Monday, April 24

Have you hugged a tree today?

Hey the link to my website now works!

I have come to terms that my husband and I are bi-products of the 60's. This Saturday was Earth Day, and I didn't realize until the day had passed how Earth friendly I was. As many of you know we only have one car. Matt was on retreat all weekend, so I drove an I-Go car. I-go is a car sharing program through out several major cities (http://216.211.131.236/chicago-i-go/), I then took all our old computers to get recycled, before going home I picked up are organic produce at the co-op. I'd like to contend that it's easy and fun to be green!

Thursday, April 20

You want to what?

Last month I participated in the Shamrock Shuffle (a 5 k walk in downtown Chicago). Through this experience I encountered and organization that will train folks for a marathon, triathlon, or century bike rides, while people train they also fund raise for research on Lymphoma and Leukemia.

I went to an informational meeting last night, all the people sitting next to me were shuffling their chairs away as they showed a touching video that made me cry and talked about the impact their organization has had on the disease and on the lives of patients and families. Matt and I have been SO blessed through my cancer process to have AMAZING student health insurance that has covered nearly everything fully. By not having to worry about finances, I was able to fully focus on recovery. I can barely grasp the stress and frustration of folks who don’t have that option.

Can I do it? Well, minus some lung damage from the chemo drugs, I believe that I can. I’ll be doing a run / walk or a walk/run—my focus isn’t to ‘run’ the marathon, as much as it is to complete it, raise money for an important cause, and get back into my pre-cancer (or better than) shape.

One of my great motivators was learning last week that with radiation I’ll have be more prone to other cancers (especially breast, which is what my mother’s mother died of). The radiologist advised that diet and exercise are going to be my best weapons against the return of any future cancers. During chemo I couldn’t continue with my typical workouts, and I barely had the energy to get around during the day. So I’m so grateful to be able to workout again—and it feels great!


I’m still working on the link from here to my TIT site, but I’ll be keeping you posted on everything. (isn’t it exciting that the same place you read about my treatment, will also be the same place you can read about what it’s like to train for a marathon?)

Wednesday, April 12

things are happening

Thanks for the prayers that I’ll get a job. My internship offered me a full time paid position to stay full time in my current role for the life of the grant that I’m working on. The grant will expire in the fall, with some small to slim chances that we’ll find the funds to continue on. The money is far from good, but better than working at Starbucks for another summer. It’ll be good networking, and we’re always working on new grants, so there is a possibility of promotions and raises depending on if we receive many of the grants we apply for.

Another plus is that the hours are supper flexible. I’ll be able to finish up my final two grad school classes. They’re willing to work with me with all my crazy doctor’s appointments. Heck, I may have the time to train for that marathon I’m still considering running in the fall.

Wednesday, April 5

Chemo is OVER! Radiation around the bend.

Just celebrateing once again that CHEMO IS DONE! According to my oncologist, the cute yoda ish Dr. Chen, it's done enough damage. My lungs are permently scared, I've gained 20 lbs, lost the ability to grow hair for several months, had hair vanish, spent months worrying about every person around me was a germ carrier wtih super nova germs ready to knock out what remained of my immune system, and so much more.

sigh-- IT'S OVER!

Radiation will probably start after Easter. The side effects are minimal compaired to chemo. I'll go to the hospital every weekday, for how ever long the dr's deam apporpriate, treatment should only take a couple minutes (some compare it to an x-ray).

It's good to know that the worst is over and that the end is in sight!

Sunday, April 2

just kicking some ideas around


Sorry to have such a gap in posts recently. There hasn't been a ton to report.

Here’s an idea I’m kicking around: This weekend I completed the Shamrock Shuffle 5k walk, held in downtown Chicago. I signed up to do this month’s ago with the hopes of getting an idea of when other walks or fitness events would be this summer. While I did accomplish my goal of figuring out when other walks are I discovered a group called Team in Training. They train individuals for marathons, or triathlons while those participants raise funds for Lymphoma and Leukemia research. It's been a goal of mine to complete a marathon before I'm 30 (which is growing closer and closer). In order to go through the process I'd need to raise $2000. I'm wondering how receptive all you blog readers would be in sponsoring me as I train for the Chicago Marathon? Here's a link to the organization's website: http://www.teamintraining.org/


Health wise there isn't much to report, I've been returning to my position as a hospital lab rat. My oncologist wants to make sure he can track all of the chemo damage prior to starting radiation. I was hoping for radiation to have started by now, but at this rate I'm predicting it'll start sometime in April and stretch into May (just a guess from me).

There is a month left to this semester. Classes thus far have been a cakewalk, but all the projects for the semester are due this month-- so this next month should prove to be a little more difficult. I'm signing up for two classes this summer, and then I'll be done with graduate school. Any one know of some great job out there?