Raising Money for the IMF

My dearest Beth,

I would like to write to you to share my thoughts about you bolgs section which I have been reading. Your website is truly unique and I am very impressed by the motivation you have to consistently write updated new entries?despite your recent depression and also at times mixed emotions that I too often witnessed first hand from my own father who suffered from this same disease.

He was diagnosed on July 17, 2000 at age 49 on my mother?s birthday. After exactly four years of very similar treatments and side-effects which you are experiencing, he passed away in my arms in hospital in Dallas, TX(ironically, again on my mother’s birthday) July 17, 2004 within a few weeks of my returning from the University of London for my summer vacation.

I want you to know the one thing that gave my family hope to fight were these new upcoming drugs that I am sure you are aware of?even if my father could have held on to the end of this year 2004–things could have been so different for him, BUT you can still hold on and Revimid among other new drugs are now more of a reality than ever before. This is all it is for you as it was for my father–all simply a race against the clock for the new drugs which have way less side-effects and proven in the trials to be effective, it is all a waiting game for the trials and treatments, but you my darling have that all that time and your waiting game is almost finished as I know these new drugs are very close to your grasp even as I am typing to you! I have looked at your test results which you posted, my dear you have much time and I know at times your quality of life may be not so good with side-effects and all but this will all change soon with the new treatments!

Please don?t be depressed my darling Beth, you should remember that you really are so fortunate than many other?s with your same disease, if anything, simply because you are here to receive the new drugs like Revlimd among many others and when everyday there are more medical breakthroughs such as the discovery of a cancer-causing gene called c-maf in MM patients and researchers developing new ways to manipulate those genes! Be just a bit more patient, remember you are stronger and of higher ranks than many other human beings. You are not just waiting to die as you wrote in the beginning of October blog, I promise you, just know good things are on the horizon. A new drug and many other treatments for the brave ones like yourself who prove themselves worthy for a second chance just as you have with your dedication to help yourself from the beginning by not being content with letting other?s (i.e. timid doctors) take the reigns of your own destiny! Keep this up and let the dedicated, determined women with (for the most part) (~.^) the utmost positive outlook, who is resilient, hopeful and wholeheartedly committed to making it through all of this–darling Beth shine through. Remember, this too shall pass and the situation you are is not eternal because something which has always been and just is eternal can never change or have the capacity to produce something other than what it is. BUT You have not always had cancer and it is not eternal and constant in your life, and you will not always have cancerI Beth, I will be eagerly waiting to read more updates in your blogs.

With much love,
Krystal Cruz