Quabog Relay For Life - Honorary Chair - Survivor Speaker - MY NOTES

 I am honored to be the Honorary Chair of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Quabog Valley in Belchertown, MA.  Here are my notes for my speech from last night.  :)


My COMMUNITY

Relay is about a community that takes up the fight - the fight against cancer.   

This is my community - and I want to thank you all for being here and taking up the fight, the fight against this terrible disease that affects so many and raising the dollars for the advancements in cancer research that make the treatments possible for so many like me to survive cancer.   

The FIGHT

I have been fighting for this disease as staff for the American Cancer Society for more than 15 years, but never knew what all this really meant until last year --- it was at this Relay --- I was taking photos of the teams, the survivor lap, the smiling faces of all of you walking the track -- fighting cancer in our community.  

I HAVE CANCER  
Then that next week that in Dr. Levheim's office just around the corner from here ---  she told us that it looks like I have cancer.  I was hearing those words "YOU HAVE CANCER".  We left the office armed with appointments, doctor recommendations, insurance follow up, and onward, fighting like so many stories I had heard from cancer survivors at Relay.  It was scary, no fun at all to say the least.  After going to Mass General for a specialist opinion and Cooley Dickinson for my PET scan we had a diagnosis and a plan.  We were going to fight this thing - stage 4 diffuse large B cell lymphoma - and the prognosis was good.  4 months of chemo, 3 trips to Boston - a nasty treatment of methatrexate….. Lost my hair, decided to go blonde, endured the drugs, the side effects making the most out of each and every day…. .    The PET scan in November showed something more and the docs said the best route was to remove my spleen.  If I don't need it - take it!   The whole thing really did slow me down mind you…. But I still ran the Chicago marathon in October (2/3 through treatment) and then Boston (6 weeks after spleen removal)…  looking back it sounds like a whirl wind!  My friends called me Wonder Woman and I have the photos of me in costume!

  
“No one can hold you back from doing all the things you want to do.  Just keep your goals in sight, listen to your body and take one day at a time.  Some days will be better than others, but every day is a blessing. - so make each day the best it can be. " 
  

  
CELEBRATE

Now - it hasn't been a year yet, but no cancer is showing on my latest scans

Time to celebrate life - I am here to celebrate with all of you...

Celebrate with my caregivers - my amazing sweet husband, my fun loving active 10 year old son, riding motorcycles with our son Stephen & Samantha now living in Boston
It IS all about HOPE... and once you have HOPE 
you can share HOPE and if you inspire others, they can in turn inspire you." 

Let's Relay!  

Mass Appeal - TV segment

I was recently asked to appear on Channel 22 Mass Appeal, a daytime show that highlights human interest stories and events.  We were promoting Relay For Life upcoming events for Hampshire County and Quabog Region.  I met Madelyn, who is the co-chair of the Northampton event in the waiting area.  It was pretty interesting meeting the highlighted events, promotions and watching the 3 stages set up as the cameras moved from one area to the other while the co-hosts bounced between stages.

Seth Stutman was our host that would be interviewing us and Ashley was the other host that was doing other pieces.  They were a cute pair -- funny, energetic and happy!  :)  Seth was hilarious and had a great sense of humor.  We played right along.  Soon it was our time to get in the couches and miked up near the end of the show.  Below I share the link / imbed the video for you to see.  I think it went well, and I look pretty good (my hair is getting longer - yay!)  Check it out!

Relay for Life in Western Mass: wwlp.com

A photo from the set where they were showing recipes raising money for Girl Scouts "Fork it Over"

 A great photo of Madelyn and I at the station :)

"HOPE" for Relay For Life Fight Back Ceremony

I wrote this for a Relay that I could not appear in person.  They asked me to write my story in order to present it at their "Fight Back" Ceremony.  I wrote it in 3rd person.  Hope you like it.     :) Please leave a message if you stop by! 







Hope.

It IS all about HOPE... and once you have HOPE 
you can share HOPE and if you inspire others, they can in turn inspire you."

  These words are from a woman in Western Mass, a woman that I heard speak last fall when she was in the middle of treatment for Stage 4 diffuse large Bcell lymphoma.  Her words rang loud and clear for all of us in the room at this special Relay For Life Summit. 
She shared her experience of hearing those words… “you have cancer” She shared the experience of her treatment, her fantastic doctors & nurses She shared how she finds strength, in people like you and me, people that Relay, people that care enough to fight back against cancer and support the mission of the American Cancer Society.   

We support our cancer survivors in our community.
This woman, Nancy, in the fall she ran the Chicago marathon 2/3 of the way through treatment in a Wonder Woman costume with a time of 3:57.  That was amazing!  But was more amazing is the inspiration she has given to others that are surviving cancer, caregivers to those survivors and to all those that may hear those words… “you have cancer”  Then after the possibility of more cancer they removed her spleen at the end of February.  She ran the Boston Marathon 6 weeks after that surgery this past April.  The results were negative.  They didn’t find cancer in her spleen.  What a crazy year enduring what she likes to call “The Toughest Marathon of My Life” Look the beast in the eye.  Focus on what makes you strong.  Endure.   Her word rang out again…

“No one can hold you back from doing all the things you want to do.  Just keep your goals in sight, listen to your body and take one day at a time.  Some days will be better than others, but every day is a blessing. - so make each day the best it can be. "

Today & tomorrow we are Sharing hope.  Feeling hope.  Spreading hope.   When you Relay you are in a field of hope.  

What do you hope for?   Quality of life?  
Better treatments?  A cure for cancer? Look around.  That is what we all hope for at Relay. 

We celebrate life. 
We remember those we have lost 
We fight back to find a cure. 
Creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Thank you for being here, for making a difference in the fight against cancer, for making this day and every day the best it can be. 

Are you ready? 
Let’s Relay!

UTC East Hartford Relay For Life - "I am a survivor!"

Steve and I traveled to East Hartford on Saturday for the United Technologies East Hartford Relay For Life.  This is the second corporate Relay that UTC has hosted, sponsored and provided support in volunteers, location & overall support.  We were able to attend last year's event and take photos & attend the dinner for the survivors and caregivers.  It was an amazing and beautiful celebration.

This year, I have been having a couple slow weeks, recovering from treatment and new side effects with Methatrexate that have just been making me so tired and unmotivated.  I got the great news from Wendy last week that UTC Relay was above goal and raised more than $100K.  Their team numbers are up and we were expecting a great weekend.  Terry, Carson & Turner came to visit to go to a Motocross National Competition in Southwick, MA -- so we headed to the UTC event in the morning as they traveled to the event.

First when we got there I brought Steve over to the Survivor Registration tent.  It was with pride that I filled out the registration and got the huge smiles and congratulations from the volunteers.  I got my first PURPLE tshirt with the word "survivor" on it.  Steve said "we aren't done with chemo yet"....  my reply "I lived another day..... I am a survivor"  :)  And YOU are my Caregiver -- the best one ever!  I helped him on with his sash, and he helped me with mine.  Pretty special moment, hard to explain the feeling but it was truly such an honor.  Then at the Opening Ceremonies I do my usual with the camera, catching as many faces and emotions of the event as possible.  :)  But now with my survivor sash -- people were smiling at me with warmth and care.  It was "different" than before, they were all connecting with me.  If they were a survivor, caregiver and all those around because that is why they are here, to celebrate survivorship and to honor those they may have lost.  It was amazing.

So we walked the "Lap" -- I took photos of people SMILING - HAPPY - CELEBRATING!  I took photos and walked on the outside to the front and then back on the outside on the other side of the track.  People must have thought I was crazy with my fancy camera bouncing all around the lap!  :)  It makes me laugh thinking about it.  Watching Steve's smile and love always fuels me, like I am not crazy, but just that I am me, and I continue to be me.  The one thing that I noticed more than ever was the support of the caregivers around their survivor.  The 2 girls in pink were so cute --- they laughed and smiled -- "SHE is my caregiver!"  :)  It was all around you - the love and caring people have for eachother.  And I can relate to them in my own way of being a cancer survivor, although all cancers and treatments are different, it is an experience that all these people have faced, and won, or are still fighting.  It truly made me proud.

From the lap all the survivors and caregivers got on air conditioned transit buses and were driven to the top executive level where you can overlook the football field at Rentschler Field.

 It was a beautiful setting with lots of windows.  It was a catered yummy luncheon with strawberry shortcake for dessert.  :)
The survivor speaker recently had moved to this area and was a friend of one of the committee members.  She had participated in the Virginia Beach Relay (One of our top Relay events in the country!) and she was so excited to be invited because she wouldn't miss a Relay.  Her speech was short and sweet, poignant and clear.  She is a SURVIVOR.  She celebrates because SHE IS HERE.  She fights because the gene she has for breast cancer could be passed down to her beautiful daughters and potentially her son's children.   I wish I could remember all her words, because it was so well said --- and it meant so much to me.  I don't know if I hear all these words differently because I have cancer, or she was just so great (I think it is for BOTH reasons)--- She encouraged us all to talk to eachother, share our stories, offer support and be strong.   I have a great photo of her and her family below.  Such a sweet woman and a great family.  I felt truly blessed to hear her speak that day.

  So great to see friends and colleagues.  I had the opportunity to speak with Don Gudaitis, the NE Division CEO - he has been so supportive since my diagnosis, offering any assistance...  and we also were able to stop by their table and speak to the CFO of UTC -- it was so nice to hear Steve tell the story from the beginning with pride to Don and the CFO.  I really enjoyed talking to the CFO's wife (so sorry I forgot their names --- can I blame chemo brain? :)) She was so caring and just really great to talk to....  It was a very special experience all around.  

We gave hugs to all those we met at the luncheon - "real hugs" of care and concern and hope.  It was truly HOPE full to be in that room with all that inspiration all around.  I walked up to the woman speaker and asked her if she had wrote her speech down, it was that good -- told her she really needs to write it.  I was inspired by her words.  I can make a difference.  She is making a difference, and all those there will go out and make a difference too.  We got a beautiful purple flower centerpiece from the center of the table and walked out smiling ear to ear.  

When we went back to the Relay, we decorated my luminaria bag, played a little football, entered a raffle (or 2 or 3..... :)) One was for these handmade wooden replica helicopters, so beautiful!  It was a fantastic event and it was so great outside rather than inside to enjoy the fresh air and get some really great photos of the participants walking the track, (although being in the airplane hanger last year was awesome too).  

 We got to spend some time with Wendy and her beautiful family (I got some great impromptu family portraits) and wish Schuyler was there with us to experience it all - because he LOVES Relay and all the fun and happy people that are there.  I am sharing a link to all the photos I took from Saturday -- hope you enjoy them.  I will remember this Relay in my heart as my first Relay as a survivor --- it will truly be a special one for me --- as all 5000 plus Relays mean something to all those that participate.  If you haven't been to a Relay, please consider finding a Relay in your area and sign up, join or start a team...  it is something you can do to make a difference, to so many of those of us with cancer and for our future of finding a cure.  

We will have our Cub Scout team again this year --- already working on promoting it early and planning our fundraising for the year!  At that time it will be one full year of cancer survivorship for me and I will definitely be celebrating!

Celebrate.  Remember. Fight Back.  

Link on the photo below for the whole set of photos that I took that day.  All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

Thank you for stopping by --- Please please please leave a comment if you can.  Thanks for thinking of me and supporting me through this journey.  Remember to celebrate life everyday.....