The Moonlight Sonata at the Mayo Clinic (23 page)

For the sweetness and love: Jennifer, Rick, Carissa, and Dwight and Claire Chouinard and Matt Stoecker.

I thank Josh Stern and Sarah Key for always looking after me. And I am grateful for Alison and Jim Stern and for John Stern, in memory.

I thank my parish priest, Mark Asman, for all that he puts up with; for his deep, abiding faith; and for his immediate help in any emergency.

This book is partially dedicated to Dr. Babji Mesipam, but here I want to thank him particularly. Without the support of at least one doctor, a patient cannot persist. Dr. Mesipam was that doctor for me. I am grateful to Robert Wright for his own persistence. Drs. Bevra Hahn and Les Dorfman, human and humane specialists, and Dr. Hossein Nazari, for his skill and compassion. Drs. Laura Koth and Jeffrey Gelfand, at UCSF for spirit and dedication. Dr. Gelfand is the only doctor I have seen come out to the waiting room to find and shepherd his patients. Thank you, Dr. Jennifer Derebery, for determination and brilliance. I am grateful to Dr. Randy Howard for analysis and research, freely given. I thank Dr. Marc Lowe for his early identification and quick response. I am very grateful to Dianna Garner and also Lily Hopkins. I am thankful for Sara Person-Isaacs and Monica Nungaray at Dr. Mesipam’s office. I thank Steve Cooley and Ann Marie Granaroli at Sansum Pharmacy.

Thank you, Jason Handler and Celia Dermont, healers. Thank you, Dr. Dawn George, always.

I am deeply grateful to Robert Baughman for time, expertise, compassion, and dedication.

And I am grateful to Dr. Karl Golnik for his experience, skill, and follow-up.

I thank the Mayo Clinic, Roberta Allan, and Tom Brokaw.

Thank you Nan and Craig and Luke. Without you …

And finally I thank Vincent, my heart. You showed me what the vow looks like.

—Nora Gallagher, Santa Barbara, Summer 2012

Nora Gallagher is the author of
Changing Light, Things Seen and Unseen: A Year Lived in Faith
, and
Practicing Resurrection: A Memoir of Work, Doubt, Discernment, and Moments of Grace
. Her essays, book reviews, and journalism have appeared in
The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, DoubleTake
, and
Mother Jones
, among other publications. She is also the editor of the award-winning
Notes from the Field
, a collection of literary essays about the outdoors.

Other titles by Nora Gallagher available in ebook format
Changing Light
• 978-0-375-42481-6
Things Seen and Unseen
• 978-0-307-42971-1

Visit:
www.noragallagher.org

For more information, please visit
www.aaknopf.com