No Time to Waste!!!

Ok people, I just sent in the IRS paperwork for Suites of Hope and my friend Laurie Earls has already found a metastatic breast cancer patient in California who desperately wants to come to MD Anderson but can't because she can't afford a place to stay.  Laurie called me today to tell me about her and sweetly asked if there was anyway that she could be the first person to stay in the new condo once we get it.  Of course I will agree to whatever Laurie wants since she is the inspiration for all this.  Of course this woman's husband has a good job and she has insurance, but $2000 a month in just motel bills here in the medical center is too much for anyone to really handle.  Good thing is that the woman is in the middle of chemo in Cali and it will be a few months until she gets her next scan results. We have time until she will be ready to come to Houston, but I feel like I need to get moving on this...NO TIME TO WASTE.  


I had my monthly visit to MD Anderson for my phase 1 clinical trial.  This time they added cholesterol and triglycerides to my usual crazy bloodwork - amusing thing is that I have NEVER had my cholesterol checked.  Drum roll....I have GREAT cholesterol and triglyceride numbers.  ALL my blood work came out fabulous except for, yes again, ANC and WBC which were really low.  Maybe that was how I caught that nasty stomach bug this last weekend?  So of course I got another Neulasta shot.  They also want me to come in every 2 weeks now to follow my ANC and WBC better and maybe catch it before it gets too low again.  Otherwise, great visit and my CT scans will be scheduled for the  Monday before Thanksgiving.  


Sometimes I feel really guilty about all the success with my clinical trial.  I LOOK GOOD and FEEL GOOD.  Many people just can't believe I have cancer.  When I go to MD Anderson I see so many really sick people.  Yesterday there was a wheelchair derby going on in the diagnostic center.  They were everywhere - I think there were more people in wheelchairs than people walking on their own.  When I got up to the 10th floor I saw this emaciated young woman who looked near death waiting to see a doctor.  I asked her husband what type of cancer she has - stomach cancer.  She looked like death - I sat there and silently prayed for her.  I was just so sad and felt so humbled.  It made me think...does anybody really care what's going on in CancerLand?  I see so much going on about the whole Occupy Wall Street Movement.  I really don't mean to be political, but I really feel like I'm caught in the middle.  I don't agree with the Occupy Wall Street people and I don't agree with the "greedy wall street 1% people" either. I find myself somewhere in the middle.  I'm not a "have not but want a lot" and I'm not a "have a lot and take a lot."  I feel like I'm a "have a lot and don't really deserve it but work hard for it".  I'm really having a hard time with all this student loan whining and crying though.  I had student loans out of college and was expected to pay it back even though my first job out was a teaching job making $22,000.  I doubled up and paid it off in 5 years.  No one bailed me out.  No one bailed my dad out when he was out of work for 18 months back in the 80's.  No one is helping me or many others pay our medical out of pocket expenses annually for chronic diseases even when we have GOOD insurance (mine is over $3000 annually and I have AMAZING insurance).  By the way, every cent I pay towards my medical care is TRULY worth it for what I am getting in return.   Then again, why are we paying CEO's millions to leave a company when they do a horrible job?  Why are banks being bailed out just to turn around and make bad loans again?   When will we all just learn to live within our means and learn to find value and fulfillment in what really matters?


Here's a wonderful article I ripped off from my friend Bobby Cude's facebook status regarding the Occupy Wall Street Movement.  Thanks Bobby!  It has insightful scriptures.  When I'm faced with a financial dilemma I have sometimes thought to myself, "What would Solomon do?" 


http://www.irvingbible.org/blog/2011/10/26/on-occupy-wall-street/




Here's a thought, maybe we should be investing more in people!  At least that's what I've been trying to do with Suites of Hope.  I also have made the exciting decision to invest in a friend of mine.  My friend, Lindsey Apostolo, is a metastatic cervical cancer survivor who I met at a MD Anderson event.  I really liked Lindsey instantly.  She is fighting a tough battle with cancer, but is still working as a school teacher and out trying to have a good time with her friends.  Some of you may remember that I posted on facebook asking for names of interior decorators.  Lindsey got in touch with me and asked if I would take her on as my designer.  While she is a teacher, her real passion is in interior design and wants to try and start her own business.  Would I help her get started?  ABSOLUTELY!!!  So far we are having a blast and I love every idea she has.  Paint and wallpaper coming soon and faux alligator skin around the bar!  Yay!  I will keep you guys up to date on our progress.

What are some of you investing in these days?  Let me know!!!

Oh, and I almost forgot...

The song of the week:  

No Time to Waste   

By:  Beckwith, featuring Ineabell