Security Ripcord

As you can see I have not blogged in a while. There are several reasons for this but the main reason is that my sister, Beverly, has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). She is 25 and lives and goes to school in Bakersfield, California where as I live and work in Dallas, Texas. To say that this has been a trial would be correct. Having a crash course in any new topic is hard, but when it is this important the pressure really kicks in.

For now everything is going well. Leukemia, as it turns out, is a waiting game. First you have to wait for lab results of the bone biopsy, then you have to take your chemotherapy while you are waiting your diagnosis, then you have to wait for the results of another bone biopsy. You also have to wait for paper work. Paperwork from the state, paperwork from the federal government, from you school, from you work, from the hospital, from …

Fortunately there are many resources on the Internet that are very helpful and clear enough so that a non-medical person can understand. Some of these links include:

• The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – these people can help with just about anything. They are a great place for people to voluneer as well. They offer finacial assistance.
• American Cancer Society – I didn’t think these people could help, at first, because there is the LLS. Don’t make this mistake. They also offer finacial assistance.
• A.P. John – What is Acute Myeloid Leukemia – this is an excellent description of the cancer and its aspects.
• Pathology Outlines – Some gritty details if you are a labtech.

As I stated above, we are playing the waiting game. We are currently trying to find a way to get her out to Texas without a break in her treatment and without losing her benefits. I have set up a site for her so that people can find out who she is and how she is doing. It is BeverlySue.Org and although it is a bit rough right now I am planning on making some updates soon. I have set her up with a PayPal account so that people, who are able, can help her out. Donations will go towards paying her bills while she cannot support herself and eventually help with her move to Texas expenses.

If you find it in your heart please visit the site and help her out. Please refer your friends and family as well. Check back often and drop her an E-mail of encouragement when you can (the address will be posted on the site soon).

Thanks to all who read this to the bottom. I know that it is not very technical and I will try to return to more security related posts in the near future. On a quick side note I wanted to thank Martin McKeay of Network Security Blog for posting my first comment. I really enjoy his input to the community and I highly recommend his podcast.

Thanks to all,
Cutaway

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