Post-Chemo Day 14 Update

Yesterday was the first frustrating day I've had since I was diagnosed with Leukemia. 

I was planning on going to New York tomorrow for lunch but late last night I was told I shouldn't travel. Not because anything was wrong, but because I should be cautious. When you have Chemotherapy, the goal is to destroy all the bad white cells (as in the ones with cancer) and then have good ones come back to replace them. At this point, my white blood cell count is pretty much at it's low. Your white count affects your ability to fight infection.

Hopefully I can go to New York next week. I was planning on going by the Clinton Foundation and Campaign Headquarters. I think the thing that is so tough is having worked with a lot of friends over the years was not being able to see them in person since Hillary won.  But the good news is we awill all be celebrating soon. 

All the best Mark

Post-Chemo Day 13 Update

Yesterday I received an early Father's Day present. 

Currently I'm trying three protocols to defeat my Leukemia . The third protocol is the most experimental of the three. There are only two places in the United States that can give me the treatment. I was not supposed to start treatment for five weeks, but there's a good chance I can actually start this week. 

So far, in the last three weeks, everything has broke my way. If I start this new treatment this week, we'll know within five or six weeks if its working. Keep your fingers crossed. This has a real chance of helping me. 

I spent today, Father's Day, with my son Steven, daughter Zoe, adoptive daughter Stephanie and Zoe's boyfriend James. Steven made a wonderful photo album for me and my daughter wrote me a beautiful book. It was one of those days that you hoped would never end.

Post-Chemo Day 11 Update

It's great to have a day off, though I do wish I could go right back and start my next treatment. My plans for the next twenty days are to sit by the pool with my children, keep calling people to get them lined up to help with a Hillary fundraiser as soon as we get a date, and get some sun. 

My blood counts have still been really good and I think my Doctor might let me go to New York for a day next week. Every day so far has been a really good day. The first thing I do when I wake up is turn on the television and smile because finally Hillary is getting fair honest treatment from the media. People can now see what we have all known for over forty years: How talented Hillary is. I can't wait to live with my family in a country and a world where Hillary Clinton is President. It's exciting to think of what Hillary could accomplish.

​After I check the news, I check​

 my emails and phone messages. This is one of the best parts of the day. Hearing from friends is really uplifting. Having health issues over the years has taught me how good and decent people are. My friend Steve Bing is amazing. Every

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day he calls me to check in and see how I'm feeling and if I need anything . Steve is everything a friend should be.

 So fa

​

r things are great

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 but there's a long way to go before I get to the finish line

​.

Keep the positive messages coming — they really do help! 

Chemo Day 10 Update

The last day of my first cycle. I can't believe how quickly it went by. 

When I had Cancer ten years ago and had treatment in Houston, it was completely different. I went to a private cancer clinic, which meant that they didn't take health Insurance and I had to pay personally, then submit to my health provider for reimbursement. The provider would then pay a fraction of the bill. I had a private room with a television and a VCR. I would receive Chemo on a 15 day cycle. On day's 4-15 I would come in for maintenance chemicals so I never felt bad. I would go out to lunch or dinner with my doctor and his family at least once or twice a week. There wasn't any doubt that I'd survive. I always knew I had a 1 out of 3 chance to get Leukemia after my non-Hodgkins Lymphoma — It was just a question of when, not if, so this wasn't a surprise.

This time it's is a totally different experience. Last time, I had a very curable cancer. I always knew I'd survive. This time I have a form of cancer that has never been cured . I'm trying three out-of-the-box treatment's that have never been tried before. The goal of these treatments is not to cure me, but to put me into remission. While I’m in remission, they hope that they can find a cure. 

Over the last several years my friend's Gilbert Chagoury and his wife Rosie have included me in a number of events for St Jude’s, and I have visited the hospital twice. If you ever get the dance, try to go to this wonderful children's Hospil and see the hundreds of young children fighting to stay alive. When you see that, it's impossible to feel bad for yourself. All of us with cancer are on the battlefield trying to find a cure. Every day they make new strides in the fight to cure Cancer. They've come a long way but there still is long way to go.

Chemo Day 9 Update

Today is the second to the last day for my first cycle of chemotherapy.

I'm amazed at all the friends who have been calling me from around the world. Getting calls, emails and letters from friends offering support and encouragement is an important part of beating my Cancer. Every day, I feel like my friends are with me and that we are fighting this battle together.  

While I was on my way to Dana Farber this morning, my friend Max Weinberg called me from Amsterdam. Max, who is known as "Mighty Max," is Bruce Springsteen's drummer for the E Street Band. Max and his wife Becky have been friends of mine for almost 40 years.

When we met, I was working at The White House. My title (I think) was "Aid to the President's Appointment Secretary." In the real world, that meant I was a gopher. In fact, if there was a "Gopher Hall of Fame," I would have been the Chairman . I wasn't really a Springsteen fan back then, but my friend Tom Donilon was. 

Tom and l have also been friends for 40+ years. We graduated together from La Salle Academy in Providence, Rhode Island in 1973, and he wrote in my yearbook "I hope someday if I need a job that I can call you." Just to put this into perspective: Tom went on to become President Obama's National Security advisor and one of the best lawyers in the world. I'm still selling buttons and bumper stickers. I should have asked Tom for a job. Talk about the wrong decision.

But back to how I met Max. 

To surprise Tom, I invited Springsteen and the band to come to the Whitehouse for a private tour. Bruce didn't come, but most of the band — including Max — did. 

Since then, I've been to Max and Becky's wedding and they came to Susan and my wedding.They had Bruce playing at theirs, and I think I had a DJ, but the four of us have had a lot of fun over the years. 

Max and Becky are two of the most decent, socially responsible people I have ever met. They 

Today, Max called me from Amsterdam, where he is on tour, to check in. I got really emotional when he told me that every time he beats his drum, he thinks about beating cancer for me. How lucky am I to have friends like that? 

Mark

Donate Blood!!!

Zoe Here!

They gave me a sticker that said 'Be nice to me! I donated blood today!'

As a part of my dad's treatment, he'll be receiving two transfusions a week to make sure his white blood cell count stays stable. As a result of both the Leukemia and the chemotherapy he's receiving to fight the Leukemia, there's a risk that his counts will plummet and he won't be able to fight infection. So, in effect, these bi-weekly transfusions are keeping him alive by keeping his immune system strong.

Considering today is National Blood Donation Day, I want to take a moment to urge you all to consider becoming donors. I went today for the first time (you can read about the details of the experience on my personal blog) and was absolutely shocked at how easy and painless the experience was. I was in and out the door in less than an hour — I went to the Rhode Island Blood Center in Warwick — and didn't feel a thing. I watched a half of an episode of "Days of Our Lives," drank three bottles of water, ate a cookie and was on my merry way. I didn't feel weird or faint or anything afterward, and when I took the bandages off four hours later there wasn't even a mark (no pun intended!).

For just one hour of your time, you can help save someone's life — someone like Mark Weiner. Become a blood donor today!

Chemo Day 8 Update

2 days to go and I'll be finished with my first chemotherapy cycle. 

Susan, Little Zo Zo and I at her Columbia School of Journalism 
graduation. She graduated with honors in magazine writing.

The last three weeks have been some of the best I've ever had in my whole life. I got to spend a lot of time with my wife, all of my children and best of all I was able to spend a lot of time with my new grandson Bennett Harrison Bunnin. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, my daughter graduated from Columbia School of Jounalism at the top of her class. 

Today was a great day. I had a 4-hour nuclear stress test, which meant they took a lot of pictures of my heart and then had me walk on a treadmill. I had my doubts that I could do it, but I did. Tomorrow, I have a blood test, then my chemotherapy infusion and then a meeting with Dr. Steensma to see how my body is responding to treatment so far. Even though it's early it will be great to see what my numbers look like.

Every day I wake up and feel like at I'm at war- like every day I go into battle and it's me against Cancer. I love the fight and know I will win it. All of your messages of encouragement make me stronger, so keep them coming. 

Mark