Pre-treatment post

Treatment number 5 is tomorrow. I have already started my pre-meds and as usual I have some mixed emotions in anticipation. As is typical I'm excited to see Dr. Richards for the opportunity to talk specifics of the coming weeks/months. But at the same time this roller coaster of a process does get to be a bit monotonous. Just when I'm starting to feel good again I'm right back in the chair for another round.

That's not a true complaint... just a bit of whining that isn't entirely justified. As I've said before, so far I have no horror stories to tell. My body is responding to treatment, once again, and many others aren't nearly as lucky as I have been in that regard. I'm truly thankful but longing to do some things that the treatment prevents.

I'll keep you all posted on any notable info from my conversation with Dr. Richards.

As expected this final month that is leading up to the LiveSTRONG event in Philly has started with a bang. Our Mintz's Mentschen ranks have grown and our total fundraising is over $12,000. Thank you all for your continued generosity.

Yesterday I experienced my first triathlon. NO!! Not as a participant. I volunteered to help with the event and lucked into a "crowd control" and traffic cop role at the busiest spot on the course... the transition area. Such fun!! What was also cool is that I saw two old friends from cycling events we've done with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Carolyn "Stella" Stellatella and Tina Duda. After seeing this olympic distance triathlon in action on a day where it was within a degree or two of 100 very humid degrees I now view these two women as true SUPER women. All I can say is WOW! And also that I'll NEVER do a triathlon!! Rock on Tina and Stella, I'm in awe.

Status quo

Hello. This will be short and to the point since at the moment things are status quo and, therefore, there's not a whole lot to say.

On Friday I had my 10-day post-treatment checkup and my blood counts are just fine. My visit was with Dr. Desai and we spoke generally about how many treatments I'll be having. As I've been saying here it seems clear that we'll be doing at least 6 treatments. From there the plan going forward will be dictated by scan results and whether I develop any neuropathy from the taxol and/or allergic reaction to the carboplatin.

This weekend being the end of week #2 it was my chance to get out on my bike. I rode solo yesterday and enjoyed a nice early morning 34-miler. It was a nice quiet and sunny Saturday morning at 7am so it was nice being back on the bike.

And the usual week #3 schedule will prevail for me this week where I'll be going into the office. I don't enjoy the earlier wake-up time but it's a nice change to be back around people at work. Although the long commute takes it's toll toward the end of the week and invariably I'm ready for bed by 8:30pm.

We're now entering the final month of preparations for the Philly LiveSTRONG weekend. The Mintz's Mentschen team has a number of walkers this year as well as riders that will be participating in a variety of the available route distances. Now that the timeline is getting short I can see that I will be having a treatment the week of the bike ride. Not great timing but at worst I'll fight through the 10-mile distance and I know that I'll have a bit of a posse with me so all will be fine. Our collective team fundraising total is at $10,900 and I expect in the coming weeks that the total will jump up significantly. Our 2010 custom Mentschen cycling jerseys and t-shirts have been ordered so we'll be sporting a whole new look this year. The vendor for the jerseys will be at the LiveSTRONG event this year and there's been talk of a team picture by them. More to follow on all things LiveSTRONG as the event gets closer and as the excitement continues to build.

TGIFriday

Before I go hit the couch to totally crash let me see if I can give a quick recap for what has been a wild week.

The July 4th weekend was terrific. Yes it was hot but without rain at least we were able to try and enjoy the time outdoors. There was a Mentschen training ride at Washington’s Crossing on Saturday that I enjoyed spending with Laura Zucconi as it was just the two of us on the shorter route. Everyone else headed for the hills and higher mileage. Sunday was a beach day that Amy and I enjoyed with Cheryl and Jules. Despite my using Neutrogena SPF 70 I was still very afraid of getting too much sun given the roaster of a day that it was. I stayed under the umbrella the entire day. I know that doesn’t sound like fun but I did enjoy the beach and the time with good friends. Monday brought an early morning solo 38-mile ride before heading down to Brick for family time.

That’s exactly what I was hoping to accomplish leading up to treatment #4 on Tuesday which brought nothing out of the ordinary. What was a bit of a surprise is that insurance approval and scheduling for the PET/CT came together very quickly.

I spoke to Betsy on Wednesday for final arrangements and lucked into an 8:15am appointment for Thursday. I jumped at the chance to get the scan done sooner rather then later even though I also had an afternoon appointment for my neulasta injection. Just another fun day of poking and prodding.

Shane and I shared some laughs with the PET prep but I’ll leave the details as an inside joke between the two of us. I’m just glad that I can make the visits with my friends at Princeton Radiology as memorable for them as it is for me. Ha!

And… the punch line is…. Dr. Richards gave me a call earlier today with the results. Long story short, “there is no new growth and what was there is shrinking”. I guess the 3rd time will indeed be a charm.

3rd time's a charm

About a week ago we passed into a timeframe where the Philly LiveSTRONG Challenge event on the weekend of August 21-22 is less then 2 months away. Therefore, it's the bell lap and we need to go into our kick with a bit more energy on our Mintz's Mentschen fundraising effort.


As if I needed a reminder for why my friends and I continue to raise funds for organizations like the Lance Armstrong Foundation I learned earlier this week that someone I know via the internet, Cal MacDonald, lost his cancer battle on Tuesday of this week. Cal and I shared a special connection with our individual cancer battles and I'll undoubtedly have him in mind as I get on my bike in August to ride in his memory as well as to honor the many that continue to fight.



First, please consider joining us this year. We have team members that are walking (5K or 10K) as well as cycling distances anywhere from 10-miles to a full 100-mile century ride. We're working as a team with organized training so it's not too late to join us and we can help to make sure that you have a successful and thoroughly enjoyable event.


Our Mentschen team cycling jerseys have nearly completed their design stage. For a $250 donation we will be able to put your corporate logo on the back of the jersey for all to see. Last year our Mentschen jersey won first place in the jersey contest. If you're interested please let me know right away. Here's the preliminary design. Funny... as I just imported the image I realized that Coach O'Dell is going to enjoy seeing the shamrocks on the jersey. Ha!



Of course any and all donations are greatly appreciated. You can donate online at my personal fundraising web page by clicking here.

The weather for this upcoming holiday weekend looks like it's going to be terrific. Last weekend Amy and I joined in on a Mentschen team training ride and enjoyed a nice 25-mile tandem ride through the backroads of Burlington County, NJ. This weekend I will probably ride solo and I'll be shooting for as much mileage as my body can stand. Chemo treatment #4 is on Tuesday. Hopefully I'll get word on the insurance pre-certification for the PET/CT and I'll be able to go ahead and schedule it.


Have a terrific holiday weekend everyone!