Jennifer Goodman Linn You Fearless
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Fearless Blog

03.24.2010 Posted 7:44 am

Is it In Me?

We received the results of my scan last week and the data was mixed. The tumor has partially responded to the chemo I have been on for the last 6 weeks. The doctors have seen some progress but not as much as they had hoped. So, both Dr. Maki and Dr. Singer are adjusting their course of action. The good news is that they have another protocol that they believe will work better. It is similar to the regimen I was on when I started my first course of chemo 4+ years ago. This treatment requires me to be in the hospital for 3 days at a time every 3 weeks. I had the option of trying to receive the treatment from the out-patient clinic but we decided since the protocol lasts about 9 hours a day, the back and forth travel would actually be more tiring than Just “sucking it up” and staying at Spa Memorial for a few days at a time. As many of you know, by …

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03.17.2010 Posted 11:04 am

I am so sorry I have been out of touch

I truly apologize for not writing in over a month! BELIEVE ME, it is not because I don’t have a lot to say. I have actually been writing down all of the topics I have wanted to write about so there is a lot of new content coming shortly.
My blog is transitioning over to a new back-end system (terrifying as I am not an IT person) and I need to figure this out before i post anything more because I don’t want to lose the new entries.
Within the next week, I promise you will get a lot more updates…Cycle for Survival 2010 pictures, details about my latest journey with battle #5 etc. Definitely a “must read” 🙂
In the meantime, I am attaching a link to an amazingly informative and inspiring article that Self Magazine wrote about rare cancers in their March issue (on newsstands now…Hayden Panatierre is on the cover). The article showcases how the dollars raised by Cycle for Survival are making huge strides in rare …

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02.10.2010 Posted 6:59 am

A perfect Partnership

Check out this entertaining piece that WPIX created!

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02.3.2010 Posted 4:06 pm

The Highest of Highs and the Lowest of Lows

A wise person once said to me “you can only appreciate the highest of highs if you experience the lowest of lows.” I always think about that expression when I am experiencing either extreme of the spectrum: If I am having a particularly tough time I realize that I have experienced so much joy and this rough patch is sure to pass. Or, when I am having a really euphoric experience I truly soak it in because I know that it’s only a matter of time until a low comes along. It’s not being optimistic or pessimistic, it’s just the way life works out.
This roller coaster of feelings could not have been more true this past week.
I started the week off so high as we were leading up to the Cycle for Survival event. We had great press appearances on CBS, WPIX, ABC Radio and NBC. We also had the opportunity to ring the NYSE bell which was a truly memorable experience. All signs pointed that Cycle for Survival NY …

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01.26.2010 Posted 4:45 pm

Some Beautiful Words Leading up to Cycle for Survival

Hi Everyone,
We are at $1.825, so close to the $2MM mark! I have been touched by some beautiful words this week and I wanted to share them with you. The first is an excerpt my mom wrote regarding why she gets involved in Cycle for Survival. The second is my friend Serina’s solicitation email.
Why Do I Cycle? – By Sandy Goodman, Jen’s Mom (1/26/10)
Why I cycle? Ha! Certainly NOT my idea of a good time! At 62 years old and somewhat physically wimpy, the gym was not on my daily radar. But, there was my feisty daughter, 5 years ago, the 33 year old “gym rat, “ in fabulous physical condition, who was suddenly diagnosed with a rare cancer. She dealt with the surgery and chemotherapy, but did not let it overwhelm her life. Probably any request from her would have been honored, but her suggestion to me was simple, “Learn to spin, Mom. Follow my lead, and let’s us continue to be optimistic, proactive, and strong so we can …

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01.20.2010 Posted 10:15 am

Healing Physically, Yet Still Not Whole

This article appeared in The New York Times on January 18th, 2010. My friend Lauren pointed it out to me and I really loved it. It rings very true of how I am feeling now and what I have learned over the past 5 years. Enjoy!
Still haunted and chastened by the Puritan work ethic, our culture doesn’t much believe in convalescing, in full recovery. No matter what happens in our lives — a grave illness, a wrenching divorce, a death in the family — the unspoken understanding is that we should want to rush back into the game. Like an old-time quarterback who has had one concussion too many, we are expected to stagger back onto the field no matter what.
I found out that I had prostate cancer nearly two years ago — it ended up being an unexpectedly aggressive Stage 3 cancer — and in the time since then I’ve learned that there is a big difference between recuperation and recovery.
Recuperation is just physical. The claw of …

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01.16.2010 Posted 7:22 pm

Two Weeks to Go and Cycle for Survival is on a Roll!

 
We are so excited about the momentum behind Cycle for Survival. Thanks to loyal support from you, we’re making a real difference for many cancer patients. In the past year, we have funded 3 trials as well as developed a new chemotherapy regimen to help people with a wide variety of rare cancers such as pancreatic, uterine, brain, soft tissue and pediatric.
As just one example, a patient called us two weeks ago to relay that “in the past I would have been out of options but some of the money from last year’s Cycle for Survival is funding a clinical trial which will hopefully save my life.”
With two weeks to go, we have already SURPASSED last year’s fundraising goal! We are now setting our sights on $2MM and I really think we can do it! Please help us if you can! Just go to this page and click on Donate to Jen4Survival in the middle of the page – http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/Jen1
Check out ringing the bell at Nasdaq yesterday!
 

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12.29.2009 Posted 9:01 pm

The 5th Annual Day of Jen

It’s hard to believe but tomorrow, December 30th, marks the fifth anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. Five years ago I was admitted to Mt. Sinai Hospital to remove a large tumor (which we were hoping was benign) from my abdominal area.
In some ways the events leading up to and right after my diagnosis feel like just yesterday. I have many vivid memories that always return to me around this time of year:
• My general practitioner telling me that my blood work was “way off” and ordering a full body CT scan
• The radiologist asking me innocently if I knew I had a big tumor in my stomach (umm…no?!?)
• The uncontrollable coughing fits in the movie theatre on Christmas (the tumor was resting heavily on my diaphragm).
• The bittersweet shock that my clothes were all getting big on me…I was losing weight so effortlessly but why?
• The anxiety leading up to my first surgery (what would happen if I woke up during surgery and couldn’t see?!?)
• My “last supper” before I …

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12.10.2009 Posted 10:26 am

Cycle for Survival Public Service Announcement

Yeah! Check out the longer version of the Cycle for Survival PSA. So exciting!

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12.10.2009 Posted 10:26 am

Cycle for Survival Public Service Announcement

With just under 2 months to go, Cycle for Survival (cycleforsurvival.org) has raised over $500K and has signed on over 300 teams nation-wide to participate in the fight against cancer. If you haven't already done so, please visit the website and Form a Team, Join the Ride and Support the Cause!

This PSA ran on Regis and Kelly today and will be on ABC all week 🙂

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