Me, Johnny King Honey Bee was on the road again to Nashville, TN for a second stem cell transplant at the Veterans Administration Medical Center Transplant Unit, Nashville, Tennessee, in March and April, 2002. A surprising amount of people there remembered me from my first stem cell transplant in January, 1999. Poor them!!!
Unlike my first trip there, I was not alone. Queenie Bee Beate accompanied me this time!!! She would have accompanied me on my first trip down there, but but we didn't meet till October, 1999.
Queenie Bee Beate was a new experience for those folks down there, and I coped much better by having her there with me.
'I got to dream up some new schemes for these people,' me thought to myself. Queenie Bee Beate and I were walking around the hospital grounds, and we met Briefcase Eddie. He was a really cool bee, and tried to sell me some sock inserts, so I would weigh-in even heavier each day.
But I really didn't need the sock inserts. I was gaining weight and Santy Claws even brought me a butt for Christmas, coz I lost mine, along with a lot of weight. But what a wonderful story to tell Nurse Justina who worked in the Infusion Room.
'You know the drill,' she always greeted every morning when you walked into her room. 'Boots off. Empty your pockets. Get on the scale.'
Nurse Justina was GOOD! Really GOOD! You couldn't change the subject or get out of the routine in any way whatsoever. I tried to tell her about Briefcase Eddie, and at least have the satisfaction of being told to also remove my socks. Sadly, it didn't work.
But where there is a will, there is a way. I got really devious. I am not a King Honey Bee for nothing, you know. I started drinking 8 cans of ensure every day. EIGHT CANS!!! YUCKIES!!! DOUBLE YUCKIES!!! It worked though!!! I was againing a pound or two every day!!! Hahahahahahaha... I even had to get a new pair of black jeans, the ones I had were too tight!!! Now is that a scheme or not???
This brilliant idea of mine would really get to her. Maybe even to the point of having my socks off during each weigh-in. It didn't happen. Not Fair!!! I was thwarted!!! Boo Hoo!!! Oh dear... Not to worry... There are always future schemes and dreams. I am not a King Honey Bee for nothing, you know.
Nurse Justina was a real sweetie bee, by the way. Queenie Bee Beate and I really liked Nursie Justina. Bzzzz bzzzzz bzzzz bzzzz. We even gave her bee status. BEEPOWER!!! Bzzzz bzzzz bzzzz bzzzz. Isn't it GREAT to have your own web site and so many lovely bee graphics??? The things a King Bee can do with them.
All of the folks at the Nashville Transplant Center are G R E A T!!! They are dedicated to doing the very best job they can do, and I thank them all for their expertise. Equally important to their medical skills, they are very caring people.
