Today is Sunday, and I plan to shop this morning for Si Yi (fourth Aunt). The doctors tell me ping guo (apples) are good for a housewarming because they symbolize safety. I will also look for flowers, a houseplant, and of course, a bottle of wine. I need a few other things, too - I have found it impossible to find postcards; I need a rubber shower mat before I slip in the shower again; and laundry soap (I don't understand why the cleaners will wash my clothes - for 2 yuan each - but not my socks and underwear).Su shows up to check on me, but first he is excited to share some good news: his wife is pregnant and due in September. She was pregnant in 2006, but her Mom came down with lung cancer and needed much care, so they made the difficult decision to abort their son. After looking me over, Su tells me not to go to tonight's dinner. I decide to skip my morning shopping trip, and agree to rest and elevate my leg, then see how I feel in the afternoon. He advises lots of water, and he discusses foods to avoid - organ meats (no problem), soy, mushrooms, beans). We talk about my proposed alternative to lipitor - daily doses of omega 3, aspirin and garlic. Su shows some interest in a book about Obama and I let him borrow it. Later, my phone rings several times, but I can't get up in time (my phone always cuts off after 4 rings). So apparently my Yue Fu calls the doctor's office, and Su explains why I'm not coming. So much for me deciding.
I am resting in bed in the early afternoon when there is a knock on the door. It takes a while to get up, then I answer the door in my shorts and socks. My Fu Mu (Yue Fu and Yue Mu - Father and Mother in-law) come in with a case of fruit. Somehow we manage to chat for about 2 hours. I amazed by my feeble brain, and the long-forgotten words that occasionally re-emerge. I tell them my return ticket is for March 23, and we agree it is a good idea for us to travel to the U.S. together. It is clear that they are concerned about me and my health.After they depart - just as I lay down for a nap - there is another knock on my door. Alonzo visits my room for the first (and apparently last) time. He asks me to keep our conversation confidential. His wife is scheduled to fly home tomorrow, and he tells me of his secret plan to go with her. He has 3 months to go on his 1-year prize of free treatment here, after winning a contest back in the U.S. But he feels he has done all he can here, and he is confident he has learned how to take care of himself and will continue to lose weight at home. Most of all, he misses his growing kids, which I can relate to absolutely. Clearly the staff here will be upset - he is their greatest success story and is frequently visited by local (and occasionally international) media. Many patients - including me - have thanked him for helping inspire them to come give the program a try. We share some advice, exchange e-mail addresses, and agree to stay in touch and support each others' weight loss goals. I feel I am in a difficult position, but I agree to keep quiet until Monday evening - he says he will call doctor Su from the airport, and he has left a goodbye / thank you video in his room.
I regret missing the family gathering. Dinner for me is a pear and an orange, alone in my room. Alonzo is gone tomorrow; Rene in a few weeks; Nancy after 1 more month. Then it will be just me? - and my team of doctors. I call Su at home and to doublecheck whether I should be fasting for blood and urine tests tomorrow, all the while feeling this secret burning in my head. I try working some more on my blog, but I get the feeling I will be home before I catch up.
Next Page: February 9
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