New Update 12/13

December 12, 2013. Well I just read my last post and it's been quite an odyssey since then. In December 2012 the Leukemia relapsed with a vengeance. Pockets of cells on my skin. I felt fine but the doctors moved fast on this one. Immediately a biopsy on the cells, then a radiation appointment to plan dealing with the testicle which was still healing from the hydrocele, again suspected more Leukemia cells. All in one busy day with a catscan and hospital bed scheduled for the next afternoon. Chemo "MEK" was scheduled. A wild blue chemo included. I wrote a song to the tune "Kansas City" "I'm going to the Chemo ward, Chemo ward here I come" etc.(Blues in E). This 43 day hospitalization included some seriuous issues including a pneumonia and 12 days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where I rec'd amazing therapies. Once the chemo reaction crap was done (nausea, rhinovirus ((cold)), diarrhea and lung issues they tagged on 15 days of radiation for the testicle. No real bad reactions there, just impatience as I wanted to get home and start to rebuild this weak, sickly tired body. Indeed I got home Feb. 2nd and started to rebuild. By mid March I played an amazing gig with Anne Matlack and Harmonium (Britten and Mozart's Coronation Mass). I was still too weak to carry my bass so Spencer came to the rehearsals and gig with me and helped set up my bass and equipment (a stool and music stand light). God bless him. A great kid. Then we were planning a consolidation chemo round when my oncologist said "we have no experience with a 70 year old male with this extraordinary relapse. We don't know what we can safely give to you....we suggest you speak to the Bone Marrow Team" and see if they can help you. I set up a meeting the following Monday. Carol, Rebekah and Debra Vogel (my sister in law...I mean Frister in law...Friend and Sister combined) joined me for meetings with the scheduling nurse, and the BMT doc, Dr. Jakobowsky, and the social worker for the team (another Gem, the MSKCC teams are outstanding). The next morning, Tuesday, I called and said "Let's Go, I'm ready to try and save my life". It obviously was an easy decision since I wanted to be around for Benjamin's Bar Mitzvah in October 2013 and other wonderful family celebrations like Carol's Mother's 100th birthday and now 101st Bday on December 5th. Unbelievably the scheduling nurse calls me 4 days later, while I'm at Shanghai Jazz digging my neighbor Lee Finkelstein on the bandstand with another fine Jazz/Soul group (7:30 Friday night she's still working!!). "Mr. B, we have a perfect 10 match for you. We need you in the hospital April 23rd for another MRI and check in to the 8th floor (BMT floor). WE will prepare your body for the procedure". So that week I felt great, maybe a little bit concerned reentering Chemo mode again whereby they will wipeout my immune system, a dangerous enough prospect. That took about 10 days. Then a day off, and on May 2nd, 2013 I received my donors cells. For me a simple procedure, they inoculated the cells directly into my port through the inter venous lines and the cells somehow know where to go. I felt fine. I improvised a little prayer to welcome the cells to my body and off we went. Daily visits from the team told me how I was doing. Dr. Su was ecstatic how my numbers were "Charging back". I had some serious issues with C dif (a mean diarrhea) and such but I kept positive, and was even working on plans to put a big band together for July's MAPLEWOODSTOCK #10..."Jimbo's Jambalaya". Lee and Evel came to visit me one day and made me feel like I was back on the track. We talked music, friends, life. He even had an MSKCC employee come to visit me as he was planning a band for her wedding. So cool. The connections in this world. Wild. OK, I forgot to tell you something. My Frister in law made arrangements for Carol to live in an apartment in the city for 2 months so we didn't have to shlep back to Jersey each day. What a godsend. Thank you N and R and Debra. In addition the Docs did not want me to return home with the traffic we were used to at home since my immune system was rebuilding. Sooo...after 8 years together, Mildred and her caretakers had to move out of Maplewood. Fortunately again Debra and Elfin did the footwork and took over. Mom is comfortably settled with them in SO so we can visit frequently and carefully (I wear a mask etc. almost anytime I go anywhere). I was released to come home on July 2nd, 2013. We indeed performed at MapleWoodstock 10 on July 12th. I could only make it through 1 tune on bass, but that was fine enough for me. I loved the band of fine players, almost all my neighbors we had gathered and rehearsed. We had a ball. Last month I played 2 beautiful gigs, a Chamber Music Trio at 1978 Art Gallery where I showed 2 new pieces, and a Bach Magnificat back at Calvary where I've been playing on and off for 35 years or more. AHHHH....back in the saddle. AND....tonight and Sat. I play string bass with my Concert Band still going after we created it 10 years ago (as is SwingTown thanks to Ben and Susan). Next week trombone and tuba in my Brass Quintet for a session of Christmas Carols. Then back to Shul for a Klezmer service in January. I'm a fortunate musician to have a wide range of opportunities. I can shed on 5 instruments a day, and I love it!! I'm also painting like mad. Just finished 3 portraits of my Grandchildren and will get them framed this week so after Christmas the kids can take them home. I'm getting ready to set up the Christmas Tree and Train Set. We have a few new things to add this year again. We love it all. Well there are more updates on my Facebook page, but I will tyry to keep up this blog again for a while. Looking forward to when my ANC (neutrophil) numbers return. Docs are all mystified as to what's going on. I feel fine, but something has yet to kick in. My last Bone Marrow Biopsy was excellent. No leukemia cells, all my immune system is my donors!! I'm a lucky guy and got a great donor whoever or wherever he is. Someday I hope to find out. Peace. Enjoy the beautiful winter, keep warm. JIM