October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Phew, what a month! October 12th was our 13th Annual Champagne Brunch at the Renaissance Hotel at the Arboretum. The theme was "Magical Moments." The event was a great success and I was able to invite Cara, her mom Julia and Shelley. This group is a huge supporter for me here in Austin in my roller coaster cancer journey and I wanted to share this event with them. The remembrance ceremony was very touching. Names and faces of those that passed away in our 13th year of existence scrolled on screen. Some of these women were in their 30's and one just passed away the weekend before. There were many magical moments that day. Julia won the Green Egg BBQ in a raffle...magical moment indeed! We were down about 6% from last year but it was probably due to the economy.

October 8th was not part of the "Pink" month but it's still cancer related. Planet Cancer asked two other young survivors and I to represent Planet Cancer at a gathering. Those that attended were supporters of Planet Cancer but we were there to let them know how Planet Cancer has benefited us. Of course I highlighted the fact that I get support from those that are my age because my personal job is to support others. Everyone there was very passionate about the cause.

October 13th was declared Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Austin. We had a tea at our main office for our metastatic survivors. Metastatic means the cancer has spread to a location beyond the initial starting point, in this case the breast, to another part of the body like the liver or brain. We had many women that were just newly diagnosed to those that have survived this for over five years! What warriors!

Bill Bastas compiled a book last year "The Smile Never Fades." I blogged about it how he lost his wife to breast cancer a few years ago. He's a photographer and decided to dedicate this live to raise money and awareness. I was in book one. Book two focused on cosurvivors and the survivor. I wrote a tidbit on my Pink Ribbon Cowgirls. Of course, my Cowgirls were all over that book. They are NOT shy at all! We had a wonderful time at Bill's book release party on October 15th. The atmosphere was wonderful. The music was fantastic. The food was delicious and the love was tremendous! Below is a presentation of what it means to have encountered the BCRC and PRC:

October 21st was Shop for a Cure. A fellow Cowgirl wanted to raise money for the BCRC so she invited vendors like Pampered Chef, Arbonne, MissBevery Designs, etc to sell their products. A percentage of the proceeds goes to BCRC and women can have fun and get a head start on holiday shopping. Another fellow Cowgirl is coming out with a book soon. I'll be sure to post the info on here. It's about a single thirty something year old with cancer. She's calling it Off the Rack. She has a great logo for it and I had to purchase one of her shirts of course! I'm just doing my part for the economy.


October 25th was the LiveStrong 5K. I walked with a small group of Pink Ribbon Cowgirls this year. This is my third time as a survivor participating and race day is always so electrifying and full of warmth as you see thousands of people out there participating for their loved one.

Komen sponsored many events too. I usually participate in more but this month was wonderful but tiring. One big event that I do with Komen is Race for the Cure. It's November 2nd and I'm team captain for team Pink Ribbon Cowgirls. We had over 60 participants last year. I think we're coming close this year. So far my team is in the top 100 for raising the most money. This event is always so special...it amazes me that I participated twice before I was diagnosed. This will be my fourth time participating but my third time as a survivor.