Oh What a Night!

Light the Night in Providence, RI took place on Saturday, September 30, 2006. It was an incredible event. I did not realize how many people would be there. There were over 1000 registered walkers and many more who were not registered. A sea of red and white ballons lit up the dark skies down Blackstone Boulevard. It was a moving experience.

I was so impressed with my team. We really rallied together and were able to raise a huge sum of money. Prior to the event, our total was over $21,000. More money came in at the event and over the next couple of days. I am awaiting our final tally from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

It was overwhelming to feel the support of my family, friends, and coworkers who have been with me throughout this process. To see a team of 60 or so members walk in my honor was very humbling. It is hard to put into words the meaning of this support and what these fundraising efforts symbolized to me.

In other news, my six months results came back and they were quite good. My PCR test showed an almost 2 log reduction since I started. This is a complicated statistic, but it means that my numbers are heading in the right directions. A 3 log reduction is expected by 18 months on treatment so I am getting close. Also, my cytogenetics test showed that as opposed to March when my cells were 100% leukemic, they are now only 1%. My doctor told me that anything less than 3% was in the normal range. I have not seen the lab results yet, but this is the information my doctor emailed me. This is all great news indicating that Gleevec is working. All the more reason to give to an organization like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. They funded some of the research to help develop this medication.