My wife made me call you . . . again

After a week-long game of phone tag with the surgeon's office and the hospital, Dan's next round of surgery is scheduled for Monday afternoon, Sept. 11. The suspect lipoma will be removed and biopsied and the portacath will be inserted. Both are minor, quick procedures, and the prep and recover will be the longest part of the day.

Dan made so many calls that he knows the names of all the admin staff, their vacation schedules, their kids' names, and what they studied in college. One time when he called, the receptionist tried to transfer him to the surgical coordinator who was out of the office. Dan had to tell the receptionist Janice was filling in for Maria this week while Maria was in Connecticut visiting her mother who's having some gout problems this summer.