Diagnosed Day (Day -387), Transplant Day (Day 0)

Time to hit the old reset button. 

Time to take contra/blades of steel/NHL 94/Mike Tysons Punch Out/Mario out of the console and blow on it, and softly place it back in, because that worked every time. 

If you don't get this reference, then I'm sorry for your lack of wholesome childhood (and for being old). HAVE YOU EVEN BEEN TO A BLOCKBUSTER OR OTHER MOVIE STORE IN YOUR LIFE?! 

You'll never know the joy of spending an hour deciding what movie or game 

to get, then watching it to the very end or playing it all night even if it sucked because SACRIFICES WERE MADE AND EFFORT EXPENDED TO ACHIEVE THIS FUN. 

Couldn't just Netflix your way back to the second to last episode of Breaking Bad to save the night when your 2-day rental wasn't living up to the glowing reviews on the back of the box.

Interesting. I seem to have gotten off track.

So at noon today, after the transplant, I'm pretty sure is when I'll become a super hero of some kind. Just screams something out of a comic book. Hospital. High tech blood alteration. Enemy territory. Surrounded by wolverines.

Absolute specimen of a human test subject...

Yup. I'll keep you up to date on what kind of powers have been acquired. 

Most likely: power of instant sleepiness man, bald power man, grumpy disposition man, platelet-less man, WBC-less man, never more than 6 feet from the toilet man, pushes the nurse help button a lot because I need help man, annoys the masses with frequent blog posts man, hates the Lions man....you know, all the powers you wanted when you were a kid.

So--they're giving me my stem cells back today. They bring in a frozen bag of blood, thaw it out on a table in front of me, and syringe it right in. Quick process. Some slight risks involved but it should be fine. Then the waiting game begins as the engraftment process begins. Same story, told to expect to feel "okay" for the next couple days, but as we inch near day 5, 6, 7, the toxicity rises and the counts drop...meaning fun. 

But fuck it.

It's exciting, hoping this is some light at the end of the tunnel. Long way to go, but this is the beginning.

Day 0. 

I like the symbolism of Day 0. 

I was diagnosed on Day -387.   

Much has happened in that short time. 

Much will happen after Day 0. 

Here we go.