Tri Minus Three: Packing and Pictures

I am just about ready to roll tomorrow.  Reba went in for a tune-up.  She got thorn-resistant tubes in her tires.   There is no guarantee I won't get a flat but these tubes are tough.    I am confused by Iron Girl instructions.  They seem to be conflicting about assistance with flat tires.  The web site states that there will be mechanics on the course who can assist with flat tires.   It is out of my hands at this point.

I have all my stuff packed for my transition area.  I've decided to bring one extra water bottle and use that to wash my feet when I come up from the swim.

I bought a new helmet today 'cause my current one has a date of 2004.   The experts say one should replace helmets every 3 years or so.   I don't want an old helmet to somehow disqualify me, although that seems unlikely that they could inspect hundreds of helmets.   I bought a pink one :-).  Go for the gusto!

In keeping with our Mission Moments,  I've included some pix of my Daddy, Curtis Wallace who died of AML in April 1960 at age of 50.  He left his wife Anne,  Stephen age 13, Jesse age 12 (yes they were Irish twins), John age 10, and Millicent age 6.   At the time of his death there were really no treatments for leukemia and he had a very lethal form of it.  He was diagnosed in the fall of 1959 and only lived for six months.   He got blood transfusions and palliative care but that was all they could do.   His last time at home in Nacogdoches was Christmas of 1959 and he was already pretty sick. Somewhere I have a picture of him sitting at the kitchen table at 2214 North Pecan St in his pajamas and a robe.  He looked awful.  Jesse's birthday is Dec 22nd and there was a birthday cake on the kitchen table.    During that time at home, he started hemorrhaging and had other problems that caused him to be taken by ambulance to Houston and he was never home again.
We've come a long way since 1960.   It is unbelievable to me that leukemia drugs are considered "orphan" by the pharma companies.  The treatments today wouldn't exist without funds raised by organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Those funds directly go to research, some of which has produced new generation drugs that are keeping people alive for many many years, living a normal life.
I've learned other important facts.  Some of the formulations being researched for leukemia are being used to treat other forms of cancer too.    There is a lot more collaboration between different types of cancer research than I imagined.

Dr. Curtis Wallace, USN

Probably 1942 or 1943

Newly commissioned officer

Daddy's wedding picture

Dec, 1945

Married at USN Academy Chapel at Annapolis, MD

Our family in 1957, a couple of years before AML diagnosis.