Michael & Kate

A dear friend of mine, in fact my best friend, is having a stem cell transplant on Tuesday.  He’s 34 and his name is Michael.

He doesn’t know that I am writing this.

Mike found out he had non-hodgkins lymphoma 4 years ago.  He’s gone through a bunch of experimental treatments.  Work has been tough but for the most part he’s been doing good.  He told me the other day that he doesn’t want to have cancer anymore and that’s why he’s doing this experimental procedure.  The risk is pretty big and when he does recover he’s going to be pretty weak (unable to read, etc) for several weeks.

Mike’s a musician, writer, and poet.  He loves Jane Eyre, and some other crappy Brit Lit, non-fiction audio-books, LOLcats, TED, and anything educational.

So, I thought that if he were to get a few random cards or funny stuff in the mail it would be pretty cool.  I mean, every time he was feeling like shit, the twitterverse could make a difference.

He’s in Chicago and the address is:

Michael Oxenrider
University of Chicago Hospital
5841 S. Maryland Room TN 663
Chicago, IL 60637

Update: Mike is home now! .. Thx everyone!!

Below is the letter I got from his amazing girlfriend Kate.
It was addressed to me and three others.

Thanks for making the effort!!
-joe

—
Hi everyone!

Michael’s Stem cell transplant is this Tuesday. I will be decorating his room for him to come back to and if  any of you would like to send along a card or note for him to read when he is recovering, that would be so great!!!

Thanks everyone!
xo

P.S – After sleeping on it, I don’t know if this is the right thing to do. Let me know if you think its good or bad .. I might take it down if enough people tell me its a bad idea.

Addition: I am leaving it up.  Everyone seems to think its much more positive than negative.  Kate agrees.  Thanks everyone!!

I have tremendous anxiety when going to a new place to get my hair done.  I usually let it go and go until I get agoraphobia.  I then dart to the hair salon and pray.

I am new to LA, I and can’t fly back to Indiana to “The Hairman” and get my hair cut from Heather.  I tweet’d for some recommendations on haircuttery (oh that’s that awful place in Chicago thx @koreanforrabbit).  The Paul Mitchell school in the Galleria seemed like a “great” idea, it would be cheap and was right around the corner from my “home”.  (Note to self: I don’t want a “cheap” haircut.)

The girl there was really sweet and gave a great head massage / shampoo.  The actual hair-cutting, not so much.  Overall, and to quote myself:

“Just finished with the longest and most interactive haircut of my life .. took so long my parking validation for 2hrs was exceeded .. lol”

I probably would never go back, but she did an adequate job.  $5 tip .. for encouragement.

She was excited ..

.. to have me leave.

Here you go, let me know what you think.

And Facebook, you have the exception written .. maybe you could make it more encouraging? .. Time to submit to Failblog.