Unexpected Hospital Adventure

Would you believe if I told you:
That in the last weekend I slept next to a drug dealer?
That I enjoyed it?
That I laughed so hard at times during the weekend?

I am 100% sure that all of you either think that:
The medications are finally start to work on Guy!
What does a drug dealer has to do with Guy's treatments?

You'd better believe me because it is true.
Ask Shoshy and Inbal who were the witnesses.

The story started last week. On Friday I had high fever and my doctor ordered me to be hospitalized. In my condition they don't take a chance.
Hospital experience in Boston (which we are all too familiar with from Shoshy's adventures 4 years ago), is nothing compared to other hospitals anywhere in the world. I am not just talking about the room, facilities, cleanliness, equipment, etc.
What makes the differences are the nurses and the way they run the show so smoothly. Another pleasant surprise was the food. I have a famous saying that the hospital food alone can kill you. Not in Boston! The system is as follows: you get a menu and 45 minutes before you would like to eat, you call a number and order a la cart. The menu (4 pages) looks like one from a respectable restaurant. The food arrives warm, on a nice tray and in nice plates. From drinks, appetizers, entrees, side orders, to deserts. For the Israelis among you: America Versano!

And so, I found myself alone in a nice hospital room for two, hooked up to several IVs ("infusiot") and well take care of. Whenever the doctors decided to run a test it was done without delay: from a simple blood test to an X-ray, Ultrasound, etc.

After a quiet morning alone in a room and a good lunch, the other empty bed wasn't empty any more. My neighbor was a young good looking African-American guy, accompanied by two ladies.
There was a curtain between the two beds and most of the time I could only hear the conversations and the bad language, most of which I will not be able to repeat here. Instead, I used just a few letters so please use your imagination..

The "entertainment program" started with the admission nurse. She asked his permission to do few tests, including to swipe a special small stick in his but to test for antibiotics resistant viruses. Needless to say he refused. When the nurse went out he picked-up the phone, called a friend and said: "The Mo... Fu... wants me to stick this thing in my F... ass. Who the F... they think they are."
Then his ladies joined the conversation with plenty of a variety of words we don't use very often. I still don't get what was the fuss all about.

The guy looked intelligent and I had no clue about his business. He made a few innocent calls until one in the afternoon which revealed the unthinkable: my neighbor is a drug dealer!!!
In a few conversations with the ladies and on the phone, I learned the profit from each deal, how often does he buy a supply, there are deals that lawyers are involved, where to go to have fun, etc. a wealth of information you don't just read in the Boston Globe.
The girls were gone and new girls came. The guy made more phone calls with plenty of bad language. I sat behind the curtain, sometimes with Inbal, laughing hard but quietly and enjoying this live entertainment.
One evening when Shoshy came to see me, she was amazed. The guy with three other girls were counting money on the bed. Lot's of money, more than in any ATM ("Bankomat"), big packs of greenbacks ($$$), probably the proceeds for the business or businesses.
Amazingly the nurse came in, took his vital signs, laughed with the girls and went away. can you picture that in your mind?

The next day, it was the Super Bowl with New England Patriots vs. the New York Jets and Inbal joined me in the room for the game. Although we (New Englanders) lost, the entertainment came from the guy and his ladies. At times, especially in the final moments he stood next to the TV, cursing and blessing everyone, waving his hands and acting with passion.
We laughed so hard in spite of the loss.

Later at night I couldn't sleep, The guy was conducting business with many partners over the phone. It was about buying, selling, and the "Mo... Fu... who stick needles in my F... arms, want me to collect my F... urine" and "get me out of this F... up place".

This blog can't describe all the events in the 3 days at the hospital which made me laugh hard and have a good time.
Yet, there was a lesson: stereotyping doesn't work. I did not expect to meet a funny, intelligent drug dealer, with a circle of friends so devoted to him he had visitors at all time of the day. A drug dealer so kind and funny that even the nurses could not resist enjoying his company. Who could believe or expect what I have described above?

So, after 3 days with live entertainment and some serious medical work, I went home. Walking with Inbal on the sidewalk, breathing fresh air and looking up to the skies, are a few things you start to appreciate only after you miss them.

A few days before I was admitted to the hospital, my mother came especially from Israel to see me. I am thankful for you mom!
Although things didn't go as planned, I enjoyed the visit and the healthy foods. Next time I promise to behave better.

In the last blog I told you about the clinical trials. About 10 days ago I started a new treatment with experimental medications. Now after two sessions I feel OK, no side effects, eat well and I hope it stays like this.
All that is left is to see how the new medications do their trick and kill the bad cells. The goal is to reach the point where a stem cell transplant can take place, probably in a few months. This is a marathon and my focus is on the finish line and the recovery party!

Yours, always optimistic,
Guy