As I mentioned recently, my sister is running the NYC Half-Marathon in part to raise money for the American Cancer Society. She has raised almost $1,100 to this point – more than the minimum to run – but would still like to reach her goal of $2,500.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer through research, education, advocacy and by providing services directly to families affected by cancer. It is also one of the most efficient and influential non-profit organizations on both a national and international scale.

I know many of you have already donated, but if you haven’t we would greatly appreciate your help. You can read Ally’s reasons for running here and – if you’re so inclined - make a donation. Any amount – even $5 or $10 – will help and your donation is of course tax deductible.

You may have also noticed that I’ve added Google ads to this site. We probably won’t make much given the relatively modest traffic here, but I will be donating all ad revenue to Ally’s run (in addition to the donation Tara and I made already).

If there are any organizations out there interested in sponsoring her race (for ad space or otherwise), please let me know and I’ll put you in touch.

I can’t even begin to tell you how important the love and support from friends and family has been throughout this process. I’ve tried to respond to everyone, but the outpouring of support really means a lot.

To that end, I recently got a touching email from Mike - a good friend from college and former colleague who spent the past year teaching down in Ecuador - that I felt compelled to share here.

Tim,

I want to wish you the best of luck next week, and let you know you have a good group of kids praying for you in Quito. I look forward to seeing you when I get back.

Be well,
Mike

A lot of people keep telling me they're amazed at how positive I've remained through this all.  Frankly, I'm not sure what other choice there is. Yeah, my body has taken a beating over the past two months between the surgery and chemo. When I say I'm feeling good these days, that means something a lot different than it did six months ago. I can look in the mirror and see the toll it is taking.

As taxing as it has been, at no point did I feel I couldn't get through it. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that bad – and certainly not compared to the alternatives.

In that sense, I've been thinking a lot about adversity. I think my ability to deal with this comes from playing sports. Sports, like life, are full of crushing defeats, victories (both small and glorious) and a lot of hard work (the "time and effort") in between. Having participated in sports from a very young age, I've learned that when you invest yourself in a positive way, things have a tendency to work out better in the end – even if they seem to suck while you're going through it. My body felt pretty banged up towards the end of a football or wrestling season, but I eventually bounced back, just like I know I'll bounce back at the end of this.

To quote Harold & Kumar, "the universe tends to unfold as it should". That's not to say that things will always work out as you planned, but ultimately I do believe that if you invest yourself fully and positively then things will work out in a good way. (Conversely, I think if you're not fully invested, then you should stop doing whatever you're doing because it's just a waste of time.)

There are similar parallels with building a business, and one reason I find being an entrepreneur so rewarding. The road is paved with ups and downs. It's easy to get discouraged when things don't progress as smoothly as you would have liked, but I believe that if you're approaching it in the right way you will a return on that investment. Of course, those returns can manifest themselves in different ways – and it doesn't mean my business will necessarily be successful – but it does mean I will have been better off for doing it.

Adversity isn't a bad thing – I see it as necessary to personal improvement. Just as you need to push yourself when working out to see gains, sometimes you need to test your character and resolve. Adversity builds character and makes us stronger.

Personally, I welcome the opportunity. Bring it on, cancer.

Chemotherapy is very effective for the cancer I have (with something like a 95% curable rate), but that didn't stop us from coming up with some alternative solutions in case I fall into the 5%.

MD 20/20. That stuff is definitely radioactive. It might be a little harsher than the chemo drugs (and the hangover will be longer), but I'm pretty sure the cancer can't survive a Mad Dog drip – especially if it's Blue Raspberry. (Seriously, where the hell do they find these blue raspberries anyway?!)

Lysol. I mean, it kills 99% of germs and bacteria… let's see how it does on germ cell tumors. Then again, if it was at all effective I have to believe they would have already figured it out and marketed it accordingly.

Robots. There have to be some cancer-eating nanobots I can put to work here – I am a tech guy after all. Can someone get on that for me?

Licking a NYC subway pole. This is like the nuclear option, sort of like that one episode in the Simpsons where Mr. Burns had every single disease that none could "get through". By introducing so many toxins to the body at once, the cancer might just book it. Of course, this might turn me into a rat and leave me stuck fighting oversized turtles named after Renaissance artists… but at least I would be cancer-free.

Any other suggestions? Let's hear what you got… and be creative!