Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in a half marathon in Nashville on April 25th, as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. Over the past few months my family and I have learned how important this research is. The cause of blood cancers remains unknown, the effectiveness of recently developed treatment methods and advances in research bring us closer every day to finding a cure.

I am completing this event in honor of Mike Ralph as well as all of those who are not only battling the fight against blood cancer, but all cancers!! WE NEED A CURE! Mike is my mom's fianc. He had no idea he was going to be fighting the biggest battle of his life, until he was in the ER back in Sept. because he could not kick what doctors had told him was pneumonia. He could barely breathe and his energy was non-existent - though he made it to work that day, never in a million years would he have thought it would be his last day. Never thinking that he would be spending the next months in the hospital, undergoing several chemo treatments, radiation and a stem cell transplant - Currently we have made it past the 1/2 way mark to reach 100 days since the transplant. His journey (read below) will one day be of the past. But it's one that no one should ever have to go through == and that is why I am running! If the LLS society stays on track and with your help, we can beat blood cancer and possibly all cancers by the year 2015.

We need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training, to help advance LLS's mission, and to help cure all cancers.

Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

PLEASE KEEP MIKE AND ALL OF THOSE (to include family members and friends) FIGHTING THE BATTLE AGAINST ALL CANCERS IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS - MIRACLES CAN HAPPEN!!!

If you find interest in our learning more about our team - we have a website that includes pictures and fun! Go to: teamwesthouston.org

April 5, 2009

Got 12 miles down!!! I am sore as ever but I did it!! 1/2 marathon is only 13.1 so I know I can do it!! Couple weeks left and Nashville we will be! This is a great cause and I am soo honored to be a part of it. GO TEAM!

March 30, 2009

Well I had my longest run so far - and my best!!!! Sunday I ran 10 miles and it felt great!!! This Saturday will be a long 12 miles!! I am not sure how I feel about this - since I won't get that one day to sleep in and rest haha.. I know I will be just fine and I actually am quite anxious to see how I do.

Other than that - my fundraising is going quite well - only $425 to go!!! What a relief!!!! Mike is doing great - getting more and more energy everyday!!!

March 11, 2009

Mike got all of his test results back and his DNA has completely switched over to his brothers and the chromosome that would have prevented him from not getting the Leukemia back has been totally wiped out! The best part of it all is that he is now considered LEUKEMIA FREE!!!! He will go back in 6 months to get these test done again - which we know we will have the same great results.

Actually they had planned on coming out to Nashville and surprise me for my run - had the hotel and everything, but the dr. said it is way too early to be doing anything that extravagant with the new cells and not being vaccinated (he won't get those shots until Nov. on his year anniversary).

So that is the down low - We owe it to LLS for all the research that has gone into blood cancers. To be able to eliminate a chromosome is quite unbelievable to include switching over someone's DNA!!!!!

Pretty great stuff!!! Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers!

March 1, 2009

I can't believe that it is already March! Yesterday I ran my first race - it was a 10K (6.2 miles), It was a great experience - In most runners eyes it would have been a terrible run, anything that I finish at this point is great and I am so excited that I am able to do it (this is all very new to me) just wish my leg wasn't being a jerk (though it wasn't 100% before I started this, I am sure it doesn't help that I have been slacking on my training - I will be getting back on track with this) Going to the dr. on Tuesday to make sure it's nothing serious - since it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Mike had his big test last Monday (since he has made it past the 100 days since the stem cell transplant) to test his bone marrow and several other things that pertain to his stem cells. Results will be back in a week == Please pray that everything is clear and that the stem cell transplant was a success!!

February 26, 2009

To start with, Mike is doing much better all test turned out great!!! He is eating again and back on track!!!

Had training this morning and ran 8 miles == it's getting easier and easier every week! I am certainly more confident that I can run the half now!!

January 30,2009

I guess we have to take the good with the bad... Yesterday Mike had to go back into the hospital because of back/stomach pains that kept progressing throughout the morning and while he was at the clinic. An ambulance had to transport him to KU Med. They are now in the process of running test and all that fun, so we will see... I will keep you posted! Please Pray that it is not a step back.

January 28, 2009

IT'S BEEN SOO LONG SINCE I HAVE UPDATED! Well let's go back in time...... Christmas was great! Mike was able to see his family with restrictions of course - his cells are so new, that they couldn't take a chance... It's been quite a roller coaster ride. We presented the Michael Ralph Fund to him, the reaction was unforgettable .It was so amazing to see someone so appreciative and thankful - the sense of relief was certainly obvious. My plan is to have my mom help me update his progress. She understands everything much better than I do. I think it is so important that people are aware of what their donations go to. Everything that Mike has gone through == the good, the bad, the ugly and now all of those things, to include a battle that is beatable. We could not be in the place without all of the reasearch that the LLS society has funded.

Dec. 17, 2008

Something that I learned today that I thought was worth sharing ==The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society funded the research that developed chemotherapy Not only is LLS providing funds and improving the lives of blood cancer patients, but we have significantly improved the survival rate for ALL cancer patients across the world. == Pretty awesome and great knowledge to share!!!!

Dec 14, 2008

First, I would like to tell all of you that helped to support our Mike Ralph Leukemia benefit in KC this weekend - THANK YOU!!!!! What a great turn out! The success of the benefit as well as the donations that have been made toward the fun has been amazing - we can't thank you enough!!! I will put pics up on my facebook/myspace for those of you that are interested as soon as possible!!! For those of you that are still interested in donating to the fund, it's not too late. Please contact me @ Jessica.rice@clarkconstruction.com for more information. Once all gifts are distributed and donations received I will let you know what our totals are. Thank you!!!!

Dec 6, 2008

Mike is still doing well at home! Still very tired and weak, but progressing and getting better everyday! Today was my 1st day of training. I never run outside EVER! So I was expecting lots of fun! But actually I think I am going to prefer this over the treadmill (once I get my Garmin and I-Pod in hand, I will be set).

Dec 2, 2008

Mike has been released from the hospital!!!! In less than 1/2 the time he was suppose to. We are so excited. His brother Jack (the donor) is doing great. Mike is still quite tired, as his body is taking on the new stem cells (DNA). His blood counts are going up significantly (some days doubling). The battle ahead will be hard, but certainly possible.

Nov. 9, 2008

A little over a month ago my mom's fiance Mike was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). AML is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. He has had several blood transfusions and chemo treatments. In the next week, he will undergo 6 rounds of full body radiation and intense rounds of chemotherapy to prepare for a stem cell transplant on Friday (Nov. 14th).