Build Back Better!!! (DAY -3)

There is political news to break, that's coming in a moment. On the Be Right Back front, hopefully the entire timeline has now been moved up by a an entire day - (EVERY DAY COUNTS)

TRANSPLANT IS NOW HAPPENING MONDAY!!! Doctors feel like I don't need more than 2 days of "recovery" between chemo/radiation conditioning and the transplant, so Monday it is!!!!

Now to Nationally Relevant Breaking News:

For almost a year now, I have been working hard (along with so many other brilliant friends and colleagues out there)

to get President Biden's Build Back Better bill passed through congress - a 1.9 trillion dollar package that will create the largest investment in history to curb climate change, support child care across the country through universal Pre-K, and extend the child tax credit just to name a few of the game-changing provisions.

Very selfishly for months I hoped that the timeline of the passage of this bill, would happen BEFORE I had to step away from work for a bit for the Bone Marrow Transplant. Well, at least Nancy Pelosi and the House of Representatives complied with this request, by passing the bil l this morning - now I hve to hope that while I'm working to BUILD BACK BETTER myself, Joe Manchin grows a heart and conscious and helps the bill make it through the senate.

Very selfishly for months I hoped that the timeline of the passage of this bill, would happen BEFORE I had to step away from work for a bit for the Bone Marrow Transplant. Well, at least Nancy Pelosi and the House of Representatives complied with this request, by passing the bil l this morning - now we have to hope that while I'm working to BUILD BACK BETTER myself, Joe Manchin grows a heart and conscious and helps the bill make it through the senate.

The path to winning is NEVER easy. Sitting here, watching CNN and listening to the commentators describe the uphill battle the bill faces with a stubborn and reluctant Joe Manchin in the Senate - while I'm soaking in day 4 of chemo, makes me lean into the only thing I've ever known to work in these uphill battles - find the DRIVE to keep on keeping' on. You have to believe you can win, you have to believe you can get through it. You have to essentially be able to picture what it will feel like and look like on the other of it all. Without that starting point, there's no chance at all.

My brother was famously quoted on a podcast during his many years of cancer treatment as saying that he wasn't good at many things but he was "great at doing chemo." I take issue with the first part of his statement, (he was good at so many things), but he couldn't have been more right about how excellent he was at doing chemo. As I sit here today - remembering the many years he sat in a chair so similar to the one I'm sitting in today - its actually more incredible than ever for me to understand how he did it. Day after day, year after year, following his own strict rules of never wearing sweatpants, only ever stylish skinny jeans and a cute button down shirt or hoodie for easy chemo port access. He lit up the chemo room with charm and positivity relentlessly. Its hard to sit here and complain when you witnessed someone with that level of will and drive and stamina define how it's done. I'm in a private room this week - no other patients to charm, and no visitors allowed. That doesn't stop me from wishing Ben were sitting next to me. I've missed Ben more than usual this week. I have this strange feeling like - why hasn't Ben called to check in? Or the urge to pick up my phone and text him judgmental thoughts about all the pilly sweatshirts and sweatpants everyone is wearing in the chemo waiting room. Of all the things I knew would be more challenging about this 3rd go around of a transplant - I may have underestimated the difficulty of doing it without Ben here. I'm thankful that he did leave me the best and most powerful example of strength that anyone could imagine though.

All that said - and with the hesitation of sounding like a "k'vetch" this does suck. So so excited for a couple weeks from now when the worst should be over with. Ready for this poison to do its job, and for the new bone marrow to get real comfy real quickly.

Wisconsin Weather Report

• 21 degrees when Raj and I left for the hospital this morning (and he gets a major shout out for waking up at 6AM to join his DC workout buddies for and OUTDOOR workout via zoom)

• SUNNY and BRISK!

What's Entertaining Us & What's on tap for the weekend

• TV SHOW: IMPEACHMENT: Only a couple episodes left to go in Impeachment. Pretty wild reliving the Clinton-Era drama. What I'd trade for another sex scandal dominating the news vs January 6th Insurrections, and Kyle Rittenhouse Trials.

• MOVIE: 4 GOOD DAYS: Starring Glenn Close & Mila Kunis. Very intense, but excellent - about a mother and daughter's struggle through Heroine Addiction. Let's hope Sherry thinks this care responsibility is a walk in the park after last nights view of Glenn Close's work to take care of Mila Kunis's character

On tap for the weekend: KING RICHARD!!! (The story of Venus & Serena William and their Dad)

What I'm grateful for:

• This being the last day of radiation and chemo (let's hope for a VERY VERY VERY LONG time, or even forever)

• Gaining on a day on my timeline - I like that I'm now just a weekend away from DAY ZERO/Transplant Day.

• Wonderful friends who have checked in this week already, to make me feel so supported and loved as I head in this difficult period ahead.

• Diet Raspberry Snapple. Gosh this is the best drink ever made, and no matter how nauseous or icky I feel, this drink seems to still taste good and make me feel better.

Enjoy this view from my living room yesterday afternoon: