Fall Season Week 11

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. - Lanston Hughes

Fundraising Tip
Provide a service like painting, cleaning, babysitting, shopping, etc. People also like to receive a service at a reduced price especially when they know their funds will go to a good cause.

Training Tip
OK, as if running/walking 12 or more miles isn't torture enough, here's something else that you'll think is torture, but is very helpful in the long run. When you get home from a long training, run yourself a low temperature bath about 6 inches deep. Set a large bucket of ice next to the tub. Get yourself a cup of hot tea, coffee, cocoa, or whatever you like to drink warm. Sit down into the water and start putting the ice into the water until ice water covers your legs. Remain in the water as long as you can, but not more than 20 minutes. Or, after training, simply sit in the river for as long as you can stand it (like Lexi, Kandy, Amy Byrd and Louise did after training Saturday). This will help your muscles heal and recover faster and your legs will feel better the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions
TNT’S COMMITMENT TO YOU:
• Travel, accommodations, and entry fees for event weekend.
• Four or five months of supervised coaching including comprehensive training schedules, and opportunities to train with other Team Members.
• Professional advice on nutrition, injury prevention, and other related topics.
• Fundraising materials, ideas, and strategies.
• Support and encouragement throughout the fundraising and training period.
YOUR COMMITMENT TO US
• Raise the minimum amount of funds designated to aid researchers in their race to find a cure for leukemia and related cancers.
• Train to run, walk, or cycle the marathon, half marathon, century ride for which you are registered.

Mission Moment
Gail Alice Denker
Batavia, IL
Living with CML for 7 years
Age: 67

I was 61 years old when diagnosed, newly retired and had just found out my husband and I were going to become grandparents for the first time.

My diagnosis came 5 months before Gleevec was approved by the FDA. Fortunately for me, a trial was beginning at OHSU, conducted by Dr. Brian Druker (who developed the drug) and Dr. Michael Mauro, who became my oncologist at OHSU. I enrolled as patient 001 in the trial to treat newly diagnosed, untreated CML patients.

The trial ended successfully for me. A year later I was in full remission and able to harvest my stem cells. Although I was subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer that same summer (DCIS and LCIS) for which I had bilateral mastectomies, I have remained in full remission for 6 years.

I could not have faced this without the support of my husband, Merle, an orthopedic surgeon who became my personal physician and administered my shots with kindness and patience. My husband and I have been able to enjoy our retirement winters in Southern California, and we are now the proud grandparents of two lovely granddaughters and two darling grandsons.

I feel very blessed to have been diagnosed at the time that Gleevec was being developed, which erased the original prognosis of 3-5 years. I owe my life to Dr. Robert Bayer, my oncologist, who made my diagnosis and encouraged me to enroll in the study, and to Novartis and Drs. Druker and Mauro, as well as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, for defeating a once fatal disease.