tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88119199937964410592024-03-05T04:07:04.078-07:00Philpott's FightI was diagnosed with Plasma Cell Leukemia (PCL), an aggressive blood cancer, in October 2012. After 4 months of chemo, 2 stem cell (bone marrow) transplants, 72 days in the hospital, over 100 clinic visits and 5 years of post-transplant recovery, I WAS DECLARED CURED IN MAY 2018. Now I work hard to live my life with meaning. This blog served as my journal, chronicling my thoughts, feelings and experiences as I lived in spite of the PCL. Comment on or share this blog with others, if you’d like.John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-48194290832826863152016-05-29T23:59:00.001-06:002016-05-29T23:59:31.987-06:00Closure<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Whenever one book closes, a new one opens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In September and October 2012, my book called The Remarkably Healthy Life of a Clutz closed, and my book called Philpott's Fight opened. I was knocked off of my horse, so to speak. In a moment, I found myself injured, unsure and with the wind completely knocked out of me...but not out of my sails. I knew, almost instinctively, that I had to keep moving. What was left to determine was the course I would take. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm so grateful that early on - even before the diagnosis ever came into clarity - conversations with my sweet wife and with my Father in Heaven led me to choose to focus on controlling whatever I could control and learning whatever I could learn. I learned to say early on, "I may not be able to choose the hand I was dealt; I can only choose how I will play it." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When my doctors told me I had two options - the physical hell to be found in two blood stem cell transplants within three months of each other or death - I knew that there was really only one option. The thought of me leaving Noelle behind as the widowed mother of 5 young children without fighting for my life never even crossed my mind. I owed it to my family and to myself to fight until there was nothing left to fight for. But the big caveat was this: all my optimism and will; all the medical advances that had made a blood stem cell transplant a viable option for me; all the phenomenal care I received from my treatment team at LDS Hospital; all the goodness of countless family, friends and strangers who gave so much of themselves (money, time, food, companionship and prayers) in behalf of me and my family; all of this would not be enough to save my life without one very important element...a donor. My siblings weren't matches, so my team at LDS Hospital would have to turn to the Be The Match Registry in hopes of finding a matched unrelated donor for me. And I knew that all of the hard work Be The Match had done over the years to build a registry with about 11 million potential donors would be for naught (for me, at least) if no one</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">who was a genetic match for me</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> had ever stepped forward to join the registry. My hope for a cure would all come down to one person.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I remember that on the day I left LDS Hospital after my autologous transplant, my care coordinator, Rachael, popped in to my room to let me know that they were optimistic enough that my auto transplant would work well enough to get me to my far more pivotal allogeneic transplant that they were going to begin the formal search for my donor. Out of the more than 20 potential donors that had been identified for me on the Be The Match Registry, they would reach out to the highest-ranked six to request a blood sample to see who would be the best donor </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">possible f</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">or me. I had been told that I was a high-risk patient due to my challenging diagnosis and the very unique combination of markers and marker deletions in my DNA. When I left the hospital that day, I had no control over whether or not a donor would be found who would have all of the necessary matching markers for me. All I could control was how hard I worked to recover from my first transplant and focus on getting strong enough to go through it all over again if given the chance. I walked with Noelle every day. Shortly after leaving the hospital I went and walked a 5K (3.1 miles) at an LLS Man of the Year fundraiser - in just under an hour. I ate as well as I could and I rested a lot, but the rest was out of my control. All I was in control of was how hard I worked to prepare for my second transplant, but not whether or not it would ever happen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4kP1XMunmeBvJKx_8KFNgs0xUBfU7Sz_84MLmAho0_2zF6UvHfzS3AnrEAKsj-hp3-PpWHa7R1Olrj5fnZbPIUpylqsrLrVGMAYDxCDuw-JTA-I6Wx1sfddeSQxjFfmVM0WG8Omw5Tk/s1600/Finishing+the+5K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4kP1XMunmeBvJKx_8KFNgs0xUBfU7Sz_84MLmAho0_2zF6UvHfzS3AnrEAKsj-hp3-PpWHa7R1Olrj5fnZbPIUpylqsrLrVGMAYDxCDuw-JTA-I6Wx1sfddeSQxjFfmVM0WG8Omw5Tk/s320/Finishing+the+5K.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then, on April 9, 2013, the call we had been waiting for came. Rachael called Noelle and I to tell us that a donor had been found who was a "perfect" match for me in every way they could possibly hope for; my transplant would happen. By the time we got off of the phone, I was weeping openly. I wished I could find this 29-year old stranger and give him the biggest hug I could muster with what little strength I had. On that day - one month and 20 days before I would ultimately receive his blood stem cells - I knew that some day in the future I would be healthy and strong enough to travel to wherever that man lived to thank him personally for the gift of hope he had given me, my family, my friends and my medical team at LDS Hospital. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So who was this 29-year old male (that's all I was told about him at the time) who would do what he could to save my life? In 2009, a young woman named Melissa was fighting leukemia and searching for a matching donor. Melissa's family worked with their representative at Be The Match to host several marrow donor registry drives in Melissa's honor. A 25-year old friend of Melissa named Ambros Montoya joined the Be The Match Registry at a drive at New Mexico State in March 2009. Melissa</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">would ultimately find a matching cord blood unit for her own transplant, but she and her family kept pushing for the cure for other patients, adding several hundred new people to the registry. Melissa passed away less than a year after her transplant, but her legacy of </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">selfless</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">service lived on in the hundreds of people like Ambros who had stepped forward to join the registry with the commitment to try to save a life as a marrow or blood stem cell donor when and if asked. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fast forward four years to March 2013. Ambros Montoya, now a 29-year old single father, received a phone call from Be The Match telling him that he had come up as a match for a 40-year old man with leukemia (that's all he was told about me) and that a blood sample was requested to see if Ambros was the best match for the patient in question. Ambros agreed to give the blood sample, then waited. Though he was unaware of it at the time, Ambros was the only one out of the six people contacted about me who gave a blood sample. About a week later, he was told that he was the best match and asked if he would be a blood stem cell donor. He said that he would, and would later put it in this way, "If you could save somebody's life, I don't know why somebody wouldn't want to." Ambros agreed to go through the donation process, Be The Match let Rachael and my doctors at LDSH know, and then Rachael called me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ambros Montoya - this stranger who would step forward to save my life - had just given me the hope of a cure, the hope of being able to live long enough to see my children marry and have children of their own someday, and a tremendous depth of gratitude born of extreme debt that could never possibly be repaid. Rachael told me how long I would have to wait to learn the identity of my donor and be able to contact him. One year. I would have to wait at least one year to attempt to express my thanks. Ugh! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Well... back to what I could control... I continued to prepare for my transplant, culminating with a week of preparation that was somewhat congruous to the week of preparation Ambros went through for me. Fortunately for him, the five days of outpatient injections he endured to prepare his body to have enough blood stem cells to donate only gave him fatigue, headaches and bone and body aches. I had those plus a lot of other unpleasantries as I received Melphalan, a very highly concentrated chemotherapy designed to kill off my Multiple Myeloma...and my marrow. I knew that during that week</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> someone somewhere </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">w</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">as making a sacrifice for me that I would never be able to adequately repay, and Ambros was pretty confident that his recipient was going through much worse than what he had to endure. On May 28, 2013, Ambros recalls spending 5 hours or so hooked up to an apheresis machine in Virginia, talking with his mother and sister for a while and then taking a nap, while stem cells were separated out of his blood. As Ambros and his family went out that evening to check out the sights in Washington, DC, his blood stem cells were being prepared and then couriered to Salt Lake City overnight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On the morning of May 29, 2013 - three years ago today - my nurse, Becky, walked into my room with two American Red Cross representatives with a big white box on a dolly. From within that box, the bag of Ambros' stem cells awaited transfusion into my body. I signed some paperwork that basically stated that if the transplant didn't work we wouldn't sue anyone. =0) Then it began. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A new life. And on that day, my desire to someday meet my donor solidified.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_8m5ZJWK1C3lDO2g1I7wM0nDLhrgo5gIn2GxZ8dRvuECxmZL15D7iZHg70PWWfLcLxhSPyOH5C8jEka9vQDacNSHVlmv-LjRMgTzqDhIK8P7qd45-6rUjlvQ7i7k_b8b2hkdaY7cTFA/s1600/Stem+Cell+Arrival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_8m5ZJWK1C3lDO2g1I7wM0nDLhrgo5gIn2GxZ8dRvuECxmZL15D7iZHg70PWWfLcLxhSPyOH5C8jEka9vQDacNSHVlmv-LjRMgTzqDhIK8P7qd45-6rUjlvQ7i7k_b8b2hkdaY7cTFA/s320/Stem+Cell+Arrival.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY3CaeNTXEcXSnib_NE5SGLqqw2_jCc1coY2QaW57QZOV2yXqmf42GFdoJdf6qgXWthLTN1hl80en7Kd47oL5FFguuSP7JXDBE0o9tyhNh-caIBvHKoU0dU77SJJ2w6MJtqlaHhq2DuA/s1600/Signing+up+for+a+new+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY3CaeNTXEcXSnib_NE5SGLqqw2_jCc1coY2QaW57QZOV2yXqmf42GFdoJdf6qgXWthLTN1hl80en7Kd47oL5FFguuSP7JXDBE0o9tyhNh-caIBvHKoU0dU77SJJ2w6MJtqlaHhq2DuA/s320/Signing+up+for+a+new+life.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEI3FcFvxsO3biuNbrLQXawPL_reNnDtE8zQK1Lmv4jwmUr42VtM5Ah405lhgJD0RmNNHxQhJpexVn0sMvHml2QxpCdIqEhwJtzvyS2_zZW581u_K_kFGNC5kKWB7cqs5BWvDKVWfOCc/s1600/Ambros%2527+Stem+Cells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEI3FcFvxsO3biuNbrLQXawPL_reNnDtE8zQK1Lmv4jwmUr42VtM5Ah405lhgJD0RmNNHxQhJpexVn0sMvHml2QxpCdIqEhwJtzvyS2_zZW581u_K_kFGNC5kKWB7cqs5BWvDKVWfOCc/s320/Ambros%2527+Stem+Cells.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VcR8gTmTg9qU0QNTtQdK2x4wabb6pju9slz5xdTXWyRQ8HzN1NTTNWsj6maLXBHjg0TYVFWTiil_dw79sLYm4JZadaZPGnPA0N5P39f7iJxy8TXyzOe_yTrpGgBWvOwz5eH8o9va3Kw/s1600/Happy+Rebirth%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VcR8gTmTg9qU0QNTtQdK2x4wabb6pju9slz5xdTXWyRQ8HzN1NTTNWsj6maLXBHjg0TYVFWTiil_dw79sLYm4JZadaZPGnPA0N5P39f7iJxy8TXyzOe_yTrpGgBWvOwz5eH8o9va3Kw/s320/Happy+Rebirth%2521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">100 days post-transplant, 100% of my marrow was gone and had been replaced with Ambros' marrow. 100% of my unhealthy O- blood was gone and had been replaced with Ambros' A+ blood - free of Multiple Myeloma and Plasma Cell Leukemia. When those test results came in, I realized that my donor was keeping me alive in a very real way. I wept again out of gratitude that simply kept growing with each new phase of the journey I was traveling and each new gift Ambros gave me. My gratitude increased tenfold.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In time, my first "transplantiversary" (transplant anniversary) approached. I busied myself organizing a successful marrow donor registry drive on Saturday, May 31, 2014. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKLFMKYhQoOV2lulrQXeYHLV9K2x9rNq7qAkhr_jBzy-8_cgJYo-XUG2ojHlx1jRtFsen3jUxCLKXR4XNhbcP43IPLIzAwqoRxtDRgklz0fGbjphEycktu-KFVqajNbdMR9ot1-oO_u8/s1600/2014+Donor+Drive+Flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKLFMKYhQoOV2lulrQXeYHLV9K2x9rNq7qAkhr_jBzy-8_cgJYo-XUG2ojHlx1jRtFsen3jUxCLKXR4XNhbcP43IPLIzAwqoRxtDRgklz0fGbjphEycktu-KFVqajNbdMR9ot1-oO_u8/s320/2014+Donor+Drive+Flyer.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvKCpp-Q_lxofVR4rdLpQbnessxT2wX385C8wk0bFFrLoqaL4jTgPbgbyScPYyB5KyCXVtE2YIBY3VjsD9RyosWw-oGwXy1s_pe9vJIdkzUl-nEt6hWxANFCnPFnuri8MwxBpY97sy8E/s1600/Volunteering+for+Be+The+Match.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvKCpp-Q_lxofVR4rdLpQbnessxT2wX385C8wk0bFFrLoqaL4jTgPbgbyScPYyB5KyCXVtE2YIBY3VjsD9RyosWw-oGwXy1s_pe9vJIdkzUl-nEt6hWxANFCnPFnuri8MwxBpY97sy8E/s320/Volunteering+for+Be+The+Match.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As exciting as that was, I was even more excited to go to my </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1-year workup appointment and </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">fill out the paperwork to request to exchange contact information with my donor. That was within my control. What was not within my control was whether or not he would be willing to share his contact information with me. So I went home and I waited. On June 26, 2014, when I was in Park City on Vacation with my family, I received an email from Rachael with what she referred to as "</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">an early birthday present" - my donor's contact information. Ambros Montoya. Albuquerque, New Mexico. A phone number. An email address. I wanted to call him, but knew I'd be a mess. I wished that I could just show up on his doorstep in that very moment to give him a big hug and say "thank you," but they're still working out the kinks in teleportation technology. =0) So, what was left for me to do but to write him an email, which is found in full on my blog post for that day: "<a href="http://philpottsfight.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-wish-has-come-true.html" target="_blank">My Wish Has Come True</a>."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Over the two years since my transplant, a lot has happened. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">First, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I went to work for the National Marrow Donor Program 5 weeks after my First Transplantiversary Drive, and now work as hard as I can to bolster the Be The Match Registry and give other patients increased hope of finding the donors they will need to have a chance at survival. Since starting donor recruitment with Be The Match, over 6,000 people have joined the Be The Match Registry through my efforts with drive sponsors and volunteers - most of them patients, donors and their families - here in Utah, Idaho and Montana. So far, over 100 have been called upon to provide a blood sample (confirmatory typing, as it's called) to see if they're the best match for a patient. And to the best of my knowledge, 12 of those 100 have gone on to be marrow or blood stem cell donors for patients around the world. Needless to say, my work with Be The Match is the most rewarding work I have ever done or could imagine doing. I don't ever want to leave.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0O7quCDOkDwlICeng_Ypt_z7ODCk_x85FYZCe8HglHLo93ln4uhHZ13WcqzyzagIYOBZ8eUzIllrs9tw34oZdrza3o_94jHWkSwppjNQf0SGDEia98i5qFFciNzjp-B4nd5gHA0kQWRM/s1600/Branded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0O7quCDOkDwlICeng_Ypt_z7ODCk_x85FYZCe8HglHLo93ln4uhHZ13WcqzyzagIYOBZ8eUzIllrs9tw34oZdrza3o_94jHWkSwppjNQf0SGDEia98i5qFFciNzjp-B4nd5gHA0kQWRM/s320/Branded.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_GJOG8vL2Mb1npxvsrkbftRAVEcW0rG8dM5aObxzWWS5zE3NtMOlCQs-RFXFN3dOxKV4n1FWOFIuXpJnKJWkWaR2HSey4Maf4Hdeel3CRQC1lc01lQIA7V0IOEFA8cTqYPotRDJHkow/s1600/BTMOC+Drive+at+MSU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_GJOG8vL2Mb1npxvsrkbftRAVEcW0rG8dM5aObxzWWS5zE3NtMOlCQs-RFXFN3dOxKV4n1FWOFIuXpJnKJWkWaR2HSey4Maf4Hdeel3CRQC1lc01lQIA7V0IOEFA8cTqYPotRDJHkow/s320/BTMOC+Drive+at+MSU.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2SGc2OVPPWLosGu1BUOHEUeqJV_Ukq36NYQ4fmnnbMpjrVooGRDnf03rJ1CdEbzrPuqXIfow2h4Y3C8YGJ7bMqlEZwNuhkrvJK4Npfs9bGlVo6-wEHRoeoBQeKp-FdwPar27WqM7wPY/s1600/John+and+Jake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2SGc2OVPPWLosGu1BUOHEUeqJV_Ukq36NYQ4fmnnbMpjrVooGRDnf03rJ1CdEbzrPuqXIfow2h4Y3C8YGJ7bMqlEZwNuhkrvJK4Npfs9bGlVo6-wEHRoeoBQeKp-FdwPar27WqM7wPY/s320/John+and+Jake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Second, my health has improved to my new normal, which, gratefully, is very similar to my old normal. I no longer have to wear a mask every time I go out in public, </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">on a plane, </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">or </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">outside on windy days. I have a functioning immune system. I'm not taking a million pills each day for cancer-related stuff. I have healthy, clean blood coursing through my veins and healthy marrow producing it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">And third, o</span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">ne month ago today, I met Ambros.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">After more than a year and a half since establishing contact with my donor, but not feeling any closer to being able to find a way to get my entire family down to New Mexico to meet him, Noelle and I decided in January that I just needed to find a time when I could fly down there to meet him by myself. So in February, Ambros and I started working on putting our very busy calendars together, and we finally found a date that would work for both of us. Friday, April 29, 2016. 35 months to the day after I received his blood stem cells. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Well, when I told my coworkers that I was going to finally be able to meet my donor, my entire team rallied around Ambros and me and for several weeks worked hard to ensure that our meeting would really be ab event. Our Rep in New Mexico began working on organizing a donor drive for that weekend in Albuquerque. Our Rep in Phoenix worked hard to ensure that there would be lots of media coverage. Our Reps in California and Oregon, and even our Regional Director got in on the action, covering our meeting on social media, and ensuring that everyone possible knew about what was happening. And of course, after orchestrating this beautiful team synergy around the whole thing, o</span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">ur manager decided she had to be there to experience it first hand.</span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> =0)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">So, on April 27, I posted this picture on Facebook...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H4b-SHnjzwrL7uugFjefPbepsGWpSnqNxBS2JSykM3mTuKYpwWVXvUGl8QfLnatRkteN5tcoFcOErga4IWZYrlqZ_2Z0h-LT5vN2rQKKGjD7ut9gmzlXmL7Ek4ylwwOvjlJi-w64h7s/s1600/48+Hours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H4b-SHnjzwrL7uugFjefPbepsGWpSnqNxBS2JSykM3mTuKYpwWVXvUGl8QfLnatRkteN5tcoFcOErga4IWZYrlqZ_2Z0h-LT5vN2rQKKGjD7ut9gmzlXmL7Ek4ylwwOvjlJi-w64h7s/s320/48+Hours.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">Then, on the 28th, I posted this one....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPfnEz_I3eZ3Cv7v0KWbCTw1yjz-lmhGryhJKn2wEgqpEAmG3DIx7kAndmUJ1lHhBpeWDhJlqmYPyhw7SWmYZwRFU8r1JqHPElydrxRAfWF0kKm3mmCxjB79XJWg9C93kF5uv7JbNDBw/s1600/24+Hours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPfnEz_I3eZ3Cv7v0KWbCTw1yjz-lmhGryhJKn2wEgqpEAmG3DIx7kAndmUJ1lHhBpeWDhJlqmYPyhw7SWmYZwRFU8r1JqHPElydrxRAfWF0kKm3mmCxjB79XJWg9C93kF5uv7JbNDBw/s320/24+Hours.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">By this point, thanks to family, friends, colleagues and strangers, my story was gaining some traction. =0) And then, we found out that the Be The Match Representative who had added Ambros to the registry was my colleague, Aubrie, who's on my team and works in our Phoenix office! That just made the story even sweeter - and she was going to be at the airport for our meeting!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgum_whAdwKgmH3e9_gy5ut8wNm8Xwq9bwCIeD7Ty1_sEFmUcwrkYjSalR7raI1MgHWj5JT2uqc-QLjSQOCuyaXHIzGZpdqktHfxWLHSHoByxtnDSCAW_c_Ypg_VzKySxDsGmkoVsB9B0g/s1600/Aubrie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgum_whAdwKgmH3e9_gy5ut8wNm8Xwq9bwCIeD7Ty1_sEFmUcwrkYjSalR7raI1MgHWj5JT2uqc-QLjSQOCuyaXHIzGZpdqktHfxWLHSHoByxtnDSCAW_c_Ypg_VzKySxDsGmkoVsB9B0g/s320/Aubrie.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On April 29, I did my best to stay focused as I worked through the day. Then the time came for me to get going.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Lr3fpOsK5jfQhJnFkvEFcmezB9OS4ceivPJZvYgaw9pbkREBc7gCTKnP3E1zYs6s8Zi16jDpxiiPMSFnRDlieJKNujg5ih0U0ThBUluEWfqqD7TshoQtO9ni5ve8zE_RlMKLDg70vlY/s1600/Getting+on+the+plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Lr3fpOsK5jfQhJnFkvEFcmezB9OS4ceivPJZvYgaw9pbkREBc7gCTKnP3E1zYs6s8Zi16jDpxiiPMSFnRDlieJKNujg5ih0U0ThBUluEWfqqD7TshoQtO9ni5ve8zE_RlMKLDg70vlY/s320/Getting+on+the+plane.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUYA1Ej930DUh_G3LJdTvYAvrokdxpcDbUQ6Aejdp96g1yQeA_QC_6G64H_jCFzYZ6Qm_fdlsWM4J2L2yoG4KXxso0eLDhgIkDQXaZlaUeW7CKMguOyyz6NQVvBCcYzCBDXyoydGJB9w/s1600/Just+Landed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUYA1Ej930DUh_G3LJdTvYAvrokdxpcDbUQ6Aejdp96g1yQeA_QC_6G64H_jCFzYZ6Qm_fdlsWM4J2L2yoG4KXxso0eLDhgIkDQXaZlaUeW7CKMguOyyz6NQVvBCcYzCBDXyoydGJB9w/s320/Just+Landed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And then this happened...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIV3grXHhWpDVBwGMJZQC0i0W5GW-zfKP-rZ-S9V70swSQWoHoJOJpDdcYXU3pymHEuDaAk2dbZx8AixqXiRsadCsMDPkVUwOzsMmXSDt-LFwydr_oQo55iO7nfErdFAkbGoF9Lh50AdY/s1600/John+and+Ambros+Meet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIV3grXHhWpDVBwGMJZQC0i0W5GW-zfKP-rZ-S9V70swSQWoHoJOJpDdcYXU3pymHEuDaAk2dbZx8AixqXiRsadCsMDPkVUwOzsMmXSDt-LFwydr_oQo55iO7nfErdFAkbGoF9Lh50AdY/s320/John+and+Ambros+Meet.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here's a link to the video that was taken at the airport - I arrive at the escalator about 15 1/2 minutes in: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bethematchsw/videos/1081913495202253">https://www.facebook.com/bethematchsw/videos/1081913495202253</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One of the news stories: <a href="http://www.koat.com/news/transplant-recipient-meets-donor-at-sunport/39295040">http://www.koat.com/news/transplant-recipient-meets-donor-at-sunport/39295040</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And another news story: </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><a href="http://ht.ly/8JWHGx">http://ht.ly/8JWHGx</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">And one more that was shot on Sunday, May 1, at a marrow donor registry drive: </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><a href="http://krqe.com/2016/05/01/transplant-recipient-meets-albuquerque-donor">http://krqe.com/2016/05/01/transplant-recipient-meets-albuquerque-donor</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">I stayed the weekend with Ambros, his wife, Erica, and his daughter, Bella. We hung out and talked a lot, Ambros showed me around Albuquerque, we went to Ambros' cousin's wedding reception, walked along the Rio Grande, worked side by side at a marrow donor registry drive, and spent time being interviewed by local news stations. In the process, I learned a few things about my "blood brother"...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">#1 Ambros is a good cook - at least breakfast Saturday morning was no sweat for him, and it was absolutely delicious!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">#2 He's an incredibly likable guy. Naturally happy. Generous. And he loves his family. And what's not to love? Everyone in his immediate and extended family seemed to be genuinely good people, through and through. And the ones I spent the most time with, Erica and Bella, are awesome. Bella's my new buddy. =0)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocklnqbq9-zbm8YqDXoU6YR-yfYBcAif_dA48_yUQlVq8Qf8F6JpAoFSOflyT0k_l3-kIS2hRzRg_4b2kFgux_3xsb2F7JVW46ggJtqtbffzcGn3Q0G_OZ6s9UYCepeHu9gDs0fWDtRM/s1600/John%252C+Ambros+and+Erica+at+Reception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocklnqbq9-zbm8YqDXoU6YR-yfYBcAif_dA48_yUQlVq8Qf8F6JpAoFSOflyT0k_l3-kIS2hRzRg_4b2kFgux_3xsb2F7JVW46ggJtqtbffzcGn3Q0G_OZ6s9UYCepeHu9gDs0fWDtRM/s320/John%252C+Ambros+and+Erica+at+Reception.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQCXSF1hDuk5oitm7-tl1ar1p5EJEXTuBkzZ1j8cs86DUA9SyKSL3B28bSJe1yj8bpz8CT02Z6OqpvEqr8bgzuTwRamhDNArnKiXFzKpi0pgb9QcYOFgKAOjzICFnU4N_Weu-HGPJgqY/s1600/John+and+Bella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQCXSF1hDuk5oitm7-tl1ar1p5EJEXTuBkzZ1j8cs86DUA9SyKSL3B28bSJe1yj8bpz8CT02Z6OqpvEqr8bgzuTwRamhDNArnKiXFzKpi0pgb9QcYOFgKAOjzICFnU4N_Weu-HGPJgqY/s320/John+and+Bella.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcYrcKXR_qBEoEtUl-34H476N-d7GvZf13IEvhfB0hPTYc4mdl31SbwXrA-TKiRCIq1bJ4FNu-eHTLhwmIdpZzAGbky2b3zJ5un7ZFjrb35Iao-ERXFtkMxkYiEQocjg6s51bl6p6qe0/s1600/John+and+Ambros+at+Firestation+Drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcYrcKXR_qBEoEtUl-34H476N-d7GvZf13IEvhfB0hPTYc4mdl31SbwXrA-TKiRCIq1bJ4FNu-eHTLhwmIdpZzAGbky2b3zJ5un7ZFjrb35Iao-ERXFtkMxkYiEQocjg6s51bl6p6qe0/s320/John+and+Ambros+at+Firestation+Drive.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmi47J4yOF8DFEAicfLGTKJg0Ltsqxb2nEcn7jwadDSbb_eQsaQKSJk-h27RH79fcd_Te_npSKibEtNBKNA7ecrHwlC4BKAtg5SM12c_BaD7IX7SMvKxSPMLYilYGEo_n01BnXGWYodrw/s1600/My+Albuquerque+Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmi47J4yOF8DFEAicfLGTKJg0Ltsqxb2nEcn7jwadDSbb_eQsaQKSJk-h27RH79fcd_Te_npSKibEtNBKNA7ecrHwlC4BKAtg5SM12c_BaD7IX7SMvKxSPMLYilYGEo_n01BnXGWYodrw/s320/My+Albuquerque+Family.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">#3 Ambros is incredibly modest about what he did for me. At the wedding reception Saturday night, there were several family members who seemed to be completely unaware that Ambros had been a marrow donor and saved another man's life until they saw news footage of us on TV on Friday night. That blew me away! You'd think a person who had saved the life of another would be allowed the self-indulgence of letting his family and friends know about it. I'm pretty sure only his immediate family knew before Friday night's newscasts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The weekend we spent together was pretty surreal. We would be talking, and as I looked at him I'd think, "You're the reason I'm alive today. Um...thanks...again." It was kind of funny. Just like saying "thanks" to my mom on Mother's Day seems ridiculously petty considering the fact that she bore my fat head into this world (and chose not to take me out of it when I was young), just saying "thanks" to Ambros for keeping me alive seems equally lame.</span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> And I was disappointed - though not really surprised - to learn that the ability to say "thank you" <u>in</u> <u>person</u> still seemed grossly inadequate when considering the gift he had given me. But, I said it over and over and still feel like I fell short of the mark. </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">So, </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">because words fail miserably, </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">I've decided that the best way I can thank him is to live my life in a way that honors his sacrifice in my behalf.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Since April 9, 2013, when I found out I had a donor, I wanted to meet him. With every step I took to put the cancer I had faced and the treatments and transplant I had to endure further and further in my rearview mirror, that desire increased. When I got to the point that my health was no longer in question and I realized just how amazing it was that another human being's marrow was in my body producing his healthy blood for me and thereby keeping me alive - that he was the reason I was able to wake up every day - the desire became a need. And when you've wanted something for as long as I wanted this, and you finally get it, it's typically referred to as...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Closure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There's a sound of finality in the word "closure." This is not the end of anything, though. It's really the beginning...of everything. Every day is a new beginning, actually. Not just because the sun comes up anew, though that's rather metaphorical for what I'm getting at...to a point, at least. Just as the sun rises each day, we have day-to-day - even moment-by-moment - opportunities granted to us to start fresh. To make new choices. We can choose to cultivate an attitude sour as lemons or sweet as ripe watermelon. We can see the good or the bad in others, recognizing (or not) that what we choose to see in others only highlights the same in our own character. We can focus on serving ourselves or serving others. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We can choose to live with fear or with hope.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> With bitterness or gratitude. We can let circumstances and strife beat us into whatever ill-formed, insecure, powerless creatures they may, or we can shape and mold and choose what we become and thereby choose the very course our lives take. We may not be able to choose how rough or calm the waters may be, but any mariner knows that there's a much lower chance of capsizing when powering forward through a storm than there is when simply drifting along and letting the wind, rains and waves toss them about at their every whim. In every aspect of our lives, in every moment of our lives, we choose who we are and who we will become. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, as I close the book called Philpott's Fight and open the book of my future, I ask myself, "what do I choose?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I choose an attitude of sweet hope. I choose repentance <u>and</u> forgiveness. I choose service to others. I choose gratitude. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I choose a life with meaning. With purpose.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> With power. I choose to pay forward the gifts I have received to the very best of my ability. I choose faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ, whose yoke I am privileged share, for as I share His burden, I learn more deeply that He has already taken my own. I choose who I am today, regardless of who I was yesterday, and I choose who I will become throughout the course of all of my tomorrows in mortality and beyond. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Whenever one book closes, a new one opens.</span>John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com0Taylorsville, UT, USA40.667724799999988 -111.9388258000000240.571357799999987 -112.10018730000002 40.764091799999989 -111.77746430000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-22737519763675983052015-06-01T22:31:00.000-06:002015-06-01T22:48:19.580-06:00The Other Side<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even when </span>you've<span style="font-family: inherit;"> anticipated hearing the words for days or
weeks, when you finally hear a doctor tell you, “You have cancer,” everything
stops. Nothing is ever the same. You’re forever changed. It’s no longer other
people’s problem. It’s yours, and there’s no escape. A wall that was never
there before now stands squarely in your path. You, your loved ones and your
doctors are left to determine what to do about that wall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Can you go over it, or is it too tall a task? Can you go
under it, or is it too deeply rooted to ever be able to dig it out and
eradicate it? Can you go around it, or is it too broad and sweeping a challenge
to see the end of it? Can you go through it, or are the bricks too hard, too
thick, with too many layers of brick after brick? Will you ever see the other
side, or is your progress toward everything that awaited you on your road
halted forever? Will you ever realize the potential the future holds? Will
there even be a future…for you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">These types of questions haunt you as you face the wall of
cancer. These questions hurt when you realize that all your best efforts may
not be enough. So, what do you do? You work with your doctors to learn what
they <i>think</i> will be the best course of
action. You discuss your options with your loved ones, attempting to evaluate,
quantify and qualify the risks and potential benefits they present. You may
also, as I did, pray and seek God’s guidance to determine His will for you.
Fight or flight? What should be done? If it’s even possible to make it to the
other side of the wall somehow, will the journey over, under, around or through
it be worth it or will you be left so damaged by the process that you could
never enjoy the rest of the road?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even as a young, otherwise healthy 40-year old father of
five young children, when I was diagnosed with leukemia, some of these thoughts
occupied my mind and heart for a few days. Ultimately, I knew there was no
choice but to fight, but the question remained: would I ever see the other side
of the wall?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When my working diagnosis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
was modified to Multiple Myeloma/Plasma Cell Leukemia, my options became
limited. Fight or die. I learned that the only way to the other side of the
wall was through it – twice. The simplest way for me to understand my situation
was this: my marrow was broken, so to speak, and as long as it remained in
control of producing blood for me, it would continue to produce cancerous white
blood cells without any immune capabilities. Because of that, in order to have
any hope of long-term survival, I would need a marrow transplant, which (if all
went well) would allow someone’s un-broken marrow to produce healthy, clean
blood for me and give me an immune system to protect me. Unfortunately, PCL is
so resistant to chemotherapy that it was unlikely that chemotherapy alone would
get my leukemic levels low enough to have a donor’s cells have any success in
killing off the remaining leukemia and generating a healthy system for me. I
was told that the best chance for my survival would be to go through an
autologous transplant first – one using my own “cleaned up” stem cells – in
hopes of shocking my body into enough of a remission to then receive an
allogeneic (donor) transplant in hopes of providing me with long-term remission
and perhaps even a cure. I had to blast through at least two layers of the wall
to encounter the possibility of surviving long enough to see my kids marry and
give me grandkids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If </span>you've<span style="font-family: inherit;"> followed my story at all, you know that my first
and second transplants did exactly what they were supposed to do. 100 days
after my donor transplant, my marrow was no longer my own, and I was completely
cancer-free. My doctors, my donor and God had given me a new lease on life, but
my foot was still “stuck” inside the wall. Because of the medical challenges I
had in the weeks following my transplant, my leukemia was still holding me and
preventing me from putting the wall completely behind me. I was on high doses
of steroids and a drug called Cyclosporine, which suppressed my donor’s immune system
– the system that was ultimately given to me to protect me – in an effort to
keep it from attacking its new host. I </span>couldn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> go out in public without my big
filtered mask. I </span>couldn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> attend church. I was weak. And multiple times a day,
I was reminded of my leukemia by fatigue, my bald head, the dozens of pills I
ingested on a daily basis, and Facebook posts, phone calls and texts from
friends and family where I knew the initial greeting of “how are you” </span>wasn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> just a greeting - it was laced with concern. For several months, I was on high doses of a steroid called
Prednisone that made my body bloat with retained water. After several months of
tapering me off of that, we had to begin slowly tapering me off of my
immunosuppressant, Cyclosporine. In the meantime, without a fully-functioning
immune system, I was unable to go to Church, go to restaurants at peak (normal)
times of day, or go to family dinners when someone was sick with something as
seemingly harmless as a simple cold. I still </span>wasn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> free of the wall…not even
close. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gradually, though, progress was made.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6EUje2dPvAdViKSCg_BtKpCoLPHDrQbIEQKUmfvXh2JwsLJk6BiVhoKzcCS3hkSApqb5UjR54iX61tyoqP5gnc3r8ZS5ISfADK0TjyHZ7C5yD3dXqfsi1yNxc5dE1z_IqAqu7eSDsYc/s1600/fist-through-the-wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6EUje2dPvAdViKSCg_BtKpCoLPHDrQbIEQKUmfvXh2JwsLJk6BiVhoKzcCS3hkSApqb5UjR54iX61tyoqP5gnc3r8ZS5ISfADK0TjyHZ7C5yD3dXqfsi1yNxc5dE1z_IqAqu7eSDsYc/s320/fist-through-the-wall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I ultimately got to
the point where the steps forward outnumbered the steps back. My strength and
stamina increased, and my need to protect myself with a mask decreased to when
I was surrounded by people in an enclosed space. Finally, I was able to travel
on an airplane with my mask as long as I sanitized my seat and everything
around it...a worthwhile 5-minute process. Finally, on April 22 of this year, I took my last
1 mg dose of Prednisone – the last of my prescription medicines given to me to
combat my leukemia or one of its side effects. Now, the only pills I take on a
daily basis are multivitamins and supplements to support my bone health, which
was negatively impacted by my leukemia, and a pill for high cholesterol, which
I’d be taking anyway. While the cholesterol pill is the only one I would be
taking if I had never had leukemia, I don’t mind the other ones. I think
everyone should take a multivitamin over 40 years old, anyway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I take stock and look around, I recognize that finally –
two years after my transplant – </span>I've<span style="font-family: inherit;"> reached the other side. What’s surprising to me is to see that the path on the other side is nothing like it was before the
wall fell into place. While I was busy fighting through the wall for the past
32 months, God reconstructed my path for me to more closely resemble the road
he wants me to travel. So, what is the path on the other side like? Well, it’s
nothing like I would have created for myself, that’s for sure, and I'm glad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">First and foremost, the other side is full of gratitude. As </span>I've<span style="font-family: inherit;"> mentioned in previous posts, every day that I now wake up is truly a gift.
So many of those who battle PCL and other kinds of leukemia never see their
second transplantiversary. I’m not only alive, but I’m free of the cancer that
previously hedged up my way and free of any of the many issues most of my
surviving fellow fighters are dealing with. I feel like the reluctant standard
bearer for our group, but I’ll bear that flag with vigor, as I know many of my
friends can’t. I recognize the losses of health and life that others have endured,
and I’m grateful that, for some reason, God has chosen to spare my life and
restore my relative health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the other side is a path laden with perspective I never
had before. I recognize and appreciate simple pleasures more. I tend to cool
off faster when I get upset. I’m more forgiving and less likely to argue with
others. I’m more patient than I was before. I </span>wouldn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> necessarily say I’m a
patient person…just <u>more</u> patient than I was before. =0)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The other side is a very different career path than the one
I was on previously. It’s now a career filled with passion. I began college as
an accounting major, then left until I realized I needed to study something I
was passionate about – music. But what happened? While I was working on my
master’s degree, I fell into sales, had a good amount of success, and ended up
staying in sales because it paid the bills – the practical path. I stuck with
that path for 13 years. Then came the wall. My professional career was put on
hold for an indefinite time, and what did I realize when I was forced into that
hiatus? I realized that if I survived and was fortunate enough to return to
health, I </span>didn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> want to go back to sales. Was I good at it? Yes. Was I
passionate about it? No. I learned (again) that following my passion was better
than following the all-practical dollar. But what was I passionate about that
would or could support my family sufficient for our needs? My new professional
path found me when a volunteer opportunity with Be The Match – the marrow donor
registry that helped save my life by finding my donor, Ambros for me – turned
into a part-time opportunity, and three months later into a full-time
opportunity. What could I possibly be more passionate about than paying back
that organization and paying it forward to other blood cancer patients who
otherwise </span>wouldn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> have a donor available to them? I can’t think of
anything…not even music and performing. I have truly found my life’s passion on
a professional level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The other side gives me the opportunity to plan again and
think more about the acquisition of memories than the acquisition of stuff. For
a long time, it was very hard to plan very far into the future, as my future
was in question. Now we’re planning vacations many months in advance, and doing
so without reservations about whether or not I’ll be able to go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The other side is infused with a desire to be filled with
goodness and make a difference in others’ lives. My donor, Ambros, gave of
himself, dealing with physical discomfort and the disruption of his life to
help me. While going through chemotherapy and my recovery from transplant,
countless individuals, families, businesses and religious congregations served
me and my family with time, gifts, food left on our doorstep, well-wishes, freezer
meals, financial support, fasting, prayers and positive thoughts. There is no way
for me to adequately thank everyone for their goodness. They were truly God’s
hands in the service of the Philpott family. I feel compelled to do what I can to
become His hands – to spend the rest of my life in the service of others of His
children. When it’s impossible for us to pay goodness back, our only worthy
choice is to pay it forward. That’s most definitely something </span>I've<span style="font-family: inherit;"> found on the
other side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t know how long the path that now lies before me will
be. I don’t know how many days I’ll be allowed to walk it. But I do know this: I will
walk my path with gratitude, perspective and passion. I’ll do all I can to collect memories
along the way and leave goodness in my wake. I may not become “great” in the
eyes of men or have their praise heaped upon me, but when I reach the end of my
path, perhaps I’ll hear the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
I hope that is what is on the other side for me.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-33222131701270788332015-01-11T12:39:00.001-07:002018-07-03T20:24:59.922-06:00My Own EulogySo, I'm lying here in bed because I don't feel well enough to go to church today. Noelle texted me from church to tell me that there are a lot of people hacking and coughing. While I'm glad I'm not there to pick up any illnesses from people, I'm sad to miss out on church. But really, though, I'm not <i><u>really</u></i> sad. A year ago, I wasn't able to ever go to church because I had no immune system, and it would be dangerous for me to go. Today, it's more of a precautionary thing. I feel so incredibly blessed to have come as far as I have.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's really a miracle when you think about it. Two years and three months ago, I was diagnosed with an incredibly high-risk form of leukemia, with high-risk markers in my DNA. The chances of my survival - even with a stem cell transplant - were low. Noelle and I did what we could to stay positive and focused on a favorable outcome. The hell that Noelle and I went through together and individually is not something I would wish on anyone. However, going through hell has helped both of us to gain an appreciation for God's love and mercy and grace in a way that we could not have gained it otherwise.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm so grateful to be in a position in which I know that I <i><u>will</u></i> be back to church. There are no worries about whether I will be well again, and there's no fear. My perspective on life has changed a great deal. A dear friend of mine in Sacramento who passed away last year lived with many health issues for many years. Every time I would speak with Patricia, and ask her how she was doing, she would always say, "every day is a blessing." I never really understood what she meant until these last two years. Truly, every day is a blessing…for each of us. It's just a question of whether or not we will recognize it as such, and make the most of that gift that we've received. I may not be feeling well physically today, but my heart is light as I recognize the incredible gift of life that I received in just waking up today. Years ago, I would wake up and take the fact that I woke up for granted. Now, every day that I wake up, I recognize the incredible gift that that is. And I recognize that I have the capacity to use that gift for good in ways that I never imagined before. I'm just one person, but one person can make a tremendous difference in this life. Just think about Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, Jesus Christ. Now, I would never put myself on equal footing with with any of them, but certainly I can look to them as an example of how my life can impact other lives for good. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think it really boils down to this: what kind of legacy do we want to leave behind? A couple weeks ago, I attended the funeral of a dear friend…a fellow fighter named Houston Holbrook. Throughout the funeral, as is common, people spoke of what a great man he was. But the thing that struck me was that with every compliment given to Houston, there were multiple examples demonstrating that those compliments were well-founded. And then, what struck me more deeply is that every day we live, we are writing our own eulogy. Is it a eulogy based in rhetoric or reality? Is it a eulogy filled with words about potential that went unrealized, or is it a eulogy filled with examples of how capabilities were turned into accomplishments? I wonder what could be said about me if I were to die today. Would flowery words fall mutely on the ears of people who would wonder, "<i><u>Who</u></i> was so blessed to have John in their life? Sure...he was a good guy, but really, did he make such a difference in my life?" I'm not saying that I seek posthumous praise from others. What I am saying is that I want my life to have meaning. Not just to me, but to others. I want to live each day with purpose. And I want to fulfill that purpose. Thoughts and intentions are important, but integrity - <i><u>living</u></i> in a way that the outward man is in perfect harmony with the inward man - is what really matters most.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Today - and every day - I write my own eulogy in the way I live.</div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-24874373373831204622014-11-30T20:07:00.000-07:002014-11-30T20:08:29.744-07:0050 Steps Forward and 5 Steps Back<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">So… It's been nearly 2 full months since my last
post. I'm still working for Be The Match and loving it. But that's not exactly
what this post is about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">At the beginning of November, I went to
Minneapolis, Minnesota for the national Council Meetings for Be The Match
and its many partners across the world. In all, the more than 1,200 attendees
represented 32 nations were. A couple weeks later I was back in Minneapolis for
the final stage of my orientation and training with the organization. It's
interesting. There are several Community Engagement Representatives like me
that work for Be The Match who are transplant recipients. Every time I
would tell someone that I was a recipient they would ask me "How long
since your transplant?" When I would tell them that I was about 17 1/2
months post-transplant, they would invariably be very surprised, saying,
"Wow! You look great!" In running drives for Be The Match,
sometimes the drive sponsors are transplant recipients, themselves. I get the
same reactions from them when I tell them how long it's been since my
transplant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">It's so interesting to me. I don't feel like my
transplant was all too recent, but relative to how most transplant recipients
are doing only 18 months out, I realize more and more that I'm doing
exceptionally well. They're right, of course. But there are a lot of days in
which I don't feel like my transplant is that far back in the rearview mirror.
I've had a couple of those days recently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">I'm completely off of my cyclosporine, the drug
that was suppressing my donor's immune system. Half of the pills I take every
day are supplements like Os-Cal D, Vitamin D, and Centrum Silver. I'll probably
have to take those every day for the rest of my life. Others I will be able to
be off of within the next two or three months. Those are pills like penicillin,
acyclovir, and a very small dose of prednisone. In just a couple more months,
we will be able to start my re-immunization process. This coming spring, when
the cold and flu season is over, I won't have to wear my mask in church or on
airplanes anymore. There's been some great progress, and I've been able to
steer clear of graft versus host disease, and other infections. Unfortunately
though, cancer unavoidably leaves its scars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">I have eczema. It's all over my legs, my arms,
the sides of my rib cage, and my face. It's made short-lived appearances on my
scalp, my back, my bum, and on the tops of my feet. It itches like the dickens,
and sometimes, the only relief I get is when I sleep. Sometimes it doesn't just
itch… It can be very painful, too. Gratefully it's not contagious, but
it's really a pain to deal with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">I developed cataracts following my leukemia and
my high doses of prednisone. In October, I had cataract surgery performed on
both of my eyes. Now I can see perfectly at a distance, but for things that are
close up, I always have to wear glasses. And the issue with that is that I have
to wear the right prescription for when I'm working on the computer or reading
my phone, and those prescriptions are different from one another. It's really
frustrating that my eyes now have no ability to shift focus, even in the
slightest degree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">I've lost a lot of my strength and stamina.
Granted, I was able to go play golf yesterday with my older brother, George,
and my younger brother, Jeff. But today I feel sick and run down. I don't know
if it's related, but I do know I was exhausted last night. This morning I got
up to shower and get ready for church, and while I was putting topical steroid
cream on my patches of eczema, all of a sudden I felt very nauseous, and
thought I was going to throw up. I've spent 90% of my day in bed. Gratefully, I
haven't thrown up, but I've felt a general malaise, and had a couple headaches.
Days like this happen every now and then, and while I know they happen to
everyone now and then whether they've gone through leukemia or not, I still
sometimes feel like in my case, it's all related. I've always been a very
healthy guy, and very rarely sick. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">Depression is perhaps the greatest challenge
I've dealt with since last summer. Last September, I was at my weekly clinic
visit, and my PA walked in and asked me simply, "How are you?" I
couldn't answer without breaking down into tears. All of the losses that I had
experienced to that point came crashing down on me, because I had as yet failed
to recognize and process all of them. I spent the next 10 months seeing a
therapist, and taking antidepressants. A bad side effect of my depression was
an inability to control my temper well. Gradually, it got better, but I still
deal with hours or days in which depression sets in, and I find it hard to
function, even with the coping mechanisms that I have learned from my
therapists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">There are more medical issues I have faced, and
currently face, but I will be discreet and simply say that they have been a
bother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">So, all in all, I'm doing really well, and
believe me, I appreciate greatly the blessing it is to be able to say so. I
recognize the fact that with as aggressive a form of leukemia as I had, with
some very "high risk markers" in my blood and DNA, the fact that I
wake up every day, breathing in and out, with a heart beating in my chest is a
miracle. I thank God every day for my donor, Ambros. He made it possible for
God to save my life. 50 steps forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">But there are challenges that have come, that I
deal with now, and that will surely continue to come as the days and years
progress. They can all be classified at the very least as nuisances, and in
some cases, painful and extremely difficult. 5 steps back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">But I am blessed. Of all the friends that Noelle
and I have met among other patients and caregivers in the East 8 BMT unit, I'm
doing the best out of all of them as far as health is concerned. There are
times that I feel guilty that I'm the one doing so well, when others who are
quite a bit younger than me are not. I have to push down those feelings of
guilt and almost adopt the role of "poster child" for our little
group. Other patients in my group don't particularly like me very much right
now and their caregivers don't particularly like Noelle right now. It's not
that we have become bad people, but that it's hard for others who are
struggling so badly to spend time with us or talk with us anymore. There seems
to be some resentment, which is completely understandable. Given the situation,
if the tables were turned, I would probably feel some resentment, too. All that
Noelle and I can really do now is to show and express our love and appreciation
for these people who have become so important to us. They are our fellow
fighters, and I think of them every day I go to work. Yes, I think of
Ambros, but I think even more about my fellow fighters who have struggled so
much, and appear to still have so many struggles ahead of them. When I work
with Be The Match, I work to create a world in which more people with leukemia,
lymphoma, and other blood diseases are able to find a perfectly matched donor,
and for the day in which the 250+ research projects that Be The Match funds are
able to prevent those patients from relapsing, and experiencing so much
challenge with graft versus host disease and other things. Sure, I work for me
and my family, but I work for them and their families and the thousands upon
thousands of other patients who will be diagnosed down the road and for their
families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">As I go back to work tomorrow after the long
weekend, I hope to be able to align myself with as many people as possible who
share the same vision. If you want to do something - not just hope something -
about blood cancers and other blood diseases, let me know. I have some ideas…</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-69594524128697427682014-10-06T21:23:00.002-06:002014-10-06T21:23:39.499-06:00Christmas Every DayWell, on May 31, I hosted a marrow donor registry drive for Be The Match. It went so well that in June, I was recruited to work as the Drive Attendant for Utah - a part-time position running donor recruitment and fundraising activities for Be The Match in Utah. Last month, I applied for a full-time Community Engagement Representative position to run the same activities for the organization in Utah, Idaho and Montana. On Thursday, September 25, I flew out to Portland, Oregon to have my final interview for the position. I nailed the interview and...<br />
<br />
I GOT IT!<br />
<br />
I began today, and I have to say that this is truly my dream job. I get to do something I'm completely passionate about and get paid for it. There are a lot of people in the world who never get that opportunity. I don't discount that fact. I recognize how truly blessed I have been to survive my cancer <u><b><i>and</i></b></u> come out happier and more blessed than I deserve on the other side. Now I get to work hard to build a team of Volunteer Ambassadors here in Utah, Idaho and Montana - people who are willing to help me recruit as many people to the Be The Match Registry as possible, and raise funds to help cover the costs of saving lives through marrow and stem cell transplant. Saving lives isn't cheap, so fundraising is a big part of what we do. If you know anyone who might be interested in getting involved, either on a one-time or more regular basis, please let me know.<br />
<br />
In the past few months with Be The Match, I've had the privilege of meeting and working with some truly exceptional people. They all have their own individual reasons for wanting to work for or with Be The Match to fundraise and grow the registry. It's interesting. There are a lot of people who are benefitted by people or organizations in a life-changing way, and then say a simple "thank you" and go on their merry way. Then there are others who recognize the impact that person or organization has had on their lives, and seek ways to either pay back or pay forward that incredible gift. Those are the kind of people I get to work with on a daily basis. People with tremendously good hearts who value giving as much as (or more than) they value gifts.<br />
<br />
It's like Christmas. Christmas has always been Noelle's favorite holiday. It was always my second favorite to Easter. Easter, I always held, is where Christmas gets its meaning. I mean, if it weren't for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, His magnificent birth would ultimately have been fruitless. But then I got sick. I began to see why Noelle loves - I mean LOVES - Christmas so much. People gave and gave and gave to the Philpott family with no thought or hope of retribution or even recognition. So many gave of themselves - time, talent, money, expressions of love and support, fasting, prayers - and asked nothing in return. Anonymous gifts of food left on the porch, money deposited in a bank account, or checks in the mail were commonplace. What could have been the two least fulfilling Christmases for the Philpotts to experience were the two most memorable and meaningful ones we could have ever imagined. And it's not because of the gifts...it's because of the giving. People were more interested in giving of themselves than anything else. Christmas brings out the best in people - not all people, but many. Now Christmas is my favorite holiday, too.<br />
<br />
That's the kind of thing I get to witness in my work on a near-daily basis. A mother of two young children gives hours and hours of her time to plan and execute a donor drive and fundraising campaign in honor and memory of her sister who passed away while waiting for her marrow transplant. Why? Because she and her late sister talked about running a donor drive together down the road. The road ended for one, but the other carries on and gives of herself to make a difference and give hope to others who <u>will</u> make it to transplant. Another woman had the opportunity to be a marrow donor after being on the registry for years. She found the experience of saving a life to be so rewarding that she wants as many others as possible to share in that same experience. One of my "fellow fighters" against this jerk called Leukemia (she calls him "Luke") received one transplant with her brother's cells. It worked only for a couple months, then she relapsed. She went through transplant again, receiving a different brother's cells. So far so good this time around. Even though she never directly benefitted from the Be The Match Registry because she had two siblings who were matches for her, she recognizes that not all are that fortunate. She knows that some of her friends she's made in the BMT unit are only around today because of the Be The Match Registry, so she organized a drive and added nearly 90 people to the registry. A Boy Scout whose mother died of leukemia several years ago wants as many other people to experience the hope that a matched marrow donor provides, so he organized a donor recruitment drive in her memory, giving hours and hours of his busy teenage life to benefit others he will never meet and from whom he will never personally receive an expression of gratitude. It's the "spirit of Christmas" every single day. It's awesome.<br />
<br />
So, yes, I'm working again. No, I'm not in sales as I had been for the 13 years prior to my having to leave work for my transplants last year. And though I may not earn as much money as I did at the height of my financial well-being in sales, I have never been happier professionally.<br />
<br />
So, if anyone reading this is interested in doing something very, very rewarding with their time and energy, let me know and I can help you sponsor an event to recruit new potential marrow donors or raise funds to allow Be The Match to find donors for patients like me...or both.<br />
<br />
And, of course, if you are between 18 and 44 years old and fairly healthy, please join the Be The Match Registry. You never know...YOU may be someone's cure.John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-83578917550021241552014-09-18T13:49:00.002-06:002014-09-18T13:53:58.437-06:00Ice Water Is Cold...But Cancer Is Colder.Ok, everyone. I told you I would do it. Now I have. If you're on Facebook, you can see videos of me being doused with very, very cold ice water EIGHT TIMES! I want to publicly recognize the following people, who have donated at least $50 to my LLS Light the Night fundraising campaign:<br />
<br />
Richard and Joy Mann<br />
Sarah Moon<br />
Mel and Lori Roper<br />
Russ and Nancy Merrill<br />
Larry and Becky Ottesen<br />
Jan Hayes<br />
Bill Floyd<br />
Tim and Rebecca Riggs<br />
<br />
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!<br />
<br />
I can't really say it was a pleasure to have eight tubs of ice water dumped on me, but it was worth it, and I'm willing to do it many times over. Cancer sucks - BAD - and anything I can do to help the LLS support more leukemia and lymphoma patients like myself, and fund the research that is saving lives every day, is absolutely worth the discomfort I felt for a few minutes.<br />
<br />
To watch the videos (which are too large to post here on my blog), go <a href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204962103318875" target="_blank">HERE</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204962276203197" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
Here's hoping I can buy a lot more ice for this cause over the next three weeks until the Light the Night Walk. Please help if you can. Every dollar counts. You can make a contribution to my personal fundraising efforts <a href="http://pages.lightthenight.org/ut/saltlake14/jphilpof0k" target="_blank">HERE</a>, or to my team, "Philpott's Fighters," <a href="http://pages.lightthenight.org/ut/saltlake14/philpottsfighters" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
Let's keep those bagged ice companies in business!John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-10586821338334768332014-09-04T15:42:00.000-06:002014-09-04T15:42:40.197-06:00Light the Night with Music UpdateWell, with two weeks to go before my benefit recital for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk, we've raised just under 10% of the $3,000 we hope to raise for the LLS. We still need <b><i><u>lots</u></i></b> of help to reach our goal. The LLS is so important to me and to the thousands upon thousands of patients who are diagnosed with blood cancers every year. They provide ground-breaking research for life-saving medications, marrow transplant advances, and tremendous financial support to patients like me. My family would not have been able to afford all of my medicines (at one point last year I took over 45 pills a day) without the financial assistance of the LLS. Now I just want to do what I can to give back. I have made a donation as a show of my own commitment. Please join me.<br />
<br />
To make a donation, please go <b><a href="http://pages.lightthenight.org/ut/saltlake14/jphilpof0k" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>. Please be as generous as you can.<br />
<br />
If you plan to attend the recital (hopefully everyone in the Salt Lake area will), please note in the "Your Message" box how many seats you would like reserved for you. The earliest donations get the best seats. =0) The flier with all of the detailed info about time and location is in my post from August 17th.<br />
<br />
This is so important to me. If you're grateful that I'm still around, please make a financial contribution to show it. Here's a little incentive...<br />
<br />
Everyone on Facebook has seen by now the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Well, something I will do for the LLS is dump a bucket of ice water on myself for every $50 (or larger) donation made to my or my team's page. Sarah Moon and my parents have already made that 2 buckets of ice water. I'll post the videos on Facebook and here. I hope to get frostbite from all of the ice water I'll be dumping on myself! I HATE BEING COLD! If this doesn't prove my determination to see this through, I'm not sure what will. Please help.John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-64662910631976777722014-09-04T14:09:00.000-06:002014-09-04T14:09:02.007-06:00Eye Surgery. Ugh!Darned Prednisone! I thought all you did was suppress my immune system and make me fat!<br />
<br />
Once upon a time - about a year ago - my body began to balloon from 170 pounds to nearly 250 pounds over the course of a couple months. This was all thanks to a steroid I had to take called Prednisone. Fast forward to yesterday. I sat down with an ophthalmologist to see why over the past few months I've noticed blurred vision in my eyes, and particularly in my left. Well, as it turns out, my prolonged exposure (about 6 months) to high doses of Prednisone along with my acute illness (leukemia, if anyone is still unclear) have given me cataracts well before the age when they typically develop for those who get them. My vision isn't so bad (yet) that I need cataract surgery immediately, but I will need it eventually.<br />
<br />
Cataracts are basically clouded lenses inside the eye, causing (in my case) blurred vision. I have a follow up appointment with my ophthalmologist on December 3rd to see how things are looking. He says my cataracts could advance slowly or quickly...it's hard to know because of the cause of the cataracts. With cataract surgery, the lenses inside my eyes will be broken up and suctioned out, then replaced with synthetic lenses. Super fun. They'll do one eye, then wait a couple weeks before doing the other. After the surgeries, I'll probably at least need reading glasses. My vision insurance won't cover the surgeries. Hopefully my medical insurance will, because they're not cheap. Bummer.<br />
<br />
In other news, I'm still working for Be The Match and loving it. It feels so good to be doing something day-in and day-out that can make a difference for other blood cancer patients. I've run 8 drives, adding over 250 new people to the Be The Match Registry, and generating over $4,000 in fundraising. And I'm still learning how to do what I'm doing. It'll only get better from here.<br />
<br />
Lastly, I'm in the final stretch run of tapering my Cyclosporine (immunosuppressant drug). After I'm off of it completely next month some time, we'll be able to make plans to re-immunize me. That's a big deal. Here's hoping my taper continues to go well without any GVHD. Fingers and toes are crossed.John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-36945421814397987612014-08-17T13:41:00.000-06:002014-08-17T13:41:11.475-06:00Light The Night With MusicHello everyone. Please help me give back to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They are responsible for funding much of the research, medications and scientific advances that have given me a life after Leukemia. My extremely talented friend, Amanda VandenAkker, has agreed to help me present a wonderful recital of some exceptional music from the musical stage. 100% of prodeeds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here's a copy of the flier for the recital:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomTv7N2tagnoJzJZTnjvwhNTHuUPQJ1YmCHE0FWPcbwXJkh4_odzEfli5wLKGrWkP60CQek1qgUxyJtnnLOVoqmi4JGafQphk0HDTCcDXt7F_0FmGzwbQmIPtPXcC-3Q7uY9KQ9aCTt8/s1600/2014+LTN+Recital+Flier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomTv7N2tagnoJzJZTnjvwhNTHuUPQJ1YmCHE0FWPcbwXJkh4_odzEfli5wLKGrWkP60CQek1qgUxyJtnnLOVoqmi4JGafQphk0HDTCcDXt7F_0FmGzwbQmIPtPXcC-3Q7uY9KQ9aCTt8/s1600/2014+LTN+Recital+Flier.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I've created a Facebook event page. You can reach it <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1449696708644289/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Please go to the page and "join" the event if you can make it.<br />
<br />
If you can come, please go to my LLS fundraising page <a href="http://pages.lightthenight.org/ut/saltlake14/jphilpof0k" target="_blank">HERE</a> to make a donation to reserve your seat. All who make a donation of $10 or more per person will receive preferred seating at the recital - the sooner you donate, the closer you sit to the front.<br />
<br />
If you can't come, please still make a donation on <a href="http://pages.lightthenight.org/ut/saltlake14/jphilpof0k" target="_blank">my LLS fundraising page</a>. If all of my Facebook friends were to make a donation of just $10, we would raise over $6,000 for an organization that means a great deal to me and my family. Please be as generous as you can.<br />
<br />
Amanda and I are excited to perform for you. We hope to have standing room only in a room that can seat 200 or so.<br />
<br />
Please share this post with as many people as you know so we can maximize our fundraising potential.<br />
<br />
Thank you so much!John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-5842317893014623942014-08-08T02:22:00.000-06:002014-08-08T02:22:00.471-06:00"Every Day Is A Blessing!"I am a cancer survivor. Every day since my diagnosis, I've been a survivor. The trick, I think, is to ensure that I don't just leave it at surviving.<br />
<br />
I choose to live.<br />
<br />
I consider October 4, 2012 (the day I heard my first oncologist, Dr. Richard Frame, say the words, <i>You have leukemia</i>) the day my first life ended. Every day since then I recognize as a blessing. Every day is a day added to my life. Thinking that way has helped me keep perspective on the crappy days, which have been many.<br />
<br />
Let me tell you about Patricia Kling. She's an amazing woman I've known for about 10 years, who passed away Wednesday morning after LIVING with cancer for many years. When I had the opportunity to see her at church or in her home, she would say something to me that has always stuck with me, and that resonates with me now a lot more than it did before 10/4/12. I'd say, "How are you, Patricia?" She'd say, "Wonderful, John. Every day is a blessing!" The amazing thing is, even on the days I knew she was in a TON of pain, her answer would be the same...and incredibly genuine in its delivery. "Every day is a blessing!" Here was a woman who learned to love and recognize the beauty in simple things, like breathing in and out every day; like the newly blossomed flowers outside her window; like the tender and abiding love of her devoted husband, David; like the fact that she had so many wonderful friends who loved her and whom she loved, and loved deeply. When my own cancer diagnosis came, I began to think of Patricia a lot, though we were separated by two states by that time. Her attitude and outlook have been an inspiration to me throughout my cancer journey. Now I find myself saying, "Every day is a blessing" all the time. And I mean it.<br />
<br />
I have not been battling cancer for 22 months. I have not been fighting it. It has disappeared for now or forever - I'm not sure which - but has left its indelible mark on my body. It will do what it will do, and I have no control over it. I do, however have 100% control over my attitude. Several of my AMAZING nurses on East 8 have commented to me that a great attitude lends towards a great outcome - doesn't guarantee it, of course, but makes it more possible. What I've come to believe is that a great attitude - one that says "I've been a 'cancer survivor' every day since my diagnosis" - gives me power over my cancer. Not control over it...power over it. I don't control the cancer, but I do control myself and my response to its presence in my life. Don't get me wrong...my wife, my kids and I have all been known to say, "I HATE STUPID CANCER!" But my life is a gift. A gift I used to take for granted. A gift I used to complain about. I used to gripe about a lot of stupid things...work, my boss, the weather, my kids, my hair, my WHATEVER! Now, I don't complain about a whole lot of things, because I recognize how incredibly fortunate I am to be around to just experience life, both the good and the not-so-good.<br />
<br />
I recently met another "survivor" who impressed me from the get-go. McKaylee ("Mac") and I were seated next to each other in the East 8 clinic, getting our particular infusions for the day. Seated to my right was a woman with a blood disorder who was lamenting about a lot of things. She painted a bleak picture. Now, I don't discount her situation, or judge her for her perspective on it. She had some pretty serious troubles. But seated to my left was this 19 year-old single mother, who was there for about 8 hours (as I recall) with her not-yet-one-year-old son, and her mother. We talked for a while about her AML, her son, Dax, my work with Be The Match, etc. What we discussed is far less important to me than what I learned about her just by interacting with her in the time we were there together. Though still adjusting to this cancer journey thing (she was just diagnosed on February 20), Mac has a light about her. She exudes happiness and beauty and life. I kept thinking, "Here's a young woman who gets it. She's naturally happy. She may not enjoy every aspect of what life has handed her, but still she finds a way to smile and shine." Oh, and give of herself to others. Mac has not had a marrow/stem cell transplant, and it's still uncertain whether she will need one or not. When she learned of my position with Be The Match, she asked me if she could get involved, be a volunteer at a drive, something. Even though she was not directly impacted by what Be The Match does, she knows of its importance in the lives of others and wanted to do something about it. Was it just lip service? No. She will be accompanying me as a volunteer at a drive I'm running down in Utah County this evening. No pay. No personal connection to the organizer of the drive or the marrow transplant survivor in whose honor the drive is being held. Just a sincere desire to make a difference. Every day is a blessing for Mac, and she is seeking to use her day tomorrow to bless others. Yes, Mac is a pretty cool young woman. I'm so happy to have met her.<br />
<br />
"Every day is a blessing!" Thank you, Patricia Kling, for that sincere answer of yours which has become my new mantra. Thank you, God, for putting people like Mac and Houston and Rebecca in my path, who demonstrate what it means to LIVE, and not just survive.John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-42718183488487328682014-07-13T12:06:00.003-06:002014-07-13T12:06:56.394-06:00In Sales No More...In June of 2000, just a couple months after Abigail was born, I went into sales. I was good at it, and for nearly 13 years, I stayed in sales, sales management and sales training. Professionally speaking, sales is about all I've ever known. Then, on February 14 of last year, I had to leave my sales job to have my two stem cell transplants and wait to recover enough to go back to work, a process my doctors anticipated would take at least a year. Tomorrow, exactly 17 months after leaving work for my transplants, I am going back to work. To sales? No. Stepping away from my sales career gave me the opportunity to discover that while it's something I've always been good at, it's not something I'm passionate about any more. There are some aspects of sales, sales management and sales training that I do love - helping people, seeing others grow, knowing I'm making a difference - but I've learned that I have another option available to me that will allow me to accomplish those things while doing something I am and will forever be passionate about.<br />
<br />
Effective tomorrow, I am the Utah Drive Attendant for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), or Be the Match. I am responsible to work with sponsors of donor recruitment drives throughout Utah to organize and carry out their recruitment and fundraising efforts for Be the Match. For those who don't know or don't remember, Be the Match is the organization that found me my donor, Ambros, last spring. Without Be the Match, I would likely be dead today, or suffering through heavy chemo to simply prolong my life without any quality of life. Unfortunately, there are over 10,000 Americans every year in need of a life-saving marrow or stem cell transplant, and many of them are told that there is no match for them among their family members or on the international registry. Last year I made the commitment to myself that as soon as I could, I would do everything I could to give back to the organization that gave me my donor and the chance at life. As a volunteer, I've already organized and/or run three marrow donor recruitment drives - two of my own, and one for an Eagle Scout project down in Spanish Fork in June. Now the NMDP will pay me to do something I was already willing to do. I'll just end up doing it 20-30 hours a week. That's pretty awesome, if you ask me. I've got a two-day drive scheduled for this coming weekend up in Cache Valley, and 5 or more in August. I've been tasked with developing a team of Volunteer Ambassadors to help me run drives around the state so I don't have to be at every one of them, and so I can function in more of a local administrative role. Even with a full team of Ambassadors qualified to run drives on their own, though, I'll never stop going to drives myself, as they're how donors are found and I love being in that environment.<br />
<br />
In other news, my GVH of the skin was, in fact, <u>not</u> GVH of the skin. I have gotten eczema, a skin condition with dry, pinkish blotches in different areas of my body. How I've ended up with eczema at 42 years old when I've never had any skin issues before I'll never know. I'm just glad it's not GVH, so we can continue tapering my immunosuppressant, cyclosporine. I can't be re-immunized until I'm off of that stuff, so tapering it is my #1 priority. Hopefully, I'll be done with it within the next 3 to 4 months. Then I should be able to be out in public without wearing my big white mask everywhere I go. I can go to church for all of my meetings, be more active, and worry less in general. It's good to be close to that point...we hope. =0)<br />
<br />
Other news...I got a car. I had to sell my Toyota Corolla last February to help us pay some bills and lower our monthly expenses, so since then we've been a one-car family, which has become increasingly difficult over the past several months as I've been able to get out and do more things. Now that I'll be traveling a bit for work, one car just won't do. Did I get another Corolla, the model I've had for my last two cars, spanning about 10 years? Nope. I got something my big body will be comfortable riding in on long trips. I got a 2012 Chevy Malibu, and I absolutely love it. It's comfortable, got plenty of power, gets good mileage for a mid-size sedan, and has bluetooth for my phone, which I love.<br />
<br />
With my new job, I'll be teaching fewer voice students, which kinda stinks, but it's OK. I'm keeping everyone I currently have through the end of August. On August 28th my voice studio will be putting on a recital with solos and duets from all 13 of my students. After that, I'll only be able to teach as many students as I can comfortably teach on Wednesday evenings and Thursdays.<br />
<br />
*** ANNOUNCEMENT ***<br />
On Thursday, September 11, 2014 (exactly two years after the shoulder injury that changed and saved my life), my friend, Amanda Van Den Akker and I will be putting on a musical theater recital to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for the Light the Night Campaign. While the recital will be free of charge, Amanda and I hope that everyone who comes will make a generous (100% tax-deductible) donation to the organization that funds more Leukemia research than any other in the U.S. They also provide tremendous financial support to Leukemia patients like myself. I will be posting fliers for the recital here and on Facebook soon. If you can come, I promise it will be a rewarding evening for you with great music from throughout the great history of american musical theater and an opportunity to help many leukemia patients in need of assistance. If you can't make it, you can still donate. In either case, please visit <a href="http://pages.lightthenight.org/ut/saltlake14/jphilpof0k" target="_blank">my fundraising page</a>, and help me help other Leukemia and Lymphoma patients through this amazing and incredibly important campaign. Here's the information for the recital:<br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica;">John Philpott and
Amanda Van Den Akker in Concert<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica;">Thursday,
September 11, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica;">6:00 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica;">Summerhays Music
Recital Hall<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial;">5420 S Green St, Murray, UT 84123</span></b></div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-57166877794578650412014-06-26T21:29:00.001-06:002016-05-28T16:47:24.777-06:00My Wish Has Come TrueToday I received an early birthday present (my birthday is this Saturday). I received an email from Rachael Beers, my Care Coordinator at the BMT unit, containing...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i><u>MY DONOR'S CONTACT INFORMATION!!!</u></i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I can't express how happy that made me. His name is Ambros, and he lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After contemplating what in the world I might say to the man who saved my life (as if I hadn't thought about it before...), I just started writing the following email:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hello, Ambros.<br />
<br />
I am so happy to be writing to you. My 42nd birthday is this Saturday, June 28, and I can't imagine a better birthday present I could possibly receive than your contact information. For the last 13 months since my stem cell transplant on May 29, 2013, I have wanted nothing more than to have the opportunity to contact you personally to say one very simple thing:<br />
<br />
Thank you for saving my life.<br />
<br />
Writing those words seems so incredibly inadequate. You may or may not realize it, but without your stem cells that have created new, healthy marrow, which now produces healthy, cancer-free blood cells for me, I would likely be dead by now. I have a wife and five children (ages 8 to 14), and we all thank God for you and for your willingness to reach out and save a complete stranger's life. What you did was extremely selfless and has put me in your eternal debt. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Since last April, when I learned that a donor had been found for me, I have thanked God daily for "my donor" - now I can thank God for Ambros.<br />
<br />
Perhaps I should give you some information about me and the cancer you saved me from. My name is John Philpott. I was born in Southern California, and raised primarily in Northern California in a city called Santa Rosa, about an hour north of San Francisco. I received my Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Brigham Young University-Hawaii, and my Master of Music in Vocal Performance from California State University-Sacramento. I was married on December 27, 1996 to my college sweetheart, Noelle, and we have since had one child by birth and added four children to our family by way of adoption. In 2009, following the finalization of the adoption of the youngest of our children, Noelle and I followed our guts and moved our family from Sacramento, CA to Taylorsville, UT, right in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley. We knew we needed a bigger home in a more family-friendly environment than what California could offer us. We did not know how critical that move to Utah would be in ultimately saving my life.<br />
<br />
In September 2012, I injured my shoulder while doing a pushup. I know, sounds pretty wimpy, right? That shoulder injury led to a doctor's visit, which led to a visit with an orthopedist. He took some x-rays, but could see nothing conclusive that would explain my extremely limited range of motion and severe pain in moving my left shoulder. He ordered a series of MRIs on my shoulder, shoulder blade, and upper arm. A few days later, he called me saying that there were "bone marrow changes in all of the bones they could see, and lots of it." He told me he needed me to come in the next morning for some blood tests. I went that Wednesday morning, and on Thursday afternoon, he called to confirm what Noelle and I had feared. He said that my white blood cell counts were through the roof and the pathology came back abnormal. He referred me to an oncologist and hematologist.<br />
<br />
On Friday, October 4, 2012, Noelle and I met with Dr. Richard Frame, a leukemia specialist, and were given a working diagnosis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, or CLL. We scheduled my first round of chemotherapy, which was to be given in his office as an outpatient, beginning on Monday, October 15th. In the intervening week, I was to go to Intermountain LDS Hospital for some tests to nail down my official diagnosis and determine just how advanced my leukemia was. When we arrived at Dr. Frame's office on Monday the 15th, he brought us in, sat us down and told us that I didn't have CLL after all. He was waiting for one more test result to come in to confirm the findings of the other tests, and we wouldn't proceed with the chemo regimen we had planned. We would do a 30-minute infusion of Zometa (a bone strengthener), and then he would call us later that day.<br />
<br />
That afternoon, he called and told me I had Plasma Cell Leukemia (PCL), which is an extremely rare form of Multiple Myeloma. He said it's typically found in patients who are well into their 60s and beyond (the median age at diagnosis is 67; I was just 40), and that I was in for what might turn out to be a very long battle for my life. He said he was turning my care over to the Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit at LDS Hospital, as I would ultimately need a marrow transplant in an attempt to save my life. The next morning, I received a phone call from Rachael, my care coordinator at LDS Hospital's BMT unit, telling me they needed me to come be admitted to the hospital that day, and that I would likely be there for about 6 weeks to induce my chemotherapy and treatment for my leukemia.<br />
<br />
Plasma Cell Leukemia is a blood cancer that is caused when a person's DNA "breaks," in a manner of speaking, and begins telling the marrow in their body to produce faulty white blood cells with no immune capabilities. Those cancerous "blasts" eat their way out of the hard white bone matter, causing the bones to become very porous and brittle, which is why I suffered a partial separation of a tendon from my lower-left shoulder blade the month before. The shoulder blade was just too porous for the tendon to hold on to it with the stress of the pushup. Plasma Cell Leukemia is extremely aggressive. My doctors believe that six months before diagnosis, I was still cancer free. Tests in early October showed, though, that 74% of my white blood cells were cancerous blasts. Undiagnosed and heading into the cold and flu season, I was just a month or two away from catching some bug that my body would have no chance of fighting or surviving. Imagine...I could have died from a cold or simple flu bug. Thank Heaven I hurt my shoulder. As it is, the prognosis for patients with PCL is very, very poor. I am fortunate that <br />
<br />
Gratefully, LDS Hospital's BMT unit is exceptional at what they do. It's overseen by a group of 7 incredibly talented and dedicated blood cancer doctors who truly work together as a team to treat hundreds of leukemia and lymphoma patients each year. After looking into the options I would have had in the Sacramento area, I've decided that God truly led Noelle and I to move to Salt Lake City to receive the best treatment I could possibly hope for from a true team of professionals who have become like family to me. T he 6 weeks I was initially expected to be in the hospital turned out to only be 5 days. After beginning my chemo and seeing that my body was withstanding it pretty well, my doctors said I could go home and continue my chemotherapy on an outpatient basis. I was thrilled. Over the next 16 weeks, I went through 4 rounds of chemotherapy, and was admitted to the hospital once more for one of my two bouts with pneumonia. Gratefully, my body continued to avoid the most horrible of possible chemotherapy side effects, and I was even able to continue working until Valentine's Day, February 14, 2013.<br />
<br />
I was admitted to the BMT unit shortly thereafter for the first of my two stem cell transplants on February 22. We were going to do what is referred to as a "tandem transplant," when a patient is given his own (cleaned) stem cells in an effort to shock the leukemia into remission for a couple months before going through the donor transplant. I spent three weeks in the hospital for that transplant, suffering an infection in my lower large intestine, but recovering OK. I was sent home to recover fully and prepare for a hopeful donor stem cell transplant, provided a matched and willing donor could be found for me. My first transplant only had the power to stem the tide, so to speak, as my own marrow would ultimately produce the leukemic cells again. I would need someone else's marrow to produce my blood for me if I was going to live. On April 9, 2013, Rachael (my care coordinator) called me with news that would change my life forever. A donor had been found, and he was a perfect 10-out-of-10 HLA match. Over the next few weeks, we worked out the timeline and my second (and much more important) transplant was scheduled for May 29, 2013...my re-birthday.<br />
<br />
Over the week leading up to my transplant, I was given very high-dose chemotherapy to completely wipe out my own marrow. Then on the morning of May 29, representatives from the American Red Cross walked into my room with your frozen stem cells. They thawed them out at my bedside with a special machine, hooked them up to my IV, and my new life began. Noelle and I celebrated my rebirth with a little chocolate cake right there in my hospital room. Over the next couple weeks, your stem cells circulated through my blood stream, found their way to my hollowed out bones, set up shop and began to generate bone marrow...good, clean, healthy bone marrow. That marrow produced clean, cancer-free blood for my body for the first time in about a year. I was released to go home on Friday, June 14, just in time for Father's Day.<br />
<br />
The next several months were pretty hard. I spent another 3 weeks in the hospital with failing kidneys and liver, and medicines that weren't being filtered out of my system. I don't even remember most of the first 12 days of that hospital stay, as the medicines turned into toxins in my body and reduced my brain activity to only about 1/2 of normal. Following that hospital stay, I needed 4-1/2 months of physical and occupational therapy to help me regain my strength, balance and coordination again. I had to take steroids that caused me to gain a ton of weight and look a little like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man for the 5 months I had to take them. Gradually, though, I have regained my strength, relative health and a sense of quasi-normalcy.<br />
<br />
For now, my...uh...your immune system is still being partially suppressed by a medication called Cyclosporine (Cyclo). With transplants, the donor's immune system can fight against the recipient's body systems like the skin, eyes, GI tract, nervous system, liver, kidneys, etc. It's called Graft vs. Host Disease (GVH or GVHD). While I was in the hospital after receiving your stem cells, I got some GVH of the GI tract that made it very difficult to eat, swallow or digest anything for several days. Over the past few months, as we've been slowly tapering my Cyclo dosage, I've been getting some GVH of the skin, but it's very mild. I've lost the majority of my body hair and my skin gets dry, bumpy and rashy at times. It's nowhere near as bad as it can get. A friend of mine is currently suffering from GVH of the skin, and looks and feels like a burn victim. We hope to have me completely off of the Cyclo within a few months from now so your immune system can begin protecting me the way it protects you.<br />
<br />
Overall, I feel pretty darned great. My family is actually on vacation this week in Park City, UT, and we're enjoying ourselves thoroughly. I've been cleared by my doctors to go back to work part time for a while to assess how my energy levels hold up before going back full time. I'm in the interview process with the National Marrow Donor Program (Be The Match) to be hired as their Drive Attendant for the state of Utah. I'm already a Volunteer Ambassador, and have run three marrow donor recruitment drives already. Now, I'd be paid to do what I've been doing as a volunteer. I decided after learning that Be The Match had provided my donor for me that I wanted to give back to the organization that had given me my life. How cool that they're willing to pay me for what I've already been willing to do as a volunteer.<br />
<br />
Anyway, since September of 2012, shortly before my diagnosis came, I've been keeping a blog to chronicle my thoughts, feelings and experiences as I've battled for my life. If you'd like to read any of it, here's the link: http://philpottsfight.blogspot.com. I'm also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philpottdad.<br />
<br />
I'm sorry this email is so long, but I wanted you to know what my path has been like and what your part in it has been. Without you, my chances of surviving my leukemia were basically nonexistent. With you and your stem cells, I have the chance of living for years or even decades beyond today. Being able to thank you for that gift is exactly why I have been so anxious to reach my first "transplantiversary" (transplant anniversary) and request your contact information. I would be thrilled to learn more about you, as well. All I've known until now is that my donor was a 29-year old male at the time of his donation. Now I have your name address, email and phone number. What else can you tell me about yourself? Married? Kids? If so, please don't be shy to tell your family you're a hero. =0) Also, I'd be interested to know what led you to joining the donor registry.<br />
<br />
Well, I guess that's about the longest "introductory" email I've ever written. I'll sign off for now, and hope you're well and gratified to know that you've made an immeasurable difference in the life of another human being, not to mention the lives of his family and friends. I hope to hear back from you when you can find a moment.<br />
<br />
Thank you again for the gift of life.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
John Philpott<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
I gave him my address and phone number, as well. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With my birthday and Abby's show on Saturday, I'll wrap up a pretty great month. I will have received confirmation that I'm still cancer-free and in remission one year post-transplant, seen my older sister get married to an amazing man, arrived at the precipice of a new and exciting job (more info when it becomes official), completed another year of life, and learned the identity of the previously anonymous man who saved my life. 42 is bound to be a great year. =0)</div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-41345798244784834522014-06-18T15:34:00.001-06:002014-06-18T16:12:52.146-06:00Austin, TX - Part 2<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Monday and Tuesday were a lot of fun. I left my hotel in South Austin a little before noon Monday to drive about 30 minutes or so to a restaurant called The Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX. Oh my goodness. The briskett and ribs were amazing. Yasir and Gwen treated us (me, Mom, Dad, and my nephew Jason) to lunch, and it was worth every mile and minute driven to get there. Actually, I would have driven further. So, so good. Here's Gwen, Yasir and I after stuffing ourselves with a bunch of delicious meat...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQDM_9jXaq2Iuwn1CwwX8GqIwSzHvJUzu6suCdYkg1WaUQnMQTuHVFiIgBLvkXFViCU__nzDgjg0kfzdF-sTcEFKV6hcSikvuuXUdM6rO7GSdFfXI5w7S_Lw0y8ZdF30tuLcQEBa7wRE/s1600/IMG_1045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQDM_9jXaq2Iuwn1CwwX8GqIwSzHvJUzu6suCdYkg1WaUQnMQTuHVFiIgBLvkXFViCU__nzDgjg0kfzdF-sTcEFKV6hcSikvuuXUdM6rO7GSdFfXI5w7S_Lw0y8ZdF30tuLcQEBa7wRE/s1600/IMG_1045.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After saying goodbye to Gwen and Yasir, Mom, Dad, Jason and I drove back up to Austin to check out the George Washington Carver museum. It was OK. The most interesting thing I saw and learned was about the emancipation of slaves in Texas. I had no idea that it took nearly two years before the Emancipation Proclamation (written in September of 1863) was enforced in Texas (June 19, 1865). African-Americans in Texas now celebrate "Juneteenth," which is the celebration of legal racial equality in Texas. Pretty interesting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After leaving there, we drove about 15 minutes to the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum. Unfortunately, it's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Bummer. So, at this point, we went and parked at the Hyatt Regency hotel, where our 8 p.m. activity was to begin. But, with the heat of the day, and time to spare, we decided to walk up the street to get some ice cream. It was definitely HOT, but my milkshake made the walk in the heat worth it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57SJsB8Cx2t7aG4G7bnuUZO-aAXgoHFxdrmzX4pHClxHLvwYMxBK74NO179j36uZFTL2Tfgmg9C09SvzwYSTcYCOrH6BA9L4T-lQT6LTdQlxvFDG08jo7r-nh53lKLYOEwTmHqkCI-f0/s1600/DSC_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57SJsB8Cx2t7aG4G7bnuUZO-aAXgoHFxdrmzX4pHClxHLvwYMxBK74NO179j36uZFTL2Tfgmg9C09SvzwYSTcYCOrH6BA9L4T-lQT6LTdQlxvFDG08jo7r-nh53lKLYOEwTmHqkCI-f0/s1600/DSC_0114.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At 8:00, Mom, Dad and I had a bat-viewing river cruise planned. Every spring about 750,000 mexican fruit bats come from Monterey, Mexico in one single night. About 95% of them are pregnant females. While in Austin, they give birth then wait for their babies to be strong enough to go back to Monterey. Every day, the bats sleep under the South Congress Avenue Bridge. Just after sunset, they emerge and take to the skies for the night, to eat about their full weight in mosquitos before returning to the bridge some time between 4 and 5 a.m. We got to watch them emerge from under the bridge, and wow. It was so cool to see these swarms of bats flying along the underside of the bridge, then off above the treetops on the south shore of the river. The boat drivers all have these big red flood lights that they shine up at the underside of the bridge so we can see the bats flying out. It was definitely a very unique experience. I just wish more of the many pictures I took had turned out, but here's the sunset and the best shot I have of the bats.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuwUejNJzt-nrtG0qEz9Swp-4tV0oW_4xATDLrIe6cbz6wj0yIxLNX7zoS3DUYHCpADcRyWITwVKGzfv2_d0pTd5s0J2NRs5-HUqiq7Pf9X1yIZPM5Q49B5fBl7o99wt6VRpY-KaOUMc/s1600/DSC_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuwUejNJzt-nrtG0qEz9Swp-4tV0oW_4xATDLrIe6cbz6wj0yIxLNX7zoS3DUYHCpADcRyWITwVKGzfv2_d0pTd5s0J2NRs5-HUqiq7Pf9X1yIZPM5Q49B5fBl7o99wt6VRpY-KaOUMc/s1600/DSC_0123.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv22F8xdDcLUFcOvJutu82lNCm5t2ONPbZSiXToR7fGBJdsH8AxWUaKdnsrCApvRB0Oz2_XpQYV2hK19C9ehoMvYwKBWnch0WpXBpb0ozVd4AkcTVXftISnNJRIFrZ3t3Eck0iR_b6jU/s1600/DSC_0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv22F8xdDcLUFcOvJutu82lNCm5t2ONPbZSiXToR7fGBJdsH8AxWUaKdnsrCApvRB0Oz2_XpQYV2hK19C9ehoMvYwKBWnch0WpXBpb0ozVd4AkcTVXftISnNJRIFrZ3t3Eck0iR_b6jU/s1600/DSC_0159.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today was my day to be alone in Austin. After sleeping in a little, I ate breakfast, got ready and checked out of my hotel. My first stop of the day was the Hope Outdoor Gallery, a great big property with a ton of concrete walls full of graffiti by local artists. Yes, I used the term artist. While there's a lot of junky-looking graffiti, there's a ton of really exceptional stuff. the walls range from about 8 feet to 12 feet tall, and there are four levels of this concrete. One artist I spoke with said there's over 22,000 square feet of concrete wall at this place. I'm telling you, every square inch of wall is covered with paint. It was a really Austin-y thing to see. I don't know if there's anywhere else in the world with a place like this. I took a ton of pictures.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGdGgtv_-bfZiW-0EuW89BGAepxfEDRaY-NFBQoZ533Q-c8nfONshcXQzdLi5rcqt7fLwNrc2aMfjZqh_cFZaWC518HtZe5tm2KI4b0Uye7H6Mi_G1T3ekDZsodfZp6V5sWdvWa_DXrI/s1600/DSC_0178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGdGgtv_-bfZiW-0EuW89BGAepxfEDRaY-NFBQoZ533Q-c8nfONshcXQzdLi5rcqt7fLwNrc2aMfjZqh_cFZaWC518HtZe5tm2KI4b0Uye7H6Mi_G1T3ekDZsodfZp6V5sWdvWa_DXrI/s1600/DSC_0178.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiox2SZTIlceSwTZbPs7T0u-XA4LV5xC-D2RJ57Wumzuk7_BPlztJkdJP5z2y7eOhpXqyUc2vNhLoJtpXqj4sUsZa0bifmO-bR3jJZYquSij8DfZ-iZCvVmIa_ciDtYiWS3ScC0TDaabKE/s1600/IMG_1074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiox2SZTIlceSwTZbPs7T0u-XA4LV5xC-D2RJ57Wumzuk7_BPlztJkdJP5z2y7eOhpXqyUc2vNhLoJtpXqj4sUsZa0bifmO-bR3jJZYquSij8DfZ-iZCvVmIa_ciDtYiWS3ScC0TDaabKE/s1600/IMG_1074.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXLyZQcp9QyoD6ubV76llPC40p9IjaJUfrfApgo8DKUTvf64Mt_r_bM29oqDUvF2v9YSvnlo2SaZZveDSs57v9qrgmrTiCcjzMCv9HxuBXcr6D97zrY6i4jSFNvd_s3tqJG7gF_VvKRo/s1600/DSC_0184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXLyZQcp9QyoD6ubV76llPC40p9IjaJUfrfApgo8DKUTvf64Mt_r_bM29oqDUvF2v9YSvnlo2SaZZveDSs57v9qrgmrTiCcjzMCv9HxuBXcr6D97zrY6i4jSFNvd_s3tqJG7gF_VvKRo/s1600/DSC_0184.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCoJ1wvmsOf01irgKcfmvjcReqeATer1p2842vA3QLXz3mKrqERzjI_-feJ2aOBBm9v97_Jt1gRoaj0elS5Z-uFQU2cSLDaN9LMLjD8EfyaCr06LpgvonHcHJXSoRBqO_a0eauUwqxPc/s1600/DSC_0202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCoJ1wvmsOf01irgKcfmvjcReqeATer1p2842vA3QLXz3mKrqERzjI_-feJ2aOBBm9v97_Jt1gRoaj0elS5Z-uFQU2cSLDaN9LMLjD8EfyaCr06LpgvonHcHJXSoRBqO_a0eauUwqxPc/s1600/DSC_0202.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmDoTmxGRupVp49eIz7EK1FpjaYSkK9MEPHPRvgAEjNoR6dsJFtsi0fZJfDp5xKs-ZNqiOQNiOQzNEBBfii8kZi_VEq8OA7cLUHh-1o4fpudODicB0NuQYB_oL55dJjGH4pIGMN-vm0k/s1600/DSC_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmDoTmxGRupVp49eIz7EK1FpjaYSkK9MEPHPRvgAEjNoR6dsJFtsi0fZJfDp5xKs-ZNqiOQNiOQzNEBBfii8kZi_VEq8OA7cLUHh-1o4fpudODicB0NuQYB_oL55dJjGH4pIGMN-vm0k/s1600/DSC_0193.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BkhP96q8TUqGUCugaTpCpXYpjfklmhbkaqqLKCX7vDCSQv07Zwz80QM_-wlUwz8P-6bWpTubb8qN2Lt9BMtR2JJyRK3bD_qEV1GSxn0vTDiDyoQ2u8qoGa0YKjcWpNiA8gCVhj_3DlI/s1600/DSC_0197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BkhP96q8TUqGUCugaTpCpXYpjfklmhbkaqqLKCX7vDCSQv07Zwz80QM_-wlUwz8P-6bWpTubb8qN2Lt9BMtR2JJyRK3bD_qEV1GSxn0vTDiDyoQ2u8qoGa0YKjcWpNiA8gCVhj_3DlI/s1600/DSC_0197.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then I went to Veracruz All Natural, a local purveyor of "trailer food," which is a huge thing in Austin. As you might guess from the name, it's mexican food. Oh my gosh. I got a steak taco, a chicken taco, and a melon agua fresca. All I had on my tacos was the meat with cilantro and onions. They were in fresh-made tortillas and were so, so good. No salsa, cheese, sour cream or anything else was needed. The meat was so delicious! Mmmmmm...if I ever get back to Austin, I'll hit Veracruz again.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNMfKgTwTeC1tunF8iCinnZpBTAHGy0G2QVm53VrZcGKSwlhyCkH2l9p6EQOr3T4qI6ONGr1YLinbHGFMHOOSYgLcacM4pFwP4rT2OJVSSDJcQIVUYSvQEbFpaYFDnBEVsfP34hZ4R9o/s1600/IMG_1081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNMfKgTwTeC1tunF8iCinnZpBTAHGy0G2QVm53VrZcGKSwlhyCkH2l9p6EQOr3T4qI6ONGr1YLinbHGFMHOOSYgLcacM4pFwP4rT2OJVSSDJcQIVUYSvQEbFpaYFDnBEVsfP34hZ4R9o/s1600/IMG_1081.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3b1AdcLUACeWhQFKPbYS7p0BGo42TCqUZ2DyZah31UhLDY2mm-YYfzBe6YEb9AWG2nYcIF5R_31VxXr8kfMXk8sxgY6TZIwoO9HtOFF84dn3UdeYYvILeNaNjPP_YYNgWhs2Bma80ZCo/s1600/IMG_1079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3b1AdcLUACeWhQFKPbYS7p0BGo42TCqUZ2DyZah31UhLDY2mm-YYfzBe6YEb9AWG2nYcIF5R_31VxXr8kfMXk8sxgY6TZIwoO9HtOFF84dn3UdeYYvILeNaNjPP_YYNgWhs2Bma80ZCo/s1600/IMG_1079.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44kwD5UhbuFx6bh1N24kw_U49s0r4BoWmA_Aia4UMvW34L5TXd8FDLxwgq2YEvF34EfwJvITJ3DtA3_ogYMHG3wKkO6gldSNB3rChvonfLvmfaNUZsr5kE-96El2RZWNewsTz_LJw51g/s1600/IMG_1080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44kwD5UhbuFx6bh1N24kw_U49s0r4BoWmA_Aia4UMvW34L5TXd8FDLxwgq2YEvF34EfwJvITJ3DtA3_ogYMHG3wKkO6gldSNB3rChvonfLvmfaNUZsr5kE-96El2RZWNewsTz_LJw51g/s1600/IMG_1080.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, I went up to Mount Bonnell, the highest point in Austin at a whopping 775 feet above sea level. =0) To my friends in Utah, this will seem pretty ridiculous. Even Santa Rosa, CA, where I grew up has hills higher than that in the vicinity. But because everything around it (for several miles) is so flat, the view of Austin and the surrouning areas from the top of the hill is pretty cool. While I was up at the top, I spent some time talking with a young couple from the area about Austin, San Francisco and Salt Lake City. The guy had no idea about the graffiti wall I had looked at 45 minutes before, and thought it sounded pretty cool. He also wants to go to San Francisco now, just from my description of The City.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuh2tWnt6GD7gxKu6Sv_7Vbl4v0C6BIqe-u-Tcrl4HVIl_sBRxNXFTAYdNVaxmrTBX92x5uv2wzmX59IcfO1iKbrSljBxigOZj-ou1f6wOj6MVYGlSBbYlBLPEHDf3QXHHVugB90HKKk/s1600/DSC_0215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuh2tWnt6GD7gxKu6Sv_7Vbl4v0C6BIqe-u-Tcrl4HVIl_sBRxNXFTAYdNVaxmrTBX92x5uv2wzmX59IcfO1iKbrSljBxigOZj-ou1f6wOj6MVYGlSBbYlBLPEHDf3QXHHVugB90HKKk/s1600/DSC_0215.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1_zc86JM8TVqAsNL3gpk6Vo2f5G_-8IZteW0uYd15xQQS53V_uTHoQGN3V3hcVB87pFub7za80eSGsxJeiHC5w9Sevi1VEkDLxpRlkRpg3DsFtKS1TBD3p-Fqt4PlOF-SmujVyRDCbI/s1600/DSC_0218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1_zc86JM8TVqAsNL3gpk6Vo2f5G_-8IZteW0uYd15xQQS53V_uTHoQGN3V3hcVB87pFub7za80eSGsxJeiHC5w9Sevi1VEkDLxpRlkRpg3DsFtKS1TBD3p-Fqt4PlOF-SmujVyRDCbI/s1600/DSC_0218.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I decided then that I needed to go shopping in the rather ecclectic South Commerce district. Austin's official city slogan is "Keep Austin Weird," so I figured I should get some sort of memorabilia from that kind of city...my kind of city. Of course, as Noelle and I always do when we travel to different places, I had to get a refrigerator magnet. I also got a ball cap with the city's slogan on the front of it for me and a necklace for Noelle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1r5wYJvmMo-gJQldhvnQ26d3GuZnqgwxsv99pSmYDbc8nRVtfoi6Np3P-aI9-NQih5di2P_v3McrpWFn_YovHsG5KMFI4Lw6dikbcjj-kCAPxLeSZW_RJbj2A9OoX5oPm3S3NtjNnO8/s1600/IMG_1082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1r5wYJvmMo-gJQldhvnQ26d3GuZnqgwxsv99pSmYDbc8nRVtfoi6Np3P-aI9-NQih5di2P_v3McrpWFn_YovHsG5KMFI4Lw6dikbcjj-kCAPxLeSZW_RJbj2A9OoX5oPm3S3NtjNnO8/s1600/IMG_1082.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, I took Lexi's (</span>my nephew Riki's girlfriend)<span style="font-family: inherit;"> advice to get a burger from Hut's Hamburgers downtown before going to the airport. The burger I had was <u>very</u> good - meat, swiss cheese, bacon, mayo and green chiles. I didn't bother with fries or anything because I had just finished my lunch about 3 hours before and I just wanted to get something good to fill me up so I wouldn't have to buy super expensive airport food in Austin or Phoenix. Then it was off to the airport to check in for my flight and head home. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm really glad that everything I did and every place I went Monday and Tuesday is unique to Austin. That was my goal - to experience as much of the city that I couldn't find or experience anywhere else. I may never get back to Austin, or Texas, for that matter. I wanted to make the most of the couple days I had to experience Austin before coming home. Now I'm home refreshed and relaxed. Hopefully I can keep that state for as long as I can. It was great to spend time with my parents, Gwen, Yasir, Christy and her family for a few days. Most places I went, I didn't need my mask because it was outdoors, or just didn't have a lot of people around. I wasn't being reminded 24/7 of the fact that I'm recovering from leukemia and have a suppressed immune system. Granted, I lathered up with 100-SPF sunscreen and wore my big ugly hat all day Monday and Tuesday while I was outdoors to limit my sun exposure and avoid </span>aggravating<span style="font-family: inherit;"> my GVH. But getting away from home and the monotony of everything here was great for me.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm so blessed to have a wife who recognized (much more than I did) how much I needed this trip. Not just to see Gwen married, but to get away from everything for a while. She's very perceptive and considerate of my needs, even with all she does and all <u>she</u> needs to keep her own batteries charged on a daily basis. I love Noelle so, so much. I could never thank her enough for her extreme goodness to me.</span></div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-60531626372384130902014-06-16T10:17:00.001-06:002014-06-18T15:58:30.560-06:00To Heck with the Risks - It's My Sister's Wedding!My blood counts have been stable for months. My GVH hasn't been as bad over the past week or so. I feel great. So, what did I do? I decided to fly to Austin, TX to see my older sister, Gwen, get married to her best friend, Yasir. Why is that such a big deal? Well...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Airplanes and hotels aren't known for being the most sanitary of places. Think about it... You've been planning a trip to Location X for months. Now, the day before your trip, you fall ill with a cold or flu. Do you cancel your vacation or incredibly important business trip? No. You load up on over-the-counter meds that mask your symptoms and go on your trip. But just because your symptoms are masked doesn't mean you're not breathing germs into the air that can make those around you sick. And for the immunocompromised people sitting around you, that's really not a good thing. Your germs get on the airplane seat, on the tray table in front of you, on the arm rests, on the seat belt, on the handle to and out of the lavatory. Your germs are spread throughout the hotel room, getting on the door knobs and light switches, the faucet handles and alarm clock, the TV and remote control, the phone, the mini-fridge, the microwave, the tables, desk and chairs. Do you really think the flight crew on the plane or the housekeeping staff in your hotel wipe all of that stuff down with Lysol wipes every time the plane or hotel room is vacated? Not on your life. But for me, it is about my life.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some immunocompromised people I know don't like wearing the filtered mask their doctors have given them in public, even in close quarters with others you don't know and don't know whether they are sick or healthy. Why? I'm not sure. Perhaps it's because they don't want to draw too much attention to themselves. Perhaps it's because the masks aren't terribly comfortable. Maybe they figure "Hey, I'm feeling well. It's not that big of a risk." But the fact is, a "simple" cold or flu bug, RSV, or other illness that you can fight off with a healthy immune system in a matter of a few days can land you in a hospital bed, an ICU bed, or the grave with limited or no immune capabilities. I wear my mask. Anyway...enough of my little rant. Back to the good stuff...<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDsT9KyfKC7K8YtJQR9C807m3zeCbdCYZZiSMOvRG2HCJkB4Q1gE0CWW0J9-TUkqUPGV7T42AyAhq7fAqdNXrS8bM44d0EYdF2QWX6OWxZijFTIQMVLOEcZeazHagDNvqnxdMXmT4yP8/s1600/IMG_1025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDsT9KyfKC7K8YtJQR9C807m3zeCbdCYZZiSMOvRG2HCJkB4Q1gE0CWW0J9-TUkqUPGV7T42AyAhq7fAqdNXrS8bM44d0EYdF2QWX6OWxZijFTIQMVLOEcZeazHagDNvqnxdMXmT4yP8/s1600/IMG_1025.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So I flew from Salt Lake City to Phoenix and then on to Austin, Texas late Friday night. At breakfast Saturday morning, I learned just how deep Texans' state pride runs...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EYrjJ9Csp3kz5y5qU12zmUqyGuBeVvX33cdr1dCtlnl3nfZwQ_K0_nM1vfVC-uGUXJoZBHjLPdyAm3NKjJxS9WjpLxaPHxvqCI_VQNzT-ryyxB2MRd3zBjlrs6DI9-gj9d755CgdWGo/s1600/IMG_1028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EYrjJ9Csp3kz5y5qU12zmUqyGuBeVvX33cdr1dCtlnl3nfZwQ_K0_nM1vfVC-uGUXJoZBHjLPdyAm3NKjJxS9WjpLxaPHxvqCI_VQNzT-ryyxB2MRd3zBjlrs6DI9-gj9d755CgdWGo/s1600/IMG_1028.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Gwen and Yasir were married at noon on Saturday. It was a beautiful service, conducted by one of their dearest friends, Elaine. Yasir was as handsome as always, and Gwen was glowing with happiness, which made her natural beauty all the more breathtaking. The wedding and reception were fun, and I enjoyed being with my parents and my Texas family for the day. Here's are some pictures...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwLqNZUPh-cd2LU0NmAQ4ZXHgoMJfVo3VrMuy0J8Ax12We1rDpGAnmGXpCe-MMKUCkt_dR9FbcsPhT4OJec_WdZ8EAMAvLJnTtoRnU70EzxTt6Rn3MYasK9g4_q7vLC0-vm8ugxM_e74/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwLqNZUPh-cd2LU0NmAQ4ZXHgoMJfVo3VrMuy0J8Ax12We1rDpGAnmGXpCe-MMKUCkt_dR9FbcsPhT4OJec_WdZ8EAMAvLJnTtoRnU70EzxTt6Rn3MYasK9g4_q7vLC0-vm8ugxM_e74/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9-5LpTb-4A8pmJC1bOkhIGFDxLZfvPmFe7VX815gLGpzHelPgr4Tx3nN5fMlDuXTsQwZ-Skn_gj6e1ZMFyJGTuhtcaACC_FzbaxddLhPzSHCMBYiCNxHnB-XdUPnmZ4poVCkwBbGkac/s1600/DSC_0025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9-5LpTb-4A8pmJC1bOkhIGFDxLZfvPmFe7VX815gLGpzHelPgr4Tx3nN5fMlDuXTsQwZ-Skn_gj6e1ZMFyJGTuhtcaACC_FzbaxddLhPzSHCMBYiCNxHnB-XdUPnmZ4poVCkwBbGkac/s1600/DSC_0025.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeXwEbh1-1UD3ke7opqhqR5kZ1r5woIJJXg9TxfcN_h3mP357hPYstCEWqnR-hiL6GmeY9HAqNgC2vvPIMLgsct3LPJEKYJc72Emv_nNP6vgcvN7EOuF2EwX907DonZuyvPrPuyOF8ZI/s1600/DSC_0046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeXwEbh1-1UD3ke7opqhqR5kZ1r5woIJJXg9TxfcN_h3mP357hPYstCEWqnR-hiL6GmeY9HAqNgC2vvPIMLgsct3LPJEKYJc72Emv_nNP6vgcvN7EOuF2EwX907DonZuyvPrPuyOF8ZI/s1600/DSC_0046.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGK6NofbCHNYsaxnzVCbKL-kzMCSLIbyOCxnp0QbUB6FryjJm4gSSvROYxRmSzfFZ1-8_sa7rSEBB9rV5zHy5AGzyZYXHz7mrafSMUtK7aF2Cnb4psS48WYbCE0U2BSAFVm-EVG_RCb8/s1600/DSC_0053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGK6NofbCHNYsaxnzVCbKL-kzMCSLIbyOCxnp0QbUB6FryjJm4gSSvROYxRmSzfFZ1-8_sa7rSEBB9rV5zHy5AGzyZYXHz7mrafSMUtK7aF2Cnb4psS48WYbCE0U2BSAFVm-EVG_RCb8/s1600/DSC_0053.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka-kRQkzbf1-_7P4Dfot62BYt7w-jqFcdioy-UrFPlHynPVUNSU4q7z993PRHR9kbaRz8L4NXaqMuFz6K1RW9LPlzJjh2dFf1jz6wx-7DZVwki542kiBp4gPMU4mGHRSLque_wAajJdU/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka-kRQkzbf1-_7P4Dfot62BYt7w-jqFcdioy-UrFPlHynPVUNSU4q7z993PRHR9kbaRz8L4NXaqMuFz6K1RW9LPlzJjh2dFf1jz6wx-7DZVwki542kiBp4gPMU4mGHRSLque_wAajJdU/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTZO1QSYl39mJxTzeZB-jED5ZJ4ZIpqdVZQvWbwSjZrZoEUlXCOTzKNv_9v3PMQGYOnSU3pMPRW63ekzuq8ijlFTJUiLzikeQ9lyfqZ655YtIBe4KQQFXvUHzE-VZy1BbF2iYiyLBuk0/s1600/DSC_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTZO1QSYl39mJxTzeZB-jED5ZJ4ZIpqdVZQvWbwSjZrZoEUlXCOTzKNv_9v3PMQGYOnSU3pMPRW63ekzuq8ijlFTJUiLzikeQ9lyfqZ655YtIBe4KQQFXvUHzE-VZy1BbF2iYiyLBuk0/s1600/DSC_0077.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOh4g3DxtOH45iHUrR3cF815BVrXHmVpl4GiA5whD3wkS1OmifDXFfvDjm__eNbJ01fTVL712RrjwLHmbelOI0Su3D0XvXJO2D7x0ElpJXpM0AcgyZGOKEAZ5aP2l5Exf9N6I8VFgRQMg/s1600/DSC_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOh4g3DxtOH45iHUrR3cF815BVrXHmVpl4GiA5whD3wkS1OmifDXFfvDjm__eNbJ01fTVL712RrjwLHmbelOI0Su3D0XvXJO2D7x0ElpJXpM0AcgyZGOKEAZ5aP2l5Exf9N6I8VFgRQMg/s1600/DSC_0106.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfQWEajMnQ8ZaTXnMnobKptvKpAgE5wV0F1j7VE-tzWHJdyLZCXp3FD3oTa6TdBJwS_ykuuDhMCuTDlt9Wm8xei11W3qHJTTW2Fn0lt1YBciS8LtOs80-fsTISfnmtXP1zWExpQNHRUU/s640/blogger-image-1737212590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfQWEajMnQ8ZaTXnMnobKptvKpAgE5wV0F1j7VE-tzWHJdyLZCXp3FD3oTa6TdBJwS_ykuuDhMCuTDlt9Wm8xei11W3qHJTTW2Fn0lt1YBciS8LtOs80-fsTISfnmtXP1zWExpQNHRUU/s320/blogger-image-1737212590.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After the reception, my sister Christy (Linda) and her husband, Paul, took me to the airport to pick up my rental car because I had arrived at 2 a.m. and all the car rental places were closed. After that, we all went out to dinner at Abel's, which is a really fun restaurant with GREAT food. My nephew, Riki, treated me to dinner for my upcoming birthday. We had such a great time. Here's a picture of all of us on the patio.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F4OEX_SMq4kfuCjP4C9UCqPPcgQ9hRtu5MmNYuffVo_0cxq24l_pTZPbm3y7GXtOZT9l-hQQiW17MO8NUuCIEUV2HWjUGUHDePv2YhbAnHBJkJ5nTVR5W4V1unL_m8pqW7moof1hQxM/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F4OEX_SMq4kfuCjP4C9UCqPPcgQ9hRtu5MmNYuffVo_0cxq24l_pTZPbm3y7GXtOZT9l-hQQiW17MO8NUuCIEUV2HWjUGUHDePv2YhbAnHBJkJ5nTVR5W4V1unL_m8pqW7moof1hQxM/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The group at dinner, clockwise, from front-left: Jason, Dad, Mom, Beth and Derek, Paul, Christy, Aaron, Jeanee, Lexi, Riki (Steven), me, Jordan.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9uW6GJFSXTUR-eLqv7nOoaX0rrPq7bBwXbtqLylBxg8HCo3sr8qQpZbySzSdJNKmqM4gCwUw9Q7A-k-IPHgm7BzwDKEo6oXbLx8YYdaUIe4Iz7kr-sGEk_JvoyXNwpXimK-n4CGx0Gw/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9uW6GJFSXTUR-eLqv7nOoaX0rrPq7bBwXbtqLylBxg8HCo3sr8qQpZbySzSdJNKmqM4gCwUw9Q7A-k-IPHgm7BzwDKEo6oXbLx8YYdaUIe4Iz7kr-sGEk_JvoyXNwpXimK-n4CGx0Gw/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Fried Pickles, a Texas specialty. Wow. So Good!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ueo5j-KFgC6BVZfD43EfXOffKG6Z6_Uj10SLCqoMs2m8wRGsmvH5szvW8MFEk3REEttvHhz58sFZRnbtqJKtjRZLS6nlKCZWTtJRgLoeff3JOZNLrksjzr2XzfP2BjdGxzJg32Lk4kk/s1600/IMG_1041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ueo5j-KFgC6BVZfD43EfXOffKG6Z6_Uj10SLCqoMs2m8wRGsmvH5szvW8MFEk3REEttvHhz58sFZRnbtqJKtjRZLS6nlKCZWTtJRgLoeff3JOZNLrksjzr2XzfP2BjdGxzJg32Lk4kk/s1600/IMG_1041.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Pork chop, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Super good. Thanks, Riki!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
I'm so glad I made this trip, which, by the way, is a combined Father's Day and birthday (and every other gift-giving occasion for the net five years) gift from Noelle. I love her so much for giving me this opportunity to see my sweet sister married and spend time with family. Most of them came to the family reunion last summer, but I was mostly incoherent during what I've come to call my "Three Weeks of Hell." For those who only recently have begun to follow my blog, you can read the post from last July called "<a href="http://philpottsfight.blogspot.com/2013/07/an-unexpected-haiatus.html" target="_blank">An Unexpected Hiatus</a>" for more info on what that's all about. Anyway, Noelle's holding down the fort on her own for four days while I'm here, and I'm so grateful for the blessing she is in my life.</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
So, I figured, I'm traveling to Austin, Texas for the first (and perhaps only) time in my life. I may as well experience it a little. I'm staying through tomorrow (Tuesday). Yesterday was Father's Day, so I went to Lexington, a little town (population 1,177) where Christy and Paul live with Jason (Christy's youngest) and Beth (Christy's 2nd of 5 kids) and Beth's two sons, Jordan and Derek. Mom and Dad joined me and Beth and her boys at Beth's branch Sacrament Meeting and then went to Christy and Paul's place for the day. We had a gerat time just hanging out, playing games (it's the Mann Clann, after all), and talking all afternoon and evening. After a gerat dinner and dessert, and about 1/2 an hour "FaceTime-ing" with my kids (I love modern technology), I drove back to my hotel and tossed and turned until I finally fell asleep some time around 3 a.m. It's just hard for me to sleep without Noelle by my side. 17-1/2 years of sleeping next to someone you love deeply will do that to you. =0)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Anyway, today, I'm meeting Gwen, Yasir, Mom, Dad and Christy for lunch at The Salt Lick - a supposedly great BBQ place South-West of Austin, then sight-seeing the rest of today and tomorrow until I have to check in at the airport around 5:00 for my 6:45 flight home. It should be fun. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Well, that's about it for now. I'll post more in the next few days about today and tomorrow's activities. Until then...</div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-66711698034533540062014-06-08T11:10:00.003-06:002014-06-08T11:12:03.273-06:00Accessing the Grace of Christ in Our Daily Lives<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I spoke
in Sacrament Meeting this morning for the first time in nearly two years.
Noelle and I spoke in July or August 2012, shortly after we moved into our new
ward. This time, I was asked to speak on the topic of grace. I know it makes
for a very long blog post, but the full text of my
talk is below. I include it in my blog because it deals a lot with the challenges I've had over the past 20 1/2 months, and how the grace of my Savior has been so incredibly important in sustaining, strengthening, comforting and enabling me through it all...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
Abraham 3:25, we read of a conversation between God and Christ before sending
us all to Earth. God said, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they
will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” In this
verse, the word “prove” means to try or test. God did <u>not</u> say
“we will see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall
command them <u>when life is easy</u>.” This life is hard. It was meant to
be so. Otherwise it wouldn’t be much of a test. Lehi instructed his sons to be
ready for challenges when he told them “it must needs be that there is an
opposition in <i>all</i> things” (2 Nephi 2:11, emphasis added). But
there is a purpose in the opposition we face. Lehi continued: “if it were not
so…righteousness could not be brought to pass, …neither holiness, …neither
good” (2 Nephi 2:11). Lehi is telling us that without the opposition that comes
to us in our lives, we would have no ability to develop the level of
righteousness, holiness and goodness we need to be prepared to return to the
presence of God and enjoy the full blessings that come to His faithful
children.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
apostle Paul was a man who knew a bit about opposition. He was heavily involved
in the opposition to the early Church and its members throughout the Holy
Lands. Following his conversion, he travelled thousands of miles throughout
Palestine, western Asia, and Europe, to repair the damage he had done and to bring
others to Christ. He was imprisoned, shipwrecked and suffered many further
oppressions for the sake of the Gospel. Through all of the opposition he faced
on the Lord’s side of things, his faith was tested and his testimony of the
resurrected Savior was opposed at every turn. How did he go on? Where did he
find the strength to do all that he did? In Philippians 4:13, Paul attests: “I
can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” How is it that Jesus
Christ strengthened him in his times of darkness and light, scarcity and
plenty, turmoil and peace? It was through the strengthening, comforting and
enabling power of the Savior that we call grace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On
Saturday, December 1, 2012, my family and I had a singular experience. Less
than two months after my diagnosis with Plasma Cell Leukemia, we received a
personal visit from Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
while he was visiting our stake and reorganizing the Stake Presidency. He took
time out of his very busy day to talk with us and to teach us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
seating himself humbly on the piano bench, which was easily the least
comfortable seat in the room, Elder Bednar looked at me and said simply, “How
goes the battle.” I briefly explained to him how things were going and what lay
ahead of us. He then asked, “As you’ve been going through this, what have you
seen in yourself that has surprised you.” I spoke of how simple faith can also
be profound, and how I’ve determined to allow the Lord to refine and prepare me
for whatever lies next in my life. Elder Bednar then asked Noelle “What has
surprised you about yourself through all of this?” Noelle talked about the
strength she’s felt in being able to handle everything. Then Elder Bednar
talked about where that strength comes from. He said that too often in the
Church, we focus on how the Atonement “scrubs us clean,” as if those who have
already been cleaned have no way to put the Atonement to use in their daily
lives. He said that we don’t speak enough about the strength and comfort that come
through the Atonement. “That is what grace is,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bible
Dictionary defines grace as “divine means of help or strength, given through
the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.” It goes on to say, “It is
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice,
…that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and
repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that
they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This
grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal
life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts” (p. 697).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In his
first General Conference address as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder
Bednar talked about grace as an additive to our weak but “best efforts” to help
us accomplish the good we need to do in life. He highlighted the Book of Mormon
prophet Jacob’s testimony that “the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we
may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the
children of men, that we have power to do these things” (Jacob 4:7). Elder
Bednar continues: “…the enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement
helps us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could never
recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For what
“good works” do we require the grace of Christ to accomplish? Every single one.
When is His grace available to us? Gratefully, always. And when do we need
Christ’s grace? The answer is the same: always. We all need grace in our daily
lives. But how can we arrive at the point that the Lord will intervene in our
behalf with His grace?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
General Conference in April 1993, Elder Gene R. Cook explained “five principles
that may help us obtain that divine intervention” (<i>Receiving Divine
Assistance through the Grace of the Lord</i>). They are faith, repentance,
humility, doing all in our power, and keeping the commandments. Is any one of
us surprised that those would be the conditions for receiving this supernal
gift from the Savior?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Moroni
tells us that “Christ hath said: If ye will have <u>faith</u> in me
ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).
Whose power will we have by our faith? The Lord’s power. In his epistle to the
Romans, Paul says that “being justified by <u>faith</u>, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“By whom
also we have access by <u>faith</u> into this grace” (Rom. 5:1-2).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Repentance is the second condition by which we access grace. In
the Book of Helaman, we read: “Therefore, blessed are they who will <u>repent</u>.
…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“And may God grant … that men might be brought unto <u>repentance</u> and
good works, that they might be restored unto grace for grace,
according to their works” (Hel. 12:23–24). Elder Cook explains that “a
repentant heart and good works are the very conditions required to have grace
restored to us” when that power has been lost.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Humility
is also a key. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the <u>humble</u>”
(James 4:6). We must be humble enough to accept that we cannot do all that we
need to do in this life without the assistance of He who is “mighty to save”
(Alma 34:18).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We can’t
expect the Lord to do everything for us, though. Nephi stated clearly that “by
grace…we are saved, <u>after all we can do</u>” (2 Ne 25:23). Elder Cook
adds that “unless one has done all in his own power, he cannot expect the grace
of God to be manifest. …Once one has given all he can, then the Lord, through
His grace, may assist him.” “Therefore, …let us cheerfully do all things that
lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to
see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed” (D&C 123:17).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally,
we don’t have to be perfect to access grace, but we need to do our very best to
keep the commandments. The Savior instructed, “If you <u>keep my
commandments</u> you shall receive of [God’s] fullness …; therefore, …you
shall receive grace for grace” (D&C 93:20). When we show the Lord our
faith, repentance, humility, and willingness to do all we can to be obedient,
the windows of Heaven are opened, and grace pours down upon us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">All home
and visiting teachers who have ever had to “dig deep” to fulfill their
assignment and keep their commitment to the Lord, their priesthood leaders and
those they serve have accessed the grace of the Lord in doing His work. Every
bishop who has had to rely upon revelation to know how best to counsel a ward
member has benefited from this “enabling power.” Every mother who has knelt in
prayer at the side of a sick child to seek peace of mind for herself and
healing for one she loves has been blessed by the comforting power of Christ’s
grace. This grace has been extended to all who have sought comfort when their
hearts are empty and hurting as loved ones pass from this life into the next.
All of us who have called upon the mercy and kindness of a forgiving Father in
Heaven to heal our hearts and eliminate one more shade of “the natural man” in
our lives have only received forgiveness through the grace made possible
through the Atonement of Jesus. In short, every one of us who strives along the
“strait and narrow” path that leads to eternal life needs the grace of Jesus
Christ to strengthen our hands, steady our feet, and focus our vision more
clearly on the “</span><span style="color: black;">tree of life, whose fruit
is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and…the
greatest of all the gifts of God” (1 Ne. 15:36)</span><span style="color: black;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The words
of an old spiritual attest to the need for grace on an ongoing basis:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Through
many dangers, toils and snares<br />
I have already come;<br />
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far<br />
and Grace will lead me home. (<i>Amazing Grace</i>, John Newton)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Elder
Bednar asks if we can “sense the grace and strengthening power of Christ in the
testimony of Ammon?” Ammon says, “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my
strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of
my God, for in his strength I can do all things…for which [I] will praise his
name forever” (Alma 26:12). Truly, … in the strength of the Lord we can do and
endure and overcome all things.” Brothers and sisters, I testify that I have
learned that for myself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
incredibly grateful to be able to say that going through four rounds of
chemotherapy was not a huge ordeal for me. Sure, I lost my strength and
stamina, and food didn’t taste good to me, but I wasn’t anywhere near as sick
as I had anticipated being. Then in February of last year I went through the
first of two stem cell transplants. The three weeks I spent in the hospital
were like walking “through the valley of the shadow of death.” In addition to
needing regular transfusions of red blood cells, plasma and platelets, and
feeling incredibly weak and tired all the time, I also developed typhlitis, an
infection in my gut that made it impossible to eat or digest anything.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While in
the hospital recovering from my second transplant just three months later, I
developed Graft vs. Host Disease, giving me sores in my mouth and throat that
made swallowing anything a burden. The pain was so intense that I needed a pain
pump to administer to my own relief.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nine days
after being released from the hospital after my second transplant, I was back
in a hospital bed with a liver and kidneys that were failing. My medicines
weren’t being filtered out of my body properly and ultimately became toxins to
my body. My brain activity dropped to about half of normal and I lost my
abilities to do most of the very simple things we all take for granted every
day like shifting my own body in bed, bathing, eating and communicating
effectively. At times, I would have complete sentences going through my head as
I wanted to participate in conversations between Noelle, my doctors and nurses,
and others, but only grunts and groans would come out of my mouth. I remember
wondering if I would ever come back to normal, and why the Lord would allow me
to suffer as I was. As my liver and kidneys slowly began working again, I was
able to speak and eat a little, but needed help walking. For several days I
worked with the hospital’s physical therapists, having to walk with a walker.
On the first day with the walker, I couldn’t even go 10 feet without walking my
therapist into the wall. Gradually, my ability to walk, talk and eat came back
to me, and I was able to return home to continue my recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For the
next couple months, everything I did was laborious. Noelle and I had to move to
the ground floor of our home because I was so weak that it was unsafe for me to
climb the stairs to our bedroom. I shuffled my feet everywhere I went. If I
tripped, I couldn’t catch myself without falling to the ground with a heavy
thud. When I was on the ground, I needed to crawl to a bed or a stair to help
myself get up, or have someone pick me up. I was 41, but felt like I was 101.
Being bald didn’t help me feel any younger, either. =0)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alma
tells us that Christ suffered as deeply as he did in Gethsemane and on the
cross “that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the
flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his
people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:12). Elder Jeffrey R.
Holland has explained that “<i>to succor</i> means ‘to run to’,” and “that
Christ will run to us, and is running even now, if we will but receive the
extended arm of his mercy” (“Teaching, Preaching, Healing,” <i>Ensign</i>,
Jan. 2003).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Much has
been said about the value one could derive from walking in another man’s shoes.
Unfortunately, cancer is something I’ve found that is a singular experience for
every patient, even if the kind of cancer they have and the treatment regimen
they go through is identical to that of another. Every patient’s body
experiences those things in their own unique way. Though I had the assistance
and sympathy of many who love me, and the relative empathy of other leukemia
patients I had met, I was alone in my particular experience. In his visit to
our home several months before, Elder Bednar had expressed his conviction that
“when we feel the most alone is when the Savior draws nearest to us.” As awful
as I felt physically through all of these health issues, I felt the Savior draw
near to me every day through the grace He offered me. His promise that as we
“draw near unto [Him]” that “[He] will draw near unto [us]” (D&C 88:63)
became evident as I called upon Him in frequent prayer. God’s words to Joseph
Smith echoed through my mind: “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity
and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it
well, God shall exalt thee on high” (D&C 121:7-8).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the
course of the last 20 ½ months since a shoulder injury led to MRIs, blood tests
and, ultimately, discussions about blood, bone marrow and leukemia, it’s been
interesting to see and feel the infinitely merciful and gracious hand of the
Lord in my life. Many times, I’ve seen it in the good things that you, our
fellow ward members, have done for my family when moved upon by the Holy
Spirit. Many times, I’ve witnessed the manifestation of Christ’s grace when
doctors have no medical explanation for the illness or the subsequent healing.
I’ve felt the comforting power of His grace in the peace He’s given me through
the Holy Ghost in times of sadness, loneliness and illness. I’ve seen His grace
in the strength He’s given Noelle to suffer alongside me with courage and with
the conviction that it will all turn out alright.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brothers
and sisters, I testify that our Savior lives. In the words of a favorite hymn:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He lives
to comfort me when faint.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He lives
to hear my soul’s complaint.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He lives
to silence all my fears.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He lives
to wipe away my tears.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He lives
to calm my troubled heart.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He lives
all blessings to impart. (“I Know That My Redeemer Lives,” <i>Hymns</i>,
136)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is
through the grace of Christ, made possible through His infinite, merciful and
loving Atonement for us all that these blessings are made available to us. I
know that He is always there and that His grace is always available to us to
strengthen us, comfort us, and empower us in all we do. I have felt this power.
I testify that “if [we] shall deny [ourselves] of all ungodliness, and love God
with all [our] might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for [us],
that by his grace [we] may be perfect in Christ” (Moro. 10:32). I pray that we
might always choose to access grace by doing all we can to live in accordance
with our covenants and always being engaged in good works. May we then live in
constant gratitude for the “enabling power” of grace in our daily lives. In the
name of Jesus Christ, amen.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-8314988266335686192014-06-01T16:46:00.001-06:002014-06-03T18:32:07.246-06:00One Year...And CountingOn Thursday, May 29, 2014, I celebrated one of the most significant days of my life. It was the first anniversary of the stem cell (bone marrow) transplant that saved my life, or what I like to call my "TRANSPLANTIVERSARY."<div><br></div><div>The "celebration" began on Tuesday, with my 1-year work-up appointment at LDS Hospital. The appointment consisted of a clinic visit with a Zometa (bone strengthener) infusion, a GVH assessment, a bone marrow biopsy, a chest x-ray, a full body skeletal survey, a CT scan, and a pulmonary function test. Also, because I had tested positive the two Tuesdays before for Epstein-Barr virus, they wanted me to receive an infusion of Rituxin. With everything else going on, we never even got to the pulmonary test. I showed up at the hospital at 8:30 in the morning, and didn't leave until shortly after 10 o'clock at night. Of course, the purpose behind all of this was to assess how my body is doing, and whether or not I'm still cancer-free.</div><div><br></div><div>Well, the results are in, and I'm extremely happy to report that I am 100% cancer-free, and my marrow is 100% donor marrow. That last part is especially significant because as long as my marrow is my donor's marrow, it can't produce the cancer. My Plasma Cell Leukemia came about because my DNA "broke" and started telling my marrow to produce faulty, cancerous white blood cells. Well, gratefully, my donor's marrow is not controlled by my DNA. That's a good thing. My bones are still as porous as they have been since my diagnosis, and they will never regenerate the hard, outer bone tissue that has been destroyed by my multiple myeloma. My lymph nodes, heart, lungs, and other internal organs are all doing well. On June 10, Noelle and I will meet with Dr. Mitchell, and discuss all of the results and findings from all of the tests on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>On Thursday, our family celebrated my transplantiversary with donuts and orange juice in the morning. I also went to lunch with the director of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk to discuss fund raising ideas and plans for my team for this October's walk. The LLS is the largest funding source for leukemia and lymphoma research and is partially responsible for the medical advances that have made such a difference in saving my life. They've also helped my family through a copay assistance program that has helped us aford all of my prescriptions<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">. I just want to give back. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I plan to raise over $3,000 for leukemia and lymphoma research and patient support in the months leading up to the walk.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> If anyone reading this wants to be a part of my team, helping me with the "FUN-raising" activities I'll be doing (like a dinner and dessert auction, BUNCO nights, an LLS Spirit Night at Chick-Fil-A, and more...), or walk with me and my family at the Light the Night Walk (Saturday, October 13), please let me know.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">On Saturday, I held my annual Be The Match donor drive. It was a success, as the drive coordinator for the Western Region tells me that anything over 20 registrants is a success. We registered 21 people on Saturday, with several others committed to join in the coming days. They just couldn't make it to the drive itself. We also raised $635 with individual contributions ranging from spare change to $100. Every dollar counts, as it costs Be The Match $100 to process each registration. Fundraising continues on an ongoing basis. If anyone wants to make a contribution, the link to do so is: http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/goto/philpott.</font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">My Graft vs. Host Disease (GVH or GVHD) continues on my skin. Interestingly enough, it's also causing my hair to fall out. I have a big bald spot in the middle of my chest, the hair all over my body is thinning, including my eyebrows and the hair on top of my head. It's funny. I never lost my eyebrows when the rest of the hair on my body was lost with chemo and transplants, and now, more than a year after my last chemo dose, I appear to be losing them. It'll be interesting to find out if I lose all the hair on my head, or if it just thins. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">And finally, I didn't get the part-time job I interviewed for with the LLS. Oh well. If it was meant to be it would have happened. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">More later...</font></div>John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-8686948244996172732014-05-29T07:49:00.001-06:002014-06-01T11:32:20.705-06:00"Day +365"I wrote this on Thursday. I'm not sure why I never posted it...<div><br></div><div>365 days ago this morning, my body was completely devoid of bone marrow. With my own marrow, I would have died. With marrow donated to me by an anonymous 29-year old somewhere in the world, I had a chance to live. On Wednesday, May 29, 2013, also known as "Day +0," my nurse and two representatives of the American Red Cross delivered my donor's stem cells to my room, hooked them up to my IV, and thus began my new lease on life. Stem cells are the core material of bone marrow. Bone marrow is what creates blood. My donor's stem cells floated around in my blood stream for a few days, looking for a new home. They ultimately found their way to my hollowed-out bones and set up shop there, creating Marrow that was ultimately create new blood for me. Just under two weeks after my transplant my blood counts started coming up, and I was on my way back. The O- blood that I was born with, and which had since become cancerous, was gone and my donor's healthy A- blood began flowing through my body. It's an amazing blessing, my gratitude for which I will never be able to adequately express. Every day I live is thanks to a selfless person somewhere in the world who decided it was important to help save a stranger's life. Whoever you are, wherever you are, you are my hero. </div>John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-58663603142813814102014-05-17T15:35:00.002-06:002014-05-17T16:03:12.201-06:00Coming Up On One Year Post-Transplant...I can't believe it. In just 12 days, I'll be celebrating my first "transplantiversary" (transplant anniversary). In some ways this past year has flown by, and in other ways, it's dragged on and on and on. But with my first transplantiversary come several key events...<br />
<br />
First, the milestone itself. Plasma Cell Leukemia is a very aggressive form of Multiple Myeloma with a very poor prognosis. Transplants don't always work. Many PCL patients never even make it to transplant, let alone through it. Hitting one year post-transplant is a big deal. I get misty-eyed just thinking about all of the miracles that have occurred to get me to this point. Just to enumerate the various key blessings/miracles that have gotten me here...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>My shoulder injury that started it all.</li>
<li>How quickly I was able to recover from two bouts of pneumonia, only being hospitalized for two days for the first bout, and never for the second.</li>
<li>My company's willingness to allow me to miss many hours of work from October 2012 - February 2013 so I could go in for chemotherapy and hospital stays, and get the rest I needed as my body was going through some rough stuff.</li>
<li>How well my body responded to my autologous transplant on February 22, 2013, which prepared me well for my next one.</li>
<li>The fact that we were able to find a perfect 10-out-of-10 donor match for my allogeneic transplant who was willing to donate and to work with us to coordinate a good date for his donation and my transplant. I owe my life to him.</li>
<li>The amazing science behind bone marrow/stem cell transplants. Without the advances in chemotherapy, transplant science and technology over the past 10-20 years, I would not be alive today.</li>
<li>My medical team at LDS Hospital's Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit, who worked so hard to map out a plan for the treatment of my rare cancer. Many of them have become great friends to me.</li>
<li>The interaction of my donor's cells with my body. Even though I've gotten some mild GVHD, my donor's cells have also eradicated the cancerous cells from my body. Any amount of GVHD is worth that. </li>
<li>My recovery from failing kidneys and liver last summer. The doctors performed a litany of tests on me and still couldn't figure out why my body couldn't/wouldn't filter out my medications. I was very close to going into the Intensive Care Unit and going on dialysis. Then, miraculously, I began to improve after 12 days of going downhill. Many prayers were answered.</li>
<li>The fact that for just over 12 months, I had a peripheral or central line in me and never got an infection from it. That's very, very rare.</li>
</ul>
<div>
The second big deal about reaching my transplantiversary is that I get to go through a similar "work-up" to what we did at the 100 day mark. I'll have more blood tests than usual, a full-body bone survey, a urinalysis and a bone marrow biopsy to see if I'm still in full remission or not. That's a bit of a nerve wracking thing. I'm pretty sure we'll be doing that on the 27th, two days before I hit one year. I'll probably get my biopsy results on the 29th, my actual transplantiversary. Fun.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The third thing is that I'll be hosting my now-annual bone marrow donor drive on May 31st. I plan to have it on or around my transplantiversary every year for the rest of my life. It's a kind of re-birthday present I'm giving back to the system that found my donor for me. My hope is to add 100 people a year to the registry. I've also become a Volunteer Ambassador for the National Marrow Donor Program/BeTheMatch.org. That means I'm qualified to run my own drives and collect financial donations to the program to help pay for the process of adding people to the registry. It costs the registry about $100 to add just one potential donor. Here's what I need for my donor drive...</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><u><b>DONORS!!!</b></u> I need any and everyone I know between 18 and 44 who's not on the registry to look into joining. Even with 11.5 million people on the registry, some patients still hear their doctors say, "I'm sorry, but there's no match for you." Those words are like a death sentence for patients with various forms of leukemia, lymphoma and other blood disorders. I want to do what I can to ensure as few people as possible ever have to hear those awful words. You can go to <a href="http://bethematch.org/Transplant-Basics/">http://bethematch.org/Transplant-Basics/</a> to learn more about how transplants and marrow donations work, and other information you may want to know. </li>
<li><u><b>VOLUNTEERS!!!</b></u> I can't run the drive by myself. I need to have a few others there with me at all times to ensure that prospective donors are met at the door, given the necessary information and forms, asked the appropriate medical questions, and assisted with the collection of their cheek swab. There's no blood test or anything, so don't worry if that kind of stuff makes you queasy. =0)</li>
<li><b><u>FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTORS!!!</u></b> Like I said, it costs about $100 to add someone to the registry. The Be The Match Registry doesn't require the prospective donors to contribute any of that money, but it has to come from somewhere. Both businesses and individuals can get a tax write-off for their contributions, as well as a big hug and "thank you" from yours truly. Any amount contributed is needed and appreciated. If any business owners or others who read this are willing/able to contribute, please let me know. You can come to the drive to make your contributions or donate online at: <a href="http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/goto/philpott">http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/goto/philpott</a>. There are also opportunities for retail businesses to do a pin-up contributions campaign, where at the register, customers are asked if they'd like to help blood cancer patients be matched with life-saving marrow donors for only $1. They contribute a dollar and get a little pin up card with their name on it to post in a prominent place in the store. The point is, any way you can contribute financially helps provide people like me with donors, and provide donors the opportunity to save a life at no cost to them.</li>
<li><b><u>BAKERS AND GOODIE MAKERS!!!</u></b> One of my nurses at the BMT unit is going to bring some cupcakes or something for us to sell at the drive, and anyone else who would like to bring something like that is welcome. That's an easy way to help raise funds, as well. Even kids can feel like they're a part of finding donors for patients like me.</li>
<li><b><u>PEOPLE TO COME BUY GOODIES!!!</u></b> They're goodies. They're being sold for a good cause. Need I say more? =0)</li>
</ul>
<div>
If you'd like a flyer for the drive, just shoot me an email (philpott672@gmail.com) and I'll send one to you. Here's a .jpg image of the flyer, though I don't know how good the quality of it will be if you try to print it out. The .pdf is perfect for printing and posting on your workplace bulletin boards (hint, hint!).<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLghXfwMV4s-yApIaZOI4XiOV-6BLAKHbTia2vsJl0LuEyLEOKoqy04B_Y-7EC8dhbQTXf1Smip-E4z_xGGC2M_Je70VNxQ0sLgW0UK7MWHlHChv9MUnzBI6Ns0oiR9LaT4619A_2dnAE/s1600/2014+Donor+Drive+Flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLghXfwMV4s-yApIaZOI4XiOV-6BLAKHbTia2vsJl0LuEyLEOKoqy04B_Y-7EC8dhbQTXf1Smip-E4z_xGGC2M_Je70VNxQ0sLgW0UK7MWHlHChv9MUnzBI6Ns0oiR9LaT4619A_2dnAE/s1600/2014+Donor+Drive+Flyer.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The last really exciting thing about hitting one year post-transplant is that I get to contact the Be The Match Registry and request the contact information of my donor. If he is open to having contact and the confidentiality guidelines/laws of his country allow it, I can know who he is and where he lives, and have a way to reach out to him and try to arrange for us to meet. I'd like nothing more than to give him a big hug and thank him for saving my life. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On a side note, my GVHD is back - still on the skin. This time it's gone after my face, back and legs more than any other part of the body. It's livable. No need or desire to really complain. I'm alive, after all. What's a little itchiness and dry or blotchy skin compared to the gift of life? Nothing at all.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I guess the last thing I should mention is that I've applied for a job. It's with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, working as an assistant in their School and Youth program. The office is only about 5-10 minutes from home, and it's only 20-30 hours a week, so it's ideal in that regard. The best thing about it is that I'd be working for the organization that's responsible for funding so much of the research that has led to the medical advances that have saved my life. They also provide grants to leukemia patients like me to help offset the costs of prescriptions, co-pays and medical insurance. It'd be awesome to work for them doing something I'm passionate about. I'm done with traditional business-to-business sales, but my sales and public speaking background can help me be a great member of the LLS team. Here's hoping my interviews go well...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's it for now. Let me know if and how you can help with my marrow donor drive.</div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-53379011742889603632014-04-28T13:41:00.003-06:002014-04-28T13:41:43.496-06:00GVHD Update and Some Good NewsIt's only been a few days, but I wanted to post an update on how things are going with my GVHD. It seems to be going away, or at least subsiding quite a bit. My appointment at the BMT clinic went well. I was given a new prescription for that cream I talked about in my last post...only this time it was for a 1-pound vat of the stuff. My skin is nowhere near as rashy or dry as it was, and I don't itch quite as regularly. Then again, I <u>was</u> itching 24/7, so any improvement in that regard is a good one. I'm hoping that with the continued use of the cream it'll go away completely so I don't have to bump up my Cyclosporine again or go back on steroids. That would be a huge bummer because it would delay further my re-entry into society...able to work, able to attend church, able to go to public places without my mask, etc.<br />
<br />
Good news...My friend Rebecca is finally out of the hospital. She had a really rough go of things following her second transplant which was necessitated by her relapse. I discussed her relapse in a post on February 15th called "<a href="http://philpottsfight.blogspot.com/2014/02/when-science-isnt-enough.html" target="_blank">When Science Isn't Enough</a>." When I went into the clinic on Friday, she and her mom were there in the infusion room while Rebecca was getting a dose of Vidaza. She looks tired and worn down still, but <u>so</u> <u>much</u> better than she looked a week and a half before when we stopped by to see her as an inpatient at my previous clinic visit. It did my heart good to know that she was out of the hospital and able to sleep in her own bed...and not be hooked up to a pole constantly. That, my friends is one of the most frustrating things about being an inpatient. You've got to take that blasted pole with you everywhere you go...on your walks around the unit, to the bathroom, to the shower. Ugh. Anyway, I'm thrilled that she's out of the hospital. Recovery goes so much faster out of the hospital than in.<br />
<br />
I get to see Mike Myatt (the kingpin of "the guys") this afternoon and Friday evening, as he's traveling through Salt Lake City between Sacramento and Boston. He has some business stuff going on in Boston this week and was able to get flights that had layovers here in SLC. It's always good to see him.<br />
<br />
That's it for now. One of my shortest posts ever is in the books...John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-86419029597149385382014-04-23T21:01:00.002-06:002014-04-24T09:58:42.853-06:00GVHD and Some Candor About Loss, Grief and TherapyWell, it's here...again. I've got Graft vs. Host Disease. So fun. Actually, compared to how it was just after my transplant last spring, this really isn't that awful. My allogeneic (donor) transplant was on May 29th last year. While recovering in the hospital over the next couple weeks, I got some GVHD throughout my GI tract...mouth and throat sores that made it very hard to eat and swallow and necessitated a pain pump, and issues with my gut and bowels I won't describe in any detail. =0)<br />
<br />
Now I've got GVH of the skin. My donor's cells are viewing my skin system as something foreign - remember that no one told my donor's cells they were "moving" - so they're attacking it. I have bumpy, rashy skin all over my body...well...not really <u>all</u> over. The soles of my feet, the palms of my hands, my...um..."stuff," and the majority of my face have been spared...to this point, at least. There are a couple splotches that look like dry, raised little lesions on my legs, the back of my left hand, and one on my bum by my waist. Around my eyebrows, eyelids and around my hairline, the skin is dry and flaky.<br />
<br />
At my clinic visit last week Tuesday, the GVH wasn't quite as bad as it is now. A cream-based medicine was prescribed for me, but I'm just about out and my insurance won't allow a refill until the end of this week. Ugh. I can't put the cream on my face, so I just have to live with it there, I guess. There's a pill I can take for the GVH, but my doctor wanted to just stick with the cream and bump up my Cyclosporine (immuno-suppressant) and see if the symptoms subsided. Bummer. Now, there's the possibility that I'll have to go back on steroids...my favorite. Remember how grotesquely swollen my head and body got last summer and fall? Yeah, that was the steroids' wonderful work. I'm really NOT excited about that prospect. That'll just delay my ability to re-enter society as a whole even longer. Once you're on steroids, you have to taper them gradually. The tapering process feels like it takes forever, and the steroids also sap my energy. I really hope they can find another way to manage this GVH. I've scheduled a clinic visit for Friday to reevaluate my GVH and determine what we're going to do.<br />
<br />
The GVH really doesn't hamper my daily activities...it just makes me itch a lot right now. It can get a lot worse, as I understand. The skin can thicken and get really tight and inflexible. At every clinic visit since my transplant, I've been asked to put my hands palm-to-palm in front of my chest with my fingers pointing up like I'm praying. They always look at how flexed my wrists can go to see if I've been losing any flexibility. I hope it never gets so bad that walking, cooking, typing, showering and other activities become terribly difficult.<br />
<br />
Hmmm... Let's see... What else has been going on?<br />
<br />
Sarah, the therapist I've been seeing since last September for mood/temper/grief issues is moving to Connecticut with her husband and son for a job transfer for her husband. I had my last visit with her a couple weeks ago. Sarah's been so great for me. Gratefully, she's referred me to a colleague of hers named Kathy. I've had a couple visits with her now, and it looks like that will be a good fit, too. The amount of grieving I was going through last summer had begun to become oppressive and I was trying to keep it all bottled up and stay strong. I wasn't succeeding. My mood spiraled downward and my temper got a little hot. You see, there's a lot of loss you go through with leukemia and stem cell transplants and such. Let me just innumerate some of the key losses I've experienced, either for a while or on an on-going basis...<br />
<br />
<b>I lost my health.</b> Though I've never been svelte and muscular - what might fit the classic definition of being "fit" - I've always enjoyed pretty solid health. Several years ago, when working five consecutive stressful weeks in Hayward, CA, one day I thought I was having a heart attack and was rushed to the Kaiser Emergency Room. After a litany of tests, the ER doc came in and said, "Mr. Philpott, we've checked everything. You're the healthiest 'sick person' I've ever seen. My prescription: some Tums and a lot less stress." Well, with the cancer came chemotherapy, which wasn't really awful for me (thankfully), but did sap my energy and strength a bit. Then came my transplants, my "three weeks of hell" last June and July, and my subsequent loss of virtually all strength, energy and semblance of health. I felt like death just barely warmed over almost all the time.<br />
<br />
<b>I lost the freedom to make concrete plans for the future.</b> When you're diagnosed with cancer, plans kind of go out the window...at least for a while. The reality of that all set in and slapped me in the face right away when my test results came in, changing my working diagnosis of ALL to PCL, receiving a call from LDS Hospital to schedule me for admittance to begin my chemo, being told I'd be there for about 6 weeks starting that day, then within a couple days of admittance being told it'd only be about a week, being released then admitted again with pneumonia less than a week later and only two days before my daughter's baptism. Yikes! If that whirlwind didn't teach me to not fill my calendar with anything that wasn't related to my cancer and its treatments for a while, I don't know what would have. Everything became about "when's my next chemo appointment," or "when's my next test," or "when do I have to take more blasted pills?" With my transplants, planning anything became even more difficult. I didn't even know how long I'd be in the hospital. I haven't even mentioned long-term plans. There was a pretty consistent fear related to all of the "what-ifs" that crept in. <i>What if I don't make it through transplant? What if the transplant doesn't work? </i>When I was in the hospital with failing kidneys and liver and unable to communicate with anyone, I wondered, <i>what if I'm a vegetable the rest of my life? </i>With those kinds of negative "what-ifs" running through my brain, I had a difficult time planning to do anything or looking forward to anything that was very far down the road. Getting back to work someday, seeing my kids graduate high school and college, going on missions, getting married, having children of their own...sometimes it was nearly impossible for me to imagine actually being around for those things. I've always been a dreamer. I've always loved looking ahead to things. The excitement and anticipation have always been about as much fun as the actual thing I'm looking forward to. Having that taken away was devastating.<br />
<br />
<b>I lost my job.</b> February 14, 2013 was the last day I worked my day job. I've been taught all my life that one of my primary roles is to be a provider for my family. I've always worked hard to do so, and losing the opportunity to even try was terribly frustrating. Losing my income was tough, too. We went seven months after leaving my job before my first Social Security Disability payment finally came in, and I felt like I was failing my family. I knew it wasn't my fault that the cancer had taken away my ability to fulfill my role as provider, but it's hard to look at the bills coming in every month and not <u>feel</u> like it's your fault you have to struggle so hard to pay them.<br />
<br />
<b>I lost my temper</b> a lot more regularly. With the frustration and anger about all of the various losses I was experiencing, coupled with the steroids I was taking, my patience always seemed to run paper-thin. I found myself spending a ton of time apologizing to Noelle and the kids for losing it so often. I love my family. Anyone who knows me well knows how devoted to them I am. I just struggled with reflecting my love and devotion to them in my words and actions.<br />
<br />
<b>I lost my ability to do a lot of things around the house.</b> Because my immune system is so compromised, I can't be around anything dusty or any heavy-duty cleaning agents. I can't vacuum, dust, or mow the lawn. I can't clean the bathroom. I can't cut my boys' hair. I enjoy cooking, and wanted to do it a lot for my family seeing as I was home all the time, but just didn't have the energy to be in the kitchen and on my feet all day or even for just a couple hours. It's hard to want to help with all the time you have, but be denied the opportunity, either by your doctors or your body. Which leads me to the next thing...<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
<b>I lost a lot of my self-worth.</b> It's hard to not feel kind of worthless to those around you when they spend so much time and energy serving you and doing things for you and others you feel like you should be doing, and you don't feel like you can give anything of yourself back to them. I struggled with feelings that if I weren't around, life would be a lot more pleasant for everyone I care about. I felt like I contributed nothing of value to my family, my church, my community, or my relationships with others while draining them of all of their time, talents, resources and energy. That's really hard for someone who has always needed and derived a great deal of satisfaction from a sense of belonging...being a contributing and valued member of a family, a church congregation, a group of friends, etc.<br />
<br />
<b>I lost my ability to go to church with my family every Sunday.</b> Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka the Mormon Church) spend at least three hours every Sunday in regular church meetings...not including choir practice or any other special meetings. Some people outside the Church suggest that's excessive, but I've always enjoyed it. There's a great deal one learns when they attend three solid hours of sharing thoughts, feelings and testimonies of Jesus Christ and His gospel with others. This weekly tradition, along with personal and family scripture study and prayer, has helped me to develop the faith that has been my foundation through the struggles of the last 19 months. The learning and development of faith is one thing. The sense of fellowship and the relationships one develops is also incredibly important. My family moved to our new home, and thereby changed our ward (or congregation), just three months before my diagnosis. That's just not enough time to really get to know many people and become immersed in the social aspect of the Church. Our ward has been wonderfully supportive through our cancer journey, but it's hard - really hard - for me to not know many of the people with whom my family attends church and to not feel connected to my "ward family."<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I lost my looks.</b> I'm not vain, but when I looked in the mirror following transplant, hairless and weighing in at a scant 170 pounds, I didn't see myself. I saw my father just before his death from cancer in 2006. When I went on steroids, and my body ballooned from 170 pounds to nearly 250 pounds in just a couple months, I didn't look much like myself, either. My skin was stretched to the limit and I have the stretch marks to prove it. It's not that I wanted to look movie-star handsome; I just wanted to look like myself.<br />
<br />
Anyway, that's a lot to lose. During one clinic visit in late August or early September of last year, I ended up opening up to my PA about the stresses and emotional problems I was having. I finally owned up to the fact that I needed some help dealing with it all. Gratefully, I was told that this issue is very, very common among BMT patients - and I'd imagine all or most cancer patients. That helped me feel better. I was given an anti-depressant medication called Effexor (sp?), and began seeing Sarah. Change didn't dome right away, but gradually things have gotten better - much better. Do I still lose my temper? Yes, but nowhere near as often as I used to. Do I still get down sometimes, grieving for the things I've lost? Yes, but I have some tools to help me get through it now. I'm so incredibly grateful for the therapy I've been through and will continue to go through and for the patience of my wife and children as I work on me.<br />
<br />
I guess the last thing I should mention is that I've decided to write a book. I'm still working out the kinks when it comes to the book's scope and focus. Just in making some early notes, I've realized that this thing could really get out of hand when it comes to the quantity of material/pages. I hope to keep the size down to a size that's not intimidating to anyone, but still have enough substance to be of worth to its target audience. Now...whether anyone in the target audience would ever chose to buy or read it, let alone whether or not I can even get it published, is left to be seen. I'll write more about the book as time moves on and I get further into the process.<br />
<br />
I guess that's it for now. This post is long enough. =0)John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-52308210520699637712014-04-01T16:38:00.004-06:002014-04-01T16:38:49.650-06:00Work? Really? Not yet.Here we are...it's April 1st. I can't believe we're 1/4 of the way through the year! I guess it's good that things are just moving along with no really big news.<br />
<br />
I'm only visiting the BMT clinic every other week now with no blood work being done at the Intermountain Medical Center on the off weeks any more. I continue to take fewer and fewer meds every day. At one point, I took close to 50 pills a day, and now it's under 20. The numbers we're seeing in my blood work are about as stable as could be. Nothing remarkable at all. I'm so blessed. There are so many people with Plasma Cell Leukemia who never make it to transplant, through transplant, or beyond transplant with any semblance of decent health. A lot go into the hospital and never come out alive. Every day I thank God that I'm doing so well.<br />
<br />
At today's clinic appointment, Noelle and I were talking with Dr. Hoda, and he said I <u>could</u> return to work now if I want or feel the need to. Noelle had asked when it might be safe to do so, and she and I were both anticipating he'd say something like "after you've been reimmunized," or something like that. Surprise! And it wasn't an April Fools Day joke, either. We all agree that part-time to begin is the best option, so we don't overtax my energy levels. Here's the thing...I'm kind of working part-time already with the voice lessons I've been giving for the past two months. AND...I really don't feel the need to go back to a traditional job right now. We've learned how to live off of the Social Security Disability payments I'm receiving, and I'm not interested in taking the chance of getting sick from someone at work for some "job."<br />
<br />
I don't remember if I've blogged about this decision yet, but I've decided to not go back to sales if I can avoid it. I'm good at it, but the passion I once had for it is gone. I want to go to work for an organization like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the National Marrow Donor Program (BeTheMatch.org), the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the American Cancer Society, or an organization like those. Working in advocacy, fundraising, public speaking, marketing, event planning, or something like that would be awesome...and something I could be <u>incredibly</u> <u>passionate</u> about. I just need to develop and work my connections in those organizations so when something comes up I can be the first one they call.<br />
<br />
I have 12 voice students now and things are going well with that. On May 1st, Amanda VandenAkker and I will be holding a joint recital for our voice students at Riverton Music's recital hall in West Valley City. Abby (who studies voice with Amanda) will be singing "Spark of Creation" and five of my students will be singing as well. I'll also be singing "Agony," a duet from <i>Into the Woods</i> with Ryan Lee (who also studies with Amanda). It will be the first time I've sung in a vocal recital in 11 years - since my graduate recital at CSU Sacramento. Amanda and I have decided to perform together in a joint recital later this summer. We'll each perform a couple sets on our own, then finish with some duets. It's gonna be so fun.<br />
<br />
I've also decided, after discussing it with Noelle, that committing to do three 1/2 marathons this year might be a little too aggressive a goal. I mean, really. After what my body has been through, 13.1 miles in one shot is a lot to train for. I've decided to start with a 5K (3.1 miles, which I know I can walk with basically no training at all), then do a 10K (6.2 miles) or two, and later a 15K (9.3 miles). If I can manage that this summer, then maybe we'll shoot for a 1/2 marathon next summer. I just need to take this in steps, I think.<br />
<br />
My friends who relapsed and had to go through the transplant process again are doing well. Houston is back home and Rebecca is doing well and should be returning home soon. Miracles keep happening for both of them. Rebecca was sent to the ICU with lungs that were hemorrhaging, and doing really poorly. They honestly weren't sure if she was going to make it. Then one day her condition improved dramatically. It was the same day her family and some others held a special fast for her. Fasting and prayer work. Christ explained to his apostles once that in certain cases, prayer and even priesthood blessings (the laying on of hands) is not enough, and that fasting is a necessary act of faith.<br />
<br />
Well, I can't think of anything else to say. There once was a time when updates came fast and furious, sometimes multiple times a week. Gratefully, we've reached a point in which there's just not a lot of news. I'll be hitting one year post-transplant at the end of May, and that will be a more active time for updates. I'll be holding my second annual donor drive, attempting to make contact with my donor, and going through a bunch of tests to ensure that the cancer is still gone. In the mean time, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and praying for continued wellness every day. It's in God's hands, and I'm good with that. =0)John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-6017405043087753642014-03-09T13:25:00.001-06:002014-03-09T13:25:39.577-06:00Thank you, Southern California!Well, it's been a few weeks. I guess it's time for an update. Hmmm...<br />
<br />
At my clinic visit nearly four weeks ago, a test was run to look at my Kappa and Lambda light chains. In simplest terms, these light chains are markers in the blood that can be a sign of Myeloma. If the Kappa-Lambda ratio is above a certain level, it's a good indicator that the Myeloma has returned. The test was done on the 11th of February. It takes about a week for the results to come in. That was a week of nervousness for me. Finding out on the 14th that Rebecca's Leukemia had returned didn't help settle my nerves either. Finally, on Monday or Tuesday, the results came in and there was no phone call from the BMT unit. Noelle and I looked at the results and thought we understood what they meant. The ratio looked totally different from when I was diagnosed. As far as we could tell, everything was fine. Unfortunately, I was still worried. Why? No good reason. Noelle had to talk me off the ledge, so to speak. Finally, when we had our pre-vacation clinic visit on the 21st, Dr. Hoda was able to confirm what Noelle had been telling me for days. I was relieved and felt a little foolish for having been so worried even after the results were in.<br />
<br />
This past Tuesday, I had a good clinic visit. My numbers were all great, even my liver numbers, which had been "tickled" at my last couple clinic visits. I guess the only number I'm concerned about is my weight. Ugh. I've been picking up a pound here, a pound there, and now I'm really not in good shape. I need to exercise regularly, starting tomorrow. Anyway...my doctors have begun the long-awaited taper of my Cyclosporine. That's the immuno-suppressive drug I've been on since leaving the hospital last July. As a reminder, the reason we're suppressing my immune system (my donor's immune system, actually) is to avoid GVHD (Graft vs. Host Disease). My donor's immune system can attack various of my systems, such as the gut and GI tract, the skin, the eyes, the liver, the kidneys, the heart, etc. Basically, it can view my different systems/organs as foreign and attack them, similar to how a patient's immune system can view an organ recipient's new organ as foreign and attack it. So, the good thing about tapering my Cyclo is that I can begin to have a functioning immune system. The bad thing is I can have GVHD and be miserable. I had some GVHD in June while in the hospital following my transplant. Unfortunately, that's a good indicator that I'll get it again. We tapered my twice-daily dose from 125 mg to 100 mg, and will continue tapering gradually over the next several months. Slow and steady gives us the best chance to catch and deal with any GVHD symptoms as they come little by little, rather than all at once, which could throw my body into a tailspin.<br />
<br />
I've had really low energy this week, and I'm not really sure why. I've been really tired during the day and have fallen asleep every night except Friday without my sleeping pill. Huh.<br />
<br />
Over the past two days, Noelle, Abigail and I moved back into our original rooms. It was an even bigger project than moving all our furniture and other "stuff" because Noelle had promised Abby that when she moved back into her room Noelle would paint it. It's a bright blue now. I mean really bright. Noelle is an amazing, multi-talented woman. She does so much for our family. I feel like an absolute worthless bonehead sometimes. Anyway...I'm happy to be back in the master bedroom. David (my brother) is almost done tiling our shower, too. There's just one little thing that needs to be done to finish. For a year and a half, we've been in this home with no shower in the master bathroom, and that problem is almost in the past. Thank you, David! The shower is beautiful!<br />
<br />
The last week of February was our family's long-awaited and much-anticipated vacation to Southern California and Disneyland to celebrate my remission. It was EXACTLY what the doctor ordered. Not really - my doctors were pretty nervous about it and about me being around so many people. Anyway, we drove down on Saturday, February 22, the 1st anniversary of my autologous transplant. We left around 5:00 in the morning, and got to North Hills around 4:00. We visited Tim and Kelly (Tim is Noelle's cousin) for their son Camden's birthday party. After a couple hours, we left for Oceanside, where my parents have a timeshare that we were able to use (THANKS, MOM AND DAD!!!). We got in around 8:00 or so, checked in and crashed.<br />
<br />
On Sunday, we went to La Jolla, where Noelle's sister, Blair, lives. We hung out on the beach for about 6 hours and the weather was perfect. Brenda, an old friend from Stockton and Sacramento, came to the beach with her boys while her husband, Matt, was in work meetings. So we hung out with them til about noon (I'm not exactly sure - I was napping when they left), and then Blair came with her housemate and best friend, Jo. They brought us lunch and hung out with us for a few hours. After I took my nap and ate some lunch, I decided I wanted to take a walk along the shore. My feet, ankles and legs were swollen and hurting from my blood pressure medication, but I didn't care. On my walk, I was able to reflect a bit on why we were there and how tremendously blessed my family and I have been throughout our cancer journey. Feeling the warm sun on my back, and enjoying the water lapping at my feet, I felt an outpouring of love for and from my Father in Heaven. He has been so good to me and my family. I am so blessed to have my head six feet above ground in stead of six feet under. The statistics for people with Plasma Cell Leukemia and Multiple Myeloma are not good. Every day I wake up with air in my lungs and a pulse in my wrist, I buck those statistics. Sometimes I lose sight of that. Well, the beauty of it all was not lost on me in that 20-minute walk along the shoreline. Sunday evening, an old friend from BYUH came to our timeshare to have dinner with us and visit for a while. Jennifer was in Showcase with us our first year at BYUH, and was Noelle's best friend (and roommate for a while) while I was on my mission. It was so good to catch up with her and laugh a lot. She is so fun.<br />
<br />
Monday was day #1 at Disneyland. I love that place! I got my "Disability Pass" when we got there. It was awesome. With the pass, someone who is unable to wait in line with everyone (like me, who can't be surrounded by tons of people breathing their germs on me) can go to guest services booths around the park and tell them which ride they want to ride next and get their pass marked to go to the ride in a certain period of time based on the current wait time for the ride. When you go to the ride at that time, you get to walk through the Fast Pass entrance or through the ride's exit and basically walk onto the ride without waiting in line. It was fantastic. By the time we took a break around 3:30 to walk to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner, we had already done all the must-do rides that were open. When we got to the restaurant, we had a big surprise for the kids...Erick and Linzi Crans had driven down that day, met us for dinner, and were going to hang out with us Tuesday through Friday. The kids (ours and theirs) were all SO excited. Dinner was good, and after dinner we went back into Disneyland to ride more rides and re-do some of our favorites.<br />
<br />
Tuesday was day #2 at Disneyland for Noelle and the kids, and a scheduled rest day for me. I'm really glad we had the foresight to do it that way, because after a full day of walking around Disneyland, my feet were swollen and desperately needed a break. That morning, we called the BMT clinic and asked if I could forego my blood pressure medicine for the duration of the trip in hopes that I could get some relief from the swelling. We were told that as long as I checked my blood pressure every day and it stayed below a specific level, I could leave it out of my daily pill-popping routine. Well, the Southern California coast must be good for blood pressure, because mine stayed well below where it needed to be throughout the rest of the trip. In fact, in the week we've been back from our vacation, it's still staying below where it needs to be without my medication. Yippee!!! So, while the rest of my family spent the day at Disneyland with the Crans family, I put my feet up in bed, watched a couple movies, spent some time massaging my feet in the jacuzzi, and just had a really nice, relaxing day.<br />
<br />
Wednesday was a scheduled day for the beach and pool. Abby, Michael and I went to the San Diego temple that morning to do some baptisms for the dead (If anyone reading this is confused, please click here to clarify). It was a particularly special experience this time, as we had 21 of our own ancestors for whom we were able to perform baptisms, rather than for people whose names were had by the temple. It was the first time I have ever performed baptisms for my own ancestors who I had personally researched and prepared for the work. It was a very emotional experience for me. I felt their presence there as their ordinances were performed. I knew that they accepted those ordinances and were so happy. Michael and Abby both had a neat experience as well. After getting back from the temple, the Crans family came and we went to the beach to take some family pictures. We got some good ones. Then Erick and I went and played 9 holes of golf. Using clubs we borrowed from the course and the fact that it had been 9 months since I last swung a club made for a long nine holes. Erick and I played "best ball" and still didn't score very well. But we did have fun, and that's the most important thing, right? Wednesday night, we took some more pictures at the beach and made tacos for dinner. It was a good day.<br />
<br />
Thursday was our day for California Adventure. We got my disability pass for the day, met the Crans family, and were off. The first thing we wanted to do was go to the new Cars Land and ride the Radiator Springs Racers. Wow. So fun! Then our families split up and we went to the Aladin show with Noelle's Aunt Gail. She got us VIP seating, so we were able to go in first and have our pick of seats. After the show, we waited in the lobby to meet with one of Gail's clients who Gail helped get into the cast of the show about ten years ago. She surprised us by bringing out all of the principles from the show with her - Aladin, Jasmine, Jafar, Iago, the Genie, and the Magic Carpet. We talked for a couple minutes and then took pictures with everyone. So cool. The rest of the day was great. My swollen feet were worth it.<br />
<br />
Friday was a scheduled beach/pool day, but the weather was bad. I mean REALLY bad. High winds and rain didn't stop Noelle and the kids from going to the pool and jacuzzi in the morning, though. Seriously, I think they're nuts. I just hung out in the room. Friday afternoon, Noelle and the kids met Jennifer and her kids to see The Lego Movie. The kids really enjoyed it; Noelle thinks it's been over-hyped and that made it less enjoyable for her. She says it's good, but not THAT good. Friday night, the Crans came over for dinner, and the kids all watched a movie while the adults talked. We love the Crans so much and wish, as Linzi has said, that Nevada would disappear so we could be closer. Sorry to our friends who live in Nevada - there's just SO MUCH wasted space that you have to drive through to get from Utah to Californina.<br />
<br />
Saturday was our day to travel home, but Noelle decided it was more important to spend just a little more time enjoying the pool, seeing that the nice weather had returned. We hung out at the pool and jacuzzi for a couple hours before heading home. It made for a long, long day, but we were OK with it. It had been a good vacation, and Noelle and I really enjoyed the "down time" we scheduled for the family. Thank you, Southern California, for the respite from the day-to-day life in Utah and for getting me out of the Salt Lake Valley for the first time in a year and a half.<br />
<br />
Well, that's about it for now. I'm grateful to know that even though I'm doing pretty well, people are still praying for me on a daily basis. The truth is that with cancer, you're never really "out of the woods," so to speak. It can always come back. We can hope, pray, have faith...but the cancer is never completely out of your life. When we finished our clinic visit on Tuesday, Noelle and I spent some time visiting with Houston and Denise, and Rebecca, in their respective rooms on East 8. Rebecca said some things that struck me. One of them was that she had made the decision to live as though she's going to live, not as the walking dead. That's where goals come into play. Making plans for the future isn't something a person does when they know they're about to die. Noelle and I are planning a week in Park City with our kids this summer - the kids don't know this, so please don't say anything to them. I'm going to take Noelle to Paris, France for her 40th birthday next year. I'm going to walk three 1/2 marathons this summer. These goals will help me focus on the future that I will have...not that I might have...that I <u>will</u> have. It's not about the time you have in your life...it's about the life you have in your time. There's something to think about.John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-71043563433059342122014-02-15T12:25:00.000-07:002014-02-15T12:36:36.840-07:00When Science Isn't Enough...<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sometimes science and all the medical advances in the world just aren't enough...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've had a cold for the past several days, and yesterday was running a temperature of about 100 degrees all day. I woke up this morning a little after 3:00 and figured I should check my temperature. I grabbed my phone to use it's flashlight function so I wouldn't wake up Noelle with my bedside table lamp. On my phone I saw that Rebecca Dutson, a friend who Noelle and I met walking the halls of East 8 several months ago, had "tagged" me in a Facebook post 2 hours before. I wasn't prepared for what I read.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Her Leukemia is back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I laid awake in bed for nearly two hours, crying off and on. How is this possible? I know the statistics. Not everyone makes it. Now, with Rebecca and our friend Houston Holbrook, I have two friends - people who have strengthened me and whom I have grown to admire so much - who are having to go through transplants again because the first one didn't work. Will the second go-around be any different? Were their first donor's cells just not strong enough to fight the cancer, or is the cancer too strong for <u>any</u> stem cells to fight it off? Will they be able to beat the odds stacked against them?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What does Rebecca have to say? "What now? We move forward with hope. My family and I are united in our understanding that God STILL knows best, even after being blindsided today. He knows my capacities and won't push me beyond, and knows where I need to be." Part of what makes Rebecca such an incredible person is her perspective. It's a big part of why she is loved by Noelle and I and who-knows-how-many others. We're leaving for a week at the beach and Disneyland next Saturday, and I wish we could take Rebecca and Houston (and Houston's wife, Denise) along with us. They are both suiting up for a battle they've already fought. It's a battle no one should ever have to fight, and they're having to do it twice. I wish I could give them my tickets to Disneyland and let them enjoy it and get some extra smiles in before they walk through the valley of the shadow of death...again. I almost feel guilty that we're taking this trip to celebrate my remission while two dear friends are wondering if they'll ever get to hear the words, "you're in remission" again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2TCa82hHf8e3OTlmuQS21ZCemrmxFGFTuDR5aaLGZvdjuWI7OJmJPj21xa7q8W74s_rOrj_CmPn188iFju49jBHnv8MuxjcjynWPSLgNfJFOYnNHo1wogHNUQUi9UBH44N1HEqGk2lo/s1600/With+Rebecca+Dutson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2TCa82hHf8e3OTlmuQS21ZCemrmxFGFTuDR5aaLGZvdjuWI7OJmJPj21xa7q8W74s_rOrj_CmPn188iFju49jBHnv8MuxjcjynWPSLgNfJFOYnNHo1wogHNUQUi9UBH44N1HEqGk2lo/s1600/With+Rebecca+Dutson.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Rebecca and I at last October's LLS Light the Night Walk</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rebecca is only about 160 days post-transplant. I'm 100 days ahead of her, and as far as I know, I'm still cancer-free, but for how long? For life? A decade? A year? A week? Cancer is so unpredictable. When I had my clinic visit on Tuesday, they took an extra vile of blood to test for Kappa and Lambda light chains, which are leukemic cancer markers in the blood. If my blood is clear, I'm still cancer-free. If not...well, in the words of Dr. Ashe, "Let's not think about that." Now, with this news and the light chain results still not in, it's hard to not think about it. It's hard to avoid fearing the worst.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When we sent out our Christmas cards at the beginning of December, we sent one to Elder Bednar (The member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who visited us in our home a year earlier (see the post about it <a href="http://philpottsfight.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-personal-visit-from-david-bednar.html">here</a>)). He replied with a nice letter, telling us he's happy to hear of my remission. He also enclosed with his letter a copy of a CES fireside talk he gave on March 3, 2013. It's called "<a href="http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2013/01/that-we-might-not-shrink-d-c-19-18?lang=eng">That We Might 'Not...Shrink' (D&C 19:18)</a>." In part of his talk, he speaks about a 23-year old young man who was diagnosed with bone cancer just about three weeks after his marriage to his 20-year old sweetheart. When Elder Bednar visited them in the hospital, he asked them a very interesting question: "do
you have the faith not to be healed? If it is the will of our
Heavenly Father that you are transferred by death in your youth to
the spirit world to continue your ministry, do you have the faith to
submit to His will and not be healed?" That's a hard question - albeit an important one - to answer. I've pondered on that question several times since first reading Elder Bednar's talk. Do I have faith sufficient to accept my Father in Heaven's will for me, whatever it may be? Some days I feel strong enough to say I do. Other days I wonder how I would respond if given the same news that Houston and Rebecca have been given. Would I be strong enough to "move forward with hope," like Rebecca is committed to do? Or would I just fall apart? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
I'm a "Type A" personality. Having no control over things is really, really hard for me. It's been one of the hardest things about my cancer, even since being declared in remission in September. The fears of a relapse are real...not pervasive on a daily basis, but something I think about regularly. I think it's natural. I'm sure that most, if not all, cancer survivors deal with it in their own way. I was counseled earlier this week that one of the best things I can do to mitigate my fears is to "live in the moment" as much as possible...to be aware of and grateful for the blessings of each moment. Having goals that I'm working towards, like my 1/2 marathons I'll be walking later this year, is something that can also be very therapeutic and can distract me from the "what-ifs" over which I have no control. I think that's great advice. In her post last night, Rebecca ended with this thought: "Just a reminder - enjoy every moment, dear friends. Life is good." That's a great message.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Cancer sucks, but life is good. Thanks, Rebecca.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-31944313276131000292014-01-31T11:02:00.002-07:002014-01-31T11:02:27.187-07:00Another Month Gone...Well, it's January 31st. Somehow the first month of the year is over. I'm thinking it has something to do with getting older that time is just flying by.<br />
<br />
I mentioned in my last post that I'm beginning to teach voice lessons. I'm up to 6 students, but still have room for more. My website and my Facebook page are doing well, and my voice studio (where I now sit) is done. I'm teaching lessons on Wednesdays and Thursdays for now. If my schedule becomes such that I need to add another day, I will, but for now I'm keeping it to just two days a week. I'm really happy to be able to be teaching again.<br />
<br />
Jenna is upstairs in what used to be Isaiah's room, and Isaiah is sharing Michael's room with him until the upstairs project is finished. The upstairs project...yeah... So, we were going to put in two rooms - now it's one very big room that'll be put in. It'll measure about 19' X 12'. The boys will share the room, and the basement room they're in now will become the play room. I'll be doing some of the work myself...at least the work that I know how to do and that isn't dust-intensive. That includes the framing of the wall and the closet (I'll have to get someone else to <u>cut</u> the wood to avoid my exposure to the sawdust), the painting, and the installation of the ceiling fans. Someone from our old ward will wire the electrical because I don't want to electrocute myself or burn down the house. We'll also have to get someone else to do the drywall and texturing because that can be a very dusty project. Unfortunately, our tax return will be about $1,000 less than we thought it would be, so the project will get started and done a little later than we had hoped. We'll be using income from the voice lessons I teach to buy the materials, so I need to get as many students as I can as soon as I can. I wish we had the money to just hire someone to do it all, but it's just not realistic right now.<br />
<br />
I talked about my 1/2 marathon goals in my last post. Instead of doing the Utah Valley 1/2 on June 14th, I'll be doing the American Fork Canyon 1/2 on June 21st. It benefits cancer patients, and there are some others from East 8 who will be doing the race, so Noelle and I figured it was the better race to do.<br />
<br />
If you didn't know already, CANCER SUCKS. On Monday, Noelle and I moved Jenna and Isaiah from where they were to where they are now. I took Jenna's mattress and went to carry it up the stairs, and I had to stop and take a break about 1/3 of the way up the stairs. I just wasn't strong enough to do it in one shot. I got kinda upset...no...really upset. It just hit me how abnormal my "new normal" is. Because I've been feeling so healthy lately, I just don't think about how different my strength levels are until the reality of it smacks me in the face. I threw a little temper tantrum right there on the stairs, pounding my fist into the mattress a few times and burying my face in my hands. It can be pretty hard to accept what cancer has done to me sometimes.<br />
<br />
Last night was the awards banquet for last October's LLS Light the Night Walk. It was held at the Market Street Grill in Cottonwood. Great event. Really good food. Next year, I want to earn an award for my fundraising efforts. I've already named my team for this October's walk: Philpott's Fighters. Not really original, but it works. I think my fundraising goal is going to be big...like $10,000 or something like that. I have more time and energy to work on it and plan a strategy to hit a very aggressive goal. Katie Kersys, who is the campaign manager for Light the Night, says she'll work with me on my goal and how to reach it.<br />
<br />
I've also tentatively scheduled another Be The Match donor drive for Saturday, May 31st. I'm still waiting to hear back from Trina, who's the lady at the National Marrow Donor Program who helped organize last summer's drive.<br />
<br />
On the health front, things are going pretty well. We're tapering my Hydrocortisone pills, hoping that my adrenal gland kicks in and starts producing the hormones it normally would produce on its own without the help of the Hydrocortisone. After tapering the Hydrocortisone, or possibly as we taper it, we'll also taper the Cyclosporine I'm on. That's my immuno-suppressive drug that's limiting the possibility of GVHD. Because I had some GVH of the gut in the hospital following my transplant, there's a good chance I'll get some more GVH as we taper the Cyclo. We don't know for sure, but there's a good possibility of it. We'll see...<br />
<br />
That's about it for now. I just need things to do to keep me from going stir crazy. I've already filed my taxes and organized my office/voice studio. I don't know what to do now. It's hard to not have an 8 to 5 for almost a year and still be looking ahead to another year of the same. Here's hoping I can stay out of a straitjacket. =0)John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811919993796441059.post-21400769579017122902014-01-15T23:53:00.001-07:002014-01-15T23:54:33.498-07:00Mid-January UpdateIt's been a while, so I figured it was about time for an update.<br />
<br />
I've got high blood pressure. Not on my own, but my cyclosporine (my immuno-suppressive drug) has given it to me. As we taper the cyclo gradually, we should see my BP drop to more healthy levels. In the mean time, though, I've now got a BP medicine on board. We'll see how it works.<br />
<br />
I need a goal for physical health/fitness right now to get me off of my butt and working out. A number on a scale has never been enough of a motivator for me. I really don't care if I weigh 190 or 220, as long as I and my doctors are convinced I'm healthy. So, here's what I've decided to work towards: I've decided to walk at least one, and possibly three half marathons this year. As a reminder to anyone who may be reading this and has forgotten, the myeloma has made my bones very, very brittle, so I'm not allowed to run...ever...unless my life depends on it from a safety standpoint. I'm currently considering the following:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>June 14 (Saturday) - Utah Valley Half Marathon</u></b> - This one starts in the canyon and ends in Provo. Nice, gentle decline in elevation.</li>
<li><u><b>August 16 (Saturday) - Park City Half Marathon</b></u> - Starts and ends at the same location. 460 feet up and 460 feet down. This one's at a higher elevation, so it may be the toughest of the three, but it's still not very bad with elevation gain/loss.</li>
<li><u><b>September 27 (Saturday) - Layton Half Marathon</b></u> - The flattest of the three courses. Starts on the bridge to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, and ends in Layton.</li>
</ul>
<div>
The biggest challenge with doing these races is the logistics of it all. They all start in the morning, and with 5 kids, that can end up being a challenge on a Saturday. For example, the Utah Valley 1/2 requires that participants get on a bus from the finish line to the starting line by around 4:30am. That means I'd have to leave my home by about 3:00 in the morning to get there, sign in and be on the bus in time. That's no problem for me, but what about my family? I think the thing to do is to find at least one person to walk each race with me, preferably someone from the Salt Lake valley. That way, I can get to the race in time (with my walking buddy) and my family can come later to cheer us on along the course. Noelle wants to walk at least one with me, but that would mean that someone else would have to bring our kids to cheer us on. I'm not sure how we'll be able to do this all, but it's very important to me. Noelle and I were planning on doing the Layton one last year, and then my diagnosis came. Perhaps someone will read this and decide to walk one or more of these with me and the logistics element will go away. I don't know. I've started training pretty early. I walked 3.1 miles Tuesday morning in the "balmy" 44 degree weather. I need to do 2 miles today and begin a regimen that will have me ready (but not burnt out) come June. More details to follow as we get closer.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've decided it's time to begin teaching voice lessons again. I was teaching before my diagnosis and loving it, but with the diagnosis, and specifically the stem cell transplants, I had to stop. I'm ready to get back on that horse again. I've developed a Facebook page (<a href="http://facebook.com/PhilpottVocalStudio">facebook.com/PhilpottVocalStudio</a>) and website (<a href="http://philpottvocalstudio.wix.com/philpottvocal">philpottvocalstudio.wix.com/philpottvocal</a>). In just a few days, I've gotten over 100 "Likes" on my Facebook page (still hoping for more...) and a couple students for voice lessons. I won't be doing this full-time. I'm just doing it (and not charging anywhere near what other voice teachers are charging) mostly for the creative outlet. We're going to convert Jenna's bedroom into my studio - probably this weekend if anyone wants to help us move the piano =0) - and building two bedrooms in what is now the upstairs entertainment/play room. That will probably/hopefully happen by the end of March. I have a basic floor plan ready for the upstairs conversion, but NONE of the know-how to do the work myself. Also, with the dust, etc from the construction, I think my doctors would have a cow if I were to attempt to do the work myself. It's just putting up a couple walls, two closets, and doing some electrical work. We also need someone who knows how to do tile to do the tile in our master bathroom so Noelle and I can move back upstairs. If anyone has any experience in either of those fields, or knows someone who does, please let us know. We'd love to get this done by the end of March, like I said. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm feeling pretty dang good. My energy levels are good and I feel pretty healthy. I've battled a cold and also something new to me...Human Metapneumo Virus. the virus was only discovered in 2001, from what I've found online, and acts much like the common cold. The problem is it's closely linked to RSV, which is a bad one for me to get with no immune system. So, I've been very careful around others, 'cause I'm contagious, but also, I've been extra careful about not going anywhere where I could get worse. We're planning to take our family to Disneyland the final week of February - just over 5 weeks away!!! I can't afford a hospital stay which would possibly prevent me from going. Our tax return and income from the voice lessons I teach should pay for the trip with some money left over to help us pay for the renovation upstairs.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We traded in our beloved 2005 Chevy Suburban for a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan on New Year's Eve. The decision was purely logical (more legroom for the growing kids)/financial (lower cost of ownership every moth with HUGE gasoline savings, lower mileage, less maintenance/repairs, etc. I could see us driving to Disneyland with the Suburban that has over 96,000 miles on it and having it break down somewhere along the way. On the other hand, the Caravan has just over 35,000 miles on it, so the chances of a breakdown are minimal. Also, the Caravan is still under warranty til we hit 100,000 miles. We got AN AMAZING DEAL on the Caravan from Larry H. Miller Dodge in Sandy - I highly recommend you go see Nate there if you want/need a new car. Let him know John Philpott sent you, and he'll take extra special care of you... </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There's really not a lot else to discuss at this point. Things are slowly returning to a point where I feel more and more "normal" every day. The biggest challenge for me is remembering that I have NO IMMUNE SYSTEM. I still can't go where I want to go or do what I want to do. For example, all seven of us, along with my brothers David and Jeff and their families, have the Pass of All Passes from Seven Peaks. On this coming Monday, which the kids have off of school for Martin Luther King Jr's birthday observance, people with the Pass of All Passes can get into the Utah Grizzlies (minor league) hockey game FREE. I can't go. My whole family will be there except me. It sucks rotten eggs. I wanted to do a half marathon in Las Vegas in November, but I can't because there's nowhere for me to stay in a hotel because they're all germ-ridden, filthy holes. I have some friends in Vegas, but I can't expect them to clean their home to the degree that it would need to be cleaned for me to crash with them. I still can't shop where/when I want to shop or eat at restaurants at normal meal times. Life isn't easy, but it's a life. It's so much better than being six feet under, and I have to remind myself of that regularly to keep the proper perspective. Here's to being above ground. =0)</div>
John Philpotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11780820555441626014noreply@blogger.com1