The good, the bad and Amazing Austin

I have to say Austin Texas is a pretty cool place. The weekend I shared with Kelsey, my crazy generous CTAPP rider and the rest of the Cancervive CTAPP group was equally amazing. The entire weekend was so well planned and filled with incredible moments-the warm welcome at the airport Friday, celebration dinner Friday night... (pictured above - me with my warrior hat and Chris Clark, PwC CEO and fellow cancer warrior; pictured below my rider Kelsey and Chris)...the Livestrong walk on Saturday where Kelsey and I walked 5K through Austin and I walked through the "survivor shoot" to collect my Yellow Rose of Texas...Saturday afternoon travelling to San Antonio, cruising along the river walk and visiting the Alamo ....

Sunday morning for the Livestrong ride - Lance spoke and then rode as well - Kelsey and Chris rode 40 miles and I cheered on the entire CTAPP team (a small sea of blue in a large sea of yellow) - amazing stories, amazing people. While I didn't meet Lance (there were a few thousand people there remember), Kelsey got to shake Lance's hand right before she started the ride, a great birthday present for her! Sunday we had Texas BBQ and flew back Monday.

In between the ride and dinner Sunday, I even got to hang out with my cousin Kenneth and his lovely wife Johanne, a real treat since I so rarely get to Austin! All in all, a pretty awesome weekend.

Returning late Monday night, early Tuesday for bloodwork was back to reality. Wednesday was Day One chemo again, but with my clear marrow I was happy to keep on! The doctors were quite (pleasantly) surprised by the results, and the transplant trial application was moving forward. We should know something in the next month or so, once Health Canada in Ottawa has reviewed the complete application. "Cautiously optomistic" is the phrase being provided right now. One way or the other, I'll be heading to the hospital likely in December or January. Accordingly, I am now on a fast track of physio and training to get strong and ready for whatever I end up doing. With my CTAPP rider Kelsey training for IronMan next August, that's what I call this next month or so - my IronMan training, as I am doing some amount of swimming, running and cycling to prepare!

On the day I found out that my marrow was still in remission, I also found out some brutal news. My best friend Tasha who you've heard and seen about over the past year as she battled breast cancer - her husband Ryan found out that his brain tumour has started growing again. Ryan was diagnosed almost 11 years ago and has had 2 surgeries and done radiation and chemo, with the last treatments finishing over 4 years ago. Now he has to face some difficult decisions regarding surgery and chemo, and start whatever treatment they land on this week. While he is strong and obviously has Tasha for support, I sure wish they could have had just even a few months of non-cancer living.

Since Austin, I have been busy with a variety of work for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society...our annual fundraiser Celebrity Waiters Luncheon is this coming Friday, November 2nd, so I've been at a lot of steering committee meetings over the past couple of weeks and it looks like it will be one of the best ever. I spoke last Tuesday to 100 hematology nurses at a conference cosponsored by our patient services program and I have met with a few more Team in Training participants, our marathon fundraising program. I also spoke last week to a newly-diagnosed ALL patient to help her deal with her questions about her upcoming treatment and transplant. My blackberry is pretty full even though I'm not technically working!

Last night I turned myself into a skeleton for a Halloween party and had an abracadabra martini to toast a night where imagination is the key to success. It took a while to get my makeup off last night, so I'm ready for a nap already today, but it was fun. I hope you have a boolicious Halloween week!