The border color of Everyday EMS Tips is changed to lime green for lymphoma for the final week of July to draw attention to the disease of lymphoma (a type of cancer), the people with lymphoma and their families, and to support my friend Rick.
Meet Rick
A few weeks after his May 2012 diagnosis of Lymphoma I introduced you to my friend Rick (and his blog). In 2004-2005 Rick was my paramedic instructor at Mid State Technical College. Shortly after Rick became the associate dean for EMS at MSTC. Rick and I share many interests – paramedicine, MCI/disaster preparedness, and long distance endurance sports. Rick is a friend, a mentor, and a top notch person. He has had a dramatic impact on EMS in central Wisconsin and throughout the state by training or overseeing the training of hundreds of paramedics and EMTs.
Learning about Lymphoma and Cancer Treatment
Rick is sharing his cancer journey in his blog, KRickinCancer. Get up to speed with these posts:
- Rick’s diagnosis
- Lymphoma risk factors in the post so what went wrong
- Starting chemotherapy at UW Madison Hospital
- Lymphoma and chemotherapy is changing Rick’s body (and his pre-emptive strike against hair loss)
- Chemotherapy side effects Rick is experiencing
- Rick answers a question I have wanted to ask, is he afraid
- As an educator answering questions about cancer comes naturally for Rick
- Rick shares exciting progress in An Important Day
As Rick continues to blog I will add more of his posts to the above post. I will also be adding other posts and resources about Lymphoma to this post as I find them. Please suggest resources in the post comments. Post updated on 7/27/12, 8/1/12, 9/5/12
Support the Fight Against Lymphoma
I was inspired to go Lime Green for Lymphoma by Rick’s co-workers at Dells-Delton EMS. Read about how Rick has been blown away by the support he is getting from Dells-Delton EMS.
The third week of each month Dells-Delton EMS personnel are wearing lime green uniform shirts with Rick’s call number on the shirt. What a great way to recognize and support a friend, while also spreading awareness about lymphoma throughout the community.
Join the Bone Marrow Registry. It is free, incredibly easy, and could save a life. Learn how from Be the Match.
Rick is a member of Wisconsin Disaster Medical Assistance Team 1. His teammates are supporting him by being “Anderstrong!”
August 3-4 is the Waushara County Relay for Life. Rick has been asked to be the keynote speaker for the event. Support Relay for Life in Waushara County or in your community. Rick’s co-workers at MSTC have organized a team and set a fund raising goal of $1000. If you want to walk or contribute visit the team donation page.
Let’s Talk About Cancer
Rick wants us to talk about cancer. It is a terrible disease impacting millions of lives around the world. One of my cancer stories …
As a child my sister and I had a babysitter who was at our house every day during the summer while my parents were working. This continued for many summers. Over time she became a big sister to us. When I was 14 and she was just 25 she died of brain cancer. Her diagnosis was jolting and her illness progressed rapidly. She died way to soon. I think of her every day because I lost a person I considered to be family to cancer.
I have had, just like I am sure you have had, other friends and family sickened and killed by cancer. Awareness, prevention, and continuing research are how we will curtail the terrible impacts of cancer.
I would welcome you to share this post so other EMS professionals can learn from Rick’s cancer journey and provide their support and affirmation as he continues through treatment.
Thanks for your support of Rick. Thanks for your love and support for your friends and family that have or have had cancer.
