Lee is reveling in small pleasures, like climbing a flight of stairs, opening a bottle of water, or driving to the supermarket to pick up groceries by himself. He has also become active in the national Amyloidosis Support Network. The pain in his hands and feet hasn’t abated—and it will never be gone entirely—but he’s not as winded or dizzy, or depressed anymore. “I think a lot of weight is off my chest. I feel hopeful that I’m at the bottom of the roller-coaster ride and the only way to go is up.”

As for Goldman, she had a recent episode of rejection, but having been through this once before, she’s staying calm. “Your body has to acclimate to a new organ. I don’t know if I told you, but we’re expecting our eleventh grandchild. I’m confident I’ll be around to see him.”

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• Archive: “Features”
• Articles by Jada Yuan
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