How to Help without Giving Money

I have been blessed by very generous people, who continue to help me in my efforts to fight cancer.  But what if money is tight right now...  What can you do to help?  I thought the video in the link below gave a great idea of something we could do to help without costing a lot of money.  The girl in the video (a local Seattle girl) was saved by having a second transplant from an unrelated donor.  I can't help but think of what might have happened if Tyler had been able to find a match in the Bone Marrow registry.  Would he still be here?  Only 3 out of 10 patients currently find a match in the registry.  The best way to improve those odds is to get everyone we know to sign up and be willing to save somebody's life!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34107503/ns/today-today_health/t/woman-meets-stranger-who-saved-her-life/#.TytUN8gzCSo

Volunteers Needed with a Luau as a reward

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is hosting the Pineapple Classic on Saturday, November 12th.  They are in need of volunteers if anyone wants to see a fun event and finish the day off with an authentic Hawaiian Luau!  I hope to see you there!

This year’s event is on Saturday, November 12^th at the Mountain Meadows Farm in North Bend.  As you know, the Winter Pineapple Classic is a fun and festive 5k team adventure race where participants must navigate a series of obstacles and physical challenges.  The event concludes with an authentic Hawaiian Luau!

(Special note:  Volunteers will receive a free pass to the Luau and beer garden (21 and over) after completing their volunteer shift).

Here are Volunteer Opportunities for The Winter Pineapple Classic

November 11^th – At Road Runner Sports in Seattle

·         Pre-race Check-in – check in participants and give them packets.

November 12^th – Mountain Meadows Farm, North Bend

·         Information Booth & Media Escort – Help assist LLS staff in answering questions and escorting media when they arrive

·         Registration and Check-in Booth – hand out packets to participants and register new participants.

·         Wave Starter – gather participants according to start time using large placards. Walk teams to start line.

·         Finish Line – will remove timing chips from participants and hand out water.

·         Luau Ticket Sales – Sell Luau tickets and check wristbands for admission

·         Bouncy House – Need adults to monitor number of kids in bouncy house

·         Parking and Traffic Attendants – Need adults to assist venue attendants with parking control

·         The Green Team -  Make sure trash & recycling is placed in proper receptacles and help pick up trash

·         Course Monitors – Adults needed to make sure participants stay on course – we don’t want anyone to end up in Canada

·         Obstacle Monitors – Adults needed to ensure participants are completely obstacles safely

·         Food Tent – serve food (food handlers permit is required)

·         Beer Garden Bartenders – Help our Brewery serve beer (Must be 21 over and have bartending license)

·         Clean-up Crew – Help LLS staff clean up luau venue; we always need extra help  =)

·         Obstacle Course Tear Down Crew – this will be a physical task for you, but we will make it fun!

Please let Lauren Last ( (206) 957-4566 ) know what opportunities appeal to you and she would be happy to give you more details.

Doing More with Less

According to this article in a Washington State newspaper, our blood banks must do more with less in the summer months. They write that our blood bank collects about 20% less blood over the summer, but needs about 20% more to meet the needs of local patients.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110705/OPINION01/707059999

Can you give blood today to help?  I actually did my best to give blood after work today (which involved heavy duty water drinking throughout the day), but found that the local donation site had closed by the time I got off work.  I'll try again in the next week and hope that you will join me.

Memorial Service

Thank you so much for the outpouring of love and sympathy that everyone has sent our way today. It is easy for me to see that Tyler touched many, many lives in his 44 years.

We will be holding a memorial service for Tyler on Saturday, January 15th at 1pm.  Everyone is welcome to come celebrate his life with us.

North Creek Presbyterian Church
621 164th Street SE
Mill Creek, WA 98012

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tyler's honor to http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL11/mbledsoe_LTN. Another way to honor Tyler would be to make an appointment to donate whole blood or platelets at your local blood bank or sign up for the Be the Match bone marrow registry.

Thank you so much for helping us to fight this battle for the last 4 years!

Scraping the bottom

Tyler continues to have extremely low blood counts because his marrow isn't healthy enough to make mature blood cells. He keeps turning out teenagers (blasts), but they just won't grow up and get a job!

Anyways... Tyler coordinated with SCCA to get a double dose of platelets on Monday in preparation for the trip to Houston on Tuesday. Unfortunately, when he woke up on Monday morning, he was spitting up blood. That is one of the signs of low platelets, so he immediately started calling SCCA to see if he could go in early for his transfusion. When he got his blood count back, he had a 1 for his platelet count. The normal range for platelets is 150-400, but Ty's counts have been below that for years. The doctors transfuse him when he gets below 25, just to avoid any unnecessary bleeding.

He ended up getting 3 bags of platelets on Monday because he had been way lower than expected. Thanks goodness for the Puget Sound Blood Bank and the many generous donors in our area! Tyler would not survive without your lifesaving donations. If you have not donated blood before, i urge you to try it once. It is a really easy process for almost everyone that qualifies. In fact, my mom jokes that it is like opening a tap in her arm! :)

How Donors are Selected

How Donors Are Selected


When you join the Be The Match Registry®, you were told patients are searching for a match.  But what exactly is being matched?

The short answer: HLA. Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are proteins — or markers — found on most cells in your body. Your immune system uses these markers to recognize which cells belong in your body and which do not. A close HLA match between patient and donor is the most important factor in selecting the best bone marrow donor for a patient.



A close match

There are many HLA markers, but matching only a small number of them is critical to a successful transplant.

We test most new members for 6 HLA markers when they join the Be The Match Registry. By testing for a basic level of HLA markers, we keep tissue-typing costs low — we want to be able to add as many registry members as possible to help all searching patients find a matching donor.



Next step

A patient’s doctor usually tries to select several potential donors who appear to match the patient at a basic level. The doctor then asks for additional testing to find a donor who matches the patient at a detailed level.

The Need for Donors

Finding a match: The basics

 

For a successful transplant, a patient needs a matching donor. Special testing determines whether a patient and a bone marrow donor or umbilical cord blood are a good match. The closer the match, the less likely the patient will experience severe Graft - vs - Host Disease (GVHD).

 

 

Race and ethnicity matter
Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity. Adding more donors and cord blood units from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to the Be The Match Registry increases the likelihood that all patients will find the match they need.

 

Your heritage can make all the difference. If you are from one of the following communities, you are especially encouraged to join the Be The Match Registry or donate umbilical cord blood:

• Black and African American
• American Indian and Alaska Native
• Asian, including South Asian
• Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander
• Hispanic and Latino
• Multiple race

You can even join from the comfort of your own home, by completing an online form and using the kit they send you to swab a Qtip around the inside of your cheeks.  It only takes a minute or two to join the registry!  The major requirements are:

• You must be between the ages of 18 and 60
• You must live in the US or Puerto Rico
• You must promise to donate to a patient in need if you are called to save someone's life

Get more questions answered online here if you still want to know more.

Shop to the Gap Give & Get sale and help fight cancer!

If any of you are planning to spend Veteran's Day cruising the sales, I want to suggest that you take advantage of a very special sale at the Gap family of companies: Gap Give & Get Supporting LLS. By using this 30% off coupon at Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana republic Factory Stores, and Old Navy (tough, I know!), you actually help the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) develop cures for cancer. For every purchase made using this coupon between November 11th and 14th, 5% of your purchase will be donated to LLS!

It sounds to me like this would be a GREAT time to start my Christmas shopping... 30% off for me, great gifts for my family, and 5% to LLS!

Get the coupon at http://www.gapinc.com/giveandget/lls/ and help us to spread the word!

Give and Get 30% Off at Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy

Give & Get is Here!

Enjoy 30% Off and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society gets 5% of what you spend
Shop 4 days only, August 26–29

At Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Banana Republic Factory Store, and Gap Outlet in-store

Use the coupon at http://www.gapinc.com/giveandget/lls/ to get your discount.

Light the Night

It's that time of year again!  We are planning to walk around Greenlake on the evening of Saturday, September 25th with as many friends and family members as we can convince to join us.  Our goal is to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and support their efforts to find new cures for blood cancers.

If you can join us for an evening stroll, please go to http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL10/TeamFirefly and click JOIN at the bottom of the page.

If you can't join us, please donate at http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL10/MBledsoe
Many thanks for your continued support!
 
Mandy and Tyler

Janell's Battle

My friend and coworker had her transplant on Friday, July 2nd.  We remember how painful those first few weeks were and wish her strength to get through it and a very quick (and healthy) engraftment!

If you are curious to see more about Janell's journey, you can click on the link to Janell's Reflections on our website.

June Card of the Month

With all of the craziness this spring, I had gotten far behind in shipping out the cards for a cause that everyone had purchased.  Now that I am finally caught up, I wanted to post the June card (and a bonus card option since I missed May's card). 

Before I add in pictures of the cards, I did want to thank the many supporters we have had so far.  I posted a $200 donation to our Light the Night team from the Cards for a Cause program!  Thank you for helping us fund research into new cures for leukemia.  As you know, Tyler has already been through the 4 FDA approved treatments for leukemia and we are still looking for new options.  Some of the research that is funded by grants from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society may eventually be an option for Tyler, so I want to get the scientists the funds they need as soon as I can! 

Our fundraising goal this year is $10,000 and every bit of help that you can give us will make a difference!  If you would like to join us in our quest, contact me for more information about how to join our Light the Night team.  We would LOVE to have you walking with us at Greenlake!

Now for the cards...

You may purchase as many copies of the cards as you want. If you purchase 5 or more cards, you will receive a bonus card of another design in your package. Each card is only $2.50, which includes a matching envelope.

June's first card is a galloping horse birthday card on a blue base, with brown toned accents.  It is a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card and perfect for a guy or a horse lover.

The second card this month is a vivid pink color with a branch of spring blossoms.  The mat for the flowers is a pale green color and the flowers have a raised glossy texture.  This card is also 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" and perfect for the women in your life.

To purchase the June cards, please click on the Add to Cart buttons. If you receive our post via e-mail, you can reply to the e-mail with the number of cards you want. If you see us in person, you can also just give us a check or cash for your cards.

Also, I've got other sentiments that can be used on these cards, if you want something other than birthday cards!  You can use the notes section to tell me what combination of cards and messages you want, or contact me directly with your requests.

Thanks for helping us to continue our fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

More Excitement than he Wanted

While I had to go earn our daily bread today, Tyler and Andrea kept each other company at the hospital.  Tyler got a CT scan to make sure that the pain in his side is not related to any kidney problems.  Thankfully, they don't see anything wrong with his kidneys.  Unfortunately, we still don't know what is causing the pain or how to fix it.

However, at some point this afternoon or evening, Tyler had some phlegm that was so deep in his throat he was unable to cough it up or suction it out.  This means he was unable to breathe for a few minutes.  Thankfully his nurse and his mother were in the room at the time and they were able to get assistance.  But it does mean that Tyler had a pretty serious and very scary setback today.  He is absolutely wiped out now.

His mouth has been scraped raw again from trying to get suction deep into his throat, so he is not ready to eat or drink anything after that.  They are trying to get his platelet count higher, but there is apparently a shortage of platelets at the blood bank.  Platelets actually don't last very long, so they need frequent donations for them.  Tyler's blood type (B Negative) is a tough one to match, so they typically have been giving him "reduced volume" platelets.  The reduced volume platelets have most of the blood type identifiers removed.

But this does bring to light the fact that we really need to get out there and donate blood!  I would hate to find out that they can't get a bag of platelets or packed red blood cells when Tyler needs one.

Only two tablespoons of platelets are collected from each whole blood donation, so (especially if you are B Negative) you might want to consider an apheresis donation.  This is where they extract your blood, spin out the platelets, and then give the rest back to you.  Your body will replace the platelets within 72 hours!

To find a whole blood drive in the Puget Sound area, you can search out a blood drive in your area.

It's a Small World

I must admit, I have become a big fan of blood over the last 3 years!  The work done by the Puget Sound Blood Center is amazing in terms of making it easy for people in this area to donate blood and providing a valuable service for patients in need.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the latest blog entry about our local blood collectors featured my dad's cousin, Tom!

http://psbcblog.com/2010/04/the-unsung-roadies-of-puget-sound-blood-center.html

Thanks for all of your hard work at the blood bank!

Last Days for the April Card of the Month

Only a few more days to purchase the April card of the month. If you wanted to purchase this month's card (or know someone else who wants to), you can go to http://bledsoebattle.blogspot.com/2010/04/to-continue-our-fundraising-efforts-for.html to place your order today.

I will be mailing the cards soon, as they are in my car to be delivered to the post office.  :)

Thanks for your continued support!

Team in Training Cardmaking Fundraiser

My friend Pam has joined Team in Training, through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, to raise funds to fight cancer while pursuing her goal of riding in a century bike ride. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. They have invested more than $680 million in research since 1949 - over $69 million in 2009 - specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

Please join us in a Create-a-Card fundraiser to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Team in Training. Each participant will be able to make 6 cards, in 3 different designs for only $15. I will also donate 20% of any sales at the event (my earnings) to Pam's Team in Training efforts.

If you can't make it to the event, you can still donate directly to Pam by clicking on her name above, but I hope to see you there!

Thanks for helping us raise money for this worthy cause!


When: Sunday, April 25, 2010 2:00 PM
Price: $15.00 per person

Where:
Lakewood Seward Park Community Center
4916 S Angeline St
Seattle, WA 98118

April Card of the Month

To continue our fundraising efforts for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, we have selected a new card to sell on the blog this month. You may purchase as many copies of this card as you want. If you purchase 5 or more cards, you will receive a bonus card of another design in your package.

April's card is the blank firefly card pictured on the left. It is a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card with a cream base with rust paper and olive ribbon. The rust paper pattern may vary from the design shown in this photo.  Each card is only $2.50, which includes a matching envelope.

To purchase the April card, please click on the Buy Now button below. If you receive our post via e-mail, you can reply to the e-mail with the number of cards you want.

Thanks for helping us to continue our fundraising!

Give and Get Spring Event

Once again, the Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic family of companies is offering their Give and Get promotion.  From Thursday, March 18 through Sunday, March 21, you GET 30% off your purchases from any of those stores by presenting the Give and Get coupon. 

The GIVE part comes into play when the stores give 5% of all your purchases to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to fund blood cancer cures.

To help us raise as much money as possible through this event, please forward this link: http://www.gapinc.com/giveandget/lls/ to all of your friends and family.

Thanks!

March Card of the Month

To continue our fundraising efforts for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, we have selected a new card to sell on the blog this month. You may purchase as many copies of this card as you want. If you purchase 5 or more cards, you will receive a bonus card of another design in your package.

March's card is the Thank You card pictured on the left. It is an 4-1/4"  x  5-1/2" card with a brown base and teal accents.  Each card is only $2.50, which includes a matching envelope.

To purchase the March card, please click on the Buy Now button below. If you receive our post via e-mail, you can reply to the e-mail with the number of cards you want.

Thanks for helping us to continue our fundraising!
 

Sharing the Path

My friend, Janell, is beginning her walk down the transplant path today.  Janell was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in October 2009 and has been on a chemo regimen since then, preparing for an autologous transplant.  An autologous transplant is when the patient donates their own cells to the transplant.  Typically, the doctors get the person into remission, harvest the stem cells, and then (I think) freeze them.  At some later date, they return the harvested cells to the patient.

Janell is the kind of person who brings light to the people around her through her soft voice, her kindness, and her singing.  If you would be so kind as to send your thoughts and prayers her direction over the next few weeks, I would appreciate it.

She will be going through the consultations and preliminary tests this week and next.  Her transplant is tentatively scheduled for sometime in the 3rd week from now.