Blast # 4 and a Christmas Request for my Readers

Blast # 4 came on Thursday and I feel great. While many of the more cumulative effects of the chemo are setting in - I'm losing feeling in my fingers and toes, falling on a regular basis, and looking like Mr. Clean more by the day as the Prednisone makes my cheeks swell up - I still get a strangely satisfying feeling going in each week and having a nurse pump me full of the good stuff to kill some more lymphoblasts.

As my friend Karsten so aptly branded it in a note this week as I waited in the Chemo room, I follow the "scorched earth philosophy on chemo":

"Oh, you like my house? You like my field? How do you like them on fire???"

As Christmas approaches, and I explain how great I feel, I cannot help but reflect upon how lucky and fortunate I am as I go through this journey. Compared to others, my body has responded remarkably well to the first slate of chemo drugs. I'm still around, kicking, causing trouble at work and elsewhere and having a good time when many others end up in a hospital bed for months.

I'm surrounded by an amazing support structure of friends, family, coworkers, physicians and strangers who take care of me when I need it, and do so with unbelievable grace and kindness. All of your support warms my spirit and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of the kind words, not to mention you taking time to follow my journey.

On that note, I keep hearing of people reading my blog who a.) aren't yet followers or b.) are uncomfortable commenting. Please become a follower if you're not already and never hesitate to comment about anything, even if you don't know me (just comment on a post if you want or I'd love to answer any questions that any of you have about cancer, A.L.L, or treatment. Equally welcomed are personal stories, stories of a friend, or even ask me about fixing a bike or finding the best brewpub to take a date in Madison if you want...) Bottom line - if you've got something on your mind... share it.

While I am extraordinarily fortunate to have responded so well to treatment thus far, and to have such an amazing support structure, every week when I go in for labs, appointments, tests and chemo, I see and meet amazing people who are not so fortunate.

In rough shape they travel long distances from family and home to get the care that they need. While my doctors are cautiously optimistic that I can be cured through chemo alone, many at the clinic with Leukemia are preparing for bone marrow transplants -- A dangerous, painful, and unfathomably terrifying procedure that takes months if not years to recover from.

In an effort to make the lives of transplant patients more comfortable, compassionate doctors in Madison are raising money to renovate a comfortable home for patients and caregivers recovering from transplants, so that they get the care the need in a comfortable setting and need not spend months in sterile hospitals.

"The Restoring Hope Transplant House" needs renovations to open and provide such comfort to transplant patients and their families.

Nothing will make me happier this Christmas than if we do a small part to make the world more comfortable for the people I see at the clinic every week who are less fortunate than I, and for the people who will go through this 5 or 10 years from today.

This morning I donated $20.13 to the Transplant House (If all goes according to plan I will be completely done with treatment in 2013). If you can afford to, please consider joining me in donating to the Restoring Hope Transplant House, whether its $5, $20.13 or a $100, it would brighten my spirits this holiday season.

You can read about the transplant house at this link:

http://www.restoringhope.org/

and Donate online here:

http://www.restoringhope.org/support/donations.php

(neoludites can find an address to send a check here also)

Then, after you do, shed the midwest modesty, take some credit, and proudly comment "I donated" on this blog post -- philanthropy is one of the few contagious activities my immune system can tolerate.

Finally, if you donate, please consider emailing me to let me know how much you contributed. My email is bikeryder@gmail.com. I won't judge the amount or disclose any of the information, I'd just like to track a grand total.

Together, this holiday season, let's do a small part to make the Restoring Hope Transplant House a reality to bring hope and comfort to those who need it most. I look forward to the day years down the road when I can bike to the house, visit with the patients and give them another story of hope.

Thanks and Happy Holidays,

Sam