What’s New? Glad You Asked

Happy Blood Cancer Awareness month!!

I haven’t posted in a little bit but that doesn’t mean life hasn’t been busy. Let me try to catch you up to speed with some recent news and happenings.

First, as I’ve been actively writing and talking about, I commence with round three of chemo treatment on Monday and Tuesday, September 12^th & 13^th. As I previously mentioned my doc was very pleased with both my response and ability to tolerate the first two rounds so we are going full speed ahead with a 3^rd and a 4^th treatment at which point we will again reassess my response.  Chances are that might be all I’ll need (and be able to tolerate).  The protocol for this combination of treatment drugs is actually 4-6 rounds so if I continue to respond well and recover well, a 5^th and a 6^th is a possibility. But I’m not looking past Monday for now.

This weekend, I was supposed to race the half ironman at the Diamondman Challenge in Delaware produced by Piranha Sports. After giving it some careful consideration, I decided it’s best that I take a scratch on this one. As I’ve been navigating through treatments, and all that goes with them, certain compromises were needed. This was one of them. So, while I am a little disappointed to have to strike an event from my calendar, I know that these compromises are temporary. I’ll still fill the void with something physical and productive. In 30 years of racing and 10 years of managing a chronic cancer, I’ve learned a few lessons in patience, trust, and adaptability. For now, I’ll put this one in the category of “humbled but still relentless”.

I have again been nominated for two WEGO Health awards. WEGO is a network of over 100,000 of the most influential members of the online health community. I’ve been nominated for both a Health Activist Hero award and a Lifetime Achievement award. I’ll keep you posted on what that means but essentially beginning next week, folks will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite nominees in several health care categories. You can learn more HERE.

On October 29^th & 30^th, I’ll be speaking at Columbia University in NYC at a 2-Day Patient Conference presented by the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation in conjunction with the 3^rd World Congress of Cutaneous Lymphomas also happening in New York that week. The topic of the talk will simply be “Living Above Chronic Cancer”. Details of that weekend can be found HERE.

And lastly, TNT is crossing the border! Due to popular demand, Team In Training is excited to announce their newest event – Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant – on June 25, 2017 in Québec, Canada. In its short tenure, IRONMAN 70.3 Mont-Tremblant has exceeded expectations with its scenic course and abundance of family-friendly activities. The 1.2-mile swim takes place in Tremblant Lake, followed by a 1-loop, 56-mile bike through Mont-Tremblant’s mountains. Athletes will then embark on the 13.1-mile run course, finishing in the city’s pedestrian village.  I’m looking forward to coaching this crop of TNT athletes. To learn more about Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant or any other exciting TNT event, visit www.teamintraining.org/epa or email Katie.Freind@lls.org.