Mamma Jamma # 3

It's that time of year again!  On October 27th I will participate in my third Mamma Jamma Ride as a rider. The Mamma Jamma ride means so much to me.  It's such a sense of community, a great way to honor those touched by cancer and to remember those we've lost to it.  It's knowing that one person can make a difference.  The funds will help people deal with cancer whether directly or indirectly.  I've met such amazing people in the training ride and have found a love for cycling.  Lucky for me I've found a cardio exercise that I can compromise for the bad knee and having to give up jogging.  I just rode 25 on a windy and hilly Palmer on Sunday so I should be doing the 45 miles as long as my knee continues to feel good.  Anyway, below is what is on my fund raising page.  Please consider donating, really even $5 helps.  

Mamma Jamma Kick Off Party in May

 
This is why I ride
Thank you so much for visiting my page!

I was diagnosed at 28 on November 16, 2005 with breast cancer. Getting cancer at a young age was the best and worst thing to happen to me. I feel fortunate that I "get it" at a young age about the meaning of life. However, there is a sense of sadness how cancer takes away a part of your innocence. I'm doing this ride in memory of three sweet fallen sisters: Becky Davis, Shannon Iezzi-Watson, Alison Thibert and others that we have lost along the way.

I've been so fortunate to meet amazing survivors that have helped me through this difficult journey. The BCRC and Pink Ribbon Cowgirls made this experience a little less frightening and lonely. Survivorship is also something else to deal with. Having a network of breast friends makes a world of difference. Who better else to "get it" than the people that also experienced it?

The 9 other organizations that this ride supports are also wonderful. I've been fortunate to do some training with Team Survivor and have worked with Wonders and Worries to help out the children in our group.

Any contribution helps! Please consider volunteering, riding or making a donation. Even a $5 donation helps!
2009:  I was a volunteer getting inspired to ride by the amazing riders. 

2010:  I caught the bug and rode 72 miles at Mamma Jamma in 6 hours on my mountain bike. It was hot and humid but the amazing volunteers and the purpose of the ride carried with me throughout the ride.

2011:  I rode 42 miles on my road bike but only trained for the 27 miles.  My knee feels great thanks to my PT! Many thanks to all the volunteers and those that made this ride possible.

2012:  I'm hoping to ride 42 miles again this year. 

Much love,
Runi

Advocacy and Washington DC

I attended the NBCC 2012 Annual Advocacy Summit in early May.  I do a great deal of work with patient advocacy and to raise funds and awareness but my work with advocacy is limited to signing on to petition and my involvement with the case against gene patenting.

Marj and I (it was VERY windy)

NBCC's goal is to end breast cancer in 2020 by focusing on what causes cancer, creating a vaccine and/or focusing on breast metastasis.  On lobby day the Texan group spoke to our Texas Representative to get those of them that have not already signed on to the HR 3077, the Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act.  I attended five sessions and we spoke with the assistance each time.  One of the five were real receptive and it was promising for those who didn't sign on to sign on.  Our work paid off because to this date, we have 14 of 32 Texas members of the US House of Representatives to sign on.

Thanking a Representative for signing on already

Supreme Court

Being at the Advocacy Summit, participating in lobby day and sitting inside the Supreme Court really resonated that to me that one person can make a difference in this word.  It took one person's vision and passion to create an avalanche of change.  All the strides, all the clinical trials, all the medical advances are because of people that voiced their opinion and made things happen. 

My goal is to continue to make a difference each day but I'm much more hungry to find a way to make a lasting impact. Photos to come

Sue and I

Shala and I

Also, talk about small world!  I was able to meet up with a dear friend in that lives in Albuquerque but was in DC with her students!  I was also able to meet up with an old high school friend that lives in DC!  My trip to DC was very memorable for many reason.  Geez DC really needs to have more museums and things to see and do.

Why do I do the work that I do?

If I ever doubted why I do the work that I do, Saturday night at Art Bra Austin confirmed why I do what I do.   The clip above is less than 30 seconds long but this was Art Bra Austin in a nutshell. It captures the courage, beauty and sisterhood of these magnificent ladies.

Why was the evening so meaningful?  So many of my clients were there and thanked me for all my help or all the help of our organization.  We saw many doctors there supporting us, supporting the work that we do.  We had a large number of volunteers that were either clients or they love our mission work.  Some of our volunteers were there since 8 am until 11pm or even midnight!

 

This is the last video that I finally uploaded.  It still makes me cry each time I see it.  So THIS is why I do the work that I do.

I leave you with a picture of Dr. H and I. She is wearing 5 inch heels that actually matches my dress.  I don't know how she does it.  I'm also wearing wedge heels in this photo too, though you can't see them.  Isn't she the most fashionable and cutest?   Also, I haven't forgotten to blog about DC, that's next! 

Happy Mother's Day and My Last Visit with Dr. H

Happy belated Mother's Day!  The above picture was taken two years ago celebrating my youngest nephew's belated 4th birthday.  

As promised, I need to write up an update regarding my last office visit with Dr. H.  It pertains to Mother's Day so I saw it fitting to write about it today.

I saw her end of March since I've graduated to every six months follow-up.  I got off of Tamoxifen end of July and have been without treatment since.  Sleep and sorts were rocky the first few months but it makes sense since I was on Tamoxifen for so long.

I'm 10 months post Tamoxifen and I initially asked Dr. H if I could take a year off of treatment.  The key word is initially.  I'm finally starting to feel "normal," whatever normal is post treatment and now 35.  :)  I opened up the visit with her asking about children.  I don't know if that is an option in my future since I'm 35 and I'm single.  I'm pretty confident after the last FORCE conference and talking to the big breast cancer gurus that I'm not BRCA+.  I don't know if I want children but I don't know if I don't want children either.  I always thought one would be nice and two at the most.  I thinking meeting the one would make it a no brainer.  I don't foresee myself being a single mom since I'm uncertain if I would be able to be a good mom doing it by myself.  Besides her fab shoes Dr. H is always known for her one liners.  She leaned into me when I told her about being uncertain about being a single mom and told me, "Aren't we all single moms?"  In case you didn't know, her husband is also an oncologist and was probably in the office next door to us.  They have two boys.  :)

Anyway, she agreed that I could be off of treatment until I decide not to have children or until I was done having children.   She wants to to see the good folks at MD Anderson to be cautious.  (There is a back story to them also but not so important to add right now.)  So I'm thinking 39/40 the latest as my cutoff.  If not, adoption is always a possibility.

As for routine screenings, we're going to forgo the MRI since I'm allergic to the gadolinium and we're going to forgo the CT to minimize the radiation.  I will have a bilateral chest ultrasound this year and we'll decide about next  year when it comes.

Checking in on My Goals for 2012

As a reminder, my goals back in January:  
1. Guitar class
2. Cruise of Western Caribbean
3. DC for a conference and to meet up with an old friend that I haven't seen since 1997. (Never been to DC either)
4. Swim in 6 feet pool
5. Get my braces off!
6. Complete my professional development hours to renewal my teaching certificate
7. Get accepted to Project Lead

As of May 11, 2012 I can successfully check off 3 of my 7 goals:
1.  Went on my cruise and saw the most amazingly clear and beautifully blue water
2.  Just got back from DC and am energized to do more.  Lobby Day was an interesting experience but it was being surrounded by fellow advocates, the Supreme Court and other historical markers that made me realize that one person can make a difference.
3.  My braces came off the end of March!

Chitchen Itza-One of the new 7 wonders of the world.  My sweet roomie is in the back in the pink hat. 

San Francisco Beach @Cozumel

Last day out at sea and I got to witness the beautiful sunset

Where I'm at with the rest:
1.  I start my 1st of 4 guitar lessons on Monday.  I'm uncertain how much I'll learn in 4 lessons since I'm so musically decline.  Yes, I'm not using the word correctly but it really is the opposite of incline. But I might surprise myself and sing and play Smelly Cat beautifully after my 4 classes!
2.  I've done some swimming this year but not in the 6 feet pool.  Part of the reason is that I realized that I'm allergic to chlorine or some cleaning agent.  I used to think it was because I was swimming in an outdoor pool but I've only been swimming in indoor pools and have had massive sneezing attacks and red itchy eyes afterwards.  My sure how successful I'll be with this goal.  Stay tune!
3.  I've started working on my professional development so I'm pretty confident I'll be able to renewal my teaching certificate by the time it expires later this year.
4.  I have my forms for Project Lead so I'm in the process of applying for it.  To be continued!

Don't think this Iron Chef needs an introduction.  He was hilarious!  For the first time in 16 years I ate pork and beef over the weekend.  Detox was need after that weekend.

Spent time with Mary Ann and Summer at Food and Wine Festival.  We dined at Uchiko too. (Notice how I'm braces free and sporting my Zooey bangs)

How lucky and I to then turn around and see Michelle, Justin, Brooke and Brock.  (Brock was running around)

I have more to add and more pictures to post but this will have to be enough for now.  April and May were a whirlwind of activities and special surprises.  I also need to recap my last visit with Dr. H.  So more to come in my next post.

Those of us that are left behind

I've been putting this off for a while now but I think it's time to write about it. Sammy ended his journey on Earth and continued on into Doggie Heaven on February 7, 2012. I always say that it's those of us on Earth that suffer the most when someone passes. Sammy is at peace but we are the ones that mourn for our lost. The above picture of him back in the summer of 2004. I decided that I wanted to include a picture of him when he was full of energy and healthy because the last few years were difficult to see him slow down and to see his health decline. We tend to only remember the difficult and sad things in life so I'm trying to remember the wonderful things.

Sammy was given the nick name of 99.9% for a reason. It was .1% human corruption or he would have been perfect. I'm getting very emotional as I write this so I'll end that he was like a child to me. He was my chemo dog. He was there for me when I was down in the trenches in life. He was my teddy bear. He was my pillow. He was my green drinking dog. He was my sweetheart. He was my smiles. He had a heart of gold. He will be dearly missed and will forever have a special place in my heart.

2012 Update

It's already March and I've been delinquent on my blog. I'm 37 days away from my cruise. My cabin mate is a 31 year old stage IV and active in the cancer world. I'm excited to get to know her. When I get back an old friend from ABQ is coming in for the Food and Wine Festival. Let the glutinous feasting continue!

Another big announcement, drum rolls please, 14 days until I get my braces off. Braces off before my cruise is going to be fabulous! I'm so excited! To celebrate their removal, I'm getting true bangs. My coworker suggested Zooey Dechanel bangs. If I get tired of them in my eyes I can can sweep them to the side.

I see Dr. H again in 12 days making it my first 6 month follow up...the longest since I've seen her. She's not going to like how I'm going to ask her for at least 2 years with no hormone inhibitor meds. I'm really thinking of asking her for 5 years making me meds free until 40. I've really been focused on diet on a way to control estrogen and I recently got back from a CAM conference that makes me really want to try it my way. I've done everything I was told to do conventionally so it's not as if I'm becoming an extremist. Of course I will be open minded and listen to her pour over the stats. I just would like to feel like a somewhat normal 35 year old again. More details after my visit with Dr. H.