The Journal of a Prizefighter

cancer news

2009-11-10T18:50:00.002-05:00

Abdul-Jabbar Goes Public With Leukemia Fight

day +810

2009-11-08T17:29:00.001-05:00

The past two weeks have been very busy. I've felt a little overwhelmed at times, but continue to press forward giving it my best.

Prior to two weeks ago, it had been my custom (more or less) to exercise in the morning before preparing to leave for work, but I've been too tired to do so. I pushed the snooze button on my alarm clock in favor of that coveted extra hour. And of course, when I returned home in the evening, there would be absolutely no desire to hop on the stationary bike.

The World Series didn't help much either. With most games ending around midnight, I felt exhausted the next day. Thankfully, the Yankees won and the Series is over, so I can get some rest.

I have wondered if I'm taking on too much right now. Aside from teaching, I try to participate in a number of activities after work. I continue to tutor adults on Monday evenings after work. On Tuesday evenings, I try to attend these great Buddhist lectures downtown, but have missed several during the past weeks because I get home so late from them.

As expected, I haven't been shooting like I had been before working. So, when I can - the weekends only so far - I try to get outside to catch something.

Volunteering at the food rescue program is one Saturday per month, so that's not bad.

When it comes to blogging (and responding to personal e-mails), it's left to the weekend. That's the only time when I'm able to catch up and even then, I tend to be brief.

The issue of time management is something I'm working on. I'm giving this job my all, but I also think it's important I continue to keep my other passions aflame when possible. How do I balance it all? Can I do it all and still feel relaxed?

In medical-related news, I was informed this past week that one of the 8 medications - Prevacid (Lansoprazole) - that I've been taking ever since my transplant is no longer needed. I was hoping that at least some of the others, notably Multivitamin and Folic Acid, would share the same fate but no. So, there are 7 now but hey, it's one less so that's really good news.

In addition to this, I'll be seeing a nurse practitioner going forward. No more appointments with Dr. C-M unless needed. Two years out, I'm at a stage now in which my care has been transferred to Sloan's new Allogeneic Transplant Survivorship Program. All my follow-ups will go through this program now and its nurse practitioner, whom I've met. She works closely with Dr. C-M and will be informed of my progress. Of course, if my health begins to go downhill, he'll be there.

The prizefighter pushes on. . . .

young adult lymphoma survey

2009-11-07T18:52:00.004-05:00

Young Adult Lymphoma Survey

Were you diagnosed in the last 18-30 months, between the ages of 22-29, with either relapsed (your disease came back) or refractory (your disease did not respond to treatment) lymphoma?

If so, there is a qualitative dissertation research study to better understand the experiences of experiences of people who have gone through relapsed or refractory lymphoma in young adulthood for which you may be eligible. This study involves two phases:

1) one face-to-face interview and
2) email interviews with the researcher.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Jennifer Mills, LMSW, MPH, New York University School of Social Work at yaresearch@gmail.com for additional information.

continuing the tradition

2009-11-01T19:00:00.006-05:00

At about 11:15 this morning, the elite female runners passed by my position on the northern pedestrian walkway of the Madison Avenue Bridge. For what its worth, I saw Paula Radcliffe and Derartu Tulu, the marathon's female winner, whiz by in seconds. No more than about 15-20 minutes later, the pack of elite male runners zipped by. Not having done my homework, I wasn't able to identify any of them, however.

It was quite cool and overcast. The sun struggled to peak through achieving only moments of success. Very few people watched from the bridge. The vast majority of spectators gathered just east of it on 138th Street in the Bronx.

I photographed the runners crossing the bridge for about two hours from 10:30 to 12:30 before I had become exhausted by the biting cold wind and decided to return home.

Photographing the runners has become an unexpected tradition of mine. Yet another of cancer's unexpected blessings. Three years since I was discharged from the hospital after my transplant, I continue to shoot along 138th Street.

In all the previous years, I watched the marathon from home not even aware, I don't think, that the course winded through my neighborhood just 20 blocks away. It's amazing really. . . . Discoveries are happening all the time.

day +802

2009-10-31T20:58:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow is the 40th Annual ING New York City Marathon.

For the past two years, I've been cheering the runners along 138th Street in the Bronx. Last year, I stood on the northern pedestrian walkway of the Madison Avenue Bridge photographing the runners as they passed by crossing into Harlem. I plan to do the same this year.

It should be fun.

BTW, Happy Halloween everyone!

cycle for survival

2009-10-31T20:26:00.001-04:00

Founded in 2007 by cancer survivor and MSKCC patient, Jennifer Goodman Linn, Cycle for Survival is the indoor cycling fundraiser that has raised more than $2 million in support of research on rare cancers, such as pancreatic, brain, cervical, uterine, and Hodgkin's Lymphoma, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Click here to learn more about rare cancers and the challenge to find cures.

Team up with friends, family, and coworkers to ride at one of two NYC Equinox locations or the new Chicago Equinox in the Loop. Or you can just register your satellite team and ride anytime you like, anywhere in the world.

Please visit Cycle For Survival to find out more and see how you may be able to help.

go yanks!

2009-10-27T20:58:00.001-04:00

I'm really looking forward to the start of the World Series on Wednesday. I think it has the potential of being a titanic clash between two great teams.

Go Yanks!

the creative center

2009-10-25T21:29:00.005-04:00

For survivors living in the the NYC-area who are interested in expressing themselves artistically, check out the Creative Center. Located in lower Manhattan, the Creative Center is a unique community where artists and patients/survivors participate in free workshops on a variety of artistic mediums.

Art can, of course, be a wonderful vehicle of self-exploration and healing. Workshops at the Creative Center are open to professionals and non-professionals alike. Come as you are.

cancer news

2009-10-25T21:18:00.003-04:00

Scott Hamilton and Dorothy Hamill Return to the Ice in Premier Fox Television Thanksgiving Day Event: "Kaleidoscope"

an escape of possibility

2009-10-22T20:48:00.004-04:00

We need sometimes to escape into open solitudes, into aimlessness, into the moral holiday of running some pure hazard, in order to sharpen the edge of life, to taste hardship, and and to be compelled to work desperately for a moment no matter what.

- George Santayana, "The Philosophy of Travel"

the dream endures

2009-10-18T12:10:00.012-04:00

A lot of us first aspired to far-ranging travel and exotic adventure early in our teens; these ambitions are, in fact, adolescent in nature, which I find an inspiring idea. . . . Thus, when we allow ourselves to imagine as we once did, we know, with a sudden jarring clarity, that if we don't go right now, we're never going to do it. And we'll be haunted by our unrealized dreams and know that we have sinned against ourselves gravely.

-Tim Cahill, "Exotic Places Made Me Do It"

more on h1n1

2009-10-18T12:05:00.004-04:00

Here are some more articles of interest about the H1N1 virus:

Should You be Concerned about the H1N1 Virus?

As Flu Vaccine Arrives for the Season, Some Questions and Answers

pushing for a survivorship plan

2009-10-18T11:46:00.005-04:00

Below is just one of many interesting articles found recently at CureToday.com:

Pushing your Doctor for a Survivorship Care Plan

lymphoma news

2009-10-18T10:49:00.003-04:00

A Lifesaver Out of Reach, for Want of a Profit is a very informative article about the financial challenges of stem cell collection and storage.

meeting the challenges of cGVHD

2009-10-17T21:43:00.002-04:00

A recording of the National Bone Marrow Transplant Link (nbmtLINK)'s recent live teleconference "Meeting the Challenges of cGVHD in Children and Adolescents" is available online now.

Part I: The Medical Aspects and Management of cGVHD

Part II: Families Coping with Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGVHD) in Children and Adolescents

in the news

2009-10-17T21:30:00.001-04:00

Flu, Me? Public Remains Wary of H1N1 Vaccine

Swine Flu Characteristics Becoming More Evident

day +783

2009-10-12T20:21:00.005-04:00

Where did the weekend go?

After not doing much but thinking and preparing for the week ahead since teaching, this time around the weekend was quite different. I volunteered, socialized with friends, photographed the Harlem River, hung out with my sister, and enjoyed watching both football and playoff baseball. Yet, there is still so much that I didn't get around to and I'm rushing around now trying to get some last minute things done (such as this post).

In addition to tutoring at an adult literacy center on Mondays, I'm also a volunteer at a local food rescue organization. I joined it about two months ago, but hadn't been able to volunteer until this weekend. It offers a number of ways for people to participate. One of them being a bi-monthly mobile market, where volunteers distribute salvaged fresh produce to people in need. It so happens that the Bronx mobile market is a stone's throw from where I live and it was here that I spent Saturday morning.

I'm looking forward to doing it again next month. About 400-550 people came for food, I was told. Though the types of food can vary from month to month, on this day people received apples, onions, white potatoes, and plantains. The clients made their way to the potato station, where I and about 4 others greeted them. Each came to the table with a small slip identifying how many pounds of each food they were permitted (based on family size, I assume) to receive. We then asked each person if he or she would like to fill the bag themselves or needed any help. After filling the bag, we'd weigh it on a nearby scale checking to make sure it wasn't over. And if all was good, we checked their blank for potatoes on their slip and wished them a wonderful day as they walked to the next station.

It was scheduled for 9:00 am to 12 noon, but we finished at about 11:30.

About 20 volunteers were there. Some have been doing this for 4 or 5 years.

One has to make sure the process is orderly and that clients don't cut in front of others, but by far it was a fun, exhilarating experience. Seeing the smiles of the people as they received the food felt great.

Late yesterday afternoon, I explored the newest expansion of Harlem River Park in East Harlem. Access to the latest part of this park opened several weeks ago. It's wonderful. A great deal of thought clearly went into its creation. Bursting in my mind now are a number of new vantage points from which to capture the Madison Avenue, 145th Street , and Park Avenue Bridges.

Finally, I was back at Sloan early this morning with an appointment with Dr. C-M. It went very well. I did most of the talking, which is always a good sign. My counts remain strong. I was hoping that some of my meds would be reduced or eliminated all together, but they weren't. At least for another 6 months, he told me.

I'm not due to see him til early January.

While there, I also received the seasonal flu vaccine. The H1N1 vaccine should be available in 1-2 weeks, he said.

jasmina's leukemia returns

2009-10-08T21:21:00.002-04:00

After having just typed such a hopeful post, I feel like the air has been knocked out of me. My mom just updated me on Jasmina. The six-year old's leukemia has come back and it's aggressive.

Read the article.

There has been a string of tragic news recently: from Eric to Adrienne and now to Jasmina.

In light of this, we must continue to be hopeful. Without the dream, what else is there?

a cheer to friendships and life

2009-10-08T20:20:00.009-04:00

After work yesterday, I had an appointment with my therapist, Dr. R, whom I hadn't seen for at least a month. Normally I see him every other week, but with the start of a new job and a calendar full of commitments after work recently, it has been difficult scheduling. So, it was really wonderful to catch up with a familiar face.

Walking south along Second Avenue, I picked up a couple of lovely sunflowers to give to the three special women whom I was on my way to see next. I met up with my mom and EFG at a cafe nearby Sloan-Kettering, where together we joined Clare at the hospital's 14th annual Celebration for Stem Cell Transplant Survivors. This was my second year there. The place was packed. Dozens and dozens of SCT survivors were in attendance with friends and family. Doctors and nurses celebrated too. It was a very festive occasion. To an outsider, no one would ever suspect that these jovial, beautiful individuals had been through so much. Life - stubborn, beautiful, bright - filled the room.

I caught up with a couple of my SCT buddies and had the chance to meet a few new folks as well. One of the people whom I befriended is an impressive, young woman, who had a SCT for Hodgkin's at Sloan a little over a year ago. It so happpened that it was her sister, who had accompanied her along with some friends, that noticed me in the animated crowd. I guess it was the name tag on my blazer. Not expecting anything of the sort, I was completely surprised when she told me how helpful my blog had been to her and her sister through their transplant journey. Humbled, I thanked her. I was really at a loss for words.

So, here's a cheer to friendships - old and new - and to life - stubborn, beautiful, and bright!

a tribute to adrienne

2009-10-04T09:15:00.003-04:00

Adrienne's father put together this lovely, touching video tribute to Adrienne.

Memorial services will be held today.

The family is asking that any donations be made in her memory to the Silicon Valley and Monterery Bay Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or the Alese Coco Fight 2 Win Foundation. Learn more here.

adrienne has passed away

2009-10-01T18:58:00.002-04:00

Read more here.

I'm unable to say much right now.

mannahatta map

2009-09-27T17:27:00.008-04:00

Curious to know how Manhattan looked to Henry Hudson when he first glimpsed the island in September 1609? Check out Eric Sanderson's Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, a fascinating new book about the island's ecology and topography. In August, I saw its companion exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York.

National Geographic has a wonderful article which summarizes Sanderson's project.

And for a very cool virtual exploration (just like Google Earth) of pre-colonial Manhattan, visit the Mannahatta Map.

Looking at the future now, recently The Wall Street Journal had a very interesting article looking at how global climate change may alter New York City's landscape: New York City Braces for Risk of Higher Seas.

another hodge blogger

2009-09-27T17:24:00.002-04:00

Kevin's Blog

missing her

2009-09-26T23:59:00.002-04:00

At least two weeks have passed since I last photographed anything. Busy familiarizing myself with my new job coupled with a number of meetings and commitments after work have limited my free time.

Last weekend, the weather was terrific but I stayed inside to prepare lessons for the week ahead. I had hoped to go on an evening shoot on Randall's Island this past Friday after work, but didn't make it. Already tired from a long day at school, I was stuck in crosstown traffic much longer than expected. By the time I finally got off the bus at 125th and Lexington to catch the connecting bus to Randall's Island, the sun had already set and I was exhausted. By now, I just wanted to go home, so I did.

This morning, I slept in late and tomorrow the forecast is rainy.

Perhaps next week, I'll be able to photograph.

I'm up regularly before the crack of dawn now. And each morning I see the stunning twilight sky break above the Bronx, my heart aches a bit. For in it, I see a missed opportunity to shoot a spectacular scene. Sadness there is. But wonder and humility there is too.

I'm eager to shoot by the river again. I miss her in the early morning.

my friend, adrienne

2009-09-26T23:57:00.002-04:00

Though it has been about a month since Adrienne's health has taken a sharp dive, I haven't blogged about it til now.

There is so much that I could say about Adrienne, a beautiful, brilliant young woman, and her remarkable mother, who has been so supportive to so many in the Hodgkin's community including yours truly.

Please leave Adrienne and her mother thoughts of strength and loving kindness on her blog.