My test results didn’t quite set a new record low last week, so I decided to wait to post them until I got this week’s results. This one comes after a Darzalex infusion, which only happens one out of every four weeks, and my M-protein level is now at 0.24, the lowest it’s been since I was first diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2014. I don’t know if we’ll get it down to zero by December,¹ but it sure looks like we’re going to get close.

The real question, of course, is how low it stays after the second round treatment is finished. But one thing’s for sure: this is good news, and it’s now almost a certainty that I’ll stay alive long enough to see Donald Trump booted out of the White House. That’s enough to keep me going.

¹This is a special medical use of the word “zero,” which means that it’s below the level that the test can detect. It will never get to a mathematical zero unless and until someone invents an actual cure.

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We need to start raising significantly more in donations from our online community of readers, especially from those who read Mother Jones regularly but have never decided to pitch in because you figured others always will. We also need long-time and new donors, everyone, to keep showing up for us.

In "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," we explain, as matter-of-factly as we can, what exactly our finances look like, how brutal it is to sustain quality journalism right now, what makes Mother Jones different than most of the news out there, and why support from readers is the only thing that keeps us going. Despite the challenges, we're optimistic we can increase the share of online readers who decide to donate—starting with hitting an ambitious $300,000 goal in just three weeks to make sure we can finish our fiscal year break-even in the coming months.

Please learn more about how Mother Jones works and our 47-year history of doing nonprofit journalism that you don't elsewhere—and help us do it with a donation if you can. We've already cut expenses and hitting our online goal is critical right now.

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