I realized today that it's been quite a while since my last post, so I'm finally making an update after 2+ weeks of dormancy. The lack of activity is due in large part to the fact that I don't exactly want to remember my last visit to the infusion unit, as it definitely wasn't much fun this time around. I won't go into details, but apparently I didn't drink enough good old H2O in the days leading up to round 3 on Jan 12. This led to some problems finding a suitable vein for the IV...at the end of the day, it took 3 nurses, 30+ minutes, and several unpleasant sticks to get me hooked up (sorry for those of you who may get queasy over this stuff). Other than this one forgettable span of time, everything else pretty well and I was feeling pretty normal post-treatment (I did experience some bouts of mild nausea, but I really think it was due mostly to the unpleasant experience).
I've been working full-time for the most part and have been trying to stick to the half-marathon schedule as closely as possible. Made it up to 7.5 miles last Saturday with Andrea; while this kind of mileage was considered kiddie's play back in the fall, I'm definitely starting to feel the toll that successive chemotherapy treatments are taking on my body. My bloodwork earlier this week revealed that I have officially, for the first time since beginning treatment, entered the realm doctors refer to as "neutropenia." This means that my neutrophil (white blood cells that fight infection) levels are super low - 500 cells per microliter (a healthy person's count can be anywhere from 1,500 to 7,000). As a result, my body is extremely susceptible to infection at this point and I'm basically trying to sequester myself from the world...no office, no gym, no fun stuff. My neutrophils need to be up to at least around 1,300 by next week for my next treatment, so please think good thoughts and keep your fingers crossed!
One last note: I'd like to reiterate again my gratitude to all you who have helped me over the past months with your positive thoughts, support and, of course, donations to TNT...I cannot thank you enough. I'm excited to announce that you've helped raise over $6,000 to help fund the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's mission of fighting for blood cancer patients through advocacy, support, and research! There's no reason to stop yet though - I still have another month of fundraising left, so if you know of friends/coworkers/businesses/ celebrities (?!) that would be interested in donating, please spread the word. Thank you again and have a great weekend. Until next time...
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
TNT Update
Over $4,000 raised to fund vital cancer research and support luekemia/lymphoma patients!
Thank you so much to all of you who have supported me in raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Your response has been overwhelming and, as you can see, we blew away my initial goal of $2,000. I'm not ready to stop yet: please pass the word on to your friends/family who may be interested in donating. I'm also in the process of identifying potential corporate sponsorships and support from local businesses; I'm thinking a February happy hour fundraiser with a raffle/auction, so stay tuned for that.
I completed my first real training run with TNT yesterday morning (6 miles) in sub-30 degree weather. All of the DC area teams were there and they held a Honored Teammate event after the training, where athletes and survivors alike shared their stories of dealing with leukemia/lymphoma. I got up for about a minute and shared my story in front of about 100 other TNT'ers and expressed my thanks for everyone for committing to the cause - it was such an uplifting experience for me and it also helped to hear and meet others that have gone through the same experiences.
Due to the temporary setback with my neutrophil count, I'm now scheduled for Round 3 this coming Tuesday. Unfortunately (or fortunately, we'll see), that means all subsequent treatments got pushed back as well, which means the half-marathon is only 2 days after my final treatment. I plan to keep training through this as long as I can stand on my two feet. I hope to see all of you in March, either on the roads with me or at the finish line :)
Thank you so much to all of you who have supported me in raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Your response has been overwhelming and, as you can see, we blew away my initial goal of $2,000. I'm not ready to stop yet: please pass the word on to your friends/family who may be interested in donating. I'm also in the process of identifying potential corporate sponsorships and support from local businesses; I'm thinking a February happy hour fundraiser with a raffle/auction, so stay tuned for that.
I completed my first real training run with TNT yesterday morning (6 miles) in sub-30 degree weather. All of the DC area teams were there and they held a Honored Teammate event after the training, where athletes and survivors alike shared their stories of dealing with leukemia/lymphoma. I got up for about a minute and shared my story in front of about 100 other TNT'ers and expressed my thanks for everyone for committing to the cause - it was such an uplifting experience for me and it also helped to hear and meet others that have gone through the same experiences.
Due to the temporary setback with my neutrophil count, I'm now scheduled for Round 3 this coming Tuesday. Unfortunately (or fortunately, we'll see), that means all subsequent treatments got pushed back as well, which means the half-marathon is only 2 days after my final treatment. I plan to keep training through this as long as I can stand on my two feet. I hope to see all of you in March, either on the roads with me or at the finish line :)
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