The domiNATION continues to spread

Over 7,000 Myeloma-colored Dominate Bracelets and over 1,000 dominate shirts have been distributed in less than a year.....wowzers! What started out as a way to thank some close friends for running with me in the 10k Big House Big Heart Run before I started my treatment to dominate Multiple Myeloma, has turned in a charge to connect, encourage, motivate and spread the attitude of domination; especially those who are taking on some tough life challenges right now, like cancer. And it's not just me doing the charging, it's Zach and his football team at a children's hospital during Christmas spreading some cheer and a message of domination.

We have received hundreds of photos from people "dominating" mountains, marathons and plenty of vacations across the globe....we even got recent Superbowl Champion, Heisman Trophy Winner and Michigan Football Alum, Charles Woodson to pose some Domination for us. We've sent bracelets to almost every continent and probably every state by now. To see people out there dominating motivates me ever more to keep pushing along this journey. It can be a fine line between life and death when you are dealing with cancer, and I am All-in for life. Here is a football player from Czech dominating during his recent workout.

If you have not had an opportunity to grab some dominate gear, it's not too late. Also, thanks to a donor, all proceeds from dominate gear sales at UGP will be matched and go directly towards the Cancer Kicker Fund at UMCCC. Here's the current dominate gear that you can purchase online thanks to Underground Printing! They also have it available in all three of their locations in Ann Arbor (including Moe's). Click on the product to view in at the online store.

Specials thanks to the Brabbs Family, the Branigans, AJ at A2Shirts, Rishi, Seth and the folks at UGP and MOE's, Brian Walline and Scott Robbins (Six Zero). Along with the the people sporting the the dominate gear, these are some of the people who have made all of this into a reality.

Off Week, but it's the Buckeyes!

Cycle #4 is now behind me! Wow, that was a heck-of-a-lot-of-therapy. I am getting used to the cadence of two weeks on and one week off. I am seeing no side affects and my labs are showing strong signs that my bone marrow is staying strong (i.e. platelets, RBC, WBC, ANC are at good levels). My M-spike is still holding at a 0.2 and we want to knock it down to 0.0.

We think a couple additional cycles and/or the maintenance therapy will get us there. I remain confident; especially with all the stories I am hearing from others that are hitting CR (Complete Response). Many thanks to Nick for teaching me the significance of CR and keeping it there. He is a big reason I am going for this "game winning field goal" approach to therapy. And I will be honest, aggressive treatment fits my dominate personality. Everyone should really work with a MM specialist to determine the best approach for them and know all their options and what the leading research is saying. In a lot of ways, I am still a "MM Dummy", although a little more educated thanks to the last year.

I have learned to love and appreciate the "off week". Typical and minor side affects (if any at the time) I am having will subside during this period and by the last day of my off week, I begin to feel normal again; meaning Sexy Dexy is no longer on the loose....or not as much. Okay, Cassie should verify that last sentence.

But let's be real people...this is truly NO OFF WEEK! This week is Michigan vs. Ohio State! It's actually the most intense week of the year! Not to mention we decided to cram in Thanksgiving as well. This is one of the greatest rivalries of all time! Back in 2002 I witnessed this rivalry as a player and now I see it a little differently. Both schools make each other better. I now view the tension between the two schools as something that brings us together for the better, not worse. And....

...Then there is Barb. Barb connected with me when her mom was first diagnosed in August of 2009. Barb is a Buckeye and lives down near Columbus of all places! She reached out to a Wolverine....so she gets the gold sticker. Barb has really taken a passion for dominating MM for everyone's benefit. Even a year ago she was throwing ideas at me on how we could work together to raise money to get research going faster. Barb put her words to work and this week she is hosting the 1st Annual UM/OSU DomiNation event, which is in Columbus this year. I will be there and so will another young MM Dominator who graduated from OSU, Matt Hare. Matt is also a great example of a person who has gone beyond the call to personally dominate MM, by raising money to help us Kick Cancer for good.

Here are the details for this Saturday's event if you live near Columbus and want to go!

DomiNation in Philly

Another individual steps up to join the charge to Dominate Multiple Myeloma. This time it is Tom from Philadelphia/Ann Arbor who had never heard of Multiple Myeloma prior to my diagnosis. He has heard of it now and he is using the Philadelphia Marathon as his platform to grow awareness for Multiple Myeloma and raise $2,000 that will go directly to MM Research towards a cure.

I met Tom at the University of Michigan through Athletes in Action. Tom was an awesome guy back then and is an awesome guy now. He knows what it takes to succeed on and off the field having been a former U of M Soccer player....what out Myeloma!

Follow Tom Gritter's journey training for the Philadelphia Marathon and Domination of MM on Facebook.

Learn how to join the domination by going here.

Time to Dominate some Lunges

I have been motivated to get back to the (home) gym thanks to Alysa down in Tucson, AZ who has set the bar VERY HIGH by demonstrating in her own effort to dominate 5,000 lunges while raising $5,000 for MM Research for a Cure.

I asked her what my baby step should be in not only joining her effort to Lunge for a Cure, but to Lunge for my Life! I realize that I have put my physical, mental and emotional body through hell over the last year and have not yet started the rehab process for my body. Yes, I did some runs, but since my second bone marrow transplant (BMT) over the last few months I have focused more on resting; zero on rehab. Now it's time to kick it up a notch, but only one or two. This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint (wow, I think I just used those words for the first time).

So seeing Alysa take on the World of Lunges (seriously, she just did 200 consecutive walking lunges) I am motivated to get back in game. So this morning I kicked things off with 3 sets of 10 lunges; per Alysa's recommendation. This is just a baby step, or baby lunge if you will. My plan is to expand the workout routine through the weeks and months to come, committing to at least 3-4 days of exercise each week. Wish me domination!

For those who need a positive lift in order to get out and start exercising, I highly recommend you follow Alysa's journey....it's so encouraging!!! She also has the most amazing husband who played baseball in the Pro's and at Oklahoma and the cutest two kids by the way :)

Lunging for a Cure...Growing the DomiNation

It was spectacular to hear the roar of 113,000 people while being singled out on the field for my passion to dominate Multiple Myeloma, but the individual efforts of friends, family and people I don't even know is what motivates me to dominate.

Just a couple of months ago we launched the DomiNation, which is a simple way for people to raise money for MM research being done by Dr. J at UMCCC and to help get the word out about Multiple Myeloma. It was initiated by my new friend Steve Mitzel who established a simple process for people who want to commit to raising a minimum of $1,000 can sign up and start fund raising.

We have had a handful of people already sign up, like Laura who is going after 1,000 miles by the end of the year for $1,000. We have also had our first formal DomiNation event in Chicago thanks to Steph B. , a former UM Softball player. Furthermore, Barb in Columbus, OH has planned the second DomiNation event during UM/OSU game.



Just this week Alysa from Tuscon, AZ has joined the DomiNation in her effort called "Lunging for a Cure." Alysa's goal is to do 5,000 lunges and raise $5,000 by the end of the year. Follow Alysa's domination on Facebook by clicking here or on Twitter. The above photo is Alyza dominating her lunges. Believe it or not, she has two little kiddos at home. I think I need to start doing some lunges!

To start your own DomiNation of Multiple Myeloma, learn how here!

The Dominate Cry Heard in front 113,000 in the Big House

Although the game was heart wrenching, the two minute timeout in the 1st Quarter was something I'll carry with me for the rest of the domination of Multiple Myeloma. I was very nervous and had no clue on how to present myself in front of 113,000 fans. And then....it happened (play video).

They mentioned the words Dominate Cancer and the animal within me just came out. I could not stop pumping my fist. The last two years of dominating MM with many years ahead just wanted out. I wanted everyone in that stadium to join in on the domiNation. I wanted in that moment to put an end to cancer and I felt like together, We Will Dominate Cancer. It was special.

Miles 4 Myeloma domiNATION - West Side!

I wanted to briefly share the awesome work of a young adult named Laura, a daughter/caregiver of a Myeloma mother that has been a trooper. I met Laura's mom early on through MM For Dummies and then we have stayed in touch via email. Right now Laura's mother is recovering from her aggressive treatment from this year. To dominate MM for her mom and others, Laura has decided to swim, bike, skip, hop and jump 1,000 miles by the end of the year to raise money for Multiple Myeloma research done by Dr. Jakubowiak (J) at UMCCC.

Note: Dr J. for those who don't know him yet, he is on the steering committee of the MMRC along with Ken Anderson (Dana Farber) and Sagar Loniail (Emory), which is funded by the MMRF. You can read his profile here. He is pretty much one tough dude who is committed to finding the cure for Multiple Myeloma. He will, but he needs our help.

Laura is representing the West Coast domiNATION out in Cali for those who want to come alongside of her and cheer on her and her mother. Please consider following her story by becoming a fan on her facebook fan page by clicking here. Support her and her mom in their personal domiNATION of Multiple Myeloma!!!! Donations can be made online here. What an inspiration!!!

More domiNATION

Tomorrow marks the start of my consolidation therapy roughly 10 weeks after my second autologous bone marrow transplant. In Phil terms, we are starting more nuclear warfare on my bone marrow in hopes to rid any remaining Multiple Myeloma and knock this stuff so far into oblivion that it won't want to come back any time soon (and hopefully never). Apparently research is showing that maintenance therapy is helpful in driving a deeper response and longer remission.

The plan is to do max dosage of RVD for 4-8 cycles and eventually remove some of the drugs and lower the dosage. I think the long term schedule is TBD, but I think we will be keeping up some level of drugs (i.e. nuclear warfare) to present a hostile environment to ensure the Myeloma gets the message that it is NOT wanted back in my bone marrow. I am very excited about this approach because my body is recovering well from the summer's two transplants and I smell domiNATION.

Speaking of domiNATION, many people across the country have joined forces to help raise awareness and funds for MM research, none of which I knew prior to being thrust into the world of Myeloma. Just today some guy down in Ohio decided to run the Columbus Half Marathon in honor of me and to support the Cancer Kicker Foundation. Here's his blogpost about what he is doing if you happen to be in the area and want to help out. There are a few more domiNATION's that are being established in the South, West Coast and Midwest if you want to get involved. If you want to learn how to start your own, read how to do that right here:

• Miles4Myeloma by a daughter of a MM Patient. Follow Laura on Facebook as she attempts to run, ride walk over 1000 miles to raise over $1000 to dominate MM!
• The Southern Pearls are looking to kick cancer in the South! This is another daughter and caregiver of her mother who is dominating MM.
• It's official, the first domiNATION event is going to happen in the windy city of Chicago during Michigan Football's Big Ten Opener against Indiana! Check it out here!
• There are several other domiNATIONs underway that I will mention in a future blogposts!

Since it's inception just over a month ago, the domiNATION has raised over $10,000 to support the work being done by Dr. J at University of Michigan's Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. J is committed to finding a cure for everyone diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. I stand along side him and his staff in their efforts and applaud him for his commitment to me and everyone else that has joined the MM community.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, you can do so by clicking here. 100% will fund MM Research. No operating overhead...yipee!

Back to Oncology...Thanks BMT!

Yesterday I completed my fifth bone marrow biopsy and it didn't come with a prize, although I am holding my breath for a decrease in the M-Protein come end of week once I get my results back from UMCCC.

Today we officially transitioned back to our beloved oncologist and his staff after working over four months with a great team in Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT). Hats off to them as I stayed infection-free the whole time under their care and supervision. Including the last couple of months being completely drug-free...hooray!

As for returning back to Dr. Jakubowiak (J), I am very excited. I could not ask for anything more from a team so devoted to both patient care and finding a cure for everyone with Multiple Myeloma. I hope to share more about Dr. J as I continue to feel better/stronger because he is just a monumental person and our hidden gem here in Ann Arbor. Although if you talk to any of his other patients, they are in on the secret as well.

So by the end of the week we will have another checkpoint. Two weeks from today we jump off into the deep end again and return to chemotherapy.

On a powerfully awesome note, the domiNATION is taking off. I fortunately don't have the capacity to be too involved, so fortunately volunteers are stepping up and running with it on their own. The mission is inspire others affected by cancer and other life-junk, raise awareness for Multiple Myeloma and raise funds to accelerate the work Dr. J is doing at UMCCC to find a Cure. There is no reason why the research coming out of UMCCC can't lead to a cure for all MM patients.

If you would like to learn how you can get involved in the domiNATION, click here. I'll be creating a blogpost on this topic in the near future.