The Journal of a PrizefighterThe Journal of a PrizefighterYoung adult cancer survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma shares experiences after two stem cell transplants. Articles
sarah hawthorne
2008-01-31 21:22:00 Yesterday, we lost yet another prizefighter to this horrendous disease: Sarah Hawthorne .I was stunned when I learned the news yesterday afternoon on the WebMagic Forum. It came as a complete surprise. Sarah was one of the first people, whom I met (virtually) who like me, had failed an auto SCT for relapsed Hodgkin's.As I reflect upon how quickly this remarkably kind and gifted friend was snatched away from us, I'm finding it difficult to express my thoughts well right now. I sit here before my laptop trying to type something half-way eloquent, but it's a struggle. It's as if I'm in front a bare wall.I just want Lorraine, her partner, to know that Sarah touched the lives of many and that she will be missed greatly. Sending you, Lorraine, love and kindness.
lymphomathon 2008
2008-01-30 18:47:00 I just received a postcard from the Lymphoma Research Foundation informing me of the 2nd Annual New York City Lymphomathon on April 26th.Since 2003, the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) has raised almost $4.5 million through its nationwide Lymphomathon program. The Lymphomathon is a non-competitive 5K walk where survivors, family, friends, community and corporate teams walk in honor and in memory of those whose lives have been touched by lymphoma. Funds raised by participants will support the Foundation’s mission of eradicating lymphoma and serving those touched by this disease.Click here to find out if your city will host a Lymphomathon. More About: 2008
day +160
2008-01-28 22:04:00 My morning was spent at Sloan, where I received the monthly IVIG treatment. I also needed to get my medications refilled, which I did.
yes we can!
2008-01-27 23:48:00 Like many Americans, during the lead-up to yesterday's South Carolina Democratic Primary I had become increasingly irritated by the news media's effort to mold yesterday's contest into a race in which the end result was to determined solely by race and gender. You don't know how tired I became listening repeatedly to the news networks and the pundits talk about the significance of the black vote in S.C. as if they were the only people who mattered. There was so much focus on the black vote that it was a rarity to hear about the white vote, which makes up the other half of the S.C. Democratic electorate, or any other constituency. I just wished the news media directed their collective attention to the serious issues at hand, the issues that matter.Secondly, I also became turned off increasingly by the Clinton machine's (in particular, Bill Clinton and the surrogates of his wife's campaign) injection of divisive, race politics, which I think was displayed most poignantly whe...
another lymphoma blog found
2008-01-27 18:04:00 Lymphoma Journal: A Personal Look at Surviving Cancer & Chemo More About: Blog , Lymphoma
mercury revisited
2008-01-26 23:14:00 Below is a recent photograph taken by NASA's Messenger spacecraft of our Sun's closest neighbor. Mercury was last visited and photographed almost 30 years ago by the Mariner 10 spacecraft.Isn't this stunning? I just had to share this.
in the news
2008-01-24 18:38:00 The Unavoidable Update is worth checking out. Too Few U.S. Adults Get Their Shots, Survey Shows More About: News , In the News , The News
the joke's on mitt
2008-01-24 00:50:00 Some of you may have already seen this popular YouTube video. Though I'm not a fan of Romney as a presidential candidate, this is a pretty funny prank by his son, Matt. More About: Mitt
yes!
2008-01-23 00:28:00 I'm thrilled right now. I just got off the phone with Peter Basich of the NYCDOT, who oversees the filming and photography of the city's bridges. He returned my call graciously and we, then, had a very good conversation in which I told him about my Harlem River bridges project to which he responded favorably and is willing to help in anyway possible. In order to get a MOFTB permit for still photography, I must obtain a permit from the NYCDOT first.Mr. Basich told me to give his office a week's notice of any planned photography of a specific bridge. First, his office will make sure there's no work being done on that bridge at the time/date requested, and then, his office will work to process my approval. Afterwards, I'll need to apply online for a MOFTB still photography permit showing approval from the NYCDOT and then, I should hopefully get the city permit.So, each time I plan to go out for a shoot of any of the bridges I must follow through with this process for official...
day +140
2008-01-08 18:19:00 On Sunday afternoon, I walked across the Madison Avenue Bridge into Harlem to check out Harlem River Park which I found existed only this weekend. Located between 135th and 139th Streets, the park's first phase was completed in 2002 and construction is under way for the park to be expanded northward up from 139th to 145th Streets by the spring. One of my problems before finding this park was trying to find locations along the Harlem River where I could get pretty good shots of the Madison Avenue and Park Avenue Bridges but now that I've found this park which is right on the Manhattan waterfront, my problem is practically solved. I still have a problem obtaining shots of the Third Avenue Bridge from either side of the River, but my NYCDOT contact is working on that.After visiting Harlem River Park, I returned home and enjoyed watching the rest of the Giants' victory against the Buccaneers.Yesterday I went down to Sloan for my check-up with Dr. Castro-Malaspina, who had recovere...
day +136
2008-01-05 02:29:00 I had planned to read a bit last night, but instead I got swept up by both the Republican and Democratic Iowa Caucuses. I find it to be a thrilling night as I switched back and forth from network to network to see the incoming results and what the political pundits were discussing about the various candidates and the significance of Iowa in the road to each party's nomination.As it was still quite frigid today, I stayed in but tomorrow it's supposed to be much better. As usual, I caught up on the day's news, read the latest updates on some of my friends' blogs, and browsed the Web. Today's Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC had what I found to be a very interesting interview called, "Water, Water, Everywhere," which focuses on the new 30-minute documentary film, City of Water, that examines the role that NYC's historic waterways have had and how they are being reshaped today. This film was co-produced by the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, one of a dozen or so other organizations ...
cancer news
2008-01-05 01:27:00 Cancer Risk from Hodgkin's Radiotherapy ReducedSome Sun May Guard Against Non-Hodgkin's LymphomaScientists Seek 'Swish and Spit' Test for CancerBattling Back from Breast Cancer Positive and inspirational! More About: News , Cancer
in the news
2008-01-05 01:11:00 Even France, Haven of Smokers, Is Clearing the AirJudge Him by His LawsAnalysis: Obama Shows a Black Can WinThe End of 'Black America'More of the Africa You Don't KnowBaby Mammoth Could Clarify Global WarmingEvolution Education Is a 'Must' Says Coalition of Scientific and Teaching OrganizationsEvolution Book Sees No Science-Religion GapLack of Deep Sleep May Raise Diabetes RiskResolve to Get Enough Zzzzs This YearHealthy Food Getting More Expensive: StudyNo Gimmicks: Eat Less and Exercise More More About: News , In the News , The News
day +134
2008-01-03 02:42:00 A little after sunset today I experimented for the first time with long exposure photography. For the past several days, I have been reading a lot on how best to get those long streaks that are so characteristic of moving traffic lights under low-light. For help, I reviewed Understanding Exposure as well as a number of useful websites, including of course, the Flickr groups. As I mentioned in a previous post, Flickr has a group for almost every photographic subject imaginable. Flickr is a wonderful resource for the both the novice and expert. With regards to long exposure photography, here are the Flickr groups that I have turned to so far:Traffic TrailsLong ExposureLight STREAM___I took this unedited photograph of the Harlem River Drive from Fifth Avenue between W. 143rd Street and W. 142nd Street. You can see the 145th Street Bridge in the distance. With the temperature in the high 20s and windy, I managed to take only six shots before it became too unbearable for me to sta...
bring in the new year
2007-12-31 22:06:00 Wishing that 2008 is more fruitful, more enjoyable and HEALTHIER for everyone! More About: New Year , Year
cancer news
2007-12-31 01:13:00 Cancer Patients, Doctors Talk Little of Emotions More About: News , Cancer
in the news
2007-12-31 01:05:00 Yeah, I was hoping for a Giants' upset but they came up short. The Giants had their opportunities, but the Patriots are just too good.His View From the BridgeN.Y., Chicago See Big Drop in HomicidesA Biracial Candidate Walks His Own Fine LineYoung Swedes Flock to Newly Rich Norway for WorkBeijing's Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky BlueStudies Show Yoga Has Multiple BenefitsEat, Drink and Be HealthyAsteroid May Cross Path of Red PlanetFerguson and KerikWorld War IVFormer Yankee Leyritz Charged With D.U.I. in Fatal Crash More About: News , In the News , The News
i gotta keep breathing
2007-12-30 04:08:00 I knew, somehow, that I had to stay alive. Somehow. I had to keep breathing. Even though there was no reason to hope. And all my logic said that I would never see this place again. So that's what I did. I stayed alive. I kept breathing. And one day my logic was proven all wrong because the tide came in, and gave me a sail. And now, here I am. I'm back. . . . And I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?-Chuck Noland (played by Tom Hanks), Cast Away More About: Gotta
day +129
2007-12-29 00:10:00 Dr. Castro-Malaspina's secretary called this morning informing me that he has the flu, which means that my appointment which was scheduled for the 31st has been postponed until January 7th. I still, however, must go down to Sloan on Monday for the IVIG treatment.Today I spent most of the day at the Queens Museum of Art in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens with my good friend, Tiffany, who I hadn't seen in at least one year. She graduated from the London School of Economics this summer and is back in NYC for the holidays, but will be off to London again in about one week.We arrived there just before it opened, so that I'd minimize my exposure to other visitors. At the museum, we checked out the temporary exhibition, Yue Minjun and the Symbolic Smile, which ends on January 6th. It's Yue Minjun's first museum show in the U.S. Afterwards, we saw The Panorama of the City of New York, a permanent exhibition there. It's really spectacular. There before you is an enormous 3-...
day +126
2007-12-27 01:34:00 I hope everyone had a very pleasant Christmas.My mom and sister left for Florida on Christmas Eve to attend a wedding, so it's just my dad and me here until they return on the 30th.During the past few days, I've found some terrific websites related to my interest in photographing the Harlem River bridges and the neighboring communities. To my delight, there are a number of fascinating online communities for amateur photographers in NYC. For example, I was aware of certain individuals who posted their work on Flickr, but it turns out that many of these people are also members of Flickr Groups, where they and others share their photos and exchange information about their work and interests. With regards to my interest, there are:Bridges and TunnelsBridge Sunsets & SunrisesNYC BridgesBridgesThe BronxRiverdale - Bronx, NYHarlem USAEast HarlemWashington HeightsI Love NYNYC from A to ZedThe Bronx Bloggers is a very helpful and interesting blog in which photographers' images of N...
inspirational stories
2007-12-27 01:20:00 Here are two amazing stories that I watched on ESPN recently. The first story, "The Ray of Hope," which may have been aired before brought me to tears when I saw it this morning. It's an inspirational story and I bet everyone will be in awe by the remarkable ways in which Jason Ray left such an indelible mark on the lives of so many strangers. We, BMT survivors, will appreciate this heartfelt story in particular.Just like click on Ray of Hope and watch the main video at the top of the page."Martel Van Zant Overcoming Deafness on the Field" (below) is the other inspirational story that I had to share. There's no doubt . . . this dude is amazing! More About: Inspirational , Stories
in the news
2007-12-27 01:00:00 Teen Dies Hours After Liver Transplant Approved After receiving an allogeneic BMT for leukemia, Nataline Sarkisyan developed complications that required a liver transplant. Her insurance company, CIGNA, denied approval for the liver transplant stating that there was insufficient evidence proving that the transplant would help. Nataline died just hours after CIGNA reversed its decision. This story is just so tragic.Remembrance of Things UnreadHoover Planned Mass Jailing in 1950Blair, a Regular at Mass, Is Now CatholicReconstructing the Family Tree More About: News , In the News , The News
day +123
2007-12-22 19:40:00 Last night I updated my 50 State Quarters Collector's Map for the first time in many months. I managed to find the quarters for Alabama, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, and Nebraska. The only state, whose quarters were issued in 2007, that I couldn't find amidst the pile of quarters on my table is Utah. So, Utah remains unfilled at the moment. The remaining states - Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Oklahoma - will be released next year by the U.S. Mint.In the latest issue of CURE, there's a very interesting article about the difficulty that doctors face sometimes in diagnosing blood cancers, especially the rarer types. I think it's well-worth reading.Mistaken Identity: Preventing Misdiagnoses of Blood Cancers is All in the DetailsThanks to Cliff for sharing this article on his blog.
cancer news
2007-12-21 21:22:00 Mortality Remains Elevated Years after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Many thanks to Cliff for bringing this very recent report to my attention.Report Sees 7.6 Million Global 2007 Cancer Deaths More About: News
the newest member to the hall of prizefighters
2007-12-21 21:20:00 Arif's Lymphoma Diary More About: Hall
in the news
2007-12-21 21:19:00 More Americans Googling ThemselvesU.S. Urged to Keep Space Shuttle Flying Past 2010Whales May Be Related to Deer-Like BeastFinal Salute: Oldest U.S. WWI Vet Dies at 109 More About: News , In the News , The News
dancing with n.e.d.
2007-12-21 00:38:00 Yep, I'm doing the dance . . . sort of.Many thanks to Stratman! More About: Dancing
day +120
2007-12-19 20:58:00 This morning I visited the Broadway Bridge and photographed it for the first time. I managed to take several shots of the #1 train crossing the Broadway Bridge from the Allen Pavilion of New York-Presbyterian Hospital at W. 220th Street and Broadway before a security guard approached me telling me that photography from the Hospital campus is prohibited. He suggested I contact the Hospital's Public Relations office for access. So, that's what I did when I returned home.Public Relations seems to be supportive of my project. According to the forecast, the next several days will be partly or completely cloudy, so I'll wait to negotiate a day and time for photographing from the Allen Pavilion campus when the weather clears up.After leaving the Allen Pavilion, I walked across the Broadway Bridge to the nearby Metro-North Marble Hill Station from where I snapped more pictures. I don't think these came out very well. They're too dark unfortunately. But at least, I should be bet...
day +119
More articles from this author:2007-12-19 02:02:00 Relieved by yesterday's wonderful news, I returned to the activity that has given me so much excitement since my discharge from the Transplant Ward about three months ago: photographing the Harlem River bridges.Here's me in front of the Triborough Lift Bridge. This is how I usually look when I'm out and about in my "Paddington Bear coat." I placed my camera on the tripod that I bought recently and set it to a 10 second timer to take this self-portrait.I spent time most of the time, however, taking photographs of the Willis Avenue Bridge late this morning and early afternoon. Thanks again for all your wonderful comments! I am really humbled by all your sincere support and love. Many thanks again! You guys are awesome. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
 |
|
 |
