Inspirational Stories

In March 2023, while visiting my daughter and son-in-law in San Francisco, I saw the Hike2Cure trip to Patagonia listed on The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) website. They have always talked about their backpacking trip to Patagonia in Argentina and Chile as their favorite hiking trip ever. This event would be my 16th LLS fundraising adventure since going into remission from multiple myeloma (MM) in 1999. The year 2024 marks my 25th year of remission. I took the plunge and signed up for the 50-mile hike. It seemed like the right time to do an epic adventure. Unfortunately, none of my Georgia Sole Mates had signed up, so I had to find my own way to train. The north Georgia mountains are great training grounds. I found the Atlanta Outdoor Club and started hiking with them. These hikes were faster than the ones I was used to doing, so overall, I think my speed increased, and my daily hikes up two hills in my neighborhood in Augusta, Georgia, also helped. Fundraising was a little slower than in the past ― I reached out to some new folks with moderate success. Traveling to a foreign country by myself (to Buenos Aires), staying overnight there, and taking another flight to El Calafate to meet the rest of my team was a bit daunting. Fortunately, a friend of mine in Augusta from Argentina reached out to her brother who graciously picked me up at the airport and took me to my hotel. I walked around BA that afternoon and met two of my teammates for dinner. We got to El Calafate and met Carrie, our EMBARK leader, who went over the details of the trip. I became more relaxed and could enjoy the remarkable landscape, the beautiful scenery, and the quaint towns of El Calafate and El Chelten. I started to get to know my teammates, all of whom had a direct connection with blood cancers. My adorable and lovable roommate Daisy had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) at age 11 and had a recurrence at age 15. The contrast between our stories was stark, and I became aware of the struggles a child must navigate as she copes with a life-threatening illness while going through puberty, dealing with family issues like divorce, and normal adolescent development. Not only did she have to go to school with a bald head, but she endured bullying ― stories that were painful to hear but created resilience in her. She has graciously matured into a successful, warm, and friendly adult who is idealistic and optimistic. I learned a lot from her and her struggles to find happiness, forgiveness, purpose, and meaningful relationships. My story was different ― I was diagnosed with MM at age 43. I was married with three children (ages 7, 12, and 14) and working as a pediatrician. My parents and mother-in-law lived close by. I went to the University of Arkansas Medical Center, a nationally recognized center for MM treatment. I had intensive chemotherapy followed by tandem autologous stem cell transplants in 1998. I went into remission officially in January 1999 and went back to work in July 1999 where I am still working almost 25 years later at the Medical College of Georgia. My story has been a surprising success. I was given a two to four-year prognosis at the time of my diagnosis, so I lived in constant anticipation of a relapse. I went on my first LLS trip in 2000. My husband and I did America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride around Lake Tahoe with my two daughters along for the trip. We were planning to do only the route around the lake, but at the last minute, we took the Truckee turn to do the full century. Our other teammates included Tom, a retired Texas Instrument engineer, and his lawyer son-in-law, Patrick. They have an easy-going, friendly, and respectful relationship. Tom has a recent history of eyelid lymphoma, which was rare and difficult to diagnose but responded to treatment, and Patrick also has a history of cancer. Tom’s daughter-in-law developed MM in recent years and is doing well. Los Tres Amigos (David, Jeremy, and Greg) have known each other since their youth in Los Angeles and have stayed in touch since college at the University of Wisconsin. Greg had HL about nine years ago, truly a shocker for his family and him. Since recovering, he has been a major donor to the LLS and an ardent supporter. He and his buddies added a lot of sparkle and wit to our group. When they left before the final hike due to other commitments, we didn’t know how we would get through it. They are now looking at Kilimanjaro for their next adventure! Ryan, who runs up mountains like a gazelle, lives in Denver where he is involved in the LLS community. His wife is an oncologist specializing in bone marrow transplants. His mother-in-law died of MM. Our two leaders included Carrie, who, with her husband Donovan, own Embark; we were lucky that she chose to join the group for the hike. Our hiking guide, Romi, who is from northern Argentina, has lived in El Chelten for about 10 years. She was a constant source of information about geography, history, the town, and the flora and fauna. The early arrivers in El Calafate took a long taxi ride to Glaciar Perito Moreno on Sunday afternoon. It was a lovely day; the skies were clear, and the water was a sparkling blue. Daisy was particularly enthralled with watching glaciers calve. The next day, after a three-hour bus ride to El Chelten, we took a five-mile “warm-up hike” to the Mirador de los Cóndores (Lookout of the Condors). The weather was beautiful; we had great views of Torre and Fitz Roy Mountains and spotted a few condors while we ate lunch. The hikes intensified over the next three days as we hiked on Tuesday to Laguna Torre and viewed glaciers, Mount Torre, the Adela range, and the mouth of the Fitz Roy River. On Wednesday, we hiked to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado with magnificent views of the Torre and Fitz Roy massifs, and took the challenge to the top of the mountain at nearly 5,000 feet. On Thursday, a day of clear skies and warm temperatures, we climbed the challenging 1,300-foot ascent to Laguna de los Tres, a sparkling caldera lake with breathtaking views of glaciers, Mount Fitz Roy, and the Adela range. We lounged on the rocks and drank a little wine brought by Romi. By the end of the day, many of us had sore and tired feet (15.2 miles, 3,228- feet elevation gain). Friday was our day of rest. Los Tres Amigos had to leave to get home. The rest of us enjoyed the town of El Chelten where some of us had massages, drank coffee, bought souvenirs, or had a private yoga lesson. We went to Romi’s boyfriend’s brewery and had dinner and sampled his beer. When I asked Romi what to expect and what we would see on our fifth and final hike on Saturday, she said the hike was mainly challenging, steep, and hard. For the first four miles, the trail was flat and ran along a river until we came to a small settlement or refugio. We took a quick break and then headed toward the mountain. Overnight, there had been snowfall on the mountain, and as we approached it, the wind picked up, and the temperature fell. The path was steep with lots of rocks, small boulders, and scree. The wind seemed to be whipping around us; I felt I could be swept away by the wind (I’m kind of a lightweight person), and it was snowing softly. When we had gone a third of the way up, Romi, sensing we needed a break, led us into a tree-lined sanctuary away from the wind. Like magic, she brought out hot water for a cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa. This little rest from the stress of the wind reinvigorated me and our group, and we set out to climb to the top. The views as we climbed the mountain were magnificent; we reached a stone gateway (Piedra del Fraile) where we could see the valley below and the surrounding mountains. A small cascading river was to our right. As we got closer to Piedra Negra, the pathway gave way to snow-covered boulders. I slipped and fell and cut my leg. With the snow, wind, and cold, Romi and Carrie thought it best for us to turn around a short way from the top. Romi reassured us that the view from the top was no better than at the lower gate. We made our way carefully down the mountain and headed to the refugio for a nice cup of tea or cocoa. We had climbed 3,235 feet and hiked 12.65 miles. We celebrated that evening with pizza, wine, and beer and reminisced about our wonderful journey together ― the stories that bound us before we met and the adventures we had enjoyed together. We had walked 60.97 miles during our five hikes and ascended 13,105 feet! I hope one day we will be able to hike together again!