JOIN THE FUN AND GET A SHAVE - THE KID'S WILL LOVE YA FOR IT

St. Baldrick’s Foundation

CHILDHOOD CANCER & NEUROBLASTOMA FACTS

Leukemia - Leukemias are the most common childhood cancers. They account for about 33% of all childhood cancers. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) are the most common types of leukemia in children.

Brain and nervous system cancers - Brain and other nervous system cancers are the second most common cancers in children, making up about 21% of childhood cancers.

Neuroblastoma - Neuroblastoma is a form of cancer that starts in certain types of nerve cells found in a developing embryo or fetus. This type of cancer occurs in infants and young children. It is most often found during the first year of life. It is rarely found in children older than 10. This tumor can start anywhere but usually occurs in the belly (abdomen) and is noticed as swelling. It can also cause bone pain and fever. It accounts for about 7% of childhood cancers.

Wilms tumor - Wilms tumor is a cancer that starts in one, or rarely, both kidneys. It is most often found in children about 3 years old, and is uncommon in children older than age 6.

Lymphomas - Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma (sometimes called Hodgkin disease, Hodgkin's disease, or Hodgkin's lymphoma), are cancers that start in lymph tissues, such as the tonsils, lymph nodes, and thymus.

Rhabdomyosarcoma - Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children.

Retinoblastoma - Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the eye. It is rare, accounting for just under 3% of childhood cancers

Bone cancers - Primary bone cancers (cancers that start in the bones) occur most often in children and adolescents.

Osteosarcoma is uncommon, accounting for almost 3% of all new childhood cancer cases in the United States. It often causes no pain or symptoms until swelling starts, but sometimes there is bone pain that keeps getting worse. .

Ewing sarcoma is a less common primary bone cancer which can cause bone pain. It is mostly found in adolescents. It accounts for a little more than 1% of childhood cancers.

Neuroblastoma:

• Approximately 500 to 1,000 children are diagnosed with neuroblastoma in the United States each year.

• Doctors have known about neuroblastoma for approximately 35 years.

• Neuroblastoma is primarily diagnosed in children ages 14 and under, with most cases in children younger than 5 years.

• The cause of neuroblastoma is unknown, and it is more likely to occur in males than females.

• Neuroblastoma is difficult to diagnose in small children, and its progression is often rapid and painful.

• Neuroblastoma accounts for 8 percent of childhood cancer cases, but is responsible for 15 percent of all childhood cancer deaths.

• One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.

• Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.

• Each child in the U.S. diagnosed with cancer receives approximately one-sixth of the federal research support allocated to each patient afflicted with AIDS. Yet in 2004, 48 new cases of pediatric AIDS were diagnosed vs. more than 12,000 pediatric cancer cases.

• Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis

• Cancer accounts for the greatest number of disease deaths of children in the United States and kills more children per year than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma and AIDS combined

Sources: American Cancer Society, Band of Parents, Texas Oncology Group

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_6x_Children_and_Cancer.asp http://www.bandofparents.org/neuroblastoma.html
http://www.texasoncology.com/about.aspxid=2750&terms=neuroblastoma

C.O.L.E.'s FOUNDATION

C.O.L.E.'s FOUNDATION
Caring Openly, Loving Eternally

In need of prayer, please click picture to go to C.O.L.E.'S

Grandpa John's Prayer for His Little Buddies

I hear no voice, I feel no touch,
I see no glory bright;
But yet I know that God is near,
In darkness as in light.
God watches ever by my side,
And hears my whispered prayer:
A God of love for a little child
Both night and day does care --- Anonymous

Angel's Honor Roll- A Forever Dedication


glitter-graphics.com

- Our Angels -

Austin Melgar, Courtney Saunders, Cooper Riley Proscia, Emily Adamson, Victoria Houston, John Eric Bartels, Kathy Ann Wilkinson, Alara Curran, Spencer Dolling, Marissa Monroe, Olivia Weber, Alexa Aigner, Joe Daily, Ryan Willians, Janie Kashino, Dustin Cobb, Alyssa Chappell, Addison Whipple, Amber Mastey, Katie Krize, Gustavo-Alexis, Kelvin Harper, Maggie Achuff, Kristin Hope, Kahlilla Blyss, Arden Quinn Bucher, Douglas Swift, Max Mikulak, Eliza S, Brandon Loose, Kody Edwards, Brody Hurt, Jay Jay LeBoeuf, Kyah Milne, Nicholas Pagano, Trooper Dante Tareboreli, Carter Wax, Zachary Finestone, Cora McClenahan, Little Roy Gutierrez, Chloe Smith, *Cody Johnson*, Emilio Gravez, Jacob Stovall, Noah Tyler Bell, Shu Qinpet (pet name Xinxin), Jenna Mussolini and Owen Lea, Carson Clark, Juan Santiago Wall, Erik Ludwinski, Layla Grace Marsh, Samuel Thomas Hutchison, Sydney Marie Dudley, Sophie Atay (And Our Big Warrior hero 1st Lt Joseph Helton, USAF - 8 Sept 2009),

-Race Dedication-

  • In Memory of: Samuel Thomas Hutchison, Layla Grace Marsh, Sydney Marie Dudley and Sophie Atay.
  • In Honor of: Jessica Trotter
  • Next Race - TBD
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gj's Buddies & Angels - Lighting the Way

SAVE THE DATE AND JOIN ME


For more widgets please visit www.yourminis.com

Circle the Lake for the Cure

Circle the Lake for the Cure
Houghton Lake MI - 36 hours for the Cure

Email Grandpa John

Click Here

Thursday, June 5, 2008

How did Grandpa John Get Into Running?

On numerous occasions I have been asked ‘How did you get started or involved with running?” Ok, you asked for it, so here it is- the story:

After 40+ years of smoking and weighting around 250 lbs, on December 16th, 2005 thinking I was having a cardiac event, I drove myself to a local hospital. Prior to checking in, however and having just bought a pack of cigarettes, I had one last smoke before going into the emergency room (Very very, very stupid!). That was my last cigarette!!!

Well, they did all sorts of testing and blood work ups and even a catheter procedure. Thank God, I did not have a heart attack, but they did find that I had to 2 blocked arteries and that I also had GERD, Acid Reflux. That was the primary culprit. Stomach acid was entering or irritating my bronchial tubes (I wonder why I did get some form of pneumonia from it). Since my arteries were at 50% blockage, no stents were put in, but I was put on Plavix, which I still take religiously to this day. Along with that I was also put on proton pump inhibitors and blood pressure medicine and told by the discharging physician that if I continued to smoke I’d die at a really young age and since my mother died at 45 from coronary disease, I had better start getting in shape.

THat’s all it took. As soon as I got the clearance from my primary care physician I began a work out regimen designed solely to build and restore my heart health. My workout plan was based on a 5 day schedule: days 1, 3, and 5 were Cardio workouts; days 2 & 4 were weight training. Every so slow I started noticing changes, my clothes were starting to get loose and I needed to buy a new belt…I dropped from 250lbs to 210 lbs and I was feeling great. I was doing so good that my doctor took me off all my blood pressure medicines. It was then that I decided to up the workout to include running. So I researched and found the Couch Potato to 5K (C25K) running plan. Following it religiously by the time week 8 rolled around I was running 30 minutes non-stop! I was overjoyed. I signed up for my very first 5K (The Kinesiology 5k) I ran it in the very slow time of 33:19. After finishing, I thought well that was a nice experience but I am not sure if I want to run anymore races. Until….

I was relaxing at home watching ESPN and a special was being televised…It was all about the “Badwater Ultramarathon;”- a 135 mile race that runs smack thru Death Valley and up the side of Mount Whitney California. I was enthralled; the spirit of the event captured my spirit. My testosterone levels spiked for sure. I knew I couldn’t run Badwater, but hey I could run a marathon (Yeah that’s right, 1 race to my credit and I was going to run a marathon)…
So began my journey, the year was Oct 2006. In November 2006 I joined up with Team in Training and a little less than 7 months later I successfully ran (waddled is more like it) my first marathon, The Vancouver International Marathon and 4 months later still I ran the Rochester NY marathon.

Yes, I admit it. I am hooked! I love distance running and I love that I am able to run for my Little Buddies….If you can’t run, then won’t you please help me, help them too.
PLEASE Say Yes to Grandpa John and make a generous donation to the Band of Parents.

Here for the sake of fond memories I post a few pictures for your enjoyment















I AM IN PAIN HERE FOLKS!





I DID'T QUIT THEN, I WON'T QUIT NOW.


Yeah, I know I am slow, but I can go slow for a really long time :)
God Bless and Good Night.
Gj

Posted by at

2 comments:

The Preister's said...

slow and steady wins the race GJ - thanks for all you do! You are a true inspiration who is changing the world!

June 6, 2008 at 2:28 PM
The Preister's said...

slow and steady wins the race GJ - thanks for all you do! You are a true inspiration who is changing the world!

June 6, 2008 at 2:28 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)