Live Update!

Jody and Danielle celebrate the wonders of chemotherapy.

Today is Chemo #2, and we celebrate something seemingly minor that's actually pretty great.

Three weeks ago when we were here, I brought my laptop with me; I had figured Jody might be able to surf the web while getting her meds.

In her treatment room, my Powerbook sensed a network in the building, but it was password protected. Bummer.

So I mentioned it casually to a member of the staff: "You might want to think about getting wireless access here." Aside from the bonus for the patients, I thought it was a smart thing for the cancer center to do: they could have patients log on through a splash screen that would promote all the center's ancillary programs: support groups, nutrition counseling, whatever. Just another way to reach their patients. By the end of the day, Jody and I were talking about it almost as a cause. Every cancer center in New York should have wireless access! It would cost next to nothing, it could easily be funded. Why hadn't someone done this? We thought about hosting another fundraiser. We were inspired.

Then we went home and forgot about it 'cause, you know, we were dealing with other crap.

Imagine our surprise today when, as we sit here at the cancer center beginning the treatment (Jody reading her Times and me with my laptop), a guy pokes his head in and says "Are you getting the wireless signal?"

I assumed he was another patient or family member. "No," I replied, "there isn't one. It's password-protected. We tried last time we were here."

No, this was new, he replied. He was from IT, and they'd put it in three days ago. He asked me to check, and lo! A strong, free wireless signal was obtained!

We were stunned and exalted. Spending 5+ hours here, you look for ways to pass the time. Now Jody can read the news, check her eamil, all that stuff.

We asked how long the network had been planned. "Not long at all," the guy responded, "someone made a suggestion three weeks ago. We discussed it in a meeting, and it seemed easy enough to set up."

Wow. We're floored. Our suggestion-in-passing turned into a reality in time for our second appointment.

Can you imagine if the rest of the world worked this way?