Welcome to Taking Vienna, both a blog and a resource for victims of cancers like lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma.Taking Vienna is a book, a blog, and most of all, a philosophy. It grew out of my battle with Mantle Cell Lymphoma. A message of hope, grit, and advice for new and long term cancer patients, Taking Vienna is meant as both encouragement and a resource for those fighting cancer, and the people supporting them.

What does "Taking Vienna" mean? Here are a couple of quotes that inspired me to go public with my disease and life.

 “If you start to take Vienna – take Vienna!!”

Napoleon Bonaparte – on keeping focused on a goal, applying overwhelming force, and not getting distracted.

"What is our aim? ... Victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror; victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival."

Winston Churchill; 13 May 1940

 From 2005 to 2007, I fought this fairly rare and usually incurable form of lymphoma. Chemo, radio-immunology, autologous stem cell transplant, and artificial antibodies.Successfully going into remission, I was more or less drafted into a ministry and public service, acting as part of a network of "second responders", talking to victims and their families early in their battle. The book came out of my email-style blogging plus a lot of lessons learned as a medical consumer advocate.

Now, in August 2012, after 6 years in remission, I'm back in the fight. Two days ago, I got news that my cancer is back. This blog will be my way of communicating to my family, friends, co-workers, and fellow travelers how I'm doing, what I'm learning, and most importantly, how I'm going to take Vienna, again.

The book, along with others of mine, is available on Lulu for free download:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/TakingVienna2008


God Bless all of us as we journey together towards victory!

Kevin Berry
Titusville, Florida