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| Self portrait on Falls Lake Trail today |
It's Sunday evening, June 9th and I am sore-footed and -shouldered after a 9-mile training hike today. I did this one solo because Mike was tied up with graduation festivities for his youngest son. I'm trying to make sure I get "out" at least once a week now, and soon I will have to make it two. On the fund-raising front, we've just nosed over $64,000 raised!! Pretty phenomenal, and I am so thankful for everyone's participation and generosity. Many of you donors have recently received a super-cool refrigerator magnet to thank you, remind you of my trip and (maybe) to pray for me. Those magnets were a gift of a good friend from Wheaton, Brian Baird, whose company (Magnetstreet) creates a range of announcement and invitation products, primarily for weddings, graduations, and other major events. Thanks again Brian!
Here's a link to the JMT Fundraising site:
John Muir Trail Website - Team in Training
Donation of the month goes to another family member, Jill (Rooker) DiCicco, who got her class and Aurora Christian School to do a fund raising drive for me - the kids raised over $100 for my cause. You have to see this short video of her class:
Jill's Class Project - Dan the Walking Man
Very precious.....
On the medical front....nothing horrible, but I did come down with a fever and a mild pneumonia, which resulted in spending the afternoon of Mother's Day in the emergency room (routine precaution for transplant patients). Given the track record I've had over the past 7 months, with infections, fevers, and liver issues, I've been able to arrange a different role at IBM that should reduce the toll that work is taking on my body and immune system. Honestly, I need to be consistently healthy over the next two months if I am really going to go off into the wilderness for 26 days. And, apart from the hike, I just need to find an equilibrium with work that results in strong health and no infections. I'm very thankful that IBM has been so supportive.
Oh, I think this is really exciting....the Muir Project, a team of film-makers who are just now releasing a documentary on the John Muir Trail, have a promotional website at "themuirproject.com", and they have posted a guest blog entry that I wrote with help from my daughter Rachel:
http://themuirproject.com/journal/
That's my guest blog entry! I encourage you to explore their site, it will be a great documentary, I am 100% confident. I hope to get a copy of it before I make my trip. Please check it out.
Renee and I will be doing a little traveling coming up, to Italy for a week of R&R with some very dear friends who are celebrating their 50th birthdays this summer. Ah, the rolling hills of Tuscany await!
When I get home, I will be re-scanned to make sure that the "little thing" in my lung three weeks ago was just that touch of pneumonia and nothing else. Appreciate your prayers in all these things - and please - let me know if I can help you or anyone you know deal with cancer diagnoses, treatments, or anyone that just needs encouragement - that's why I am here. With love - Dan
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