Reuben H. Bergman

I'm very happy for you now that your wife has now joined you up in heaven.May you two enjoy life up there together along with your son.Many warm wishes, your wife's 10 year old student
Ashley Pascual

Dear Rube, Well it's two years today since I last saw you, but it's been at least once a month since I've spoken to you. Actually, you spoke to me twice: both times to assure me that you were OK and not to worry.
Actually I worry a lot. Not about you, but me. I've been back to hospital again since we last spoke, this time I'm anemic, and need some blood transfusion. The hospital had a waiting list of 11 beds ahead of mine. So I went back home until tomorrow at 6 AM when...

Just a middle of the month quickie: I just spent a few days at Wellington regional Hospital again because the coumadin registered a whopping over 12. Normal is 2-3. It seems rhere was an interaction between the flax seed , grape seed and warfarin, and it went sky high, big danger of hemorrage. After four units of frozen plasma, and some vitamin K, I'm back to acceptable levels, and I can't take the supplements any more. so sad. And a holististic doctor that I called isn't accepting new...

Hey, guess what! It's the 11 of January, 2006.

Dear Rube, Please forgive me. Time just ran away. Ritzya and Renanah just spent a week here, from Dec. 30 to Jan 7. And my sister Rocky arrived the same day that our children left. What fun we had!

With Ritzya and Renanah to help, we had a party for 50 friends and angels who have helped me since I got sick: people who have brought me food, driven me to MD appts, called and helped during hurricanes. They are truly...

Dearest Ruby,

The last we spoke, I was getting ready for Thanksgiving with Ritzya, Renanah, and me. We had a lovely visit. Our daughter was her usual ambitious and efficient self, and helped me organize. We went to Bohemian Gardens for Thnksgvng with my friend Evvy. Daughter had broiled lobster, and we had other stuff from the regular menu. Bonnie sent a gorgeous cornucopia filled with fruit and flowers, and we brought it to the restaurant where it decorated the entire dining room....

My dear husband,

Guess what? We had another hurricane. This was a doozie! Student parents and four kids came and secured the house for me: the shutters, and the metal bars. Everything was battened down tight, and groceries and other supplies stored. Bob and Myrna came with corned beef sandwiches, batteries, etc.

And then the storm hit. I never want to go through one like that again. The storm knocked down several of the metal panels, and they blew all over, two of...

Dearest Ruby,

Well, the scond chemo wasn't as bad as the first....but still some painful after effects, plus a numbing of the toes and fingers which makes it pretty hard to play the piano. But I don't stop...if you don't use it, you lose it. We know that very well.

Now, the doctor has ordered more CT scans to see if there are any changes. Well, not enough. In fact one of the lesions is larger. So she's changing the meds. I've had a third chemo, and the side effects...

Hello again:

Sorry we are late this month,'puter problems. Roger is here for a quick visit,and he fixed the 'puter. It wasn't easy.

Well, I had my first chemo treatment. It wasn't bad in itself: six hours of IV type drips, much like dialysis. Rita came with me,and I was okay for two days. Then everything hit the fan--I cannot remember being so sick and in so much pain. Believe me, awful, and in the middle we had a serious hurricane, Katrina which destroyed New...

Dear Ruby,

Well,I promised you a full account of my vacation up north. Took auto train from Sanford, Fl. ( a four hour drive on turnpike),arrived at Herndon about one P.M.the next day. Happy to see everyone. You know that Ritzya and Rick have been separated for two years now. He has a little apartment about a mile from the house. He has a good job,and they are paying their bills.

After a few days, I got on the NJTurnpike and headed for Manhattan to Roger's place....