Mmmmm… New York Bagels

Having lymphoma has some benefits, I’ve found out.

Some of them are fairly obvious; gifts from friends, old and new, which has resulted in a stack of DVDs several feet high and the rapid expansion of my personal library.

Then there have been the acts of kindness and generosity. Friends bringing over meals, visits in the hospital, my cousin Emily starting a fundraiser (see earlier blog), offers by almost every last Philadelphian to walk Otis, my barber giving me my chemo cut on the house (tune in tomorrow for that story), and my colleagues at the Drexel Univ. School of Public Health offering to do whatever they can to ease any work-related challenges.

I have to admit though, that one of the most touching gifts came on Tuesday from a new friend, Carolyn Razanno, who is the Chapter Development Program Associate at the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF), the nations largest non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and research dollars for lymphoma: (http://www.lymphoma.org/site/pp.asp?c=bfIKIVMIG&b=36832). As some of you know, I am currently President of the LRF’s Delaware Valley Chapter, and Carolyn has been among those helping me with the logistics of getting the chapter off the ground.

As we chatted at our Chapter’s first organizational meeting a month ago, I complained loudly about the poor quality of bagels, knishes, matzo ball soup, and other Jewish foodstuffs in the Philadelphia area. Carolyn must have been listening, because the day after I got out of the hospital, two dozen delicous New York bagels arrived at my door like manna from Heaven delivered by the UPS man. Jacqui, her dad, and I have been feasting on bagels and cream cheese ever since. Thanks, Carolyn. You made my day. Now if one of you can get Zabars to open in Center City Philadelphia…

A final note, I am feeling great. Went to the gym tonight, have been sleeping well (save the strange sensation when I wake-up that I need to wheel my IV with me into the bathroom), and am looking forward to a relaxing chemo- and neutropenic-free weekend.