Time to RELAY

YAY!!! It's time to RELAY! Tonight is the American Cancer Society Gentry County Relay for Life in Stanberry and I am bubbling with excitement! It is one of my favortist events of the year. My girls call it "Sashy's Walk". But, tonight, I will be PROUDLY walking that Survivor Lap with my Big Sister in our purple survivor shirts.

I probably should apologize for my lack of posts to my blog spot, but it is true...I have been CELEBRATING and I am not sorry for that! I finished my radiation treatments on April 2nd, which was the Friday before Easter. Timing is everything and it was great to also Celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior that same weekend. For me, it was truly a celebration about LIFE. I had an appointment with Dr. AJ on April 15th, and he gave me instructions to "put my boxing gloves away" because my FIGHT IS OVER! I was elated to hear those words. Brings tears and emotion still today...IT IS OVER! I saw Dr. Silva in Omaha on May 6th, and his nurse said, "What? No boxing gloves?!?" Dan told her I had permission to put them on the shelf and she simply beamed! She was proud to be a part of my fight as well! She told us that Dr. Silva had used my Boxing Glove Story as the introduction in some of his presentations and speeches. Dr. Silva had a couple residents with him and was providing them the background on my case and looked at me and asked if this had been 2 years of hell? I quickly responded that I was not sure I could have handled 2 years of HELL and that it had only been 9 months since my diagnosis. It is truly amazing what can happen in less than a year.

As I prepare for the Relay tonight, I vividly remember last year's Relay. I was in one of the best "places and spaces" of my life. Dan and I had celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary in St. Croix just weeks before. I had signed up for the Cancer Prevention Study the week before at the Buchanan County Relay (silly me...didn't even think about receiving a breast cancer diagnosis weeks later)! The night of the Relay, I was able to bond with my cousin and we shared life's perspectives. Lisa, Kim, and I kept our Relay team on the track until 6AM. Here I am a year later...in complete amazement! I didn't know so much could happen in one simple year!

One year of ups and downs, tears of suffering and joy, busy yet exhausting schedule, and appointments upon appointments with various physicians. I literally had ONLY 2 weeks between July 24, 2009, and April 2, 2010, that I did NOT see a doctor or receive a treatment. That is crazy! I could not have survived without the committed support from family, friends and co-workers. I will be thinking of all of you tonight as we walk and raise awareness.

Praying for the CURE!