My friend Karen joined Team in Training last summer to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society while training for a century ride (100 miles). Here's a note I got from Karen the other day:
The Intracoastal Waterway Century (100 miles) ride was last Sunday - what a beautiful day it was! Sunny and cool with lots of water views. The event had about 500 riders of which 83 were TNT members from around Florida. Starting in Cocoa we headed north up to Titusville, over the water to the space center area and then southward to the end of Merritt Island, passing back to the mainland, and then north again back to the beginning. It was rather windy in the northbound direction, adding an extra challenge; but all for a very important cause. All in all the TNT team raised over $173,000, so thank you again for your contribution to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Contributions to the LLS have helped fund research for new drugs like Gleevec which is used by one of our team members, making it possible for him to train and complete the century ride!
Karen rode in memory of a friend who died of Hodgkins lymphoma many years ago, and in honor of me and my battle with leukemia. Thank you Karen and all Team in Training participants who help raise money to fund the war on blood cancers.
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Adirondack Mountains, Feb. 2007
Tale of a Cord Blood Transplantee Who Relapses and Goes on to Have a Matched Unrelated-Donor Transplant
The Weight
Adirondack Mountains, Feb. 2007
ABOUT ME
In March 2006, I was diagnosed with a blood cancer called Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Life as I knew it came to a crashing halt. After enduring a month in the hospital where I received intense chemotherapy, I was declared "in remission." I had three additional treatments and remained cancer-free until May 2007, when I relapsed.
My only shot at survival was to have a stem cell transplant. However, my brothers' immune markers didn't match mine, and an international search of bone marrow registries found no perfect matches. A transplant using the blood from two umbilical cords was recommended. I grasped at this straw in September 2007. It seemed to work.
This blog tells the story of my transplant and recovery, replete with outrageous slings and arrows. The expression "blood is thicker than water" has new meaning for me. I remained alive due to the blood of strangers, two of them, both male. Thanks guys.
The plot thickened when I relapsed 19 months into my new remission and had to go through the same rigamarole once more. This time, I received stem cells from a matched adult donor who was identified last go round but didn't fit into the necessary time frame. Charles Dickens could have fun with this, the stuff of pulp fiction.
I remain in remission 4 years later. My donor keeps leukemic cells in check but finds interesting ways to attack my body. Chronic graft versus host disease keeps me firmly entrenched in the medical world. And so it goes.
My only shot at survival was to have a stem cell transplant. However, my brothers' immune markers didn't match mine, and an international search of bone marrow registries found no perfect matches. A transplant using the blood from two umbilical cords was recommended. I grasped at this straw in September 2007. It seemed to work.
This blog tells the story of my transplant and recovery, replete with outrageous slings and arrows. The expression "blood is thicker than water" has new meaning for me. I remained alive due to the blood of strangers, two of them, both male. Thanks guys.
The plot thickened when I relapsed 19 months into my new remission and had to go through the same rigamarole once more. This time, I received stem cells from a matched adult donor who was identified last go round but didn't fit into the necessary time frame. Charles Dickens could have fun with this, the stuff of pulp fiction.
I remain in remission 4 years later. My donor keeps leukemic cells in check but finds interesting ways to attack my body. Chronic graft versus host disease keeps me firmly entrenched in the medical world. And so it goes.
2 comments:
Great job, Karen, and thank you!
Jim
My name is Kellee and I rode with Karen and we called her my "mom" on the team. She speaks highly of you and I too am glad I could help raise money for people like you who fight this battle everyday. Keep staying strong
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