My goal is to climb Mount Washington in 2023!

What about this year? My goal this year is to stay as physically fit as I can while undergoing chemotherapy. On April 26 I was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow cancer, Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia. Quite a mouthful, and I never heard of it before. How was I diagnosed? I had been more fatigued this winter than ever before, but I just figured I was getting older. Then, about a month before my annual checkup, I was experiencing shortness of breath when hiking up hills as well as when going up stairs. That scared me! My PCP started testing and more testing. Eventually it got narrowed down to a blood cancer, and a bone marrow biopsy confirmed the Waldenstrom’s. This cancer is not deadly but also not curable. My oncologist made me laugh when he said, “When you are on your deathbed at 102 years old, you will still have Waldenstrom’s.” After six rounds of chemo I should go into remission for years. I will be monitored and if it comes back, I’ll start another round of chemo. 

Anyway, I almost didn’t sign up for Seek the Peak. But every day I end up wearing a shirt or jacket with “Seek the Peak” on it, and I didn’t want to miss out in 2022. So, to all my friends and supporters, I only have a bit more than a month to raise money for Mount Washington Observatory, please do donate to this Mount Washington and Valley gem and give me an emotional boost as well.

2023!…Mount Washington or bust!

To learn more about Mount Washington Observatory, please visit mountwashington.org. For more on Seek the Peak, the nation's premier hiking event, visit www.seekthepeak.org.

Thank you for your support!