Another Trip to the Hospital

At dinner we received an emergency-like phone call, informing us that my platelets were extremely low (they were 6,000. 120,000 is considered normal). In a nutshell, this means that I could potentially bruise and bleed easily. They said that I should go to the emergency room immediately to receive a blood transfusion. This will be my third blood transfusion. I got the other two when I had mucositis. Right now, I’m sitting in the hospital, accompanied by my parents and my good friend and fellow vegan Mallory, waiting for one unit of platelets from the blood bank which is currently being rushed over in a cab. Mal and my mom both look like monkeys in their facemasks, but at least they don’t look as silly as my dad who hasn’t yet figured out that his mask is upside-down. My nurse is pretty cool. His name is Tim, he’s bald like me (except for his goatee) and has this awesome dragon tattoo on his forearm. Watch out, Matt. ;)

Trick or Treat

When one gets diagnosed with cancer, trivial things can suddenly become a big deal. On Halloween night, a few friends together with my brother and I decided to go trick-or-treating, seeing as it was our last year that we could get away with it. I untied my headscarf, stole a pair of my dad’s wire-rimmed glasses, and grabbed a sheet and a walking stick. Hunched over, I introduced myself as Gandhi. So, from house to house we went, chewing on Twizzlers and Laffy Taffys as we walked. Not being quite the highly coordinated, aged Indian man that that I thought I was, I toppled over, somehow resulting in the mysterious removal of my shoe and sock and some very minor scratches on two of my toes. I initially thought nothing of the matter and didn’t feel a thing. But Tuesday night (three days later), my foot started hurting. The next day I awoke to a throbbing and swollen foot. Frantically, my father called Ghostbusters! (Just kidding, he called the hospital.) We learned from my pediatrician that these tiny scratches were, in fact, infected. Unable to walk, I resorted to the use of crutches. They put me on Clidamyacin, an antibiotic. Since then, the swelling and redness has decreased considerably. Halloween was not the only night we got a fright.

From left to right: Gandhi, the wicked Mallory,

effeminate Aaron, and unibrowed Ari.