"Why I am walking week" - Day 6 - My mother, the survivor

As most of you know, one of my reasons for walking is for my Mom.  She is a 7 year breast cancer survivor.  Yay Mom!!!  At the time she was going through this, I was not a super daughter, and not the most supportive to my eternal regret.  My mother was very private about her ordeal and really never complained about all she had to go through.  So I left it at that and pretty much stuck my head in the sand and left it there for quite a while.  I didn’t do it because I didn’t care (I love my Mom dearly and always have), just that it was hard for me to deal with, and at that time in my life I was not “grown up” enough to deal with hard things I guess…  I am ashamed of being so selfish as to not reach out to the woman who loved me and cared for me from birth, but as we all know we can’t go back and change the past, we can only go forward.  So that is one of my reasons for walking now.  I love you Mom, I am so sorry for not seeming to care about what you were going through.  But I am doing all I can to make up for it, including this blog and walking 60 miles yet again. 

Now I’ve asked my Mom to tell me all the things I didn’t know she was going through years ago.  I needed to know what I missed.  I learned that my Mom is even more amazing than I already knew…

My wonderful Dad and Mom

My Mom’s cancer was actually discovered (though not yet diagnosed) in August of 2003.  It was right before my parent’s semi - annual trip to Germany (my Mom was born and grew up in Germany, and all of her family still lives there), at her mammogram.  Her doctor called her and told her she needed to get another one done because of something abnormal, but she told the doctor that she was about to go to Germany and was told to enjoy her trip and get a repeat mammogram when she returned the next month.  And she told me she was able to put it completely out of her mind and totally enjoy her trip, not concerned at all. 

When she returned and received her 2^nd mammogram, the doctor told her she had found a calcification and at the end of September the surgeon performed a needle biopsy and found that it was cancer.  After testing she was told it was caused by the HER 2 gene, which while luckily for me and my family is not a hereditary gene, can be a very aggressive form of cancer. 

At the end of October her surgeon performed an extended surgery to remove the cancer.  But it turned out that the surgery wasn’t a total success, in that the doctors could not get a “clean margin.”  So on Nov. 19^th, 2003, my Mom went through her surgery to remove her breast.  This surgery was considered a success, in that they now had their clean margin.  They also removed some lymph nodes, and thank God found no sign of the cancer there.  She told me that she did all that the doctors had told her to do after her surgery, and it wasn’t too hard on her.  See, didn’t I tell you she was amazing?

My mom with her youngest grandson   

My Mom’s doctors told her that because of the clean margins, she did not need any radiation treatments, but they were recommending chemotherapy for her.  She told me that this was what she didn’t want the most.  This was the thing that she fought against.  She told me that with surgery she wanted it because she wanted the cancer out of her; to be gone.  But chemo…  My brother called her at this time and I am really grateful that he did not have his head up his…  I mean in the sand like I did, but came through for my Mom.  He told her that he knew someone with the same type of cancer and since they didn’t catch it all it spread to the lymph nodes…  So she went with the doctors recommendations, and decided to do the chemo treatments as soon as she was recovered from her more invasive surgery.

In Jan. 2004 the doctor’s did what they call a mirror biopsy to check the other breast, and luckily it came out fine.  They also did a CT scan, and MRI, and a MUGA test (a heart test).  The CT scan showed 2 cysts on her liver, so they then had to do an ultrasound.  The ultrasound showed that the cysts were not cancerous.  Whew!  And would you believe my mother is probably the only living soul that actually didn’t mind and almost liked the MRI?!?!  LOL!  She told me it reminded her of (for all you trekkies out there like my Mom and I) the “Jeffrey tubes” on the original Star Trek show!   So with all her tests giving a green light, they surgically put in a port for my mother to be able to start her chemo.

As for how she felt about all this…  She told me that she didn’t stop and think about it much in the beginning, just went with whatever came next and didn’t feel much about it.  “It’s just a part of me, so I dealt with it,” she said.   She just did what she had to do to get well again.  But the chemo was something she really didn’t want, so that made it harder for her.  She told me that she thought about all the kids who go through cancer and are so inspiring and “If they could do it, who am I to complain??” 

My mom swinging with her granddaughter

So in Feb 2004, my Mom started chemotherapy.  She had 3 sessions, 21 days apart.  She told me that the first time, she had to grip the arms of the chair to keep herself from jumping up and running out of there, but she managed to sit still and do it.  And since her treatments were in the morning and she didn’t start to feel sick till a few hours after her treatments were over, my Dad would go out and pick up something light for her to eat from Bob Evans, before the nausea would rear its ugly head.  She said she didn’t have any stories of suffering for me (like I would want that!?!?!).  Besides the nausea, was she was extremely tired like most people that go through chemo, but unlike most… she couldn’t sleep.  Ugh!  We all know how awful that is; I can’t imagine how bad it must be when you are exhausted chemo patient!  She did lose quite a bit of weight that is still off to this day from not being able to eat; she said “eating became a chore, I had to eat and I forced myself to but didn’t want to.”  And she did lose her hair, and her eyelashes (which still have not grown back sadly to this day!).  But since it was in Feb. through early spring, almost no one knew that my Mom was going through all of this.  She wasn’t spending time outside in the winter, and didn’t have too many places to go.  So it wasn’t till summer when a neighbor saw her in her wig (the wig that I have now and got the same compliments on!) and told her that she liked her new hairdo that she actually told someone.  That thought of her going through this so alone brings me to tears…

Well she had her last chemo treatment on April 8^th, 2004, and is now a 7 year survivor!!!  Woohoo Mom!!!  For the first 5 years she needed a mammogram, bloodwork, and a yearly oncologist appointment.  Now it’s just a visit and a mammogram!  Hopefully, that’s all she will ever need to visit an oncologist for!  She told me it changed her eating habits for good (that and her stomach issues, but that’s a whole different blog!! LOL!), and she eats less carbs and more veggies.  I am proud of my courageous Mom.  I love you Mom.  One more time I’m so sorry, even though we were so far apart I should have been there for you.  I can’t go back to change it now, but I will do my best to make it up to you.  And I CAN and WILL walk 60 miles again for you!

This is why I walk.  

Me with the for my mother flag on the 3 day event!

Day 5 - A woman that continues her battle, and has kept her faith...

This is a woman that I met through her daughter many years ago in my EMT and firefighter classes.  She watched my children for me when I needed daycare.  She also showed me what a family brought up in faith could be like...


Gina inspires me in that she is not yelling, "WHY ME LORD?" and shaking her fists and turning her back on God.  Instead she is still faithful and turns to the Lord for strength.  I believe whole-heartedly in the power of prayer; please keep Gina in your prayers as she fights her battle.


This is her story in her words...

Last January I was scheduled for weight loss surgery and was very excited since I have struggled with my weight my entire life. Even as I was prepped for surgery I knew in my heart it wasn't going to happen. As I came to I heard my Dr. tell the nurse to let her know as soon as I was fully awake as she needed to tell me she couldnt do the surgery. I kept going to the verse about the Lord's ways not being our ways. The Dr told me she couldn't do the surgery because she found tissue in the way and called in a gyn to consult and take biopsies. It was only a few days later she called to tell that I had cancer and that she had arranged for me to see a ogyn oncologist before he left town to talk to me about all that was going on. In less than two weeks of finding out that I had cancer I had an hysterectomy and was scheduled to have a port put in and all out and if it would fall out. I decided to not be bothered with it and take control. I had my husband shave my head. It was very freeing and gave me control and not my cancer or the chemo.

I have many people praying for me and have been very blessed in that I have had very few of the worst side effects. I still continue my battle and am on the third type of chemo drug trying to find one that will work. I have really been able to remain strong and relying on God. I am very blessed that I do have a large support group and the oncologist I see and the nurses are wonderful to me.

I am thankful for every day God gives me here on earth and try not to take anything for granted. I have started doing things on my bucket list now instead of later. I try to enjoy each day and make sure I stay in contact with friends and family. I have been able to mend a few fences in my family.

Don't get me wrong I have days where I feel sorry for myself and days where I am depressed. I just am thankful that with God's help they are few and far between.

Last minute addition - Gina wrote me saying this:
Melanie just wanted to share with you that this 3rd type of chemo is now working. I got the results of my PET scan today and the fluid around my lung, the cancer in my peritoneum are less and what is still there is not showing as brightly on the PET scan. Praise God.




Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why I am walking - Day 4 - An old friend shares his experiences with cancer...

This is written by a friend from high school, who just recently experienced his battle with cancer.  He is willing to share his journey with everyone, and it touched my heart that he is so open.  You don't find many people like him, especially being a man!  Thank you Donnie, and know that I will keep you in my thoughts as I walk 60 miles, you are one of the people that will get me through when the going gets rough.  You are an inspiration!!!

Raising my shoe in tribute to the survivors!

Hi.  My name is Donnie Smith. I am 38 years old and I am a testicular cancer survivor. 

   My journey began in late August 2010 with a swollen and tender left testicle.  At first I thought it to be a work related injury as I am a carpenter and strains and pains tend to go with the job.  I waited until late September before I took action.  My 2 kids were back in school and my wife had just started a new fulltime job.  So with things settled a bit I decided it was time to get checked out.  Little did I know what was about to unfold.  I made an appointment with my regular doctor on a Tuesday afternoon.  She examined me and ordered an ultrasound for the next morning.  Wednesday morning was an ultrasound appointment and I went back to work.  My doctor called by about 11:30 and said I needed to see my urologist immediately.  The ultrasound showed signs of "nodes".  Not good.  I got a ride to a 2:30 appointment and my wife met me there.  The urologist examined me, gave me the hard squeeze and excused himself to review my ultrasound films.  He was back in the room in less than a minute, sat down and calmly explained that he had an opening in tomorrows surgery schedule and would be removing Old Lefty at that time.  Uh....what?  He continued to say that there was more tumor than testicle and it needed to come out asap.  My wife and I drove home in shock.  I called the people that needed to know and when we got home I sat the kids down and explained it to them.  None of us knew what to think or how to feel.  So Thursday morning at 10:30 they wheeled me in, knocked me out, and removed the offending item.  I was sent home later that same day. Keep in mind that all this took place within a 48 hour period.  It all happened so fast that we didn't really have time to react.  It was a blessing at first because we didn't have the freak out phase before it all came down.  The next week was a lesson in post traumatic stress syndrome.  A few weeks went by and my post surgery bloodwork showed that the cancer tumor marker levels had returned to normal. 

   Given my particular level of cancer involvement I was given two choices,  surgery or chemotherapy.  The surgery was called "retro peritoneal lymph node dissection".  The doctor would cut me open from sternum to belt line,  put my guts aside on a tray, and remove the lymphatic tissue from the left side of my abdomen.  The tissues would then be examined for cancer cells.  If none were found I was free and clear.  If they were found I was off to chemo.  I didn't want to have the surgery and certainly didn't want to have both surgery and chemo.  All my doctors recommended the surgery due to my blood levels being normal.  Even the oncologist thought it was the right thing to do and he's the one selling chemo!  So against my gut I signed up for the surgery.  This was mid October and by this time I was able to button up some loose ends work wise and began making preparations for the pending surgery.  My date was set for Dec. 13 2010 and I was having a hard time accepting it.  Being cut open like that was going to change thing forever.  I'm an active person and use my body to work every day.  This haunted me.  I had a pre-op exam on Dec. 1and by the Thursday before the surgery I had made my peace with it and was focused and determined.  The family had come through with dinners made and in the freezer, schedules changed to accommodate my recovery, and many prayers said by everyone I knew.  I went through the 36 hour bowel prep and was ready the morning of.  It was a grey and dreary morning that day.  I was admitted to the hospital and was waiting for things to get started.  They had me in a pre-op room in my gown and it seemed to be taking a while.  They hadn't even hooked up an IV yet.  My Mom was waiting with me because my wife had to go to work.  Her new job was at the hospital so she was in the building anyway.  From my bed I noticed that the skies had cleared and the sun was out.  This gave me a feeling that everything would be OK.  After a bit more time my doctor came in to review the process.  He sat next to me and explained that there would be no surgery for me that day.  Apparently my pre-op bloodwork results were no available to him until that very morning.  My tumor markers had risen again showing a presence of cancer cells.  Since the purpose of the surgery was to determine whether there was any disease remaining, there was no need to move forward.  That's great for me!  No surgery!  I didn't want it anyway!  I'm gonna go get something to eat!  My wife on the other hand realized what this meant right away and was very upset.  I still had cancer.  It wasn't gone.  Now I must go through chemo.  My son had a winter band concert at school that night and I was able to attend.  Needless to say there were quite a few shocked friends and family members at that event when I walked in.  As that week played out I went through another round of post traumatic stress syndrome and had to accept my situation again.  The emotional roller coaster was taking its toll.  Still I was thankful to have not been cut open and my family and I were able to relax a bit and enjoy Christmas and New Years. 

   Chemotherapy.  My oncologist warned me that it was no walk in the park and had its own batch of side effects.  I had a port installed on Jan. 6 2011 and began chemo on Jan. 10.  I was slated for 4 cycles of chemo.  Every day for 1 week then 2 weeks off to recover and repeat.  What a ride.  The first week of chemo was a learning experience.  Not only the way my body reacts but also the chemo room itself.  I gained a tremendous amount of perspective and humility seeing what others were going through.  I was amazed at how people in such a dire situation were capable of such courage and strength.  It affected my attitude immensely.  Throughout my treatments I was able to maintain a positive outlook, a sense of humor, and a determination to get through it and beat cancer. I tried to drive myself on Mondays and Tuesdays. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and helped keep my head right.  By Wednesday though I needed a ride.  Mom, Dad, and my sister took turns taking me with my sister putting in the most time.  I claimed my own chair in the chemo room.  It was on the other end of the room near the bathroom and facing the windows instead of the TVs so it was usually empty.  I'd much rather look outside than stare at a TV all day. Towards the end of my treatment the nurses would save it for me and even put a reserved sign on it.  I played cards and computer solitaire to pass the time.  Some days I would just chat with my family or the people around me.  I got about 2500ml of fluids each day.  Some with drugs and some without.  By the end of each day I had visited the bathroom 5 or 6 times and felt like I was floating.  My poor wife had to work the whole time and never got to take me for treatments.  Without her income and insurance we would have been ruined by this.  She had the unfortunate job of caring for me at home.  I wasn't always able to convey the information needed for my care.  The nurses would tell me during the day but chemobrain is real and I wouldn't always remember at night so she just had to wing it alot.  I forced myself to eat 3 meals a day no matter how small and luckily I didn't lose any weight along the way, just muscle tone.  The weekend after treatment was always terrible.  I would only get out of bed long enough to eat.  By Monday after I would start to come around and by Wednesday I would be feeling pretty good.  By the end of the 2 week break in between I was eating well and could even stomach a Guinness or two.  Then it would start all over again. Some good news came at the office visit between round 2 and 3.  Apparently the blood tests taken just after round 2 showed that my tumor markers had returned to normal levels.  This meant I was responding well to treatment and now I just had to finish the medicine. Good news to be sure.  My last week of treatment was very rough.  The symptoms after each round were progressively more intense and by the end of my last week I was wiped out.  It felt great to be done but there was nothing to really enjoy except for that one fact.  The week to follow was very down and out but as usual I started to come back around. 

   Recovery from chemo isn't without its challenges either.  My last day of chemo was March 25 and that's been about 6 weeks ago.  The oncologist assured me that since it took him 3 months to do this to me, it will take 3 months to get myself back.  The nurses claim is that by Thanksgiving I'll truly feel like myself again.  At this point its frustrating that I can't go out and do all the things I want.  I still can't work on a regular basis.  It seems that I'll be OK for a few days then fatigue sets in and I have to rest.  I'm struggling to find an even pace between activity and rest.  It is now mid-May and although I feel pretty good I'm certainly not there yet.  The oncologist visit yesterday revealed that my recent CT scans are normal and my bloodwork is normal.  So my official current status is "in remission" which is a great feeling.  He will see me again in 3 months for another checkup but for now I'm good to go. 

   In all I am very lucky.  My disease was minimal, localized, and caught in a timely manner.  I've made it through treatment and am well on my way in recovery.  The whole event has given me a different perspective on what is important in my life.  It has brought my family much closer together.  I've spent more time with my kids lately than in years past and that is a great thing.  I'm trying desperately to be patient with myself and allow time for the strength to come back.  I'm told it will.  For now I'll be content playing Mr. Mom and doing whatever I can to help out.  I get to put my son on the bus every day and spend time with my daughter and wife like never before and it won't always be like that.  I feel very blessed that my battle with cancer came down like it did and am grateful for all that I have, more so than ever before.

   Thanks to all the doctors, nurses, volunteers, friends and family members who cared for me and supported me through this time.  It would have been a terrible thing to go through alone.  I can only hope that anyone faced with cancer or any disease has the support they need to make it through as I did.

Donnie Smith

Thank you from the bottom of my heart Donnie. 

Why I am walking week... - Day 3 - My teammate's reasons for walking

As you know, I am not going on this journey alone.  I have a team of wonderful women that are with me every step of the way.  They have their own reasons for raising tons of money and walking 60 miles.  Today I am giving you their own words in answer to the question "Why are you walking?"

Pam Leaberry, RN  To donate to Pam or visit her page goto - Pam's 3 Day page

Here are ten reasons that I am walking. 

1. I am walking for my Aunt who loss her battle to breast cancer in 2009.
2. SGK foundation helps women who otherwise would not be able to afford the medical care.
3. I am a nurse surrounded my women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer and want to help.
4. I like helping people.
5. I am looking forward to sleeping in pink tents in Washington D.C.
6. I like the thought of getting into shape at the same time as helping others.
7. I like my boobs.
8. I really like my boobs.
9. I like pink
10. I really like the enthusiasm and excitement it has brought me to help raise money for this foundation. It feels great to give.

I am walking for my family friends and patients!

 

Pam Naumann, RN To donate to Pam N or visit her page goto - Pam N 3 Day page

I decided to walk this year for my mother in law who I saw pass from colon cancer that did not have a lot of resources that the Susan G Komen fund offers.  This is a wonderful fund to help those cancer survivors feel special, LIVE to the fullest and help with research.  I also see a lot of patients pass away at the Dove House, an inpatient hospice facility.  When you take care of these people, you just want to be able to something,  The 3 day walk is something I can do for them!  3 days 60 miles, I can do that!

Lauren Fair, LPN  To donate to Lauren or visit her page goto - Lauren's 3 Day page

Many people ask, why are you walking?  We all walk for different reasons.  For me cancer has always been personal.  Many of my family members have lost their battle with lung and kidney cancer.  I am fortunate that I have not lost a loved one to breast cancer.  I have, however, seen the pain and devastation that comes along with a breast cancer diagnosis.  Working as a nurse in a small but ever growing community hospital, I am surrounded with patients with many different illnesses.  Yet, it is all to common to have patients with a past or current diagnosis of breast cancer.  So, when asked who am I walking for?  The answer is everyone.  I walk for my family, my friends, my patients, and you.  I am so proud to be walking this year in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk in Washington, D.C. amongst so many survivors.  Doesn't everyone deserve a chance at a lifetime? 

Pam Leaberry, Lauren, Melanie, and Pam Naumann

Why I am walking week, the introduction... Day 1

Welcome to why I am walking week!!

I am dedicating my blog this week to the people who have been affected by cancer in some way and have touched my life. 

This week I am going to write about why I am really going to raise another $2,300, and why I am going to once again walk 60 miles in the biggest and boldest event for breast cancer that exists.  Why I felt I needed to do more for cancer than the average activist for a cure.  Why I feel the need to train and raise money for months out of the year.  There are just way too many people that have touched my life that have cancer.  And not just breast cancer either.  I figure, if we can find a cure for breast cancer, how far away are we from curing ALL cancers?  This is my goal.  To raise money, to raise awareness, and to walk until we reach it:  a world without cancer.

So this week I want to celebrate survivors, remember those who have lost the fight, and send prayers and strength to those who are fighting their battle with cancer right now. 

For today, I am going to list those I plan on making this amazing journey for.  You are the people that have given me the courage, the strength, and the will to undertake this huge event again this year.  Thank you for your inspiration.

My Mother – Edelgard Coen – Celebrating her 7^th year as a survivor!  Yay!

My Aunt -  Cathy Curcio – who is now supporting me from heaven

Tanya Cheche – lost her battle but continues to inspire me
My father-in-law Ron Finkner - celebrating being a 9 year survivor from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Gina Woolfson – a friend who’s currently fighting her battle and I wish to support any way that I can

Donnie Smith – an old friend from High School that has just went through his battle, and is newly in remission!  Woohoo!

Bridget – an inspiring woman who has been fighting her battle for many years, who spoke at the 3 Day Event last year and shared her story with us.  – Diagnosed at 21 with stage 4, and is still with us and fighting today!!!  And walking in the 3 Day yet again!

Taylor – a young woman fighting for her life right now, and only 23 yrs old with 3 different types of cancer.  She has spent most of this year in the hospital having chemo and many surgeries, and without even trying she has touched hundreds of lives across the country.  Just go to the link from my page on blogs I follow and look up Team 15%!  You will learn to believe!


Please help us by donating on our behalf.  I have my minimum to walk already, but I would love for you to still donate to my team mates who need their minimums to participate.  You can donate by clicking on the following:
Lauren's 3 Day donation page
Pam's 3 Day donation page

The month of 5 fundraisers... Whew!!!

What an exhausting month it has been for me, and for some of my team mates.  We somehow were able to do 5 fundraisers in 1 month.  It has taken a lot of late nights working and preparing, but it has gotten us closer to our goal!

Actually, when I think about it, it's more like 51/2 fundraisers...  We had to do the Joe Corbi pizza deliveries too!!  So here's how the whirlwind month of April went for us!

1)  The mall - well I've already written about our experience doing the treadmill fundraiser in the mall.  So if you missed that one you can always go back to my last blog to read the details on this one.  It was quite an experience!  This one took a lot of preparation work, but it was really fun!

Next is my 2nd 1/2 of a fundraiser)  We had sold Joe Corbi pizzas to our friends and families, and it was definitely a hit.  You should have SEEN the stacks of pizzas delivered in my living room!  It took a while but we got them all delivered.  And... drum roll please...  we EACH got a $100 toward our fundraising accounts, just from selling pizza!  I will absolutely do this one again!  

2)Walmart Day - Well I managed to do it again, somehow I bring bad weather each and every time that I set up in front of Walmart.  So as not to break tradition, it was once again 50 degrees and rainy that morning...  So we did not sell a lot of our handmade items (who wants to check out what we have for sale in the rain?) though we did sell a few, but again the generous donations of the patrons of Walmart did not disappoint us.  

Pam L  and Lauren at our table

3) Texas Roadhouse Dine-out Nite - What a HUGE success!!!  We haven't even gotten the total from the restaurant to see how much the 10% of sales raised, but just the table we were allowed to set up on a busy Thursday night in the restaurant did an amazing amount of sales, our best yet!!!  We couldn't be more pleased with how this fundraiser went, and with the staff of Texas Roadhouse that worked that night and showed up in their pink shirts!  Except for the work printing and handing out flyers and making our wares to sell, this fundraiser did not require a lot of effort, and raised a very decent amount of donation money.  Not only WOULD we do this fundraiser again, but I believe we are doing it again this year!  Thank you Texas Roadhouse!!!!

Me at Texas Roadhouse

4) Next was our bake sale table in front of Smokey's restaurant.  We did it on a Friday night, so as to get as many people as we could, even though 2 of our team members couldn't make it.  We saw a lot of people and sold a decent amount of baked goods, but I don't think we really made enough to make it worthwhile, since it takes a lot of effort to bake all those different things and package them in pink cellophane topped in pink ribbons...  So I believe we've agreed to do 1 more bake sale for 2 of the team members that really wanted to do another one, then we are done with the bake sales.  It's fun and raises awareness, but in the end just doesn't raise enough money when you need to raise $11,500 for your team!

Pam and Lauren at the Four Seasons table

5) Four Seasons Yard Sale Day - Our last fundraiser of the month was at a gym/ fitness/ family complex, where they sell tables/spaces on their huge "front lawn" for people to use as a  yard sale or vendor space.  We were disappointed because we thought with the beautiful weather and all the other yard sales going on in the area that we would have a phenomenal turn out.  Sadly,  that was not the case.  But we chalk it up to experience, and now we know.  Yard sale days are not the best venues for us...

Well some more lessons learned and lot more money raised, we are looking to our big events in the next few months to finish off our fundraising...  hopefully...

Fundraising, training, and more: 24 weeks out...crafty chicks style!

Pam L, Lauren, and I walking in Gettysburg

So for the 2011 DC walk we are officially at the 24 week mark!  How very exciting!  And it's starting to get warm (FINALLY) so we can start training outside in the beautiful sun.  And this year we have 4 entirely different areas that we are walking in, and different routes in those different towns.  So we are hoping to keep the boredom that set in for me last year doing the same ol' walks away.  And it keeps it fair too, since we are all taking turns walking not too far from our homes.

So, you may ask, how exactly is wearing a wig going???  Well, not as bad as I'd feared, yet not easy either.  Since I am always cold at work, I don't have the problem with getting to hot from wearing it.  That's definitely a plus.  And since I have my own hair protecting my head, I don't have a big problem with getting itchy, that only starts to bother me around hour 10, and it's not too bad.  My biggest problem is that where I pin the wig and cap underneath to my real hair, it starts to hurt a little by that 10th hour, and I start thinking maybe I should be a rebel and just pull it off...  LOL!  And I have one problem I didn't think of too much beforehand:  People that I see but I don't really talk to much or at all are starting to wonder if I'm sick!  If they ask someone that works on my floor, they get straightened out and told the real story of my pink hair challenge.  But then how many people don't ask, and then think I have cancer...  So on weekends when I work I've started wearing a pink ribbon scrub cap, like the people that work in the OR wear.  And I make sure some of my hair that is not pink is out in the back, so people can see I still have hair.  But boy do I look ridiculous wearing that all day!  On the bright side of that though is on weekends I'm a lot more comfortable.

So much is going on in this month of April, I am having a hard time finding time to write!  We have 5 fundraisers this month!!!  And new to this year, we've made a whole lot of things to sell at our fundraisers, and it's taken off in a BIG way!  We are a group of crafty chicks this year, and I believe that we will more than meet our minimums to walk, which is totally exciting.  Just a month ago I feared how we were going to raise the $11,500 our team needs to walk; now I'm a little more confident.  So at our first of five fundraiser, we did at the mall in our town.  We set up a treadmill that a friend of mine lent us for the day (Big thanks Gina!) to walk 20 miles in the  mall, and set up a table to sell all of our wares next to it.  We also had a second table with ribbons on it for people to write names of loved ones that have or are battling cancer on for us to carry on our 3 day journey.  We enjoyed ourselves, got some exercise, sold some stuff and got some donations, and got some publicity.  So I would say it was a success.  But we have discussed this after the fact, and because of the high cost of the insurance we needed to purchase in order to do this fundraiser at the mall, we don't think we would do it again.  We would do a treadmill fundraiser somewhere that didn't require insurance though, it definitely attracted attention to us and to our cause.  And it made it more fun for us as well!

Pam L, Pam N, Lauren, and I at the mall fundraiser!

So what crafts have we crafty chicks come up with to sell this year you ask?  Well, Pam L's area of expertise is making breast cancer awareness bracelets.  They are gorgeous, sparkly, and bringing in some serious donation money!!  They have truly just taken off!  We liked her design from the get-go; we knew they would sell.  But what we didn't know is that only a few weeks and 1 fundraiser into our sales we would sell out and need to order more supplies already!  And that before the shipment has even arrived, we have so many people that have put in an order we have to order a 2nd shipment!!!  This is amazing!  And Lauren I'm learning has always made crafts, so this is nothing new to her.  She is our t-shirt maker this year!  We were able to get 30 pink t-shirts donated, and she adds the designs/sayings to them.  So far she has made team shirts that have "Me and The Girls" on them, "Save 2nd Base" shirts, and "Treasure Your Chest" shirts.  And we can sell them for relatively inexpensive prices, since it doesn't cost much at all for her to make them!  It's a wonderful fundraiser!  And what, you ask, is my craft?  I make pink ribbon clips and black headbands with little pink ribbons on them.  The pink ribbon clips are nice and inexpensive, and the headbands I've just started making so we don't know how well they will be received yet, though my team mates and I love them and have each purchased one already!  And we have finally made a bank account so that we can split all our fundraising money easier, since people can just make out checks to Me and The Girls now.  Really happy about all we have going for us right now!!!

Our beautiful pink table at our fundraiser at the mall!

So now for the month of April we still have a dine out night at Texas Road House, a bake sale in front of Smokey's Restaurant, and 2 other fundraisers where we get a table to sell our crafty chick stuff.  I am hoping to be done with my fundraising by the end of the month!!!  Woohoo!  Then all I have to worry about (and I'm not all that worried anymore) is getting the minimums for my team mates!  Yay go Team Me and The Girls!!!

The Great Pink Hair Challenge of 2011...the conclusion...

I know I know.  I've been slacking.  But at least know that I am doing so much I just haven't had a chance to write!  So I'm not slacking in everything, just not balancing it out as well these past few weeks...

So what happened in your pink hair challenge this year you ask?  Well here's how it went:  (read the Feb. blog about the Pink Hair Challenge if you haven't yet to know what I'm talking about!)

Me in my wig!!!

I was able to get a short blond wig from my mom, who kept one of the one's she used while she was going through chemo for "just in case."  Now, while a part of me wanted to scream "no more just in case!!!" at her, the other part of me was really happy, since getting a wig that I could wear to work over my "illegal" pink hair was obstacle #1 for me if I wanted to get permanent pink highlights.

Next, there was a woman that saw what I wanted to do and what I needed on my team page on facebook.  She  works at a salon in town and came to me, writing to me on facebook that she would be willing to do the pink highlights for me, and she would ask the salon owner if she would be willing to donate the hair dye!  I was blown away by her generosity, seeing that we didn't even know each other!  She wrote back to me in a few days time and told me her salon, The Aura Salon and Spa would definitely be willing to donate the whole package for my pink hair challenge.  What a wonderful thing; I am always amazed anew at the generous spirit that people have.  Just another wonderful thing you learn when you experience the 3 Day for the Cure!

And lastly, I had to convince my husband.  This wasn't too hard, since he told me last year when I did the wash out streaks in my hair with the Streekers dye that he actually kind of like my pink hair.  So he was ok with them being permanent highlights.

So it all came together 2 weeks before the challenge was to begin, and I put out my "Great Hair Challenge of 2011...plus an upgrade!" letter via email and facebook, "selling" each streak for a $35 or more donation, and it would run for 3 weeks.  Then at the end of 3 weeks I would tally up how many streaks I had, and if I made it over my $1000 milestone I would make them permanent highlights this year, instead of using the washout dye.  I actually immediately received a donation for my first pink streak!  That was a terrific start!!  And so when the start date of my challenge arrived, I had 3 streaks already "purchased" in my hair.  Yay!!!

Week one was a little bit of a disappointment, and I was a little worried because at the end of this week I still only had 3 pink streaks purchased.  But by week 2 things picked up... a lot!  I also made a special deal with an old friend who it sadly turns out is currently battling ovarian cancer.  She told me she would purchase a streak in my hair, but would I make one a teal (teal is the ovarian cancer ribbon color) streak for her?  So I immediately asked Casey from the salon if teal was an option.  She told me yes, so then I made the deal, that if I got over my $1000 milestone (I hadn't yet) I would make one teal for her!   And at the beginning of week 3, I had done it.  I had reached my $1000 milestone and it was official, I would make them permanent!!  Woohoo!

By the end of week 3, I had 13 pink and 1 teal streak "purchased" in my hair, and I had raised over $900 with my pink hair challenge.  I was elated!!  But also nervous, I really did have to make my hair pink and teal, permanently, and wear a wig to work for 3 12 hr shifts per week...

So I took a team mate for moral support and went to the Aura Salon and Spa to meet Casey and get my highlights.  I was blown away once again.  First she dyed all of my blond hair a medium brown and put in light blond highlights.  She said this would really make the pink stand out.  Then she put in the teal and pink highlights over the blond highlighted pieces.  This wonderful woman worked for 3 1/2 hrs on making my hair a masterpiece, all for free!!  And I can't thank her enough, it's absolutely gorgeous!!!!  I wish very much that I could have my hair like this permanently.  She did a phenomenal job.  Now I just have to take care of my hair as much as possible, to make them last as long as I can.  Casey even offered to help by touching it up once for me to help keep them just a few weeks longer!  And I wore my wig to work for the first time yesterday, and boy did I get a lot of comments and giggles and stares!!  It really got people talking!

Me and my beautiful new hair!!!

So that is the conclusion of my pink hair challenge.  Was it worth it?  Definite yes.  Will I do it again next year?  Absolutely.  Now I have 1 year to come up with a different twist for 2012...

Dedication, Motivation, Inspiration

Wow, how quickly things change...  And isn't it wonderful?

I am feeling less nervous and more optimistic about raising so much money this year.  My wonderful team mates have everything to do with that!  They have been just as crazy hardworking as I have been, if not even more!  I apologize for any doubts I had before.  How could we fail when we are so committed to doing everything it takes to raise the money we need to walk?

The answer is we can't, and we won't.

So I have been thinking myself too important, and I have been rightfully put in my place, and humbled.  My team mates do NOT need someone to hold their hand and do things for them.  They do not need me that way, and I feel bad that I ever thought otherwise.  I am relieved and grateful for this revelation!!!!

3 words to describe team Me and the Girls this year?  Dedication, Motivation, Inspiration.

Dedication:  I am now no longer the only person seemingly obsessed with finding ways to raise money!  LOL!  It is now a group obsession.  I have found kindred spirits here, and we are all up working till 1 am!  With this sort of dedication we will have every dime we need to walk.

Motivation:  If we weren't as motivated before, a taste of success at receiving items donated for our silent auction in June has truly lit a fire!  It may be that we receive a 100 no's for every yes, but that yes sparks us to try 500 more places!!!

Inspiration:  And with team mates like these, I don't need to look deep inside myself for motivation to keep asking asking asking.  I only need to turn my head and  look to my friends working just as hard beside me.  This is easy, this is priceless. Having team mates working this hard beside me is a wonderful gift.  I want to keep working this hard for us, if only to keep up with how hard they are working too!

And training?  They are already doing 5-6 mile walks on their own.  I have no worries here either!  We walked together for the 1st time this past weekend, and it was a wonderful 5 miles.

So thank you team mates.  And I apologize for doubting.  Failing is not an option that will cross my mind again!!!!  You're the best!!!

11500

What is this?
It's just a number, isn't it?

11,500


Maybe it will have more meaning if I write it like this for you:
$11,500.00
A lot of money, isn't it?

Welcome to Me and The Girls; this is our magic number for this year.  This is the amount of money we need to raise together in order for the 5 (yes, our team has now grown to 5 members!) of us to walk together 60 miles arm-in-arm in the 2011 Washington DC 3 Day for the Cure!  This is the number that I wake up in the morning thinking about, and go to bed at night thinking about.  I sound obsessed by it!  This number thrills me because of the enormous amount we will be donating towards finding a cure, new treatments, and education about breast cancer.  This same number also terrifies me, because I am starting to feel ultimately responsible for helping to raise this amount, or responsible if we (gulp) failed to raise this amount.

It's funny, I have a facebook friend who thinks the opposite of me.  She says that raising the money is the easy part, it's the training for the walk that's the hard part for her.  For me training is easy, it's just finding time and walking, and challenging myself and my team mates to keep on truckin'.  For me the harder part is definitely the fundraising.  I love having my now larger team this year, I love sharing this experience with people who have never done or felt anything like this before.  It makes it all new and exciting for me again (not that it even remotely lost it's excitement, but you know what I mean) too.  But I am scared at the same time, because I want us all to succeed so badly, and splitting the money we raise 5 ways instead of 2-3 ways like last year makes it more challenging.  I don't know how much to feel responsible for. I know that holding their hand and doing it all for my team mates will rob them of half of the wonderful learning experience that is the 3 Day. I think of all I learned about myself by doing this much work, much of it outside of my comfort zone (who am I kidding, nearly ALL of it outside of my comfort zone), and the strength and determination it brought out in me that I never knew I had.  Yet on the other hand I don't want anyone to resent me for not doing enough to help either.  I guess it's a fine line I will have to walk and figure out with my team mates as we go along...

Updates:
*My Great Pink Hair Challenge of 2011 has officially begun.  I am beginning with 3 streaks.  It remains to be seen if I will raise enough to make them permanent or not.  I will be checking out the fit of my wig this week, and I've set up an appt. to get my pink highlights at the salon, just in case...
*We've started selling Joe Corbi's pizzas, and this week we can set up the online ordering for people who live out of town.  This is a neat feature because it will ship it directly to them and next month we will get a check mailed to us for any money we made online!  Hopefully we sell enough to raise a decent amount.
*Started taking my 2 little guys (Devon is 3 and Gabe is 2) out in the double stroller and talking to businesses around town about donating things for our auction.  Even though it still makes me nervous, it no longer makes me sick to do it.  :)  Really happy that I've gotten better at that!!  Have gotten some hits, some misses, but either way I've gotten my butt started!
*Still working on getting insurance for the treadmill walking fundraiser my team mate Lauren and I are doing at the mall.  Who knew we'd have to be insured for a million dollars???  Not me that's for sure!  This is making me pull my hair out just a little...
*We are making our own t-shirts to sell at fundraisers this year!  I have a friend who is donating all the pink shirts, and my team mate Lauren is working on turning them into works of art...  I am really excited about this development!

So much to do! So little time to do it...

I guess we have all wished for more than 24 hrs in a day before when we were busy and had a lot to get done and not enough time to do it in.  That's what I'm feeling like.  I remember feeling this way last year as I started fundraising as well.  But kinda different in that I feel the busy and urgency to get stuff done, without the stress of wondering if I can do this or not.  Sigh.  I guess that's how I'm meant to feel every year as 3 Day fundraising season really begins...  But would I really want it any other way??

Well during one of my insane up till 1 am-on-the-computer-even-though-I-will-have-to-be-up- in-5-hrs "inspiration marathons" as I call them I decided I really wanted to sell T-shirts this year.  The problem is that you have to put out quite a lot of money of your own up front, and you have no idea if you will even get that money back, let alone sell enough shirts to raise any money.  So I went to Cafepress.com and set up a shop there.  I figured I didn't have to put any money out to start, so if no one but me and my family bought anything I wasn't out of my own money at least!  So I've started with some cool but basic designs for now and am looking online for a free image creator of some kind to get my ideas going...  I guess we'll see how it works out!  To visit our store, click on the link on the left top of my page!  And one of my wonderful team mates may have figured out a way that we can make them ourselves...  Work in progress here more to come as I learn more about her ingenius idea...

As we approach the start of my pink hair challenge, I have great news!  I have decided to go through with the twist on last year's challenge, I've decided that if I raise enough to reach my first $1000 milestone with this challenge, I WILL put permanent streaks in my hair!  I have a salon - Aura's Spa and Salon - that has generously donated permanent pink highlights, should I need them.  Thank you to Casey Moore for helping me to set this up, and for volunteering her time to do the highlights!  Which of course means that I will need to wear a wig to work, which I must say I am really nervous about after my mother has told me how much she detested the headaches her wigs gave her.  And as it turns out my Mom still had a short hair blond wig from when she went through chemo that she hadn't donated.  It saddens me that the reason she kept one was "you never know, just in case I needed it again," but then that just fuels my fire to find a cure, so that she doesn't need this wig EVER AGAIN!  So I'm really excited about the official start of the challenge on 3/3/11.  I actually have had 3 people already donate and buy 3 pink streaks, before it's even begun!  And they only need to donate $280 more to get me to my first $1000... 

On another note, I have begun the attempt to get auction donation items.  Sadly, Caesar's Atlantic City will not donate a package this year, and that's one of the big ones I hoped I could count on again this year.  So I've started writing to other Atlantic City casino's, hotel getaways in MD,  and whitewater rafting places in WV.  I have so many places to email and mail letters to, and only so much time in the day to work on it.  My husband will hopefully start helping me with this shortly, and I am praying my team mates will help as well.  This auction is where I raised the most $ last year, and unlike last year I will have to split the $ raised with this auction with my team mates.  Which means that I really have to be able to get a lot more donated items than I had last year.  I think this is the only thing so far in my fundraising that is making me feel actually stressed out.  Well back to work on that...

As far as training goes, I am happy to announce that I have logged over 60 miles training so far this year!  Yay!  I've vowed this year to keep better track of my miles than I did last year.  I was really disappointed that when the miles really started adding up I forgot to log them, so I don't really know how many I walked last year training for the 3 day.  This year I've started using Daily Mile, and it's really quick and easy to keep track of and it even displays on my blog or posts to facebook.  Hopefully this year I will have a grand total of miles logged for finding a cure!

Next on my list is my treadmill fundraiser in the mall in our town.  I have a date set for April, and a team mate to help me walk, sell bracelets (yes Linda Craik I will be needing your beautiful bracelets again, I already have a few requests for them!), and collect donations.  I hope this fundraiser will be a fun evening with my team mate and a wonderful success, and luckily not too much more prep work for this one!  :)  And the mall is also going to donate the money collected in the water fountain in July/August and donate it on our behalf to the 3 Day.  That was an added bonus that just goes to show you that sometimes all you have to do is ask!

And lastly is our Joe Corbi pizza fundraiser, which is slated to begin on 3/9.  I have a great feeling about this one, because I've never met anyone who didn't love these pizza kits.  Besides, I just may have to break my diet to eat one myself!  So cross your fingers for us that this one goes really well!

So that's where I am this year at the end of February.  Even though I am beginning to have the stress just start to creep up on me, I realize that at this time last year I barely had $50 raised, and not much of a clue how I was going to get the rest.  It is also quite a comfort to have the feeling, "I will do this somehow, don't worry" as opposed to "how in the world am I going to do this?"  I guess that's the wonderful thing about being a 3 Day Alumni!

My Great Pink Hair Challenge of 2011...

Well, I thought I had this all worked out, and I was going to work it exactly like last year's challenge.  But now there's an unexpected twist at the last minute...

Me and my beautiful pink streaks from last year

What to do?

Let me start by telling you the original plan; how I worked it last year.  Last year I decided to put pink highlights or streaks in my hair as a fundraiser.  I (luckily, it turns out) thought to ask my employer if it was alright to wear my hair pink at work for a few months, and was told it was against the dress code.  Bummer!  Then I had an idea...  If I found wash out pink dye, I could just do it any and every time I wasn't as work.  So I looked in stores, and only found pink spiking gel.  Then I looked online, and found a company called "Streekers," which had temporary hot pink dye made just for streaking hair; just what I was looking for!!!  I decided to write a letter to the company explaining what I wanted to do and why, and ask if they would be willing to donate the hair dye.  They answered yes!!!  Woohoo!  So now I had the dye...

Next I wrote a letter to email and post on facebook announcing my challenge:  For 3 weeks I would be running a "pink hair challenge," where for every donation in that period of $35 or more I would have add 1 pink streak in my hair, and I would wear the streaks for 3 months everywhere I went, everyday, except to work.  It started out slow, but in the end I had 7 pink streaks and had raised over $500!!!  It was a wonderful success!   So I proudly wore my pink streaks till the middle of summer.  I was a little sad when my 3 months were up, I kinda liked the look.

This year, after I'd already emailed out my challenge letters and was about to post it on facebook,  I decided to go to my employer, and once again ask if it would be ok to do permanent pink streaks for my challenge.  I asked one of my bosses who last year told me it was ok with her if I did this, if I could use her name when talking with the human resource dept about it.  She said yes.  I then went to the woman who was above her on the chain of command, and asked the same thing.  She told me that the answer would not change this year, it would still be a no.  But she gave me an idea... She told me that if I wore a wig OVER my pink streaked hair to work, no one could tell me I couldn't do THAT.  What an idea!  So now I've got the wheels turning in my head...

Would I be willing to look like this for $1000?

So after I've already gotten "Streekers" to once again generously donate their hair dye that I fell in love with last year, and after I 've sent out the emails regarding the challenge, I've got a new twist.  But I know that pink highlights put in at a salon cost between $15-$20 per streak, which I just can't afford out of my own pocket.  And I definitely could not afford a real wig, from what I've heard they are extremely expensive.  So I've put the word out to a couple of people about finding a way to get the highlights donated by a salon, and if that comes through I may ask my mom, who is a breast cancer survivor, if she still has her wig from when she went though chemo, or ask around and see if anyone else has one I could use for a few months.  But if I am going to do it with permanent streaks, and have to wear a wig for months at work everyday, I think I will make the stakes higher, like I will make them permanent streaks if the challenge gets me over the $1000 donation milestone.  And then I think what if people are willing to donate enough that I make $1000 just from the challenge this year, and get me to over $1,300, so that I only have another $1000 to raise... Would I be willing to dye ALL my hair pink for that?  Would my husband still speak to me if I did?

Questions to be answered....
Answers to follow...