Author: Jgknjlapk

Whoa! It’s Wednesday and I’m in work! The start of my first four day work week in almost two years! This was crazy! What was I thinking? Lol. Would anyone even come into the store? Actually, we were busy! Our customers took to this additional day open with gratitude. Sorry, I wasn’t going to go for five days. It took some getting used to, but this would be the new norm going forward. The year was going well with an unusually busy January and a strong Valentines week too. No complaints here.

There was really nothing going on that was exciting or extraordinary at this time. Our winter was pretty mild and other than a few really cold weeks, hardly any snow. Lori and I would celebrate 30 years of marriage on the 29th of February. Our Leap Day anniversary falls on every fourth calendar year. Milestones like this are of course, very special to me. I planned a great surprise weekend in New Hope, Pa. A sweet hotel along the Delaware river, roses in the room and dinner downstairs at Stella. Lor loved it. We had such a nice time. Meanwhile, Nick was waiting patiently for our renters in Florida to be heading home at the end of April. May 1st plane tickets were in hand and he was staying there for at least a month. Something was up, little did we know. Nick had purchased a beautiful home in South Philadelphia about a year ago and had just finished a total renovation. A very costly endeavor that turned out great. Lori and I finally got to see the place before he took off for Bradenton. Very nice. At the end of May, before he left Florida, we got the call. Nick had a big offer to consider. The whole month stay in Florida wasn’t just a long getaway after a fabulous year of business. He was considering a move to Fort Lauderdale with an offer of a new position as a Senior Agent in the same company, Compass Realty, that he represented in Philly. This would be a big decision. We were very happy for him and very sad too. After moving to Los Angeles a few years earlier and then back home, it was great having Nick close by. His decision to take the offer turned out to be easier than he thought. I got a text one evening in the beginning of June after Nick had returned home. It began, ” I’ve made up my mind…I’m moving to Florida.” This, after lying on his floor with gunshots and bullets whizzing down his block. He was so scared. Philadelphia is a mess. The violence anywhere and everywhere. It didn’t matter where you lived in the city, the chances of being a victim of crime were ridiculous. I was glad that he was moving to Florida. I worried about his safety every day in Philly. Nicks beautiful newly remodeled home went up for sale and sold in two weeks. By the end of September, Nick would be on his way.

Meanwhile, number two son had plans of his own too! That call was also enlightening. Joe wanted to come home. After spending the last eight years living and playing hockey all over the world, he wanted to be close to his family and friends again. He missed us. Totally understood. He was running the new detail business with his partner in Ohio and basically decided that he had enough. Lori was so happy! These were big changes happening! We were so happy and excited for our boys and while Nick was making plans for his big move, we started making plans for Joe’s return. These were good times.

Lori and I would be seeing Joe and Kara soon. It had been over six months since the last time they had been back to Pennsylvania. My sister Lisa was getting remarried in the end of June on Saturday the 24th. The next day, the 25th, Joe’s great friend Kevin was getting married in Iowa. Lori and I would fly out that Sunday morning after Lisa’s wedding to Des Moines and celebrate with Kevin and his bride Elizabeth. Joe was in the bridal party. After this long crazy weekend, Lor and I would travel to Nashville for five days and then jet over to Bradenton for two more weeks in Florida. A nice vacation planned as an additional celebration of our 30th anniversary… So we thought.

Next Up: Our Turn

My, how our world has changed. Needless to say, the aftermath of our world with Covid is markedly different from what was… to what is. Huge changes in the workplace are those that are most noticeable to me. Empty offices across our cities are the norm. Employees forced to work from home have taken to this trend and prefer to continue on like this. Many workers have just left their jobs altogether. Now, I am not one to pass judgement either way but I too became somewhat spoiled. Being closed for four months during the lockdown and then deciding to only open three days a week for the remainder of 2020 and throughout 2021 really turned out to be a game changer for me. My business numbers were excellent! My customers got used to our new hours and Thursday, Friday and Saturdays were constantly busy. Every normal full five day business week condensed into three days. Sure, some people found the hours inconvenient, but we made it work.

I started working in the retail industry when I was 18 years old. I graduated from several labor jobs and a decent stint as a grill cook at Roy Rogers(I made fabulous Roast Beef sandwiches) to a counter position at the Pep Boys Auto store across the street. How great was that! I loved cars and got discounts on parts for my 1975 Pontiac Firebird. Bottom line, I’ve worked retail hours for forty two years and for the first time in my life, my healthy life, I had four whole days a week to just chill. It was fabulous! No…Glorious! Christmas time was different. It was always seven days a week from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. Usually, twenty seven days in a row. Longer days, hard work, super stressful. It was very tough going straight from a three day to a seven day work week. This 2021 Christmas was another extremely successful season. A very successful year. One month of crazy I can handle.

During this time, the boys were thriving too. Nick had a tremendous year that would land his handsome face on a full page bio in Philadelphia Magazine as one of the top 80 Real Estate Producers in Philly! An amazing feat for such a young guy, as he was noted to be one of the youngest of the top producers. Very proud! Joe was also moving forward. Covid proved to be a big factor in his decision to hang up his skates and pursue other ventures. For many years he worked summers detailing cars after his seasons around the hockey world. He became an expert in the detailing craft and often worked at shops in towns where he was playing hockey for extra cash. In 2021, Joe decided to move to Ohio full time and live there with his girlfriend Kara while she finished her Batchelors degree. He would take a management and hands on position at a new detail center there. Things were moving along well for him. Lor was back to her status quo as the Library Chair in her school district and working her butt off in a new world as the education game had changed in stride with everything else. I was feeling a bit guilty with all of this action going on. Starting in 2022, I would start opening four days a week!

Dr. Luger was happy to see me for my January appointment. It was officially three years, almost to the day, that we first met. My situation was a bit dire then. Now, we were riding a wave of success that only a Cancer survivor can appreciate. Especially me. I’ve ridden too many of those waves. My lab reports were again, consistent and completely normal. I told her that I was increasing my work week by twenty five percent to four days a week. Boy was she impressed! Lol! I have to say, I have had the best collection of Oncologists over the last twenty five years that anyone could ever ask for. I owe them my life. Dr. Luger is one of them. Let’s hope that my current situation lasts for a long time to come and she doesnt retire too soon. Now, I need to handle this four day work week. I am not complaining, but after twenty one years of taking Chemotherapy medication everyday…it has taken a toll on me. Having four days off a week was nice. Oh well…LFG.

Next up: Big Changes

The Christmas season flew by and anointed Belaggio Jewelers with a sustainable amount of capital, leaving my vendors flush as well. Always a pleasant situation to find yourself in at the end of the year. I would enter the new year, 2020, with renewed optimism for my business, my family, and my health. Coming up was my first extended in office visit at Penn. Dr. Luger would be requesting new composite bloodwork, running the gamut of tests to work up a complete picture to assess my current situation. As I waited for the new results, Dr. Luger felt that I was going to be able to remain on the lowest dose of Tasigna and remain in a long term remission. She was right on. My results came back fantastic! Fingers crossed, this next portion of my life would be cancer free. For how long…no one knows. Side effects, who cares. For now, I was somewhat at ease, my cancer at bay.

As the winter started to rear its ugly head, I worked and waited for the weekends to watch Joey’s hockey games on TV. We didn’t have to venture out, just order pizza and watch hockey. It was fun and sometimes scary seeing Joe fly around the ice frequently getting hammered while running his mouth. Oh well, that was his job! Lori and I were getting ready to watch one of his games where the team had traveled to Colombus, Georgia to play but he wasn’t in the lineup. We called him to see what happened and when he finally picked up the phone, he sounded awful. He was told to stay home by the team trainer after a trip to the Urgent Care. He was very sick! A high fever, bad headache, horrible cough and just felt all around awful. It was the middle of February and with what was about to transpire, he probably had Covid. No tests were available or thought about yet for his illness. We assumed that he had a bad Flu. Misdiagnosed at the beginning of this debacle, the tip of the spear. He took mucinex, drank hot tea, needed prescribed antibiotics and took over two weeks off from games and practice. Ohio, where Joe was living, would soon be found to be a hotbed for the beginning of covid in the US. Joe was infected in its infancy. Literally two weeks later, the FHL, along with most pro sports leagues, ceased operations due to this strange outbreak of what would come to be called Covid-19. Joe packed up his things and along with his girlfriend Kara, made his way back home to Pa.

We all know the story…the next four months were spent on lockdown. Our country in a state of horrible disarray. People were dying. Our population, prisoners in our own homes or wherever we were stuck. My business, like most, was completely shut down for those four months. No income and the bills didn’t stop. The boredom was terrible and the TV got a lot action all hours of the day and night. Joe and Kara decided to pull up their stakes in May, at the height of the shutdown, and take a trip across the country for four months! They visited 48 national parks in all, driving Joes red Jetta. A trip of a lifetime. Lori and I were both worried and jealous. Nicky was living in town and trying his best to sell homes under the auspices of the covid police. He was managing very well though and staying safe. We missed not being able to see him.

During this ordeal, I had to sacrifice getting my bloodwork repeated because it was deemed a non emergency situation. That being said, in the middle of it all, my Dad had been diagnosed with bladder cancer. A very scary situation thrown at him and our family. After a hospital stay and initial operation to remove some small tumors inside the bladder, Dad needed to remain diligent and complete several procedures involving chemotherapy after a few setbacks along the way. He did great though. Cancer wasn’t going to slow him down. I was very proud of how he handled it and had it beat after a some additional treatments. It wasn’t easy, but he handled it like a champ.

While the schools were all shut down, Lori was working from home and teaching through zoom. What a trip that was! I enjoyed listening to the interactions between her and the kids. Pretty funny! I myself would sometimes venture out to the Neshaminy creek, searching out the elusive rainbow trout. The parks were empty as were the banks of the creek. A peaceful respite in nature. Alone in the woods, perusing the running waters, casting my fly into the frothy water and dreaming of that big Rainbow Trout taking my line and racing down the rapids. It was surreal and a little dangerous. Anyway, we never got sick, luckily, and I went back to work in August when the quarantine was lifted. I only opened three days a week, full masking, hand sanitizing, and” Extreme Caution” being the modus operandi . Meanwhile, even with all the Covid bad news, sad stories and unfortunate circumstances I encountered concerning so many of my customers…. business exploded! Pent up buyers went crazy purchasing for their loved ones. Engagement ring sales were through the roof! Business the rest of the year and holiday season was fantastic! It was a pleasure, in my own small way, to help to make people happy again.

Beginning in 2021, I was finally allowed to go to U of P’s satellite offices in Newtown to get a blood draw and have a zoom visit afterwards with a PA to review my progress. It had been a year since my last testing and I was quite anxious. It was all good. The results came back excellent. Tasigna was holding its own…my remission sustained.

What a wild year. Unprecedented in most peoples lifetimes. The saga continued throughout 2021 while we trudged on with the drastic changes forced upon us. So many members of our populace dealing with what I refer to as Covid PTSD. Many scarred by the death and misery caused by this awful disease. Many living in constant fear, afraid to leave their homes and live their lives. My heart fully goes out to all affected by this maniacal anomaly of a virus, our lives forever changed.

Next Up: The Aftermath

It seems like pressure just follows me around like a lost puppy. Really. Everything I do has some type of pressure that never allows me to rest. Sleep…forget about it. Keeping up with customers, sales, and finances at the store. Trying to stay ahead of my health situations and those that continue to ail me. Following the constant travails of my boys and their careers and now navigating the purchase of this new home. Does anything ever go smoothly! Eric, our realtor, was negotiating on our behalf this crazy assessment that we had no idea about on our new home. It pushed back our settlement almost two weeks as the problem required coordination between the attorneys, the executor in New York and the parties down here. The seller would escrow the funds needed to repair and fund the assessment. Everyone agreed on the terms and the deal was done. It was ours.

Lori proceeded to live down at LBI and Joe and I in a Homewood Suite for two months until we finished the settlement and worked on the house, remodeling almost the whole place in two months. It turned out beautifully. After September, Joe took off for Mentor, Ohio for his FHL season leaving us as empty nesters ready to thrive in our 55 and over community. We were like babies in the development. Lol. It was quiet. At eight pm you could hear a pin drop. Heaven. This would begin a new chapter in our lives. A chapter that would begin with a clean bill of health for the time being. Sure the side effects of Tasigna reminded me of the daily dose of chemotherapy I needed to administer to myself. A minor inconvenience when it comes to living, loving, and continuing my life for as long as the treatment does its job. We’ll worry about the next time when the next time comes. Now, Lori and I will settle into the quiet hamlet we’ve chosen and keep working our way towards retirement. Hopefully, things go smoothly. Looks like clear sailing.

Next Up: Covid

Lori and I had attended an open house for the home we liked in a 55 and over community. It was on a Sunday afternoon one week after we signed the agreement of sale for our current home. The realtor that was representing the sellers, an estate situation, gave Lor the grand tour while I did my own thing. Essentially, a complete home inspection. I listened as other, older couples, wandered about discussing the amount of work the house needed while the renovation calculations ran through my head. I loved this place. I met back up with Lori at the front door, thanked the realtor, took her card, and exited for the car. When we closed the doors, I said to Lor…” We’re putting in an offer tomorrow morning.” I explained about how nice we could renovate the space and how I believed that this was our spot. Thankfully, she agreed. After some quick negotiations and a great price drop, the agreement of sale would be ready in a few days.

Meanwhile, my next appointment with Dr. Luger was this week. Another trip down to U of P hospital for what was to be a major assessment of the current situation at hand. I had been taking the new drug Tasigna now for eight months. Dr. Luger had reduced the heavy dosages in half by now. The side effects were lessening and we would review the recent PCR results to see if the current dosage was maintaining my remission. Dr. Luger was happy to announce that my PCR test showed a full remission! How wonderful is that! Her assessment was that Tasigna, a much stronger alternative to Gleevec, was making a huge impact against my Leukemia…. Reversing the relapse and allowing me to breathe again. Hallelujah! Maintaining the current protocol would be her position. Barring any issues or worsening side effects, we would meet again for a new round of bloodwork after the New year. Exciting news that I couldn’t wait to tell to Lor and my family.

Now, the word “Assessment” has potentially several meanings. You can “assess” a situation that arises to make a decision on how to handle it. You can “assess” a property or person with a monetary amount for a variety of reasons. A penalty may be “assessed” in a sporting event, etc, etc. Lori and I were having a great week. Wonderful news about my health, Nick had passed his PA Real Estate exam, Joe signed a contract with the Mentor Icebreakers in the FHL and our agreement of sale on the new house was ready for our signatures. Everything was falling into place. Finally! Nick’s friend Eric Fineberg was representing us on the purchase of our new home. We met him at the office of the sellers rep in Doylestown to sign our agreement and complete the first leg of our new journey. Quick and easy, everything went smooth as silk. We took a celebratory ride to the new place and sat for a few minutes in front of the house taking in the moment. It was quite emotional I have to say. We wouldn’t be able to reenter the property until settlement day since we waived an inspection. Then we met “Butch”.

Butch lived on the corner of our street and just happened to be walking his dog as we pulled up the block. He looked to be in his late seventies, greeting us with a big smile and wave. Butch congratulated us on our purchase and after we exchanged pleasantries, said “Did you know about the assessment?” What? Tell us more. Apparently, there were issues with every home. Water was infiltrating the stucco exteriors causing rot to destroy the wood sheathing and studs in the front of the homes. Each home would be assessed $28,000 that the homeowner would have to pay for the renovation and repair. We had no clue! The sellers disclosure or realtor made no mention of this predicament. We were screwed! My wife began to cry. I was infuriated! We thanked Butch for the heads up. He felt so bad. My next call was right to Eric. Buddy…you need to handle this shit. This was wrong!

Next Up: The Pressure

Sobering. A pretty good assessment of your state of mind after a relapse with cancer. This time, being my third and now passing the one year mark, the effect on my psyche was pretty profound. I was having success with my new drug therapy. My blood counts were again, slowly, returning to a manageable level. My PCR results were coming closer to that coveted “Zero” four log reduction I desperately yearned for. A serious discussion was needed with my boys and Lor. Nick had just returned from Los Angeles to begin his career in real estate and Joe home from Cleveland after his season. We sat down to have our talk about what had transpired in the past year, my relapse and the future. Of course, their response was “Why didn’t you tell us”? They were big boys. Maybe I should have let them know sooner but being away and doing their jobs, I didn’t want to worry or distract them. At least now, the situation was way better and there was a proverbial light at the end of this tunnel. They had lots of questions that deserved to be answered and were obviously worried about me very much. We reviewed the situation both from the beginning, through the tough times and the current state of affairs. I fielded the medical questions like a pro and after they were satisfied with my explanations, we moved on to the new direction that I was thinking of…Moving – Downsizing, from our Doylestown home. The reality now was that if something were to happen to me, I needed to make sure that Lori was comfortable and taken care of. That she could handle her expenses and be secure.

Nick was never moving back into our home and Joe was transient between teams and cities throughout the country most of the year wherever his skates hit the ice. I was very worried about my future. Psyche says… consolidate, reduce, contract and make life easier. Both financially and work wise around the house. Lose the snowblower, the shovels, the rakes, the trimmers and the wheelbarrow. Reduce my financial commitments, reduce the amount of work needed to keep up the big house. Plan for a future that could inevitably have me in a war. A war that finally takes me down. That leaves Lori all alone with big bills, a big house, chores galore, and a major debacle. Our beautiful home on Country Club Drive was going up for sale. A decision made mostly on my part as a massive knee jerk reaction to the trauma of relapse. Nick would, without having his RE license yet, list the home through a friend, and we would sell it together. A family project! We spent a few weeks painting cleaning and prepping for our first open house. How exciting! Nick put up the MLS listing and we scheduled our first open house…July 4th Weekend! A little more primping and touch up right before the morning of….and here we go! Nick handled it like a pro. About eight families came through and at the end of the day we had an agreement of sale. Wow!

Now, I had no idea about Real estate contracts and writing agreements of sale. Nick and I powered through it with our friend Roman and the buyers. The one issue was that they needed a contingency to be able to sell their mothers home. We accepted their offer with our own contingency that other offers without contingencies may supercede the original offer allowing them five days to close or lose the house. Fortunately for us, another full price offer with a three week closing and no contingencies, unfortunately for them , came in the next day. The house was sold. Two days on the market, highest price ever in our development. Nick would guide me through settlement. Lori and I immediatly went on the hunt for our new home. The prize was a beautiful townhouse style palace in an over 55 community. It needed a total makeover, my specialty, and we got the price down substantially. Nick had his own place and Joe was still with us. With a three week settlement for Country Club, and an end of August settlement on Lamplighter Village, plus renovations, Joe and I would need to bunk together in a Homewood Suites hotel for a month while Lor went down to the shore. It would all work out…I hope!

Next Up: The Assessment.

There was so much going on right now. Joey had finished his season in Sweden and come home for only one week then was off to play in the Federal Hockey League in Mentor, Ohio for the Mentor Icebreakers. Unfortunately, he broke his pinky finger in half on the tip during his second game and only lasted a few more weeks while he tried to play with a custom splint after they operated on it. Didn’t go so well. He came home in the end of March. And Nick, he was coming home from Los Angeles because he just couldn’t resist the Philly Real Estate market and wanted to make his mark. It would be great that for once the two of them would be home at the same time. Better yet, I could talk to them about my situation. It was about time. For a whole year, I kept them sheltered from the storm that was brewing inside of me. The last time that I went through my devastating relapse they were little boys. They had no idea of what was going on or the gravity of the situation. They were young men now.

I arrived at U of P hospital for my visit with Dr. Luger and after the usual thirty plus minute wait, was escorted into the lab to draw my blood. This visit was at the end of my third month taking the new drug Tasigna. Dr. Luger had lowered the maximum dosage by 200 mg to attempt to curtail the constant itching and burning that consumed me on a daily basis. She called it a “Quality of life” adjustment. Since the drug had made my white cell count decrease slowly, she felt that a lower dosage would help decrease the side effects. My appointment today would tell me if Tasigna was still doing its job…with less rash and discomfort. The fatigue was still a killer but nevertheless a necessary evil. Dr Luger met me with her usual grin, smirk and greeting. Followed by the barrage of questions to assess my current state of mind and body. In real time, she would watch the lab results come up on her computer screen. As we spoke, her eyes would glance at the screen while she refreshed her browser, patiently waiting for the next set of data and the direction we would head. Bingo!

Her smile said it all. A miraculous reduction in my counts! As Dr. Luger turned the computer screen towards me to see for myself, she started rattling off her assessment of what it all meant and the possibility of lowering the dosage even more in a few months. Now, this wasn’t a “You’re cured now” moment. It was a “Keep the Faith” moment. The astonishing results were something to behold though. I would return in a month to hopefully see an even greater response to this second miracle drug. My conversation with Nick and Joe would be much more uplifting and positive now. With excellent CBC results and a trend towards remission, I would still have to wait more time for the new PCR to return and solidify the assessment. Ok boys, welcome home, it’s time to talk.

Next Up: Bye Bye Country Club Drive

I was winding down from the last few hectic months. The great trip to Sweden, the busy holiday season and my first trip to the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center. Since my Leukemia situation wasn’t resolving itself through the increased dosage of Gleevec, Dr. Luger decided to start me on the next level drug….Tasigna. As I mentioned before in a previous blog, Tasigna is thirty five times more potent than its predecessor Gleevec. I began taking a very heavy dose, 800 mg, since the acceleration of my PCR was not to the doctors liking. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The first week on Tasigna knocked me out! This was one heavy dose and like Gleevec, getting used to the new treatment would be challenging. The worst part of the drug would kick in soon, disabling me with a horrible case of hives. My whole body was completely covered in a red, scaly, itchy, burning rash. It was unbearable.

Of course, this upcoming week was Valentines Day. The store always experiences a nice uptick in business for the holiday of romance and love. In past years, the end of January would be the start of shopping for most men who hadn’t picked up something for Christmas or were newly in love or wanted to do a Valentines engagement. Times have changed. Now, Valentines Day business was just usually the last few days before the 14th. Replaced by a flowers and dinner and maybe some candy kind of vibe, most young men do not splurge on the Diamond hearts and Heart jewelry like they used to. Don’t get me wrong, unlike Christmas, it’s just not like it used to be. This season, I didn’t care. I was in lifesaving mode again and this stuff was killing me.

The hives continued to irritate me twenty-four seven. Dr. Luger recommended that I take oatmeal baths and use anti itch type lotions until my next appointment coming up the next week. These antidotes really didn’t help as the rash was everywhere on my body. When I finally arrived at U of P, Dr. Luger was astounded by my dilemma and apologized for not realizing the extent of my hives. They were bad. She immediately started me on large doses of Steroids to try to resolve the issue. Meanwhile, my blood counts were actually moving in a positive direction. My WBC count had dropped slightly and hopefully, within the week we would have a positive reduction in my PCR. I would return in another month to repeat these studies and keep in touch to see how the steroids were working on my rash. As far as the debilitating fatigue and other issues, well there was no relief in sight until the Leukemia numbers came down to a point where Dr. Luger felt comfortable enough to lower my dosage. Fingers crossed, I would not be the second and now only patient in the world to succumb to this rare and unusual mutation. Now come on lovebirds, buy some Diamond Hearts!

Next Up: Astonishing Results

I could never sleep on a plane. Like I’m flying this big behemoth by myself across the ocean. The flight from Stockholm to JFK was probably the longest of my life and it sure felt like it. Plenty of time to contemplate the situation that I was in again. It’s not like the return of my CML has left my mind for more than maybe a couple of minutes while I’m busy with other matters, it’s front and center the majority of my time. Keeping the bad news between Lori and I was also a great chore. The questions always coming at us from our parents and family. Just relentless. I’ve got to put on that happy face and march on towards the upcoming showdown in January at U of P. Cancer Center. My big meeting with the powers that be in the blood cancer center would be interesting. My new Oncologist, Dr. Selina Luger, was already working on the new plan of action to fight my relapse and aversion to Gleevec. Being the only patient/human in the world with this deadly mutation is making me a long term volunteer to test the effectiveness of whatever new drug the team deems to be the best fit for a cure.

My Norwegian Airways flight touched down around midnight on the JFK tarmac Saturday evening to a very black sky and a chilly November night. Lor was waiting for me and we headed to the Bronx to stay the night. The next day, after sleeping a little, Lor and I would head south to get to our home sweet home and some good food! I took Sunday off to get back on my time, USA time, and get some well deserved rest. I needed to get back to reality! The holidays were here and I needed to get my team up to par and ready to rumble. I was expecting a good season. Hoping for it too. I had been taking 600 mg of Gleevec at this point and Dr Luger was planning on moving that up to 800 mg sooner than later. We stretched into December and attacked the holiday season with a huge army of new and old salespeople. Again, I ran the floor of four to five employees like an NFL quarterback. Like clockwork, the girls kicked it in and performed spectacularly as the cash register dinged and the shoppers moved like a ballet through the store. Thanks for another great holiday season.

We knew that Joe was flying in for Christmas but we didn’t know that it would be for good. He got back to the US from Sweden on the 23rd of December harboring some bad news. He was stopped in Brussels- Belgium on his connector flight and flagged for over staying his work visa. He could not return to Europe for six months! All of his personal belongings were in Tibro. His computer, hockey equipment, clothes etc. We tried everything to reinstate him. No luck. He would enjoy a quick respite with the family and sign immediately with the Mentor Icebreakers in the Federal Hockey League. The FHL was a Northern, East coast and Southern states pro hockey league. He had Charles, his Swedish teammate, FedEx his equipment and some other things from Tibro. Joe would report in three days to Mentor Ohio. Much closer than Sweden! I was reporting too… front and center to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Luger was awaiting my arrival. The Phlebotomist too. A ton of vials lined the case holding the upright rubber topped vessels. I think Ms. Dracula filled about nine test tubes as the lightheaded feeling kicked in. I was escorted with Lor, to a small exam room where Dr Luger would deliver her assessment, her opinion, and her treatment. I was her new Leukemia test dummy.

Knock, Knock….the door opened and the very beautiful, intimidating and intelligent Dr. Luger entered the room. She stared at me for a few minutes. Lining me up per say, scaring me a little bit. She noted that the excessive blood draw was in case of an emergency where I could possibly be in need of a quick bone marrow transplant. That would suck. We don’t want that. My results returned quickly showing an upward trend in my white cell count. Not the answer that we wanted. Their answer would be Tasigna. The next level of treatment for me to try to get free and clear from this bastard CML. I would begin taking 800 mg starting immediately and call the nurse moderator with any issues. Crossing fingers…here we go again.

NEXT UP: Hives and more Hives

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I got to sleep-in the next morning. As uncomfortable as my room was, this would be my home base for the next three days. I told Joe that I would meet him at the arena and not to worry about coming to get me before his morning skate. This was a big mistake. I Googled the arena location and it seemed to be walkable. Even so, I tried to arrange a cab or attempt to take a bus. Good luck. I began my trek and attempted to follow the directions on my phone. Oh my God! I was so out of shape! This place was far! I pushed on taking breaks wherever I could find a place to sit. When it seemed like I was going to collapse…there it was. Such a beautiful sight! I made it! Across the hockey world, wherever a team calls home, no matter the size, the nickname for every arena is the “Barn”. “The Wells Fargo Center”… the Philadelphia Flyers “Barn”. The Tibro hockey club had a great Barn. The giant European style ice surface was covered by a huge arched wooden roof. The seating was wooden and the aura of a past era. Many Swedish Professional Hockey clubs were very storied and had been fielding teams for years. In Sweden, like Canada, hockey was life.

I reached the front entrance to the Tibro Community Arena and to my dismay, the doors were locked. Like, I’m ready to collapse! Literally! I walked around to the rear of the building where I assumed that the players entered and again found a locked door. I knocked a few times and finally a team representative opened the door. I was in. The team was on the ice and after I identified myself, was welcomed to watch the session and got a grand tour of the facility. I enjoyed this moment so much. Tears came to my eyes as I sat there and realized that I was watching my son playing for a Professional Ice Hockey team in addition to harboring a secret that I couldn’t reveal to him. That I really had no idea where I was headed with my new dilemma and that I was just so proud of him. So proud of both of my boys. The pace of the practice was fast and furious. These guys could fly. The passes were crisp and the pucks flying at high speed towards the net. It was fun to watch. Afterwards, I got to meet the coaches and hang out with the team in the locker room as they wound down, showered and finished their day. It was hysterical. So many different nationalities and languages. Swedes, Canadians, Joey, Latvian, Russian and Finnish teamates. A typical locker room vibe. I was so happy for him.

Joe’s roommate was a Swedish goalie named Charles. A typical Swede, blond hair and blue eyed, he spent three years playing D3 College Hockey in Massachusetts and was trying to make a career back home. Charles had an old Mercedes SUV with a million miles on it but it rode great and I wasn’t walking anymore! We stopped at a gas station where I filled up the tank and then a small market to buy some groceries for the boys. Little did I know that I would be cooking pasta with meat sauce for Charles, Joey and about three other teammates. It was a great time. I found out that these guys are very competitive off the ice too. XBOX was our entertainment for the evening. Afterwards, the boys dropped me off at my hotel and promised to pick me up the next morning. One more day until I would watch my buddy play his first game. Wednesday morning came quick and the guys were beeping for me outside. We stopped at a Bodega style market for some quick breakfast and back to the arena we went. The preparations for Thursday night again were high speed and packed with adrenaline. After their loss on Sunday, the team was pumped to face off against a long time rival in front of a packed arena. This night was a going out to dinner night. It would be early, of course, but Joe, Charles and I would sit down to a nice meal and talk about both of them starting in their first Pro game. Sure, they were nervous, who wouldn’t be? And very excited.

Back in my room, I knew that I wasn’t going to get much sleep. I was so excited for Joe… and quite honestly for me too. Ever since I tied his laces for him and put him on the ice when he was three years old, I dreamed of this night. That was twenty years ago. I was in a bad cancer place then too. This was my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything though. But now, my guys would understand the gravity of my situation if I broke this news to them. I wouldn’t put them in that position until I knew more. A lot more. Time to get to sleep though, my next two days were going to be a killer. In the morning, I was able to arrange a cab to get to tonight’s game. I didn’t want to bother Joey, game day prep was sacred and mental. I got to explore the town of Tibro today. It took me about twenty minutes. I stopped in an old school hardware store. Some things had layers of dust on them so thick that you couldn’t see what was in the box. Another store had cell phone supplies and did cell phone repairs. The owner , a Libyan immigrant, told me of the many immigrants that were placed in Tibro and other towns in the area. Mostly Muslim, the women all wore Hijabs and rode bicycles everywhere. He told me of relatives in the US and how he longed to join them. I ate lunch in a small pizzeria that was advertising itself as a “Taste of Italy”. It was awful… Lol.

The cab that I arranged was quite old with a Somalian driver. Luckily, he knew the route and I made it to the arena in good time. Ticket in hand, I entered through the main gate and found my seat. The game was fabulous. I couldn’t understand the game announcer, of course, but it didn’t matter. Joe played great! Tibro IHC had their first win and I enjoyed eating the biggest, longest, hot dog that I had ever seen. Delicious! And I cried. I was a bit overwhelmed when Joe jumped over the boards for his first shift. From that point on, I coached his every play… In my head, but nevertheless, it was in my blood. I couldn’t help myself. The atmosphere, the music and the fans in the arena were electric. I couldn’t believe that I had to leave in the morning. After the game, just Joe and I went out to dinner. I basked in his glory and his excitement. Charles lent us the Mercedes and after a great night, we went back to my room and watched some Swedish TV. Tomorrow morning I would be back on the bus to Skovde, transferring to a train, and making my way to Stockholm for the long plane ride home. The fifteen hour trip would be exhausting. Since the bus stop to Skovde was right near my hotel and the departure very early, I said my goodbyes to Joe that evening. It was so hard to let him go as I hugged him before he left. I knew that he appreciated me being there. I wouldn’t see him again until the holidays. Good luck # 26. Love you.

Next Up: January’s Coming