Last night, as we neared Indianapolis, after having survived a couple of mildly harrowing incidents on the highway (a near side swipe with a speeding SUV, a tire blown out on the car ahead of us), I looked out across the fields to the west and found an orange sliver of a crescent moon hanging low in the sky.
I couldn’t take my eyes off of it as we sped along. Sights like that — nature at its most intriguing and beautiful — is a thing to be admired and remembered. And as life takes turns increasingly thought-provoking, it’s impossible to look away.
We (Jeff, Dawn, and I) arrived in Indy at about 9pm Sunday night. We ordered Chinese food delivery, and waited an hour or so for it to arrive. We were soon in bed, and almost as quickly out of it, making out way through the maze of hospital hallways, seeking out the Apheresis ward, where I would have my stem cells harvested.
The first surprise came quickly: I was not to be admitted to the hospital today. That had been a misunderstanding. The stem cell harvesting to take place on Monday and Tuesday were strictly out patient procedures. Say what?!? That threw us for a loop.
So, Dawn and Jeff went out, booked me a room for two nights, stocked the fridge (the hotel is the long-term stay type, replete with kitchen, and living room), and dropped my stuff off for me. The hospital arranged for a ride back to the hotel, and around 3pm Jeff and Dawn left — Jeff headed for Chicago to catch a flight, and Dawn back to Madison.
Later, I learned that they harvested enough stem cells for the entire chemo procedure, so that I will not have to go back to the hospital tomorrow. My dear friend Tara will be coming up from Cincinnati tomorrow to keep me company, stay the night with me, and get me to the hospital Wednesday morning, when I will actually check in and begin my first round of high dose chemo.
I’m sorry for the jumbled up nature of this post. Rest assured I will write more tomorrow with more details (oh boy, the central catheter placement was a blast!).
Love to all.
The C Word 
Hi Mike,
It is so great to read such beautiful imagery, even though your life is where it is right now. Wrasslin’.
It made me feel as if I were with you in the car, since I noticed the same sweet, beautiful moon that same night. Out of the corner of my eye as I let the dogs out to bark and pee.
I find myself thinking about you just about everyday. Ours is a loose connection, but reading your blogs makes me have such clear and deep memories. Remembering some good, cynical, theatre shop laughter, when we were trying to practice our crafts to the best of our abilities.
I am in your corner and sending you lots of good thoughts and love your way. I want you to know that you have connected yourself to so many even if you have forgotten or it may have seemed meaningless. It is the most remarkable part of living, that the older you get the more it sucks, and the more it becomes the most fantastically beautiful experience.
Glad to know you will not be alone for long, especially in a hotel.
xxo Kitty