Saturday, June 26, 2010

The last time I was a Hero to my son, Lonnie, Jr., and my daughter Bess

Shakeys Pizza made pretty good pizza, the pitchers of beer were better, and best of all was the entertainment on weekends. I liked it especially when they had old-time itinerant banjo players, you know, the guys with the specially-made black wood footrests for the left foot. If you should be lucky enough these days to find one, be sure to ask him (or her) to play "My Dear, the World is Waiting for the Sunshine," the banjo standard by which they compete with each other. They might snarl at you a bit, but if they play it, you'll remember it. (I had one that lied to me, said he didn't know it: ten minutes later he gave me a rousing, wonderful performance.)

Lonnie and Bess came along on Friday nights sometimes, when they were little, and this evening's entertainment included a German beer-drinking contest from volunteers from the audience. I think there were at least five of us who volunteered.

Anyway, they give you a stein of lager and yell "go." The first one to put the stein upside-down on his head wins. Note that you don't actually have to drink the beer to win a German beer-drinking contest but everybody always does.

Now if we Nesselers are universally gifted, it is by the ability to gulp beer, so I volunteered. As we lined up, I noticed that the guy to my right was a huge trucker: my competition, I thought. We were each given a huge frothy stein of lager.


GO! And I was done, stein upside down on my head, while others were no more than half finished. Afterward, the trucker turned to me, and I'll never forget his look of astonishment, "How did you DO that?"

I forget the prize. Free pizza, probably. But the real prize was that my great son and brilliant daughter knew I was a champion (hahahaha), unlike anyone else's dad on earth.

Sigh.

That was then, this is now. Neither has tried to see me, not in more than twenty years, not even now, with my chances being what they are.

**************

Thus far so good. I have passed just beyond the reach of tumor lysis syndrome, and no problems with the donor cells thus far. Engraftment has not yet been confirmed: I have zero neutrophils. I am flooded with medications. Four days of packed red blood cells in the last four days, every day potassium (usually six bags), and countless platelet transfusions. Explosive diarrhea: I have as much water and gas in me as the gulf.

I went in type A negative. By next week I should be O-pos. 

Ivonne stays with me most days and nights, and most nights I manage to maneuver the xmas tree of infusions through an obstacle course to reach her. She remains my biggest miracle.

10 comments:

  1. Lon, when you out and are a free man, let's try the upturned flagon game again, this time with Margaritas (ville? or is that vile?). P.S. Ivonne looks terrific, tell her I love her -- and you. -- Brucie

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  2. I still plan to visit you at S/G and may sneak in a beer next week while we are in Del Mar(will I have to drink both?). I will mask up and do the precautions. I hope there are nurses from my 2003 tandem ascts still there to chat with.
    Hang in there.
    Eric

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  3. What a lovely picture of your bride and of course you have my alignment with your intentions of becoming a "negative" person, "O" of course -- ha ha

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  4. What a fun trip down memory lane, Lon. I'm saddened that your children are missing this opportunity to reconnect with you; they will surely regret it one day. My best wishes to you as you charge on, and also to your lovely Ivonne.

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  5. Oops - couldn't recall my Google account info, so posted anonymously but forgot to sign my name. Those best wishes were from Dianne in Nevada at 11:19 AM

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  6. Cheers, Lon !!!
    You are sounding very lucid, I hope you are feeling better as well.
    Cheers, Jeff

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  7. Well, we were correct about the tumor lysis agent. Now, we will be correct about the engraftment! By the way, the song has three different versions on YouTube so when you want your sunshine, you can have sunshine!

    Susan

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  8. Lonnie;

    I'm glad to learn the transplant has proceeded successfully to this point.

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  9. Lon,

    I hope all is going well. You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers.

    Roslyn Harris

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  10. We really miss your posts. We pray that you are getting stronger, so I know we have to be patient. Is the sun brighter in California, I believe it is so for many a song have told me so:) Lynne and Ralph

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