I think this was the best Race for the Cure yet!

I had such an awesome weekend. It started when I went to the doctor on Friday and together we decided that I was finished with the injections and was ready to move forward with the surgery for the implants. When we walked out that door Arnold and I just looked at each other and smiled because we both knew, it was answered prayer. We were both dreading Friday because we thought that I would have the injection and then not be feeling well for the Race on Saturday. I really felt like I could run the race right then, but Arnold was not too excited about me doing that. Then on Friday night we finally had the chance to go out and see the movie "Fireproof" which is an excellent movie.

On Saturday, I was so excited to be able to be going out to the Race. Not just because I was feeling well and was able. I was excited that my sister, Sheilia would be out there for the first time and my niece, Heather and my sister's two step-daughter's, Melissa and Jessica who lost their mother to breast cancer when they were only three and four. I was excited that I had the largest team I have ever had and a lot of them had not participated in an event like this before. It was impossible for us to get everyone together for a team photo and I was a little bit disappointed about that but I think I still got photos of most everyone (see the slide show). My sister-in-law, Anna did a great job capturing it all! I so appreciated everyone that came out even if I didn't get to spend a lot of time with you just the fact that you were there meant a lot to me.

Then yesterday was Lord's day and I was blessed to hear a great sermon on marriage. Jim gave us homework (which Arnold and I completed). I was able to stay for class for the first time since the surgery. Then we were able to have lunch with two very special people who have been struggling in their marriage for a while. I was able to share what Arnold and I have gone through recently with them as well as some women on Saturday. In March Arnold and I will celebrate our twenty-third wedding anniversary. One thing we have learned is leave whatever has happened in the past and move on. We are so thankful for the time we get to spend together and if you were in our shoes would you treat each other any different?

Then as we were driving home Sommer called. That is the only thing that was missing Saturday. I was so blessed when two of her old high school buddies came up to me and said that they wanted to be part of the race and could they join our team and walk with us. Sommer is right where she needs to be. I must admit I would love to have done what she is doing. She has been in nine states in the last ten days learning more about the bible, fellowship with other Christians and reaching out to the communities they visit. She was excited to see Andrew Gearhart in Alabama and Chris Perry in Dallas. She was not too excited that the bus broke down and they were stranded in Dallas. Looks like classes were cancelled today, so she will be able to get some sleep before the new semester starts tomorrow. I was exhausted when I got home yesterday and feel pretty tired still but am thankful for such a great weekend.

One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes, and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the United States

One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes, and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the United States..it could be you..your wife, your daughter, your mother. One more woman is too many!

This is going to be my 8th time participating in the Race for the Cure. I first got involved back in 2001 when we ran at Woodward Park. I was so thrilled to be able to run a race when I had just finished chemotherapy the year before. Then the next year they moved the race to Fresno State, I think it was because it had grown so much. The year that I first got involved I thought it was nice that they called all of us survivors onto the stage and they had a song playing and we all held hands. There was such a bond, we had all experienced those ugly words "you have cancer" and lived to be here on stage as a survivor. I continued to run the race every year after that because it helped my healing to be involved in something with some sort of purpose. I am not sure when I started wanting to put together a team. The awareness has grown thanks to events like Komen. If you go out on Saturday and see the survivor ceremony you will see we don't all fit on the stage at the same time, there is a long line of us. I believe it is because we are finding the cancer earlier and we are surviving! We have so much more research that needs to be done. I believe that prevention is going to be the cure. We are going to discover where it comes from and be able to prevent it rather than having to treat with poisons.

This year when I found out that I was having surgery about a month before the race I thought I would just skip it this year. Then people were asking if I was forming a team this year and not wanting to let anyone down I said yes. Honestly, I still was thinking that I was not going to participate. Then I was looking at pictures one day of my daughter, Sommer and my nieces Heather, Sierra, Hanna and it hit me I have to do something! I don't want them to have to suffer like I have or like my mother, Joan has. I must step up and take responsibility and do my part in helping find the cure. You see I discovered that I have the breast cancer gene. Why was it me? why was I the one that they discovered it in? It has probably been passed on for generations. There has to be some responsibility for me in that. Statistics say that only 5-10% of cancers are inherited. So because they say it is such a small amount it seems the focus of breast cancer awareness is on the ones that are not inherited. I believe that we are going to discover it is much higher than 5-10%. The reason why I believe this is because most of us don't know our family histories and when we are diagnosed one of the first questions that they ask is if you have a family history. I was asked that and I said no. Because I did not know that I did until I had to look back to find out if there was a strong family history. I was so surprised that we had cancer on both sides of the family. How come I never knew this? How come no one ever talked about cancer? I don't want my life to be about cancer but I want to leave those family members that come after me my story that is why I am participating in events like the Komen Race for the Cure that is why I am sharing my very personal experiences with the world. I knew in being open about my experiences there would be emotional pain. I can tell you one thing that I have a very hard time with is the people that want to cry and tell me how unfair things are the ones that I am sure they don't do it on purpose (at least I hope not) bring you down. I absolutely love those of you that encourage me every time I see you. Those of you that are showing your support by helping raise breast cancer awareness. Please don't pity me. I am no different than I was before you knew that I survived cancer, before you knew that cancer has taken parts of my body that important to a woman. I am looking forward to when my daughter and my nieces can say "remember when there was cancer it was such a ugly disease . I am so glad it has been cured". Please join me in praying for the cure! You can still register for the Race on Saturday at Fresno State or you can just make a donation.

Register for the Race for the Cure

The race is on Saturday October 25th you can still take part. I am imagining a life for my daughter, my nieces and future generations without cancer. There is still a lot of research that needs to be done to accomplish this. The best that we have until a cure is found is early detection. Will you join me in spreading the awareness. You can register or make a donation to the Komen foundation on their website. Thank you.

KOMEN RACE FOR THE CURE