They walked the brick path to the sidewalk along University Boulevard.
“You choose the place,” Nick said, “I’ll drive.”
They took the short drive east on University to The Swamp, a sports bar and restaurant located across from and sharing the nickname of the Gator’s football stadium.
“So, how long have you had RA?” Shelly asked Ann as they
found a table by the window.
“Since the eighth grade. I live with it. Didn’t really bother me much for a while. I was a cheerleader in high school, but when I got to be a senior, the pain was too much. That’s when I started getting the shots. But can we talk about the Kristen project?”
“Of course!” said Shelly as she scooted forward. “What would you like to know?”
“I have been working with Dr. Hayes on the review side, and I know a lot of groups are involved in finding a cure, but it seems kind of slow in its progress. Sort of like no one is really talking to each other the way they were at the beginning.”
“I would agree,” said Shelly.
“So do you think the idea may be losing steam? It started with such a bang, but now it’s just talked about by people like us,” she said. “Have you found anything that’s promising so far?”
Shelly looked at Nick and then to Barry, who told her with his eyes it was okay to let Ann know what was going on as best she could.
“Well, there are a few things we see that are promising,” Shelly began. “A doctor in Salt Lake City has micro-robots—based on nanotechnology—that can float in the bloodstream. That’s exciting.”
“How does that help in curing cancer?”
“It’s a direct delivery system. So when we find a way to kill cancer, it can be carried right to the site of the tumor. And once it’s approved by the FDA, it could be extraordinary.”
“That takes about five years, though, doesn’t it?” Ann asked
Barry.
“Five years?” Nick asked, putting down his iced tea. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, she’s right,” said Shelly. “It takes the FDA about five years
to approve a drug for human testing. To lessen the time frame, you