Friday, May 29, 2009

Woe(fully unprepared) is me, and when is a kidney stone not a kidney stone?

Some quick thoughts before bed -- yes, bed at 7:30 on a Friday night. More on that in a moment.

First, the latest and greatest members of the FRED'S TEAM HONOR ROLL!

Let's hear it for

LEE SOLOMON
EMMA KERINS
and
JANE LATMAN

(all of whom I went to Camp Ballibay with!! Read my previous post for more on our amazing reunion)

bringing the total going to the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research in honor of Liam Witt to

$725

Woo-hoo!!

Please join the Honor Roll and help me celebrate the life of a very special little boy, by donating to my fourth -- yes, fourth -- NYC Marathon effort as a member of Fred's Team. All you have to do is click here, or on the links at the side or bottom of the page!

This weekend I am running two races, and thanks to my mystery condition, which is no longer a mystery, I am not entirey prepared. Tomorrow, at 8am, I'm running the Brooklyn Half Marathon, which I'm super-psyched about, because it was my very first half mary five years ago. This will be the first time I've been able to run it since. Of course I've barely put any miles in this past week. I guess I can call it a taper, but it'll be interesting. I'm not running for speed, and I've already got one half under my belt this season, so I'll be okay. The hardest thing about this race, however, is going to be getting there. Public transportation on a Saturday morning before 8am? Ugh. And once I get down to Prospect Park, it'll probably be about a mile's hike to get to the start line. Good warm-up!

The next morning is the Japan Day run, a four-miler. I don't need this race, I've already got the races I need for the 2010 NYC Marathon (including my volunteer race) but I like the race. There's a neat festival that takes place at the finish line, and -- I'll say it, they have good swag. Since the event also promotes the Tokyo Marathon, there's a lot of little giveaways for the runners -- folders, pens, foot lotion, stuff like that. Last year there was even a nice canvas bag. This year, however, the swag was basically limited to a bottle of Amino Vital and, oddly enough, a box of chow mein noodles. What the...? Just because they're teriyaki flavored doesn't make them reminiscent of Japan. Although the chopsticks do say "Japan Day" on the wrapper...

So, the medical mystery...last time I told you that I was suffering from what I thought was a kidney infection. I did just enough research on the internet to convince myself I had a kidney stone (and went no further, so as not to freak myself out.) I emailed my doctor, who told me to push the cranberry juice and see her on Tuesday. I did both -- and let me just say how much I now loathe unsweetened cranberry juice -- and I even had a CAT scan. It felt like a kidney stone, it hurt like a kidney stone, it had all the symptoms of a kidney stone, but lo and behold -- no kidney stone. What the doctor thinks it's just left over from the bladder infection, which I apparently still have, penicillin and Cipro be damned. I'm waiting to get some new and improved medication.

In the meantime, this will make for an amusing post-Brooklyn half quick-change, as I don't want to take chances wearing drippy drawers all the way home. So if you're at Coney Island Saturday morning, look for me -- I'll be the one wearing a long skirt!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Some Observations, The Wall Street Run, and a Medical Report

Before anything...an observation.
I ate a mocrowave noodle dish that had the following instructions: "Caution: food will be hot and delicious." If your food needs to warn you of its taste, take that warning to heart.

One new member of the HONOR ROLL this week, and that is

MY PARENTS, GIL and BONNIE GLOTZER

bringing the total going to the Aubrey Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to an impressive

$650

So now you know how much my parents gave.

Do you love me more than my parents? Show me, by donating more than they did, by clicking on this link right here!!

Another observation: when you go to pick up your race number, make sure you're registered for the race.

Yes, that was idiot me, going all the way down to the World Financial Center (on a day I didn't have work and wasn't even near the area) to pick up my stuff for the Wall Street Run, only to discover I didn't register for the race. I registered for a bunch of races all at once, and I like this race, and I just assumed that I did. Guess not.

So the question is, what's worse -- showing up for a race you didn't register for, or showing up for the race on the wrong day?

Anyway, a bunch of us had said we'd meet for drinks after the run, so I went down there anyway to cheer on my Teammates. I saw a bunch of them beforehand, and I staked out a great spot right by the finish line. If you've never gone to a race merely to cheer on friends and fellow runners, let me suggest you do it. I had a GREAT time! It was hard to tear myself away to meet my friends at the bar. Although yes, I would have preferred to run the thing. it's such a fun race, weaving around the streets of Lower Manhattan. Which is what I normally do every day, only this time, I'd be doing it without a steno machine and computer. I didn't even think about just running it without a number. Maybe I should've. When I was at the WFC earlier that day, finding out that I made a trip for nothing, one of the workers there said, "The race is closed, but you can do the walk." I know my running may sometimes LOOK like a walk...

We had a great time at the bar afterwards, although it was, perhaps, the worst service I've ever had. I mean, yes, the place was completely overrun by runners, but there's no excuse for bringing the check BEFORE the food arrives. Especially since it arrived cold. And an hour late. And they not only forgot Chrissy's drink, they forgot her food. And the bun on David's burger was moldy. Should I go on? But it was fun.

Now onto the medical portion of the show. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had my first bladder infection of the training season already. But what I didn't count on was the kidney infection. I finished my round of antibiotics, and I thought all was well, but I could -- how to explain it? -- I could just sort of feel my right kidney (too many bladder infections gave me a very good idea of where my kidneys are. ) It didn't hurt, it was just, well, there. I figured it was a side-effect from the bladder infection and would go away. Lo and behold, it didn't. And by Thursday night, I was seeing -- turn your heads if you're squeamish -- a little blood. And wouldn't you know, it's Memorial Day weekend! So I emailed my doctor, who told me to push the cranberry juice, and I'll see her on Tuesday. I'm also (don't look, Mom!) dosing myself with some leftover penicillin I got from getting my wisdom tooth pulled. Ugh.

What this means is --

No Memorial Day outings -- yes, I missed TWO of them, because I'm afraid to stray from a toilet.
and no running. Although I did go out on Saturday for an easy trip up to and around the Res, because it was just too nice a day not to. I paid for it, but it was worth it. A little scared, as the Brooklyn Half is at the end of the week, but I guess I can look at it as a taper.

Yes, even though today is a gorgeous day, nope, not doing it. Just going to spend the day indoors, in my THANKFULLY quiet -- because there's no construction today, hooray!! -- apartment, and work on my transcripts and watch old TV shows.

Happy Memorial Day, y'all!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

My Annual Appeal

At the age of three, Liam Witt was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer of the nervous system. I met him two years ago, and as many of you know, ran last year’s NYC Marathon in his honor. He's already undergone multiple surgeries and procedures that would devastate an adult. Yet he never complains, begs to go to school even if his treatments leave him bald, and is an inspiration to everyone he meets. He's certainly mine.

Liam just finished his 6th round of 3F8 antibody treatment, a treatment currently available only at MSKCC and one other hospital in the world. This treatment, developed at MSKCC with Fred’s Team money, has raised the cure rate for neuroblastoma from less than 20 percent to just under 60 percent.

Thanks to you, Liam celebrated his fifth birthday yesterday.

To make sure that Liam, and the other children at MSKCC, get to celebrate many more birthdays, I am lacing up my shoes to run the NYC Marathon for Fred’s Team for the fourth time. I know times are tough and money is tight, but may I ask you once again to donate to my Fred's Team effort this year?

The easiest way to donate is to click here. It will take you to my Fred’s Team home page, and you can pay with a credit card (do not use autofill to fill in your address, it does something odd to the form.)

If you would prefer to support me with a check, please make it payable to "MSKCC" and send it directly to me. I will take care of adding my race ID numbers and sending it to MSKCC. My address is: 152 W. 58th Street #2D, New York, NY 10019-2111.

If your company offers matching donations, please send me the form. I will fill it out and send it in to MSKCC.

Please read about Liam and his amazing journey by clicking on his mother's blog, "Prince Liam the Brave," at the link to the right of the page.

On behalf of Prince Liam and myself, thank you once again for your unstinting support.

Love always,

Marci