My second second birthday

Today is my second second birthday. Two years ago today I was diagnosed with brain cancer and my life was changed forever.
Two years ago I didn't know what would happen next but, I knew that I was going to beat cancer with a positive attitude
Last year I was bald, using a walker to get around and did not expect to graduate on time
This year I have a headful of hair, am walking with hardly any pain, and working on college applications because I will be graduating in June.

It really is incredible how much can change in a year.

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Last week I was in New Orleans with the Sunshine Kids on the "Haunted Halloween Getaway" trip. I had such a great time and met so many wonderful people.

We did so much in three days! A carriage tour of the French Quarter, shopping in the French Market, Swamp Tour, Bowling Party, Cemetery tour, the Mortuary haunted house and Mardi Gras World (they build mardi gras Floats.) In between all that, we ate... a lot. The whole experience was fantastic! New Orleans is so different than anywhere I have ever been and I would definetely like to visit again.

Other than that, life has been pretty busy. School, physical therapy, practicing driving, college apps. I can't believe it's almost November!

Time has a funny way of moving fast without anyone even noticing.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Mischief Managed,

SAMMY

1 Year Later...Cancer Free

Sorry for the long gap between posts, it has just been really busy around here since school started. I still have physical therapy for my leg twice a week and have been progressing very well. For the past few weeks I have been walking with the boot and I will begin transitioning to a shoe this week. I also have driver’s ed twice a week and we try to practice driving any chance we get. Although I started as a very nervous driver, I am feeling much more comfortable behind the wheel.

Last Sunday, September 25, we participated in the 3rd annual Run of Hope. My team, Sammy’s Blobslayers, raised $3,857 this year. There were over 2,000 people at the event and over $200,000 will be going to the Olson Lab for pediatric brain tumor research. This year I was able to participate in the 3k walk. Sammy’s Blobslayers’ “turtle patrol” made it in 1 hour and 20 minutes and had a good time every step of the way. Next year I am hoping to get in under an hour. I had such a wonderful time at this year’s race. Thank you so much to my teammates and everyone who supported my team. You guys rock!

This past Wednesday I was at Children’s for my 1 year post treatment MRI. My scan was clean, nothing but a brain in there. Yay for 1 year cancer free!!! Sometimes treatment feels so long ago while other times it feels like it was yesterday. I can’t believe the difference a year makes. This year I am getting around so much better, I have eyebrows and hair, and I don’t feel tired all the time. It is nice to visit the hospital and leave rather than be visited in the hospital. My visits are more social than serious, which is a welcome change.

Friday was my final high school homecoming game. While our team lost really bad I still had a great time hanging out with my friends and dancing to the pep band. Megan and I took our annual picture, this year’s addition…eyebrows.

I am really excited for this school year. It's gonna be a great one!

Mischief Managed,

Sammy Loch

Summer Review

I can’t believe it, summer is almost over. There are only 3 ½ weeks left until school starts.

The surgery on my foot was 100% successful. It went even better than my doctor expected, he was able to completely re-align my heal and repair all damage done by the extra bone. I am very pleased with this result and hope that it means recovery will be easier, faster, and less painful. This Thursday I go to the doctor for x-rays and he should clear me to start walking with a walking boot. I can’t wait to get moving again!

While I’ve been healing, Will has been growing. He has more than doubled his size since we brought him home. Will has to be the calmest puppy ever and he loves to meet new people. Polly and him love to play and wrestle with each other. Polly definitely seems to be happier having a friend around, even if he can be an annoying little brother sometimes




While I’ve been sitting with my foot up, I have completed the English credit I need to graduate, finished eight books and am reading two more right now. Although it’s been a pretty laid back summer, we have gotten out a few times.

We saw the final Harry Potter film the weekend it opened and I was surprised how much emotion it evoked. Harry has been a constant part of my life since elementary school. There has always been a new book or movie to look forward to, but that’s all over now. Even though there won’t be any more Potter-related releases to remind us, Harry will still live in our hearts forever.

In July I helped coordinate a Sunshine Kids event here in Seattle. Aladdin: The Stage Musical premiered at the 5th Avenue theater and the Sunshine Kids took ten patients from Seattle Children’s hospital to see the show. I can’t remember how long I have been waiting for Aladdin to be adapted for the stage. The show surpassed all my dreams, it was very well cast and outrageously funny. Before the show, the kids were very shy and quiet. Afterwards, they were smiling from ear to ear and radiating joy. The cast was kind enough to stay after the performance for a meet and greet with the kids. I actually met the man who played the Genie when I met the cast of Memphis in New York., it was very nice to see him again. I have said it before and I’ll say in again, the Sunshine Kids Foundation is a smile factory. They coordinate events that allow young cancer patients to forget about cancer and simply have fun. Thank you very much to the Sunshine Kids and the fabulous 5th Avenue theater.



By the end of July, Seattle’s weather finally got the message that it was summertime. After weeks of overcast and cool temperatures, the sun finally broke out for multiple days in a row. This was a very fortunate event because my friend Pattie’s daughter was getting married on the 29th. Her wedding was absolutely gorgeous and I had a wonderful time. I even danced a little while balancing on my scooter. Congratulations Kat & Dan, may you have a very happy life together!!!


This summer, my friend Keyah has undergone extensive chemo and radiation treatments and her cancer is now in remission. Woo hoo!!! That means that she can move on to a stem cell transplant, which should stop the cancer from ever coming back. Please continue to pray that Keyah’s transplant goes well and cancer never returns.

I hope you’re all having a fantastic summer.

Mischief Managed,
SAMMY

RUN OF HOPE
Goal: $5,000
Amount Raised to date: $1,370
To support my team “Sammy’s Blobslayers” Visit:
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/sammy-loch/runofhope

Run of Hope 2011!!!

Hi -

Just a reminder, there is only 2 more months until the

Run of Hope on Sunday September 25th.

I am participating in the Run of Hope to raise funds to support Pediatric Brain Tumor Research.

My goal is for my team to raise $5,000.00, so far I have raised $320.

You can support me by donating to my team and/or participating in a 5K Run or a 3K Walk on Sunday September 25th.

To join my team visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/process/teamarea/default.asp?did=27000&TeamId=143243&EventId=113006
-select the orange JOIN NOW button on the right side of the page

If you cannot participate in the Run, but would like to support my team with a donation please click on the link below to access my fundraising page.
To donate to my team visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/sammy-loch/runofhope

-click the green DONATE button

Fundraising for this cause is very important to me. The doctors involved in this research are some of those who saved my life. But there is still more work to be done. Your participation either by raising funds or by donating to my team will truly make a difference in another child's life.

Feel free to share this information with anyone you know who would like to participate.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

Mischief Managed,

Sammy Loch

Introducing...Our (furry) Bundle of Joy

Today was a wonderful day. Not only was it our last day of school, we also brought home our 8 week old golden retriever puppy, Will. Brandon didn't know that we were bringing him home today, he thought we were just visiting, so he was very surprised and very happy. That is a boy in deep puppy love. I have never seen him so happy before.

Our biggest worry about bringing Will home was how our other dog, Polly, would react. I had faith she's do fine, but there was a little part of me that worried anyway. Just like I thought she would, she did great! To be honest, she hardly notices him. That is unless he is crying, then she runs over to check him out and see what's happening. She doesn't bark or snip at him, she just looks at him before going back to whatever she was doing before he cried. I am so relieved that Will's homecoming went so well.

Now it is up to Brandon to potty train him (it is "his dog") because I will be having surgery on my left foot to remove an extra bone, repair some tendons, and re-align my heel that has been slipping out to the left because my muscles that were damaged by the infection I had last year are not strong enough to hold up the heel. All of these things have cause me tremendous pain over the last several months and I am overjoyed to be getting them fixed. I will not be able to walk on my foot for 6-8 weeks, so I will be getting around on a knee scooter.

All the time off my feet will be perfect for me to work on my summer school English class. This is the class I have to take in order to graduate on time. It is really convenient because it is all online.

Other than that I plan on doing a lot of reading this summer. My "To-Read" stack has gotten pretty tall.

Have a great summer everyone!

Mischief Managed,

Sammy

P.S. MY CURLS ARE COMING BACK!!!!

Calling on Sunshine

Once again I must ask you for prayers for a friend. Today I found out that my friend Keyah, another Sunshine Kids spokeskid, after many cancer free months, has had a recurrence of Hodgkins Lymphoma. Keyah is a vibrant young college student who is just a joy to be around. Her family and mine really clicked when we were in San Diego. By the end of the convention, Brandon was like her surrogate brother because he is so similar to her actual brother Tre. We don't know many details yet, I just ask that you please add her to your prayers and send good thoughts to South Carolina.

I will post an update about me soon.

Mischief Managed,

Sammy

Sunset

I am in shock. I still can not believe it. This afternoon I was surprised to get the news that my friend, Katie Lynch has passed away.

She was such a special girl. I only knew her for three months but, she has changed my life forever. During and post treatment I was searching for someone. Someone who knew what I had been through. Someone who felt what I felt. Someone who was like me. Someone I could talk to. Someone who really understood. Katie was that someone. She radiated her warmth and light all the way from Indianapolis to rainy Seattle.

Though I am devastated by her death I know Katie is in a better place where words like "cancer" don't exist.

SAMMY