Hey there everyone! No pictures today...you relieved or disappointed?! :)
All is well here. I'm just giving myself my evening dose of chemo, and I'm feeling well. My counts will probably take about a week to hit their low point, but hopefully I'll continue to be strong and feel healthy (relatively-speaking, I guess). Before I tell you a little more about my day, I just wanted to talk a little about Randy Pausch first. I think I've mentioned him on the blog before, but I honestly can't remember (I blame the chemo for memory loss!). He died today of pancreatic cancer. He participated in the "last lecture" series at Carnegie Mellon, and if you haven't watched it, it's an hour very well spent: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
I actually wrote him a letter not long after getting out of the hospital, but I never sent it because when I checked his website, I noticed he hadn't updated it in a while, and knowing he was really sick, I though it might not be an appropriate time to send it. Ronnie suggested today that I change it up a little bit and send it to his wife, which I might do, but I also thought I'd include it on the blog...I guess it's my public "thank you" to him for reminding me of the importance of strength and the true purpose in life:

Dear Mr. Pausch, Although I’m sure you’ve received countless letters wishing you well and thanking you for sharing your story, I still felt compelled to write…so you can just add this one to the pile! ☺ When I visited my brother, sister-in-law and sister in Richmond this spring, Ronnie told us about this video we needed to watch. I heard bits and pieces of your story on-line and on TV, but to be honest, I figured I had heard enough stories about cancer in the past couple of years, and I had already met many inspiring people. We had also just eaten a delicious and filling Italian meal at one of Richmond’s best restaurants, and I thought I might fall asleep if I watched anything that lasted over fifteen minutes. But we watched your lecture, and I was really touched and impressed by your message and your ability as a speaker. It made me wish I knew a lot more about computers and virtual reality because it looked like a lot of fun! Alas, I’m much more right-brained, but my brother explained the basics (e.g. what “Alice” meant). ☺ I went to UVA, but my contact with the E-school was solely with the computer lab, because it seemed to be one of the only places where you could go really late at night and still focus on writing a paper…those E-school students never stop studying!! Anyway, your story was even more poignant because many years after graduating from UVA, and only one month after my 27th birthday and receiving my Master’s in Spanish and Latin American Studies, I was diagnosed with acute leukemia. I spent a month in the hospital to do my induction chemo (that’s what they call the first chemo for leukemia), and then I did three consolidation chemos as an outpatient. Because of low blood counts and the frequent need for transfusions, I wasn’t able to work. I went into remission right away and felt well throughout most of the chemo. Although I would never say I’m glad I got cancer, I felt lucky to be able to have a new perspective of life: unlike many people my age, I had the unique ability to step back from a situation and realize what really mattered and what was just extraneous stuff. So almost three and a half years later, I was excited to start working part-time, and to plan a trip to Seattle with my parents, brother and sister-in-law, two sisters, and my brother-in-law. Someone gave me The Last Lecture book, and I finished it on the flight over to the west coast, crying and laughing at your candor and humor. Two days after returning from a wonderful family vacation (Seattle is a beauuuutiful city!), I went to an appointment with my oncologist to have a bone marrow biopsy I requested. A doctor once told me that if he had what I had, he would request bone marrows every 6 months or so, and I have done just that. I went to that appointment Tuesday thinking that something was wrong, but all my peripheral blood counts were still relatively good, so no one was concerned. Well, it turns out I was right. My leukemia relapsed, and I was diagnosed again on my dad’s birthday. I remember worrying sometimes about the cancer coming back, but I told myself there was nothing more I could do to prevent it—if it happened, I would face it and beat it again. So here I am, a couple days out of the hospital, and waiting to figure out where I’m going to have my bone marrow transplant. I’m very lucky to have my sister Laura as a perfect match, but I know I have many difficult months ahead of me. You must be sick of hearing these sad stories, but I think the ending is hopeful. Although I don’t know you, I feel your outlook and attitude is contagious. I’m sure you never wanted to use any experience with cancer to reach out to millions of strangers, but you did just that, and you have touched more lives than you could possibly know. I will keep you in mind while I’m undergoing treatment so I can remind myself of the importance of humor and positivity in the face of what seems to be such an unfair situation. Thank you for sharing your story, Sincerely, Julie Matthews

Anyway, check out his lecture if you get the chance. I promise you will be impressed and inspired (it's almost as good as my blog! hahahahaha).
My day went well. I had another chemo this morning, and I'm giving myself the evening dose of it as I type. I also spoke with several people in Seattle, and we set a tentative date of Tuesday, August 26th for Laura and I to start our work-ups. They will have specialists look us both over to make sure we're healthy enough for the transplant. Once they give me the radioactive iodine and chemo (following the work-up), they will do the transplant (which will probably take place at the end of September). I will keep visualizing Mariano killing any rogue leukemic cells, and I will picture the cute little guys hopping into my bloodstream so my white count comes up following the chemo....I will picture Laura's cells filling up my marrow and engrafting like...hmm...well, like double-sided tape...how's that for a visual?! :)
I'm definitely still scared, and I know that won't go away, but day by day I'll get through the months to come, and it's so much easier with all of your support. Thank you. Love ya.