Ca 40.078*

As I write this, my father is at Kaiser in Oakland, having a two hour calcium drip. (I originally thought it was going to be last Tuesday.) I had written that I was unsure of the purpose of the procedure. A friend of my father who is reading this blog sent me an e-mail to explain:

With regard to the calcium drip, I think I can illumine the situation. My mother received these in the advanced stages of her breast/bone cancer. The calcium is introduced with various other agents in order to try to strengthen bones that are on the verge of structural collapse. It is done to try to prevent fractures that might occur just in the context of simple weight-bearing exercise, like just walking to the toilet.

This make sense especially because the cancer has metasticized to his bone.

Enough said.

*Calcium’s atomic symbol and weight.