This word I like... We architect our life...
A song, a sigh... developing words that linger...
Through fields of green, through open eyes... It's for us to see.
Interanimate: To animate or inspire mutually

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Not My Blood

A strange thing happened to me on April 16. At a routine visit to Scripps Green Hospital, Dr. Andrey alerted me to the results of a lab test done in January.
The test indicates that the blood flowing through my veins is not my own. In other words, the report shows that the DNA in all of my various types of blood cells is not my DNA. After his announcement Dr. Andrey had to quickly leave the office for a minute. Unfortunately this left my imagination alone to run wild.

My knowledge of medicine is not extensive. I studied biology at USCD during college. My interest in biology waned when I studied Biochemistry; something about the Krebs Cycle. My foray into Genetics the previous year should have warned me that all was not well with my choice of Biology major. I achieved a 'B' in the study of Mendel's pea plants. At any rate, I'm pretty sure from all my reading that each organism possesses only it's own DNA. Therefore, I had to search elsewhere for an answer to Dr. Andrey's startling news.

First up. Was my body snatched? Had alien beings and taken over my body? I discount this theory because mentally I feel the same. Although, that might be part of the process, not to think you have been taken over. On a similar thought, had I been snatched up by an alien spacecraft and become the subject of their experiments? If this was true then there would be a gap in my presence at home. Surely a family member would have noticed my disappearance for a few days. Unless; they had also been abducted at the same time and do not know it themselves. If I had been abducted how and why did the aliens replace my blood with that of someone, or something, else?

Before I could start thinking up really crazy reasons for my alien blood DNA, Dr. Andrey came back in the room. I dont actually have a picture of him to show you. But it turns out he is a dead ringer for the actor Peter Sarsgaard when Peter is sporting a beard. I found the picture to your left on the internet. Apparently Peter is married to Maggie Gyllenhaal who's brother is Jake Gyllenhaal. Jake starred in the movie "The Day After Tomorrow", which had a scene where Jake gets into a New York Taxi driven by Rik Magon, who I worked with for a year in 2001. Rik just happened to be in New York the day they were filming in 2001. The director picked him out of a crowd to be the taxi driver. What does this have to do with anything? I don't know. Just thinking I guess. Anyway, Dr. Andrey had the explanation for my strange blood. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, other than the fact that it was a lot more fun telling you this way. It turns out... that I had a stem cell transplant 462 days prior. Yes, the alien spacecraft was actually my room at Scripps Green hospital overlooking Torrey Pines golf course! Because my own bone marrow had decided to retire without consulting with me, the doctors performed this procedure that only used to be the stuff of science fiction.

They pumped me full of nasty chemicals that killed what was left of my old derelict marrow stem cells, then they pumped in some stem cells from an angel who now happens to be living in human form, in the same town I was born; Pensacola FL. Steve donated his stem cells though a simple process in Baltimore Maryland on January 8th. Less than 24 hours later his gift was on the opposite coast, being transfused into my vascular system through a plastic tube coming out of my chest. You see, the Body Snatchers explanation seems much more believable, eh?. Last weeks chimerism report results are very good. No sign of my old stem cells coming back. Steve's generosity has given me new life. All else looks good. I feel that I am totally back to normal. Healthly. Energetic. Thankful for life, for friends, for family. Thankful to God.