Part II: Facing death, humility, and shame

I took my key to "private room A" and began my walk of shame to the other side of the hospital.  The rooms could not be right around the corner, but through a corridor, down a wing, a left, right, and then I was there.  Now here is where I will leave out the obvious, but that directions part comes in handy.  I was supposed to leave the bag in the room, but instead, I put my labels on claiming my future kids and preceded to walk, bag in hand all the way back to the registration desk.  My mother seen and at that moment I lost all shame.  Embarrassed, you betcha.  I was told that I had to march my sperm all the way back to the private room which was literally a quarter mile away.  I dropped it off and took off back towards the waiting room.  My face may still be firetruck red from that experience.  It was miserable. 

After that I went up to see my brother wrestle for a weekend and came back to start chemo.  That Monday I also had a CT scan for brain tumors.  It came up negative.  Chemo is about an eight hour process and the cycle is three weeks.  The first week goes everyday.  The second and third weeks are once a week and much shorter (like 2-4 hours of total time). 

Well, the next day I had to get an ultrasound of my family jewels.  To my luck of course they assign me a 30-year old attractive blonde to administer the examination.  It is funny sometimes, I was led to my room and she told me to strip down and left to give me privacy.  I could only think that she was going to see all of Adam Frey in about three minutes, why was she acting like the changing into a robe thing was going to effect me.  So, there I was, trying to recite the Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup teams backwards alphabetically while I was getting warm lotion rubbed on those family jewels.  Women, you probably have no idea about this.  Men, you probably have an idea about this.  Luckily, I only had a small spot that looks to be just a scar, no lumps, no nothing.  I guess I won't be neutered after all. 

The day by day on my chemo is under my website at www.adamfrey.us, along with the rest of my story, paraphernalia, and other things.  Friday my mother brought ribs, and they missed my vein five times.  Think about a two inch needle going all the way into you five times...Miserable. 

My first cycle has since ended with a bunch left out, and all in all the cancer has been a learning experience.  Trust me, I wish I would have learned the value of life and family and friends without cancer.  I hope you all understand that this is something you want to avoid.  I guess I was just unlucky, never touching tobacco or drugs in my life.  You all have a choice.  Please, do whatever you can to avoid being told that you are close to dying and, and maybe worse, having your mother find out about your private life behind closed doors.