My infusion went fine for the first few hours. The nurse installed my IV and we went through the typical pre-meds (Tylenol, Benedryl, and Solumedrol--a steroid) before starting the Rituxan drip. We started the drip slowly and things went smoothly, but a few hours in, after she had bumped up the flow rate, I started to have a mild allergic reaction: itching in the roof of my mouth and in my ears. This is nothing new, and has happened to me on several occasions, but it should still be taken seriously because people can have very strong reactions, and they have to follow protocol. My nurse stopped the drip, gave more Benedryl and a new steroid called Decadron, and waited a good half hour before starting the Rituxan drip again, at a slower rate. She progressed me conservatively, as she didn't want to risk another reaction. We didn't finish until almost 5:30 PM.
It was a very, very long and boring day, but I was very thankful to catch up on some much needed sleep. I've been feeling so completely exhausted lately with the normal demands of life: teaching full time, being a mom to a VERY active four-year-old boy, getting all my workouts and runs in as I train for my event, spending time every night working on fundraising, not to mention trying to find time in there to socialize with family and friends! There just are not enough hours in the day (which is reflected in my messy house!) Still, my life is fuller than full, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
My participation in Team in Training is proving to be more rewarding than words can express. I am incredibly humbled by the support, both moral and financial, that I have received thus far. Physically, I am feeling so strong. I am working out 5-6 days a week, usually running 2-3 of those days. Tuesdays are typically shorter runs on my own, Thursdays are track workouts, and Saturday mornings are the long, organized "Team" runs. I have run 8 miles for each of the last two Saturdays, and tomorrow I plan to progress to 10 miles. Hopefully I will still be feeling good enough to do this after today's infusion. My event is just over a month away now on October 16, so I am really ramping it up now!
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| Here's a pic of me running at a Thursday night track workout. |
Even more exhilarating for me than the running has been the fundraising. My personal goal was to raise $5000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Thanks to the donations of so many friends, family members, colleagues, students' families, and even complete strangers, I have managed to raise nearly $7000! And though I've surpassed my initial goal, I'm not going to stop. I'm not even close to being done with my fundraising because I know I can do more, and I know, very personally, that every dollar I raise makes a difference. I have two more fundraising nights scheduled at local restaurants coming up, plus I am hosting a wine tasting event at my house. By the end of the fall training season, I am pretty confident that I will be able to reach my new goal doubling my initial goal and raising $10,000 for the LLS! It is so exciting to me to be able to contribute and give back to this organization that I have so much to thank for!
If you haven't already contributed and would like to, I would be so incredibly appreciative if you could help me reach this new goal. Please click this link to donate:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/nikesf11/jreido
Or, if you are local and can attend one (or more!) of my other upcoming fundraising events, I would also be so thankful (not to mention how I'd love to see you). Here are my upcoming events:
• Wednesday 9/21 from 11 AM - 9 PM - Willow Street Pizza at Westgate Mall - 20% of your food and beverage bill will go to my fundraising campaign
• Saturday 9/24 from 5 PM - 9 PM - Wine Tasting Open House Event at my home featuring wines from St. Hilaire Vineyard in Templeton (near Paso Robles), fine cheeses, gourmet munchies, and live music - Adults only, $20 per person donation
• Tuesday 10/4 from 11 AM - 9 PM (this is actually my birthday, so come celebrate with me!) - Fresh Choice at Vallco (Cupertino) - 15% of your food and beverage bill will go to my fundraising campaign
If you plan to attend either of the restaurant events, please contact me so that I can send you a flyer to print out and present at the register when you pay.
If you are interested in coming to my wine tasting fundraiser, please also contact me. Advance ticket donations are greatly appreciated. You may purchase tickets in advance by going to my fundraising website and making your $20 (per person) donation. Please indicate the word "taste" after your name in the "display my name as" field on the website.
Once again, I am so humbled and grateful for all of the encouragement, love and support you have given me throughout this journey. You have all helped me to believe in myself, always stay positive, and realize the importance of making the most of each and every precious day. I am so blessed!
