I actually finished 13 rounds of radiation (last Tuesday) and went back to the hospital for chemo. It was slightly premature, as I was checked into urgent care in the middle of the night on Wednesday morning in the AM. I was experiencing a severe amount of pain due to a massive upswing in my blast cells. Translation: the cancer was giving me lots of unprecedented grief, so I came in early and got lots and lots and lots of pain medication. I started chemo last Thursday and finished 5 days of that just the other day. I will be recovering in the hospital from here on out. It is almost inevitable that I will get a fever/infection during this time, which is why I must remain in the hospital under close supervision. I will also be undergoing various tests, including more bone marrow tests and spinal taps. When it has been confirmed that that cancer is in an acceptable state (remission), I will move on to the bone marrow transplantation.

The side effects of the chemo have been very manageable this time around, and I am incredibly grateful for that. So, if anyone is interested in stopping by and saying hi during the next few weeks, then please do so by all means. I am in 1232A (12th floor) and will likely remain there the whole time. I get around the floor, so just give me a ring if I'm not in my room (646 637 3402). Sloan-Kettering is located at 67th/68th and First Avenue/York Avenue.

I will be sending out a "blood drive" request via the coordinators here at Sloan very soon. For those of you in the New York area, this is a good opportunity to give blood directly to me, if you wish. I will be getting many transfusions (red cells and platelets) this month. My red cell type is A- and platelet type matching doesn't really matter. If you are interested, please stop by when the email goes out to you. At the very least, even if you don't match me someone else on my floor will be in need of your help. For everyone else in the country, blood is always needed at your local bank/hospital.

As for bone marrow transplantation, I will try to get more information if you are interested in joining one of the registries. I am already pre-screened and match plenty of potential donors, so anything you would do would be strictly for the public good. It would be a big commitment, but of course, you people are nice, so that's expected of you by now!