i finally got around to scanning in the seal that my aunt got for me. i know it’s not perfect but it’ll do for my purposes.

also, the doctor started me on anti-parasite drugs which, if they work, will starve Meanie the thread/pin/round/whip/hookworm and his drunken friends. they make me a little dizzy and i woke up this morning with slightly blurred vision in my right eye (which went away in about 20 seconds) but i’m willing to see it through and make those little bastards pay for driving up my white blood cell count.

if we have machines that can heat food up on short notice, why don’t we have similar contraptions to freeze them?

holy crap. i(’m) finally broke and bought a copy of City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City. holy crap.

the good news: my blood cell levels are slowly normalizing, the two small calibre gunshot wounds in my lower back are healing, the doctors are fairly convinced that i haven’t got Leukemia, and i’ve been instructed to eat more meat so i can help expedite blood production.

the bad news: the doctors suspect that i’ve got one hell of a parasitic infestation.

in light of my frequent traveling, the probability that i had unwittingly picked up an unwanted hitchhiker or two is relatively high. i’ll be the first to admit that i had taken a few chances here and there with edibles when i gobbled down raw squid, octopus, shrimp, lobster, urchin, abalone, oyster, and about a dozen different species of fish. i also–out of politeness–ate fruits and vegetables washed in potentially contaminated water and used it to clean my hands before meals while in Afghanistan. in addition, the nature of my work often lead me to places that were less than sterile and situations less than sanitary.

i wonder if i’ll end up in any medical journals.

i’m just writing something so i can go to sleep.

because i’m tired and i should sleep when i’m tired because i don’t take naps so i can’t make it up.

i just want to say thank you to everyone who called, e-mailed, and/or visited me during these uncertain times. i find it touching that so many of you felt concern and have so readily expressed it. i can only hope that one day i can repay all of you for your kindness. hopefully not with you in a hospital, though.

they discharged me from the hospital today around noon, but not before i was visited by some infectious diseases specialists. from what i understand, they haven’t entirely ruled out Leukemia yet but they think it’s slightly more likely that i’ve just got some nasty viral infection that i picked up during my travels.

anyway, i have to go back on monday to find out more.

so i’m at the hospital now and just finished undergoing a bone marrow biopsy.

apparently, a bone marrow biopsy requires that i lie on my right side in a fetal position while a doctor bores into my pelvic bone with a needle the size of a small railroad spike. then, when he decides that the bone sample is unsatisfactory, he rolls me over and takes another bloody sample from the other side. he was a really nice guy, though.

a few hours later, a small army of physicians comes in and crowds around my bed. brows are furrowed, throats are cleared, and i quietly i prepare for the worst.

“we looked at your biopsy results and are rather perplexed,” the lead doctor says. my ears suddenly perk up and my eyelids open just a few millimeters wider. “we’re not seeing any immediately obvious indicators of Leukemia in your bone marrow.” my shoulders relax. “but we’re seeing something else going on in your marrow that’s very strange. we find your case to be very unusual.” i fight to keep my left eyebrow from shooting up.

“we’d like you to tell us what you did and where you went in Afghanistan.”

now that almost everyone knows, i guess i’ll spill the beans and post it up on here: i’ve been diagnosed with Leukemia. my white blood cell count is through the roof and i’ve been told that that’s a very bad thing. meanwhile, i’ve still got my fingers crossed, hoping that they’ve got the wrong guy.

anyway, i won a surprise trip to the hospital and am leaving early tomorrow. i’ll update when i can.

cheers.

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