More than 120 people attended [ the Dance For A Cure] on Friday. While some ware there for personal support for me or others with lymphoma, many additional people attended just to dance and have fun. With over 25 raffle prizes and additional silent auctions, many went home with a prize. Best of all, approximately $3,500 was raised for the Lymphoma Research Foundation annual bike ride.

What I learned through the process is FIND THE SPECIALIST!!  Had I gone to see a generalist I wouldn't have received cutting edge treatment and would have had to endure the horrors of chemotherapy.  For my very common lymphoma (B-cell, indolent, follicular, non-hodgkins) there are numerous other options and Dr. Bruce Cheson at Georgetown University is the head of the board of lymphoma research.  I lucked out that he is down the street but would have traveled to minnesota to be his patient. He is just that good. Also, CREATE A NOTEBOOK WITH TABS to keep everything straight and feel you have some control over the masses of information you receive. And lastly TAPE RECORD YOUR MEETINGS WITH YOUR DOCTOR. This was a recommendation by a friend, Earling DeGraf, and although I thought it was odd and uncomfortable at first, what a resource it provided.They are throwing these complicated words and subjects at you and you and your spouse/loved ones are so stressed and confused everything starts getting mixed up.  By recording the conversations you can review them later and not feel the pressure to take notes or miss anything.  

I was completely overwhelmed with the support and love that came from the Vienna/Oakton community. Even friends from high school in Bethesda and Potomac "crossed the river" to be there.

Mary Heppner and Suzanne Zolldan are incredible friends. They spent HOURS and HOURS preparing for the night. Friends like that don't come around everyday. It's the small town life of Vienna which leads itself to such support. In such a type A over achieving suburb of Washington, D.C. that says a lot about the community.  

Thank you also to Bazins for amazing desserts and appetizers, Cenans for breads, Caffe Amouri/Norms Beer and Wine/ Pastsy's for selling tickets, Pastsy's for food, Dominos for pizza,  and all of the fabulous vendors who donated unbelievable gifts - Flemings Steak House, Oakton Wine Store, Pear Tree Cottage, Diane T. Salon, Nails Etc., Fosters Grille, Fresh Market, Outback, the list goes on and on. One of the riders on the team is a professional musician and donated a silent auction of her string quartet to play for two hours at a value of $800!

For more information about the Lymphoma Research Foundation or the upcoming bike ride on September 18, please contact Valerie Kappler at 703-963-4047 or go to the lymphoma.org web site. To join or donate to our team, click on the Remission Riders!!