Welp, here we go again

So it's been one hell of a week.  I found out that my cousin died in an car accident at the beginning of the week.  Then I find out of the blue that my Aunt has cancer- I'm not exactly in on the details, as a lot of tests are waiting to come back or still need to be done.  Last night I started to make my way to Alma for the funeral, and about half way there, I felt like I was going to be sick- no big deal, I thought I would throw up, feel better, and be back on my merry way.  However, I just started throwing up blood.  For some reason medical personnel seem to get a little freaked out when that happens.  I called HB, to get directions to the nearest hospital, and made my way to the ER.  I get there, and they start pumping me with fluids, and do a rectal exam. (One of the things that make dying early not seem so bad, is that I thought I would get to miss out on all of the rectal exam fun- my friends who are male and 40 or over- I'm sorry).  This happens in a little town called Ionia, with a pretty podunk, dirty, and not very well staffed hospital.  (At one point, a nurse sopped up blood on a tray with some leftover saline solution, that she used to flush an IV with (that had blood backed up in) and an already bloodied piece of gauze. Awesome.  They decided that they couldn't do much there, so they asked me where I wanted to be transported.  I said Kalamazoo right away.  I just wanted to be closer to home.  My oncologist wanted me to go to U of M.  I said absolutely not.  I just wanted to be close to home.

They think that this isn't very serious right now.  I'm going for an upper GI scope in a few hours.  They stick a camera into my throat and down into my esophagus, stomach, and upper bowels to see what is happening, and hopefully fix the bleeding while they're there.

I've had to receive two blood transfusions while I'm in here.  I may need more.  Here's what I need all of you to do, if you can.  Please, please, please, go donate some blood.  This is such an easy way to help out, and it has helped people like me.  If you have the ability, please find a blood drive and donate.  And a special thanks go out to the unnamed O Positive donor- thank you for your generosity, you are making me feel so much better right now.  I'll post more later after I have this procedure done and find out some more information.

Sorry for all of those that I will miss seeing this weekend.  We'll catch up sometime soon when I'm feeling a bit better.