, I tried one of those electric-powered, ride-on shopping carts. Immediately, I ran into a table and knocked over 50 pounds of potatoes! My driving improved, however, and the rest of the shopping was without incident, although one man went out of his way to avoid me as I went about the store.

Jana and her fiance' John arrived for dinner Saturday evening, having spent the day looking for apartments. They stayed overnight to do more looking on Sunday. Later in the week, Jana e-mailed me that they found places in the Colony apartment complex at Page and Bennington in Maryland Heights near the old Glenlea House which will mean a short commute for Jana to her new job. Rose and I very much enjoyed these two young people, and we look forward to more family nearby.

Chris and I took Rose to the airport Sunday morning for her usual trip to Chicago, then I spent Sunday and Monday with Chris and Shelly. Sunday evening the three of us went to the casino where we met Aunt Kathleen. We had dinner there, won a few bucks, and had a great time.

This was an interesting baseball weekend, as the Cardinals were playing the Cubs here in town. Rose and Shirley are Cub fans; the rest of us root for the Cards. Chris' parting comment to Rose on Sunday was that he thought there might be a few tense days in the household as the Cardinals trounce the Cubs. Lucky for all, they split the series. Peace reigns.

Another piece of news, good news and bad news, is that on Saturday I got notification that my disability Social Security has been approved. I will start getting a monthly check in August and two years from August I would be eligible for Medicare. However, I have every intention and hope to be much better and off disability long before then!

Another change, necessitated by my new insurance, is that I go to a different primary care physician. Chris and Shelly went with me Monday morning for what turned out to be a hello-how-are-you-and-here-is-the-referral-you-need kind of meeting. I will only see this guy annually--which I am glad about as he has zero bedside manner.

Chris, Shelly, and I picked Shirley up at the airport Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning Shirley and I picked Rose up. Karen came and finished the flower planting, and Rose and I bought additional plants for the front porch and to spread around back. The garden here is looking great, and we don't know if this is the peak.