Light the Night Round Three

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk will take place next week in Denver's Washington Park, on Thursday, September 25th. This is my 3rd year of participation and LLS and my goals for this walk are higher than ever before. LLS has set a goal for curing blood cancers by 2015. This year for the Colorado LLS walks they have set a goal of raising $1 million. And I have set a goal (with a big push from my friend John Sadwith) of raising $50,000 and having 100 people walk for Dan's Team. Ambitious but achievable-----with your help. You can contribute, or sign up to walk, or both, by going to this site:

http://www.active.com/donate/ltnDenver/2285_dpattersonLTN

Once a year I get on an airplane for a getaway. Susan and I are currently in Florida for a week at the beach. I have continued my swimming and have managed to swim about a mile along the coast. It feels so good, including the 2 1/2 hour nap I need afterwards! As I think about it, I marvel at the recovery I have achieved with the help of so many of you. Two years ago, in 2006, we spent two weeks at our friends, the Coyles, in East Hampton. I had to travel with a surgical mask on my face and had great difficulty as the flight aggravated my back. I could not swim but rather could only wade in the waves. Last year was better, but I was still quite wiped out, as my cancer levels were very high and Dr. Rifkin held off on treatment just to give us a chance to have a getaway for our 25th wedding anniversary. I did some swimming, but as Susan likes to remind me, I spent most of the time on the sofa. And this year......even though I have been on chemo for one full year, and will be for the indeterminate future, I am seeing so much improvement. Of course, this is my week off from chemo, which helps tremendously with my energy levels, but I am encouraged by the strength I have built up over the last year. May it continue.

And, looping back to Light the Night......much of the money raised through that event goes to support medical research. In fact, I will soon be visiting the lab of one of the researchers who LLS funds, in Denver, at National Jewish Hospital, to learn more about the research he is doing on blood cancer. Many drugs given to myeloma patients lose their effectiveness. Every month I wait with great anticipation for my "numbers" report, hoping for the best and fearing the worst---that the velcade isn't working. The more drugs that are "on the shelf", the more effective our treatment will be. That is why I work so hard to raise money for this event. I am committed to seeing that cure in 2015!!!! Thank you again for your support of this cause. And for my Colorado friends who will be walking, there is a party at Darin and Liz Schanker's home, on Washington Park, 818 S. Franklin, at around 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, for everyone to congregate , eat and drink, and go to the walk together. Hope to see you there.

Love and Light,
Dan