Bone Marrow and Boston

Ahhh, yes. Here I am again, writing after a looong absence as a way to cleanse my thoughts and regurgitate digitally. I decided that I am going to start writing again, and that I am specifically going to chronicle the newest development in my life (I am writing on my newish blog: http://wandererswelcomehere.blogspot.com/). I have been chosen as a match to give bone marrow to a 61-year old female with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. It happened very strangely. A kid I knew in college was going through Leukemia and we held a Bone Marrow Drive at Spring Arbor to help find him a match. I had my finger pricked and thought little else of it. Tens of thousands of people are never matched on the registry.

This past April, I received a call that I am a potential match for someone with Leukemia. After an embarrassing survey, they decided I was healthy enough to continue the process. I gave some blood to be tested and waited. On Monday I received the call, my donor coordinator, John said "You are the best match for this candidate and they are asking for a full marrow harvest." I think my blood went cold, then instantly hot. There are two ways to get bone marrow: one through a traditional bone marrow harvest where they knock you out and pierce your hip bones and suck the marrow out. The other involves injections to get your body to produce more marrow and then essentially hook you up to a 'dialysis' machine and filter the marrow out that way. They of course, want to go traditionally in this case.

So I decided that I need to continue this process and see how far it will lead. So tomorrow I am getting a full physical: an EKG, Chest X-ray, blood work, the works. The whole mess of the issue is that in about a month I hope to find myself outside of Boston beginning my first semester of graduate school. Thus, the process must move quickly, and let me say that I am terrified. I signed things today that had words like 'permanent nerve damage', 'temporarily disabled', 'permanently disabled'. Let me tell you, those are fricken scary words. There is a lot on my plate and it seems like the world, or at least a life on my shoulders. I would appreciate any thought, prayers or words of wisdom as I begin this potential process of giving my marrow.

For now, the patient's name and location are hidden from me. But, in an effort to humanize this process as much as possible my roommate and I have named her "Marie" and I believe she is from the west side of the country, a Californian or Oregonian perhaps. I have been crying a lot and attempting to deal with the overwhelming feelings this has created, but am positive that this experience may have a happy ending.

In other news, if the Lord is willing and the creek don't rise, I am planning on attending Brandeis University in the fall to pursue a MA in Sustainable International Development. This decision comes after much tearful and painful debate. The thought of leaving my family in their somewhat vulnerable state in combination with the debt-hole I will be digging myself terrifies me. As you can imagine this week has been a bit overwhelming: My job is ending in just over a week and there is much to do, I am planning on relocating to a strange city for no less than two years and I have to decide if I am going to go through a major surgery in order to benefit someone I have never met nor know nothing of. I would again appreciate some love and prayers sent my way as impossible situations are hopefully worked out in the coming months.

I miss you all very much and wish we were sitting on the Villa's rooftop at night and discussing the new happenings in our lives. Much love habibti's.

Leaving Cairo

Phil and I have just finished our time with MCC. I loved working for them and highly recommend it. They have positions all over the world including the Middle East.

As Phil and I leave, we leave behind 3 people still staying here. Julianna is here for 5 more weeks. Jon (who has some news) will stay until December. Dena, who is once again a MESP intern, is back and she will stay for a year. Becca is still enrolled in AUC and she should be back to finish her masters in the Fall.

Egypt has been good to me. I will miss it dearly.

I have particularly enjoyed learning more about the Orthodox church. We didn't learn much on our semester. So, the past year has been very eye opening.

I miss you all,
Micah