Joyce's KP Adventure mikepasini.com headlines
The Amicangelo Visit
28 December 2025
On Saturday, Joseph and Michael had planned to surprise Joyce with a visit. They were in town from Los Angeles and planned to pick me up around 11. But just before that, Andy in Sacrament texted that he was thinking of coming along too. No problem, I told him.
Family. [Left to right] Joseph, Michael, Nora, Andy, Katie, Joyce, Andy, Mike.
So we had a party in the Pacific room. Starting with Joey and Michael and then, just before Joyce's lunch arrived, with Andy and Katie and their kids Andy and Nora.
It was a great distraction for Joyce from her surgery on Monday morning. But it also reminded her how much people care about her. That's not a distraction, that's a blessing.
After we wore Joyce out and returned her to her room, everyone came to the house and we had a late lunch. Nora turned on the holiday lights by giving orders to Google ("Hey, Google! Turn on the tree!"). And her brother told us he plans to attend San Francisco State University because the city is so beautiful.
Katie told the kids who all the people in the photos are. Great grandparents, grandparent, parents, aunts and uncles. And she told them how she and Andy used to come her for Christmas and how they, too, used to come, when they were little.
And I had the feeling, once again, that we had all gotten together for Christmas here, even if Joyce couldn't join us this time.
Tomorrow morning, she's scheduled to have the wound on her leg closed at 7:30 a.m. I'll catch the 43 Masonic at 6 a.m. to meet her in pre-op. I'll bring her a few things for her room, like her toothbrush and phone, and see her settled before I return home. The surgeon expects her to remain there for five to seven days.
We won't have to worry about wound dressing supplies (or even getting the dressing changed) as we did in November. And the food will be different, so maybe she'll try it.
Her surgeon Dr. Holland ran some labs on her late last week, which showed she was dehydrated. But she refuses to drink more. I tried to get her to drink a few things today with some success but she's so dehydrated her blood pressure is around 100/60, requiring medication.
Amicangelo means "friendly angel." She could use one or two (or six) right now. It cheers me up to see that photo of her surrounded by them yesterday.