I am excited to let you know that I am just 3 weeks away from my event! To say I am nervous is correct. This morning I completed my first Open Water Swim in the Redwood Shores Lagoon. It was tough. The water was about 61 degrees and I had to wear a wetsuit. But I managed to swim a full mile. I feel very accomplished.

The rest of my training is going well. The bike and I are still trying to be friends. We had a fall which resulted in a tear in my pants and a bruise. But other than that although we are not fast I think I will make it through.

My training has been intense I know many of you have been following it on Facebook. Monday is Swimming

Tuesday is Running

Wednesday is Biking (also know as TITS Time On The Saddle)

Thursday is more Swimming

Friday I get to rest (or go bowling :) )

And Saturday is a double workout of Swimming and Biking or Biking and Running

I am exhausted, but love every minute of it! The people and coaches have been so helpful.

I wanted to say a sincere thank you to all of you that have donated to either the raffle, bowling tournament, cash donation, or ordered a bag. Without you I would not be just $800 away from my minimum.

Last week I was able to visit my friend Sylvia in the hospital. She was diagnosed with Leukemia for a second time in January. She has been in the hospital for a month. When I arrived I wasn’t sure what to expect. But she was smiling and happy to see a visitor. We were talking when a nurse came in to check her vitals. At one point the nurse asked, “What is your pain level on a scale of 1-10?” Sylvia said, “7”.

What!?! I was shocked this woman who was smiling and joking was at a pain level 7! Just shows how strong she is. By the time you read this hopefully Sylvia will be home but will be heading back to the hospital in a couple of weeks for more treatment. You can check out Sylvia’s story in the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKI3b3DOP20

As I mentioned above I am just $800 dollars away from my minimum. This means just 8 people need to donate $100 or 16 people donate $50. Remember all donations over $20 are tax deductible. Please help Sylvia and the others that continue to fight for their life and to remain healthy.

Thank you,

Julia

I was sad to find out today that a friend and Honoree, Sylvia, found out that her Leukemia has returned. She has been admitted to the hospital and will receive chemo therapy for the next week 24 hours a day. She will then remain in the hospital for another month.

Sylvia and I became friends on the Run Team in 2011. We found ourselves running together often. I enjoyed her spirit and stories about her children. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family these next few months.

I have included her story below for those who have not heard it.

Sylvia's Second Chance

I first met Sylvia on a 5 mile run. We were running through Downtown San Jose and around mile 3 we noticed we were running about the same pace. As I was beginning to fade in my effort Sylvia began her story….

In early 2009 Sylvia went into the dentist for a routine wisdom teeth extraction. She had been laid off of her work and her insurance was set to expire in 4 months. After two months of painkillers and antibiotics Sylvia was unable to fight what seemed to be an infection on the side of her cheek. Finally in late May she was diagnosed with Leukemia (AML), a fast growing blood cancer, and was immediately sent to the ER. Statistically usually white males over the age of 65 get this disease and Sylvia only had a 1% chance of getting AML. In the ER she needed 4 pints of blood. The doctor on call told her, "I don't even know how you are walking"? Her hemoglobin was at a 4, a normal female’s hemoglobin is around 11-15, which meant she had no blood in her body. Sylvia was lucky she didn’t slip into a coma or go into cardiac arrest. After being hooked up to the IV she was admitted into ICU, where she remained for 3 days before treatment could begin.

Sylvia’s first cycle of Chemotherapy was injected in her IV for 24 hours a day for a week. She remained in the hospital for a month, and then had three more cycles of chemo. In less than a year she was hospitalized seven times all together. During her time in and out of the hospital she continued to live her life. She went to baseball games and family events. She wanted to show people, “I am still alive and I am not going to let cancer beat me.”

In November 2009, she went into remission. At that moment Sylvia felt life was given back into her and she was given a second chance of life. But she felt there was something she needed to do, give back. She wanted to run a half-marathon, but people laughed. They said you had Cancer, how do you expect to run, when at times during treatment she couldn't walk 50 feet without assistance. With Chemo and the love for her three daughters, Sylvia was determined to beat cancer, because "Losing was never an option"! “My daughters are reason I wake up in the morning, fight everyday and believe why I am alive today.”

Six months into her remission she joined Team in Training, an organization committed to supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, as an Honoree and a participant. Of course people didn't think she could handle such strenuous training, her question to them was, “And Chemo isn't hard?”

“All you have to do is believe in one person and that person is you! It doesn't matter what others think or say. If you believe in yourself the sky is the limit. I'm living proof of that. Last year my goal was to run three half-marathons, one for each of my daughters, to show them anything is possible. My hope is there is a cure soon and I will relentlessly run marathons to raise awareness.”

Sylvia completed each of those half marathons during her first year of remission. This year her goal is to run five half marathons.

Now, she volunteers with “First connection” a part of LLS, which gives newly diagnosed patients a connection with someone who has been through the journey. “There is no better feeling than giving someone with cancer hope, letting them know they are not alone, and yes you can beat this.”

Hi friends, family, and colleagues,

The past two years, many of you have supported me in my involvement with Team in Training (TNT) to support Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). You supported me from when I could not run a minute, to me finishing my first half-marathon. I have since completed a four half marathons in the past year, and along the way - you and I together have raised over $7,500 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

I am writing to you tonight, to share with you that I have decided to take on a new journey with TNT/LLS. I have officially signed up to do my very first Olympics distance triathlon event. My first triathlon event period. That is.... I am going to be swimming (0.9 mile), biking (24.8 miles), and running (6.2 miles) ... all in one event! If you don't think I'm crazy, don't worry, because I do. Why? Well.... I should probably share with you guys that I have never ridden a rode bike (I did test some road bikes on Sunday, OMG, SCARY!). Swimming.... I know how not to drown, and not in open water. So..... "terrified" does not begin to express how I've been feeling since I actually signed up. My event is the Lavaman Triathlon on March 24, 13 in Kona, HI. But I am truly excited to take on this new adventure.

So..... you're probably wondering, why would I do this?! A few reasons. Before TNT/LLS.... there were many things I didn't think I could do. But they've proven me wrong. I've proven me wrong. So.... yes, I am scared, but I am looking forward to be proven wrong again.

Another reason is because I still want that opportunity to make a difference. I first joined TNT/LLS after my aunt was diagnosed with Lymphoma in her breast. In the past few months a young girl who used to be a camper at my summer camp in Monterey, Camila, was diagnosed with AML (a rare form of Leukemia). She is only 22 years old and is fighting for her life. She has started chemotherapy, but unless she finds a bone marrow donor match her life is in serious danger. She is looking for someone half Caucasian and half Mexican. Getting into the bone marrow registry is easy; you can find out more here http://marrow.org/

Also, a dear friend of our family was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30 years old! According to doctors this was 24 years early! She is also undergoing chemotherapy and will have a double mastectomy in the next few months. Although she does not have Leukemia or Lymphoma I know that the money I have raised and LLS has helped find cures and treatments for other cancers.

Both of these women are so brave and so young. Nobody should have to undergo these treatments and life-threatening moments, especially at such young ages. I keep them in my thoughts and prayers throughout my trainings as a reminder of why I continue to support LLS.

I am asking for your help because every four minutes someone is still diagnosed with blood cancer. Leukemia still causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and anyone under the age of 20. Because you guys are my friends with big hearts, who care! So I am calling on you all again to support me and this cause.

This year I will be holding an event called, “Strike Out Cancer”. It will be a bowling tournament held at the Morgan Hill Bowling Alley on January 12th. There will be prizes and a raffle. You can sign up online or contact me. Find out more here: http://strikeoutcancer2013.eventbrite.com/

I know that many of you follow me on Facebook and I can guarantee you that I will be posting lots of updates and pictures. Just wait until my first bike ride!  For now…. I wanted to send you this greeting, and to also share with you my news. I am so scared and excited at the same time! But one thing I know for sure, when I cross that finish line, I will be happy that I took the risk and jumped! And I am so excited to have you guys be on this journey with me!

If you want to start now - you could use the link:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/lavatri13/juliacook

Much love and thanks for your continuing support.

Love,

Julia

PS: The minimum fundraise amount is for this event is $4,800, and 25% of that is to cover logistics (event registration, trips, etc). Please note that, you are not paying for my vacation to Hawaii with your money - it will go directly to LLS