Facing the world

“My bangs aren’t thick enough to cover it,” she says. “My daughter asks why I wear a Band-Aid all the time,” says Brenda. But Brenda would rather walk around with a large bandage on her forehead. Just as Edgar won’t let anyone see him sick and diminished, Brenda won’t let anyone see her face damaged.

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Stella has lymphoma. While she was on chemotherapy, she stayed put at home and avoided crowds to avoid catching someone’s virus. Once chemo was done, she was able to fly to Tallahassee, Fla., to see her new granddaughter Genevieve.

Unfortunately, her lymphoma recurred sooner than she and her doctors had hoped. Now Stella is on a new drug. This seems to be helping, but it puts her back at risk for infections in crowds.

And on planes. “Will you be able to visit Genevieve in Florida?” I ask.