Jo Clayton

News Update (27 Jan 97)

Hey, all. Elizabeth and I (and Mary and Jim and Page and Sarah and Rory and Kami and...) continue to visit Jo often. We've not felt a pressing need to supply a Jo Report here since Jo has been online in her Genie topic for a while, and thus seems to be reporting well on her own these days, which is very cool indeed.

Still, on our last visit Friday night, she said that she hasn't been online a whole bunch lately, so it would be a good idea for us to drop you folks a line and tell you that all is well. Round Six of chemo recently came and went with nary a lick of trouble for Jo (other than the brief, expected post-chemo come-down, which she has become accustomed to).

Jo has been positively bubbly the past few times we've seen her. She's writing more these days than she has in a long while--with another story off to an anthology and at least one more in the works--and she is being a writing mentor/tutor to at least one talented up-and-comer. It's a role she seems to enjoy a great deal.

What's been particularly smile-inducing for her, though, has been the underground railroad of custom-ordered food that we and others stealthily skulk into her room (actually, her doctors approve and encourage it). Seems that after six months of hospital victuals, she craves food from the outside world, namely bacon cheesburgers (the best are from the Blue Moon pub near the hospital) and milkshakes, fries, etc. Remember: her doctors have okayed this, mainly--we think-- because it's good for her personal sense of well-being and satisfaction. So we've had picnics with her in her room, with much chomping and slurping and passing of napkins, and polite waving away of the nurses bringing in their mealtrays. You should see the ecstacy on Jo's face. She just glows.

Physically she's still on the mend, though her leg bones are still unable to support her weight. Bone growth *is* occurring, and the meds are doing their job, but it's a slower process than even her chief oncologist had anticipated. Now that her sixth of six chemotherapy sessions is done, we hope to have more news soon. But when last we spoke, her oncologist could not tell us anything firm about the immediate future. As soon as something significant occurs or changes, we'll pass it on through these channels.

She can still get around in her motorized wheelchair, though her time in it per day is still restricted. More outings away from the hospital (such as the recent excursion to Powell's City of Books, who treated her grandly) are in the works.

Note: Jo's birthday is February 15th, and we are planning a party for her: in the 5th floor Skilled Nursing activity room, with cake and hamburgers and--by request--the movie BLAZING SADDLES. It will begin at 1:00 PM on Saturday the 15th. Everyone's welcome. If you can't make it in person, cards would be most keen. If you DO plan to attend and we don't already know it, please let us know (via bourne@teleport.com) so we can plan and supply accordingly.

Again, we'll post here again when something significant occurs, or if you've not heard from Jo or us for a long while.

Till then, clear skies,

Mark and Elizabeth Bourne

 
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