COLUMBUS OH

This entry has been delayed as usual - by over a month, as usual. But no one has missed much, since not much that was intereting has happened here.

The most important, of course, is the medical report. As usual, Bobbi is preparing for what by now has become her annual Advent surgery. This time she is having last year's cardiac sphincter repair repaired. (The story is that four days after the first repair she was moved to an aftercare facility where another patient who was admitted that afternoon happened to be carrying a flu virus in a highly infectious stage. Of course the staff broke procecure and transmitted the virus to Bobbi [and others]. She retched violently for 24 hours, blowing her suture line. So she has been nursing an incompetent cardiac sphincter again for the past year, waiting to redo the surgery. Now she has had all the preliminary testing, and one of her old pastoral friends will take her in to the operating room tomorrow morning at 0530.

We ask that you all pray for her. (Normally Paul would have been taking Bobbi to the hospital and staying with her until she is safely out of the recovery room. But unfortunately he will be working third shift tonight and won't be able to join Bobbi until after she wakes up.)

Lew's situation must be considered simply boring. In some ways, his medical condition unexpectedly improved slowly during the past year - ejection fraction last month was up to 50, and the PT has guided him to slow, unspectacular improvement in his gait and balance. But he obsesses apprehensively on outliving most of his Lindner uncles but none of the Holms.

Of course the boys still are relatively young, so there is little of a medical nature to pass on about them. At last all are gainfully employed and on their own.

One fun item to report: the week of 10 November Scott flew up to Columbus so he could take Lew to Toledo for the weekend. The two of them then proceded to tour the city while Lew pointed out his old haunts - some legal, some not so legal. Lew really enjoyed the excursion, and Scott said that he did also. Maybe they can repeat. Enough! It's late, and Bobbi must get ready early in the morning. A report on the surgery will surely follow. Peace and Love, - an aged Hippy