Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Bridge Blog 815: Catch as catch can

Not to put big black Xes across the whole calendar too soon, but 2015 is not going to be a championship year. The first six months are going to be consumed with chemo treatments, then surgery for Stage 2-B bladder cancer.
Currently I’m taking future dates with the understanding that I won’t play if I’m not feeling up to it. The Rochester Regional in May? My original plan was to spend the week there, but now there’s virtually no chance I’ll see a single session of it.  
Nevertheless, until chemo started a week ago, I was having a pretty good start – 7.39 points in seven sessions, thanks to double points all this month at the Airport Bridge Club. A couple stellar games – notably a 66% effort with Dianne Bloom back on Jan. 6 – didn’t hurt.
Chemo brain took over last week, however. My Jan. 13 game with Dianne was 36%. A venture to St. Catharines, Ont., on Friday the 14th yielded 51% with Selina Volpatti, less than a tick from winning points. It took a dull and steady game with Marietta Kalman on Tuesday to return to the winners’ paddock – 55%, fourth overall, 1.11 points. Total: 8.50.  December only brought in 8.73.
          Depending on how I feel, there will be more chances to add to that 8.50 during the next 10 days. My latest blood tests showed good white and red blood cell counts, so the nurses at Roswell Park Cancer Institute figure I’m immune enough to be in a crowd of card-players at the Buffalo Winter Sectional if I avoid the sneezers and coughers and take along some protective face masks. I’m skipping the strenuous Swiss team session Sunday, but have partners for Friday and Saturday. Mornings only.  

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