October 12th ( blog update)

Whew Whew!!!!!
Did it!!!!!
Yay!!!!
That's number twelve this year!!!!
The goal was twelve marathons in 2014 and raise $100,000 to fund a blood cancer research study. Before this last event, we were at $7700.00 raised this year. We are now at $9500.00 which means we just raised another $1800.00 with this event.  
 Thank-you to all that donated !!!!

The run started at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley at 6:30am and traveled far into Berkeley Hills. Along the way we traveled around the Lake Chabot, then into Oakland Redwood Regional Park , Huckleberry Regional Preserve, Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, over the Caldecott Tunnel and then a four mile (1400 foot) decent into Berkeley's Tilden Park.

At the turnaround point (about 11:15am),  I grabbed some electrolyte drinks, M&M's, cookies, salty potato chips and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I pulled out my IPod and was soon listening to some GREAT music.  ( about 75 downloaded songs )
Good Morning by Mandisa
Stronger by Mandisa

"When the waves are taking you under
 Hold on just a little bit longer
 He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
 The pain ain't gonna last forever
 And things can only get better
 Believe me
 This is gonna make you stronger
 Gonna make you stronger, stronger, stronger
 Believe me, this is gonna make you ...."

I started running, walking and climbing up that 1400 foot hill and finally reached the top.....and another aid station . The M&MS and cookies tasted so good!!! I started running, singing and listening to all my music as the miles went by. Hours and hours went by and finally the lake was back in site. My goal was to cross the finish line in12 hours, but the mission was accomplished in 11 hours. It was about 5:30pm that night when I finally saw that finish line. ( It was a great site to see ).

This event was extremely challenging, but nothing compared to what a cancer patient deals with on a daily basis. I will continue to run and take on these crazy/hard challenges as long as donations keep coming in.

Thank-you everyone for donating and helping make a huge difference in the fight against cancer.
David:)

October 5th, 2014 (update)
This years goal was to complete 12 marathons and raise $100,000 to fund a cancer research study. As of today, 11 marathons are complete and only one more to go.

We have raised $7700.00 dollars to date, and it is now time to go fundraising crazy. We need to raise $93,000 before the end of 2014. It may seem impossible to reach that goal, yet I hope you will help me prove the possible instead!

Please donate!
Thanks!

 #29......January 18,2014..........The Pacifica Marathon........26.2 miles
 #30......February 8, 2014..........The Golden Gate 50k......... 31 miles
 #31......February 22,2014........ Montara Mountain 50k........ 31 miles
 #32......March 22, 2014.....  ......Canyon Meadows 50k.......  31 miles
 #33......April 5, 2014................ Grizzly Peak Marathon........ 26.2 miles
 #34......April 26,2014................The Folsom Lake 50k.......... 31 miles
 #35......May 10, 2014.......... ....The Goldrush 100k...............65 miles
 #36......July 19, 2014...............The Lake Chabot Marathon..26.2 miles
 (The San Francisco Half Marathon with my Family.....(12 of us)..What a blast)
 #37......August 3, 2014..............The Skyline 50k..................31 miles
 #38......August 16, 2014............The Cinderella Marathon.....26.2 miles
 #39.....September 20, 2014......The Coastal 50k...................31 miles
 #40.....Coming up next weekend (Sunday October 12th)

This next marathon will be an extremely hard challenge. I have chosen the Dick Collins 50 miler as my 12th marathon this year. The event begins at 6:30am at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley, and will take about 12 hours to complete. The expected temperature next weekend is 80 degrees which will make the 7800 feet of elevation gain more challenging.

Yesterday, I ran an 18 mile training run that started at the Tiburon Ferry terminal and finished at the San Francisco Ferry Building. My legs, feet and toes were in incredible pain the entire way. Next weekend, I must run an extra 32 miles before I'll see a finish line. Definite Challenge!
This pain is caused by the type of blood cancer that I have  ( Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia and Cryoglobulinemia). Both blood issues remain non curable at this time, however I am alive and still running marathons and ultra marathons. Treatments are available to control the cancer cells and I am on a mission to fund new cures. Hopefully, you will help me fund a research study and maybe even find my cure. I do not take any pain medicines because I want to always be at baseline. My hope is to someday be apart of a medical trial for the Waldenstrom's and Peripheral neuropathy.

I hope you will please join my quest for cures!! Every three minutes someone across the USA is diagnosed with a blood related cancer. My mission is to always have that cure available!!! 

I will keep on running if you just donate and share my impossible dream link.
www.impossible-dream.org

(or)
You can mail checks to:
David Bevilacqua
948Wildcat Lane
Brentwood, CA 94513
Checks made payable to: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

$1.00 per mile= $50.00
$2.00 per mile =$100.00
250.00=     Silver Donation
$500.00=   Golden Donation
$1000.00= Platinum Donation

Please Share on Facebook and Twitter
Thanks!!!
David

Next Up...July 27, 2014

Hi Everyone, Welcome to our homepage!  ( Posted by Vicky Bevilacqua-True )

As you may know, our family has been running and fundraising for several years now. It started when our brother was diagnosed with a very rare from of Lymphoma. It's treatable but not cureable. David's life was saved and he's is still with us today becuase of drugs funded by LLS research...he has been in pay it forward mode ever since and the rest of the family has joined him (he's kind of convincing and unrelentless that way:-)

As of today, David's cancer in check, but he stuffers from debilitating circulatory & nerve issues that result in literally frozen feet and hands, excruciating leg pain, foggy brain & ear-ringing. It's no fun at all...but he will be out there leading us.  

David's Story:

As a person whose life was saved by cancer-drugs funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), I have dedicated my life to "paying it forward" and raising funds to wipe out this rotten disease. I have become even more determined after meeting literally thousands of people whose lives have also been impacted by this disease. Since October 31st, 2006, (when I was originally diagnosed with Waldenstroms Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Cryoglobulinemia ), I have met so many patients, doctors, researchers. families and friends that have been inspired by our families " Impossible Dream Campaign".

 

 

What is.....The Impossible Dream 2014 Campaign?

 

In 1955, Leukemia was a 100% fatal disease. It was considered hopeless and impossible to cure. The Impossible Dream Campaign is about proving the POSSIBLE. There is no impossible, and LLS has been proving it as more and more cures are developed each year. The Impossible dream is about having a world without cancer, and we are getting closer than ever. LLS's continued advancements over the years, are responsible for blood cancer survival rates doubling and tripling;and in some cases, the survival rate even quadrupled. That is HUGE!!!!  9 out of 10 children now beat Leukemia that was once considered impossible.

 

Many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients, but are now used to treat patients with rare forms of stomach cancer and skin cancer. These treatments are being tested in clinical trials for patients with lung, brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. LLS funded drugs like Gleevec, Sprycel, Arinza, Tasigna and Zolinza are now being tested for patients with non-cancerous diseases like Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis. 

 

After four years and nine seasons with Team in Training, our family has raised well over $110,000 toward cancer research and new treatments. Last year (with the help of some great friends), we raised over $24,000 dollars and this year the goal is to raise to raise $100,000 and fund a research study.

_______________________________________________________________ 

 

---

My Story:

 

I originally joined the Team for my very first season on January 23rd, 2010. That date pretty much marked a new beginning in my life!!

 

I had just finished the final treatment of my Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Cryoglobulinemia the day prior. During treatment, my doctor prescribed a drug protocol called R-CHOP.  That stands for the drug Rituxian plus a variety of chemo therapy drugs and prednisone. The drug Rituxian that I was given was partially funded by Team in Training/ Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I am alive today because  LLS & TNT helped develop a treatment, and today we can control, manage and survive this disease!!  Thank you TEAM!!!

 

The type of Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma that I have is very rare, and it's called Waldenstrom's. Only about 4% of all NH Lymphoma cases are that of Waldenstrom's. I was also diagnosed with Cryoglobulinemia which is again very rare, but is often seen with a patient with Waldenstrom's diagnosis. The good news is that we have drugs today to treat the Waldenstrom's, but both blood diseases still remain non curable at this time. I have a huge favor to ask of all of you,....... help find me those cures:)

 

The Lymphoma and Cryoglobulinemia have left my body with extreme nerve damage in my legs and feet. That is called peripheral neuropathy and it runs from my brain, down the spinal cord into my legs and then my toes. My legs actually feel like concrete or lead, extreme bone and joint pain and it feels pretty much like a truck ran over my legs and toes. On a pain scale of 1 to 10, the pain is a constant 8.5 or greater 24 hours a day. It is very nasty!!!! I tried a drug for a while called Lyrica to help mask the pain, but it did not really help and I did not like the side effects at all. The only pill that I take is one at night to fall asleep. It is hard to sleep because this body always feels pain and is never comfortable. On top of all that, I've lost over 50% of my hearing, and I get something called Raynaud's phenomenon?  In Raynaud's, the flow of blood to the hands and feet can drop, causing pain and the color to become pale, then bluish or red. Cold temperatures can set off an episode. Air Conditioning, a fan or walking in a cold area in a store puts pain to a level 10. I am supposed dress very warm and stay away from cold areas. Basically, cold is my enemy to my body.

But........, I won't let it stop me!!! I am now on 9th or 10th season with the TEAM, and I am on a mission to save lives from these rotten diseases. I totally believe that you can't let anything stop you of your dreams. You just Go For It no matter what! My familly tried to stop me from running that marathon back in 2010 (they said I was crazy!)-- but, after realizing they couldn't stop me, they joined and started fundraising as well. As a family, we have raised well over $110,000 over the past four years.

I have been told so many times that running marathons, ultramarathons and half-ironmans are crazy and impossible for someone with my diagnosis, but I chose to not listen to what people say. I am a very hard headed Italian and I love proving the possible instead.  Others that have Waldenstroms NH Lymphoma describe their legs like that of Frankenstein, and they don't even want to climb up stairs. The pain is chronic from this form this form of blood cancer and it is making life very difficult. The more pain that I feel,......the more determined I get to find new cures. My cancer diagnosis has actually propelled me to do the impossible, and it really got me moving as I take nothing for granted in life. This years goal is to complete 12 marathons and ultra marathons and raise $100,000 to fund a research grant.

 

I hope you will all join me in my fight and donate generously.

God bless all of you!

David:)