Pink Pic Monday

This Pink Pic Monday is dedicated to all the 3-Day walkers who have recently begun training for their walks and—with the arrival of Spring and sunshine—are planning for some nice, long, outside training walks. Take a lesson from me and don't forget your sunscreen!! 

Case in point:

In the words of Niblette: Owie.
...someone please pass the aloe!!

Yesterday I went to a Braves baseball game with @kscincotta and her hubs, and their friend JT. As we all piled into the car to head to the ballpark for a pre-game tailgate we were talking about our sunscreen. Everyone except me had already liberally applied their high-SPF sunscreen, and I had mine packed to put on. And I did...on my face, my arms, my legs and even feet (no silly shoe tan lines for me!). But as you can tell, I missed my neck. I thought I was doing so good until Kristen pointed out my bright pink neck. Then when I got home last night I noticed that a few of the folks in my Twitter feed had also imbibed in a little too much Vitamin D exposure and were lamenting their pain and overly pink skin tones.

So what does my ballpark burn and my Twitter feed have to do with my fellow 3-day walkers? Just this: There is more than one type of cancer my fellow Pink People! ...and when I say "Pink People" I mean Komen for the Cure Pink, *not* sunburn pink.

As 3-Day'ers we work hard every day to walk, fundraise, and raise awareness for breast cancer. But as our training season begins, in addition to our breast cancer statistics, please also remember this one: According to the CDC, Skin Cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US. In 2007, more than 58,000 people were diagnosed with melanomas of the skin, and 8,461 people died. Please remember those numbers and then liberally apply sunscreen and don't forget to reapply as needed.

In other words, be Pink!...not pink. (ow)

Happy walking Pink People!!
Love & Blessings-
Julie

Skin Cancer Prevention Tips from the CDC:
(source: www.CDC.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/prevention.html)
• Use sunscreen w/SPF 15 or higher and both UVA & UVB protection
   - Reapply if out in the sun more than 2 hours or you're swimming or sweating (hello walkers!!) 
   - Sunscreen expires & looses effectiveness when exposed to high temps. Check your bottles, and if in doubt, just buy new. 
• wear clothing to protect exposed skin
• wear a hat made from tightly woven fabric w/a brim all the way around to shade your neck. If you opt for a baseball cap, be sure to protect your ears and neck w/clothing or good slather of sunscreen. 
• wear sunglasses that wrap around & block as close to 100% of both UVA & UVB rays as possible 
• seek shade, especially during midday hours 

Pink Pic Friday

Yeah, so I hope I can get better at this regular blog post thing...especially the Pink Pic Fridays because they're just so darn fun! :-)

Today's entry: the fresh new design for Team Twitter Seattle. My teammate Nicole and I have come to the decision that the official Team food is ice cream. So I wanted to honor this most awesome bit of deliciousness in our team "logo". I hope you like!

Learn more about Team Twitter Seattle (or register to join the team!) at the3day.org/goto/teamtwitterseattle .

I need to extend some special thanks to some of the 3-Day Tweeps who graciously offered advice along the design process. Thanks to Nicole, Abby, Abbie, Laura, Pam, Kristen, Allie, and Paula. You girls rock!

If anyone can walk and talk ~ it's you Jules!

Jules~ once again well written and ditto! I don't mean to steal your words but yes, me too thus, I share this letter from another Girl Scout friend of mine. She is surviving making every day a new day. She is a retired teacher, a mom, a wife, a beautiful spirit and most importantly a SURVIVOR!! Walk with this story in your heart and fight on sister!
Val

Hello to Everyone,
Today was a CELEBRATION DAY! I have finished thirty-five radiation treatments. The last seven treatments were “booster” treatments to the scar area to zap any cancer cells left. (I don’t see how anything could be left.) Those of you who have had radiation know what it is like. My skin on my back, chest and under my arm is very red. Think of your worst sunburn ever and that pretty well tells you what my skin is like. Some skin has peeled and burned again and then peeled and burned again. I have a rash sort of like sun poisoning. It itches and burn cream helps that. (Thank goodness for Biafine.) There will be about 9-12 weeks total of burning. Dr. Sears told me today I will get a little more redder on my collar bone and chest before my skin starts to heal. The healing process should start in the next few weeks.

It will take a while before my energy level returns to “normal”. I do pretty well in the morning but I get very tired in the afternoons. Most days a short nap will perk me up and some days it takes a longer nap. I didn’t realize that some dizzy spells I have had can be caused by the radiation. The muscles at the back of my neck are sore also. I’m sure that is because of the burning. The nerve endings in my scar area will take quite a while to heal, up to a year. I hope not that long, because it feels like an electrical shock each time it happens. I know the effects of the chemotherapy may take up to a year to completely go away. Most of the terrible metallic is gone. Hopefully my hearing will return in my right ear. Right now, it is muffled. I am no longer wearing a wig. My hair is about an inch and a half long. Thank goodness for spring and warmer temperatures. I may be finished with chemo and radiation but the healing continues on.

A friend has told me there was a “ME” before cancer. There was another “ME” during treatments. And now there is still a “ME” for after treatments. The old “normal” is not the new “normal”. My body has gone through several big changes with the surgeries, chemo, and radiation. I will have to find out what a new “normal” feels like because the old normal is gone. For each cancer patient, that normal is not the same, nor does it happen in the same amount of time.

I am certainly not the same person I was before cancer. Cancer has a way of making you realize what is important and who is important in your life. Before cancer, a day was just another day. Now every day is a blessing. I am thankful for each sunrise because that means I get to live and love for another day. My birthday in February was very special. Last June when I got my diagnosis, I was not sure I would see another birthday. I may not have the most productive day every day, but I am aware of how special that day is. You can’t take your health for granted. Your health can change in a blink of an eye.Please get those mammograms and other needed tests as well as doing self exams. Who would have ever thought I would have breast cancer? I certainly didn’t.
From May 25th until today is almost ten months. What a war I have fought! It has not been just one battle, but many, many battles. Cancer is not something I would ever wish on my very worst enemy. However, I am grateful for the opportunity to have fought this fight. I have met some absolutely amazing men and women during this ten month time. They face cancer of all types and all stages with a smile and a determination to do whatever it takes to fight and win. I have heard young women and mothers with little kids and older women share their stories in the Locker Room as we get ready for our treatments. One thing we all have in common other than cancer is faith… faith in ourselves, faith in our doctors, faith in the technicians, and most importantly faith in God. I have been so fortunate to have had such remarkable and amazing doctors, nurses, technicians, schedulers, nurse navigators (who constantly checked on me), the supportive people at Cancer Services and the Susan G. Komen NC Triad affiliate. I have shared tears, words of encouragement, and glorious hugs with all of them. There is strength in numbers.
What has happened has happened. I can not change the past. I can only look forward to the future. WE don’t know what the future will bring. I have made the right decisions for me. I will have regular checkups every three months. April 13th is my next one. Hopefully if cancer rears its ugly head again, we can catch it in an early stage.
I can’t begin to thank family and friends for their support during this trying time. Steve and the girls have been wonderful. Steve didn’t miss a chemo or radiation treatment. He has spent so much time waiting for me to finish a doctor’s visit, a treatment, or just waiting for me to wake up from a nap. He has been so patient and kind. What else would you expect from “SUPER STEVE”!!! Becky and Julie, my sisters the nurses, went with me to doctors’ visits to take notes. The doctor talked but sometimes Steve and I didn’t hear what they were saying so it helped to have someone tell us later what we needed to know. Thanks for your phone calls, emails, and cards. They meant the world to us. To know you are thought of is a great soul warmer. The prayers you said helped in my cancer survival. For that I can never, ever thank you enough.
Barbara

I walk the Walk, but can I talk the talk?

I have a confession to make. I know very little about breast cancer.

First, this especially pitiful considering I took an entire class in college that focused strictly on breast cancer.

Tangent: Let me take this moment to apologize to my professor…who is a survivor. I am a horrible student of biology (a horrible student in general really, but let’s not go there), I have a terrible memory (probably why I’m a bad student?), and she deserved better than my forgetful butt in her class. But taking her class was one of my very early steps along my road to the 3-Day, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Second, as a 3-Day walker, I think that I should know better. And know more. I’m honestly embarrassed to admit that I don’t know anything beyond the “1 in 8 women will be diagnosed” statistic.

Here’s what’s been happening to make me go down this path. I work with a wonderful woman, Nancy, who has donated to my walks each and every year. On Monday, Nancy stopped at my desk and said, “Thank you for walking. One of my good friends just learned that she has breast cancer and I know that the work you do will save her life.” And then Nancy and I talked a bit about her friend…and this is where I think I may have failed Nancy. Because as she started talking about her friend’s diagnosis and what she was going through, I found myself faking my way through the conversation. Not because I didn’t want to have it, but because I didn’t understand the terms that Nancy was using.

Nancy said, “She is between stages 2 and 3.”  

And I thought, “Well is it 2 or 3? Can it be both? What do the stages really mean, anyway?”

Nancy said, “She saw the surgeon, and she’s going to have 18 weeks of chemotherapy, then the surgery, and then probably radiation. Why are they doing it in that order?”

I thought, “I have no idea.”

Nancy is literally coming to me for answers and I don’t have any. She knows I’m not a doctor…she’s not expecting me to spew information on research and facts and drugs. But she knows I’m a Walker, and so she expects that I should be able to talk to her about these basic things. And I don’t think it’s an unreasonable expectation.

Thankfully I have some very knowledgeable friends on twitter who were able to come to my rescue (thanks @kscincotta!) and now Nancy is feeling better. But I’m feeling pretty darn bad. I want to know more!

So, here's what I propose to do. I am going to try my hand at being a student again. I'm not going to register for any classes, but when I hear a story on the radio I'm going to go online and read more about it. When I get the Komen newsletters, I'm going to read all the stories. If I don't understand a word, I'll Google it, or I'll call on my Twitter friends to help me out again. And then I'll share with you what I learn.

I'm done being ashamed because I don't know it all. And I am going to stop knowing nothing. In this fight against breast cancer, knowledge is power. It's time to be powerful.

Pink Pic Friday

Pink Fever is upon me, so Pink (and especially 3-Day fundraising ideas) has begun to take over my random doodles. See this example from some quality doodle-time during a work training session Monday:

...yes, I know there's no pink in the photo. Work with me here.

My full-time job is as a graphic designer for a small financial institution. You know that direct mail piece you just recycled?...the newsletter you didn't read?...the debit card you just swiped? I design those things for a living. But when 3-Day season rolls around, my mind wants to forget about the Annual Report and focus on things that really allow my imagination to run wild: Pink Things. 3-Day Things!!!

I honestly got a little worried about the 3-day imagination pool around Thanksgiving. It had dried up, and I was afraid had emptied itself forever. Because no matter how much I wanted to be excited about 3-Day stuff, I couldn't seem to find the spark to get me going. And that lack of spark carried over into lack of drive to walk another 3-Day. Thankfully I snapped out of that (in January I finally registered for the Seattle walk) and then this week I finally got the spark to get back to designing 3-Day things. I don't know what those doodles will turn into, but I'm excited. I'm excited I got my Pink Spark back. I'm excited to walk Seattle and crew Atlanta this year.

I'm excited to play my part in finding a cure for breast cancer.

Welcome to the 2011 3-Day for the Cure season, everyone! Let's get this Pink Party started!

Blessings & Happy Thoughts to You-
Julie

p.s. Please excuse the dust around this here blog. I need to do a bit of spring cleaning to tidy the place up, so please bear with me.
Love-J

6 DAYS!!!

6 Days and Julie and I have both hit our minimum donations needs prior to the walk. I can't thank people enough for their support and continued donations, especially from those I don't even know or who don't know me very well. I continue being blessed by good fortune and amazing support. Thank you.

3 days and my journey south begins towards Atlanta, from there, on toward Tampa the following day. I have first day walking jitters already knowing the energy and excitement that awaits. Julie has already been stalking Atlanta walkers with Kristen this past weekend. It looks like they had great weather and a great turn out - $6.1 million raised in one weekend! Way to go Atlanta!

So, Jules, the "goo crack" and "pancake crack" is packed already. The Thorlos have arrived and a fresh container of body glide awaits for the feet. No worries - a fresh roll of hot pink duct tape has been prepped and packed as well. Folks, you have no idea what can be done with 3 Days, 60 Miles and 1 Roll of Duct Tape!

Hold on to your shoe laces Tampa, here we come!! Stay healthy, rest well this week. I'll be seeing you soon my dear walker stalker!
Val

Yikes . . . has a month really gone by?

26 DAYS!!! Yikes and all that!! 26 days until we walk. 26 days to collect $1200. 26 days until I see my long-time walking friend with whom I set out each year to solve all the world's problems in 3 days or less because we sure don't solve ours but we laugh a lot trying!! 26 days until I get to listen to Tinker Bell and the Fairy movie over and over and hope that your precious little girl loves it as much as I love giving it to her. 26 days until we see the Florida coast and wonder - what the heck were we thinking once again!?!? 27 days until I tell you I can't believe you talked me into this again (with a huge grin on my face and loving every minute of it despite what my body is telling me). 26 days until that first uncrustable and package of string cheese that sucks us in and keeps us snacking non-stop for 3 days. 26 days until we see what we believe at the time to be the largest sea of pink we've ever seen and don't believe we can take it all in during the opening ceremony. 26 days until that first flag raises to remind us who we remember, who we honor, and why we walk towards our future fighting every step of the way. 26 days until the bass of the music thumps so loudly you can't stand still and the energy of those around you carry you the first 20 miles. 26 days until that dry chicken sandwich for lunch and Mueller's pasta dinner; neither mattering much because we danced the first 10 miles at all the crosswalks and are ready to collapse into the hot shower after the second 10 miles. 26 days until we bring yearlong efforts all together for 3 days to culminate in an indescribable celebration only known and truly understood by those who have seen it or experienced it. 3 days. 60 miles. $2,300. I find myself in awe once again as that time draws near. The thousands of people. The cheering. The excitement. The fellowship. The smiles. The laughter. The tears. It's one big pink roller coaster on tennis shoes! Grab your sunscreen Jules!!

In the meantime, since my bags aren't quite packed yet - some of my weekend adventures gave me a hint of the pink fever. This past weekend Cindy and I walked the Women's Only 5K Walk here in Greensboro, NC. Quite exciting to see the turnout. It's obviously not as far as the 3 Day but venders, pink people, teams, supporters and there was even a small bicycle team as road support! Keep the warm wishes coming and feel free to throw your spare change this way.
Keep on truckin!