Birthday

Today marks the fourth birthday of my stem cell transplant on March 20, 2012, when I received my brand new immune system.  I now have two birthdays, December 2 and March 20.  I share the honor of having two birthdays with Queen Elizabeth, whose actual birthday is in April but whose official birthday is in June.  How many people can say they have two birthdays?  I feel so regal.  I think Liz and I share something special.  Maybe I'll give her a call tonight just to share this.  Maybe not though...she's probably asleep and it's too late to call.  Oh well, dream on.

Seriously though, I am very pleased to have reached the four year mark after transplant and still be in remission.  I am so grateful. 

I'm healing slowly from my facial surgeries for skin cell cancer.  I'm not too happy yet with the wounds, especially on my nose, but I go in tomorrow for a followup visit.  I just don't want to be horribly scarred for life, not that I'm planning on auditioning for any movie roles.  I'm not ready to call the surgeon a butcher yet, but we'll see.  Meanwhile, I've found a new dermatologist in Newburyport that I have heard good things about.  I may try to set up an appointment with her in the next couple of months.

We are getting ready for our trip to Florida.  Visiting Amelia Island to mourn Pat Killingsworth will be an emotional trip.  I'm sure I will meet some other MM patients whom I have either met with in person or communicated with online.  I want to pay proper respects to this most amazing person, who has been a beacon of hope and light to me throughout my MM journey, as he has been to so many others.

After that, we will visit my college roommate Steve and his wife Sue for a few relaxing days in south Florida.  After all the stuff that's been going on here, I think we can use the break.

Please help us raise funds for the MMRF Boston 5K Run/Walk event on May 1.  So far, we have raised over $4,000, but we have a ways to go to meet the Team Epic for Bill fundraising goal of $10,000.  Please help us raise money for this worthy cause, which will help to give hope to all of us multiple myeloma patients.  Here is the website:
http://support.themmrf.org/site/TR/RaceforResearch/General?team_id=41495&pg=team&fr_id=2362
Thank you for your support.