Day 29

Wouldn’t life be different if it were a video game? We’ll in a strange way, mine kind of is… old school Mario Bros. on Nintendo 64, that is.

This whole cancer fuss is like running into a goomba: those evil, brown, mushroom-like creatures. Yeah sure, I may lose a life, but then something magical happens. I find that I am blinking; moustache, overalls, everything. My body quickly vanishes and reappeares. I am invincible, and nothing can stop me now. Although in the game it may last only for a few seconds, this flickering phenomena is here to stay. It is caused by none other than the wonderfully overwhelming support of my family and friends. Every email or wallpost that I get is like a mushroom, adding “1-up” to my total lives. So thank you, everyone, for keeping alive and helping me to conquer the evil "Lym Hodgkin".

On a more serious note, my blood counts are high (a good thing) and so are my spirits.

Twice a week, I get blood drawn for a Complete Blood Count (CBC). I have a port, which is a piece of medical equipment surgically implanted in my upper chest . It makes frequent blood tests and injections less painful. A catheter connects the port to a vein. Under the skin, the port has a septum, through which drugs can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times, rather than using a painful needle stick in the arm.

The port connects to a vein close to the heart. In my case, the catheter is problematic and does not allow for the free flow of liquids and as a result, my port needs to be replaced, probably tomorrow in a small operation involving general anesthesia at the Comer Children's Hospital at the University of Chicago. Also, immediately following the operation I am scheduled to start my second cycle of chemotherapy. I expect to be admitted into the hospital until Saturday, although it is possible that some of this chemo may be done on an outpatient basis. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

CBC results as of 9/08/09:

Mohawk now gone, my outer appearance fits my title: "The Great Baldini."

My new "look."