The fight against MM is making headlines again

My amazing friend Jana was featured in the local media again this weekend, when Fox 13 did a feature on Jana and her battle against Multiple Myeloma:
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com//dpp/health/stem-cell-transplant-offers-new-lease-on-life-rpt-20120316

Though I've posted little about it on FB (and even less on my blog), Jana is at Vanderbilt in Nashville working on stem cell transplant #3, this time using her brother Van's harvested stem cells. The transplant, the hardest of the three so far, took place Wednesday, March 7th, and Jana appears to be doing great-she's even eating on her own, which is a huge feat for her!

I'll try to keep things updated on her...and as a quick plug, next year's (although technically that's *this* year's) Miles for Myeloma walk/run is scheduled for November 11th, so start thinking about how you'd like to get involved!

Sincerely,
Team Jana

Christmas Came Early for Us

A bit of good...nay, GREAT news this week:

Jana's tests have come back and she is currently CANCER FREE!
[happy, happy, joy, joy]

Thanks to her 2nd stem cell transplant, she is showing no signs of cancer whatsoever.
Of course, there is no cure for MM (yet!) so it will inevitably show its ugly face again (there are some cancer cells in her body, but they are so few that the tests aren't even reading them), but-overall-the transplant was a success. This is especially wonderful news, considering the first transplant was not successful.

So: What's next...
Well, Jana's going to continue with a less aggressive chemo and she'll be tested every few months (more bone marrow biopsies, such fun) for the return. In the meantime, her hair is growing back and I assured her she'll be flipping it over her shoulders (and having it blow in the wind) in no time. :)

I can't tell you how excited Kiera and I are for this blessing. We are beyond ourselves in joy and thanks...for now, please join us as we continue to support the powerful thinking that advances the cure!

Celebrating Jana's wonderful news today (oh, and that little thing known as Christmas)

As this will be my last post before Christmas, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope the holidays bring you peace and joy. In the hustle and bustle of the season, remember to take the time to enjoy the people you love and the blessings in your life.

Let the fun commence....

Okay, maybe a little premature (come on, 5pm), but today is my Friday!
Three day work week + road trip with Stephanie to Nashville = Winning!

Why Nashville, you might ask.
The Script:
In concert,
Again.

You may remember my mentioning them before. And no, I'm not some obsessed The Script fan (I feel like that should read "And no, I'm not some obsessed Script fan", egh)! When Kiera and I went to Chicago to see them, Stephanie couldn't make the trip because it was mid-week. So when they announced their fall US tour and I saw they were coming to Nashville, I thought--what the heck? They put on one heluva good show and who couldn't use a road trip with a life-long friend?

And, despite my dozen (or so) trips to Nashville, I have never had the opportunity to experience its nightlife. When I mentioned this to Stephanie, I was surprised to find that she hasn't either.

Must. Rectify. Immediately.
I don't even know where to begin, so I enlisted the help of my friend Michelle who lives in Nashville. At the risk of coming off as pretentious, Michelle is Conway Twitty's granddaughter. It doesn't get more Nashville-in-the-know than that! I'm sure she'll point us in the right direction.

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Vanderbilt is located just outside of Nashville, so, as luck would have it, I will be able to spend a little time with Jana while I'm there. She's still in the process of her transplant and is as well as can be expected, but that qualifying "as can be expected" is a problem. :/ I definitely need to get some face time in with her.

For now...back to the work grind. And watching the clock move ever-so-slowly towards the 5:00 mark.

A watched pot never boils.

Yes, I know.

I feel sick at my stomach, anxiety is sky high...

I wanted to be in bed at ten, but my nerves are on edge and I can't even make myself lie down, let alone fall asleep. For the first time in a long time, I'll pray as I close my eyes tonight. I'm not what one might consider a devout Christian--at least not in terms of traditions or rituals. There was a time when I was a good little church-three-times-per-week, memorize-my-bible-versus, sing-solos-for-the-congregation Southern Baptist. That time has long passed. While I still believe there is a God, I find it hard to believe (s)he is as intolerant as most religions make him (or her) out to be. After all, (s)he is merciful above all, right? So I've come to this place where I believe without committing or adhering to one specific ritual when it comes to my spiritual life. I hope that when the time comes, God will understand why I didn't think the smallest (and seemingly pointless) of those intricacies mattered. I try to live a good life--one that I'm proud of--and hope that will be enough.

I also think we pray too often. Maybe I'm wrong in this, but it seems like people pray for things (both small and large, materialistic and not) all the time. Do you ever wonder if God gets tired of people asking for more and more? Rarely happy with what they have? Defending "God's will," all the while trying to bend it to their own desired outcome? I would. This is why I rarely pray. But tonight, I will pray on Jana's behalf. Not that it, too, isn't self-centered in nature. After all, I would be devastated if she didn't make it through tomorrow's stem-sell transplant, but it isn't because Jana does anything for me, specifically. Jana is just a naturally wonderful person, and I honestly believe that the world--at large--is a better place because of her presence. That may seem a little melodramatic to some (and I probably would have thought so too prior to meeting her), but only a year into knowing her and she has genuinely made me become a better person. She is inspiring; her energy contagious.

Sadly, Jana's health is very poor right now. She arrived at Vanderbilt with her MM raging...the previous rounds of chemo in August hadn't fully killed it, and (for the last two days) she's been subjected to the most rigorous of chemo sessions. She had to shave her head (and was so jovial and light-hearted about it that it just made me want to bear hug her), and she's become so sick that her husband is having to convey messages on her behalf (just like those two to try and ease the minds of others (through daily blogs) while enduring so much). Her cheering section will be wearing maroon tomorrow in support of her...and I just hope--to God--that she she will make it through tomorrow's stem cell transplant. I know it's riskier than the first, but she is also healthier this time than she was 18 months ago, when the first transplant took place. Let us pray that she not only makes it through the procedure okay but that it does its intended purpose.

I tell you, I'd call that 800 number I posted a few weeks ago if I thought with even an ounce of my heart that it would work. For those of you that do pray, please say a short one for Jana and her family before you go to bed. She's got a lot more good to introduce to the world before her time is up, and if God grants prayers based on merit, she is in safe hands.

Love,
Bonnie

~Geesh~

By the time I find the time to update, all the news will be old news.
Here's a quick breakdown:

• Jana heads to Vanderbilt tomorrow to start intensive chemo for her (2nd) stem-cell transplant (next Tuesday); please pray for her.
• Leslie went back home today (pouty)
• We are officially in the new house and have done a final walk thru with the old on (exhales). I love my home. I just put the garbage on the curb for the first time (in my life?) this morning.
• My mom is the best *ever*. She's been a great help with the above.
• Crazy August (bday month) is over. Thankfully. All went well.
• Kiera's going to be an Aunt!
• English Lit geek in me is uber-excited; I got tickets this morning to see David Sedaris at the GPAC in Nov. Fellow lit geek/rocking-ass Memphian-turned-Mississippian, Van, will be joining me (does happy dance).
• Kiddo and I are sick. You know--sinus draining, allergies crazy kinda sick. I just want to sleep.
• 8WC over weeks ago. I lost. Steve lost 30.5 total lbs. Waitasec...have I already covered this?

Sooo much more to say, so little desire. More soon.
B.

Just the basics

• Closing on the house today at 9am (woo hoo); hopefully we'll be able to move as early as tomorrow! Since I just got the info at 3:30PM yesterday, we're in a mad rush to get the apt packed up! It's crazy!
• 8WC, which is now the 9WC thanks to a couple of hiccups, is over on Monday. Steve has lost 27 lbs. I think this pretty much takes me out of the running for anything. Ha. Still, even if I don't win, I am looking and feeling better. More on (all) this as time allows.
• Today's my Mom's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM), Have Nicole's bday on Wed, Jana's on Sat and mine on Sunday. Busy, busy week!
• Jana's still working with MMRF to get everything worked out on Memphis Miles. More info on that in the upcoming week(s).
• Only one week til Leslie is in town. Poor thing broke her foot last week and is going to have an especially tough time getting around. Still, I'll be happy to have her here and hopefully we'll be all moved in to the new house by then.
• That's all the time I've got. It's been a crazy couple of weeks! :)

More soon!

Drum Roll Please...

I will now begin the extensive promotion of the Miles for Myeloma Walk/Run.

Please take a moment and go to the new website at
http://www.memphismiles.com/

From there, you can visit the MMRF webpage, sign up to participate, or donate.
This is a very important cause and I would really appreciate any support you (all) provide.

Thanks, y'all! :)
B.

Update, quickly

It's been a crazy busy week at work with about 1/2 the administrative/management staff on vacation or overseas for business; I've been completely without respite since Monday.

So here's the best I can do with the time I've got:

8WC
I was slightly disgruntled at the weigh in when Steve had dropped an astonishing NINE lbs. There's absolutely no way I can compete with that. Even if I (continued) working out twice a day and took up anorexia as my religion, I couldn't manage that. Still, instead of being disgruntled and giving up, it's got me working even harder. My 35 min sessions on the elliptical have evolved to 50 and I'm eating less. Keeping in mind that I was pretty much eating nonstop during that 1st week. Now that I know the dietary "tricks," I expect to stay fuller, eat less and start dropping more weight. Granted, it won't be anything near Steve's, but I know that, as a man, his weight loss has peaked and it's downhill from here. Well, at least after week two or three. I keep telling him slow and steady wins the race, although I am a little intimidated at this point. Every time I vamp up, he matches. I think I just need to keep my mouth shut and not tell him what my regimen is!

Kiera's Bday
The dinner (Fri) was a success and we had a lovely time. Kiera got some nice gifts and really enjoyed the all-eyes-on-me mentality of the night. It was especially nice to have Melissa and Taylor Mae there and for Theresia and Zoe to join as they are, after all, practically family.
The party is tonight and it's a downtown Memphis theme. Dinner on Beale, trolley ride, maybe a little Peabody Place shopping and OF COURSE photos galore. Rather than send out invitations, we sent postcards (text done on the computer) that featured downtown Memphis scenes. They were very cute!

Friend News
Great happenings here:
1. Lisa and the fam moved back to Southaven from Chattanooga last Sat, just in time for Lyla's birthday on the 3rd. I've known for about a year that they were moving back, but it seemed that they were going to encounter endless problems with the financing, etc. on the house they wanted. Needless to say, I'm stoked that they've finally made it home, and I'm looking forward to seeing Lyla grow up and getting Lisa back!

2. Leslie is (apparently) coming to visit allll the way from California for her best friend's birthday (that's me, folks). Although I am certain she will not find the south at all favorable, at least she will get to experience it and will have a better understanding when I go into my rants about the "apparent rampant inbreeding" that occurs here. She's a rather cultured girl, a Notre Dame honors grad; this should be interesting! :)

3. Jana's kick-off party was marvelously done and well received by all. We are very much looking forward to orchestrating this event, and (as an aside) there is some very good networking to be done in Jana's inner circle, evidently. Or maybe that is precisely why she chose those specific people for the kick-off (?). I don't know. But it was great and I'm sure the race will be no exception to Jana's marvelous event-planning skills. Also, thanks to Jana for the birthday cake for Kiera. It was very sweet and so very "Jana" to put someone else in the spotlight when it's supposed to be ALL about her!

Life
Not really relevant to anything, other than the following mini-rant, but I am sooo over the Katy Perry/Lady Gaga/Rhianna/Ke$ha music scene that I am slowly migrating back to country music. Actually, I'm migrating back pretty rapidly. I was, at one time, a major country music fan. Post 9-11 (in the Toby Keith high-tide) it seemed that every song was about Uncle Sam shoving his boot up someone's ass. After about a year of that, I gave up (as a side note, I've met Toby Keith and he was a bit of an asshole, so I may be biased). But now, in the age of talentless mainstream-musicians and radio stations that limit their playlists to roughly twenty songs, I'm willing to give it another go. Kiera may not be overly thrilled, but that's what an iPod is for!

House Hunting
Still no word on the bid for the dream home. Patience is still in tact, thankfully. However, my relator asked me earlier this week if I wanted to start looking at other houses, which is probably not a good sign. Also, having wanted to be moved in before Kiera starts high school, we are running out of time. Geesh. I may start looking again, while I wait on word back from the banker.

That was much more than I intended to write. Have a great long weekend, folks. We have a big one planned our way, and I expect to be thoroughly exhausted by the time I get back to work on Tuesday. Enjoy and be safe!

In keeping with my healthy-lifestyle concept...

I suppose it's time to quit procrastinating and finally get to the lone "catch up" item on my list: Jana's walk/run.

For those of you who don't know Jana, she is a third-party "vendor" from work (for lack of a better title), whom I have grown to absolutely adore! I wrote about her in my Thanksgiving blog (yes, I know it's been a while) and have grown even closer to her since then. Without doubt, Jana is the most inspiring person I've ever met--she makes me want to be a better, more generous, compassionate and selfless person, and she does it all while battling stage 3 multiple myeloma cancer.

But enough gushing about Jana, the woman; let's talk about Jana's event!

At lunch several weeks back, Jana informed me and another friend (so very nonchalantly) that she has decided to put together "The Jana Stressel Miles for Myeloma Walk/Run." Okay--well the title may be a bit deceiving as we won't actually be honoring the cancer so much as raising money for a cure/treatment. We've had very little time for planning (Jana, unfortunately, has been going through intense chemotherapy for the past several months and has been very sick for most of that time), but Kiera and I received an invitation for the The Jana Stressel Walk/Run Kick Off Party for Sunday, so hopefully this will be a time for Jana's "fans" to get together and divvy duties! Count kiddo and me in!

Aside from the fact that we will finally get the planning ball rolling and aside from just being happy to get some face time with her, Jana loves to entertain and is an amazing hostess. I imagine this soiree will be one Kiera and I won't ever forget! And I imagine the walk/run will be no different.

I will expect support from all of my family & friends and hope that those of you not able to contribute financially will be able to donate your time or, at the very least, help spread the word. I'll write more on Jana's story in an upcoming blog to give you a more intimate view of what she's enduring and how she manages keep a smile on her face in spite of it all.

Toodles!

Jana (top, middle) and her fans at Kiera's Southaven Idol performance