Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. It’s been my motto for quite some time now, and it was exactly what I was doing when I posted my little “goodbye” note to my friends and family on Facebook in August of 2010. At the time, I had been through seven years of one health crisis after the next. I was only 37 years old and had already survived Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a failed gall bladder and dilated cardiomyopathy. Even though I was incredibly tired, I could never give up hope or stop fighting (I seem to have been born without the “quit” gene). At the same time, I had also come to grips with the very real possibility each new day might be my last - actually, I was pretty sure it would be.

All that has changed over the course of the last year. Since my transplant, I have gone from someone struggling to deal with the effects of cancer and a severely damaged heart, to the picture of health. Since my transplant, I have run a 5K and a half marathon, and now I’m training to compete in triathlons. It has been a completely surreal turn of events.

As hard as I have worked to get to this point, and even with all of the support from my family and friends, none of this would have been possible if it had not been for organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and their Team In Training. TNT’s fundraising has made it possible for me and countless others to live full and rewarding lives, for which I will always be in their debt. Living with cancer is difficult, and survival is never guaranteed, that’s why I find it so important to celebrate that success. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate that success than a nice run, a good swim, or a long bike ride that raises money for the others that have yet to make it beyond their own experiences with cancer.

If cancer has touched your life, or the life of someone you know, please join me and donate to the fight to find a cure. Take it from me - it’s worth every penny.

Thanks for everything,

D

P.S. - If you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, take a look at my team's latest video which shares a little more of why we do what we do...

http://youtu.be/EeexPM597Mc

These past ten years have been an incredible journey. From my diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2003, to the chemo that damaged my heart and left me with dilated cardiomyopathy in 2004, to the heart transplant that saved my life this past January, life has been a series of dramatic ups and downs that culminated in my running the Philadelphia Half Marathon this past November while raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through their "Team In Training".

Did I use the word "culminated"? My mistake -- I wouldn't want anyone to get the idea that the journey is over. I have joined my friends at Team In Training again, but decided to up-the-ante by joining the triathlon team. Yep, you read that right: on April 29, 2012, I will be participating in the St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Florida. The race consists of a .93 mile swim, a 25.85 mile bike ride, and finally, a 6.21 mile run. Since I started out 2011 re-learning to walk by hobbling from one end of my kitchen to the other, saying this race will be a challenge for me is like saying my wife has a mild affinity for the occasional shopping trip. If I'm being completely honest, this race is a frightening proposition. The last time I pushed myself that hard athletically was, well… never. That being said, I'm excited by the challenge. I love the fact that my next step on this journey follows in the footsteps of the others that made this trip and funded the cancer research that helped save me. Through their efforts, I am here to help those that will unfortunately share similar struggles in their own fight with cancer.

My being here is a gift that I don't take lightly. Surviving cancer is never promised, but for the lucky ones like me, survival alone is not enough. Cancer sucks, and the treatments required to continue to fight, although improving, aren't much better. Having been through that gauntlet, my goal is to live life to it's fullest and enjoy the gift that I've been given. Anything less would be an insult to those that didn't make it, and to those that have given so much to make sure that I did.

For those that donated to my last effort in the Philly Marathon, thank you so much - your donations make a world of difference for people suffering from leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. I hope you'll choose to join me in this next effort. For those that didn't have the opportunity last time, won't you please help me stand up for those that can't stand for themselves? I can tell you from personal experience that the outlook for cancer treatment today is so much better than it was just 10 years ago, and the way that happens is by funding the research that improves the treatment, improves patients' quality of life, and ultimately finds a cure for this horrible disease.

Please click the "Donate Now" button and help advance the research for cures.

As always, thanks for everything,

Derek

P.S. - For those that didn't get a chance to see, I've attached a video of my speech at the LLS Inspirational Dinner before the Philly Marathon. It was an incredible honor to be asked to speak to everyone there, and it gave me a great platform to thank my heroes.

http://youtu.be/kxyhY4ravAM