My anniversary

This week is the anniversary of my stem cell transplant. It certainly makes me thoughtful about what’s important to me. First, there are all of you who showed your ‘true colors’ when I was so sick. That’s unforgettable.

Equally unforgettable are the colors of autumn that are returning this week; at one point I wasn’t sure if I would see them again. However, it would be wrong to say I was downcast about it. At that point I was ready to ‘move on’ if that was what lay in the cards.

I’ve spent a lot of time with my family this year; certainly more than in decades. Instead of only traveling to a work conference, I’ve specifically traveled to see the kids and my dear sister, Genie the transplant donor. My sister Meryl came all the way from Israel and camped out with us for weeks to get me through it all. She even sent her son, Dov Baer, to represent her 31 children and grandchildren. Add to that Peter, and Lois...and I wish I could name everyone....

I’ve seen friends like Ron Fishbein whom I hadn’t seen in 30 years and Barry Mennen who has been a fixture in my life (and lived between Ron and me on our ‘booming Brooklyn block’).

I started back swimming this month, which doesn’t sound like much but since the transplant prevented it for a year, it was a big landmark and I missed it.

I’ve returned to work with full force and enthusiasm, and for me, like many, that is a touchstone of what I do and who I am in the world. I can't thank my friends from work enough, at Beaumont and around the world, for having faith that I would return (and keeping my seat warm).

Most of all, I love my wife Karen and owe everything to her. She was with me every day and night throughout some very long and dreary months. You should have someone like her…I strongly recommend it. This photo from our recent New Hampshire vacation is dedicated to her.

Gil

Milford Street Scene

Pictured above are Gil and his sister, Genie, having lunch at a sidewalk table at The Main Street Tavern and Grill in downtown Milford.

After Gil and I returned from our trip to the White Mountains last weekend, we had a few days to spend with Genie who had graciously flown in the week before from Petaluma to "puppy-sit" for Willow while we were on our vacation.

On Sunday, we happened upon the Antique Car Show lining Milford's Main Street. We had brought the dogs with us to socialize the puppy and to meet Gil for lunch. The weather was perfect for eating outdoors and the dogs got their share of attention by passersby.

Genie and I proceeded on to the Milford Home Tour which was also happening that weekend and which featured six houses that are in the Milford Village's Historic Register. The home owners had painstakingly renovated these homes and followed strict guidelines about what could and could not be removed, replaced, refurbished and resurrected. I had walked by these homes many times and always wondered what they looked like inside. Now was my chance. I was not disappointed.

We took Genie to the airport for her return flight to California at the beginning of this week. Since then I have been the main caregiver for Willow -- no easy task. She's combined her "terrible twos," her "adolescent agitation," and her "senior senility" all into one glorious "I'm planning to rule the roost around here and you'd better get used to it!" hellfire attitude.

She's a handful these days. Up at 4:30 am ready to start her day. Not going to bed until 10:30 pm at night. Where does she get the energy?

We have a quiet weekend planned. Rest. Rest. And more rest.

Haiku:

Willow's energy

Should be harnessed and sold to

Reduce oil dependence!

Heading Back to California

You're witnessing a very poignant moment. Gil and I were driving Marika to the airport after six weeks of having her with us this summer. She is holding Willow who has fallen asleep in her arms. She has raised this puppy for the last six weeks into the loving, gentle creature we have come to love and adore.

Gil and I are packed and leaving for the airport for our New Hampshire vacation. Genie is here with the puppy and they should become good friends by the time we get back.

Short but sweet today. More later when we return.

Three Generations on Rosh Hashanah

You are viewing a photo of three generations of my family near the end of our erev Rosh Hashanah dinner on Wednesday. Marika is on the left, my mom Helen is in the middle, and yours truly is on the right.

We've had a busy week.

Gil's sister, Genie, is here visiting for two weeks. We have asked her to "dog sit" while we go on a short vacation. And we all thought it would be best if Genie spent the week before we leave learning "the ways of the Willow."

Last week I had emailed my mom and brother that they should consider driving up from Kentucky and spending part of a week visiting. I was thinking of sometime after Gil and I got back from our vacation, but they answered right away, "How about tomorrow?"

And so they arrived and we have a full house with all three of the upstairs bedrooms occupied.

On the third day of my mom's visit, after a very busy, hectic day of taking care of the puppy and cooking and visiting, my mom complained of "not feeling well" which earned her a trip to the local emergency room.

Long story short: She did not have a heart attack. However, there was EKG and cardiac enzyme evidence of heart muscle damage and it was decided she should undergo a cardiac catheterization.

We were all prepared for her to get an intervention during the procedure -- placement of a stent or an angioplasty -- but surprise of surprises! She had no coronary blockages at all. Her coronary arteries were absolutely clear.

It was determined that the symptoms she was experiencing mimicked a heart attack but was not caused by a coronary obstruction. The symptoms were caused by a microvasculature event. She and my brother will be driving home tomorrow and she is as healthy as when she arrived.

And she's going home knowing that she has clean coronary arteries and doesn't need to worry about cholesterol-laden, artery-clogging foods anymore.

I've taken lots of photos of the puppy and will upload those to a new blog entry in the next few days.

Haiku:

Lots of family

Cooking, eating, laughing,

Together again.

Dinner with Karmanos Friends

Finally a blog entry without the word "puppy" in it. (Oops! Oh well!)

Pictured above from left to right: Gil, me, Bonnie Opper, Mark Cornell and Kim Cornell.

(Missing is Steve Opper who spends way too much time out-of-town on business related matters. We missed you, Steve!)

Once again we met our friends from Karmanos Cancer Center for our monthly dinner get-together socializing and comparing the progress from the stem cell transplants last fall. It's almost been a full year (October) and all three of the recipients (Gil, Bonnie and Mark) have been remarkably lucky to have come through it all with hearty appetites, a sense of humor and a heartfelt appreciation for life-lived-to-its-fullest.

Mark was telling us that he is almost ready to get his "baby vaccinations" and Gil and Bonnie will be close behind. Immunizations against all those childhood diseases are important for this newly transplanted group but it doesn't happen until you are one year out from the transplant.

Marika has been doing something she really loves these past couple of weeks. No, it's not studying for the MCAT! She's been riding horses at a favorite barn (Fox Meadow) in Toledo and coming home each afternoon sore and tired and thrilled.

She rides with one of her dearest friends, Lindey, and the two of them are so much fun to be around when they are together and relating tales about riding or movies or friends.

She's also been doing Pilates at our local studio and finding it is a great way to get back in good physical shape before schools starts again the end of September. (Remember the University of California schools are on the quarter system. They start and end later than most schools across the nation.)

Our boys are staying sleep-deprived during their clinical rotations. Evan is doing trauma surgery and Adam is doing pediatrics. I don't hear from them nearly enough but I do remember so well when I was active in hospital nursing the tired and beleaguered faces of the medical students as they made rounds in the mornings and signed their patients out in the evening to the next shift of medical students.

Michigan is having a most wonderful end of summer climate. Cool nights. Sunny warm days. I think global warming may make Michigan the next "preferred spot" to relocate to if you're wanting to escape the heat in the West, South, East and Northeast. Try the Great Lakes region.

We're loving it here!

Haiku:

Dog-day afternoons

Filled with yelps and nips and barks

What could be better?

Three Months Old and Already a Little Rebel

Welcome to my world! Raising a puppy has required the utmost in patience, compassion and energy level. Marika and I share the brunt of the "pup raising" responsibilities. Gil gets to enjoy Willow when she is at her best -- recently fed, walked and played with -- so that she is fairly settled and ready to be loved. He is quite taken with her, as we all are.

Jamie has been an admirable companion to Willow. Jamie has taught her to sit, lie down, chase a frisbee and walk comfortably on a leash.

Fitting in all the rest of life when you're training a new puppy is a challenge. My to-do list doesn't have too many check marks because what I've scheduled to get done today usually has to wait for tomorrow's list.

Marika is winding up her short summer vacation with us. She's only got three more weeks here in Michigan and is visiting friends, riding horses, spending quality time with the parents and being very, very helpful with Willow. Marika "gets up" for the 6 am "let the puppy out to use the bathroom" duty and then somehow encourages Willow to go back to sleep for a few more hours.

This blog entry is short. Willow is sleeping and it means I can head off to my Pilates session knowing she will wait in the crate for me until I get back.

So without further ado. I'm off to my workout!

Willow Makes Herself at Home

Hello everyone. Meet Willow. The newest addition to the Raff family. New friend and companion to Jamie. She's our long-awaited Border Collie puppy and we brought her home from Traverse City on Monday afternoon.

Since then, it's been 24/7 puppy-mania. It is taking "a village" to give this puppy what she needs and wants. Gil and Marika and I are the caregivers. I insisted that we all watch the Cesar Millan DVD titled "Raising the Perfect Puppy" before bringing her home and so far, I think we're doing everything "right."

Which is to say, we haven't created an anxious, neurotic dog yet. We are loving but firm. We reward good behavior and redirect unwanted behavior. We use lots of rawhide chew sticks to redirect behavior.

Jamie has welcomed Willow into the family with "open paws." They play together, sleep together and eat together. The puppy hasn't learned to respect Jamie's boundaries yet but Jamie has shown herself to be remarkably patient and understanding.

We struggled for weeks trying to find the right name for Willow. Those of you who have ever had to name a pet or a baby know how important choosing the right name can be. We made lists of favorite names, showed them to one another, the names got vetoed and at one point, each of us was afraid to even mention a "favorite puppy name" we had found, knowing that one of us would nix it and it would be relegated to the cutting-room floor.

Amazingly, when we had finally worn each other down to a frazzle, Marika was thumbing through a furniture catalog and cautiously suggested, "What about Willow?"

Gil and I looked at each other and without pausing said, "Yes. That's it! Willow!"

Haiku:

Willow comes to stay

Made herself at home Day One

Now the fun begins.