Climb 2 Cure – Life after Leukemia

The answer is YES

Can an Acute Myeloid Leukemia survivor, Bone Marrow Transplant patient with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency summit Mt. Kilimanjaro? We have an answer and the answer is YES! Here is the story of my Mt. Kilimanjaro adventure.

After training and mentally preparing for 5 months for Mt. Kilimanjaro, it is finally time to get started. I fly out with my team Friday March 17. The travel time is 17+ hours finally arriving at Bristol Cottages in Moshi Tanzania Saturday. I have a peaceful nights rest ending with the Muslim call to worship early Sunday morning. The nearby Lutheran church serenades us throughout the morning. The people of Tanzania have beautiful singing voices.

Monday morning it’s on! We pack ourselves and our equipment into a bus and head out. To reach our starting point we have a four-hour drive through farmlands and continually worsening roads. Along the way, we stop for a washroom break. Lead guide Wilfred and I stand in the parking lot and discuss religion. We are both people of deep faith. He tells me the story of the Massai, a people with no land allowed to inhabit any land they choose. My understanding is imperfect due to our language difference, but it sounds like he is telling me the Massai are one of the original twelve tribes of Israel? Eventually, we are deposited at the Londorossi gate of the Tanzania National Park. We eat a box lunch and begin the climb.

Day 1: Londorossi Gate to Mt. Mkubwa

Elevation: 7,800ft to 9,500ft
Distance: 6 km •Hiking Time: 3‐4 hours •Habitat: Rain Forest

The weather is perfect! It is a lovely hike through forest. No rain in the rain forest. Imagine that. We see many monkeys, both Colobus and Blue Monkeys. Colobus are Black and white and look rather like long tailed skunks up in the trees. On our arrival to camp spirited singing by our guides/porters greets us. It is a magnificent opening to our trip. Once again, the musical abilities of the Tanzanian people strikes me. A delicious dinner and restful sleep completes the day.

Day 02: Mt. Mkubwa to Shira Camp 1

Elevation: 9,000ft to 11,500ft
Distance: 8 km •Hiking Time 5‐6 hours •Habitat: Moorland

We break camp at 8:30am and begin the days hike in the forest. We see more monkeys in the trees. The rain forest gives way to tall grasses, heather and scrubby chest high growth. As you ascend the mountain, the vegetation becomes shorter and sparser. Today’s hike is a gentle ascent over rolling hills up into the moorland. We begin to see more boulders of volcanic rock. Another day of brilliant weather. Puffy white clouds against bright blue sky. When we make camp at Shira 1 it is slightly cooler than the previous night as you would expect at higher elevation.

Day 03: Shira Camp 1 to Moir Hut

Elevation (ft): 11,500ft to 13,800 ft
Distance: 14 km •Hiking Time: 5‐7 hours •Habitat: Moorland

Today’s hike across the Shira plateau is beautiful. Once again, the weather is breathtaking. We walk a well-worn path among boulders of varying sizes and low growing wild flowers. Unfortunately, my health takes a sudden turn for the worst. I find myself dashing behind boulders because of a bad case of the trots. No problem. I have Imodium with me. Ever since Chemo I have intermittent bouts of diarrhea. Imodium always works at home. Despite not feeling well, I still enjoy the beauty of my surroundings and the companionship of my hiking friends. By the time we get to camp, I have to confess to the head guide my dilemma. “No problem” Augustine reassures me. They deal with this often. They’ll serve me rice and bread for dinner. That should help.

During the night, I get the dry heaves. I spend the entire night running to the restroom, dry heaving and vomiting bile. My tent mate Christine gets very little sleep. I feel bad about that however; I am at the mercy of my intestines. It is obvious I have bacteria in my gut. This is exactly what my nurse Julie feared and warned me about. With my still compromised immune system, I can easily catch illnesses of every description. That’s why they sent me with several prescriptions. I take Cippro with breakfast and the trots immediately resolve. I don’t know why I didn’t take it sooner other than I didn’t want to ingest it on an empty stomach. I have extensive experience with Cippro and it bothers my tummy.

Day 04: Moir Hut to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp

Elevation (ft): 13,800ft to 13,000ft
Distance: 7 km •Hiking Time: 4‐6 hours •Habitat: Semi Desert

After breakfast, I tell the lead guides Augustine and Wilfred that I am taking Cippro and feeling better already. They are uncertain as to whether I have altitude sickness. I try to reassure them that I have bacteria in my gut and the Cippro will cure it. We have a slight language barrier and I can’t quite seem to get through to them. They insist that I drink plain water so they can judge whether the Cippro is working and not the electrolytes. “No No I can’t drink plain water first thing in the morning, it will make me sick,” I protest. They do not understand my point. Plain water it is.

An hour into the hike a sudden bout of projectile vomiting grips me. All the fluids that I took in that morning exit my body without warning. I assure the guides I can go on. An hour later, it happens again. The guides send the group ahead and have a sit down with me. They are deeply concerned. I promise them that the Cippro will work. I try to explain about my compromised immune system and my experience with stomach bugs, but we have a bit of language difficulty. Finally, I convince them I’m good to go. I manage to make it to lunch. I eat and take Cippro convinced that my problems will be behind me soon. As soon as I exit the mess tent, I vomit again. No warning. Right in front of the entire group. I can see the guides are questioning my optimism about the Cippro.

The rest of the day is a gorgeous hike past a rock formation called the Lava Tower. We see some fantastic plants and no more sickness for me. This is a longer hike today and by late afternoon, I am drained. Two days of illness and no sleep the previous night have me feeling completely depleted. I suspect that we will never reach camp. When we finally make it, I flop into my tent. Augustine and Wilfred check on me. I confess that today was a challenge for me. I only got through it with prayer; “Please Jesus if you can pick my feet up I can put them down.” They got a kick out of that. I know they are men of faith as we have discussed it previously. I ask them if I can have some toast for dinner in my tent. Tea and toast for dinner, then I pass out. It is the best night’s rest I have ever experienced! I sleep straight through and wake up refreshed.

Day 05: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Elevation (ft): 13,000ft to 13,100ft
Distance: 5km •Hiking Time: 4‐5 hours •Habitat: Alpine Desert

After Breakfast and another dose of Cippro we leave camp and climb the Baranca wall. It is super cool. I have heard that the wall can be challenging and if you are afraid of heights, it could get to you I guess. For me it is good old-fashioned fun. Like when I was a kid climbing on rocks. After the wall, we descend into a valley and climb back up the other side. I feel great and todays hike is short. Plenty of time to rest, which I need, fatigue is setting in. No illness though, just my usual fatigue. I’m relieved to be my old self again.

Day 06: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Elevation (ft): 13,100ft to 15,300ft
Distance: 4 km •Hiking Time: 4‐5 hours •Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, three of us are pulled aside to speak with the head guides. First Maria and Jason speak with Wilfred and Augustine, then it’s my turn. I assume they want to touch base and make sure I’m feeling well. Imagine my surprise when they tell me I won’t be going to the summit. “What” I exclaim. “No No NO. I’m fine. My stomach issues have cleared up and I’m good to go.” They exchange worried glances as if to say we knew this one would be trouble. Unfortunately, they have conveyed how sick I was to Freddie in the office. The decision is out of their hands. Well let’s call Freddie I say. I will speak to him myself. We have to find the hot spot for cell service, and then Wilfred calls Freddie. They speak briefly in Swahili and Wilfred hands the phone to me. “Look Fred I do not have altitude sickness. I got bacteria in my gut, I’m taking Cippro and I haven’t been sick in 36 hours. No nausea or diarrhea” I say firmly. It is a small deception. I do feel nauseous, but intermittent nausea is a part of my life since Chemo. There is no way to explain that to him. Freddie decides that he will leave the decision up to the guides. I hang up the phone and stare Augustine and Wilfred in the eyes. Your call guys, you have to let me try. They agree to let me go on. It is a risk for them. I was terribly sick and if something bad happens to me on the mountain, they will be accountable. I appreciate them taking a chance on me.

When I return to the hiking group, there is surprise and celebration that I was able to talk my way out of that jam. Christine hugs me with enough force to crack my rib. It’s my turn to be surprised. Did you guys really think I would be turned back? No way. I say a tearful goodbye to Maria and Jason and rejoin the group. Today’s hike is short and easy. We ascend to the Barafu camp at 15,300ft. It looks like a moonscape. Barren earth dotted with boulders. This is where we will make our final assault on Kili.

Day 07: Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut

Elevation (ft): 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft)
Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent •Hiking Time: 7‐8 hours ascent / 4‐6 hours descent •Habitat: Arctic

We arrive at Barafu camp in time for lunch and then we attempt to nap. We have our final gear check, they feed us dinner and we try to nap again. Altitude affects my appetite. Ever since we reached 13,000ft I have struggled to eat. Every day I do the best I can to shovel food in, but nothing appeals to me. Today is no exception. I know I need the calories, but I can’t clean my plate. I have definitely lost weight this week. 11:00pm is the wake up time. We get dressed and prepare to climb. We hit the trail at midnight. It is cold and dark with a light breeze as we ascend a rocky slope. After climbing for a couple of hours, I start to question my sanity. It is dark, cold and dull. We are plodding along like robots. Why did I want to do this again? This time I pray, “Lord can you pick my feet up and put them down?” I continue one foot in front of the other. When the sunrises behind my right shoulder it provides a much-needed shot of encouragement. I turn to look at the sunrise from above the clouds. An orange crescent moon still hangs low in the sky as the sun climbs the clouds. The tops of the clouds reach upwards like ghostly trees. It is beyond description. The warmth propels me forward. We ascend through heavy scree to Stella point (18,600 ft) on the crater rim. After a brief break, we continue on to Uhuru peak (19,345ft). Another hour of hiking before we reach the summit at 7:45 am. I am the first to reach the sign. I don’t know why this is important to me, but when I see the sign I hustle to get there first. I sit on the base of the sign and breakdown. Leaning my forehead on my pole handles, I weep until one of the guides lays his hand on my shoulder and says, “No crying it takes too much energy.” He is right. I gather myself together and that closes the door on my cancer journey. Leukemia is in my rear view mirror now. I become aware that Brian is sitting next to me also crying. “I don’t know why I’m crying,” he whispers. I put my arm around him; the only thing I can do. We stay at the summit for a brief time. Long enough for photos and a quick celebration. Then we descend back down to Barafu camp. I’m exhausted on the way down. We eat and nap briefly in camp then continue our descent straight down the mountain for another 4-5 hours. The trail from Barafu to Mweka camp is rough and rocky. I struggle to keep my feet under me and not take a tumble. Finally, I stumble into camp. I manage to keep my eyes open long enough to eat dinner. I collapse in my tent, grateful for some rest. As I drift off, I reflect on what has happened. Eighteen months after a Bone Marrow Transplant I climbed Kilimanjaro.

Day 8: Mweka Camp to Gate

Elevation (ft): 10,000ft to 5,400ft
Distance: 10 km •Hiking Time: 3‐4 hours• Habitat: Rain Forest

After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate. This section of the trail is smooth and feels effortless. I have some time to talk with Steve my guide/porter. I’m glad to spend leisure time with him. Steve has been incredibly helpful to me this week. I have come to lean on his judgement and his physical strength. He has been in this business for seventeen years and regales me with stories of the old days. The porters used to sleep in caves and cut grass for sleeping mats. They carried ridiculously heavy loads and any injury could end their career. It sounds like slave labor to me. I’m glad they have better working conditions now, but it is still incredibly taxing work.

We reach the exit of Kilimanjaro National Park. It’s a short ride to an open air restaurant where we eat lunch and have the closing ceremony. The men sing to us once again. They have remarkably beautiful voices.

I did this because I had something to prove to myself. I am not sick or weak. I have recovered from Leukemia. A Bone Marrow Transplant will not hold me back. I motivated people to give money to LLS. I feel encouraged about my future. There truly is life after leukemia.

FB_IMG_1491046443620 — Kili in the distance

Can it be done?

Is it possible for an Acute Myeloid Leukemia survivor, bone marrow transplant patient with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro? We are about to find out. I leave today (St. Patrick’s Day) for Tanzania. I’m ready to go. I’ve done everything I can to prepare. My team has gone on many training hikes. I’ve spent hours at the gym doing cardio and lifting weights. Purchasing essential and nonessential supplies is complete. Every day I find one more item that I must have. My luggage is about to burst. Wish I were there right now. The plane ride is 17+ hours. Youch! We have a day to recover from the arduous journey and then we begin the climb.

Here is a quick synopsis of the hike:

Day 1: Londorossi Gate to Mt. Mkubwa

Elevation (ft): 7,800ft to 9,500ft
Distance: 6 km
Hiking Time:3‐4 hours
Habitat: Rain Forest

Depart Moshi for Londorossi Gate, which takes about 4 hours. With flora and fauna heavier and richer, here than on any other route through the thick rainforest, the Lemosho Route cuts through underbrush that is so untouched it at times grows right across the narrow trail. After three to four hours, we’ll reach our camp, Mt. Mkubwa, which means “Big Tree” in Kiswahili.

Day 02: Mt. Mkubwa to Shira Camp 1

Elevation (ft): 9,000ft to 11,500ft
Distance: 8 km
Hiking Time 5‐6 hours
Habitat: Moorland

We continue on the trail leading out of the forest and into a savanna of tall grasses, heather and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards. As we ascend through the lush rolling hills and cross several streams, we reach the Shira Ridge before dropping gently down to Shira 1 camp. The view of Kibo from across the plateau is amazing.

Day 03: Shira Camp 1 to Moir Hut

Elevation (ft): 11,500ft to 13,800 ft
Distance: 14 km
Hiking Time: 5‐7 hours
Habitat: Moorland

We explore the Shira plateau for a full day. It is a gentle walk east toward Kibo’s glaciered peak, across the plateau, which leads to Shira 2 camp on moorland meadows by a stream. Then we continue to Moir Hut, a little used site on the base of Lent Hills. Shira is one of the highest plateaus on earth.

Day 04: Moir Hut to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp

Elevation (ft): 13,800ft to 13,000ft
Distance: 7 km
Hiking Time: 4‐6 hours
Habitat: Semi Desert

From the Shira Plateau, we continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the “Shark’s Tooth.” Shortly after the tower, we come to the second junction, which brings us up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 16,000ft. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000ft. This day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.

Day 05: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Elevation (ft): 13,000ft to 13,100ft
Distance: 5km
Hiking Time: 4‐5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite. This is a short day meant for acclimatization.

Day 06: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Elevation (ft): 13,100ft to 15,300ft
Distance: 4 km
Hiking Time: 4‐5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, we leave Karanga and hit the junction, which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo can be seen from this position.

Day 07: Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut

Elevation (ft): 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft)
Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent
Hiking Time: 7‐8 hours ascent / 4‐6 hours descent
Habitat: Arctic

Very early in the morning (midnight to 2am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point (18,600 ft), you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1‐hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well‐earned sleep.

Day 8: Mweka Camp to Gate

Mweka Camp to Gate
Elevation (ft): 10,000ft to 5,400ft
Distance: 10 km
Hiking Time: 3‐4 hours
Habitat: Rain Forest

After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive our summit certificates.

Well that sounds reasonable. Now for the doing. Only one way to find out what is possible and that is to try. I wasn’t sure I would be able to reach my $10,000.00 fundraising goal. I have surpassed it. If you feel like you are losing faith in humanity; don’t. People are kind and generous.

Let the life after leukemia adventure continue!

The Girls Club

I have been reflecting lately on the state of my health, which is excellent, thank you very much. Less than 2 years out from my Acute Myeloid Leukemia diagnosis, I am training to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is extraordinary. Many bone marrow transplant recipients become disabled by complications of the transplant. My transplant and the ensuing recovery have been remarkable because I have had so few complications. I suppose some of this good fortune is attributable to luck. I believe my superior outcome is a direct result of the care I have received from medical professionals, all of whom are women.

My primary care physician, Michelle Goh, diagnosed my leukemia. I don’t give her too much credit for that. My white blood cell count was so far out of whack she couldn’t miss it. She did however; diagnose me with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. For most of my adult life, I have battled respiratory issues. I have been treated for chronic bronchitis, asthma and allergies. Finally, Dr. Goh discovered the root of my problems. I have a genetic disorder that affects my pulmonary function. It is an enormous relief to have an answer. Why didn’t other doctors (males) notice? This did not occur overnight; I was born with Alpha-1. I have been symptomatic since my 20’s.

All of my care providers at MGH are women. From the technician that draws my blood to the Oncologist that directs my care, women all. The oncology nurses administer my intravenous medications and vaccinations. They ask questions and observe me keenly. If anything seems amiss, they report directly to my Bone Marrow Transplant team. My BMT team is Julie Vanderklish N.P. and Areej El-Jawahri MD. They love me. I am not kidding. I feel loved when I go to my appointments. They put up with my foolishness and bone headed maneuvers. At one point, I threatened to stop taking all my meds and discontinue my follow up care. Julie talked me off the ledge and convinced me to follow the treatment plan. Occasionally, they have to be firm with me. I was sick for 6 months straight because I disregarded my compromised immune system. Dr. El-Jawahri gave me a bit of a talking too. They remind me from time to time that I am a success story and I shouldn’t screw it up.

Over all they are kind, compassionate and fiercely intelligent. I don’t know where I would be without them. It is an honor to have these ladies in my life.

thumbnail_IMG_20151010_162439 — Then Oct. 2015

Whole lotta fund raising going on

As my training regimen intensifies, fundraising also ramps up. When I embarked on this adventure, I was concerned with my physical strength. At the outset, my muscles had the consistency of pudding and I got winded on the escalator. I recognized that I would have to dedicate a significant amount of time to training. I knew that I would have to finish strong with my fundraising in order to meet my $10,000.00 goal. That is what I am attempting to do, finish strong with a fundraising push in the last 2 months. We leave for Africa March 17 and the end date for funds is April 1.

Our team fundraiser, The Zombie Prom was Saturday Feb 4^th. It was a smashing success. My team mate Christine and I were the makeup queens. For a donation, we would apply Zombie makeup. The serious Zombies showed up with makeup and some of them were impressive.

As a team, we raised over $3000.00 and it was a blast! We had the event at Jalapeno’s in Bellingham and the food and drinks were excellent. Drinking, dancing and zombie debauchery made for an entertaining evening.

I am hosting a fundraiser concert Sat. Feb 18. Dave McLellen of C.I.Y.L.R. (Concert in your living room) is donating his time and talent. My friends Meg and Paul are kindly providing the venue. Meg mentioned in an offhand way that I could use her house for an event. Unbeknownst to her I had recently contacted Dave about doing the concert. The words were no sooner out of her mouth when I took her up on the offer. They have a nice open concept home that should work great for a classical guitar concert. So far, I have sold 18 tickets and people have been generous, paying anywhere from $20-100.00 per ticket. There are at least six other people who say they are going, but haven’t purchased a ticket yet. It is driving me a little crazy. Seating is limited so I need to keep close track of the numbers. I want to sell 25 tickets, but I’m not sure if I should sell to other people or if they are really coming. Buy the ticket already would ya? You can buy a ticket here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1306520436072819/

IMG_20170203_113714818 — Handcrafted quilt donated by Christa Nee

My friend Christa donated one of her handcrafted quilts for me to raffle off. I’m calling it the Cosmic Quilt Raffle. I’ll be posting an event on Facebook to kick off the fundraiser. I need to sell at least 30 tickets at $10/each. I think the quilt is too attractive to let it go for any less than let. I may end up going door to door if I have to. You can buy a ticket by going to my Climb 2 Cure website and making a donation. I will mail you the raffle tickets.

So far, I have raised a little over $6000.00. When the funds from the Zombie Prom are disbursed, the tally will be near $7000.00. Three grand to go. Where am I going to find $3000.00 in donations? The quest continues. I’m training hard and chasing dollars. Kilimanjaro looms large.

You can donate here: Climb 2 Cure

Treacherous conditions = fun?

Training for the Kilimanjaro hike with my Climb2Cure friends has turned into quite an adventure.

The last couple of training hikes have included some difficult conditions. First, we went to Mt Monadnock (Elev 3165) in New Hampshire. If you’re unfamiliar with Monadnock, it is a massive mound of granite adorned with granite boulders of varying shapes and sizes. The day we chose to hike Monadnock snow had melted and refrozen in icy sheets of cascading death. We strapped on our micro spikes for traction and headed into the “you are about to break a bone” zone. Hiking up was a learning experience. At one point, I had my fingers wedged in stone cracks trying to pull myself up the slick surface. I made the mistake of putting my knee down. My right spikes came off the ice leaving me balancing on a slippery knee and my left foot. I thought I was about to plummet down the rock strewn slope when adrenaline kicked in and I hauled myself up onto a flat surface. Fear is an excellent motivator. Good news, I learned to keep my spikes on the ice. Bad news, going up is the easy part.

Descending the mountain was an exercise in concentration. Every steep section you had to study and pick a route. You could not relax when the going looked easy. I landed on my butt when I least expected it. There were many slips and slides. One of my teammates, Jeff, took a spill. A nasty tumble that resulted in a deep thigh bruise and an aching arm. I don’t think anyone escaped without at least one fall. Somehow, it was fun. After it was over and the cascading sheets of death had not actually claimed a life that is. I look back on it fondly. I have never had a hike quite like that before.

Well we decided to play it safe after that. We met the N.Y. Climb2Cure team at Mt. Greylock for a moderate hike to the summit. Once again, I strapped on micro spikes in case of icy conditions. The trail and the weather were beautiful. A light coat of powdery snow underfoot and a few flakes drifting down. The summit was cold and breezy, as you would expect in January. After an uneventful ascent, we decided to take a different trail down. Everything was going well until we came to the Peaks Brook Ravine. Was that on the map? How did we miss that? The trail suddenly became quite steep with a hard glaze of windblown snow. The edge of the trail gave way to a precipitous drop down to the brook. You guessed it. People started shooting off the side of the trail. Luckily, nobody went all the way to the brook thanks to the good fortune of slamming into the trees. Once we made it to the brook, we had to scrabble up the equally unreasonable slope on the other side. I kept my spikes underneath me as I had learned from the previous hike. It only took us 90 minutes to cover half a mile. We emerged bruised, but not broken.

Again, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I am not sure everyone shared my enthusiasm. It is not necessarily fun when you are in the midst of it. Afterwards though I feel elated at the accomplishment. A little adrenaline can truly make your day. I wonder how many of my hiking companions agree. I am not going to ask; I’m fairly certain that I’m in the minority.

IMG_20170128_110948691 — Mt Greylock summit

1/2017 Is This Really Happening?

I’m leaving for Africa in about 70 days. It seems unreal. Am I actually going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa? I’ve paid the airfare and the expedition fee so I guess it’s truly happening. This is something I’ve dreamed about and now I’m doing it with a team of people. We’re all working toward a common purpose; raise money for LLS and raise awareness of blood cancers. Of course there is another goal, reach the summit. The mountain looms large in front of me. Time is flying by.

Training is going well…I think. I vacillate between confidence and self-doubt. When I’m hiking people fly by me. It doesn’t bother me too much when it’s younger kids. I know I can’t keep up with the 20 something crowd, but when they look over 40 I get a bit pissed off. I’ve been hiking and running on the treadmill and planking. Shouldn’t I be getting faster and stronger? I have to remind myself that a year ago walking 2 miles was a challenge. I hiked with my Climb2Cure group this weekend and we did 10.5 miles in 5.5 hours. I can run over 2 miles on the treadmill. I am getting stronger, but will I be strong enough by March to summit Kilimanjaro?

Fundraising is going well…I think. I waffle between feeling good about what I’ve raised and beating myself up for not doing more. I have raised a bit under $5000.00. I have a fundraising event scheduled for Feb 18 and my Climb2Cure group has a fundraiser scheduled for Feb. as well. February 4 we are holding a Zombie Prom. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but it looks like fun. The venue, Jalapeno’s in Bellingham, is donating the space. We have a DJ, Damont Batchelor, who is donating his services. I’ll be doing zombie make up. All in all, it looks like a good time and hopefully we’ll raise a bunch of money. Feb 18^th I have a classical guitarist performing at my friend Meg’s house. Dave McLellen donates his time and talent for C.I.Y.L.R(Concert in your living room). His mission is “Spreading the joy of charitable giving and the classical guitar, one living room at a time.” Very cool. It will be a slightly different vibe than the Zombie Prom I imagine.

Yup it’s happening. Will I reach my goal of $10,000.00? Will I summit Kilimanjaro? There’s only one way to tell. Tune into the next thrilling installment of Gayle’s Climb 2 Cure Adventure.

Training in the Blue Hills. That’s my butt on the right.

12/2016 Best Christmas Gift Ever

My bone marrow donor has allowed me to contact her. It’s the best Christmas gift ever. When you receive a bone marrow/stem cell transplant the donor is anonymous. They aren’t allowed to know my information and I can’t know theirs’. The only facts I was given: she is a 24-year-old women from N.Y. I had to wait a year before I could even attempt to contact her. On the first anniversary of my bone marrow transplant I wrote my social worker at MGH. I gave permission for my contact information to be released to my donor. Then I waited. October, November, I heard nothing. I assumed that she did not want to communicate. I felt disappointed although I completely respected her wish for privacy. How could I ask anymore from her than what she had done already? I wanted so desperately to thank her, to tell her she saved a wife, mother, step-mother, grandmother…etc.

Today (Dec 14) it happened. I was at my appointment at MGH when my social worker Bev handed me an envelope. “Your donor’s contact information is inside.” She said. I almost cried. It was such a relief knowing that I would be able to thank her. Without the bone marrow transplant I would be in remission. With the transplant I believe I’m cured. Yes, there is a small chance that AML will reoccur, but it is small. My doctor looked me in the eye and said “I believe you have had a curative bone marrow transplant.” That’s good enough for me.

I emailed my donor as soon as I got home. It took a few hours for her to respond. I want her to respond right now! Steve immediately googled her and found out some interesting facts. She’s an incredibly nifty person. Her name is Kelly; she is exceptionally accomplished. She’s studying to be a physician’s assistant and has traveled extensively. When I was in the hospital she was in Tanzania. It wouldn’t matter if she was a troll living under a rock. She saved my life. Yet, Somehow, inexplicably it makes me happy that she is an independent, intelligent, adventurous woman. I hope to meet her someday soon.

11/2016 Because I Can

My performance on training hikes is much better. I threw up on the first hike so improvement is easy to attain. Seriously though, I’m doing fairly well. Saturday Nov. 12 I met Coach Tom and 3 of my Climb2Cure team mates in the Bluehills of Milton, Ma. We hiked uphill and down covering about 6 miles in 4 hours. Not record breaking time, however I felt much stronger. The extra hiking I’ve been doing at Wachusett is clearly helping.

Sat. the 19^th we went to Mt. Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH. Coach Tom invited several of his friends and it was a gregarious group. Prior to starting the hike Tom christened me with my trail name; Bic. Huh? He explained it stands for “Because I Can”. Okay I’m good with that. I hike because I can. I fund raise because I can. I’m leaving cancer behind because I can. Several people called me Bic during the day and I was oblivious. This trail name thing is going to take some getting used to.

Back to the hike. I wasn’t sure I was ready for this. I’ve hiked Monadnock in the past and it is a bit of a challenge. We went up one of the steeper trails. I was just fine. I’ve never been a fast hiker, but I was able to poke along at a steady pace and summit fairly easily. We covered 6-7 miles and I was surprised that I didn’t struggle. I’m very encouraged to take on bigger challenges.

There is still much to do. Let’s not get over confident, Monadnock is a far cry from Kilimanjaro. My cardio and leg strength are surely improving, but I’m still weak. I am a long way from my fundraising goal of $10.000. and I don’t know how I’m going to pay for all the equipment I need. I’m going to do the best I can every day; Because I Can.

On Monadnock with some team mates. L->R Me, Coach Tom, Christine, Dustin, Jeff

11/2016 Why am I doing this?

Why am I doing this? Climbing a mountain in Africa I mean.(Climb2Cure) Because it works. We’ve all heard of Susan G. Koman and the Avon 3-day walk for breast cancer. The Koman organization has, to date, invested more than $2.6 billion in groundbreaking research, community health outreach, advocacy and programs in more than 60 countries. Their efforts helped reduce death rates from breast cancer by 37 percent between 1990-2013.

High profile events attract attention and provide an opportunity to raise awareness. Hopefully, when the devastation of blood cancers becomes well known people will be motivated to donate money for research.

Why am I doing this? Because it happened to me. I was healthy and active. I ate well, enjoyed plenty of fresh air, didn’t smoke. I went from vigorous to near death in the space of one month. No exaggeration, it was a close call. It happened to me. It could happen to you or someone you love.

Why am I doing this? Since enduring the brutal treatment protocol for Acute Myeloid Leukemia I am distraught at the thought of someone else going through that. It is particularly heartbreaking to think of a child suffering through the chemo regimen and dealing with the long term effects.

The survival rate for adults diagnosed with AML is 26 percent. The protocol for AML is exactly the same as it was in 1973. That’s right not a single advancement in over 40 years. We have to do better than that. It comes down to research and that costs money.

Why am I doing This? Because people still die from Lymphoma. That’s supposed to be the treatable blood cancer, but it is still misdiagnosed. We need to raise awareness of blood cancers within the medical community.

I’m climbing Kilimanjaro for selfish reasons too. I’ve always wanted to try it. There is a chance that AML will come back. Since my treatment I am at a higher risk for breast cancer. I will be damned if I end up laying in a hospital bed regretting what I might have done. Some people think it’s a little too early for me to attempt this, but I feel like it’s now or maybe never.

Working out after spending 75 days in the hospital. It was brutal. I was so weak I fell and broke my nose.

11/2016 And the answer is…

Well, I met the Climb 2 Cure team Oct 29^th for a training hike. We met at the Blue Hills in Milton. Not the whole team. Our coach Tom and team members Brian and Christine were in attendance. I was nervous about my condition. Would I be able to keep up with the group? The answer is no, emphatically no. I was winded within the first couple hundred yards. My legs felt weak within 30 minutes. Halfway through the hike I vomited. Yup, emptied the contents of my stomach trail side. If my hiking companions noticed (and I’m sure they did) they didn’t say anything. Perhaps I should say that I had a respiratory infection and that was my first day on the antibiotic. I’m fairly certain that’s what caused the stomach upset. I nearly cancelled on the hike, but if I cancel every time I’m sick or taking a new pill there will be no training.

After I tossed my cookies I felt light-headed for a while however the mental fog lifted and I made it through the hike. We were out for approximately 3 hours. So while I wouldn’t consider the hike to be excellent, it’s done. I hiked uphill and down for 3 hours while I was sick as a dog. Now I know yours truly has a lot of work to do. Honestly I thought I would be a little stronger. I’ve been riding my bike and walking. I knew I wasn’t in great shape, but holy guacamole I didn’t expect to be that weak. Still I did it and that’s something.

The week following the team hike I ran on my treadmill Mon., went hiking for over 3 hours at Wachusett on Tuesday and did 2 little hikes Fri and Sat. I plank every day, a little longer each time. I’m trying by God. I’ll hike with the group again on Nov.12^th. Hopefully things go a bit better. Time to go hop on the treadmill.

After the hike ….

10/2016 Let the training/fundraising begin

Okay I’m signed up to hike Kilimanjaro. I’ve paid the expedition deposit, purchased overseas insurance including $250,000 emergency medical evacuation, repatriation and $500,000 medical expenses. I’ve personalized my fundraising page; now what do I do? I’ve committed to climbing a 19,000+ ft mountain. I’ve set a goal of fundraising $10,000.00. What have I gotten myself into? I can’t climb a hill let alone a mountain. I’ve been quite sick for 12 of the last 16 months. I’ve only now starting to recover some of my strength and stamina. I’ve got a long uphill climb ahead of me figuratively and literally.

The best way I can think of to strengthen my legs is ride my bike. So I start by going around the block. Not as easy as it sounds, I live in a hilly neighborhood. Next I ride to the rail trail and go up and down that 5 mile track. It takes me 1 hr 45 min. Every time I ride I stay on the bike a little longer until I feel like I can actually go hiking. October 29^th is a scheduled training hike with my team in training group. I hope I can keep up.

Fundraising is another hurdle although I feel that I can start slow. I have to concentrate on training right now so a few emails to family and friends will get the fundraising ball rolling. The results from the initial email are surprising. People that you expect to be responsive do nothing while donations come in from unlikely sources. I don’t even recognize one of the donors. There are many more people I can send emails to I just need to customize the solicitation message. I’ll make time for that soon. Next month I’ll do a Facebook campaign. If I have time I’ll make bracelets and sell them for a fundraiser. I’ll finish strong with my fundraising. I truly would like to raise the 10K.

In addition to training and fundraising I’m seriously considering approaching outdoor sports companies to sponsor me. The list of equipment I need for the expedition is lengthy and expensive. I’m hard pressed to pay for the trip, not completely sure how to acquire the equipment. Especially the things that I may never use again like a 10* mummy style sleeping bag. I’m not into roughing it so the chance that I’ll ever use the bag again are slim. I try not to worry how much I have to do. I can only do as much as I can today. One day at a time. Right now it’s time to hop on the treadmill and do some cardio.

9/2016 Kilimanjaro? Who’s idea was that?

I’ve thought about climbing Kilimanjaro over the years, but I couldn’t find anyone else interested in it. I went so far as to check expedition prices and ask friends if they would go, but no takers. Then I got leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, and thoughts of hiking anything evaporated. I was in the fight of my life. I received a Bone Marrow Transplant in Sept. 2015 and began the long slow healing process. After being treated for Acute Myeloid Leukemia walking up the stairs was a challenge. It was many months before I started to feel like my old energetic self again. Slowly I regained my strength; today I am fairly healthy although my immune system is compromised.

I started looking for ways to give back. Something I could do for other people suffering with Leukemia. One day in early Aug. 2016 an ad popped up on Facebook, Climb 2 Cure, a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I clicked on the ad and they were climbing Mt Kilimanjaro as a fundraiser! That was it! I immediately started looking for more information. I floated the idea with my husband and sister. Neither one was enthusiastic. I asked doctor El-Jahawri her opinion and she said I could try it. I asked my nurse practitioner Julie what she thought of the idea. She was skeptical to say the least. My immune system is still compromised and I’m weak. My initial enthusiasm started to wane.

The cost of the expedition is $5-6000.00. It will require many hours of training and a commitment to fundraising. I would be spending a great deal of time away from my husband Steve. He spent a year taking care of me. He did everything for me and now I’m going to take off hiking and fundraising every spare minute?! I would be splurging all of our vacation funds on me. Would it even be possible for me to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro? Could I raise the funds? I was losing sleep over this. I set a deadline for the decision. By Oct 1 I would be in or out.

Sept 24^th I met the Climb 2 Cure Massachusetts team. They seem like a great group of people although quite a bit younger than me. Could I keep up with this group? Throughout Sept I grilled Steve. “Are you sure you would be OK with this? If you tell me not to go, I won’t. I’ll be spending all our vacation money on me. Are you absolutely sure?” I queried my doctor and nurse again. Same split decision, but Dr. El-Jahawri said something that resonated with me “…there is a point when fear and precautions can actually take away the joy of life, which is the whole point we did this transplant…”. Yes, exactly! If Steve’s OK with it and my doctor says I can try it than I will.