The 2nd Annual Spin4Survival is a Smashing Success!

Check us out on CBS NEWS!
http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=107629@wcbs.dayport.com

January 27th was an outstanding day! All in all the 2nd annual Spin4Survival raised over $640,000 for cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. We had over 120 teams involved from around the world! Over 500 people "geared up to battle cancer" at Equinox Columubus Circle in an 8 hour bonanza of sweat. People had such a great time and everyone left feeling so inspired. Here are a few quotes to give you a sense of how magical the day was:

" I Just wanted to say congratulations again on such a fantastic event - fun, inspirational and incredibly well-organized! When you were speaking and presenting MSKCC with the (unbelievable!!) check, it all really hit me. And I was not the only teary-eyed one in the audience. I feel honored to have been a part of it, and I am already training for next year."


"I can honestly say that I do not know a single person who would not be thrilled and honored to partake in next year's spin4survival"


"Unimaginable inspiration paired with uncontrollable perspiration"

"What a great day we all had on Sunday. Everyone is raving about S4S- you made a truly miraculous event come together. It was a blast and a huge success on so many levels. The positive energy was deliciously palpable - we are already training for next year"

“ Seeing the time, commitment, enjoyment, and most of all THE ENERGY the spinners, and volunteers put into this great day uplifted the spirits not only of the members, but the staff as well. What a terrific cause for raising money, and awareness to fight this terrible disease! “

"Not only was I inspired by the day but I really felt that I personally made a difference in the lives of cancer patients at MSKCC. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to make a difference"



Dave and I are THRILLED that the event was such a success. THANK YOU to every person who participated in any way. It is amazing to realize that each and everyone of us has the ability to make a difference in the world. Stay tuned for more pictures and stories! Dave and I are off for a much-needed week of R&R in Puerto Rico. I plan on finding a nice chaise lounge at the pool and not moving for the entire 7 days!

Just Call Me Stump

Multiple Choice Question The above image depicts the following:
a. an elephant's skin
b. rolls of dough
c. Jen's legs from the cumulative effect of her chemo drugs

Unfortunately the answer is "C". While I am happy to be able to "blame" my bloatedness on something other than indulging too much over the holiday season, it is extremely depressing and frustrating to be retaining this much water. My pants don't fit...by the end of the day, my legs are twice the size as they were in the morning. In fact, it is hard to differentiate the top of my legs from the bottom of my legs. I have taken to calling myself "stump".

I have been experiencing a lot of odd side effects over the past few weeks (bloatedness, inability to sweat during workouts, dehydration, soreness of my arms and legs and rapid heart beats). The good news is that when I visited Dr. Maki this past week for my chemo appointment, he explained that this all made sense to him and he was not alarmed. Apparently, one of my drugs is known to cause weight gain and bloatedness over time. The drug makes you dehydrated and makes you retain a great deal of water. You have a hard time sweating it out because you are dehydrated but the more you drink, the more bloated you become! My rapid heart rate is just my body working harder to pump blood since my cells are so dehydrated.

It looks like he will take me off this 2nd drug and just continue with the one chemo drug for the next few months.

At first I was alarmed that we would be stopping the 2nd chemo drug. Although I am vain and being "heavy" really bothers me, I told him that I am willing to continue if he thinks it is in my best interest. What he explained is that, in fact, it is dangerous to continue once you get swollen because I could also be retaining water in my lungs. Most people last on this 2nd drug for 4-5 months and I have been able to make it to about 10 months. So, he feels fairly confident that I have made it pretty far.

Unfortunately it make take 2-3 months for me to get rid of this swelling. I think I will wear a sign on my head that says "from chemo, not cookies" :)

I told Dr. Maki 3 years ago when we started this journey that I would accept being BALD or FAT but not both :) Hopefully, in a few months, I will just go back to being bald again.

Have a great week!