Here is a movie that puts together the 3 Day experience for the Pink & Plaid Warriors. Enjoy!
Showing posts with label 3 Day walk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 Day walk. Show all posts
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Walker Stalkers
One thing that really blew me away during the 3 Day was the dedication and energy of the "walker stalkers." These were people who basically spent the entire weekend along the course, cheering us on. We would see them several times a day. They would set up "shop" in one place and do their schtick, then move a few miles down the route and do it all over again.
Their themes varied, from a guy with a camera (whom we saw at least 8 times on day 1), to outrageous men with watermelons in pink bras and wigs dancing to loud music they brought in 80's style boom boxes. Some were a little embarrassing, even. It was nuts! Dogs were spray painted pink, or dressed in pink tutus. It was a riot. Many would offer little treats by the side of the road: a sticker; kleenex; or piece of candy. It was touching to see how much support was out there. As the miles wore on, having that cheering and encouragement was very uplifting.
The stalkers were very energized and that energy would spill over onto the walkers. It would be very hard, I think, to keep that level of energy up all day. But they did it.
I couldn't help but wonder WHY these people would be doing this. I had plenty of time to contemplate and imagine stories for particular people. Perhaps a wife was lost to breast cancer? Or maybe a mother, daughter, sister. I guess their reasons for doing what they were doing were as varied and similar as the reasons each walker had.
Anyway, the walker stalkers definitely added flavor and joy to the event. I'm thankful that they took the time to support us. This video will give you a taste of what it was like:
Their themes varied, from a guy with a camera (whom we saw at least 8 times on day 1), to outrageous men with watermelons in pink bras and wigs dancing to loud music they brought in 80's style boom boxes. Some were a little embarrassing, even. It was nuts! Dogs were spray painted pink, or dressed in pink tutus. It was a riot. Many would offer little treats by the side of the road: a sticker; kleenex; or piece of candy. It was touching to see how much support was out there. As the miles wore on, having that cheering and encouragement was very uplifting.
The stalkers were very energized and that energy would spill over onto the walkers. It would be very hard, I think, to keep that level of energy up all day. But they did it.
I couldn't help but wonder WHY these people would be doing this. I had plenty of time to contemplate and imagine stories for particular people. Perhaps a wife was lost to breast cancer? Or maybe a mother, daughter, sister. I guess their reasons for doing what they were doing were as varied and similar as the reasons each walker had.
Anyway, the walker stalkers definitely added flavor and joy to the event. I'm thankful that they took the time to support us. This video will give you a taste of what it was like:
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Day Three
I slept pretty well again the second night in our pink tent. The only issue was waking up really early...like 4 a.m.! I laid there for a few minutes and decided I needed to go visit the porta-potties. By then, mom was awake too so we ventured out together. Breakfast wasn't being served until 5 a.m., so we crawled back into our sleeping bags. I had taken out my earplugs and they rolled into a dark corner somewhere. No big deal-I wasn't going to sleep anyway. The next several minutes made me so grateful that we had the earplugs at night! The sounds of snoring coming from 2 sides of us was pretty loud. Then we heard the soft sound of....a fart! Mom and I looked at each other and just started cracking up! Ah, the sounds of humanity!
Dad had been done for a few hours and had found a little establishment about a block off the course, the Knotty Barrel. We made our way in, and shared some wine in celebration. There were other walkers and crew in there as well. It was a party atmosphere, even though we were exhausted. It was a strange kind of exhaustion. I was too tired to really think, my body was tired, but not to the point of dropping. It was an emotional exhaustion as well. Those last couple miles were like an end to the cancer journey for me. Sure, I conquered the 60 miles, but I also conquered cancer and lived to do something this physically demanding. Take that, cancer!
As soon as we could venture over to the dining tent, we went. It was a little misty, but we were able to get our food without getting wet. Boy, I'm, glad we got up when we did! Shortly after getting inside the tent and starting on our breakfast, it started raining! But it didn't get spirits down. In fact, in some ways, it bonded everyone together even more! One guy stood up and led everyone in rounds of "Rain, rain go away, come again another day!" We were ready to walk in the rain if need be, but I wasn't looking forward to striking our tent in a downpour.
Fortunately, the rain stopped falling after about 20 minutes. Mom and I decided to go for it, so we went out and got our stuff together and rolled up our tent. We took our gear and tent over to the gear truck and were ready to get started. Carylee got there and off we went!
We did about one mile before the rain started coming down again. So we whipped out our ponchos and put them on over our clothes and camelbaks. It didn't rain very hard, just enough to make you want to cover up. We had all heard stories about 2010 when the rain was so hard that it fell sideways! This was nowhere near that bad. By the time we reached the first pit stop at a little over 3 miles, the rain had stopped. I folded up my poncho and put it back in my case. It was green, after all, and clashed with all my pink!
The first part of the day had us wind around Mission Bay. The crowds were out in even more numbers than the previous two days. It was overwhelming. At one place, there was a "gauntlet" of survivors that we walked through. It was amazing the love and support from total strangers. There were lots of goodies offered along the way: mimosas, jell-o and tequila shots, candy, tissues, stickers, and more.
As the course led us out of the Mission Bay area and into Old Town, I definitely saw signs of struggle among our ranks. There were a lot of limping people, but they pressed on. I felt pretty good, although I had developed a "hot spot" that I put a piece of moleskin over. There was a pit stop in Old Town, right at the bottom of the "big hill" of the day, Juan Street. I sat down on a curb, and my body just didn't want to get up! Others were laying down in the parking lot we were in, stretching and resting.
One poignant memory I have is when we were waiting to cross the street onto Juan Street. One of the volunteers who was there to help walkers cross safely saw a girl with a picture of someone on her shirt. It was obviously a memorial to someone for whom she was walking. The volunteer asked her who the picture was of. The girl replied that it was her grandmother, who had lost her battle to breast cancer. The volunteer was so sweet in the few seconds we had waiting for the light, asking her what her grandmas name was and commenting on how pretty she was. As we crossed the street, I saw that the girl wearing the shirt was in tears at the concern shown by a total stranger for grandmother.
Just seeing this made me feel so good about humanity. At least this little pink sliver of humanity that I was a part of. I realized that each and every person walking and putting their bodies through so much pain had a story. They had a loved one they had lost. Or maybe they had someone they knew who was a survivor, but had a tough time of it. (Who doesn't have a tough time with cancer treatment?) We were all here, doing this thing together, caring for each other, with a common goal in mind. For the first time, the words they had me say in the commercials made total sense. "We are united." Yes, we were. (Look for the 2012 3-Day commercials to start airing in January.)
As we started up Juan Street, I ran into one of my "Hollywood" survivor friends, Marcy. We walked up Juan Street side by side. Mom was in front of us about 10 feet, head down, one foot in front of the other. It was great. I was having a good time. In fact, I didn't want it to end! There was a rest stop at the top of the hill and I said as much. I think we were about 11 mile into the day at that point. I think the adrenaline was keeping me going.
It got harder after that as we wound our way down through Hillcrest. But the crowds were there to cheer us on. Sometimes along the way, we would see walkers who had stopped to have a drink together and they would shout and wave at us. We planned on stopping as well, but wanted to wait until we were just a few blocks from the finish line. Lunch was at Balboa Park, and we had 3.1 miles to go at that point. We didn't rest too long-we wanted to have enough time for our celebratory drink, get our victory shirts, and take our picture in front of the 60 mile sign. We had to be all done by 4 p.m. for closing ceremonies.
The last few miles were hard. Physically, to be sure. But also emotionally. Perhaps it was being so worn down physically that made me more sensitive emotionally. I felt like every person out there was cheering for ME personally. I wore my "Survivor" tattoo with pride. I was doing it! I was a part of something huge, something that is going to make a difference. At Balboa park, there were girl scouts handing out 1/2 boxes of Thin Mints, a group of Chinese dancers with drums and a Chinese dragon twisting by the sidewalk. It was incredible.
Dad had been done for a few hours and had found a little establishment about a block off the course, the Knotty Barrel. We made our way in, and shared some wine in celebration. There were other walkers and crew in there as well. It was a party atmosphere, even though we were exhausted. It was a strange kind of exhaustion. I was too tired to really think, my body was tired, but not to the point of dropping. It was an emotional exhaustion as well. Those last couple miles were like an end to the cancer journey for me. Sure, I conquered the 60 miles, but I also conquered cancer and lived to do something this physically demanding. Take that, cancer!
Dad walked with us the last few blocks into the finish line. I walked in front of mom and dad, and just let the tears flow down my cheeks as I walked by all of the people who lined the street clapping and cheering. When we got into the finish zone, there was a huge gauntlet of people who we walked through, high fiving us as we past. As I made my way down the line, I recognized them as fellow walkers. We did it!
Mom, Dad, and I were pretty overwhelemed with emotion. We did a group hug. I remember telling them that I couldn't have done it without them, and I wasn't just talking about the 3 Day. It was every single day since June 10, 2010. I saw memories like photographs in my mind. Among them:
- Fathers Day 2010 when we were waiting to find out how far advanced my cancer was, I remember telling my Dad I loved him. We both fought back tears and just acknowledged that we had to keep our eyes on the Lord, regardless of how hard this storm was hitting us.
- July 22, 2010-the day of my bilateral mastectomy. Mom and Dad were there all day, waiting. They stayed and took care of me post-op when I went through this intense hot flash. Dad fanned me with a paper and mom wiped my sweaty face with a damp cloth.
- The months after surgery, mom came over to my house every single day to take care of me and help with the kids. She was there when I saw my new body for the first time. She was there when I suffered from a side effect of the pain meds...really bad constipation. Talk about being there for the nitty gritty! What we went through that day was an ordeal, and only she and I know the full extent of it. :-)
- The first weekend of December, 2011 when I was suffering from the allergic reaction to Cipro, the worst hives of my life that ended up triggering my lymphedema. Dad stayed with the kids while mom and I went to urgent care. Mom cried with me publicly when they tried to send me away to the hospital emergency room to a 3 hour germ infested wait just a week out of my 6th round of chemotherapy. Our tears at least got the attention of the receptionist, who put us in touch with an advice nurse via telephone that was helpful. Mom stayed at our house that night in case my allergy took a turn for the worse.
- Mom met me every day of radiation and sat out in the car with Jean-Marc while I went in for treatment.
Just the fact that they both jumped into the 3 Day with me was awesome, sacrificing their time and physical comfort to take this journey with me. I am so blessed by them both.
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| 60 miles, in the bag! |
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| Nancy, Me, and Sharon |
We got our victory shirts. Walkers (Mom) got white. Crew (Dad) got grey. Survivors (me) got pink. We stood in line to get our victory picture. 60 miles, we did it!
After our picture, they started trying to get people organized for the closing ceremonies. Survivors were to gather on a grassy hill at Petco park, so I made my way over there. I was so happy to run into 2 of my other "Hollywood" friends, Nancy and Sharon. I hadn't seen Nancy all weekend! We compared notes about the walk and our teams. As we started walking, Nancy linked her arm in mine, and I linked my other arm into Sharon's. We made our way through the cheering street towards the closing ceremonies together. Along the way, I saw Eric and the kids. That was neat. Jean-Marc ran out to join me, but I had to tell him I'd see him soon. By now, the rain had started again. But it didn't matter. Let the rain come, so what.
As we walked in, I saw the shoe salute. All of the walkers had taken off a shoe and saluted us as we walked in. That made me start crying again. So much love and support, it was amazing.
Honestly, I don't remember much about the closing ceremonies. We were right by a circular stage, and when it was over, they started playing some song. (Was it "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang?) Nancy grabbed me and we rushed up onto the circular stage to dance in the face of breast cancer, with the rain sprinkling down on us. It was great. We were all hugging up there, dancing, celebrating being alive, all bonded together by a common experience. It didn't matter that we hadn't met each other yet-if you were in pink, you were a sister and this was one big family reunion!
All too soon, it was over. I somehow managed to find the parking structure where Eric had parked. We all piled into my Honda Odyssey and went to meet my brother, sister in law and nephew for dinner. It was surreal for it to all be over. Dinner was fantastic, I ate every single morsel of taco and rice on my plate. I was ravenous!
As we drove home up Interstate 5, we passed by Mission Bay, La Jolla, and then back to Del Mar, where Dad's car had been parked all weekend. My goodness that was a long way! And we walked it!
The 3 Day was an amazing, triumphant experience. When I started training, I felt like I would just do it this year. You know, to cross it off my "to do in life" list. But the event itself made every mile of the 500 training miles I did worth it.
So much so that I signed up to do it in 2012!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Day Two
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| Our home away from home |
Having been at the back of the pack the day before, we wanted to get an early start and be in the front. Our third teammate didn't camp with us, so had to arrange to meet. The route opened between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Carylee got there before 7, but needed to stop at the medical tent to get her ankle wrapped. By the time we got onto the route, it was 7:15 a.m. Right smack dab in the middle. That was fine with me. At least we weren't in the back.
We had heard rumors that Day Two was the hardest. The theory is that on Day One, you are pumped with adrenaline. On Day Three, you are almost done. But on Day Two, you just have to walk. And walk. And walk. The mileage on this day was actually a little less than the day before.
The route that morning led us though parts of Mission Bay, Ocean Beach, and Point Loma. It was a really fun route. It took us through areas that I was unfamiliar with. I particularly enjoyed Point Loma and some of the custom homes that overlook the Pacific Ocean.
Like the previous day, we were met with hundreds of supporters along the route. Many were in costume, but others were not. Even some trainers from Sea World were out in their wetsuits to take pictures with walkers and show their support!
On the route, there are rest stops every 3-4 miles. They all have porta potties and water/sports drink. Actual "pit stops" have these amenities as well as a medical tent and snacks. In between these stops, we increasingly ran into tables set up by everyday people who would offer us all kinds of things, from stickers, kleenex, candy, to mimosas (or "mamosas" as they were called). As the day wore on and we walked through Mission Beach, we ran into tequila shots and Jell-O shooters!
At the end of the afternoon, we stopped at the last pit stop. We were tired, but we also had gotten separated from Carylee, who had stopped to check something out along the Boardwalk in Mission Beach. (There was a LOT going on there!) After we started on the last mile and a half, I saw a familiar face among the crowd of people cheering us on. A friend of mine, Donna, was there with her daughter's brownie troop. I got a burst of energy and ran to give her a big hug. It was so neat to see a familiar face! It really meant a lot that they came down to cheer us on. As Donna and I were talking, I saw another familiar face sitting about 10 feet away. I had to do a double take....it was my dad! He had walked out to meet us and walk us in. I didn't recognize him at first because he had a hat on! It was nice to finish the day up with the fourth member of our team! At dinner, I was happy to run into a survivor friend, Marcy, whom I had met doing the 2012 3-Day commercial shoot. I still had to find Nancy. Other than her, I had seen or talked to everyone that I met that exciting day.
We took a seat next to the charging stations. I was hoping to be able to plug in my iPhone as well as my Garmin GPS watch. Unlike the night before, every single outlet was taken. But unlike the other walkers, I had an in with the crew! Dad took my devices and charged them off the battery of the gear truck he was in.
We watched a little bit of the Saturday night show. I learned that the national spokeswoman for the 3 Day, Dr. Sheri Phillips, not only is a breast cancer survivor, but she lives with lymphedema like I do. They introduced a man who was walking ALL 14 of the 3-Day events this season. San Diego was his last. I honestly don't know how you can get your body to withstand this 14 times. But he did it. Not only did he walk all 14, but raised the minimum amount of $2,300 14 times. Wow. They also introduced us to a group of teenagers who had been around helping, the Youth Corps. They were volunteers, but had to raise $500 to be able to work! I was blown away. Each kid introduced themselves and told us why they were working. When one girl introduced herself, she said that her mother had been diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer. I swear, I heard everyone draw a sharp breath inward all at the same time. Her mom was there, walking with us.
We didn't have it in us to stay up for the dance party. We went to the shower trucks, took care of business, and went to bed. 40 miles down, 20 to go.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Gratitude
Like so many other holidays, dates, and anniversaries this year, I cannot help but compare it to a year ago. Not just reflecting on the differences in my life on those days, but all of the things that have happened since.
Last year, I still had one round of chemo to go. I was bald, but I was feeling pretty good. I was far enough into the 5th cycle that I was feeling somewhat like myself, although my taste buds were definitely off. All things considered, it was a good Thanksgiving.
After Thanksgiving, I had my 6th round of chemo, developed a severe allergic reaction to the prophylactic Cipro, which in turn triggered my lifelong struggle with lymphedmea. I also had yet to begin my radiation treatment. Considering how long chemo took, radiation seems like a blip on the screen.
Those are the bad things. But a lot of good things have happened in the past year as well on the physical side that I am so thankful to God for. My hair is growing back. It's past the stage where it is obvious that it is growing in from bald. People who don't know me would never know that I was bald a year ago. In the past year, I've completed three 5k races as well as a 10k. I may not be the fastest runner out there, but my times aren't bad. Especially when I consider where I was a year ago. I also just completed my first 3 Day, 60 mile walk. That left my body tired, but satisfied that I was able to complete such a huge goal-I made it every single step!
I'm also thankful for the support of my family. They went through so much with me. They are co-survivors, and don't get the credit that they deserve for what they went through. I can't imagine how hard it had to have been to witness the whole mess I was. Mom and Dad not only supported me through the treatment, but they jumped into (or should I say, stepped into), the 3 Day experience with me. Mom spent countless hours training so she could do it. She battled seeping capillaries in her legs during training and during our walk. Dad slept in a truck last weekend and schlepped heavy bags of the walkers. He met mom and I every day and walked with us the last mile into camp. The three of us ended the 60 miles together, with tears in our eyes. Not just for the accomplishment of the 60 miles, but also of overcoming the struggles of the past year and a half. Eric did a fabulous job of being a single parent for three days while I was walking. He hasn't even balked at the hints I find myself dropping about doing it all again next year!
I'm thankful to have met so many amazing and wonderful people in the past year. Fellow survivors have become new friends. It is such a deep bond that we share. Common experiences, common fears, and the common desire just to live and be healthy. I am thankful for all of my new survivor friends and look forward to a long friendship!
Of course, there are so many other things I am thankful for this year. I thank God for all of the blessings He has showered me with. I pray that He gives me the opportunity to use the experience of breast cancer to glorify Him and help other people in the process. I know He works all things together for good, cancer included.
Thank you for being a part of my life. I am grateful for your support and prayers as well.
Let's move forward and have a joyful holiday season. Don't let the little things get you down. Focus on the big picture and be happy.
Last year, I still had one round of chemo to go. I was bald, but I was feeling pretty good. I was far enough into the 5th cycle that I was feeling somewhat like myself, although my taste buds were definitely off. All things considered, it was a good Thanksgiving.
After Thanksgiving, I had my 6th round of chemo, developed a severe allergic reaction to the prophylactic Cipro, which in turn triggered my lifelong struggle with lymphedmea. I also had yet to begin my radiation treatment. Considering how long chemo took, radiation seems like a blip on the screen.
Those are the bad things. But a lot of good things have happened in the past year as well on the physical side that I am so thankful to God for. My hair is growing back. It's past the stage where it is obvious that it is growing in from bald. People who don't know me would never know that I was bald a year ago. In the past year, I've completed three 5k races as well as a 10k. I may not be the fastest runner out there, but my times aren't bad. Especially when I consider where I was a year ago. I also just completed my first 3 Day, 60 mile walk. That left my body tired, but satisfied that I was able to complete such a huge goal-I made it every single step!
I'm also thankful for the support of my family. They went through so much with me. They are co-survivors, and don't get the credit that they deserve for what they went through. I can't imagine how hard it had to have been to witness the whole mess I was. Mom and Dad not only supported me through the treatment, but they jumped into (or should I say, stepped into), the 3 Day experience with me. Mom spent countless hours training so she could do it. She battled seeping capillaries in her legs during training and during our walk. Dad slept in a truck last weekend and schlepped heavy bags of the walkers. He met mom and I every day and walked with us the last mile into camp. The three of us ended the 60 miles together, with tears in our eyes. Not just for the accomplishment of the 60 miles, but also of overcoming the struggles of the past year and a half. Eric did a fabulous job of being a single parent for three days while I was walking. He hasn't even balked at the hints I find myself dropping about doing it all again next year!
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| Nancy, Sharon and me on Survivor's Hill |
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| Marcy and me |
I'm thankful to have met so many amazing and wonderful people in the past year. Fellow survivors have become new friends. It is such a deep bond that we share. Common experiences, common fears, and the common desire just to live and be healthy. I am thankful for all of my new survivor friends and look forward to a long friendship!
Of course, there are so many other things I am thankful for this year. I thank God for all of the blessings He has showered me with. I pray that He gives me the opportunity to use the experience of breast cancer to glorify Him and help other people in the process. I know He works all things together for good, cancer included.
Thank you for being a part of my life. I am grateful for your support and prayers as well.
Let's move forward and have a joyful holiday season. Don't let the little things get you down. Focus on the big picture and be happy.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
On your mark....
We have had such amazing support from our friends and community.Yesterday, as I dropped Jean-Marc off at preschool, I was met with this sign that they kids and teachers made. I couldn't help but cry a bit at that. How sweet! When I went into the room, the teachers included me in their morning prayers and we prayed together. It was really nice. I hung the poster up in my garage as a reminder of how amazing people can be.
After that, mom and I went on our last training walk of the season. A little 5 miler just to keep the blood flowing.
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| Toasting the end of training! |
I am really excited for the experience, though. The camaraderie that I've been a part of so far with this community has been amazing. Last night, I woke up at 3 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep, I was so excited! It was like being a kid on Christmas Eve!
One question mark is the weather. Well, at least for some. I am convinced that it is NOT going to rain. Weather reports at the beginning of the week predicted rain all weekend. Then it started to change to say just Sunday. According to weather.com, there is a 20% chance on Sunday. That means an 80% chance of NO RAIN! If it does, we'll be ready. Mom and I did 10 miles in some pretty heavy rain a few weeks ago. We've got ponchos, extra socks, and plastic bags for our feet if it does. But we won't need them!
Besides mom and me, a friend of mine, Carylee Stone, is walking on our Pink & Plaid Warrior team. Besides being a great realtor, she's a graphic artist. She designed the coolest team shirts! I can't wait to wear mine and take some pictures to post on the blog. They are so pretty! P&P is going to rock!
Carylee is going to be picking us up at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning. We have to be at the Del Mar Fairgrounds between 5 a.m. - 6 a.m. for opening ceremonies. I think we actually start walking around 7 a.m.
I'm nearly packed-I have a few more things to stow away. Everything needs to be wrapped in plastic in case the bag gets wet, and it can't weigh over 35 pounds! That's the challenge.
Please pray for us! Pray that our bodies hold up, that God would strengthen us for this journey. That we would be lifted up on wings like eagles, that we would walk and not grow weary! Pray that my lymphedema stays under control. That GOD be glorified in our doing this. Pray for Eric and the kids as they are alone without me this weekend.
If you are interested, you can follow along on our journey online on the Living Route.
Thank you for your prayers, your moral support, and your financial support. By the way, if you would like to support the Pink & Plaid Warriors with a tax-deductible donation, you can by clicking here.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Blowing up
I continue to struggle with my lymphedema. I'm fairly certain that the swelling is a result of my training for the 3 Day. Last week, I logged over 47 miles. Last weekend, I did my first "back to back" which consisted of 15 miles on Friday (in the rain) and then 18 on Saturday.
Everyone swells when they walk. Next time you walk for an hour or so, check out your hands-your fingers will probably be a little puffy. So part of it is normal. For me, the swelling isn't going down.
I'm not freaking out about it. I know how to handle it and what to do. Although I am swelling, I am doing all I can do to keep it under control. I'm actually enjoying the accomplishment of walking double digit distances, even if swelling is a byproduct of it.
I ordered a custom sleeve-a Circaid Juxta-Fit. It came in last Friday and I had been using it ever since. It is so easy! You just slide the sleeve on, and then wrap the criss crossing velcro straps around the arm. It takes about 2 minutes. But my physical therapist warned me that it wasn't as effective as bandaging. It's a tough thing, because bandaging takes a long time. Not only putting it on, but rolling it back up to be ready for the next time. If you are pressed for time, or tired at night, the Juxta-Fit is better than nothing. I decided to order the sleeve because I didn't want to be messing around with rolling bandages during the 3 Day.
Maybe I'm not putting the Juxta-Fit on quite right. I probably need to schedule an appointment with my physical therapist to have her train me further on it. I could probably benefit from her expert manual drainage massage as well.
Today I did 5 miles. After I showered, my hand and arm really seemed to be swollen. I took the time to do some manual drainage and then put on the bandages. I put some foam on the back of the hand and on the inside of my forearm and bandaged over it. I've been wearing the bandages all day. Tonight, I'll do another manual drainage session and put the bandages on for the night. I plan on wearing them as close to 24 hours a day as I can for a few days and see what happens.
It is a real pain to be bandaged from my fingertips up my arm. Especially when you like to cook for your family and have everyday chores around the house to do.
Despite all of this, I really am excited about the walk. I didn't enjoy training at first. It still isn't as efficient as running, and I look forward to getting back to running later this month. But once I got over double digits, it really feels good. It is amazing to think...I walked 18 miles today! Seriously? 18 miles! For you locals, we walked from Carlsbad Village to downtown Encinitas down the coast. It is incredible what the human body can do with some practice.
I'd appreciate your prayers about my arm. I'm doing all I can do for it, and it is frustrating to feel like its not helping. I have to keep thinking....if I wasn't doing all of this, what state would my arm and hand be in??
Everyone swells when they walk. Next time you walk for an hour or so, check out your hands-your fingers will probably be a little puffy. So part of it is normal. For me, the swelling isn't going down.
I'm not freaking out about it. I know how to handle it and what to do. Although I am swelling, I am doing all I can do to keep it under control. I'm actually enjoying the accomplishment of walking double digit distances, even if swelling is a byproduct of it.
I ordered a custom sleeve-a Circaid Juxta-Fit. It came in last Friday and I had been using it ever since. It is so easy! You just slide the sleeve on, and then wrap the criss crossing velcro straps around the arm. It takes about 2 minutes. But my physical therapist warned me that it wasn't as effective as bandaging. It's a tough thing, because bandaging takes a long time. Not only putting it on, but rolling it back up to be ready for the next time. If you are pressed for time, or tired at night, the Juxta-Fit is better than nothing. I decided to order the sleeve because I didn't want to be messing around with rolling bandages during the 3 Day.
Maybe I'm not putting the Juxta-Fit on quite right. I probably need to schedule an appointment with my physical therapist to have her train me further on it. I could probably benefit from her expert manual drainage massage as well.
Today I did 5 miles. After I showered, my hand and arm really seemed to be swollen. I took the time to do some manual drainage and then put on the bandages. I put some foam on the back of the hand and on the inside of my forearm and bandaged over it. I've been wearing the bandages all day. Tonight, I'll do another manual drainage session and put the bandages on for the night. I plan on wearing them as close to 24 hours a day as I can for a few days and see what happens.
It is a real pain to be bandaged from my fingertips up my arm. Especially when you like to cook for your family and have everyday chores around the house to do.
Despite all of this, I really am excited about the walk. I didn't enjoy training at first. It still isn't as efficient as running, and I look forward to getting back to running later this month. But once I got over double digits, it really feels good. It is amazing to think...I walked 18 miles today! Seriously? 18 miles! For you locals, we walked from Carlsbad Village to downtown Encinitas down the coast. It is incredible what the human body can do with some practice.
I'd appreciate your prayers about my arm. I'm doing all I can do for it, and it is frustrating to feel like its not helping. I have to keep thinking....if I wasn't doing all of this, what state would my arm and hand be in??
Sunday, September 25, 2011
No way...its not gonna happen!
I continue to walk. And walk. And walk. This week, I did nearly 33 miles. This next week, I'm supposed to do 35.
But I'm flirting with an injury. Rather, its an old injury that I can tell is trying to flare up. I got it diagnosed over 15 years ago. It's a tiny fracture of the sesamoid bone in my left foot.
According to foothealthfacts.com:
What is a Sesamoid?
A sesamoid is a bone embedded in a tendon. Sesamoids are found in several joints in the body. In the normal foot, the sesamoids are two pea-shaped bones located in the ball of the foot, beneath the big toe joint.
Acting as a pulley for tendons, the sesamoids help the big toe move normally and provide leverage when the big toe “pushes off” during walking and running. The sesamoids also serve as a weight-bearing surface for the first metatarsal bone (the long bone connected to the big toe), absorbing the weight placed on the ball of the foot when walking, running, and jumping.
Sesamoid injuries can involve the bones, tendons, and/or surrounding tissue in the joint. They are often associated with activities requiring increased pressure on the ball of the foot, such as running, basketball, football, golf, tennis, and ballet. In addition, people with high arches are at risk for developing sesamoid problems. Frequent wearing of high-heeled shoes can also be a contributing factor.
Types of Sesamoid Injuries in the Foot
My situation is more of a chronic one. It isn't too bad right now. It has come and gone for the last 15 years. But I can tell it is just wanting to flare up. To avoid this, I've modified a few things.
First, I'm done doing high impact cardio intervals. Sniff. No more plyometrics or jumping jacks, jumping rope, etc., while cross training. I'll stick to low impact elliptical, stair climber and stationary bike.
I kind of took today off. I was supposed to do 4 miles today. But I walked the dog a little over a mile yesterday and then this morning. Combined with some "extra" mileage I did during the week, I'm only about .55 miles off of my week goal of 33 miles. I'm also going to save my longer walking days this upcoming week (11 and 15 miles) for later in the week. Hopefully by then, I'll be okay.
I'd appreciate your prayers, though. We have about 8 weeks to go of training before the 3 Day. I really, really want to be able to walk all 60 miles. Of course, the organizers say there is no shame in taking a sweep van that weekend. If I'm really hurt, I will. But I really, really would like to walk all 60 miles.
But I'm flirting with an injury. Rather, its an old injury that I can tell is trying to flare up. I got it diagnosed over 15 years ago. It's a tiny fracture of the sesamoid bone in my left foot.
According to foothealthfacts.com:
What is a Sesamoid?
A sesamoid is a bone embedded in a tendon. Sesamoids are found in several joints in the body. In the normal foot, the sesamoids are two pea-shaped bones located in the ball of the foot, beneath the big toe joint.Acting as a pulley for tendons, the sesamoids help the big toe move normally and provide leverage when the big toe “pushes off” during walking and running. The sesamoids also serve as a weight-bearing surface for the first metatarsal bone (the long bone connected to the big toe), absorbing the weight placed on the ball of the foot when walking, running, and jumping.
Sesamoid injuries can involve the bones, tendons, and/or surrounding tissue in the joint. They are often associated with activities requiring increased pressure on the ball of the foot, such as running, basketball, football, golf, tennis, and ballet. In addition, people with high arches are at risk for developing sesamoid problems. Frequent wearing of high-heeled shoes can also be a contributing factor.
Types of Sesamoid Injuries in the Foot
- Fracture. A fracture (break) in a sesamoid bone can be either acute or chronic.
An acute fracture is caused by trauma – a direct blow or impact to the bone. An acute sesamoid fracture produces immediate pain and swelling at the site of the break, but usually does not affect the entire big toe joint.
- A chronic fracture is a stress fracture (a hairline break usually caused by repetitive stress or overuse). A chronic sesamoid fracture produces longstanding pain in the ball of the foot beneath the big toe joint. The pain, which tends to come and go, generally is aggravated with activity and relieved with rest.
My situation is more of a chronic one. It isn't too bad right now. It has come and gone for the last 15 years. But I can tell it is just wanting to flare up. To avoid this, I've modified a few things.
First, I'm done doing high impact cardio intervals. Sniff. No more plyometrics or jumping jacks, jumping rope, etc., while cross training. I'll stick to low impact elliptical, stair climber and stationary bike.
I kind of took today off. I was supposed to do 4 miles today. But I walked the dog a little over a mile yesterday and then this morning. Combined with some "extra" mileage I did during the week, I'm only about .55 miles off of my week goal of 33 miles. I'm also going to save my longer walking days this upcoming week (11 and 15 miles) for later in the week. Hopefully by then, I'll be okay.
I'd appreciate your prayers, though. We have about 8 weeks to go of training before the 3 Day. I really, really want to be able to walk all 60 miles. Of course, the organizers say there is no shame in taking a sweep van that weekend. If I'm really hurt, I will. But I really, really would like to walk all 60 miles.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Michelin girl
It's the arm. I'm not sure what exactly is causing it. Perhaps its a combination of several factors: the travel; the heat; probably gaining a couple pounds from the different diet during vacation.Whatever it is, my left arm is noticeably puffier. Last night, I was flossing my teeth and zoning at my image in the mirror. Not really thinking, just wanting to get into bed as soon as possible. I'm still jet-lagged and had been up since 2 a.m. the night before.
Since both arms were bent with elbows facing the mirror, I was able to compare the two. The left was much rounder than the right on the inner part of the elbow. I could feel the puffieness when I bent my arm throughout the day. Kind of like having a swollen joint from a bee sting (without the pain.)
Sigh. I've been massaging daily and wrapping each night. I even did it when we arrived home after nearly 24 hours in transit.
I need to be a little more aggressive. Last night I did a really thorough manual drainage and concentrated extra time on the problematic part of the arm. I decided to attack it with a chip bag on the forearm and foam on the upper arm. That isn't an easy maneuver-I need Eric to hold the bag and foam in place while I secure it with the bandaging. I finished wrapping around 9 p.m. and wore it until after my workout this morning at 10:30 a.m. It was a little difficult to work out with the wrapped arm, but I remember my physical therapist telling me that the best thing I could do is work out in the bandaging. After my shower, I did manual drainage again and put on my Juzo compression sleeve. Perhaps I should have re-wrapped. But it is very hot right now and the thought of doing my child-fetching errands this afternoon with 5 layers of bandaging on is not very appealing. Plus, some of the bandaging was wet with sweat. (It was a good workout!)
I have not yet measured the arm. I'll do that later when Eric gets home. It will be interesting to compare it to the measurements I took when the swelling started in France.
My prayer request is that this episode of swelling goes away. I need to have it under control before the 3-Day Walk in November. I would rather not be messing around with bandaging at that time. Its going to be exhausting enough just walking 60 miles in 3 days. I don't mind wearing a compression sleeve, but the bandaging is unwieldy and cumbersome. I'll do it if I have to-I'm not going to let lymphedema interfere with my plans!
Thank you for your support!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Not quite a walk in the park
I've started training for the 3-Day walk. I have until November 18th to get my body ready to walk 60 miles in 3 days. That is roughly 19 weeks from now.
I'll admit that I was putting off the training. Considering all the running and other exercise that I've been doing, I was thinking that I could delay it. Now that the 10k is behind me, I printed out the 24 week suggested training program on the 3-Day website. It starts pretty easy-just walking 3 miles at a time. They schedule 4 walks a week, with two of them being back to back. That is, walking 2 days in a row with longer mileage. It gets your body ready for walking 3 long days in a row. Now we are in week 19, so the walks are a little longer-3, 5 and 6 miles. The program works you up to doing back to back walks of 18 and 15 miles by the end.
Anyway, I was taking it in stride. I was thinking, heck, I can run a 10k. I can do Jillian's advanced circuit training. I've been walking all my life. I don't want to scale back the activity and slow down to just....walk.
But last week reality hit. Mom and I did a 6.6 mile walk last Friday. No biggie, we thought. We had done a 10k on Monday. This would be the same. If I could do it running, walking it would be a snap. We took a route that I had run a few times in training for the 10k. Easy breezy, right?
NOT!
It definitely was a wake up for us both. Mom has been walking faithfully for several years, but only 3-4 miles at a time. For me, it was a lot harder than I had anticipated. It took us 2 hours and we were ready to finish by the time we got done. So this is definitely going to require sticking to the training program as much as possible. It also is going to require some creative child care on my part. Right now, I can leave the kids at home. The older 2 can watch Jean-Marc. Eric is at home in case they have any trouble. They actually are making quite a bit of money doing that for me this summer! But if 6.6 miles took us 2 hours, when we get to 10, 11, 12 miles at a time it is going to take all morning. Yikes.
I am a little disappointed that in the 2 hours we walked, my Garmin said I only burned 291 calories. Not a lot of bang for the buck. I like to try and burn 500 calories a day through exercise. I guess I should enjoy these "easy" days because I'll be burning plenty when I'm walking half the day!
I did a little 3.45 mile easy walk today in my neighborhood. It didn't really feel like a workout, though. (Confession: I came home and did Jillian's "No More Trouble Zones" DVD) As I walked, I realized something. Walking 20 miles 3 days in a row is nearly doing 3 marathons back to back. Not quite, but almost. Not quite a walk in the park!
If you would like to support the Pink and Plaid Warriors with a donation, you can click here to see my page at the 3 Day site. I realize some people have issues with Komen. I definitely am going to stay out of the debates for now. I signed up for the walk as a way to challenge myself physically. It was a goal I set while going through treatment last year, and I'm going to see it through. I'll give folks with Komen issues a chance to support the American Cancer Society later on this year when I participate in the "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk in October. Stay tuned!
I'll admit that I was putting off the training. Considering all the running and other exercise that I've been doing, I was thinking that I could delay it. Now that the 10k is behind me, I printed out the 24 week suggested training program on the 3-Day website. It starts pretty easy-just walking 3 miles at a time. They schedule 4 walks a week, with two of them being back to back. That is, walking 2 days in a row with longer mileage. It gets your body ready for walking 3 long days in a row. Now we are in week 19, so the walks are a little longer-3, 5 and 6 miles. The program works you up to doing back to back walks of 18 and 15 miles by the end.
Anyway, I was taking it in stride. I was thinking, heck, I can run a 10k. I can do Jillian's advanced circuit training. I've been walking all my life. I don't want to scale back the activity and slow down to just....walk.
But last week reality hit. Mom and I did a 6.6 mile walk last Friday. No biggie, we thought. We had done a 10k on Monday. This would be the same. If I could do it running, walking it would be a snap. We took a route that I had run a few times in training for the 10k. Easy breezy, right?
NOT!
It definitely was a wake up for us both. Mom has been walking faithfully for several years, but only 3-4 miles at a time. For me, it was a lot harder than I had anticipated. It took us 2 hours and we were ready to finish by the time we got done. So this is definitely going to require sticking to the training program as much as possible. It also is going to require some creative child care on my part. Right now, I can leave the kids at home. The older 2 can watch Jean-Marc. Eric is at home in case they have any trouble. They actually are making quite a bit of money doing that for me this summer! But if 6.6 miles took us 2 hours, when we get to 10, 11, 12 miles at a time it is going to take all morning. Yikes.
I am a little disappointed that in the 2 hours we walked, my Garmin said I only burned 291 calories. Not a lot of bang for the buck. I like to try and burn 500 calories a day through exercise. I guess I should enjoy these "easy" days because I'll be burning plenty when I'm walking half the day!
I did a little 3.45 mile easy walk today in my neighborhood. It didn't really feel like a workout, though. (Confession: I came home and did Jillian's "No More Trouble Zones" DVD) As I walked, I realized something. Walking 20 miles 3 days in a row is nearly doing 3 marathons back to back. Not quite, but almost. Not quite a walk in the park!
If you would like to support the Pink and Plaid Warriors with a donation, you can click here to see my page at the 3 Day site. I realize some people have issues with Komen. I definitely am going to stay out of the debates for now. I signed up for the walk as a way to challenge myself physically. It was a goal I set while going through treatment last year, and I'm going to see it through. I'll give folks with Komen issues a chance to support the American Cancer Society later on this year when I participate in the "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk in October. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The tickle
Wouldn't you know it? I make it through six rounds of chemo, over 6 weeks of radiation without any secondary health issues. Sure, I had the typical side effects. But I didn't catch any colds are flus the whole time. Now I'm going on a week of an annoying cough and cold. It isn't quite in my lungs, but manifests itself as an irritating tickle in the back of my throat. Some in my family have dubbed it the "Osgood tickle." It doesn't keep me from functioning, but it does make me feel like my head is a little bit in a fog. The worst part is that it keeps me up at night. I cough and cough, but nothing gets rid of it at times. My burns are healing to the point where there is not a lot of pain anymore. It's just the skin that keeps falling off as it dies. I may even try wearing my foobies for the first time in weeks. We'll see.
Life has been pretty busy. Eric has been travelling on business for the past couple of weeks. It really helps having another adult around to share the kid duties with. Being the only one to make sure the dog gets walked, kids get to school and their activities, fed, etc., is hard. Adding less sleep and less than optimal health on top of it, and it has been a challenging week. On the plus side, my sister and her kids are visiting from New Mexico. It has been fun to meet my new niece, Kate, as well as hang out with my nephews. It's great to see all of the cousins play together!
I'm trying to keep up with my workouts, despite it all. On Monday, I went to the gym with my mom and sister. It was fun to work out with her. We pushed each other a bit on the treadmill, which was great. I took the day off yesterday, since I was busy all morning at bible study. Today, I was back at it with a Jillian DVD, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism. I don't know if I'll make it to the gym tomorrow. Jean-Marc has come down with a cold as well, and I can't really put him into the babysitting room with a runny nose. I'll figure something out to do at home, I suppose.
On the nutrition side, I've been trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. I'm not going vegetarian, but I am trying to think of meat as a small side dish, rather than the main course. I also am trying to have more of my veggies raw. I want to get into making my own smoothies and juices. I've been spending $12 a week at the farmer's market for these great green smoothies. Even the kids will drink them. But I'd love to make my own. I'm investigating buying either a supercharged blender or a juicer. I joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) last month. Every Wednesday, I pick up a box of fresh, organic, locally grown produce. It usually has a lot of greens: 2 kinds of lettuce; kale; collard greens; and other greens I've never tried. On Monday, I had a mystery green left over that I knew I'd never finish eating it as a salad green by today. I tried making my own green smoothie by putting it in a blender, along with some parsley, apple and lime juice. It wasn't too bad! But my poor, cheap Hamilton Beach blender really had a hard time doing it. I definitely need to upgrade!
Mom and I have been getting excited about the 3-Day. It is daunting on so many levels. The physical challenge of it all is one. We definitely are going to have to go on some training walks where we get used to walking so long. They suggest a 20 minute mile. I tried it on a treadmill, and it seems very slow. But I need to keep in mind I'll be doing that for about 6 hours for 3 days in a row! It's a marathon, not a sprint. We are going to participate in several training walks that the 3-Day will sponsor in our area as the big weekend approaches. It will be nice to connect with other 3-Day walkers, too!
We also are trying to figure out how to raise the money. I'm so proud of my mom! She went to the general manager of the 24 Hour Fitness where we work out and asked him to have the club sponsor us! He didn't say they would, but he didn't turn her down, either. We are planning a couple of fundraising events as well. Hopefully, we can enjoy the fundraising process as well. It never is easy asking for money, especially when the economy is what it has been. I won't make another pitch here, but I will keep the little "donation" widget on this page so if you feel so moved, you can help us out.
Life has been pretty busy. Eric has been travelling on business for the past couple of weeks. It really helps having another adult around to share the kid duties with. Being the only one to make sure the dog gets walked, kids get to school and their activities, fed, etc., is hard. Adding less sleep and less than optimal health on top of it, and it has been a challenging week. On the plus side, my sister and her kids are visiting from New Mexico. It has been fun to meet my new niece, Kate, as well as hang out with my nephews. It's great to see all of the cousins play together!
I'm trying to keep up with my workouts, despite it all. On Monday, I went to the gym with my mom and sister. It was fun to work out with her. We pushed each other a bit on the treadmill, which was great. I took the day off yesterday, since I was busy all morning at bible study. Today, I was back at it with a Jillian DVD, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism. I don't know if I'll make it to the gym tomorrow. Jean-Marc has come down with a cold as well, and I can't really put him into the babysitting room with a runny nose. I'll figure something out to do at home, I suppose.
On the nutrition side, I've been trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. I'm not going vegetarian, but I am trying to think of meat as a small side dish, rather than the main course. I also am trying to have more of my veggies raw. I want to get into making my own smoothies and juices. I've been spending $12 a week at the farmer's market for these great green smoothies. Even the kids will drink them. But I'd love to make my own. I'm investigating buying either a supercharged blender or a juicer. I joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) last month. Every Wednesday, I pick up a box of fresh, organic, locally grown produce. It usually has a lot of greens: 2 kinds of lettuce; kale; collard greens; and other greens I've never tried. On Monday, I had a mystery green left over that I knew I'd never finish eating it as a salad green by today. I tried making my own green smoothie by putting it in a blender, along with some parsley, apple and lime juice. It wasn't too bad! But my poor, cheap Hamilton Beach blender really had a hard time doing it. I definitely need to upgrade!
Mom and I have been getting excited about the 3-Day. It is daunting on so many levels. The physical challenge of it all is one. We definitely are going to have to go on some training walks where we get used to walking so long. They suggest a 20 minute mile. I tried it on a treadmill, and it seems very slow. But I need to keep in mind I'll be doing that for about 6 hours for 3 days in a row! It's a marathon, not a sprint. We are going to participate in several training walks that the 3-Day will sponsor in our area as the big weekend approaches. It will be nice to connect with other 3-Day walkers, too!
We also are trying to figure out how to raise the money. I'm so proud of my mom! She went to the general manager of the 24 Hour Fitness where we work out and asked him to have the club sponsor us! He didn't say they would, but he didn't turn her down, either. We are planning a couple of fundraising events as well. Hopefully, we can enjoy the fundraising process as well. It never is easy asking for money, especially when the economy is what it has been. I won't make another pitch here, but I will keep the little "donation" widget on this page so if you feel so moved, you can help us out.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Eight and running
After a couple days off for my skin, it was back to the radiation oncologist's office for another hot date with the machine. I have 8 more sessions to go before I'm done. I hope my skin can take it!
The troublesome patch under my arm is turning from a dark purple to a dark brown. It can be uncomfortable at times, so I just try not to think about it. There are times too when I get a stabbing pain in the area. It doesn't last long, it just makes me sit up and take notice. I don't know if this is related at all, but I've also had bouts of intense itching on my upper back. It's right where I can't reach it. It doesn't last a long time, but if I don't get to it, it drives me crazy. I tried to ignore it in the middle of the night a few nights ago, and the result was a period of wakefulness for a few hours. Now I sleep with a bamboo back scratcher by my bed.
I still have the same Mepilex pad that the nurse gave me last Wednesday. It is getting pretty ragged. It is also slipping off a lot. Today at the gym, I was doing abs and realized that the pad was on my stomach! I noticed a little bit of pink spotting on it today as well. Is that just dirt and accumulated gunk from 5 days of wear and sweat? Or is my wound starting to seep? I'm going to ask for a new one tomorrow if the nurse is there. I didn't see her today, otherwise I would have asked.
My mom and I are going to an informational meeting tonight about the Susan G. Komen 3 Day walk in San Diego. Doing the 3 day was one of those goals I set for myself several months ago. 20 miles a day for 3 days in a row. 60 miles! I'm pretty sure I can handle the fundraising part. Each participant needs to raise $2,300. I've got several months to get there-the walk isn't until November. I've been seeing inspirational ads on television for the 3-Day and am getting kind of pumped to do it. I'm a survivor! I hope they do find a cure for this nasty disease.
Mom and I are also going to run in our first 5k race this Spring-the Carlsbad 5000. We each have been doing a little running, so we decided at the gym this morning to take the plunge and register. Most of my running has been inside on the treadmill, so yesterday I took a run outside. I didn't have a pedometer at that point, so I couldn't track how far I went. I'm sure it was at least 5k, if not more. I ran most of the time and was out for about 50 minutes. (My 5k time on the treadmill is 33:15) I came home and found a GPS pedometer app for my iPhone, so next time I'll know for sure.
I'm not doing the race to compete with others-its more about tackling something completely new and challenging. Running is just that for me. I went through most of my life absolutely HATING running. Even the thought of running annoyed me. But for some reason, I'm enjoying it now. It's not easy, in fact it is anything but. I realized as I was winding down my run yesterday that the extreme physical challenge of it is what I enjoy about it. I had been at it for at least 40 minutes, with my heart rate around 85%-90% of its max for most of the time. It was painful, but in a life-affirming kind of way.
It hit me that running for me is similar to cancer treatment. Both are "races" that I'm participating in. They aren't easy, in fact, it is some of the most difficult stuff you could do in your life. They aren't a "sprint" either. (Some longer distance runners might disagree with the 5k not being a sprint, though!) The treatment especially feels like a marathon, and I'm at that point where I can see the finish line, but am in a lot of pain. But I know I can do it, so I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and concentrate on breathing through it. I can do this. With God's continued help, I can do this.
My prayer requests remain the same. That my skin be able to cope with the last treatments, that I not be in too much pain, and that my lymphedema does not flare up. Thank you all for your prayers!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Things to look forward to
Some things I want to do after my family and I beat breast cancer:
- Take the family on a real exotic vacation. Something tropical with a beach. It could be the Bahamas. Maybe the Atlantis resort? Or Beaches? Is Club Med around anymore? That would be fun to take the kids to a family resort. Eric and I met at a Club Med in 1994 and honeymooned at one in 1996. It would be kind of fun to go back. The kids have been wanting a "real" vacation for a long time. Eric and I have always put them off. After we all get through this, we're there. We've already decided.
- Participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Right now, I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm not sure how far of a course it is. I could do a 5k easily now. With some training, a 10k. Even if this is a marathon, I want to do it. Being in decent shape now, I was envisioning running in some local races. If I do it with Komen, it has meaning and significance. It may take awhile to get back into shape, but it is a goal. Getting out of shape is one of the things I am dreading the most. It has taken so much work to get where I am now.
- Maybe along with, or in place of the above, the 3 Day Walk. 60 miles is a bit intimidating. But it would be amazing. My mom has walked thousands of miles in the past few years-it would be fun to do it together.
- Taking my mom, dad and as many siblings as can make it to France. We have talked about how fun it would be to visit the Battle of Normandy sites with my brother, Jared. Jared is a West Point graduate (Class of 2005), a Captain in the Army, currently serving with the 3rd Infantry Division in Mosul, Iraq. I've been to Normandy before and it is amazing. I would love to share that with my parents and siblings.
That's all I can think of right now. I reserve the right to add to this list of things to look forward to.
Lots of love,
Tonya
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