Winter Season - Week 5

"Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right."

~ Henry Ford

Fundraising Tips

Email your monthly update reminding others to donate. This is a great way to keep people up to date with your training and fundraising progress. It's also a great time to update your potential donors on your honored patients status.

Training Tips - Safety

1. When walking, running, or cycling near traffic, always face traffic so that you can see and be seen.

2. Wear a reflective vest or reflective strips on your clothing, especially at dusk or dawn. On dark days, you are more visible in bright clothes. Another option is to purchase blinking reflective lights that can be attached to belts or jackets. These are ideal for night time or early morning use.

3. Whenever possible, try to walk, run or ride with a partner. Or have some of your friends walk, run or ride with you in shifts if they can’t complete the entire distance.

4. Stay away from isolated areas. Find places that are well-let and patrolled.

5. Leave your jewelry at home.

6. Good things to carry with you:

 A whistle

 Identification

 Money for a phone call or a beverage

 Dog spray or protection spray

7. We do not endorse wearing a walkman because of the safety issues they raise. We realize many people want to use them. If you must, make sure the volume is not so high that you can not hear traffic or anyone that may be approaching you.

8. We do not endorse training with dogs or small children in strollers because of the safety issues that they raise.

9. Always exercise caution and be on the lookout for any type of danger.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS MYELOMA?

Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found in many tissues of the body, but mainly in the bone marrow. In myeloma, a plasma cell becomes malignant. It grows continuously—especially in the marrow—destroying normal bone tissue, causing pain, and crowding out normal blood cell production.Malignant plasma cells produce an abnormal protein called monoclonal immunoglobulin. Immunoglobulins (or antibodies) are an important part of the body’s natural defense against infection since they recognize microbes that invade the body and permit them to be removed and destroyed. The onset of myeloma interferes with normal production of antibodies and makes myeloma patients susceptible to infections.

Mission Moment

"My Life with Cancer - My Life Has Change"
• I have Cancer, (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia); it has been a big shock for family and friends to find out.

• I turned bald at 15, on New Years Day I turned 16 and it turns out that I still have cancer. I look different on the outside but I’m the same person. I don’t have the choice in many things, but I could choose to make the best of the situation. CANCER will not conquer me.
• I try to make myself happy. Even on "bad" days, between treatments, it always makes me happy to take a week off from treatment.
• I have choices and I can still make some decisions. I chose whether to be asleep or awake for some procedures, and I chose not to eat hospital food.
• I am very independent and I cook whenever I can, but some days I can’t work up the energy to do it.
• I hate different smells. To help make my room more enjoyable I spray the room or use candles of smells I like.
• I try to make the best out of everything. But there are days that I want to stop with the treatment.
• I am determined to fight Cancer, to live my life to the fullest. I see things in a different way; I learned that the unexpected gift of cancer is a way to appreciate life more. I have strength and tolerance to pain that I did not know I had.
• I can say that cancer has made me different. It can make me feel very alone sometimes. When it comes down to it; I’m not alone - I have my family & friends!!! I am very surprised to have such great support from all the people that have made a difference in my experience with cancer.
• I want to fight for my life with cancer and want to live. Everyone dies, but not everyone truly lives.
• I have not been able to return to school and homebound school service has not been approved; the relationship with the school has not been positive.
• I have a life with cancer and I have many family and friends who are caring, concerned and always fun to be with. Fortunately, they can not have been more supportive. They will do anything they can to help in any way: phone calls, visits, gifts, prayers, fundraisers, donations and most of all, words of encouragement and love. These are the things that keep me going. Some days are bad, some are good, and some are great. If I look depressed, someone will always be there with a smile and a big bear hug.
• I can say as awful as cancer can be, it has brought my family and friends together, and we all have grown closer because of it. I guess you could say that I put my family and friends to “the test” by having them deal with cancer right along with me. The result: nothing will ever change the relationship I have with my family and friends. I have the best family & friends anyone could ever have!

Winter Season - Week 4

To find what you seek in the road of life, the best proverb of all is that which says: "leave no stone unturned." ~Edward Bulwer Lytton

Fundraising Tip
Setup your phone message, email signature, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter etc. and tell everyone you know on a daily basis that you are raising funds for LLS. Don't forget to provide your fundraising website link for quick and simple donations.

Training Tip
Hydration: To stay hydrated, you'll need to drink every 15 to 20 minutes. A sports-drink mixture diluted with additional water will keep you hydrated while providing your body with the carbohydrates it needs for longer runs. You can simply carry a water bottle, or use a water bottle fanny pack. Another option is the Fuel Belt, which securely holds 5-ounce flasks around your waist.

Food: For runs lasting more than an hour, you should ingest about 40 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Energy gels digest quickly, and they're easier to consume than energy bars on the run.

Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS LYMPHOMA?
A general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system, which includes hundreds of bean-size lymph nodes, present throughout the body, and the spleen and thymus.Result when a lymphocyte (a type of white blood cell) undergoes a malignant change and begins to multiply, eventually crowding out healthy cells and creating tumors, which enlarge lymph nodes.

Mission Moment
Karen Jennings
WI United States
Living with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma for 8 years
Age: 39

Towards the end of January of 2000, I was experiencing pain in my spleen area and had developed a swollen lymph node on the left side of my neck. I went to see my doctor and he became concerned right away, and set me up for a CT scan and an appointment with an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist. The CT showed nothing wrong with my spleen and the ENT ordered a biopsy of the lymph node. The biopsy came back Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, low-grade, follicular B-cell, small cleaved. Then I needed a body CT scan to see if it was anywhere else. They found it in my groin too, so they said was Stage 3.

We did the "Wait and Watch" method and things seemed to stay in control. My CT scans went from every 3 months, to 6 months, to every year, until April 2005. I developed a lump in front of my left ear. After another biopsy it showed the lymphoma was in my parotid gland. So I started 20 treatments of radiation. It was a bad experience, and a memorable one at that. I lost my hair from my ear line down, I lost my taste buds, and my throat was so sore it was hard to eat or drink anything. I ended up in the hospital for a few days. I finally got through it with the help and support of my wonderful, caring husband and 2 daughters.

The results of my treatments left me with 1 parotid gland, which I have to be on medicine to help stimulate my saliva. I got most of my taste buds back, but my likes and dislikes of food has changed. Otherwise, I am doing fine. My CT scans are scheduled for 6 months, but I'm always looking behind my back and the illness never leaves my mind. In October 2006 the results of my CT showed that I had a 3 inch cluster of lymph nodes in my pelvis that needed treatment. We did a PET scan and it showed that the cancer was throughout my body now. The biopsy in the pelvis showed that it hadn't become aggressive, and a bone marrow biopsy showed that it's in 5% on one side, and 40% on the other. I am undergoing chemotherapy now (Rituxan and CVP), and so far everything is going well (keeping our fingers crossed).

Winter Season - Week 3

The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live. ~Elbert Hubbard

Training Tip
Stretching

Your Team In Training coach will give you a complete lesson on muscle groups along with a pre-and post-workout stretching routine that you should begin to use every time. It will help prevent potential injuries and keep you feeling much better.

Basic Stretching Information:
Never run, walk or cycle without first stretching properly. Not stretching properly is one of the surest ways to cause injury.
Always stretch slowly and without bouncing; ease your body into the stretching.
Hold the stretch until it gradually becomes more comfortable.
Get to know your specific muscle groups and pay close attention to problematic ones when stretching.
Stretching increases flexibility and makes you a more efficient athlete.
Stretching prevents injuries. Flexible muscles perform better.
Stretching encourages recovery. Stretching after a long workout aids muscle recovery faster.
While stretching, breathe slowly and naturally. Breathing deeply helps you relax.

Top 3 Stretches:
Downward Facing Dog: stretches tight calves, hamstrings, ankles, back and arms
Quadriceps stretch: stretches tight quads-a very large, important muscle group.
Hip stretch I & II: opens hips and keeps joints flexible.

Fundraising Tip
Send 100 letters or more to people who know you or your family well. It is extremely important that you use your parents address book for letters as these are people who care about you, but you may not have email addresses for.

Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS LEUKEMIA?
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood-forming cells. It originates in a primitive blood-forming cell in the bone marrow. Leukemia occurs when immature blood cells accumulate in an uncontrolled manner in the marrow. The marrow often can no longer produce enough healthy red and white blood cells and platelets. The loss of red cells leads to anemia. The lack of functional white cells impairs the body’s ability to fight infections. A shortage of platelets result in bruising and easy bleeding.The major forms of leukemia are divided into four categories: acute and chronic myelogenous and acute and chronic lymphocytic. Myelogenous or lymphocytic denotes the cell type involved. Acute leukemia is a rapidly progressing disease that affects mostly immature cells. Chronic leukemia progresses slowly and involves greater numbers of more mature cells.

Mission Moment
Son Ngoc Dang
San Diego, CA
Lived with AML for 3 years, 7 months

We just had our second daughter (our first was 2) when Son Dang started to have symptoms of leukemia. A month later, after many tests, his was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) at the age of 34. That night, we laid in bed holding hands staring blankly at the ceiling with tears streaming down our cheeks. We were both watching our dreams of a “normal” life disappear. We did not know what lay ahead of us, but inside we shook in fear of this unknown disease that adopted itself into our family. Son was lucky to have his sister’s blood cells match his for a bone marrow transplant. He was thankful that he had this choice to do the transplant, but we did not realize how much our lives will change afterwards. For the next 3 ½ years, Son had to deal with Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD); effects of the transplant. Life for me, his 2 girls (5 and 3) and his mother (who lived with us to help us out) was not easy. Every day I watched him fight for his life. Then, on Thanksgiving Day, 2002 I got a phone call from his doctor that he suspected stomach cancer. A few days later it was confirmed. On January 22 he was admitted to have part of his stomach removed. He never came out of the hospital. A month later he passed away leaving me 5 months pregnant. Miracles do happen; just in unexpected ways. For all the families who have to go through cancer with a loved one, I reach out to you in prayer for strength and support. And I pray and hope for many other cancer victims out there that your journey to fight for your life will be surrounded with love and happiness as it was for Son Dang.