Wedding bliss
I know that I have been a horrible blogger. Life has just started to move so fast. Between work, life and walking, I just have not made enough time to blog. The summer has been great though. We have had tons of events with friends and family. July will be just as crazy. It is great to be living again.
This past weekend was my best friend's wedding. During all of my cancer treatment all I wanted was to not look like someone going through cancer at her wedding. Right after I was diagnosed, I told her that it was OK if I didn't stand up in her wedding because I didn't want to ruin anything. She of course told me that I was stupid. Which I was, but at the time it was one of my biggest concerns. I had no idea back in October how I would look this June. Luckily I looked great, she looked amazing and the wedding was a blast.
It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but it was one heck of a wedding.
Congratulations Sean and Deanna!
I'm a walking machine
I celebrated my end of treatment by walking the Race for the Cure 5K in downtown Detroit. And as I briefly mentioned in my last blog, I'm celebrating the end of this crazy year by walking the Breast Cancer 3-Day in September. The race is Sept. 26-28. I found my lump Oct. 3, 2007.
When I first signed up on a friend's team, I wasn't sure what I was getting into and to be honest I'm still not sure, but I'm beginning to get excited about it. I know that I need to do this. I know that I need to celebrate this year on a healthy note.
My husband and I had been training to run a half marathon when I was diagnosed. We had spent 6 months running together to prepare. It was going to be our first big race. It was something that I wanted to do together for our one-year anniversary. The race was five days after my diagnoses. We did not end up running it. I've regretted it ever since. (Although, friends of mine pointed out that maybe I was suppose to just train for the race, so that my body would be in good shape to handle all my treatments.)
However, as soon as I was diagnosed, cancer became my No. 1 excuse to do absolutely nothing. "No, I don't want to just go for a walk. I have cancer." Or, "No, I'm not feeling up to a workout. Sure, I feel fine, but I have a chemo treatment in four days."
When does cancer stop being my excuse? I'm still alive and cancer free, and this walk is going to celebrate that.
I'm doing something that I never thought I would do with people that I actually don't know very well. This is very much out of my comfort zone, but I'm excited.
With that said, here are some things that have helped me fundraise and train. The first is to definitely send out e-mails to everyone you know and tell them to forward it on. If they don't want to donate, they will just delete the e-mail. No one is obligated to donate, so ask everyone and their mother. I also used my myspace and facebook Web pages to let more friends know that I was walking. The 3-Day Web site actually offers the HTML coding needed to set up a link to your participation page. Now granted, I kind of have the cancer card on my side and I'm barely a survivor, so fundraising has actually gone very well for me. I've already surpassed the minimum required to walk, which is $2,200. With that done, I now just have to focus on training, which for me is not easy.
In order to stay on track, I sent out an evite (electronic invitation) to my close friends to train with me. I sent out the invitation saying what days and times I would be walking and my friends let me know what days they would be interested in walking with me. I now send out e-mails to the friends that signed up saying the time to meet and distance we will be walking. This did two things for me. It first gave me walking partners, but it also is holding my accountable to training. So, even when no one shows up to walk with me, I still walk because my friends ask all the time how my walks are going. It has been great.
Another great tool is Google pedometer. It helps you chart out your course. You type in an address and start clicking away on a map. It keeps track of how far you are going. It is fantastic for anyone who walks or runs outdoors.
Tomorrow, I am walking 10 miles with two of my co-workers. We will be walking all over Royal Oak. To put it in perspective, we will be walking for about 3 hours. Think of all the things you do in 3 hours: watch a movie, drive up north, clean the house, etc. The time commitment is a killer. But I'm doing it!
A chance meeting turns into a soon-to-be new friend
Do you ever feel like certain people you meet you were meant to meet for some reason or another? That is exactly what happened to me a couple of weeks ago.
My husband and I walk our dog regularly through our Royal Oak neighborhood. On this particular Sunday night I told him I was going to say hi and smile at everyone we crossed paths with. He said we do that anyway and I said I was going to go overboard with it because I am tired of not knowing my neighbors.
So that is what I did on our 2-mile walk. We crossed paths with one couple twice. The first time I smiled, said hi and how nice the weather was; the second time I joked about fancy meeting them here on the walk. Both couples laughed, smiled and moved on. No names were exchanged but felt like I had least done what I said that I would do.
Now, if that was the end of the story it would not be that interesting, but the story goes on. I received an e-mail at work the following Tuesday from a woman who has been following my story since October. Her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September, and while our experiences aren't the same, the woman felt a connection to my story.
In the e-mail she told me about a couple she had run into twice in her Royal Oak neighborhood. When she ran into the couple the first time, she noticed the woman, who was about her age, sporting a short haircut very similar to her mother's post-chemo hairdo and hoped the stranger had not battled cancer. On the second meeting, she noticed the woman's "breast cancer sucks" T-shirt and realized that sure enough she had battled cancer. But she did not say anything to the stranger.
Then, after seeing the pictures I posted of my family and friends at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, she realized my husband and I were the couple she had run into.
On the very walk I said I would say hi to everyone I saw, I met someone who knew me without realizing it. While we have yet to meet again, I truly believe there is a reason we crossed paths and I'm excited to say I now know someone in my neighborhood.
I am training to walk in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, in which you walk 60 miles over three days to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. So I asked the e-mailer if she wants to join me on some of my training walks and she agreed.
You never know who you are going to meet and when a new friend will come into your life, but it is important to take advantage of these moments whenever you can.
Category: Survivors' stories
Posted by Jodie Wilson on Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 7:24 PMJeanne gained strength, perseverance from cancer
Following is a story from Jeanne of Brighton, an 18-year survivor:
Eighteen years ago, I was Suzie homemaker in Brighton, Mich. I had the perfect family; two children and a wonderful husband who was my high school sweetheart. Then - boom - my world fell apart when my mother died unexpectedly (the most painful time in my life) and six months after that my wonderful husband just left after filing for a divorce. And two months after he left, I found a lump in my left armpit, which turned into a mastectomy and six months of chemo!
Honest to God - I wanted to die right there on the spot, but I wouldn't, and couldn't because of my two precious children who made me fight for my life ... It was only from my total faith in God, prayer and a book titled "Love, Faith, and Miracles" by Bernie Seigle that pulled me through this unbelievable journey. That book helped to make cancer the best thing that ever happened to me, instead of the worst!
It's been 18 years since my mastectomy; 18 years of an adventure I'll always thank God for! After the divorce, I had to go back to work. Without any skills, I went to cosmetology school and became a registered nail tech and had a thriving nail business in Brighton for 12 years! Then when I turned 50 years old, my eyes, neck, hands and back all started to go out on me. So one of my clients and I found a franchise that provides in-home care for seniors. We bought into it and opened it up in Brighton seven years ago ... it is flourishing!
The moral of my story is: Life goes on if you want it to go on and what you put in your head you get! Cancer is not a death certificate like it use to be!
Things like technology and treatment have changed drastically since I went through it all. Think positively, pray positively and never ever let any negative BS hit your brain. We're all going to die someday, that's a fact, but I'm telling ya'll right now, my demise will not be from cancer because I know how to kick it in the butt, plain and simple.
If you would like to share your breast cancer story, e-mail it to me jwilson@detnews.com. If you aren't too shy, send me a picture, too. Let's celebrate each other!
I AM DONE!
I am done. There is no more cancer fighting treatments left for me. I am (according to tests) cancer free. I am ready to move forward. While I'm not sure what "forward" looks like, I'm pretty darn excited to say good-bye to my cancer treatment regimen. I made it through chemo. I made it through a mastectomy. And now, I have made it through six weeks of radiation.
My skin is red, peeling and last night it slightly bled, but I made it through.
I can now enjoy the summer. I won't be laying out in the sun anytime soon, but sleeping in is definitely in my future. I am excited to get back to cooking, cleaning and gardening. I am excited to go for walks with friends and bike rides with my husband. I am excited to not have my life dictated by cancer.
I know that I will always live with cancer, but I am definitely feeling free today. Free to do anything!
I AM DONE!
(Well except for reconstructive surgery to have a real implant replace my expander, but that won't happen for at least 6 months.)
Category: Survivors' stories
Posted by Jodie Wilson on Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 11:16 AMCountless angels helped Shannon
Following is a story from Shannon Schaeffer of Birmingham:
At age 32, all was well in my life. I was married with two children and we were preparing to embark on a new chapter in our lives. In fact, it was one year ago on June 1 that I received "the" phone call.
The lump that I felt was indeed invasive breast cancer. I don't think I'll ever forget the call. I was at a local festival with my husband and two children celebrating my last day at work. We were moving to Birmingham, Mich., from Ohio in two weeks. How could this be?
One week later I underwent a mastectomy. That weekend all of our friends and family came over to help us pack the house as obviously I wasn't able to. I'll never be able to thank them enough!
My husband and I made the trip to U-M and I started chemo on July 3, 2007. Our first week in our new house and we didn't know a soul! But this experience has taught me just how many good people there are in this world, how many angels are out there.
I met two of our neighbors who also had children. They offered to watch our 2-year-old while I went to treatments so my family from Ohio wouldn't have to make the drive every week. These are two women who have very busy lives and their own families to care for, but they reached out the first day they met me and I will forever be grateful for the ways in which they touched our lives.
During this journey, our neighbor also introduced me to an amazing moms group through a local church. Without ever having met me, the women of the group started bringing us dinner several nights a week. The help was difficult to accept, but I had to admit halfway through the treatment that I was feeling run down and it was nice to be cared for!
I went through six months of chemo as part of a clinical trial, followed by six weeks of daily radiation. It was and continues to be an emotional rollercoaster; there are days you feel like you could take on the world and there is no fear. Then there are those weepy days when you know you need to hold your head up high, but for some reason the energy just isn't there. But as time passes, those days are fewer and farther between!
Our children made such a difference. I remember the day it was time to shave my head. I went from having long blond hair to baldness in the matter of a few minutes - all while our 2-year-old was napping. When she woke up she said "Mommy! You look like Daddy!" How could I not laugh?! Our son who is in school loved my many scarves and encouraged me to wear the scarves vs. a wig when I went to his school. I was more worried about embarrassing him than he was!
The people I met along the way - the fellow survivors I met while at treatment, the new friends and medical professionals who have dedicated their lives to helping find a cure - is something I will forever carry with me and gives me strength.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my story. We are again preparing to move in two weeks! We came to Birmingham for a one-year training program for my husband and it's hard to believe the year has gone by. We'll always remember Detroit and the countless angels who reached out!
If you would like to share your breast cancer story, e-mail it to me jwilson@detnews.com. If you aren't too shy, send me a picture, too. Let's celebrate each other!
Tell me your story!
OK women, you have been reading about my experience with breast cancer since October, but now it is your turn to share some of your stories. I would like to celebrate my end of radiation treatment hearing about you and your experiences and sharing them with my readers.
Send me your stories and I will post them here on the blog. You can be anonymous, but at least let me know with each entry where you live and how long you have been a survivor. I will post as many as I can.
Everyone has a story and everyone battling breast cancer is an inspiration. Tell me your fears and successes as you battled breast cancer. What did you learn from it? How has it changed who you are? Tell me your stories. Don't be shy. I want to celebrate all of you as I celebrate my cancer treatment graduation.
E-mail your stories to jwilson@detnews.com. If you aren't too shy, send me a picture, too.
Celebration time!
It is official. I only have four radiation treatments left. As of Thursday, I will be free. Free of daily doctor appointments, free of treatments, free of cancer. How am I celebrating? I am walking in the Susan G. Komen Detroit Race for the Cure on Saturday.
This will be my third year participating in the walk, but my first in a coveted pink shirt. It's my first walk as a survivor. My husband and I usually run the 5K, but this year we are walking so we can enjoy the day with family and friends.
For anyone who hasn't walked or ran the race, it is an amazing event in downtown Detroit. Thousands of people walk by Comerica Park. Thousands walk for one purpose. Many walk for loved ones lost, many walk for themselves and many walk so they don't have to go through what I went though this year.
Last year when I ran, I most likely already had breast cancer but had no idea. I ran for the fun of it and now I walk for a purpose. I walk to stay cancer free.
There is still time to sign up. The race starts at 9 a.m. and you can register at the race. It is a great family event, so bring everyone you know down and have fun!
For information go to www.karmanos.org/detroitraceforthecure.
One amazing afternoon luncheon
So, I met, talked to and was embarrassed by Geralyn Lucas this afternoon. Actually it was very amazing. She is as nice and funny in person as she is in her book, and it was a complete pleasure to meet her.
I met her as soon as I arrived at the luncheon. She complimented me on my chemo chic hair cut, which made me very happy that I went with bald and big earrings versus wig and big necklace (it was a big dilemma this morning). I then proceeded to my empty table where I sat there looking awkward and completely out of place. Luckily, in walked my breast surgeon and oncologist and others who knew me from St. Joe's. They had space at their table, so I was no longer alone. I was very grateful to see familiar faces and not only familiar faces, but the faces of the women who helped me beat breast cancer. It was a true blessing.
I needed all those faces when out of the blue and totally unexpected Geralyn invited me on stage in front of 350 men and women as she talked a little about my story and read for verbatim my latest blog entry where I talked about her being my breast cancer role model. I was honored but yet a little embarrassed.
I think back to my first blog where I talked about how average and ordinary of a person I was and how I never thought that I would be a 26-year-old beating breast cancer. I still see myself as that person. To me, there has always been someone else more extraordinary than me; someone else to look up to. And here I was standing next to the person I looked up to, hearing her read my blog and getting choked up as she read it. It was an amazing moment.
To me, it is important for women and men to share their cancer stories. It is so important to put faces to cancer. It becomes more real and not just another word. It helps spread awareness. In my case, I was lucky enough to share my story with all of you. And hopefully you will tell someone else, who may tell someone else, who may for the first time give themselves a self examination because they heard my story. Early diagnosis is half the battle. Telling personal stories helps save lives. So spread the word and remember ...
If you love your boobs, know your boobs and touch your boobs!
Be sure to visit www.whyiworelipstick.com to learn more about Geralyn Lucas and many other women who have been inspired by her.
I get to meet my breast cancer role model
Last week I got an interesting phone call from the communications director for Congressman Joe Knollenberg. At first I thought he was looking for a reporter and then I thought he was trying to recruit my vote or something, but actually he was calling to invite me to a Women's Summit and Luncheon being held next week. He was calling because of my blog and the summit is focusing on breast cancer. Usually, I wouldn't be interested in attending events like these, but the guest speaker is Geralyn Lucas, the author of "Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy," which has also been made into Lifetime Network movie. I am definitely going.
When I was first diagnosed, my mother-in-law gave me the book to read. Our stories are very similar although because of medical advances, our experiences are different.
She was 27 when she was diagnosed. I was 26. She was just married and I had been married for just 11 months. She is in broadcast journalism; I am in print. She beat breast cancer, and I am on my way.
I read her book the week before I started chemo. And let me tell you, it freaked me and my husband, who also read it, out. There were several times that I cried just thinking that soon all the things she talked about would be happening to me. Her chemo experience was just horrible and her surgery wasn't much better. But the book did several things for me. It showed me that everything that I was feeling was normal and that I would make it through. There was a light at the end of the tunnel and a great life after breast cancer. I just had to have the strength to get there.
And now next week, I get to meet her. I'm excited.
