Hope everyone is enjoying a good spring break and holiday...

We are just back from our week in Boston. It was great to get away and spend some close family time; and Boston truly feels like a home away from home for us. We loved visiting with family and friends and we were made to feel welcome everywhere we went. Jon & Danny had an opportunity to meet some of the terrific people Matthew & I had gotten to know last fall. Highlights of the trip included spending time with friends & family, having seders with my sister (7 months pregnant) and the Sperbers, visiting Ali at her new job, dropping in for an impromptu lesson and jam session at Brookline Music School, a warm reunion with the proton beam team at Mass General, kayaking on the Charles River AND a sunny, Saturday afternoon Red Sox game, where we sat in the world's greatest seats - four rows back, directly behind the catcher! Even though the Sox lost to Seattle, it was an extraordinary thrill to be there.

Matthew is feeling great & holding strong on the medical front. However, we are struggling quite a bit with hearing issues. Absorbing the reality of his progressively worsening hearing loss is somewhat like dealing with the impact of his initial diagnosis. Of course, the implications are quite different but, all the same, it is a terrible loss and we are dealing with grief and shock on an emotional level, while at the same time we must function rationally - mobilize ourselves to learn as much as we can, as quickly as possible, to understand the options, make critical decisions, and line up the help we need. It all feels very overwhelming. If you have any experience in this area - or know of anyone who can help us - please email me privately.

Then - there is the situation with my mom. She is in rehab now, close to our house, and doing ok. But I am quite concerned with her persistent anemia problem, which has caused her to be hospitalized twice in the past few months before this incident and which, I am convinced, was the underlying cause of her most recent fall. A huge thank you to everyone who has volunteered to stop by and visit her. It's a huge relief to me to have help in this area, since I am so completely immersed in addressing Matthew's medical & schooling needs.