Mandy Gidley's Team In Training Page
Racing for my Mom!
Dear Friends and Family,
Welcome to my Team In Training home page!
A few weeks before Christmas I called my mom, Cyndi, to say hello. She was her usual cheerful self, full of news from home. There was no way I could have ever prepared myself to hear my own mother say that she had cancer. I know cancer is widespread. I have friends who have had cancer in their families. But not mine. There is no history of cancer in my family! Plus, MY mom?! She is invincible! A wonder mom who is phased by nothing (especially after raising my brothers!). But there was no escaping it: my mother was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma.
Lymphoma is the name for a group of cancers. There is Hodgkin Lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In the US, NHL is the 5th most common cancer. B-cell Lymphoma is the most common form of NHL and there are 14 different types of B-cell Lymphoma. My mom is diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which means it is a fast-growing lymphoma. Lymphomas result when a lymphocyte (a type of white blood cell) undergoes a malignant change and begins to multiply, eventually crowding out healthy cells and creating tumors that enlarge the lymph nodes or other parts of the immune system.
My mom’s lymphoma is considered stage 4, which is the most advanced stage because it had already spread to her blood and bone marrow. She is doing chemotherapy every 3 weeks to try to fight off the unhealthy blood cells, but this also can kill the healthy blood cells which causes some unpleasant side effects. Mom is going into her third round of chemo. She feels pretty well for awhile after the treatment, then gets sick for the rest of the time, and just when she starts to feel better, it’s time to go back and do it all over again.
It took awhile for the information to really sink in for me. It has been so difficult being away from my family during a time like this. I am going home for 2 weeks at the end of February, but I have been ready to be there since I returned home from Christmas. It feels so helpless to be so far away. I want to take care of my mom, spend time with her, and just be there for her on the days when she can’t leave the house. I want her to know how much I love her and that even with being so far away I can fight this too.
I was really struggling with these feelings when one night I was cleaning (rare, I know!) and I finally went through the mail that had gathered over the last several months. I saw a flyer for something called the Team in Training put on by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Finally here it was, a society that fights against lymphoma. LLS is where I learned all of the information about my mom’s cancer. I met people who have had the same thing my mom has, and I met people who are dedicated to finding a cure for it.
So now my dear friend Mandy Lester and I have joined the Team in Training (TNT) and we are training for a triathlon in Boulder which we will complete in honor of my mom. If you know me, then you know that me doing a triathlon is a miracle in itself! I am far from ready and it is going to take a lot of dedication and training. I know that I will want to quit, but when I think of what my mother has to live through every day now, I know that I can do this and that it is nothing compared to having cancer.
As part of TNT, I have a mentor and professional trainers that are preparing me for the triathlon. In return for what the LLS is doing to help me prepare, I have pledged to raise money to help fund research and support for cancer patients and their families. 75% of every dollar spent by LLS goes toward research, patient aid, advocacy, and public education programs. My goal is $3500! I know this is a big challenge but I am fully committed to making it happen! I ask each of you to please consider financially supporting me so that I may reach my fundraising goal. I would greatly appreciate any contribution that you can offer. Big or small, it will be put to good use!
I will gladly accept donations up to the date of my triathlon, however the sooner I meet my fundraising goal the more I can focus my energy on preparing for the triathlon! Whether you are able to contribute or not, I ask that you please keep my mother in your prayers. I know that God is faithful and will help my mother fight this!
I thank you all in advance for your thoughts, prayers, encouragement, and support of my current efforts, in honor of my amazing mother.
