Getting There is Half the Battle

Well, my friends, I wanted to report that as of this weekend, I have logged in 106.5 miles of training walking. WHEW!!! This week Brian and I are committing to walk Monday - Friday for 3 miles each AM. Now here in Arizona, that equates to getting up everyday this week at 4:15 AM to ensure we are out the door no later than 4:45 AM. This past Saturday was heavenly. The weather was cool and half way through, there was a wonderful breeze. It was overcast the entire way and my 7.5 mile walk was way more tolerable. Keep those prayers coming. They are appreciated. I am just $1000 from my goal now and am trying to think of ways to get that accomplished as well as raising funds for Brian, Beckie and Lizzy. Yes, Brian has put in his registration to be an official part of the walk. He is out with me everytime I walk and on the rare occasions that I don't go, he is still out there. Way to go Brian. Beckie and Lizzy are getting their training done at different times to accommodate their schedules. We all need donations, though, so please help in any way you can. It is to help wipe out this horrible disease. Remember that "Everyone deserves a lifetime."

Walking like a Champ!

Hello Friends-
Well, I am DOING it. What is IT?? WALKING!!! I have been doing the official training set up by the Susan G. Komen site. Yesterday, my husband Brian and I walked 6 miles. It was great when we got to our half way point and said "Oh, we only have 3 more miles to go!" 6 months ago we would have said, "3 miles!!! YIKES" But here we are walking 6 miles and feeling very accomplished. Today we did 4 miles and felt like that was nothing compared to the 6. However we WERE tired and felt like it was an effort. With a little over 4-1/2 months to go before the 3-day walk, we have a lot of work to do. We are up at 4:15 AM now to try to beat the heat. We will keep it up and keep smiling :~) !!! It is great walking with Brian. He is getting excited about possibly walking in the 3-day walk. He keeps saying he wants to make sure we girls (Beckie, Lizzy and me) get our funds raised and then he wants to sign up. We want him geared up to make the walk with us. He has been right there with me for every training walk (and even a couple he went on alone). Anyone who has any ideas how we can do more fundraising, please let me know. I really want him there with us for our walk. I will do better with keeping you posted on how we are doing. Have a great (and safe) 4th of July, Sarah

It's Official

Well, I went to the Dr. this past Thursday and it is official...No Chemo!! He told me the test they were running was way negative.

The other test, however, had a rating of 0-18% was good, 30% and above was bad, and mine came back at 19%. What that means is that I have a 12% chance of cancer coming back in another part of my body. He said with chemo, that could reduce to 8% and asked me if I wanted to do that. I said NO, and he said he would probably say the same. So I asked what I can do to help prevent it coming back and he said that exercise, and a lot of it, is the biggest thing. Also, eating MUCH better and losing weight will help.

So we have been working on more exercise (also to aid in the training for our 3-day walk in November), and eating cleaner. Did you know there is a chocolate out there made of 70% cacao and is delicious? It is supposed to help your heart as well. Course you don't want to eat too much because it is very rich, and could add extra calories, but in my book it is much tastier than a regular candy bar. I am eliminating as much aspartame from my diet as I possibly can and am saying NO to a lot of my favorite treats. I am determined to once and for all get healthy.

Anyone interested in learning more about the 3-day Walk for the Cure as well as my participation in it can click here! Thanks for your interest and concern. Talk to you soon...

No Chemo

Hello everyone. I have completed my radiation treatments and the balloon catheter was removed today. Hallelujah!!! It was cumbersome and they had me in a post surgical bra which had absolutely no support so we bound me up with a wide ace bandage. I then had an appearance of a uni-boob. Very attractive. Anyway, I am happy to be wearing my own bra now and waiting for the incision to coagulate so I can take a shower (24-48 hrs).

The medical oncologist who we met with yesterday, said he is 99% sure we won't have to have chemotherapy. He said we will do homorne therapy which will be a homorne blocker. I need to research the two possibilities as one will cause weight gain and could cause headaches while the other one can promote osteoperosis. Great choices, eh? But I am sure there must be some comparble choices. Time to start researching.

I will appreciate continued prayers and thoughts that this last test the Dr. is running will prove favorable and we can go ahead with the hormone therapy. I will say once again that if you should ever happen to know anyone going through this, please give her my e-mail address or phone number and let me encourage her through it. Thanks for positive thoughts and prayers ~~Sarah

Radiation Upate

Hello everyone...I wanted to update you with how my radiation is going. It is totally not at all like I thought it would be. I go twice a day for one week. So right now I have 4 treatments done with 6 yet to do. I go in and wait for my CT Scan. That takes a total of about 3 minutes. It is not scary at all. The techs are all so nice and will even pop a little joke in every so often. Then I go out and wait to be called for the radiation. There are two other gals who are part of my "team". We are each going through the same thing and wait to be called for radiation after our CT Scan. Radiation is just like a "relax moment". I go into a room called a vault. There is a recliner there where I get myself comfy and they hook up my radiation tubes to the radiation machine. They close the door, have nice jazz music playing, and I close my eyes for the 10 minute treatment. It's great. I let my mind waunder and just enjoy the "me" time. After that, I go to an exam room where a Medical Assistant cleans and re-dresses my wound. We leave and start all over at the next session. I wanted to give you the details in case you might know of someone who might be faced with the procedure. It is not scary and it is always good to know that any part of something that could be scary, isn't. I will be happy to answer any questions you might have about this to help you understand this better. I will talk some more later. Thanks for reading ~~Sarah

My Further Adventure

To continue my Fight Like a Girl, tomorrow I will be seeing my Dr. who will insert a balloon catheter to the area that will need to get radiation. On Friday, I will visit my Radiologist who will get me all set up to start radiation on Monday. Though nothing should hurt, it is a little scary thinking about having the radiation going into my body. It is great, however, that this procedure will only take one week of going twice a day. Then we will be done. So glad for modern medicine. I am working on my vision to help other women who hear the dreaded outcome from their biopsy's. I want to be there for women who need someone to talk to who really understands what they are going through. That gives me the hope to carry on and do what God has intended for me. ~~Sarah~~

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!

~*~ Sarah ~*~