Japanese proverb: “A wise man will climb Mt. Fuji once; a fool will climb it twice.” I can agree now that I have done it once.

I stood on the top of the mountain and watched the sunrise with an incredible group of people who all support the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF). We had a wonderful representative from Takeda, Mr. Shoukei Ehara, and the extraordinary Marty Murphy from CURE magazine, who has been on every Moving Mountains climb. These two companies sponsored this trip, allowing the more than $140,000 we have raised to go directly to research for a cure. Thinking about that as I ascended the most-climbed mountain in the world humbled me. I wanted to do this climb for those who couldn't, but on a more personal level, I wanted to do this for my son, who once said before my diagnosis, “Mom is invincible.”

Well Jake, Mom is stil invincible, even with multiple myeloma sleeping somewhere inside me.

These were the hardest two days of my life, physically. Going up a steep incline at such high altitudes (which changed quickly) was difficult. There were times I just had to stop to breathe. We took the hardest and least-traveled path up and a different path down.

You have no idea what fatigue is until you fall in lava rocks and you just want to lie there and take a nap. That’s how cancer treatments were for me. The difference? I didn't have a choice with cancer treatments if I wanted to live.

I chose to climb Mt. Fuji. Some days it took all my energy but it never took my desire to get better. So, as I stood on that mountain, I looked at all that God had made and the wonderful people with whom I was blessed to share this opportunity. We climbed that mountain all because we wanted to help find a cure for multiple myeloma.

Our amazing Fuji mountain guide’s theme of the first day was the goal is the parking lot. But my goal was to reach the summit, see the sunrise, and leave a little something for George. George lost his 9-year battle with multiple myeloma 15 months after I was diagnosed. His wife is one of my best friends.

I had to be at the summit to be in the picture — that would be my proof that I did this. Once I got up there I could worry about coming down the mountain. Down is a whole new ball game. It's like building your body back after induction chemo, high-dose chemo and a stem cell transplant that all wreaked havoc on your body. You just keep going until it’s done.

Did I love every minute of it? No. Would I do it again? Probably not. I don't think so. Once is enough. Am I glad I did it? I am ecstatic that I did it.

I will be sore for days, but that will pass and I‘ll have the lasting memory of the Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma Mt. Fuji climb 2017.

Thank you again to our generous sponsors and to all the people who donated to the MMRF for research that will lead to new and better medications and ultimately a cure.