High summer 1979 in Cambridge, England gifted a spell of hot weather. One afternoon when I was sunbathing in my garden, I received a telephone call from a woman who introduced herself as a nurse at Addenbrooks Hospital with the name of Celeste. "I have serious eczema, and it's getting worse right now. I've been hospitalized before when it burns ...

September 9, 2020: "Dearest Farida, I had a car accident after our last conversation. One of my ribs was broken and I was hospitalized for 10 days. This has been an unexpected but meaningful time, disconnected from the outside, while giving full attention to healing my physical injuries. After the surgery, I experienced lung symptoms as they ...

WHAT DO YOU EAT IF EVERYTHING TASTES LIKE CHEMICALS? "Nothing," was my brother's response to all food. Doctors insisted the feeding port must be removed as it was already months beyond the advised normal removal time. The risk of infection was at danger level. No one could shift my brother's mind. "If they take the feeding port out, ...