Slow Day

June 27, 2007

Well, as of noon today, we are on 5 housing organizations' waiting lists. They make apartments available to patients and their families who are getting medical treatment at Houston's medical center. Most of the organizations are faith based and represent 20+ churches, synagogues, and the American Cancer Society. Collectively, I'd guess they control over 200 apartments which are sub-let to patients at a reduced rate ranging from free to $40.00 per day. Many are in walking distance from the medical center area, which includes MDACC as well as probably 25 other hospitals, medical research centers, and university medical schools. Persons can sub-let the apartments ranging in time from 2 weeks minimum to 3 months maximum. The American Cancer Society has arrangements with local hotels which make rooms available for free up to half-price for a maximum stay of 7 days. I'd say that the Houston "medical center" is larger than downtown Albany and as reported recently in one of our largest weekly business magazines, is the largest combined medical area in the country. The article went on to say that it is twice as large as the combined area of NYC hospitals, etc. A report I saw last year stated that over 150,000 people visit the medical center area each day. MDACC alone has between 19,000 and 22,000 employees and they are not the largest employer in the medical center. I hope I got that right, regardless the point was made- it is "huge".

So again we wait but we're one day closer to nailing down a specific transplant date. Leslie and I expect we'll know the date by tomorrow at the latest. It would be nice to have it today in that TODAY IS LESLIE'S BIRTHDAY. She has been a blessing to me for the past 29 years. Oh, did I happen to mention that Saturday is our 28th wedding anniversary? Keep those well wishes flowing-in.

Stay cool,

Stan