128: Cruel and Unusual

A quick update on all of the testing. The cat scan came back fine. Nothing there to speak of. The pet scan came back fine. Nothing there to speak of. And so, yesterday, i endured the 3rd and worst of the testing trifecta, the bone marrow biopsy. Not for the faint of heart. What happens is they inject you with a thin needle and push it right into a fucking bone and then extract the fun within. Oh the joy!

I'll spare all of the details. It's so gruesome that I almost made a friend pass out while driving. But anyway, aside from some soreness in the back right hip (where the deed was done), I feel fine. I should be able to limbo at 100% capacity by Saturday. The next appointment is next Wednesday where we discuss our next course of action.

127: Radioactive Man

I feel like this blog has unwillingly become somewhat of a medical journal. A journey through the preliminary stages of lymphoma testing told firsthand. A completely non-fictional account of one man's struggle with the forces aligned against. Ah, whatever. The truth is, i feel 100% (aside from the aching back, obviously twisted while trying to break into a car in which i had locked the keys but that's another blog). And i've felt 100% for a long long time. Whatever has been hanging around my eyes has been quiet and harmless. No pain, no itching, no vision problems. You'd barely even notice it by looking at me. The bottom line is i'm not sick. Which makes all of these tests seem tedious and unnecessary.

Hey I ain't no dummy. I know it's better to be safe than sorry and the 2 cat scans and the biopsy and the numerous blood tests and the pet scan and the upcoming bone marrow biopsy and whatever treatment they have in store are all necessary. I'm just sick of the hospital... and it's weird to get asked how i feel so often. I feel fine. If I felt like shiznit i would flat out say, "thanks for asking, i feel shiznitty." But I can't complain because, well, at least I know that people care and I have a nice support system just in case things take a swan dive. So... forget i said anything. Thank you, everybody.

I'm at work really early again. Listening to Tortoise. Taking some photos today at Schubas and then it's off to Detroit for the weekend.

I had that PET scan yesterday. They injected me with radioactive material and then made me sit around for an hour while it made its way around town. I then had to lay, wrapped up and be scanned for 77 minutes. I fell asleep during this procedure. It's their own fault for playing smooth jazz.

126: You Make Me Wanna Throw Stuff Around

I am exhausted. Why did The Smoking Popes have to play so late? And why do I live so far from the Metro? And why did I get up so early to come in to work? We'll never know.

A quick update on the body talk. The oncologist appointment went well and i've already had a second cat scan, this time focusing on the chest and the pelvis. On Thursday, I have a pet scan, which stands for Positron Emission Tomography. I am confident that they will find that i am a positive, optimistic person who tends to emit positive vibes. The point of all of this is to make sure that the lymphoma that has been hanging out and partying around my eyes isn't anywhere else on the map, so to speak. If it's not, we'll treat the problem, monitor its (lack of) progress, and we can put the whole deal behind us.

Sleepytime.

125: The Malt Thickens

I am a terrible interviewer. I've taken the liberties of inviting friends' bands here to work for a podcast / interview in exchange for some hot shirts and a chance to challenge me in extreme pingpong. Today, the extraordinary band, Anathallo, came by. Even though I had a stockpile of questions all ready to go, I was a stumbling mumbling fool. Ah well, it's a learning experience and these are all friends so we just keep on walking and talking. Anyway, go see Anathallo. They have to be seen to be believed.

In other news, most of my Oscar picks were spot on, even though i guessed at most of them and only realy saw one of the multi-nominated films, The Constant Gardener. I didn't think it was all that great and personally Ralph Finnes deserved to be nominated more than Rachel Weisz. Obviously that was one of the misses. I did pick my boy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, though, and i'm thrilled that he won. In close circles, we call him the finest actor of our generation. Believe it.

And lastly, the results of the biopsy came back and i have been diagnosed with... ready? ... Extranodal marginal b-cell lymphoma. That's the truth. Tomorrow I see an oncologist. I'll let you know how that goes. Keep walking, keep talking.