My first roommate was a quiet fellow. I mean that literally. His vocal cords had been surgically removed.

I didn't get to know him too well. He spoke by writing on a pad. He did give me some great advice, like about getting a foam rubber pad to put under my sheets. This made lying on a hospital bed a lot more comfortable. He sometimes called people on the phone. He would answer questions by striking the microphone with a pencil. I know that he had a horse, because he once asked me to call the stable for him to check up on his horse. He left on my third day in the hospital.

My next roommate was a wonderful man named Dave. Dave and I hit it off right away. Dave was married and had two sons. His wife, Ann, was a charming woman and his boys were polite and intelligent. Dave liked sports, especially hockey, and old movies. This was also fortuitous as we shared a television. We always could agree on a program. The nurses often commented on how they could hear us cheering the Flyers all the way down the hall.

Dave and I kept in touch for many years after we left AOH. We visited his home and met several times for dinner. We continue to exchange Christmas greetings. Sadly, Dave passed away a few years ago. His cancer was far more virulent than mine. His children have grown and married, and his wife still lives in their family home.

Dave's cancer was mostly in his throat with colonies around his neck. I don't know the name of it. I do know that for many years Dave was the only Caucasian to ever develop this particular tumor. Prior to his case, it had only been detected in Asian people. Dave would be subjected to radiation and chemotherapy for over a year before he would finally go into remission. His weight would plummet dangerously low, and he would be on the brink of despair. But he survived for many years. Whenever we would meet, he was happy and upbeat. I later learned that when he was first diagnosed, the doctors did not think he would survive more than a year. He was happy to prove them wrong, and I suspect his doctors were also happy.

I spent two weeks at AOH. Dave would stay another two before being released as an outpatient. His next roommate was a fellow with, of all things, breast cancer. I never knew a man could get it.