Showing posts with label breast cancer awareness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breast cancer awareness. Show all posts

3 Day Thursday: Video Pink Glove Dance - The Sequel

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Makes me smile every time I watch.






Video PSA - Save the Boobs! 3 Day Thursday

I Wasn't Going to Walk Today

Thursday, September 9, 2010

I wasn't going to lace up my sneakers today. They're in the corner of my room, kind of hidden next to my laundry basket so they're easy to overlook without feeling too guilty for neglecting my 3 Day training. But then, I read my friend Debbie's post about her breast exam this afternoon.

Now I'm scared and sad and angry and anxious and I want to DO SOMETHING, anything, to help. But, other than be a friend, there's not much I can do. Except walk.

While I walk I will say a prayer for everyone who will receive a phone call from their doctor, who is sitting in a chair with chemo pumping into their system, who has made the decision to have a prophylactic mastectomy, whose hair has fallen out for the first time, or whose family is preparing to say their goodbyes.

I will put on my sneakers today and I will walk this twitchy, nervous energy out and with each step I will send Debbie all the positive energy and love I can. I will thank her mother for raising such a beautiful person and take comfort in knowing her spirit will be with Debbie this afternoon. 

I love you, my friend.

My Thoughts on the Color Pink and the Month of October

Friday, November 20, 2009


A few weeks ago I made a clerk at WalMart cry. I didn't mean to. She was telling me her sister's breast cancer story and she got emotional. Since I've gotten more involved with the 3 Day, I notice bracelets, pins, T-shirts and just about anything with a pink ribbon, a lot more than I used to.

The checker was wearing a pink ribbon bracelet, and I asked her, as I've started to do lately, whether she is a Survivor.
She told me no, but her sister is and asked the same of me. I told her about the walk and answered her questions about the event.

She told me he sister recently received her second breast cancer diagnosis. She was originally diagnosed 17 years ago and had a mastectomy on her right side. In between the last diagnosis and the current, this woman's sister suffered from ovarian cancer, optical cancer AND brain cancer. That's a whole lot of crap for one person (and one family) to deal with.


I was stunned. I said I'd think of her sister while I was walking. She thanked me, and thanked me for walking. I replied, "I have it easy. It's your sister and your family who have a fight ahead of you. I wish you all well." And that's when she started to tear up. She could only nod and wave goodbye because she was so choked up. When I ask people, "are you a survivor?" those are the types of stories I hear. Some are happier, but all are tragic in their own way.


Not too long before this I read
a piece on AOL news that has stuck with me. It was about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and raised the question of commercialism, how much pink is too much pink, and is the ribbon overexposed? I saw that sentiment echoed elsewhere online throughout the month of October.

Parts of the article I agree with. Some companies are slapping a pink ribbon on anything and everything. Sometimes the items make sense, but other times (for example a make up line whose ingredients may be cancer causing) it makes me scratch my head. Plus, just because something is pink doesn't mean the company actually gives money to any type of breast cancer organization. The color pink and the breast cancer ribbon aren't regulated.


On the other hand, how can awareness be bad? If a man or woman sees a pink ribbon and remembers to schedule a mammogram or do a self exam, isn't the ribbon then serving it's purpose? Tyler and I buy yogurt with the pink lids because we know a portion of the proceeds will go to legitimate research. I know, too, that the amount of funds being donated will have a cap and that there is a chance my purchase won't do anything at all. But, I like to think that it will. I was going to buy yogurt anyway, why not buy the brand that is supporting a cause I feel passionate about?

I understand there are people who have lost loved ones who view the ribbon as a reminder of that loss. I can also understand people going through treatment not wanting their diagnosis in their face everywhere they turn. After all, they are not their disease. Breast cancer isn't the only thing women die of and it's certainly not the only cancer out there. But are those reasons enough to start a reverse call to action and change corporate cause marketing practices?

I can't help but think of how far we've come in terms of research and development since the woman at WalMart's sister was first diagnosed 17 years ago, how far we have to go and how much money it will take to get there.


The stories I've heard make me feel so helpless at times. The little bit of this blog I have devoted to posts on breast cancer and the walk have helped. Knowing I'll be participating in the walk and raising funds has helped too.

By the time this post goes up, my mom and I will have made it through opening ceremonies and set off with thousands of men and women to walk 60 miles over three days. We will raise awareness, celebrate survival and strength and remember those who fought so hard. Strangers will thank us on behalf of their loved ones or even on their own behalf. We will hear inspiring stories of courage and heartbreaking ones of loss. We'll be surrounded by pink and the pink ribbon. And I just don't see how that can be a bad thing.

 

Breast Cancer Awareness: Video PSA - Touch

National Mammography Day- Have You Smooshed Your Boobs?

Friday, October 16, 2009

We were nervous about starting Tyler in kindergarten at the age of 4. We were worried he wasn't really ready for a classroom setting. But he had a fabulous teacher. She is the type of teacher every kid should have as their first. Earlier this week, I found out she has breast cancer. She went in for a mammogram over the summer and was diagnosed as stage 2. She had a double mastectomy and is currently in chemo.

Today is National Mammography Day. Do you need to have your boobs smooshed? If you are not sure if it's time for your first mammogram (generally considered a baseline mammogram), or if you don't know how often to get mammograms after your first,
please talk to your doctor. Know your family history, know your risks and get to know your body.

Mammograms aren't as scary as they're made out to be. I was freaked out when I got my first mammogram last year, but it was over quickly and only mildly uncomfortable. Don't let the fear of the unknown prevent you from doing something that could possibly save your life.


I have added Tyler's teacher's name to my list of breast cancer fighters. If you'd like to see a name on the list of survivors, fighters or angels leave it in the comments or follow the links to each individual post. I will be thinking of Mrs. R and her family next month while I'm walking.

Find more information about mammograms on these sites:
Susan G Komen
BreastCancer. org
The National Breast Cancer Foundation

Watch a video on how to do a breast self exam here.

Help me reach my goal for the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day!

Birthday 4 Boobs at Syrah Wine Parlor

Monday, October 12, 2009

If you're one of my San Diego peeps, please come! I'm helping Charity with her birthday party. It's a Monopoly themed party and fundraiser for breast cancer!

When: Tuesday, October 20th

Where: Syrah Wine Parlor


RSVP: On the Facebook page


If you have items we can raffle off please contact me or Charity. See you there!

Honoring Survivors, Fighters and Angels

Monday, October 5, 2009

For the rest of the month, I'll be honoring men and women who are currently battling breast cancer, those who have won their battle and those we have lost. If you have a name you'd like to add, you can leave it in the comments, email me or send me a Tweet and I'll include it for you. (ETA: Each post is linked in the nav bar at the top of the blog or click the image below)

Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Talkin About My Boobs

Thursday, October 1, 2009

**Warning: There's a picture in this post**

I sent out a Tweet yesterday about my boobs. I was lamenting their size and how ungainly they can be. Big boobs are not all they're cracked up to be. Sometimes I'm baffled by how much money women will spend to be the size I am.


I'm sure I have people flipping off their monitors right now, but hear me out. I have to wear shirts in size medium (or even large) but my waist is a small so I look boxy rather than curvy.
I have no torso so it seems my boobs rest on top of my belt line. I'm always worried my bra gives me back fat.

Button down shirts almost always gape. My strapless foundation garments feel like they're made with rebar. I can't wear certain bathing suit tops. I can't sleep on my stomach. The girls get in the way when I'm shooting pool.

Big boobs can really be a pain in the ass.

However.

No matter how much they annoy me at times or how much I wish they had some of the perk of my pre-breastfeeding days, my boobs are healthy. They are not riddled with cancer cells. I'm not considering having them removed as a preemptive measure. I'm not facing reconstructive surgery. I'm not mourning the loss of my sense of feminism and womanhood.

The mini scare I had a year ago with my first mammogram has stayed with me. Getting that phone call was one of the worst moments of my life. I hope none of you ever experience that. My boobs are healthy. And I am so grateful.

Breast Cancer 3 Day: Packing List and Things to Buy

Friday, September 25, 2009

Affiliate links used

My mom is an expert at packing for the 3 Day. After nine walks, she's pretty much got it down to a science. I had her make a list of all the gear she's purchased over the years and what she packs for the weekend. I thought other newbies would like to see what a veteran has found to be most useful.

6-8 pairs of socks** (2 pair for each day, plus extra in case of rain)
2 pairs of tennis shoes
Shower sandals
3 changes of clothing
Hoodie or jacket for the evening
Knit cap for the evening
Gloves for the morning and evening
Personal toiletries
Fold up rain cape
Vaseline, Aquaphor or Body Glide*
Foot powder (to keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters)
Epsom salt in baggies large enough to soak your feet (or a blow up foot spa like this one from Sally Hansen)
Moleskin*
Padded Bandages*
Fold-up scissors (to cut the moleskin)*
Sunscreen
Lip balm with sunscreen
Hand sanitizer
Sun visor or cap
Fanny pack that holds 2 water bottles
Water bottles (not too small, you should be refilling at every pit stop)
Cell Phone (but no talking and walking, move to the side if you have to take a call)
Small amount of cash and/or debit card
Any prescription medicine
2 tarps: one for underneath the tent one for the top
Clothes pins or clamps to hold plastic in place on top of the tent
Eddie Bauer air mattress (self inflatable, twin – purchased at Target and extra batteries)
Camping pillow
Sleeping bag
Blanket to go on top of sleeping bag (ours is cashmere)
Camping light (banded for the head) This frees your hands for night trips to the porta potty
Large plastic bag to put everything you need to carry to the portable showers (2 gallon zipper bag with a handle)
Large plastic bag to hold your suitcase in during the night to keep from getting wet (30 gallon lawn and leaf trash bag) 

 
*These items go in your fanny pack as a blister care kit

**I wear one pair of toe socks as my first layer, then a pair or walking socks as my second layer

Pictures from my mom's 2008 San Diego walk are here: Day 1, Day 2, Day3.

**CLOSED**Please help me meet my fund raising goal. I've got a long way to go and not a lot of time before my walk. Click the banner above or follow this link. Thank you!

Breast Cancer 3Day: Training Update

Monday, September 21, 2009

The San Diego walk is nine weeks away and I'm starting to freak out. I won't say I'm behind per se, but I'm definitely not on pace with the virtual training schedule I get in my email. I think that's why I pushed myself too hard today. That and the craving for a smoothie.

I decided to get an early start since our heat wave is supposed to be coming back. I was hoping for an overcast day at the beach but no such luck. I started walking about 10 minutes to 9:00. I set my Nike+ for an 8 mile walk thinking I'd go slightly past where I normally turn around.

About halfway to that point, I started getting hungry and naturally I'd left my granola bar in the car. I remembered that there's a 7-11 not too far past my turnaround spot so I thought, "I'll get a banana and ice for my water. Excellent idea."

Then, I remembered there's a Jamba Juice only a little bit farther than the 7-11. "Ooh, even better, I can get a smoothie for lunch. Excellent idea." After that I couldn't get Jamba Juice out of my head and I passed by my usual turnaround spot not really thinking how much distance it would add to my walk. I got my smoothie, they put ice in my water bottle, all is good and I'm heading back to the car.

About 20 minutes later my knees and my hips started to protest a little. Then they started hurling obscenities at me. When they began to curse the day I was born I knew I was in trouble. Fortunately, they didn't go on strike and leave me in a crumpled heap on the side of the road.

I called my mom for some motivation but she must have been screening her calls working or at lunch. I think around mile 9 I wondered if I actually had the guts to hitchhike back to my car. I was hurtin' y'all. Then I remembered the Tweet Ilina sent out last week about her good friend just being diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.

Which got me thinking about my godmother, Margie, who passed away 2 weeks before my mom's fifth walk in 2003. And
Deb's mom. And all the other moms, wives, sisters, aunts and cousins who have been or know someone who has been diagnosed. I quit bitching and kept walking. For a total of 12.57 miles. That's the farthest I've walked at one time so far*.

I'm in a lot of pain right now. A lot. But it's not chemo. It's not radiation. It's not a mastectomy. I'll be fine in a few days. Those with breast cancer are effected for life. Thank you to Margie and all the other angels for giving me strength today. Here's to putting one foot in front of the other.




Help me reach my goal for the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day!


*The last time I walked I did 7 miles. I DO NOT recommend adding that much distance at one time. By the time I'm recovered enough to go walking again I'll be even further behind. Totally not worth it. Please consider helping me meet my fundraising goal. I've got a long way to go and not a lot of time. Click the banner above or follow this link. Thank you!

Breast Cancer 3Day: Pamper Yourself, Help Fund a Cure

Thursday, August 27, 2009

On September 15, select Massage Envy locations will donate $10 from a $35 50-minute massage to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. They hope to raise $500,000 in one day with Massage for the Cure. So far, they've raised over $800,000! A full-body massage is not a bad way to help a great cause!

*I am an online and media ambassador the San Diego 3Day. Help me reach my fundraising goal by donating online at my personal page.

**Massage Envy didn't give me anything for this, I saw it in a magazine and wanted to pass it along. I have had a massage there and it was fab.

Breast Cancer 3-Day: Quick Tip for iPhone and iPod Touch Users {+video}

Thursday, June 25, 2009

I went walking last night after Tyler and I got home from the park. When I left the house, I wasn't really thinking about the time or how long it would be before it would get dark outside. I decided to go for a straight, easy walk at the beach rather walk the hills around my house.

Halfway through I tuned in to the fact that it was going to be dark before I got back to my car. Almost the whole way back had sidewalk access and streetlights, but the last leg did not. Naturally I'd not thought to bring my LED light.


My workout clothes were light gray with white striping and my shoes have reflective striping but I was still a little concerned about cars being able to see me. At one point I noticed someone walking toward me. I couldn't see them, but they were on their cell and the glow from the keyboard caught my attention. That's when I remembered the free Flashlight app I downloaded a few months ago for my iPod Touch (watch the video for a short demo).



I used the app for the last half mile. Sure, I had to hold my iPod in my hand but it was a minor and temporary inconvenience. The Flashlight app is no substitute for proper
reflective gear and safety lights, but it came through in a pinch and definitely made me feel better.


Help me reach my goal for the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day!

Breast Cancer 3-Day Training: The Shoes

Friday, May 1, 2009

I'm not structurally sound. I think my hips rotate too far inward. If I stand with my feet parallel and bend my knees, my knees come together. If I turn my feet out slightly then bend my knees they go straight parallel to one another. I have a deep arch in my back that bypasses sexy approaching swayback. One hearty sneeze can tweak my back for days.

For a few months in college I went to a chiropractor who told me one leg is slightly shorter than the other (I think it was bullshit but he was totally hot and I was covered under my mom's insurance). I walk on the outside of my heels and I have wonky ankles (they pronate, badly). I'm skelatally challenged. I knew there was no way I could skip getting professionally fitted for shoes for my 3Day walk.

Through the 3Day website I found an outfitter near me. I went several weeks ago to get my first pair of shoes. Before now I chose athletic shoes mostly by price. But, I'll be walking 60 miles and this is not the time to be frugal. Getting professionally fitted for shoes can be the difference between a few blisters and lost toenails.


I tried on several pairs and had Bill and Caroline watch me walk in each of them. I needed a shoe with major heel and arch support to keep my wonky ankles stable and support my lower back.

I chose a pair of Brooks. So far they're working out well. I walked five miles this past Monday and hope to do five and half the next time I go out.

Bill and Caoline gave me a few tips for anyone starting training:

1. Find out if the shoe you choose changes styles. Some brands change a shoe from year to year. What worked for you last time might not feel the same later.

2. Get shoes at least a full size larger than your actual size. I hate seeing my feet looking like skis but 60 miles of the tips of my toes rubbing against the inside of my shoes is a surefire way to have the nails on my big toes start to bleed and then fall off. Vanity has no place in training!


3. Shoes with a larger toe box give your toes room to spread and minimize friction. Plus, if you start getting blisters there's room for the tape and moleskin.

4. Buy synthetic socks. I didn't know there was a difference but Bill explained that cotton absorbs the sweat but stays wet. Which creates a sauna in your shoe that will take a long time to dry. Plus: stinky! Ideally walkers should wear one pair Friday, switch on Saturday and go back to the first pair on Sunday.

There's no turning back now!


Help me reach my goal for the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day!

Please support me in my fund raising efforts. Click the widget to donate or go to my personal page.

2008 San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day Day 3 Pictures

Monday, November 24, 2008

I'm still on a high from the weekend. Mom says the walk is like a religious experience and I can see why. I can't yet put into words how great it was to volunteer and be "behind the scenes."

Seeing the walkers and crew members come in for the final stretch was so inspiring. I was handing out their Victory shirts and the single long-stemmed pink roses that Pro Flowers provides every year.


As the walkers passed through the Victory
tent, the crew received grey shirts, walkers got white and survivors, pink. My table was right next to where the survivors picked up their shirts. It was very hard not to be in tears all day.

Seeing that pile of pink shirts grow smaller throughout the day was both heartbreaking and celebratory. If I had the privilege of handing a rose to a survivor I bowed and said "congratulations" which definitely had more than one meaning.

(She was limping so badly her friends had to help keep her standing)

One woman stopped for her shirt and her team had her pose for a photo. One second she was smiling and laughing and the next she was sobbing. They wrapped her in a group hug and they all cried together. I felt a bit like a voyeur. Even surrounded by thousands of people it was such an
intimate moment.

I also got to be there when they announced that the last wa
lker was about to come in. I saw her Saturday and honestly thought she was a homeless person taking advantage of the sweets and other things being passed out along the route.

When the announcement came out that she was on her way in, every walker there cheered and moved forward to try and get her picture. She was brought in with a police escort and when she stopped to put on her shirt she was in tears. As were so many others. She posed for photos and I gave her the entire bundle of flowers I was holding.


The official statistics haven't come out but I heard there were between 4,500-5,000 walkers this year and they raised just over $11 million dollars.


My mom is already committed to walking again next year. She may or may not stop after her tenth which she really wants to do in either San Francisco or Denver.



These ladies were not allowed to walk since they are currently undergoing their chemo treatments. They are both in their 20's.

I will definitely be out there again next year and I hope you will too. And like I mentioned in my first post, when the walkers take off one shoe and lift it high as the survivors enter The Survivors Circle, it gets me, every time.


Way to go mom! You rock!

Read about the other two days of the walk: Day 1, Day 2

2008 San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day Day 2 Pictures

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Mom has blisters. Actually, she has five. Today is going to be tough. But I know she can do it.



Passing out gum, mints and baby wipes.


Some people are so clever with their tent decorations and team names. This is the Boobs Farm Whinery. There were two bottles of Boone's wrapped in pink on the ground.


The Remembrance Tent. One small tent for each city that hosts the walk. The San Diego tent is showcased in the larger tent along with photos of people who have recently passed and journals to leave a message to a loved one.


This woman has raised more money total for Komen than any other walker (click to her website, I don't want to give it away but prepare to have your socks knocked off). She gets to sleep in a special tricked out tent sponsored by New Balance.


Overheard: "I'm fine as long as I keep moving."

"If I stop now every muscle in my body will freeze up. I won't even be able to smile."



This is part of Main Street. There is a post office, store for buying merchandise, a tent for bingo, free foot massages and samples.


The walkers come through this area lined with flags as they finish for the day and head into camp. Other walkers stay to cheer them in, there's loud, upbeat music and bottled waters.


Read about the other two days of the walk: Day 1, Day 3
 
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