Day 164 – Around again to Oktoberfest

It has been over a year since Jeff’s diagnosis.  Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the start of his treatment with Vidaza.  And, of course, our blogging began around that time, too. 

One of our earliest blog entries was “Oktoberfest!”  I remember being in shock at last year’s Oktoberfest and thinking Jeff had a perpetual look of disbelief.  Treatment was to begin a couple days later and our family seemed unsure how to behave toward us. 

This year was different.  Although Jeff’s left-handed Bist du Stark effort was only 1:43 minutes compared to last year’s second-place win with 3:45, the evening seemed wonderfully usual.  Keith won the Bist du Stark competition for the Under 21 crowd with a time of 3:28.  There were the usual sauerkraut and bratwurst, German potato salad and spaetzle, music and dancing, and laughter. 

When the Jugengruppe (young) dancers came out banging the ends of long poles in rhythm for the Steckentanz (probably translates as ‘stick dance’), we wondered whether the poles would be used like limbo sticks.  Mark quipped, “A boy probably once said, ‘I wouldn’t touch that girl with a 10’ pole!’”  We laughed and then watched a dance that did not, in fact, involve the boys touching the girls except with those poles.  The poles were held horizontally between the boys and the girls and then were layered so that six or eight couples circled together.  The adults danced the Glocken Plattler which involves using cowbells in bell-choir fashion while dancing.  Since I call my family to dinner with a cowbell, Keith said, “This song makes me hungry.”

Kerry’s in-laws, Steve and Stephanie, were the newbies at Oktoberfest this year and they were very good sports.  Steph tried the Bist du Stark competition and was the woman to beat for most of the evening.  However, late in the evening two women bested her so that she came in third.  No prize was awarded for third but I think she still deserves bragging rights.  Steve felt the festivities put him in touch with his German heritage.  They both seemed to enjoy themselves and we enjoyed having them along.

Last weekend, at Melissa’s and Josh’s wedding, Harry told Jeff that it was the first time in a long time that he looked at Jeff and “forgot.”  I know what he meant.  With increasingly normal-looking hair and improved posture, you don’t immediately identify him as a Cancer Patient.  Unless you see him try to hold a mug, put on his coat or reach for his wallet, you don’t see any impairment at all.  And, hopefully, those issues will be addressed, too.  He’ll see a University of Pennsylvania orthopedist tomorrow.  We’ll see.

Jeff’s fingernails are still folding back and splitting.  He wears band-aids on the worst of his fingers because the splits are annoying.  He can’t wait for the weak spots to grow out.  It will be awhile yet, I think.