Why I Walk: The women in my life

I am sorry.  It has been a while since I have posted.  Life gets busy in a hurry.  Family, fundraising projects, sewing.  I forget about blogland.  I apologize.

But I am back with another story.

Vonda Huddleston is one of the first people I met when I moved to Idaho.  She worked in the Walmart sporting goods department.  She is just the sweetest lady you would ever want to meet.  It doesn't take you long to figure out that fighting breast cancer is important to her.  

Now I know why.  Here is her story in her words.

my Name is Vonda Huddleston and here is my Story.

Early detection saved my life. In Novemebr of 2013, when I turn 58 I will celebrate 26 years of being breast cancer free because of early detection. I am blessed to be alive. A simple concern over what I thought was a beauty mark on my breast in 1987, saved my life. A visit to my doctor revealed that it was pre-cancerous(Stage 0) and I was able to have it removed without recieving any chemo or radiation treatments. My doctors worked effortlessly to make sure my insurance would cover annual mammograms , since I was only 32 at the time. God Bless those doctors. I am alive today because of them. I cannot say the same for some of my friends and family. I walk to honour them and their brave struggle through treatment. There memory lives on in every step I take.I walk to celebrate my friends and family who have survived as I have, and praise God for the blessing of life. Thank goodness for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the grants that that they provide, so that women like me with no insurance can continue to get annual mammograms. Life is sweet,and new joys come every morning when I can praise God that I am still alive.

Early detection is the key.  It saved my grandmother and it saved Miss Vonda.  

A mammogram funded by Komen costs them only $120.  I spend more than that every time I fill the truck up with gas.  A little bit goes a long way.  Will you help save a life today?

Did you know....

That April is the Month of the Military Child?

It sure is and I have 4 of them.  These kids are tuff.  They have lived in three different counties and four states.  They have said good bye to their daddy multiple times for deployments.  And every trip to the airport got harder.   They learned how to live two different lives.  One with daddy home and one with daddy far away.

I have heard that a military child is much like a dandelion   They bloom and blow away in the wind only to take root in a new place.  They are adaptable and tuff.  They are the only ones who saw my own tears.  They saw mommy cry.  They saw everything and still they stood tall.

There is no way I could have handled military life without them.  They were my reason to keep going.  They were why I was able to set schedules  go to bible studies and dance lessons.  They kept life busy and have always fill my life with love.

This is my way of saying thank you to my children.

Why I walk: My Mom

No, my mom doesn't have cancer and I hope she never does.  So why do I walk for my mom?  She took care of my step dad during his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Have you ever seen anyone with pancreatic cancer?  There is nothing to be done for Dad other that try to keep him comfortable.  His body slowly shut down.  Mom took an extended leave of absence from work to stay with him around the clock.  Pain meds, doctor visits, hospitals and hospice.

She was there when his temper was out of control.  She was there when his tears finally fell.   She entertained his not so nice sons and his ex wife.

During all this I had my life.  I was junior in college and had a job or two or three.  Got married, had a baby, got a divorce.  And in all of this Mom did what Mom does.  She took care of all of us.  When I went into labor I was on the 4th floor of the hospital and dad was on the third.  She made regular trips between our rooms making sure we both had what we needed.

What does this have to with breast cancer?  It is CANCER.  That horrible nasty disease that takes away so many lives needlessly.  My mom had to watch the man she loved die slowly.  One painful day at a time.  No one should have to do what my mom did.  No one should have die the way Dad did.

Three days, 60 miles and $2300 to raise for a worthy charity.  I can do that.  If Mom could take care of Dad, I can do this.

To do it I need your help.  Please donate and help find a cure.  Every penny counts.

Tears

Yesterday, my tears fell.

I'll tell you about the happy tears first.  Angie Anderson got the best birthday present EVER.  Her young son Wyatt is cancer free.  His scans were clear.  Instead of every three months, his next scan in in 6 months.  This is something to celebrate!

Two years ago Wyatt's father, Tom was stationed in Korea.  Wyatt wasn't feeling good at all.  Fever, pain and just not doing good at all.  His mom kept taking him back to the doctor.  She knew something was wrong.  After a month of pushing she finally got the news.  Stage IV Neuroblastoma.  After a tuff year of chemo, radiation and a stem cell rescue, Wyatt was cancer free.

Latter in the day I visited blog land and I saw this post in a blog I just started flowing.

Beauty

Bridget passed away Thursday night.

Just when she should have been striking out on her own and really living, she had to face breast cancer.  The doctors were surprised that she made it so long.  She fought every step of the way.  From being diagnosed at 21 to getting married and having a career   This girl lived life to the fullest.  Even with cancer hanging over her head.

Bridget was just 29 years old.

Yes, I am crying again.

Why I Walk: My Daddy

I was going to make this a Friday feature of my blog but I find that I just can't wait to share this part of my story.

My father was not the easiest person to get along with  (understatement?  Probably) but I loved him with all of my heart.  When I was 16 he was diagnosed with lymphatic leukemia.  I heard Lymphoma mentioned too.  Not sure what the final diagnoses was.   He saw himself as a strong man who never needed a doctor.  So when he started feeling achy, he passed it off and kept driving his truck.  By the time his employer insisted he see a doctor his cancer had reached Stage IV.

For my 17th birthday, the only thing I wanted was to see my daddy.  I got a Grayhound bus ticket.  My only present that year. My grandparents picked me up at the bus station and Uncle Tommy and Uncle James loaded up the car and took me to visit him.  Daddy was unrecognizable.  His hair was frazzled and wild looking.  Not the neat flat top I had always known him to have.  He was bloated with chemo and steroids and in no way resembled the strong man I associated with being my Dad.  He used a walking stick and only stood up one time.

It broke my heart to see him this way.

The trucking company sponsored a blood drive for Dad.   I wanted to come and give blood for my dad.  To me it seemed like something so small.  A pinprick to give him life.  Dad couldn't stand the idea of his cancer hurting me more than it already had.  He asked me not to do it.  No needles for his baby girl.

Being a good daughter, I obeyed him.

He lost his battle with cancer July 1, 1990.  I was 18 and just out of high school.

As I got older and I saw more people with cancer, I wanted to do something to help.  I started with my hair. Every 5 years or so, I donate my ponytail to locks of love.  Then I thought about running a marathon.  This from a lady who doesn't run at all.  If you see me running, you better be two steps faster.  There is something nasty behind me.     But it is still my goal.  Run not walk.

That goal is a little overwhelming for someone who doesn't run.

Then I started thinking about other forms of cancer and those who have been affected by it.  Breast cancer was a big one.  I found the Komen 3 Day event and thought wow.  If I can do that, and I know I can, then I can run a marathon.

I don't just walk for women with breast cancer.  I walk for those I care about who have had to suffer from any form of cancer.  This is simply my first event.  I decided to start big.

The fundraising requirements are high because fundraising is the purpose of this event.  The money donated to the Komen foundation goes to fun cancer research and early screening programs.

What would have happened if my father had gone to the doctor earlier?  Would I still have him?  What if a simple blood test had discovered his low platelet count months before he was diagnosed?

What if?

Why do I walk?  I walk for my father who didn't live to see 40.  

Why I Walk

Over the next few weeks I am going to share the stories of women who have inspired me to fight breast cancer.  Latter I will share the stories of others with cancer who have broken my heart and inspired me with their courage in the face of other forms of cancer.  Cancer in all of its forms is frightening.  When I see the strength in those who are fighting this awful disease, I want to do better.  I want to step up and try my best to make this world a better place.  One without cancer of any kind.

I learned about one young lady in my "Get Started" class for the Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk.  Her name is Bridget.  She was just 20 years old and did what a good girl does when she finds something of concern on her body.  She found a lump on her breast and went to the doctor.  The nurse practitioner at her university told her that it was nothing.  She was too young, had no family history and it just can't be anything of concern.

Fast forward to 21.  You are thinking that wasn't very long, aren't you?  You are right.

She was sitting in a doctors office with her parents   A bran new college graduate.  This young lady who has barly begun to live got the news no one should have to hear.  Stage IV metastatic breast cancer.   She has lived long than any of the doctors expected her to.  Unfortunately, she is in hospice care now and preparing to say good bye to those who love her the most.

This young lady has shown courage and poise that puts older women to shame.  She has shared her story on her blog.  I encourage to read her story in her own words.  I dare you to be inspired.  And I ask you to say a special prayer for her today.

Help me, help women like her.  There is a pink box to right.  It is a direct link to my fund raising page.  In order to walk for those who have lost, to have that honor, I have to raise $2300 for the cause.  Whether you give $5 or $500.  Every little bit helps.

The link on my page goes directly to my fund raising page.  Every penny counts.

(I couldn't write this morning without crying.  Cancer does that to me.)

Get started meeting

I went to the get started meeting for the Three Day event last night.  I was the only one registered at the end of the day.

Sad.  I thought for sure the other ladies would register.  oh well

I did get some good ideas for fundraising.  How to write a letter.  Who to send the letters to.  Ideas for events and how to join a team.

Very happy I went.

I had to cut back on training.  too much too fast.  I am back down to walking a mile a day.  For cross training, I am using P90X.  It is an intense program but I am careful not to over do it.