Two Faces Have I: Exorcism, Exercise, and Engagement Part 2: Optimism When I finally broke out of funk, it was because I had hit a realization: I was 72 years old, I had a clear path in front of me, and I had support. My sister had been upbeat since day one, but it was […]

Part 1: Fear Image by Toshiyuki IMAI Creative Commons The follow-up combo of steroids, drugs, anti-anxiety, sleep aids, and the regular medication left me a mess for two weeks. The anaphylactic shock from the transplant seemed to parley tension, fear, pain, sleep aids, and medicines into a cocktail for a mental state not unlike shock. I didn’t […]

And a Bad Reaction to Rabbit Blood! Thus came the big day, Day Zero on the transplant calendar. This is your day of rebirth (of your bone marrow and blood system). It should be simple. You get a blood transfusion. That’s all. Donor Blood is Introduced into your System The rest of this recollection is […]

Things that were a pain, and a look at the role of the “Caregiver” A hospital room is chaotic. There are doctors, nurses, and aids visiting you constantly, and the buzz of activity pretty much prevents you from watching or reading anything that isn’t short and self-contained. I brought along books and plenty of Netflix. […]

What I learned about My Heart 50 years after a First Grade Incident Typical Pacemaker My first neighborhood was Washington Heights, New York City, When I was six, I went to school for the first time. Our fathers took turns marching us (John Banks, Tommy Fallon, Joe Hornack, and me) from 179th Street and Wadsworth […]

A study of Time, Trust and Team-building. A final haircut before admission and chemotherapy. Nearly 1 hour north of where I lived, in a standalone Cancer Center apart from the massive Hospital complex, I met with the transplant program’s chief architect and leader. I cannot understate how important this meeting was, because the choices were […]

But they can change your life. The author following a daily chemotherapy treatment prior to a bone marrow transplant. Head not yet shaved. Inthe fall of 2020, I walked into my Family Doctor’s office for my annual physical and walked out with bad news. My blood panel showed that I was low on iron. They […]