10Th Annual Komen Florida Suncoast Race for the Cure

October 4, 2008 - Mark that date in your calender! That is the day of the 10th annual Komen Florida Suncoast Race for the Cure, being held at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg. I have signed up for the 5K walk - that's about 3.1 miles and have started walking at night to prepare for it. Now, 3.1 miles may not seem like much to you, but to me....that will be a real success. (Remember, only a few short months ago, I was walking with a cane.) I have some friends who have agreed to walk with me so I am really excited about doing this walk for breast cancer to raise more money for research.

If you want to walk with me, please call or email me and I will send you the information....or you can register with the link I have attached here. I think it will be a fun morning, we will get some exercise and do a good thing for other women. So mark the date on your calender - OCTOBER 4th -

Being Pampered....

So today was another milestone! I got my hair done!! Since I have been thru losing my hair, being bald, wearing caps and wigs and dealing with stubble ... I have eagerly anticipated going to the salon and getting my hair done. Evelyn told me to visit her when my hair was starting to come in, so that she could start training it. I have almost an inch of hair...so I hiked myself to the salon this morning. Ev trimmed and shaped what little I have and it already looks better.
Evelyn and Me

We talked about color and decided to wait awhile, until my hair is stronger. I met an 18 month survivor of breast cancer at the shop...of course we compared treatments, side effects and all....something I guess all women cancer patients tend to do. She was a lovely gal and very positive. I hope to see her again.

Up next...losing 20-30 lbs. (I starting walking this week!) and checking into a new make up routine. When you are wearing a cap and walking slow, you look ill and feel like hell, so you don't care how you look. But, when you start feeling better, it becomes more important and that's how I am feeling now.

What They Don't Tell You About Radiation!

When you meet with the Radiologist to discuss the radiation procedures, he will tell you about all the medical side effects possible and suggest creams, lotions and potions to use for dehydrated, burnt skin. NO ONE tells you about "Purple Dye"!! When you go for the initial planning session you are marked and tatooed so that the radiation beams will hit the same place all the time. When you are first marked the nurse uses a purple indelible marker on your skin. Yes, it's indelible....stays on the skin....but it comes off on your clothes. I was warned about this by a gal pal of mine who had been thru it, and she told me to bring baby oil and q-tips with me to each session so that I could remove the markings before I got dressed. The first few times I received a treatment, I was not re-marked and I had been tatooed, so I wrongly assumed I was done with the PURPLE DYE! Boy was I wrong....last week I got marked again and I now have purple dye on new undergarments I had purchased and a favorite blouse...but I wouldn't trade a new bra or a new blouse for radiation....so I have my priorities in order.

American Airlines and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation

American Airlines, the worlds largest airline, has partnered with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation to take on the world's deadliest form of breast cancer - Inflammatory Breast Cancer. According to Andrea Huguely, an American Airlines Spokesperson, "There really have not been any significant changes of diagnosis or survival rate for patients in over 30 years, That's why we chose IBC over other types of breast cancer."

IBC tends to spread before patients realize they have it. By the time a patient is diagnosed, the cancer is Stage 3b or Stage 4. That's what happened to me. I had no early symptoms and was diagnosed with Stage 3b. The survival rate is only 30 to 50%, compared to traditional breast cancer that if caught early has a 98% survival rate.

On Monday, American Airlines unveiled 2 of 8 planes featuring a pink ribbon that runs the length of the fuselage. Since one woman out of eight will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives, it's no coincidence that ribbons will be featured on eight of American Airlines aircraft.


American Airlines has pledged $7.5 million for IBC research and will raise money through various fundraisers and give travelers air miles in exchange for donations. This money will fund the Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s first Promise Grant – for a five-year study of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, which today is known as the foremost authority in the country for IBC.

So if you are traveling...and if you can....fly American!! It's for a good cause!

Lots of Fun, Murderous Thoughts and Pity Parties!

Let's start with the fun. I met a couple of my Chemo buddies the other day and we had lunch. We compared side effects, the girls prompted me and gave me lots of suggestions for radiation side effects to come, we laughed and giggled about funky hair and had a great time. It's funny how you can feel so close to people you have known for such a short time...I guess it's the common bond of the big C.

The murderous thoughts come from the wonderful insurance companies we deal with. When I found out my copay for radiation...I nearly flipped my wig (A little inside chemo joke guys). Whew...at least I do have pretty good insurance....what happens to those that don't? This is not a subject I want to dwell on at this time.

I had a sad little pity party for myself the other day. We planned to go to see my daughter and my grandchildren over Labor Day...looks like I can't make this trip now. I will still be in Radiation Therapy. We had been looking forward to a trip east...we wanted to see Russ' son and grandson and we had planned such a good time. We actually already have plane reservations....I will have to see what happens when we cancel or reschedule....

This is me...looking like the rigors of Cancer decimated me. Actually...I am quite cute...the wrinkles have been earned, the second, third and fouth chins I believe belong to my grandmother...not sure how I inherited them. Like the hair?? It's baby fine...salt and pepper...and this "cut??" ... the latest in post chemo hairdos. The eyelashes ARE there...just a little sparse....the eyebrows ARE coming back...SO...I am back with a vengence...ready to take life on and live each day to the fullest. I am just so thankful to have come this far...it's easy to laugh about the "crappy" stuff....sometimes that humor makes my day!