"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you" Simon and Garfunkel

Joe DiMaggio

Sometimes your path is marked in the sky 

Sometimes you're forced to fit in between the lines 

Sometimes all that you can do is say no 

Darlin' do not fear what you don't really know 

Brett Dennen

It is clear that I am a hockey fan first and foremost, but baseball is such a better field for analogies. Beyond the immortal "he shoots, he scores", there isn't much of a literary tradition. Baseball on the other hand is rich in language and full of whimsical and adolescent double entendres, but it still is way too slow for me. And for me, now, it seems like I am safely on first base (of engraftment and cure), but it also seems to be taking forever to advance this here runner. Next week lab tests will tell whether I am still on first or I have moved into scoring  position. Maybe, G-d willing, my donor has hit it out of the park, and we are both safely home already. I just haven't got the news. One thing is for sure. I am not dumb or anxious enough to get thrown out trying to steal second. I don't need to. My team has no outs, not even a strike against us. We are just kinda pokey. 

Right now I need you all to root root for me and my donor. This time it's the out of town team, them stem cells from Israel, that we want to come all the way home to my marrow to strike out the clonal intruders.

This word play is getting embarrassing.  But your prayers and good wishes are most appreciated.