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Posts Tagged ‘The Jimmy Fund’

Walk, Wedding, Work (in Paris) – Whirlwind!!!

Posted in Boston, Cancer, connections, Fundraising, hair, lymphedema, recovery, work, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I’ve been so bad – totally procrastinating about updating this blog. I hate it when I do that. So much builds up, and then it weighs on me, and I know I’ll forget something… oh well! Deep breath and here are the high (and low) points:

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  • THANK YOU, thank you, thank you to EVERYONE who donated to our Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk! Whether you donated $10 or $150, every single cent helps in the fight against cancer! Together, Heather, Tara, Amanda, Calley and Mia-Claire raised more than $3,400!!! I’m so proud of us – especially the little girls for joining us and being so fabulous and not only walking the 13.1 miles, but even throwing some cartwheels in along the way! And it’s not too late to sponsor our team – please help the girls get to their $100 minimum by sponsoring them here: Team Inspire Boston. Thank you!!!
  • As soon as the walk was done, Tara and I ran (well, not literally – we took the T…) back to my house, I showered, changed and she drove me to my cousin’s wedding. It was so fabulous seeing some of my family who I haven’t seen in so long, but couldn’t help crying as I left because my time with them was too short – but I had to catch a plane…
  • Tara and Ella were the best chauffeurs and cheered me up en route to Logan. The flight was ok (I fell asleep praying as we went through major turbulence, but hey, we landed, so all was good) and my arm faired pretty well. (Damn lymphedema.) I put my compression sleeve on while waiting to board the plane and I could tell by the look in the eyes of the woman sitting across from me that she knew exactly what it was for. She looked so kind and sympathetic, I both appreciated it and wanted to scream. I hate feeling like the girl who had cancer!!! Anyway, after all the walking and the flights there and back, there’s not really much noticeable swelling, and only a little pain, mainly in my hand. I have to get back to doing the massages every day, but I haven’t even been doing that. At least I’ve been wearing the sleeve when running. That’s something, right?

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  • Paris: it was a whirlwind work week. I was disappointed by how dark it was in the mornings, so my visions of waking every morning and running along the Seine quickly vanished out the window. I did get one good, five-mile run/walk in on the last day before my flight. It was great, even if the weather wasn’t that wonderful. The conference was really great, though – especially meeting Sanofi communications people from all over the world and hearing about all the great progress we’re making in the healthcare industry. I’m so proud to work for Genzyme, a company that truly cares about making a difference in people’s lives.

Didn’t I write something a little while ago about slowing down??? Hmmm… don’t think that’s happening any time soon…

 

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One Week ’til Walk!

Posted in Boston, Cancer, Decisions, Fundraising, lymphedema, recovery, tagged , , , , , on September 1, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday I did a training speedwalk to get an idea of how I’ll feel next Sunday at the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. I’m planning to do the half marathon – 13.1 miles – so I did as long of a walk as I had time for. It ended up being 8.5 miles, at about a 16 minute pace. And overall, combined with the rest of the day, I did about 12 miles. And… today I felt good! No arm swelling or pain, and I’m not all achy – both great things. So I’d say I’m ready!

Heather announced that despite her back issues she is determined to do the full 26.2. The second I heard that I jumped back to wanting to do the same. But friends convinced me that’s stupid, I need to think about Paris and really can’t risk it. So, still begrudgingly, I won’t. But I will next year!!! And I can’t wait for Tara and I to join Heather and Amanda – and hopefully others who want to join us on Team Inspire Boston (I mean you! Yes, you!).

So just one week to go – so please let us know if you’ll join us, or if not, please support us by donating and help us kick cancer once and for all!!! Every cent counts… thank you, thank you, thank you!

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But I want to do all 26.2…

Posted in Boston, Cancer, chemotherapy, Decisions, Denial, Fundraising, hair, lymphedema, Planning, radiation, recovery, work, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 28, 2013| 4 Comments »

I am frustrated. (Hmmm… I don’t think this is the first time I’ve started a blog entry with those words!) Ever since March 2012 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and my dear friend Heather said “We are doing the Jimmy Fund Marathon Walk in your honor!” I’ve wanted to walk the full 26.2 miles. Last year I was still going through chemo, and hadn’t even begun radiation, so was only able to do the last five miles with the team. I said this was going to be my year!

Now it’s looking like it’s not. No worries, it’s not severe health related or anything truly bad like that, it’s just about listening and being smart. You see (maybe you should sit down, this is such a shock coming from me), I have a lot planned on September 8.

  • First there is the Jimmy Fund Boston Marathon Walk. I intended to walk the full 26.2 miles, beginning at 6:30 in the morning and guesstimating being done about 2 p.m.
  • Then it’s my cousin Rick’s wedding late that afternoon in Wrentham…
  • And as if that isn’t enough for one day, I need to then get to Logan for a 10:30 p.m. flight to Paris. (Yes, Paris – for work.)

At first it was like “great – you’ll be so tired, you’ll conk right out and sleep the whole plane ride!” Ah, but I can’t! We can’t forget the delightful lymphedema in my right arm! I was told that I will need to be up exercising it and walking around every hour of the flight – oh, because of the fear of blood clots, too, because of the tamoxifen. And this is also if my arm isn’t already swollen from the intense walk…

So my close friends and family have all chimed in. And there has not been one person who is in favor of my doing the whole 26.2. In fact, some have quite vehemently told me I will NOT be doing the full walk. (Note: when told I absolutely cannot do something, that usually makes me want to do it even more.) Arrrggghhhhh!!! Why does it all have to be on the same day???

But none of those dates and times are in my control. What is in my control is my body. And how much I put it through that day (and every other). Sometimes I forget I’m not superwoman. That I have limitations. (I know, this blog is full of shockers tonight, huh?) I honestly don’t want to be in pain or have an abnormally huge right arm for my Paris trip. I want to actually be in the work meetings I will be there for, not in a Paris hospital, simply because I was stubborn and insisted on doing it all.

So that’s that. I will only walk the half marathon: 13.1 miles. I’m trying to get over the feeling of letting people down by not walking the whole thing. I feel like I’m letting everyone down (not really sure who everyone is, but just everyone). The Jimmy Fund. Dana-Farber. Everyone who is donating to my walk. Myself. I know in my head that it’s not true; no one else feels that I’m letting them down. I will keep reminding myself that. And I will remember that, thanks to Dana-Farber and all the awesome doctors, researchers, nurses and everyone there, I am here and able to walk and raise money to help kick cancer!

And thank you to everyone who has sponsored me and my team – Team Inspire Boston – so far. I’m one-third of the way to my personal goal, and a quarter of the way to our team goal, all thanks to YOU! If you haven’t yet donated, please visit my personal donation page – even a few dollars – every cent counts and helps us conquer this horrid disease! Or even better: join us for the walk! Any distance is welcome! Go to Team Inspire Boston to sign up and enter code JF2013 for $5 off the registration fee. We’d so love to have you cross the finish line with us!

Oh, and speaking of Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund – it’s the annual telethon, which Nick and I were part of this year… and I guess in a way this year, too. I just saw this pop up in my Facebook Newsfeed from The Jimmy Fund:

jimmyfundtelethonCrazy to think that I looked like that one year ago. Boy, am I happy to have hair again! But if (literally) baring my head helped inspire someone to donate and help #KCancer, it was worth it!!!

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