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Mom on a Mission to Cure Cancer turned 10 today!

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Illinois, the 50th State Attended

Before I share about the Relay event I attended in Kewanee I want to give a very special thank you to AmericInn and their fantastic staff for their kindness and help in providing a beautiful room for my husband and I to stay in. If we come this way again (and we certainly hope to) we will be staying with you. Thank you for the help in proving a beautiful atmosphere, friendly service and a room cost we couldn’t beat! I sincerely recommend this as a great place to stay.

https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/americinn/kewanee-illinois/americinn-lodge-and-suites-kewanee/overview?CID=LC:AA::GGL:RIO:National:fid&iata=00065402

Kewanee, Illinois – August 25, 2018

My goal to walk in all 50 states comes to a close at the Henry & Stark Counties Relay. My relationship with Relay for Life started with my son and his friends, who decided they wanted to walk in my honor at our local event a few months after I was diagnosed. The idea to attend all 50 states was born when I walked in a Relay with my sisters, niece, and a dear friend, Mary Ann Hudson. And the goal was complete in Kewanee, Illinois as I walked with the survivors, caregivers, my husband, and that same friend who walked with me in Indiana several years ago.

My dear friend, Mary Ann Hudson and me

The event was held in the beautiful Windmont Park. The weather was hot but it didn’t detour anyone who was there! Everyone was there to support one another and raise money to help others.

The beautiful surroundings of Kewanee’s Relay in Windmont Park

Just a couple of the many smiling faces participating in the Relay

Picture by Mary Ann Hudson of Survivors and Caregivers getting ready to release balloons

Picture by Mary Ann Hudson as balloons are first released

I was lucky that I was able to chat with a few people who were kind enough to share their stories.

I met Samantha Cone, a very energetic woman who helped with the Relay For Life event. She has been involved with Relay for two years and has participated in Susan G. Komen’s Race For the Cure for many years before Relay.

Samantha Cone and me

Samantha’s Grandmother on her Dad’s side has had several cancers since her original diagnosis of breast cancer at 42 years old. She has been fighting cancer for 34 years.

Her mother was also diagnosed in July with sarcoma in her arm at the age of 56.

Samantha spoke at the Relay, is a volunteer with a very generous heart, hates cancer, and has a very cool hairstyle!

Samantha sharing her story and involvement with Relay For Life

Nichelle Nichols-Morey is a 22-year survivor (May, 2019). She was diagnosed when she was 26 years old with germ-cell cancer which is related to testicular cancer in men. When she was diagnosed she had no health care insurance, which meant she kept putting off seeing a doctor. Nichelle had a persistent cough and because she was out in Colorado she blamed it on high altitude, asthma, a cold, etc.

Nichelle Nichols, Event Chair for Henry & Stark Counties, and me

She came home for her grandparents 50th wedding anniversary and it was a good thing she did. Nichelle had severe shoulder pain. Her mother took her to the hospital where it was discovered that she had a tumor so large in her chest cavity that it had collapsed her lung and moved over her heart. Nichelle was placed on oxygen, transported to Peoria Illinois, and the next morning they did a biopsy.  Soon she received her diagnosis. Nichelle said as strange as it sounds it was good that she was home when her health crisis occurred. She was able to be diagnosed and have all her treatments while at home with her family.

The doctors told Nichelle that this was one of the best types of cancer if she was going to have this disease. The one thing that was difficult was the lack of statistics of a female having this type of cancer.

Her treatment was high doses of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor. There were two possible outcomes: shrinking the tumor down to nothing or shrinking it enough to have surgery. Nichelle’s treatment of 3 months of chemotherapy was tough on her 6-foot frame. She lost 18 pounds, so she only weighed about 130 when she finished her treatments. She was told that if the 4 treatments she received didn’t work there wouldn’t be anything else they could do. They worked to significantly shrink the tumor so she could have surgery to remove the remainder of the tumor.

Nichelle went to Indiana because that is where she found a doctor who would take her since she didn’t have insurance. She also needed someone who could perform her very specialized surgery. The doctor said although he’s performed many surgeries, he thought she was possibly his first female patient.

The surgery was much like open heart surgery. She was even put on the ward for open heart surgery, along with the older patients who normally have open heart surgery. The staff wasn’t sure what to do with Nichelle as she was so young and healed quickly (they did know, it was just surprising to have someone so young). She said they found that what was left of the tumor was benign. It was considered a yoke sack tumor at diagnosis and was left over because the tumor was so large.

Her timeline was impressive. She was diagnosed in May, chemo for 3 months, then surgery in October, and back to Colorado in November.

She had a great support system. Her mother took care of her and her town had a wonderful benefit for her.

Nichelle said she started off seeing her oncologist every 3 months, then extended visits to 6 months, then a year, and finally after 11 years she was released. It was actually a bit sad for Nichelle. Dr. Alan Vukov was a fantastic doctor. He was a person who really invested in his patients. He didn’t have to look at his patient’s file, Nichelle said. He knew each patient, their family and their life. He cared beyond the disease and she really appreciated him. The doctor split his time between Kewannee and Peoria. One time the staff forgot patient’s files for the day, but Dr. Vukov didn’t need them. He really did know his patients!

I asked Nichelle if her family has to watch for this disease as possibly being hereditary, but she was told no.

As tough as those first several months were Nichelle feels very luckily that her fight was much shorter than what she has seen people go through over the last 22 years since her diagnosis.

She said that one of the things she was surprised about was that no one asked about saving her eggs because she was told the probability of having children was very low due to the high doses of chemotherapy. Nichelle attributes the healthy lifestyle she was living in Colorado; clean eating, exercise, etc. with the fact that two years after her treatments she was pregnant.

Nichelle was very worried that the cancer was back, and she was getting sick again. Before she went to the doctor she did a pregnancy test. She has a 19-year-old son and now has a 6-year-old daughter as well. She also has guardianship of another young girl so if you ask Nichelle she will tell you she has 3 children.

Nichelle sharing her story and talks about the importance of raising money for a cure!

Nichelle started getting involved with Relay about 18 years ago. She first started helping, then had a team. Once she started working at the bank they encouraged her to be involved in the community which worked perfectly with her desire to be a part of Relay for Life. Nichelle co-chaired the event for about 4 years and then was the 2017’s and 2018’s Event Lead for Henry & Stark County.

Nichelle’s drive to bring the community together along with her own experiences with cancer continue to prompt her involvement with Relay For Life. She doesn’t want anyone to have to suffer with cancer.

Nichelle signing my T-Shirts

I was inspired by Nichelle. She cares about everyone and loves what American Cancer Society and Relay represent….hope, support, and community!

Courtney Bryner was almost 17 years old when I met her. She is a survivor that took the time to talk to me and share her story.

Me and Courtney

When she was 10 years old Courtney was diagnosed with glioma, a type of cancer that affected her left optic nerve. At Christmas in 2010 she visited with her grandmother who was from Virginia and didn’t see Courtney every day. Her grandmother asked if Courtney had a lazy eye because her left eye looked a little strange but that was not the problem. Her mom set up an appointment for Courtney to be examined.

When the doctor entered the room he also noticed that something wasn’t right. He examined her right eye which seemed fine but when he checked on her left eye he realized that Courtney couldn’t see correctly. She could see things but only within parts of her line of vision, like banana-shaped spots in her line of site. She could only see in black and white. Courtney didn’t realize that her vision was changing because it was gradual. They estimate the changes happened over about an 8-month period and because her right eye was working, the issues weren’t as noticeable.

New Year’s Eve Courtney had her eye exam and she was formerly diagnosed January 10th, 2011. At that time her grandmother, who was fighting lung cancer, was living with Courtney’s family.

The week she was diagnosed and had her MRI, Courtney’s grandmother passed away, so they had her funeral. That same week Courtney also had her port placed. Tisha, Courtney’s mom,  and Courtney say it was a very difficult time for them. As you can imagine Courtney and her Mom had a lot of discussions because of the concerns Courtney had, especially because she saw her grandma pass away from cancer.

Once the MRI results came back they could see the cancer. Courtney said she named her cancer “Wilbur” (from Charlotte’s Web) because “it kind of looked like a pig on the MRI”. She named her cyst “Anna”. Very funny! What a great sense of humor she has.

Courtney was supposed to have chemotherapy for a year, however they found after 6 weeks that it wasn’t working so it was stopped. The same day they stopped the chemo Courtney started radiation. She received 30 treatments which she had every day until she was done. Courtney’s chemo made her sick so she had to go to the hospital to get fluids. Sometimes she would take those fluids home or need to take the fluids with her to school.

Courtney wanted her eye removed, but because of her size and age they didn’t want to perform the surgery yet. The doctors believed that damage could be caused during her growth. She did have surgery to remove the cancer which included removing the cyst, tumor, and optic nerve. She developed trigeminal neuralgia which caused the whole left side of her face to become red, swollen, and very painful.

Even though Courtney is young she is wise beyond her years. She asked that they remove her eye right from the beginning, but she shared that it seemed like every year and a half they would do something (not when she wanted it done). At 12 she asked that they take “everything”, the eye, etc. but she was again told that they wanted to see if by waiting there might be new medical discoveries (such as stem cell) that would help to save the eye.  Courtney is not only “wise beyond her years”, her Mom says “she’s always been an old soul”, because 4 years later they had to remover her eye. It was too damaged to save. The doctors also cauterized the nerves, so the pain is not nearly the intensity it used to be. She explains that her body tries hurt but can’t because the nerve is no longer there. Courtney is very in tune with her body and health.

Courtney had a deviated septum because of several factors: her nose had been broken when she was very young, then the tumor pushed against her sinuses so that pushed the septum even further out of place, and the radiation made it even worse. She took each situation in stride.

Even more amazing is the fact is that Courtney had been released from the hospital the day of the Relay (just hours before I met her). She’s had orbital cellulitis before but this time she was in the hospital for facial cellulitis. It is very painful, but you would never know it from the smile on Courtney’s face, and the energy she exuded!

I asked her about how her friends acted when she was diagnosed. When she was diagnosed she had a book about cancer, but Courtney really didn’t want her friends to know about her disease. They kept pushing her to see what was wrong. Shelly Lee from St. Jude was a child health care specialist. Shelly brought in a doll to school that had a port for chemo and was a great way for the kids to learn about why Courtney might miss school sometimes, why it was so important that they wash their hands, or stay away from her if they weren’t feeling well, etc.

There is a St. Jude’s in Peoria, a Midwest affiliate, so that is where Courtney went for a lot of her treatments. Once she needed brain surgery, however, she had to go to Memphis and see Dr. Boop (yes his name is BOOP!) and Dr. Fleming. Dr. Boop is world renowned. In fact he did a teaching video on Courtney as well.

Courtney is like the energizer bunny. As a Junior for 2018-2019 she continues to go, go, go. Tisha said that she never missed a year of softball, is involved in cheer, and participates in pageants. Like I said….energizer bunny!!!

Tisha said that her friends continue to support them through their journey. They had a benefit that allowed the girls to dress up (along with their parents) to attend the “ball”. A very generous company, Country Bride, gave Courtney the dress she wore along with the alterations, supplied Trish with her dress, plus they gave away about 20 dresses. They also had a special area with discounted dresses for those who needed them. Courtney continued to go to them for all her dress needs!

Tisha said that everyone Courtney meets is just amazed at her stamina, sense of humor, and care for others. Tisha said Courtney is her hero (mine too)!

Courtney wants to do one of the following: A pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist, a make-up artist, or work with special needs.

This young woman shows that cancer may slow you down a bit but can’t stop you!

Courtney has a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Courageous-Courtney-173958419374401/

She also shared a very special video

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Courageous-Courtney-173958419374401/videos/

So as the night ended and the impact of the luminaria event allowed people to be reminded of the loved ones they walk for, raise money for, and pray for… I thought of my family members and friend who have fought this disease. Some have won and some have lost so I was again reminded of why I started this journey.

Luminaria bags lined up in honor or memory of someone affected by cancer

The beauty of the park helps as we silently walk in honor or memory of those touched by cancer

Being the center of an event was not my intention when I attended the Relay’s but if people read articles written about this journey and are inspired to attend either their local event or one held in a state they are vacationing or visiting relatives, etc. then I’m more than happy to share my story.

http://www.starcourier.com/news/20180823/relay-for-life-this-weekend

I made a plan over 8 years ago to attend a Relay for Life in every state so I could meet survivors, caregivers, family members and friends who have been affected by cancer. Although this part of my journey is over, I am will continue to share people’s stories when I get a chance.

I’m excited to complete this goal but sad that it is done at the same time. The fight isn’t over, it continues every day as we raise money for continuing research as well as the programs and legislature needed to protect all of us from this disease. People are still being diagnosed every day, family members are still losing loved ones to this disease, so the fight isn’t over….. just the completion of my journey of walking in all 50 states. I will continue to share stories of people I meet because their stories are the inspiration I need to look forward, and I hope it is for all of us to be inspired. It’s important to know that we are not alone in this battle. There are many who are conquering cancer and new research will help so no one has to lose the battle.

I am thankful to every person whom I have met. I appreciate all the hard work that goes in to each of these events. I appreciate both sides of cancer; as a caregiver for my mother who lost her battle almost 24 years ago and as a survivor who will be celebrating 10 years cancer free in 2019.

The fight isn’t over, the disease still attacks those we care about, but we all know that love is bigger than this disease.

Thank you, each and every person who has taken the time to talk to me, share their stories, or taken the time to read this blog. The only word I can think of for this journey is humbling. Humbling because I see how loving and caring people can be to a stranger. Ok two words, honored. I am honored to have been able to share so much with such amazing people. Please continue to care for one another as well as doing what you can to take care of your health. God bless you!

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New Mexico and Colorado, 48 and 49th Relay States

Santa Fe, New Mexico - July 13, 2018

Our first stop for the weekend of Relay For Life was Santa Fe. I was told this is the land of enchantment and it certainly was for us (my husband was able to attend these Relays with me). We met a lot of wonderful people along the way and am happy to share their stories. I apologize for the huge delay. There have been a lot of things that have happened in my personal life that have caused major interruptions.

A very special thank you to the Residence Inn for giving us such a great deal on our stay. The location was great, the room very comfortable and the people helpful. I’d love to stay there again if we are ever lucky enough to visit again. https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/safnm-residence-inn-santa-fe/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2

The very first person I met was Raven Anderson, Community Development Manager for New Mexico.

Me and Raven Anderson, Community Development Manager

Raven is a “super volunteer”, someone who devotes a LOT of energy and time to help not only raise funds but also help other people.

Raven’s story is amazing. She was disabled and in a wheelchair for 14 years and has only been out of the wheelchair and off a cane for about 3 years. Her goal was to walk in a Relay without assistance, which she did 2 years ago in Orlando. She was in community college at the time. She is a doctoral student now and has been writing her thesis on diversity. After everything she has been through in her life she promised herself that she wanted to make change in the world, impacting others as much as she possibly could. What amazed me even more is the fact that even though she was “disabled” she was doing things to help other people. Part of the promise she made to herself was that if she became healthy enough she would search for a job with American Cancer Society (ACS) so she could put all her energy and knowledge to good use.

Raven was looking on Cancer.org and saw a position in Albuquerque. She applied but received an email stating the position that had been open for 30 days, was filled. Two days later she received another email saying they were wrong and the position was still open, would she be interested. As you can see Raven not only accepted the position she is the epitome of Relay.

I found out about something I had never heard of….a virtual Relay. It’s called Relay for Life of Second Life and is Raven’s home Relay. She explained that you build an avatar, build a home, etc. There are too many things to explain here but Raven says it is like SIMMS on steroids. This is their 14th year and they have raised $3.1 million. It is a 24-hour virtual Relay and Raven walked with people in 2016 from 96 countries. Two years ago she walked the survivor’s lap and has walked with the most amazing people, young and old (90’s). They have their own special avatar’s such as unicorns and elves, etc. There was an event that raised funds for a Hope Lodge in Kenya. In 2018 the event raised over $200,000.

You can find out more info on Second Life at https://secondlife.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3haQ1sznNM This was the live stream of this year

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz7dJZZeZ_YkLVsqy3XBNWA This is a collection of videos

Raven shows that nothing can stop her and that inspirational attitude spills over into everything she does including fundraising, supporting others fighting cancer, or fighting for their loved ones as caregivers. Cancer needs to be stopped and Raven is unstoppable in that fight!

Joyce Graves, from Gallup, NM, is a 3-time cancer survivor. In 1993 she had breast cancer. Her doctor performed a “segmental” surgical procedure. This is where he took about a ¼ of her breast. She has a great sense of humor as she said she has a perky 20-year old breast and an “old lady” breast. Joyce also went through chemo and radiation for this cancer.

Me and Joyce Graves

In November, 9 years later she went to Portland for a national summit for ACS and Relay For Life. Joyce had become involved with Relay on a national level in 2000. The speaker at the summit was a leukemia survivor. She spoke about a new drug she was on that had no side effects and she was in remission. Joyce thought that was wonderful and was excited for people fighting the disease.

In May the next year, Joyce’s husband was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. Joyce called her staff partner to tell her and her friend reminded Joyce of the woman who spoke at the summit. That woman had the same type of cancer Joyce’s husband had. She said at that moment she knew her husband was going to be ok because of what she had learned at the summit.

Paul, Joyce’s husband, took 4 chemo pills a day with no side effects. He said he felt guilty taking the medication. Joyce asked him why. Paul said he knew what she went through when she fought her cancer and he knew what other people had gone through or were going through. He said he felt guilty that all he had to do was pop a pill and have no side effects. Joyce told Paul that this was the exciting progress that was being made in the fight against cancer and someday there would be a pill for breast cancer as well.

In August that same year Joyce went for her mammogram. As soon as the radiologist walked in the door Joyce said she knew she was in trouble. The radiologist said there was a suspicious area that needed to be investigated. Joyce thought the radiologist might say let’s just wait and watch it (which Joyce knew she didn’t want to do). Instead she was told that they needed to check it out right away.

It was breast cancer again and thankfully it had not metastasized. It was a brand-new site, caught very early, but found in the other breast. This time a lumpectomy was performed, and radiation was needed.

Three years later Joyce had Basal Cell skin cancer that was taken care of easily (compared to the other cancer’s Joyce had dealt with).

As for Relay, she has been involved since 2000 and really gives her all to the events. One year she was taking a coat to her husband across the track and she tripped over a tent stake. She broke both elbows, but as they were taking her to the ambulance Joyce was saying “I’ll be back”. It was a little more than she thought so she didn’t come back that night (one elbow required surgery with plates and screws) but she has been back every year to Relay. Her email address says it all - “bleeds purple” is part of her email address, which really does say it all!!!

Joyce has been on both sides of cancer as a survivor and caregiver. Her words of wisdom for dealing with cancer is, first to keep your sense of humor. Facing cancer is tough but your sense of humor can really help get you through the toughest times, Joyce explains. Joyce also says, if you have a spouse or significant other, family and/or friends that want to help, be sure to do your best to be a good communicator. If you are tired, don’t feel good, or don’t want to do something then make sure to tell them. This also means letting people know when you want them to help. She said be specific in what you need. Give them ideas on ways they can help you.

When Joyce speaks to women through the “Reach to recovery” program that ACS has she tells them that women are the strong ones in the family. We are the “doers” Joyce says, and now we need to be the ones that let others do for us. In a way it is easier for us because we get the action part of cancer – we have the surgery, we receive chemo and/or radiation, etc. The others feel helpless. So those cancer survivors need to let their loved ones help in any way possible. Joyce’s advice includes remembering that asking for help isn’t really as much for ourselves (the survivors dealing with cancer) as much as it is a gift to the caregivers and those who are having to watch the battle. Suggestions include cleaning the house, making meals, grocery shopping, etc. The other advice she gives is to keep loving people as much as possible.

Joyce really is the embodiment of Relay. She was on the training task force locally for 2 years before becoming a member of the training task force nationally. She said this year (2018) she gets to enjoy her local events. Joyce really does “bleed purple”.

Angela Luna is the event chair for the New Mexico Relay. She is also a survivor of thyroid cancer. Eleven years ago Angela was in the hospital for severe bronchitis and during an exam her doctor found a lump on the side of her throat. Angela didn’t think anything of it at first. She figured her lymph nodes were swollen due to the bronchitis. The next day her doctor came in and said he really felt she needed to get the lump checked out. He said it could be nothing but wanted her to get it checked.

Rachel Romero, Angela Luna, and me

Angela admits she didn’t take care of her health as well as she should have back then, so she put off getting the lump checked. Finally she said something to her primary doctor. She started getting tests to see what the issue might be. Angela asked her doctor what they were looking for and the nurse said it could be several things. Angela pressed and was told “well the worst it could be is cancer”. That is when Angela started getting nervous.

When the results came back Angela went and saw her doctor. She was told that it was indeed cancer. Angela was stunned. She had this doctor for quite a while and never expected to hear those words. She felt that having cancer was basically a death sentence.

The doctor told her that she was in good hands and that they would take care of her. Angela had a needle biopsy and other tests. She was sent to Dr. Shapiro for her cancer, a great doctor in her opinion. He gave her two options: She could have chemo and radiation to try to get rid of the cancer or he said they could just “cut it out”. Angela thought at first it would mean cutting out the cancer but she found out that they would remove the entire thyroid. Angela chose the surgery and to have an radioactive iodine to kill the rest of the thyroid cells.

Angela learned a lot about taking care of herself through her cancer experience. She is diabetic and wasn’t taking care of herself very well but because of cancer she is very serious about her health now. She lost 70lbs., has good levels for her sugar and cholesterol, and now she takes care of herself. It scared her into appreciating life.

If she had to tell someone the things she has learned it is to take care of yourself, don’t try and face cancer alone, and stay positive. She was pretty angry when she was first diagnosed.

She was involved with Relay in 2011 but life got in the way for a while. Through her classes and phi theta kappa her involvement with Relay was recharged. Her team raised $1,300 the first year which is rather high compared to most first year teams. In 2017 she and Judy were asked to be the event co-chair leads but she chose not to. This year (2018) she was asked to be an event lead and accepted with renewed commitment and appreciate as a survivor and community-minded leader.

Rachel Romero is the staff partner with ACS. She has only been the staff partner for a year but has been involved with Relay For Life for several years. Her involvement started because of her experience with cancer in her family.

Rachel Romero and Angela Luna signing the Relay shirts

Rachel’s sister is 4 years younger and was diagnosed with acute lymphomas leukemia when Rachel was 6 and her sister was 2. Rachel said it was weird because no one in the family had leukemia before.

It all started when Rachel’s mom told her that her mom’s friend was going to take the kids home that day which was unusual. Rachel’s mom runs a daycare and when they were little she was putting blush on Monica when she noticed a lump. She ended up going to the hospital where Monica spent Halloween in the hospital as they were trying to figure out what was wrong with her. The doctors told Rachel’s mom that she needed to go to UNM Children’s hospital right away. Her mom called her dad and they met there. Her sister was diagnosed very quickly.

Rachel was so little and she remembers her sister being in and out of the hospital for about 6 months. She visited her a couple of times but she remembers that she came home with a catheter for her treatments.

Rachel said her sister is the bravest person she knows. She said that her sister is now a 21-year survivor. The whole family is closer and stronger because of it.

Her sister went to camp enchantment which is for cancer patients, enjoying a time when they don’t have to think about having cancer. Rachel and her brother went to Camp Superstar for siblings of cancer survivors. She said the camp helped her understand the mixture of emotions that comes from being a sibling of a survivor.

Rachel said that her sister has grown up and now doesn’t want her cancer to define her. She definitely wants to advocate for others but doesn’t feel the need to tell everyone she had cancer. Rachel said there are so many things that people don’t understand unless they’ve been in a survivor’s shoes.

She loves being a part of ACS and would love for this disease to be gone so no one has to go through what her sister and her family had to face.

Dolores Anaya-Gomez, is a 22-year ovarian cancer survivor and a very encouraging person. She had some back pain, so she decided to go to the doctor. The doctor sent her for an ultrasound. Dolores was asked how she found her issue. The question was surprising because she didn’t know what she had yet.

Dolores Anaya-Gomez and me

She had surgery where they found that she had ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is a silent killer because it usually isn’t caught early. Dolores found that her back ache was bothering her enough to get checked. During her hysterectomy they found the ovarian cancer. Being so many years ago it was great that her doctor was careful enough to check the ovaries for cancer.

Dolores became involved in Relay about 3 years after her cancer diagnosis. She was invited by a friend to attend a Relay as a survivor. The next year another friend asked her to join a team (Mayor Delgato’s wife was the team captain) and she helped sell bags and raise money doing as much as she could to help the team. The following year she started a team of her own.

Dolores felt being a part of Relay was extremely important so she could help as many people as possible. Every year she helped a little bit more. At one point she was part of 8 teams; teams from her church, her grandchildren started the first kids team, she had a team with people from her class reunion, etc.

Dolores served as event chair for several years as well. She mentioned that Relay has changed since she first started participating, with events such as Making Strides Against Breast Cancer for example. This year’s Relay is back to a 24-hour event, which is longer than the last few years.

Dolores has a passion for helping others and raising money. She said she appreciates the fact that her employer matches what she raises most of the time.

Dolores says don’t ignore your body, go ahead and go get that exam. She knows it’s scary but there are many cancers that can be detected early, so listen to your body and pay attention, get any issues checked out. Most of all don’t give up! Keep searching, keep helping and have a good life.

Grace Vigil, is a breast cancer survivor of 17 years. Being in the medical field she knew the importance of breast exams.

She noticed a little dimpling in her breast but brushed it off. It wasn’t long before she went for her routine mammogram and they saw something that they wanted to check. Nothing could be felt in the breast, so they sent her for a needle biopsy which showed that she did have cancer.

Grace Vigil and me

At the time her daughter was turning 21 and the family had a trip to Vegas planned for the following month after the cancer detection.

When they got back from their celebration Grace had her surgery scheduled. She had a partial mastectomy with lymph node removal. Four of the lymph nodes were cancerous. Grace had been on the medical side of these types of diagnosis so as the patient it was a bit shocking. She had not anticipated the lymph nodes to be involved at all.

There is no breast cancer in Grace’s family, but her sister did pass away at 37 from gall bladder cancer. Her brother had lymphoma 14 years ago and her other brother was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. Heart and diabetes issues ran in the family until cancer popped its ugly head as well.

Grace worked for the surgeon who did her surgery. Then she went to the oncologist who happened to be her primary doctor before he became an oncologist. What a small world!

It was decided that Grace would need 6 weeks of chemotherapy. She said it felt like a long time. She got very sick during her treatments. At one point she needed an antibiotic because she had gotten so sick. The medication wasn’t cover by insurance, so she had to pay over $100 for less than a weeks’ worth of medication. She worked the whole time, answering phones during time dealing with cancer.

After getting through chemo Grace had radiation. Again, a small world because the radiologist was someone she knew. She didn’t have a lot of issues with this part of her treatment. Grace said she had a little sunburn, but they gave her cream that took care of the issue.

She found her diet was interesting because there were only certain things she felt she could eat. She drank lemonade from the health food store, Gatorade, and she ate Natillas (an Indian pudding) and mashed potatoes.

Grace said she can say she is truly blessed. She had a lot of support from her family and her church along with coworkers. In fact one of her coworkers shaved Grace’s head for her when she started losing her hair. This is a much more difficult, yet supportive act than some might understand.

As a nurse she finds that now when she relates to patients it is in an entirely different way. She has always had compassion for her patients but now she has an amazing amount of encouragement she shares as a survivor. She will tell her patients, I’ve had breast cancer too. I have survived and so will you.

She has many patients that have touched her through the years. There was one that is still a survivor even though she never had surgery or treatments. She followed holistic type of medicine and is still doing well today.

Grace said she is faithful about getting her mammograms now. Since her original diagnosis she had a walnut size lump in her left breast that was removed and was benign. She took tamoxifen for 4 years and another medication for one additional year. She is doing well with negative issues now.

She says 17 years survivor and working for 47 years in the field she has seen a lot. The one thing she wants people to know is that getting checkups is a safe thing to do. It is something that is within your control.

Cheryl Archuleta is a breast cancer survivor. Her journey started in 2007 when she had a mammogram. The doctor said there was something in the mammogram but said they would just watch it.

Cheryl and Joe Archuleta

One year later Cheryl went back for her mammogram and the spot was still there. The doctor set up a biopsy, which did come back with a cancer diagnosis. Cheryl then went to see a surgeon that performed a lumpectomy and they did MammoSite Radiation. This is where they cut the side of the breast and insert a balloon that has a radioactive liquid used to kill cancer cells. Cheryl then went to her oncologist to confirm the that everything was good for the next step. She then had 3 wires on the outside of the breast. This is where they would hook her up to have the radiation administered. Cheryl had 10 treatments, 13 minutes in the morning and 13 minutes in the afternoon for 5 days.

Cheryl felt very lucky because the cancer was extremely small and caught very early. She said she was barely considered stage 1.

There was a lot going on at the time that Cheryl was diagnosed, this was not her first encounter with cancer. Her husband, Joe, had prostate cancer and her mom had struggled with colon cancer. Cheryl knew cancer from both sides, as a caregiver and a survivor. Her mom lost her battle 13 years ago. Her husband had his prostate removed and he is now cancer free.

Cheryl had a scare in 2017, when the doctor thought he saw something. She had another biopsy, but thankfully it was not cancer.

Cheryl shared more about her mother’s battle with colon cancer. Originally when she was diagnosed the doctors said they got it all. Cheryl’s brother was in Las Vegas, so he wasn’t able to help with their mom during her diagnosis and surgery. However, once the doctors said they removed all the cancer, their mom moved to Vegas with Cheryl’s brother. About a year after her original diagnosis, their mom was in a lot of pain. The cancer had come back. Now, locally the doctor wouldn’t do radiation or chemo on Cheryl’s mom because she was in her mid 80’s but when the cancer came back while she was in Las Vegas, the doctors there were willing to be more aggressive in their treatments. Cheryl’s 85-year-old mother went through both. Cheryl was still working full time but managed to go monthly to see her mom during her treatments, from January through June, when her mom passed away. Her mom had several side effects from the treatments. It was tough watching her mom suffer and she understood the doctors concern with how the treatments would affect her mom.

Cheryl said cancer is a terrible disease and it is hard no matter what side of it you are on. She and her husband are both healthy now. With the support of family and friends they continue to appreciate life after cancer.

The Santa Fe event was very welcoming, encouraging and heartwarming. I was able to share my journey with the people who attended the event and they welcomed my husband and I with open arms. Not only that but they have a heart for each other as well as for raising money to destroy this dreadful disease.

A little rain can’t stop this Relay from happening in Santa Fe.

Supportive cancer survivors, walking in the survivor’s lap!

Such grace and beauty in the dancing. The stories told through dance was wonderful.

Even though it was sprinkling the smiles and peace that was felt from the music and movements was incredible.

My husband and I were so happy to have attended another wonderful event. The people and their stories were another example of encouragement, strength and perseverance in the face of difficult circumstances at times. The people I was able to talk to at this event had a great deal of longevity since their cancer diagnosis. I am always encouraged when I talk to survivors of 22, 17, 11 or even a few years. Or a 3-time survivor who is going strong. It shows that often cancer is treatable and beatable as we wait to find a cure!

Firestone, Colorado – July 15, 2018

Colorado, a mile high and hearts a mile wide! The people I met were kind and strong and resilient. It was such a hot day when we attended the Relay and yet I think I was the only one that look like I was going to melt. There was even someone dressed up as the Chick-fil-A mascot. No one complained, they ran the event with love and determination to raise money and support one another.

Chick-fil-A standing in the shade!

The starting line or finish line, cancer needs to be eradicated!

Sherri Everett was the guest speaker at the Carbon Valley event, she is a teacher, and an absolutely amazing women.

During her speech she told a story about Mr. Rogers and how he talked about how his mother helped him feel safe when he was afraid by saying “always look for the helpers in this world”. She tried to keep his story about helpers in her mind as she faced the scariest events of her life, cancer. She explained that she met a gentleman this past year that had gone through some of the same surgeries she had; removal of part of her stomach and intestines. Sherri said “you don’t realize how important that plumbing is until you no longer have it”.

Her sense of humor showed as she talked about this gentleman that had a stool transplant (he had a stool transplant from his wife to replace the good bacteria that was missing because of his surgeries). Yup, she said he had tons of jokes and an attitude that just made you laugh. He said things like “have you met my wife? She’s my number 2 girl.” Or “I used to think my wife gave me a lot of crap but now I know she does”.

Sherri said that she also had helpers at the infusion center provided by the nurses who asked how she was feeling, how her family was, and provided expert care.

Lastly she talked about her two co-workers, helpers that were the light in a very dark tunnel. They never gave up on Sherri. The came to see her (even if they got lost), sent text, and kept her spirits up even when she thought she’d rather be left alone. Her “blond comedy team” never stopped encouraging her and loving on her. She said they kept her from falling into the depths of despair.

Sherri said that we need to make sure we don’t ignore or push away the helpers. She said look for the helpers in your life. Give them the opportunity to be there for you.

Sherri explained more of her “depths of hell” story when I sat with her and her husband Jim. Sherri is a teacher. Her story started 4 years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer on the first day of summer vacation. She opted for a double mastectomy and had planned reconstruction. She now believes that reconstruction isn’t necessarily the way to go. She was 9 weeks out and after all the infections and issues she had, they had to pull the idea of reconstruction. She is still very angry about the reconstruction issues to this day, especially her concern that girls may believe that without breasts you aren’t feminine or beautiful.

Sherri had chemo that ultimately caused her loss of hair and the results are that her hair is the way it is now…not much chance of it growing more than where it is now (I think she is beautiful and I know her husband does too).

Sherri and Jim Everett

She had a lot of issues such as lymphedema and infections, so she was glad when that portion of her cancer journey seemed to be over.

Fast forward to last summer. Sherri’s belly seemed to be getting thicker and she chalked it up to weight gain, however her doctor wanted blood work to be certain. Sherri’s doctor wanted her to get a physical to make sure everything was ok. First Sherri’s liver enzymes were up. With each test her doctor said it was probably diet and exercise changes that were needed but she wanted another test, then another. Almost 3 years to the day the doctor called Jim and said she wanted both of them to come into the office.

The results were that Sherri had tumors all throughout her peritoneum (the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity). They decide to do a laparoscopy, fearing that Sherri had ovarian cancer. The oncologist came out and told Jim that Sherri had a year to live, as long as she had surgery. Jim said the doctor was crying at that point.

They found that Sherri had appendix cancer (her appendix were encased in a tumor) that secretes this gelatinous matter. Sherri didn’t really realize that she had issues but looking back she can see that she wasn’t feeling well but chalked it up to chemo, etc. She was winded or felt worn out whenever she tried going for walks or did too much in a day.

Her surgeon sent her to a team at CU Anschutz Medical Campus where, last May they had recruited a new surgeon from Pittsburg who performed the particular surgery she needed.

She said it is really hard not to google what is going with your type of cancer but for her, she found that she didn’t want to know about what the statistics say. Her journey is her journey and her statistic is her statistic. She doesn’t want to be compared to someone else because she isn’t them! Sherri said that she read a book called “Anticancer” that she really liked because the doctor who was diagnosed with a brain tumor said he wanted to be on the right side of the graph. We all do!

Sherri said they decided to do the surgery on September 15th. It is a very extensive surgery that takes a team of doctors approximately 14 hours to basically shopvac the gelatinous cancer out. However Sherri ended up with a fever labor day that ended up taking her to the hospital. It was discovered that Sherri was septic! It took so much planning for the type of surgery that Sherri needed, so she focused on getting as healthy as she could so the surgery could be performed as scheduled!

On September 15th they wheeled Sherri into surgery. She says she was calm. She felt that no matter the outcome it would be fine. She said if something happened she’d be asleep and if all went well she’d start the healing process.

Jim took over the explanations from here since Sherri was completely out of it. Since their day started at 7:30 a.m. Jim knew the day was going to be long. He saw the doctor at 9:30 that night. He also saw the residents as they wheeled Sherri down the hall. Jim says the surgeon looked pretty good but the residents looked wiped out. Part of what Sherri had during this special surgery was “hot chemo”. The procedure is called HIPEC or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and is performed with cytoreductive surgery (although Sherri calls it MOAS = Mother of all surgeries). They put chemo that was 109 degrees into Sherri’s abdomen and then had to rock her back and forth for an hour and a half to get the chemo into every nook and cranny. Sherri and Jim also said there are only about 1,000 cases of peritoneal cancer per year.  

The doctor that performed Sherri’s surgery has done 500 of them. Originally Sherri and Jim were going to go to MD Anderson in Houston, but the hurricane stopped that travel idea. However after meeting her surgeon they knew that staying and having him perform the surgery made the most sense. They trusted him and his skill set, especially once they find out that MD Anderson was sending him their worst cases when he was in Pittsburgh.

Jim spent the whole month that Sherri was in the hospital in their camper in the parking lot. Jim would get up in the morning to make the 5:30 a.m. rounds, spending as much time as possible by her side.

Their sense of humor is amazing. They told a story about the day after surgery when one of the residents was telling Sherri their goals of the day. This was 24 hours after surgery and Sherri was still on a respirator. Jim was anxious when they said they planned to get her up to walk but Sherri responded to his concern with a very special “finger gesture” that makes them both laugh now. Sherri was strong and Jim could see she was in the fight with all her strength (and humor).

Sherri mentioned that Jim looked as bad as she did during those months. Often we forget that the family members struggle as they watch their loved ones fight this disease. They feel helpless and frustrated and angry and scared! They try not to show it and to keep the survivor on the path to recovery as best they can.

Sherri and Jim talk about the pain management team and all that the nurses, residents, and doctors did to help her recover. It’s hard to believe listening to Sheri that she had only been recovering for about 10 months after such a massive surgery. She had an ileostomy so she had trouble getting nutrients. That was reversed December 1st, 2017. They removed 30 pounds of organs and she has lost a total of 70 pounds as of July 14. Because part of her stomach has been removed it is like a weight loss surgery. Sherri only eats a ¼ cup of food at a time, several times a day.

Sherri had to receive 6 months of chemo. It is the same chemo that is used for colon cancer. She would receive the chemo though a port for 46 hours every 2 weeks. When I met her she had finished her last chemo 3 weeks prior to the Relay!

I missed meeting Sherri and Jim’s three children (Jake, Scott???, and Grace). Their eyes light up as they talk about how wonderful their kids are. The boys were away at college and Grace was home when she went through her first bout with cancer. This time Grace is away at college and the boys are home. They’d rather their kids didn’t have to deal with cancer at all!

Grace was just about to start her senior year when Sherri was diagnosed breast cancer. She shaved her head (she had long hair at the time) when her mom and Dad shaved their hair off. When Grace started applying for college the essay on the common application was “name a time when you transitioned from childhood to adulthood” so Grace wrote about how she applied to colleges by herself because her parents were going through so much dealing with Sherri’s cancer. She told her parents that they could read her paper but they couldn’t edit it.

Sherri and Jim give me hope for the end to cancer. Their fight against this disease and for their life together is inspiring. Sherri mentioned that the doctor said that at her scan in July she had no significant changes so the cancer was at a standstill. The doctor told her to go home and live her life for the next 3 months when they would scan her again (in October).

Sherri said because cancer is something that invades your body it also can invade your mind. She wakes up in the morning and thinks…. “is today the day? I feel pretty good, so I don’t think so.” She then tries her absolute best to leave that thought alone and plan her day of living. Everyone who has faced cancer can let that fear creep in but Sherri has an amazing attitude. Jim and Sherri show what a family unit of strength, power, humor, and love looks like. Her appreciation of her family and friends is apparent as she lives her life to the fullest every day, as we wait for the cure to this terrible disease. Not only does she look for the helpers in this world, she IS one of the helpers in this world.

Another wonderful woman I met was Heather Sewczak, a 19-year melanoma survivor. Heather said that her cancer was detected when she was only 22 years old. It was the summer she got married and she said that she wore her scar as a badge of honor not for herself but to bring awareness to others that skin cancer is detectable, treatable, but also deadly if ignored. Because of her annual physical her doctor found her original cancer. Because it was on her shoulder she did not see that there was a questionable area on her skin that needed to be checked.

Me and Heather Sewczak

Heather continues to remind people that because the doctor recognized that something on her skin wasn’t right she was sent to a dermatologist that diagnosed and treated her melanoma, something that is often missed. She and her family are checked annually, and she reminds her family members, coworkers and friends to do the same. She says she is that obnoxious friend on Facebook that reminds people to get their examinations. Getting these checks, she believes have kept people healthy and safe.

Last year it was discovered that she had basal cell carcinoma, another type of skin cancer. As she said she is “resetting her clock” when it comes to cancer.

Melanoma diagnosis continue to rise each year. It is the most common skin cancer. There are many facts that people are not aware of so please do not take this type of cancer lightly.

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/about/key-statistics.html

Barb Bolander was diagnosed in July, 1998 with stage 2B breast cancer. Barb found her cancer herself. She made an appointment with her doctor he sent her for a mammogram, then a biopsy, and then surgery.

Barb Bolander in her “Disney Friends” ears, walking as a survivor but also a friend whose last name was Disney.

Barb had a lumpectomy but because the margins were not clear she ended up having a mastectomy. She chose not to have reconstruction surgery. She also had 8 chemotherapy treatments and 27 radiation treatments. Barb mentions that 20 years ago the treatments were so different from today (and it’s hard to remember 20 years ago), but progress is wonderful!

Barb believes that she has many gifts and angels in her life so as a way to give back she hosts/coordinates a support group in Longmont, Colorado.

The support group in Longmont has actually been going since the 70’s. Barb has been facilitating for about 15 years. She said it is a group that contacts through email, calls, etc. There are approximately 40 people on their list but 6-15 usually attend the monthly meetings. They have speakers that come talk to the group, such as oncologists, that share their knowledge and answer questions for the attendees.

She is also part of a movement on the ground stages called Roberta’s Legacy (http://robertaslegacy.org/contact/) which she was asked to participate in as a board member, but had to resign. She said she will continue to be part of this group as much as time allows.

Barb finds that giving back helps her to continue to appreciate the life she has been blessed with, especially after cancer. She said she wondered how she could celebrate 20 years cancer free and felt that being a part of this wonderful group was an impactful way to rejoice.

Barb’s husband, family and friends were a phenomenal support for her. She said she received a card almost every single day during her 6 months of treatments from her brother and sister-in-law, and many of her friends. Barb laughs when she says she doesn’t know where they got that many cards but she kept them on the table by her chair so she could look at them whenever she was having a down day. Barb said that those reminders of love, in card form, were what kept her spirits high and her focus on getting better.

Barb says that being in remission for 20 years is an amazing blessing. She Relays for a friend of hers who was diagnosed with a reoccurrence of breast cancer when Barb was diagnosed. Sadly her friend lost her battle. She was a coworker (they were both elementary school teachers) and dear friend. She walks on a team called Disney Friends because her friends last name was Disney.

Janie Hug is a two-time cancer survivor. During a routine exam the doctor found something that she felt warranted an ultrasound. It was found that Janie had kidney cancer, so she underwent surgery. The cancer was completely contained within the kidney so after the kidney was removed no other treatments were needed.

Me and Janie Hug

Janie went in for a scan and a checkup every year. At her 5-year mark she had her scan and was called back to the doctors because they saw something in the lower lobe of her left lung. Because they were actually looking at her kidney the radiologist couldn’t see the questionable area on her lung very well. How wonderful that the radiologist looked so thoroughly at the scan, otherwise the second cancer might have been missed. She had another scan focusing on the lung area, which they could see the cancer.

Janie went to a surgeon to see what was needed but she didn’t like the first one. She called her primary doctor and asked for the name of another surgeon. She met the second surgeon and she really liked him.

The first surgeon wanted to do a much more radical surgery which Janie didn’t agree with. The second surgeon agreed with Janie, saying that since they couldn’t see cancer in specific areas they shouldn’t just be radically removed unnecessarily.

Janie had 4 rounds of chemotherapy. It was suggested that she also have radiation to the brain since lung cancer can affect that area of the body. At first Janie said no but after thinking about it she did agree. She had 10 radiation treatments for prophylactic purposes. Because she spoke with the radiologist for the treatments she felt the decision to have a lower dose of radiation as a preventative measure was much better than having higher doses if there was an occurrence of cancer.

Even though she knew it was a possibility Janie was sad to lose her hair again. Once she was done with her treatments though she was happy to move on with her life again! She went and visited her kids, met her friends in Reno to celebrate her 70th birthday, and this year she’s going to meet her friends in Las Vegas.

Janie loves Relay! She has been on both sides of cancer. Her last caregiving experience was in 2014 when her sister had small cell carcinoma in both lungs. The doctors missed the cancer, stating that the issue was COPD. Janie’s sister was never scanned to see if there was anything else going on, she only had x-rays which will not catch some types of cancer. Janie said her sisters’ last 6 months was very difficult. It was very hard to watch her sister suffer.

Janie has known many people that have had cancer. In fact she lost 3 neighbors in the last 2 years; ages 57, 69, and 74. The neighbor next to her has also had 2 bouts with cancer and chemotherapy.

Janie does what she can to help raise money for the end to cancer, and to raise hope for others. Her last name is very fitting, she is like a loving HUG.

I met two very special women involved with Firestone’s Carbon Valley Relay For Life event who work for American Cancer Society, although I bet if you ask them they will say it is much more than a job. At least that is how it felt to me.

Amanda Seier, Senior Manager, Community Development at American Cancer Society became interested in the fight against cancer about 15 years ago when she was working at a YMCA camp in Michigan. She was motivated by the children she worked with at the World Oncology Camp, that was in partnership with American Cancer Society, bringing children from 13 different countries to camp during their cancer journey so they could “just be a kid”. Amanda said these children were amazing and touched her deeply.

Me and Amanda Seier, Senior Manager, Community Development at American Cancer Society

Amanda said that when she moved to Colorado in 2003 she wanted to continue to support ACS so she became a volunteer on the planning committee and a team captain for the Weld County Relay For Life event in Greeley, Colorado.

She moved to Denver in 2011 and started working for ACS full time. She says “Now my motivation is thanks to the dozens of survivors and those who have passed from cancer that I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting throughout my journey with ACS.”

Caleb and Amanda, one is drawing a picture and the other is signing the Relay for Life Shirts

As a mom I also understand when Amanda said she also wants her son, Caleb, “to grow up in a world with less cancer”. She is working to help that happen!

The other person I had the privilege to meet was Marissa Jones, Community Development Manager for the Carbon Valley Relay For Life event, as well as Relays throughout the Denver area.

At the time this event was held Marissa had only been with ACS as a staff partner for 10 months, but she explained that her connection to the mission of ACS has been much longer.

Me and Marissa Jones, Community Development Manager

Her relationship with Relay For Life began her freshman year in high school when it was first introduced to her school. That same year her mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. 

She and her family went through a very difficult time as Marissa’s mom lost her cancer battle the following year. Marissa said that “Relay for Life gave my family a place to turn to find hope and a community in the midst of a very difficult time for us”. She and her family continued to participate in Relay for years in memory of this important and loved woman. She also said that “Relay For Life has and always will be very near and dear to my heart”.

She loves her job because, as staff partner, she gets to experience the joy of participating in all different types of Relays all over the Denver area. The passion and commitment that Marissa feels is explained when she says “I continue to see and hear so many wonderful stories of hope from individuals on all different types of cancer journeys.  Relay helped me when all felt lost and I now use that as my motivation to do all I can to help even one person who may be going through the same type of experience I did”.

Both Marissa’s and Amanda’s drive and hope for a world with less cancer comes from their life experiences and hope for a world that will someday be cancer free.

Every person my husband and I met at Firestone’s Carbon Valley Relay had that same desire. Either as a survivor, caregiver or having been on both sides of cancer, each person wants others to know that there is life after cancer. Even if a family member or friend has lost their battle with this terrible disease, there memory and the love that others feel for them continues, which mean they live on. Cancer can take a lot of things away but it can’t touch the memory and love we have for one another.

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Sorry for Delay

Hello all,

I have 3 more wonderful states to write about with many loving and special people whose stories I want to share. My life has taken some dramatic turns the last few months. I am hoping to get back on track to write and post but please be patient. As you all know family comes first and life isn’t always as we expect. Thank you for your understanding.

[dmozal-cancer-walk-in-50states]

Hi...did you write a Blog about your visit to Carbon Valley Colorado July 15, 2018 Janie Hug here

Hi Janie,

My sincerest apologies. I am just starting to work on Colorado. It has been a very busy few months for me which has caused me not to have time to work on my blog. I will be emailing people I spoke to in the next week to have them review before I post. I am so sorry for the delay. Sometimes life gets in my way! I hope you are well.

Denise

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Alaska’s 69 days of summer

My husband and I attended the Fairbanks Relay For Life at West Valley High School on June 8th. The event had its own special feel to it. They have raised (as of 9/8/18) almost $125,000!

One of the cool things I saw at the relay was the hand prints on sheets that are created and kept from year to year. They have been doing this for many years, the earliest I remember seeing was from 2004.

Panoramic view of all the hand printed sheets from the past several years

There were many teams that participated in the event. I thought the cards were fun! There was a survivor in this “pack”.

I met Peggy Birkenbuel, survivor, caregiver and an amazing woman with an exciting life. Peggy shared that she has 3 wonderful sons: Brady, Cody and Cory. Peggy got her teaching degree at the age of 60, teaching 2nd and 3rd graders in Crooked Creek, Alaska (on the Kuskokwim river north of Aniak). She is a bit older now but you wouldn’t know it. She has worked remarkable jobs, met numerous people, and has many friends. She is moving back to Dillon, Montana after living in Alaska for over 21 years.

Peggy Birkenbuel and me

Peggy has a heart for others, loves to volunteer, and knows about cancer! Cody, her middle son, was 16 years old when he complained about symptoms he was having. Peggy said Cody was very athletic and was in every sport in school. He was not a complainer so when he told his mom that his chest hurt and that he couldn’t do his sports the way he used to she was concerned. She found out that Cody had mentioned his discomfort to his football coach in the fall but it was May when he finally mentioned how he was feeling to her. The coach never shared with Peggy that Cody wasn’t feeling well.

Peggy told Cody they should go to the doctor, so they went to their regular doctor. He told Peggy that Cody was fine, in fact that he was “real good” but Cody still wasn’t feeling well. Cody told his mom that he thought he needed another checkup. Peggy lost all confidence and respect for her regular doctor and took Cody to Butte, Montana for a second opinion. The x-rays showed a tumor. The tumor was growing quickly and by the time they got the correct diagnosis the tumor had grown to the size of a grapefruit. Peggy was told she should take Cody to Seattle. She said Cody was feeling a bit rough by the time they were driving to Seattle and even though he laid in the back seat the whole way he told his mom he was doing ok.

When they arrived at St. Patrick’s Hospital the doctor looked at Cody’s x-ray and said, “he has cancer”. The doctor wanted to keep him for a few days to run tests on Cody. Peggy and Cody drove home from the hospital and even though it was winter outside Cody was “hot” so he rode in the back of the car without a shirt. People looked at Cody like he was crazy because it was so cold outside.

Peggy struggled with everything going on. She still had two other children at home, she was working 3 jobs, and Cody had cancer. One time she needed to take Cody to Missoula, but her car wasn’t working so a woman from church drove them. Cody went through chemotherapy and radiation. Peggy said Cody was an amazing young man when she talks about what he went through and his attitude through their whole cancer experience. Cody told his mom “Mom, I have no fear, I love life and I will live life until it is done”. He even had hats and shirts that said “no fear.”

Peggy remembers that the teachers would tell her that Cody was inspiring with how he forged ahead even though he was dealing with cancer. The teachers helped when they could. In fact one of Peggy’s friends, his art teacher at the time, set up a cot in the closet of her classroom for him to rest when he needed to and his baseball coach did the exact same thing.

Cody’s buddies would come to visit him. Even though he was sleeping they would write him notes and poems to cheer him up. Peggy has a poem that Cody wrote her while he was going through his treatments.

He won multiple trophies, but had to give up art, football, skiing, baseball, wrestling (he made 1st in state for his weight class) and being a drummer in Beaverhead High School band.

The family was given a trip to Hawaii with “Make A Wish” in December after the terminal diagnosis was given. Cody was only a sophomore at the time. His oncologist took him on her rounds as she talked to other teenage cancer patients since Cody was such a positive young man.

Cody changed many lives and left a lasting impression on those he met, showing that cancer may slow you down but it doesn’t have to bring you down. Attitude makes a huge difference in how you deal with cancer. Cody didn’t have it easy, but he did make it easy for others to see his strength and tenacity.

Peggy said Cody was an awesome kid, who faced an awful disease with an awesome attitude! He graduated high school, went to college and got a job. Although cancer wasn’t the main cause, Cody was 26 years old when he passed away. Peggy said that Cody continues to be her hero!

Not only was Peggy a caregiver she is also a melanoma cancer survivor. She is a talker…. She loves to share her experiences and love of life and people. One of the things she shared that made me laugh was that she taught skiing to kids as well as being part of the ski patrol (for 40 years) in Dillon, MT. She was careful with her skin (unlike many of us raised in the 60’s and 70’s) and used to put “white cream” on her lips to prevent sun damage. Most of the other people put it on their nose. One of the guys on the ski patrol with her said “Birkenbuel you don’t need to put that stuff on your lips, your lips don’t stop flapping long enough for the sun to hit it”. She laughed! (She actually needed to “flap her lips” when she was teaching kids to ski) Peggy said Dr. Wennen put “something” on her skin and the melanoma was destroyed. She says he is a great doctor.

Peggy is one of a kind! She has walked in relays in Dillon and Fairbanks every year since 1994, rain or shine she says. She is “Gramma-Nanook” for the University of Alaska hockey team in Fairbanks. She, too, has affected so many people in the time she has been in Alaska. She is moving back to Dillon to be closer to Brady and Cory. Someday Peggy said she is going to write a book….I can’t wait to read it!

The Fairbanks relay had many volunteers. Two of them were kind enough to share their stories and to sign my t-shirts.

Cheryl Jones, ACS-Senior Manager, me, and Natashia Kates, event chair

Cheryl Jones is not only the Senior Manager of Community Development for American Cancer Society, she has also been touched by cancer.

Cheryl signing the t-shirts

Her mom introduced Cheryl to relay over 20 years ago. Cheryl had asked her mom if she wanted to hang out for the weekend and what she wanted to do…a movie perhaps? Cheryl’s mom said she was going to walk in a Relay For Life event in the Vancouver, Washington area. Cheryl asked what the relay was since she had never heard of it before. Her mom explained that it was a 24 hour walk to raise money for cancer research. Cheryl knew that their family had been touched by cancer because her grandmother (her mom’s mom) passed away from cervical cancer at the age of 42. It was the year before Cheryl was born.

Cheryl’s mom walked in honor of her mother. She was part of a team through her work and walked every year. Since Cheryl said she was interested, her mom told her to come to the high school at 11 p.m. to walk. Cheryl was a bit surprised at the time but wanted to participate and spend time with her mom.

When Cheryl was getting out of her car at the high school they shut off all the lights. Cheryl didn’t know it, but she had arrived for the luminaria portion of the event. The event was huge with about 4,000 luminaria bags. Cheryl said this part of the relay is always emotional, but this was the first time she had attended an event, so it was all new to her. When she got to one part of the track there was a whole row of bags for a single girl who had passed away a week before the relay event. Cheryl noticed that this girls’ birthday was the exact same day as her oldest daughter who was only 8 years old at the time. It really hit Cheryl hard to think that not only had her grandmother died at just 42, but she saw all the bags and thought “this could be me, this could be my daughter”.

She was hooked! She joined her mom’s team, then started a team of her own the next year, then joined the committee, followed by starting an event in her home town, and here she is 21 years later! She became a staff member 8 years ago.

Cheryl has been touched so many times by cancer. Since she started relay she has lost someone almost every year, including her best friend, Rene, who passed away when she was only 39 years old. And most of these people have had a different type of cancer. For Cheryl, participating in relay is a way for her to fight back for all of the people she has known. (She even has a Relay For Life tattoo with her friends name included)

She started in Portland but when the position came open in Anchorage she took it because she loves the state.  Cheryl says she isn’t a doctor or researcher, so she can’t help rid the world of cancer that way, but she can relay and help raise funds for those working toward that cure!

Natashia Kates, relays because in 2000 when she was 16 years old her aunt went in for a relatively routine “female” surgery for some issues she was having. Natashia was in the waiting room with her grandmother when the doctor came out to tell them that during the surgery they discovered her aunt had advanced ovarian cancer. They were told her aunt had about 6 months to live. It was a devastating diagnosis. Her aunt was stronger than they thought, fighting the battle for a year and a half before she finally succumbed to the disease.

Some friends invited Natashia to a relay event. She was working at the time so she only made it to the last hour of the event, but she was captivated. She found the event honoring of those touched by cancer and amazed by the fundraising efforts. Natashia’s daughter had attended an event with her brother a year earlier, so she has been attending relay longer than her mom.

Natashia said she and her daughter knew they wanted to continue to participate in relay so the following year they started a team. A few years ago she was asked to help chair the event. Since participating in relay her mother, uncle and aunt have had cancer. Three years ago she lost a good friend to brain cancer. He was a teenager when he was diagnosed but he fought for 10 years before passing.

It has been 12 years since Natashia first started relay. Her family now purchases about 30 luminaria bags for friends and family that have had cancer.

Natashia said someday she would love to do Cheryl’s job, being involved in as many events as possible while doing something she loves which is raise money for ACS to help find a cure to cancer!

Natashia Kates, Fairbanks Event Chair, signing t-shirts

Judy is a caregiver who was touched by cancer when her husband was diagnosed. This wonderful lady relay’s every year to raise money. She has been raising funds for 24 years. Her husband is a cancer survivor and they decided to create a team. Judy was talking with her husband about a team and started to name off a bunch of her teacher friends and other friends as she created the team in her mind. Her husband is very quiet but after about an hour he decided that anyone on his team “had to have a prostate” so Judy knew he wanted an all-man team. Judy loved her team already even though the members hadn’t even been contacted yet, so Judy and her husband had two separate teams. One of all men and one of all women. Judy says often people thought that she and her husband were in competition, but they weren’t. It just worked for them to have two separate teams. Judy’s team was created by including any woman who was in town that would like to be on a team but didn’t have a specific team in mind.

They named their team the “Mamo-Clan” and they participated for 18 years. The team grew to 160 women. The women walked at different times of the day, so they weren’t getting a chance to meet each other. To bring the group together Judy organized a picnic so everyone could meet. It was also a great way for the ladies could hand in their money.

About three years into her participation with relay she was joined by the Soroptimist Club in Fairbanks. The new members brought a huge bra decorated with fake grass and fake glitter. This group wanted to hang it on the tent for the night. The next morning a gentleman told Judy that he would pay her $25 if she would wear the bra. She agreed to walk around the track 2 times with this oversized, not very modest bra on. Another gentleman saw her during the walk and gave her another $25. It was such a popular trend that Judy started “bucks in a bra to beat breast cancer” as a way to raise money for ACS.

She has decorated and worn some of the following: Shamrocks, flowers, one year she decorated the bra as goldilocks and the many bears, she has also had mardi gras beads, sequins, and this year she has had furs. The theme for her this year was You otter do it fur the fun of it! She received some of the furs from their local trapper’s association. Her husband is a biology teacher and a trapper, making it easy to wear a red squirrel in her ensemble.

Judy raised over $257,000 in the 20 years. She stopped the team because it had become exhausting for her to continue. She still however has continued to walk as an individual for the past 4 years.

I felt so welcome at the Fairbanks Relay For Life. They even made a Luminaria bag for me! 

During our sightseeing of Alaska we happened to stop at this beautiful Bed & Breakfast called The Lodge at Black Rapids (www.lodgeatblackrapids.com).

It sure seems a proven fact that we all know someone touched by cancer. This quick sightseeing adventure led me to meet two people also touched by cancer.

Me and Cay Welch

I met Cay Welch who is a two-time cancer survivor. She had breast cancer in 2005 and ovarian cancer in 2007. She is originally from the east coast and was diagnosed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which is where she also received her treatments. She had ductile carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), estrogen positive breast cancer.

Her family history is deep with cancer. Cay said that she is the 5th one in her immediate family to have had breast cancer. Not one of the 5 have both breasts, they are each missing at least one breast due to this disease.

Cay is very active and loves the outdoors. Fly fishing, rafting, and skiing have been her passion, so she has been an instructor for all these activities. Cay lives in Colorado now where she has lived for the past 10 years but she comes to Alaska to help her friend Annie whenever she needs her for the summer rush at the Lodge.

She loves to travel and spend time outside of the country for 4 to 6 months of the year. Cay is a caretaker of high-end villas. She came back from Italy in May and was now helping Annie until July.

Her cancer was found during her annual exam and mammogram. Cay said she wasn’t surprised by the diagnosis because of her age and family history. She had surgery without reconstruction, some chemo, 8 weeks of radiation and then was on tamoxifen for 4 years. She changed her entire lifestyle, focused on holistic lifestyle by eating well, becoming physically fit and losing 30 pounds. She said that she feels the best she’s ever felt.

The ovarian cancer was discovered when Cay started to menstruate at the age of 50, plus had sudden weight gain. She went to her doctor to get the issues checked. It was ovarian cancer but was also caught early.

One of the things that Cay says is “live in the day”, don’t procrastinate and be positive. She really wants people to focus on the positive. As a Buddhist she is all about positive energy. She has some great sayings like “it’s not a hill worth dying on” (kind of like “don’t sweat the small stuff”). When there are people with issues she says give them a hug and go the other way. People are NOT house projects, they need to fix themselves. If people choose to go down a drain and it is their choice, they need to circle the drain and finish their path. It isn’t that she doesn’t care, it’s that we all make choices which include taking care of yourself, your business, and your attitude.

She is talked about a wonderful opportunity for people who have had breast cancer. It is called Casting for Recovery which she has volunteered at. She feels it is a great way for women to connect, relax and regenerate. The website for this program is https://castingforrecovery.org

Mike Hopper, co-owner of The Lodge at Black Rapids, is a breast cancer survivor (yes, the 2nd man I’ve met that has had breast cancer). Mike said had I gotten to Alaska earlier he would have been the first man I met with breast cancer. He was diagnosed in 2004. His cancer was found by what some might call a “fluke”.

Mike’s wife, Annie, had just taken a new position as the head of the Breast Cancer Detection Center in Fairbanks and was practicing breast exams on Mike when she found a little “nub” or lump. Annie told Mike he should talk to his doctor about what they felt. Mike went to his long-time physician who seemed to downplayed the possibility of a cancerous tumor and suggested that they keep an eye on the lump. For Mike that was just fine, but not so for Annie. She insisted Mike see the female doctor at the Detection Center. To appease her Mike went along with the appointment Annie made. The doctor was an expert in breast cancer. When she felt the lump she immediately did a biopsy. She removed a lima-bean sized tumor and sent it to be checked. It was definitely cancer. The cancer was an aggressive form so there was no delay in removing the breast. Two days later Mike had a mastectomy.

Mike has also had prostate cancer about 5 years ago. His father died from it and his brother has also had this type of cancer. It was a more anticipated type of cancer. Mike went to New York and had robotic surgery to remove the prostate.

Mike said he had also met a male neighbor that had breast cancer. The gentleman has since passed.

Mike is doing great now. He feels he was extremely lucky since his cancers were detected early and surgically removed. No other treatments were necessary. He says he realizes that while he was busy leading his life cancer was sneaking its way into his body and “it was only in developing cancer that I was forced in some ways to know my body”.

Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful, and I was lucky to be able to not only attend the event in Fairbanks and meet survivors and caregivers, I was also able to meet these two wonderful people as well.

We made Alaska a vacation while attending this event. I would recommend it to everyone. It is stunning! If we ever get the opportunity to visit the gorgeous state again we would stay at The Lodge at Black Rapids. www.lodgeatblackrapids.com or https://www.facebook.com/lodgeatblack.rapids/

Even in the most beautiful places in the world cancer can strike anyone. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t always prevent this disease, but it can help. Finding a cure, taking the best care of yourself you can, and loving life with a positive attitude reduces stress and will help prevent the disease.

[dmozal-cancer-walk-in-50states]

Arkansas and Missouri Relay’s Attended

Blytheville, AR – June 1, 2018

The 2018 Blytheville Relay for Life of North Mississippi County was held at the Blytheville Aeroplex. The Aeroplex is located on the Blytheville Airforce base (renamed Eaker Airforce Base in 1988), which closed in 1992.

The Relay was fun even though the weather was very hot!

The theme of the event was “Give Cancer the Boot.” The event team had a boot that survivors signed after putting their thumbprint on the “boot.”

They also gave each survivor a balloon that was released after all the names of the survivors were read.

I had not been to an event that handed out tickets to the survivors and caregivers, so they could get a free meal during the Relay. Blytheville holds their survivor’s dinner in November, but the tickets were a great way for survivors and caregivers to get to experience some great food, for free, while attending the event.

There were a lot of teams participating.

There was a bounce house and luminarias lined the walking area.

Pony rides were also available.

There were many survivors at the event and I was lucky enough to meet Charles, a part time substance abuse counselor and throat cancer survivor of 15 years. Charles said his cancer was detected during his annual dental checkup. The hygienist found a white spot under his tongue that didn’t look right. She had the dentist look at it and he put some medicine on it. The dentist asked Charles to come back in a week to see if the spot cleared up but it didn’t, so he wanted Charles to get a biopsy.

Me and Charles walking in the survivor’s lap

Charles went to Memphis, Tennessee to see Dr. Semant. The doctor knew right away that it was throat cancer. Charles cancer was found very early so removal of the tumor was the extent of what was needed. Charles also said it was by the grace of God that the cancer was not only found but that it was so very early.

He and his wife Carolyn, an elementary school math teacher, attend Relay as a way to support others and celebrate survivorship. They have been attending Relay for 20 years.

Charles and Carolyn Stokes

One thing that Charles wants to reminds us about is that the bible says faith, hope, and love helps us through all things. Charles believes love is the most important of all because of the love we need to have for others. Without love, we have nothing.

One of the people who signed my shirts was Ashley Kroll. Ashley became involved in Relay several years ago through her job with Nucor Steel. She was hired by them 5 years ago. The company impressed Ashley very much because of their community-mindedness. They are the reason she first became involved with the Relay in Blytheville.

Ashley met an 84-year-old woman who was very involved with Relay (and is still very full of energy). Ashley became involved with a Relay for Life event and was hooked right away. Ashley has held many roles during her involvement with Relay, including team captain, then publicity lead, and then Steve Southard asked her to take over being event lead. She did a great job with this event! In fact she and her team raised an amazing amount of money this year. Their Facebook page shows the involvement and commitment of a lot of people. For her first year running the event Ashley did incredible! https://www.facebook.com/RFLNorthMissCo/ 

Ashley signing the T-shirt that will be donated to ACS when all 50 states are complete.

Ashley involvement became more personal with the diagnosis and loss of her mother-in-law 3 years ago. Relay is truly a family affair now.

Erik, Ashley’s husband, designed and put together the entrance to the Relay. It looked great and matched the theme of the event! Erik shared that he has his own reason to be involved with Relay.

Ashely and Erik Kroll showing off Erik’s talented design of their Relay “arch”

Erik lost his mother to breast cancer when she was only 52. Erik’s mom fought and won her battle with stage 4 breast cancer the first time she was diagnosed with cancer, but a year later it came back with a vengeance and 5 days before Christmas she passed away. It was very tough on the entire family, especially his oldest sister.

Erik was on his way to visit his father in Indiana, driving from his home in Wisconsin. His step-father called to tell him that his mom passed away. Erik said it is a phone call you just don’t anticipate.

The hardest part for everyone is his mom missing all the important life events: Ashley and Erik’s marriage, the birth of their daughter, his sister's marriage and at this time his mom would be grandma to five grandchildren. It is also really hard for special holidays such as Christmas, her birthday and Mother’s Day. Erik still has the necklace he was going to give his mom for Mother’s Day.

Erik and Ashley’s involvement with Relay is impactful to not only their family but also to many others.  For Erik it has special meaning as he thinks not only of his mother and how her passing affected his family, but both Erik and Ashley continue to honor her by caring and raising money for everyone affected by this disease.

The other person who signed my shirt was Lauren Bassie who is the Community Development Manager for American Cancer Society. She was my contact as I selected this event to attend. She was very involved in the event as well.

Lauren Bassie signing the T-shirts to be given to ACS

The staff at Blytheville’s event were extremely energetic and worked so well together.

Ashley Kroll, me, Lauren Bassie, and Joanne Sullivan

The purpose behind this and all Relays is captured in the sign shown below:

There is a great video on the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/RFLNorthMissCo/ ) that was created by a very nice and talented man named Lance Wilson https://www.lancefilms.com/

It captures the essence of the event and the people of Blytheville that made the event such a success.

 St. Charles, Missouri – June 2nd

The St. Charles event was also very hot, but it was right next to the Missouri river at Frontier Park. There were a lot of survivors that braved the heat to walk in the survivor’s lap. I was able to talk to a few of those wonderful survivors. https://www.facebook.com/rflofstcharlescounty/posts/

Sign by the St. Charles Relay

History of St. Charles on the walkway for the Relay

Another view of the Relay in St. Charles

The first survivor I was privileged to talk to was Don Cummings. He worked for several airlines over his 38-year career (American, TWA, etc.). He set up a lot of the charters for sports teams and celebrities so his attention to detail is exceptional.

Don and Lorna Cummings

Don retired 10 years ago just about the same time he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He and Lorna were both smokers. She quit 26 years ago and he quit 16 years ago. Lorna quit because she was going to have back surgery and the doctor suggested that she stop smoking as it makes it so much better on the patient. She quit 6 months before the surgery and did really well because of it. Once she stopped smoking, Don stopped smoking in the house.

Don’s cancer was found during a routine physical. His doctor wanted Don to get an xray. The x-ray showed that Don had lung cancer. Don said “God was with me” as he explains that if he hadn’t gone to the doctor his cancer would have spread. Don had both chemo and radiation and is now cancer free!

Now that he is retired Don and his wife Lorna get to do a lot of traveling. They keep busy with their family and friends as well. Don also keeps busy helping others affected by cancer. He is involved with Siteman Cancer Center. He organizes support dogs to visit on Tues, Thurs, and Friday. He also has a magician come in on Monday for all the people receiving treatments. All these events help people as they deal with their treatments. The center has varying numbers of people on any given day, depending on who might be receiving their treatments. He also walks support dogs on the field for part of “Cardinals Care” that is supported by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Don is quite the character. He is not shy and loves to make people laugh. He is also very caring of others as seen by his volunteering so much of his time. Don and Lorna have been involved with Relay for many years. They feel that because they are so healthy now that they need to make sure others are uplifted as well.

Don says he will be writing a book someday so he can share all the experiences he has had. His sense of humor will definitely make his book something I can’t wait to read! Once I am done Relaying in all the states I would like to be as involved with uplifting others as Don is!

I was also privileged to meet Julie Giamanco who is a two-time breast cancer survivor and very involved with Relay for Life. From her Relay page http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY18NOR?px=21820344&pg=personal&fr_id=88163 it is quite obvious that Relay for Life is important to Julie. As an out of state participant I was impressed by how organized the survivor’s meal was, all thanks to Julie being the Survivor Dinner Coordinator again this year. With the help of other volunteers, the meal was handed out in a quick fashion and the raffles were fun as well.

Yummy treats after the survivor’s dinner

Julie Giamanco signing the T-shirt to be donated to ACS (with Samantha Corson’s help)

Julie said as tough as it is to have to go through cancer treatments again she wouldn’t have it any other way because she knows that she is stronger because of her fight! Julie finds it best to face cancer head on, get through whatever is needed and then go on with your life. Living in fear that cancer may reoccur isn’t an option. Most survivors think about cancer coming back but living in the moment instead of the “what if’s” is the only way to live. She said she’d rather go through whatever is needed to get rid of her cancer than run from it. And if she has to go through it over and over then she’d rather do that then not be here. She has a lot to give and many people she cares about! In fact, her brother is also a survivor.

She has been involved in Relay for several years. She became involved before her first diagnosis. Julie finds raising money for research and all the things that ACS does to help people going through cancer really gives her the purpose she needs to continue to fight for herself and for everyone else on their journey!

Samantha Corson is the Community Development Manager for American Cancer Society and Relay for Life has become personal since she first started participating in the events.

Samantha Corson, Community Development Manager for ACS; me; Julie Giamanco (special thanks to the young man behind the 3 of us holding the balloons!)

Samantha started Relaying in college. As part of a sorority she participated  in Relay because it was expected for the sorority sisters in her chapter. She attended the events, sent emails, and did what she needed to for the Relay. She didn’t feel a connection or understand the impact of Relay at that time.

That changed for her a few years later. She had graduated, was working retail, but felt there was something more. Her long-term goal wasn’t to “rise through the ranks in the company.” She knew she was good at what she was doing, she was comfortable, doing well, and found it easier to stay than to put herself “out there” to look for another job.

Samantha explains that a very special person was affected by cancer and her world changed. In early 2016 her grandmother, Patricia McKenzie, was diagnosed with bladder cancer. She watched her grandma go through several different treatments and Samantha says things seemed to be “ok.” Samantha said “about a year after her diagnosis she was not responding to treatment and we knew that this was not a fight that could be won.” She continued “It was then that I looked inward and decided a life that I was not completely happy with was not a life worth living. Here my grandma was, fighting for her life, and I was allowing fear to keep me from going after what I wanted. I renewed my job search and pulled out my “career search notebook” that I had used when I first started looking. On the first page of that notebook was a list of organizations that I would be proud to work for. The first entry on that list? The American Cancer Society.”

Samantha said it wasn’t long after she started her search that she applied for her current position with ACS. She shared with her grandma throughout the process that “this was for her.”

She explained, “When I was offered the position, she was the first person I told. A month after I started, my grandma lost her fight. Each day I find a new reason to Relay, but she will always be my greatest.”

I asked Samantha what she hopes will be the impact of being a part of ACS and Relay for Life. She said, “In my lifetime I would like to see a cure for cancer. It is a simple, but grand task. I say often that I would love to be out of a job tomorrow, I would love for ACS to be a relic of the past in a world where cancer no longer exists, and where time spent between grandmas and granddaughters isn’t cut short.” What a beautiful tribute to her grandma and all those affected by cancer!

I met two wonderful ladies from the Curves group who are also survivors.

The first I spoke with was Debra Pratt. She is a stage 1 breast cancer survivor. Her cancer was found during a routine mammogram. She could not feel anything at all so luckily her cancer was found early. Although there is some breast cancer in her family, aunts on her maternal and paternal sides, the genetic testing came back clean.

Debra was diagnosed on her friend’s birthday, May 24, 2016. This friend had the exact same breast cancer in the exact same breast a year and a half earlier than Debra. As much as you don’t want anyone to have cancer it was nice for Debra to have her friend to lean on during her diagnosis and treatment. It helps to have someone who has already been through the same thing, so they can answer any questions you have. It is also wonderful to see survivors who are doing well. It gives you hope and alleviates some of the fear. Both Debra and her friend are doing awesome.

Debra had a lumpectomy and something I had never heard of called Savi radiation. She found it was a wonderful way for her to have her radiation. Being in a close relationship with your doctors makes a huge difference in your treatments and recovery as well. Being your own advocate is important too. Debra said she not only had a radiologist, she also had a physicist for her radiation treatments.

Debra says her advice to other women is to take care of yourself. Women tend to put themselves last thus neglect themselves while they take care of others. She knows this is especially hard when women have children and/or very busy lives. It is easy to put yourself last. Debra says that the best way to help others we care about is to care about ourselves first by going to the doctor and getting checkups, etc. It’s hard to take care of others if we aren’t taking care of ourselves.

She also found that Curves was (and continues to be) like a second family. She had a great support system throughout her entire cancer journey. That support system is as important as the care you get from your doctor.

Debra Pratt, me, and Lisa Kaiser 

Another survivor at the St. Charles event was Lisa Kaiser, who is a 2-year breast cancer survivor that contracted her cancer from hormone supplements from her doctor.

Lisa’s story began in February, 2017 when she felt a strange horizonal raised area in her left shoulder just above her left breast. It was painful so she contacted her primary doctor right away. Her doctor didn’t seem concerned and told Lisa to get her mammogram in May like she had planned. Lisa was still concerned so before she left the medical facility she called the breast nurse navigator as a precaution. The nurse told her that Lisa’s doctor was very good so she should follow his advice and get the mammogram in May and that here was no need to mention the lump.

Lisa followed her doctor’s instructions and the mammogram came back normal. However from May 3rd to July 23rd Lisa’s lump continued to grow and was continuing to hurt.

Lisa took matters into her own hands and contacted her gynecologist’s nurse in St. Louis. A diagnostic breast ultrasound was scheduled at the same facility in St. Charles that Lisa had gone to before but the outcome was completely different this time. She was diagnosed with estrogen/progastrin positive Invasive Carcinoma!

Lisa had a partial mastectomy on August 17th but had a 2nd surgery one week later to remove the remainder of the cancer tissue until clear margin was achieved. The two surgeries were done because Lisa was receiving a breast sparing procedure so getting clear margin was not achieved until the 2nd surgery.

On October 1st Lisa started receiving TAC chemotherapy (Taxotere, Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide) for the first 2 treatments, then she received TC chemotherapy (Taxotere and cyclophosphamide) for the 3rd treatment. She was also receiving Neulasta injections after each chemo treatment for the first 3 treatments. Things got very difficult for Lisa over the next few months as she came down with Neutropenic fever which can occur after chemotherapy. She was hospitalized for pneumonia and had a bronchoscopy, a procedure to look inside the lung. During the bronchoscopy procedure a small hole was accidentally cut in her left lung which caused pneumothorax (a collapsed lung).

Lisa had pneumonia twice, spend 21 days in the hospital, and was finally released with oxygen. She needed physical therapy to regain her strength after being so ill. Lisa now takes Femera which causes her to have hot flashes, along with bone and muscle aches.

Lisa also took Tamoxifen for 1 year, then switched to a different aromatase inhibitor, then went back on Tamoxifen for a while longer but she developed a thick lining of the uterus. Her gynecologist watches Lisa closely because Tamoxifen can cause uterine cancer, so Lisa has a pelvic ultrasound every 6 months to see if the lining is decreasing. If the lining does not go back to normal, then Lisa will need a hysterectomy.

Lisa is very conscious of her health and makes sure to eat healthy, exercise and avoid alcohol.

She wants to warn other women to be aware of the real danger that comes from taking hormone supplements and to be advocates for their own health. She says that she never thought that breast cancer would happen to her and wants other women to take care of themselves and be sure to do research on anything that might affect their health.

As we left the event I met Miriam Wetter, who is not only a survivor, she also spoke at the St. Charles Relay and was the event lead. I wished I had caught up to her earlier to also have her sign the t-shirts. Her story is so inspirational that I feel blessed to be able to share it.

Miriam Wetter and Me

In September 22, 2000, Miriam checked in to the hospital for a routine hysterectomy. She said that everything went as expected, except for the fact they had trouble waking her up. Miriam was moved to a room, but she still had not woken up. She said a dear friend of hers, who is an RN, was sitting with her. It is a good thing because at one point Miriam’s friend looked at her, thought something was wrong and called the nurses.

Miriam described what happened next as “All hell broke loose!” Her blood pressure was just 50! Her blood counts were all over the place as well! Miriam said she had excruciating pain in her abdomen, but she couldn't tell anyone because she couldn't wake up. She was taken for a CT scan and they found profuse bleeding. Miriam said the one thing she knows is that she was in God's hands, twice. She said “it was wonderful!” The whole situation was amazing even though Miriam was not visibly conscious. She knows this because her doctor said she was dying and that she had left twice. Miriam says, “God wanted me here, so both times he sent me back.”

Emergency surgery was performed by both a vascular surgeon and her doctor. The doctors found that everything had turned to mush, thus the heavy bleeding. Miriam was moved to ICU, where she had every drop of my blood replaced! After two days, she was moved to a room, and was finally wide awake.

Two days later the doctor called Miriam’s husband into the office and told them both that she had cancer. Miriam said hearing "you have cancer" were words she never, ever expected to hear. He told her she had endometrial stromal sarcoma. Stunned, Miriam asked him how she could have something she’d never heard of. The cancer had invaded the inside and outside of her uterus, blood vessels, soft tissue and lymph nodes. The cancer undid all the blood vessels causing her to bleed after the first surgery.

Miriam’s treatment for this cancer was taking the drug Megace, three times a day for five years. She says she took every tablet and beat it! She has also had two skin cancers removed since her original cancer diagnosis.

As far as being a part of Relay for Life, Miriam became involved in her fifth year of treatment. She started being on the committee in 2007 and was this year's event lead. She has also had this job six other times.

Miriam has realistic and encouraging words. “Cancer changed me, for good and bad.” She explains that by bad she means she closed herself off from people for a while. She said she thought, “I have cancer, I'm different.” She struggled with depression and anxiety, but she worked her way out of everything! Even though she thinks about cancer every day she also tries to find “some light in the darkness.” Because she found Relay due to having cancer she has also found friends through Relay. Miriam says “Relay friends are the best friends, I succeeded in coming out of the darkness and can now raise my voice against this thing called cancer. Hope wins!”

[dmozal-cancer-walk-in-50states]

Sharing Relay for Life in the Beautiful Carolina’s

As I start the final of my 50-state relay goal in 2018 I want to say how exciting this year is going to be. With only 8 states left it will be a busy year. I apologize for the huge delay in writing this blog as the first of my relays didn’t start off as expected. I fell less than 3 weeks before the first of my relays. I fractured my tibia and it slowed me down quite a bit. It made it more difficult to talk to other people because I was on crutches and was a bit uncomfortable. It was a great reminder, however, of the gifts I enjoy everyday. Health, the ability to walk without pain, the friends I have made over the year, etc. 

Shallotte, North Carolina - May 4th, 2018

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­I must apologize for not being able to spend as much time as I would have liked with the wonderful survivors who attended the Brunswick County relay. As I mentioned, I fractured my tibia a few weeks prior to the event and walking on crutches slowed my “walking” down quite a bit! Because of that I am using photos from the Brunswick RFL Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/Relay-For-Life-of-Brunswick-County-NC-200772466654653/ (Besides they are great)

Opening ceremony

There were many survivors at this relay compared to some I’ve attended. Each person sitting here is a survivor. They are a group of people who are strong, funny, caring, tenacious and welcoming. Thank you for letting me be a part of your relay. I was able to chat with a couple of the survivors from this group. Their stories are shared below.

Photo copied from https://www.facebook.com/Relay-For-Life-of-Brunswick-County-NC-200772466654653/

The chaplain that shared the opening prayer is also a survivor. Bill Boynton is a man of many occupations. Husband, father, grandfather, chaplain for the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, Lead Pastor at Church Builders of Brunswick County, and survivor (I’m sure I’m missing several more). I was so blessed to be able to sit and speak with Bill. He is a man with a very special message. But first, I want to share his story.

Me and Bill Boynton – Brunswick RFL, Shallotte, NC

Bill was diagnosed with prostate cancer a little over a year ago (June 13th). Bill had retired from his job for almost 6 months and had a physical set up that he really didn’t feel like he needed to attend. He had this feeling that he should go though. He mentioned to his doctor that he was having some issues with frequency in urination. He had no pain, no other issues, and figured it was part of getting older but his doctor is what Bill calls “thorough”. The doctor wanted him to have a PSA blood test and a digital exam. After a bit of headshaking and saying he really didn’t think it was necessary, Bill gave in even though the doctor felt there were probably no issues.

Bills PSA results were 10.2 instead of being around the normal range of 4. Because of the elevation the doctor wanted the test to be repeated. The results were a little lower but not much. Bill’s primary sent him to a urologist.  

The urologist repeated the PSA bloodwork and it was elevated again so a biopsy was the next step. Bill is the type of person who researches whatever he is questioning so he is well informed. He found that this urologist only biopsied about ½ of the cores that most doctors do. After much thought he changed doctors and his new urologist was more thorough. She and Bill’s personalities matched better as they are both people who speak “matter of fact”. She took more biopsies including some that were painful to extract. She told him that these were probably the ones that were cancerous.

The results of the biopsy came back that he had a more aggressive type of cancer. Bill said he just shut down. He is a man of faith so he not only believes in God, he also knows where he is going when his time on earth is done. He was ready to give up and let whatever was going to happen just happen. He was tired and didn’t feel the fight was necessary.

Bill continues to be thankful for his gift from God, his wife! Her strength and support as his advocate and caregiver, along with the support of the rest of his family (including those who are “non-blood related”) is what pushed him to do something. Bill said these wonderful people flooded him with phone calls and messages (locally and from several states), letting him know that he needed to fight this disease. They would NOT let him shut down and give up!

After about 3 or 4 weeks of people reminding him of his importance, he contacted the doctor. His urologist sent him to his radiologist-oncologist to see if  radioactive seeds would work. After discussion Bill, his wife, and the doctor decided on a prostatectomy. Bill is doing great and has had terrific bloodwork over the past few months.

“Men need to take care of themselves and not depend on doctors to bug them to be checked.” Bill said that men, especially men of color, do exactly what Bill did…..they shut down, they try to ignore what is happening, they don’t take care of themselves as they should. This is such an important message that Bill wants to share with everyone. He said “remember that your family needs you, friends need you, God has a plan but we need to take the step of taking care of ourselves”. Bill said it is important to get checked. It isn’t fun, but it is highly necessary. He also said by getting this type of check up, especially the blood test, you are choosing to take care of yourself and care for others. Bill also said if you don’t feel you have the money find a clinic that will do the PSA test for free or a minimal charge.

He also said fear puts handcuffs on you and you actually lose the ability to make a choice. Death from prostate cancer is not pleasant. 

Bill has passed on the lesson he learned from his father to his children and now his grandchildren which is “nothing beats failure but a try”. What an amazing man, he cares for others, has amazing faith and shows love to everyone he meets. Again, he says don’t let fear prevent you from taking care of yourself. You remove the gift of time with others because of fear…..so instead take care of yourself.

The other survivor I talked to was Heather Kinlaw. Sadly I only talked to her for a few minutes. I was hoping we’d be able to talk again so she could share her story with me. 

Heather is an event planner and has been involved with RFL for many years. She was event chair during part of her time with Relay but over the past few years she has been traveling so she hasn’t been able to be as involved with her local event as a member of the event staff. However she has been attempting to attend whatever relays she can in the states she’s traveling to.

Heather Kinlaw and me

Heather shared a few of her fundraising ideas that she has been involved in such as committee members raising money so that one of their co-committee members would receive a pie in the face. Or a T-Shirt contest where each team designed a t-shirt and people bought tickets as a way to “vote” for the design they like the most. Then that team that received the most tickets received the money from all the ticket sales as part of their fundraising money.

She had a lot of idea’s for fundraising and from the few minutes I talked to her it was obvious that family, friends, health, and community were very important to her.

Heather is not only a survivor, she is a mother, grandmother, businesswoman and volunteer. Cancer didn’t slow her down!

Two of the many people who made the Brunswick Relay such a great success were Teresa Houser and Kecia Taylor. They both took the time out of their busy day to sign my shirt and make me feel welcome.

Kecia Taylor, me and Teresa Houser

Kecia signing the T-Shirt

Teresa Houser signing the t-shirt

There was lots of fun at this event. People participated and enjoyed the day while raising money and honoring those who have been affected by cancer. The community not only raised a lot of money to fight cancer, they also shared in showing love and support for one another (such as dressing up). 

Relay supporter, raising money to help others fight and cure cancer

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - May 5, 2018

Dr. Christopher Bach shared his story during a speech at the Grand Strand Relay for Life. 

He was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia that had spread to his nervous system when he was 18 months old. For the next 3-4 years he spent his time receiving chemotherapy and radiation at the National Institute of Health in Washington DC, trying to get his cancer under control. Chris said he was lucky. His cancer responded quickly to the chemo and he has been leukemia free for 33 years.

Dr. Christopher Bach and me

Chris developed a lot of respect for the medical community because of his experiences, so he started the path to becoming a medical doctor. He is now a gastroenterologist, helping prevent cancer in as many people as he can! As wonderful as that sounds his life has also had some additional dramatic events.

As with all treatments there are side effects that can linger for month, years, or even a life time. During his training to become a doctor a co-resident was practicing an ultrasound of the heart on Chris and found a tumor. Luckily, he was at John Hopkins and one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons took him to the operating room just a few days after the tumor was discovered. They found an myxoma of the left ventricle. He was told after the surgery that he was only days away from a piece of the tumor breaking off and causing a stroke or possibly death. Chris said that this “near brush with death” caused him to want to know more about the treatments he received and the type of cancer he had. He requested his records from NIH so that he could find out more information. He  also reached out to his pediatric oncologist.

The chemotherapy Chris received was experimental, a treatment regimen that was new at the time of his cancer diagnosis. This regimen was so successful that it became the standard for treating his type of cancer and many lives were saved because of this new chemotherapy. The doctor told Chris that he didn’t know of a correlation between the type of chemo he received and the tumor he had but there was a great deal that the doctors didn’t know about the adverse effects that patients would incur years later.

Chris mentioned that although he is considered cancer free of the childhood leukemia he had, he is reminded of the fact that there are still residual effects that can occur. The reminder comes whenever he applies for life or disability insurance and is turned down. He also said that you take the good with the bad when you currently have, or previously had, cancer. If he hadn’t had cancer he wouldn’t be in the medical field preventing cancer and curing early colon cancer. He also says that cancer influences him but it doesn’t define him. I love the way he said “I use my past experiences to better appreciate my present, my family, my health”. He reminded us that the Relay was to celebrate life, our family and friends, and to remember who we love who did not survive. I was inspired when I listened to this man’s speech. Dr. Christopher Bach is many things….husband, father, doctor, survivor, and a man striving to destroy cancer as early as possible!

I was also privileged to meet Joe and Lee Magnani. Joe is a soft tissue sarcoma survivor of almost 8 years. He is a retired custodian that thought that the lump in his left thigh was just the result of bumping into something on his job. He was incorrect.  

Joe and Lee Magnani

Lee noticed that Joe was very quiet the whole weekend which was uncharacteristic for Joe. Then Joe felt numbness in his leg so he went to Immediate Care. When he saw the doctor, she was concerned with what she was seeing so she sent him to see an orthopedic doctor to receive an MRI. While Joe was heading to receive his results Lee was fighting pneumonia and was receiving an x-ray. Lee said Joe had to receive the devastating news of his cancer alone. The MRI showed a tumor that measured 22 x 17 cm. (The size of a small football)

The doctor told Joe that he would need surgery to remove the sarcoma that was almost wrapped around the artery (there was just 1.35 mm or the thickness of a dime, between his artery and the sarcoma). If it had been wrapped around the artery there would be no way to save his leg. There was still great concern due to the size and location of the sarcoma. 

On July 1, 2010 Joe had surgery. The surgery was supposed to take 4 hours but actually ended up taking 9. Lee said she prayed every prayer she knows to every Saint she could think of as she waited with her brother and sister for news on Joe’s condition. When the doctor finally appeared, he told Lee he had good news and bad. Lee asked for the good news first. The doctor said he was able to save Joe’s leg. The bad news was that they had to remove a lot of his quadriceps muscle and nerves so he would most likely need to wear a brace for the rest of his life because his leg was numb in the area of the surgery. (a brace much like people with polio wear)

Joe had some issues during his healing including gangrene that developed because he was on the operating table for so long. That same leg had previously had a hernia and now also developed a clot. During the 23 days Joe was in the hospital, he had 4 different surgeries. The Magnani’s said they had the best surgeon, Dr. John Healey, orthopedic chief surgeon at Sloan Kettering. The doctor is an expert at what he does and is world renowned, having patients from all over the world.

Joe and Lee also had to drive into New York for 23 days to receive radiation treatments. This is a feat during normal circumstances especially with traffic and riding in the car for hours, etc. but they did it!

Lee has had her own health issues, some because of the stress of watching her spouse go through so much. So Joe had additional great caregivers besides his wife Lee. Lee’s sister and brother took turns visiting Joe at the hospital because Lee couldn’t due to her lung issues. (it also happened to be the hottest summer in years in New York which contributed to Lee’s lung problems)

On one of the many visits to New York to see the doctor Joe saw a girl around 15 years old that no longer had one of her legs. Joe said he was so very thankful he was able to keep his leg.

Joe has a really good attitude. He and Lee made a pact for Joe to walk every morning when he got home from the hospital. The first few days he’d walk with Lee for about a half block. Lee was still working and Joe told her that she needed to go to work and he would walk by himself. Lee was worried about Joe falling but he promised to “fall on the grass”. See, good attitude! He did walk and continue to add steps every day to build up his strength. It worked! To also keep his leg working properly he goes to water aerobics 5 days a week. In the winter they walk in the mall and stores.

Joe now wears a compression sock that he puts on every day. He also uses a compression boot a couple of times a day to keep the circulation working correctly so he doesn’t get swelling in his leg. Having lymphedema seems to be a small price to pay to keep his leg.

Because of Joe’s condition with his leg bugs seem to love him. These bites cause cellulitis and it can be dangerous. Lee can tell exactly what is going on so she watches Joe closely. Joe is also great about saying when he doesn’t feel good. He also wants to make sure that people (especially men) say something when they aren’t feeling right. If something is wrong, don’t ignore it. Get it checked before it becomes too far advanced.

Joe and Lee were great fun, they really like each other and have grown so much stronger with having to deal with cancer. They continue to live life to the fullest and remind people of the importance of taking care of their health and paying attention to their bodies.

Keri Wells was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in February 2007. While she was visiting her family in Iowa at Christmas time, December of 2006, she had flu-like symptoms and decided to go to urgent care. When they were checking her glands the doctor said she thought Keri might have a goiter and wanted her to see her own doctor to follow up.

Me and Keri Wells

Keri went to the doctor and he wanted her to have a biopsy. Thyroid biopsies can be very uncomfortable and she had 16 spots they biopsied. She received the call at work giving her the diagnosis. Keri finds that tough because you need to focus on your job but “cancer” is all you can think about. She called her mom who took the diagnosis hard as well. Looking back at family pictures she and her mother realized that the goiters had been growing for years. As she was growing up it seemed she was developing an Adams Apple but because it was so gradual no one really noticed.

Keri went to a surgeon who said that she actually had 2 goiters (one in front of the other) and because of the size they needed to be removed. When Keri went to see the surgeon he didn’t have her pathology report yet. As she was on her way home from the appointment the surgeon called and said he had just received the report. He didn’t realize how large the goiters were. He told her that she needed to have them removed as quickly as possible. The problem was he was going out of town so he was going to have to pass her to another surgeon to have a full thyroidectomy. 

Keri didn’t meet the new surgeon until just before the surgery. As a corrections officer Keri asked her new surgeon to make sure her scar didn’t make her look like she’d been shanked. He did a fantastic job!

It was also discovered that Keri had a lot of cancer cells wrapped around her vocal cords that they weren’t able to remove. Most “normal” people have a single dose of radioactive iodine to kill the cells but Keri has had 5 doses. She’s had one impatient and 4 outpatient treatments.

The hardest part of her treatments was the high dose of radioactive iodine she had to receive. It was so strong that she had to live in an isolation room during the treatment, throw away her clothes once it was complete, the nurses had to wear hazmat-type suits, and it took 3 days for her to get her levels low enough to leave the hospital. It is very unusual to have so many rounds of this treatment. Keri also said she has had to eat a low iodine diet 3 times and it is very hard to follow (and not appetizing at all).

Before she left Minnesota in April 2011 she had a scan and has been cancer free since then. She has yearly scans now but from 2007-2011 she had scan’s every 6 months. Keri said she also has breast cancer in her family so she is very careful to be checked.

Keri has blood work every 3 months to make sure she is doing well. Although I’ve heard often that thyroid cancer is one of the best cancers to get Keri reminded me that any cancer can kill you. Also, the thyroid regulates everything in the body so it’s function is very necessary. She said that with any type of cancer you always have to continue to be careful and pay attention to your body.

Keri has some non-thyroid issues but other than that she is feeling great. She has been participating in the Relay’s in her area since she came to South Carolina in 2011.

Keri said she isn’t someone who would go to the doctor often because she has always been fairly healthy but she realizes now the importance of having a yearly, full body checkup. Catching cancer as early as possible is vital.

I also met Susan and Scott Berman. Susan is a 24-year breast cancer survivor. (I just LOVE hearing that) She discovered her cancer during her self-exam. She found the lump in December of 1994 and when she called for an appointment her doctor’s office didn’t have any available until January. Susan was so concerned with what she felt that she called the clinic. They had an available appointment on Friday of that same week. The lump she discovered was the size of a golf ball (3 1/2 cm).

Me, Susan and Scott Berman

The doctor that examined her was also concerned so she called the head of surgery to get Susan in for a biopsy. The head of surgery did the biopsy that same day and told Susan he wanted to do a lumpectomy on Monday (yes he could tell it was cancer and even more amazing he wanted her to have surgery just a few days later).

The surgeon called a few days after the lumpectomy to say he wasn’t sure they got all the cancer. Susan told him that she wanted a mastectomy to “get all the cancer out”. The doctor wanted to make sure Susan understood what she would look like so she wouldn’t be surprised when she came out of surgery. Susan was very sure of the decision she was making. They moved very quickly through the whole process. One-week later Susan had the mastectomy. She said after the surgery she was relieved. She knew that for her this was the right decision.

After the surgery Susan had to have chemotherapy. Her treatment regimen was a three-week repeating cycle - one week she had chemo and the two weeks in between she was on an oral medication. She did this for 6 months.  The doctor gave her many options when he discussed chemotherapy, including breast reconstruction, and told her they weren’t going to do anything yet. He wanted her to think about the decisions she was going to make.

Susan hated the way she was feeling from the chemotherapy so by the fourth month of treatment she talked to her oncologist and told him she didn’t want to continue the treatments. She was so tired and depressed. She had no hair, no energy and just felt really bad. The doctor understood and said they would change her dose that day and make it her last treatment. He gave her anti-nausea medication before the treatment and when she was done that day she went home feeling better than she had for any of the other treatments.

Susan was glad because she had a trip to Virginia planned with her husband and she already hated that she had no hair and had to wear a wig, she didn’t want to be feeling sick as well.

After 3 years Susan was cleared by her doctor. She did have reconstruction for the breast that had been removed and a reduction on the other breast.

The other issue that Susan has had is lymphedema. She isn’t sure if it developed on its own but she feels that it may have been brought on by a spider bite she received when she was out hanging clothes one day. It is tough to deal with sometimes but she faces it head on.

Susan said if she could tell someone what she feels would help them it is to not be so afraid that they don’t do anything. Go to the doctor, hit it head on, get the cancer out and move on. It’s tough but important for survival.

Susan and Scott are very close. Scott is a supportive husband and partner. He also has words of advice.

He said he realizes that this disease was devastating for his wife. It is hard because he sees that it can make a woman feel awkward, uncomfortable, etc. but he says as Susan’s husband, lover, and partner he has always looked at her as beautiful and amazing (and he always will).

This couple has lost many family members and friends to this disease. They also had friends who have survived or are dealing with cancer currently. They have been involved with Relay for 20 years.

Scott and Susan, and relayer’s enjoying dancing portion

Susan and Scott continue to live fulfilling and busy lives. They enjoy each other’s company and do things together, always busy with something like dancing or being involved with their children and grandchildren. They laugh at the fact that they are busier now than when they were younger. They take care of themselves and others, and hope everyone will do the same!

Nan Hastings is a mom, grandma, coworker, runner, friend, and a 2-time breast cancer survivor.

Nan Hasting, me and Troy Matheny

She and her good friend Michele Hartman formed a cancer support group in 2013 when Nan had just finished her treatments for her 2nd fight against breast cancer. Michele's husband was still battling papillary thyroid cancer.  A good friend of these two ladies was going through treatments herself and mentioned to Michele and Nan that she wished there was more support for people going through treatments. Michele and Nan said they didn’t see why they couldn’t start a support group for all cancers. 

During that time someone asked about donating to their support group. At first, they didn’t know what they would do with the money, but as they talked about it more, they decided to become a 501(c)(3).  All donations they receive go to residents in Horry County, helping local people with bills such as electric, gas cards, phone, and food. As Nan said, people fighting cancer worry about not only their health but also the bills. So many bills come in, work life is often affected, and it isn’t healthy for people to be struggling with these worries. They lose sleep or are affected in other physical ways but that energy needs to be used to fight their cancer.

The group is having a 5K on June 30th. You can see more information on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CopingTogetherNorthStrandSC/

For Nan, she was a single mom for her first round of cancer, and she had a son that wanted to join the golf team but she didn’t have the $30.00 because every dollar went to bills and medical costs. Then one day she received $500 from a dear friend. The friend told her to use the money for whatever she needed. Nan knew at that moment that when she was able to she wanted to do the same thing. It is amazing that her second round of cancer is where that desire became a reality.

Now Nan is healthy, helping others through some of the financial issues they are going through, and enjoying life every day!

Troy Matheny is the Senior Community Development Manager for Myrtle Beach and a very energetic, caring person. He has the most amazing drive to help others, is exceptional at fundraising, and has a big heart.

As part of promoting the Grand Strand Relay for Life event I participated in a live show called Carolina & Company with Troy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_JpvlWW0Is  I was so nervous that I didn’t say the main reason I am Relaying in every state. The goal is to share peoples’ stories so that others may be impacted in some way, as I am impacted every time I hear their journey. The hope is that someday we will Relay to celebrate the end of cancer and the people who have made the cure possible.

The theme at this year’s Grand Strand event was Dr. Seuss and Troy had a pair of light up tennis shoes that he wore when the sun went down (during the rain). His enthusiasm was contagious! 

Troy Matheny signing the Relay shirts

Troy signed my shirts. He also has some great contacts that seem very willing to help in other ways than just financial. He had a contact at the Crown Reef Resort at Myrtle Beach that help me tremendously with the financial burden of a hotel room. Being self-funded means the cost of travel can really add up. The Crown Reef went above and beyond to help with that financial burden. Not only did they help me but their facility was great to stay at, beautiful ocean view, and fun activities for people to enjoy. I would love to visit again someday and would highly recommend them! https://www.crownreef.com/

Both Carolina relays were enjoyable and raised a lot of money for American Cancer Society. The people were kind, friendly, and supportive....not only to others in their community, but for a couple from Michigan as well. A common goal shared by uncommonly kindhearted and caring people!

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Starting the 2018 Relays and Finishing all Fifty States!

It’s hard to believe that after 8 years I’ll hopefully be finishing the last 8 states so I will have attended an American Cancer Society Relay For Life in all 50 states. I’m excited to get started in North and South Carolina. On May 4th I’m attending the Relay For Life of Brunswick County in Shallotte, North Carolina. On May 5th I’ll be attending the Relay For Life of The Grand Strand in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. As the season begins for me I’m excited to meet new people and share their stories. Thank you for being a part of this journey!

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Pahrump, Nevada finishes 2017 Events

Pahrump, NV – October 14, 2017

I must apologize for the length of time it has taken me to update my blog with my last relay for 2017. Life got in the way but I must say that going through my pictures and conversations with people it was like my daughter and I were there yesterday. Thank you for taking the time to read the stories shared here.

Truly welcome in Pahrump

At the Pahrump event I spoke with Pat Meza and her husband Paul. They were kind enough to let me walk with them for the survivor’s lap. We only had a short time together but I feel a great connection with them. I also felt very encouraged as they shared that Pat had cancer in 1984 and Paul had cancer in 1979 and 1981. They both look wonderful and were very welcoming. 

Paul and Pat Meza

When I hear survivors share that they are over 30 years cancer free I feel uplifted! As Pat and Paul say “God is good, all the time”!

I also met Linda Wright who had uterine cancer 5 years ago. The doctors felt the surgery took care of the cancer so no chemo or radiation were needed. Just a few weeks before the Relay in October she had a growth on her face that she thought was an infected pimple or cyst. She couldn’t get it to go away. She tried squeezing it and putting hot compresses on it but nothing seemed to help. Since it wouldn’t go away she went to the doctor who did a biopsy and it came back cancer. It was squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. Linda was having surgery on October 22nd so that they could remove all the cancer and get clear margin (no cancer in any of the surrounding tissue). Since it has taken such a long time for me to complete her story I have found out that the surgery went great.

Her husband, Bill Wright (aka Guppy) also had the same type of skin cancer on his head 2 years ago.

Bill (Guppy) Wright, Linda Wright and me

Linda has been involved with Relay for 7 years. During that time she has been a Co-Chair and on the committee for 5 years. Linda started because her friend had cancer and because of her granddaughters involvement.

Isabella, Linda’s granddaughter, was team captain for the past 3 years. She also holds the title as the youngest team captain and the first one to make “grand club” this year (she raised $1,000 before anyone else). Linda explained that Isabella started walking for her grandmother and has also lost another grandmother to this disease.

Linda’s daughter had cervical cancer which was cured through surgery. Linda’s 68-year old aunt lost her battle with cancer just before the Relay. It seems to be a family affair, not one that you really want to share though.

Linda is very busy being the Senior Vice President for Nevada’s VFW Auxiliary, is involved with family and friends, and Relay. She is not only a survivor but also a caregiver. It is important to her that she cares for others by being involved in her community.

Sara Velasquez started relaying in 2007 when a coworker/friend asked Sara to join her at an event. Sara’s friend, who was kind of like the “work mom”, was not only on the leadership team for ACS, she was also a survivor. Her friend was in her 50’s when she passed away.

In 2013 she was nominated by a friend to be in American Cancer Society’s leadership program and now she volunteers as Event Mentor. She continues her involvement as a tribute to not only her friend but for many people she has known that have been touched by this terrible disease.

Me and Sara Velasquez

Sara has played almost every volunteer leadership role available through ACS. Last year she held multiple lead roles and this year she is the Recognition and Social Media Lead for Las Vegas.

In November she was going to be involved in a fundraiser called “King of the Wing” which originally launched in New York.

I found Sara’s enthusiasm and dedication to American Cancer Society energizing and inspiring.

My shirts were signed by Chanda Wieland with a little help from Candy (Aleta) Klok. Candy is a very busy woman and a breast cancer survivor. Chanda is not only the event chair but she is also a caregiver whose story is shared below.

Candy Klok and Chanda Wieland

­­­­­­­­­­I spoke with Chanda who has a very personal reason to be connected to the American Cancer Society. She became involved with Relay when her sister, Demetria (aka Deme), was diagnosed with Leukemia on February 27, 1992 at the age of 19. She was given a terminal diagnosis and told to get her affairs in order and that she only had 6 months to live. Deme called Chanda at her job and completely changed Chanda’s world.

Chanda said that people are put in your path for a reason. As a bartender she had always worked with the same person but the night her sister called she was working with someone she had never worked with on that shift before. This friend asked what happened to upset Chanda so much. Chanda explained to her coworker what was happening with her sister and he said everything would be fine. He explained that his son had leukemia when he was 3 years old and he was doing fine now. He helped Chanda and Deme figure out insurance and he said that there were additional resources that would help.

Through a nurse navigator and the American Cancer Society Deme was taken care of. Chanda didn’t know what organization was helping at the time but credits her sister’s survival for 11 years, 6 months to ACS. Deme went to the University of Michigan, stayed at Hope Lodge twice, and was included in a research study.

Her sister ended up pregnant (which they never thought would happen) but her cancer came back during her pregnancy. Because they didn’t know she was pregnant Deme had chemo and methotrexate (a drug used not only for cancer but also for eliminating a pregnancy) so they were very concerned about the baby. Deme had Graeleye on October 14th but her little girl passed away on November 4th. As part of the clinical study the placenta was rushed by Deme’s husband to the airport to be sent for stem cell research so they could see if the T-cells could be extracted to help Deme. Sadly Deme’s liver failed and she passed away at the age of 33, on August 25th, 2003.  She fought very hard!

Chanda mentioned that Deme was involved with ACS through a clinical study, the Look Good-Feel Good Program, Road to Recovery, and Hope Lodge (staying twice-6 months each time). This is why Chanda says ACS is important for so many families. Her fundraising page tells more of her story. http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY18GW?px=26554259&pg=personal&fr_id=80512

Reva Braun, Chanda’s very good friend asked her to become involved with Relay for Life so in 2011 she attended an event and the following year she became the event lead. She has never looked back…. Chanda says the craziness of Relay is so worth it because the funding is imperative to help others.

Chanda really wants people to donate to ACS Relay for Life to help fund the programs and research. She says prevention is very important so we can eliminate cancer or at least research all types of cancers. This way no one has to lose a sister, brother, mother, father, child or friend.

I was interviewed by Deanna O’Donnell, News Director and Reporter for KPVM-TV in Pahrump. She was kind enough to ask me about my desire to walk in all 50 states. Below is the link to that interview.

https://youtu.be/4C_uzacFkf4

Deanna O’Donnell, News Director and Reporter for KPVM-TV in Pahrump

As 2017 comes to a close I remember all the people I have met, the stories I was privileged enough to share, the events I was able to attend, and the advancements that continue to be made in finding a cure. With 8 more Relay’s left there is a lot of planning to be done for 2018. I look forward to sharing more stories as my quest to attend ACS Relay for Life events in all 50 states finish.

[dmozal-cancer-walk-in-50states]

Wicomico County, MD & Bath County, VA

I would like to thank everyone who takes the time to read this blog and special thanks for your patience. I love sharing peoples lives with you! If you find any information inaccurate please let me know and I will correct it.

Salisbury, MD – September 22, 2017

The event in Salisbury was in a beautiful park in Wicomico County, with a pond that was lined with the luminaria bags representing many people battling or in memory of the fight against cancer.

Beginning of the track

More of the track

My husband doesn’t get to come with me very often but it was great to have him with me.

My husband Dave walking with other caregivers and survivors

The first survivor and caregiver I met were Gina and Pat. Gina is a 4-year survivor of breast cancer. Gina didn’t have any indication she had a problem. She was careful to check but she had no lump or any other symptoms. She had gone for her annual checkup and the doctor found a mass.

Pat and Gina

Things moved quickly for Gina. Her original appointment was on a Tuesday, then she had a sonogram on Thursday, Friday she had a needle biopsy, and the following week she had surgery.

Gina had some issues with her surgery. She didn’t heal on the inside, instead she had a wound vac for 5 weeks until she healed completely. Her surgery was followed by chemo and then radiation. When the doctor removed 8 lymph nodes she was told that 2 were not clear.

Gina also takes a maintenance drug that has some interesting side effects. She was a bit disappointment because the side effects include hot flashes and green urine. Gina said she had finally stopped having hot flashes and then had to go on this drug for 5 years which meant the hot flashes came back.

She had a little trouble with the chemo because she ended up with blood clots in both legs and lungs but she is doing great now.

Pat, one of her caregivers, is who Gina calls her “surrogate son”. Pat was her sons best friend in high school. Both of Gina’s children live a distance away so Pat stepped up to help. Gina said she doesn’t know what she would have done without him (she also said sometimes she doesn’t know what to do with him, and then she laughs). Gina’s son, an Airforce retiree, lives in Utah. Her daughter, a Navy veteran, is in Norfolk, Virginia. Pat and Gina laugh because Gina’s daughter says if she had been asked in high school if Pat would turn out like he has she would not have believed it. Pat said she really didn’t like him in high school.

Gina and Pat have been coming to relay for 4 years. She makes these beautiful rocks that are used for fundraising but I was blessed to be given one to keep and remind me of her. These two were a hoot. Pat is a firefighter and he is a workaholic (Gina said). They tell funny stories that just made me laugh.

Gina is such a loving and animated person. She has a very open heart. She has a surrogate daughter as well. Her surrogate daughter, Danielle, lost her mother (and Gina’s friend) to pancreatic cancer. Gina told her friend that although she couldn’t help her with her cancer she would take care of her daughter. Gina got to walk Danielle down the aisle when she got married.

Gina continues to live life to the fullest with family and friends that keep her busy!

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­I also met two wonderful friends.

From left to right: April Walker, me, and India Johnson

April Walker is an almost 11-year survivor of thyroid cancer and mother of two. Her son was 3 years old and her daughter was 6 years old when April was diagnosed.

April has a lot of trouble with her allergies and they seemed to be acting up so she went to her ear, nose and throat doctor to see what was going on. She really hates when people mess with her neck and throat so she didn’t think her allergies would cause the doctor to do anything with that particular area, but she was wrong. First he put his hands around her neck and asked her to swallow. Then he had her drink water and did the same thing. Her doctor sent her for a sonogram, which led to an MRI then an MRI with dye and then a needle biopsy. The results were that she had thyroid cancer. Although the cancer was in her left side she chose to have the whole thyroid removed. She then had 2 doses of radioactive iodine. April raised two kids while going through surgery and treatments but she has been cancer free ever since.

I also met India Johnson, a caregiver that was walking for her mother and grandmother. These two special ladies, Katherine Holland and Bernice Holland, are both colon cancer survivors. She also walks in honor of her father Asbury Johnson who passed away from liver cancer. India said her father’s cancer was removed but spread to his brain, lungs and spine. Her father was 56 when he lost his battle. Eight years later the pain of his loss is still so raw.

April also mentioned she lost her mother at 69.

Although they didn’t stay too long India did share that this disease is definitely something we need to fight and win against!

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The event chair, Debbie Marvel, started Relay many years ago in memory of her grandfather. A coworker had started a team and asked if she wanted to be a part of it. Debbie said that she was hooked as soon as she took her first steps at the Relay.

Debbie Marvel and me

Debbie lost her father a few days before the Relay 5 years ago but she knew she had to attend the event. She says that over the years she has seen so many people fight this disease, walk with or in honor of someone special affected by cancer, and she knows how important the funds are as they help not only with research but also with many services provided by the American Cancer Society.

ACS Staff Partner Debbie White and Debbie Marvel, signing shirts at the Maryland Relay

Penny Travers is a volunteer for Relay for Life and she is also a survivor. Penny sent me her story. She is a mom of who has “wonderful young adults” (children). They are Jake (23), Emma (18) and Lily (13). She has been married to Kirby for 23 years and refers to him as an “amazing man”.

Penny and me

Penny was diagnosed with Stage 3a Her2+ breast cancer in April of 2013 just a few short weeks after her 40th birthday.

Penny and her family

Penny said “Like many of us I had been touched by cancer prior to my diagnosis when I lost my grandmother in 1997 and then a very dear friend of mine in 2002. My aunt was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and thankfully is still celebrating being cancer free.”

She continues “Prior to my diagnosis I did participate in Relay for Life a few times and donated to teams that were participating so I felt like I could say that I was doing my part. But after I was diagnosed I began to have a whole new appreciation for the group of people that have assisted and participated over the years.”

“My family and friends came together after my diagnosis and decided that they wanted to start our relay team and had just a few months to organize fundraisers and get donations. I wasn’t much help because of my surgery and chemo treatments. But they were amazing and were able to raise about $5,000 by the night of relay. They keep doing it year after year without fail.”

Like so many others Penny said “We are a very close and very large family, so I have a wonderful support group with them and my friends and I know the importance of having that during my recovery. I’ve had over 13 different surgeries and procedures over the past 4 years. I’ve struggled with infections and anemia but keep pushing through with the help of family. There are many survivors out there that don’t have that or not to the extreme that I’m fortunate enough to have. And that’s where the Relay Community comes in. When the survivors and caregivers come out to relay and walk that first lap, they see all of the campsites and all of the participants…they see their support group. They see all of the people that care and that are determined to make a difference even though they don’t know you by name. They see all of the effort that you’re putting in to make that difference and to help fight for them.”

Penny’s resolve to help others is shown by her determination in being involved in Relay. She says “Regardless of how I feel, I’m there for them. My team, Penny’s Loafers has coordinated the Survivors Reception for the past 4yrs. It’s been an honor to meet all of the survivors and caregivers that come out to the event. I’ve heard the term warrior given to anyone that has been diagnosed with cancer. You’re fighting the biggest battle- the battle for your life, your health and just one more day with your family. But you can’t do it alone. You have to have people there to support you and to help you win the battle. That’s what relay means to me…people coming together, remembering all that can no longer be there with us and supporting all of the warriors in the fight for the cure!”

Penny’s enthusiasm and story are inspiring!

I spoke with several people who preferred not to share their stories in the blog. They showed their strength and fortitude by attending the event and caring for one another. The park at the Wicomico event was pretty but the true beauty of the event became surreal as night fell and the luminaria bags were lit against the backdrop of the pond.

As my husband and I headed out for the night we were reminded of what Relay is all about by the lights of the sign shown below.

Hope….the message behind each event is that everyone touched by cancer has the American Cancer Society fighting to find the cure, doctors and family members who are there to give them strength, and most of all there are others who continue to fight for them and with them so they have HOPE!

20th Anniversary of Bath County Relay for Life, Millboro, Virginia

The people at the Bath County Relay for Life in Millboro, Virginia were another group of friendly people. They made me feel so welcome, like I was already a part of their community.

I met several survivors and some shared their stories but not everyone wanted to have it on the blog. As I continue this journey I am reminded that each person’s voyage is unique and so are their personalities. Whether I am able to share their story on the blog or not, their journey and survivorship is a testament to the will and resiliency of each person touched by cancer. This includes not only the survivors but their caregivers, family members, friends and coworkers.

The track for Bath County’s Relay

The Relay included an auction and games. They had many beautiful items to auction off and the games were fun. I even won one of the games.

Auctioneer as he helps raise money for Relay of Bath County

Playing games (and I won)

I met Patty, a lung cancer survivor, who originally went to the doctor for a hernia. When they took an x-ray they found more than Patty bargained for, they found she had lung cancer. She was completely surprised, in fact her sister fainted when the doctor gave her the diagnosis. When she met her cancer doctor (who isn’t bad on the eyes she said) he set up her treatments. She has had 2 rounds of chemo, 6 treatments each time. She is now on a study drug every 3 weeks and has a CT scan every 4-6 weeks. At this time, she is stable (actually looks wonderful).

The lung cancer was in both lungs and in her lymph nodes. The medication is an immunotherapy drug that seems to be working well on her stage 4 cancer. She is reminded that stage 4 means that the cancer is in 4 parts of the body.

Patty is working 6 days a week, wears her husband’s hats when she can, and is involved with her family, friends and work. Patty knows the importance of the people you care about and spends her time and energy in being a part of their lives while continuing to work on her health. She is like the energizer bunny with so much energy you wouldn’t know she ever had cancer.

Donna, me, and Patty

Donna Ingram, good friend of Patty, was 50 when she was diagnosed. She had cervical cancer that was literally growing out of her body. She said that her mom could smell an odor and told her she needed to get checked right away. Donna went to the emergency room and they told her she needed to get to the cancer doctor right away!

For 9 weeks she did radiation every weekday. She also had chemo once a week for 9 weeks. She did the chemo and radiation treatments at the same time. She was stage 3 when they found her cancer.

Donna was hospitalized 3 times for different illnesses she picked up from other people while her immune system was weakened. She has 3 children, 4 grandchildren and another on the way. Donna looks amazingly healthy even though she just had back surgery, having titanium rods put in. She used to be a fitness trainer  so exercise is important to her.

Each person deals with their loved one’s cancer in a different way. Each of her children dealt with her cancer diagnosis in a different way. The strength she received from them helped her through each step. The one thing she wants to make sure people know is that having a pap smear and yearly checkup is imperative.

She says that whenever she has to go to the doctor for her scans she gets quite anxious. I have heard the same thing from others before and I feel the same way. I’ve heard it called “scanxious” but there is no way she would skip the appointments or the scans.

It is an important reminder to be your own medical advocate and take care of yourself by seeing the doctor. Don’t ignore symptoms or any nagging feeling.

Gloria Lindsay is a colon cancer survivor. Her story is also unique. Gloria had been using a new push mower and noticed her side was really sore. The next day Gloria decided to clean out the basement. On Sunday she wasn’t feel very well. She is a florist so her husband went to water her flowers while she got ready for church. When her husband called to pick her up from church she said she wasn’t feeling good and that she had to lay down with a heating pad.  Her husband called her daughter, Amanda, now known as “the warden”. Her daughter works at Bath County Community Hospital.

Gloria and her family

Amanda happened to be off work that day. Normally Gloria doesn’t complain because she has such a high pain tolerance so when she said she wasn’t feeling well this made the rest of the family concerned. Amanda said she’d take her mom to urgent care so she picked up her mom to drive her. Instead of taking her to urgent care, however, Amanda took her mom to the emergency room door at Bath County Community Hospital and said “this is where this taxi ride stops”. She told her mom she could either go into the emergency room or she could walk to the nearest urgent care (which wasn’t near AT ALL). Now this may sound a bit harsh but Amanda knows her mom is a bit “stubborn”. Gloria wasn’t going to the hospital unless Amanda tricked her. Gloria said she didn’t want to go to the emergency room because she didn’t feel it was “bad enough” (figuring it was a pulled muscle) and she didn’t want to pay the large emergency room fee. Left without a real choice Gloria knew she had to go to the emergency room.

Amanda told her mom to be adamant about the amount of pain she was in. Luckily the doctor listened to Gloria. He did a CAT scan and blood work. After Amanda read her mom the results of her bloodwork the family started making plans to take her to a bigger hospital.

Gloria’s tumor started at 5.5 cm but by the time they took her to the bigger hospital the scan with an IV contrast showed the cancer was the size of a plantain banana. They were a bit surprised since Gloria had been going in for colonoscopies every 2 years because she had precancer cells. What they believe happened is that the cancer was in a bend in the colon so it had been missed for 3 to 5 years. They went into the hospital May 21st, surgery was done on May 22nd, chemo started on June 16th and Gloria rang the bell on September 14th. It was a difficult three months.

Gloria’s granddaughter was there when she received her diagnosis. The family has a very special bond. Gloria’s granddaughter was graduating high school on June 3rd. Even though it had only been a couple of weeks since she had surgery Gloria participated in something called “capping” which means the special person selected goes up on stage the night before graduation to place the cap on that special graduate’s head. This special someone was Gloria’s granddaughter. Her daughters and husband continue to say how tough Gloria is.

Gloria said it had been tough at times but her family has been so amazingly supportive and strong. Her granddaughter drove in from Norfolk to spend the special day at the Relay with her grandmother. They are a close family who sees the importance of having each other, which keeps them strong no matter what!

Gloria continues to say that people need to be very active in their own medical advocacy (and so do the rest of her family). Getting checkups, communicating with doctors, and being aware of your body is imperative to catching this disease early!

Lisa Vestal, a breast cancer survivor whose cancer was discovered in 2004 said she considered herself cancer free in 2005. She was staged 3B. Lisa had a lump in one of her breasts but she wasn’t super concerned because she was always “lumpy”. She always needed additional films when she had the mammogram on her right side but her cancer was actually detected in her left breast.

Lisa had a lump that she ignored on her left side. Partially because of the fear of knowing what it might be and partially because of the fear of being overly dramatic. However, once she saw that there was discoloration and then pitting in the tissue she knew she couldn’t ignore the issue.

Pat Foutz, me, (way in the back is Cindy Andrews – a 3-year breast cancer survivor), me, Lisa Vestal

When she went to the doctor she had a needle biopsy right then. The doctor told her they already knew it was breast cancer. Although it was a shock, especially at the age of 43, Lisa knew it would be ok. She is a very positive person. Luckily her family and friends are very positive people as well. Lisa said she had 2 aunts that had breast cancer in their 80’s.

Through this whole experience Lisa has found that her family has become closer. Lisa is quite funny. Her children were 8 and 16 years old when she was diagnosed. She said she doesn’t remember much and tells people it wasn’t that bad an experience but her family looks at her and says “it was tough”. Lisa feels quite blessed to have had a journey that has made her faith and family stronger!

From her experience I believe she would tell you to push through your fear and face whatever is happening with your body as early as possible. Go to the doctor and get through the diagnosis, treatments, etc. Earlier is better if you have that opportunity!

Pat Foutz, chair for the Relay for Life event, is not originally from Bath County but loves the community. She has worked at the hospital for 36 years and involved in the Relay for Life for all 20 years.

Pat Foutz signing the Relay for Life shirts

Pat has a giving heart and determination that shows in the things she does. She says her story is more about adversity. Not by choice she became single when her children were young so her education became important to her. She needed to provide for her children as well as herself. She also wanted to show them the importance of being self-sufficient. Pat wanted to be involved in the community while showing her children what it meant to be active within the community so they became involved with Relay at a young age. In fact part of the time her daughter was at the Relay to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

Now that she has grandchildren Pat would like to be more involved with them because she doesn’t feel she had the ability to spend the time she wanted to with her children when they were young. She knows the impact of Relay for Life and especially for Bath County’s Relay. Not everyone who is involved with Relay for Life has a family member or friend who has been touched by cancer but being a nurse and someone who has a heart for others Pat has found that Relay for Life helps those affected by cancer through their multiple programs as well as through continuing research for a cure.

A small but powerful community, the Bath County event held in Millboro was one of the friendliest I have attended (they are all friendly). The people are close and take care of one another.  Before I left I received a few items that I will cherish forever:

Gifts from Bath County’s Relay

The Color of Comfort

I received this beautiful afghan from Pat Foutz, Chair of the Bath County Relay. There was a touching note that reads:

Dear Denise,

This colorful lap afghan was lovingly crocheted by Janel Gum of Monterey, Virginia, for Bath County Virginia Relay for Life. She donated this in memory of her mother who died from breast cancer. We call it a Color of Comfort Throw, because every color represents awareness for a different cancer and because we fill it with hugs and hope!

We are honored to have you participate in this our 20th Anniversary of Relay. Please carry it with you to every event so that relayers from all over may fill it with hugs and hope as well. It’s the perfect size for travel, in case you need to cover your knees or make a pillow. We pray this will unite us into one Relay Nation filled with hope and determination.

Thank you for your encouragement.

Relay for Life of Bath County, Virginia

I cannot tell you how much this beautiful afghan means to me. I get so much from each Relay I attend. I am encouraged by the stories I hear and am blessed to be able to share them on this blog. As a survivor it gives me hope, as a caregiver it gives me hope, and as a friend it gives me hope. 

Thank you to Janel Gum for sharing her talents to make this afghan. I’m sure your mother is proud of you, her wonderful daughter. I will carry this afghan as I attend additional Relays.

As the night finished, the luminaria ceremony included loved ones standing by the luminaria bags of their family member or friends as we celebrated the lives of those affected by cancer…..and the hope for the cure!

Bath County Community members quietly honoring those who have fought, are fighting, or who have lost the fight

[dmozal-cancer-walk-in-50states]

Attended states 38 and 39, Kansas and Nebraska

Seneca, Kansas - July 14, 2017

Before I share stories from the Seneca Relay for Life event I’d like to send a huge thank you to the owners of Altenhofen Inn & Suites (http://altenhofeninn.com/) in Seneca. They were kind enough to give me a cost break on my accommodations. The hotel was beautiful, the staff friendly and helpful, and the location was perfect (right across the street from Nemaha Central High School).

View of the Seneca water tower from the Relay for Life event

The Nemaha County event was a lot of fun. It was such a hot day and yet there were a lot of survivors who attended, along with family and friends. It was held at the track of Nemaha County High School and they raised approximately $28,000 so far.

Nemaha County High School bleachers

Luminaria displaying names of those who have had cancer

One of the prizes at Seneca’s Relay

I met several survivors and am privileged to share some of their stories.

Lisa Studer

I met Lisa Studer at Altenhofen Inn & Suites which is where she works. I was asking for directions to the event and explaining why I was in town and she was kind enough to share her story.

Lisa is a 1-year survivor of breast cancer. She found her breast cancer after going on vacation with her sisters. She was having trouble climbing in and out of the car and thought she had pulled a muscle.

Lisa Studer and me

She felt a lump in her breast that she had ignored because she thought it was “grandma boob” from the grandkids pushing off her with their elbows as they got off her lap. She had a bruise in that spot and figured it was just a sore spot from the repeated elbowing.

She went to her doctor who did a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. It was confirmed she had breast cancer. Lisa had chemo, then the lumpectomy and finally radiation.

Lisa is like the energizer bunny! She is only a year out from her diagnosis and treatments but I would not have known. She is involved in work, her family and especially her grandkids!

Alice Wells

I met Alice Wells, who has Von Recklinghausen’s Disease (VRD) or nerve fibromatosis (stage 1). This disease doesn’t always turn cancerous but when it does it is considered a male cancer. Although Alice was diagnosed at 7 years old she was born with the disease. The disease is painful and has a short life expectancy. For men, the life expectancy average is 37, and for a woman it is 35.

Alice Wells and Rick Battey

VRD is usually passed from father to first-born son but Alice was the first-born child in the family. Alice’s father died from the disease at just shy of his 37th birthday. Her grandfather (who survived until he was in his 60’s), her niece and one of her grandchildren have also been affected by this disease.

Alice defied the odds by being 50 on her last birthday and she said she is only the 4th female in the United States to have this form of cancer (not including her niece). Of the 4 females, Alice is the only one that has survived this long. The other women passed away before they turned 30.

The first doctor she went to said she didn’t have the disease but the second doctor said he believed she did so he sent her straight to K.U. Medical (also known as University of Kansas Hospital). This disease doesn’t respond to chemo, radiation, or any other medicines. It is only treatable by having the bumps removed. Typically, this type of surgery isn’t done unless the bump really bothers the patient. It is a very complicated disease. Alice explained the bump goes to a cone and the cone touches a nerve, which is what causes the pain. If the bump explodes the toxins in it will release the poison into the blood stream and the person normally dies.

Alice’s doctor said that diet also has a lot to do with the disease so her husband, Rick Battey, is a chef and he cooks all organic (no process foods, etc.) for Alice. The effects of the disease have been tremendous. Alice gained a lot of weight which increases the danger of the disease. She has since lost a lot of that weight. Stroke is one of the side effects of the disease as well. At the age of 45 Alice had 4 strokes in a very short time periods. Luckily Rick was a paramedic for many years and could recognize the symptoms of a stroke so he got her to the hospital quickly.

These two have been together for many years. Rick has been Alice’s caregiver for 16 years; they have known each other for 28 years. Rick was running a restaurant when they met and Alice got a job there. Alice started to babysit his son and they have been together ever since. This couple laughs saying Rick started as Alice’s boss but when they got married she became Rick’s boss.

Alice and Rick’s grandchildren (76 grandchildren total, 7 are blood grandchildren but all of them are their “heart” grandchildren) are also involved in raising money to help others. The kids made crafts to sell at the silent auction for the Seneca event as well as other fundraising endeavors such as making bracelets like the one that Alice gave me. They give them to survivors for free.

Free bracelet given by Alice Wells and created by her grandchildren

The family has been attending Relay for 14 years, 3 years at the Seneca event. They continue to support not only ACS Relay for Life but also each other, their family and anyone they meet (like a woman from Michigan).

­­­­­­­Diane and Lyle Rottinghaus

I met Diane who had breast cancer in her early 20’s but what is even more amazing is that she is a 50-year survivor!!! She had a lump that the doctors felt would become cancer so she had a mastectomy. Within 10 years she developed cancer in the other breast so she had that one removed as well. Diane didn’t have any additional treatments (no chemo and no radiation). She says there isn’t much else to tell since the surgeries were all that was needed to cure her cancer.

Diane and Lyle Rottinghaus

Her husband Lyle, a farmer for 54 years, also had cancer. His cancer started with melanoma, then a brain tumor (non-cancerous), and a spot in his stomach that became cancerous. He had chemo for the stomach cancer. The melanoma came back with spots below his eye, behind his ear, behind his neck and one on his nose.

Diane joked with Lyle one day that the only thing that hadn’t gone wrong with him was his feet, and the next day his toenail fell off!

Lyle found his melanoma when he had a pimple or wart like growth that just didn’t go away, so he went to the doctor. A biopsy was performed and the doctor told the Rottinghaus’s it was melanoma. He asked them to set up an appointment for Lyle to have some lymph nodes removed and tested. Lyle explained the doctor said he had good news and bad news. The good news was they got all the melanoma; the bad news was Lyle had a tumor on his brain. He had brain surgery two days later to remove the non-cancerous tumor.

Then Lyle had a “tummy ache”. The doctor took some blood and a “picture”. Two days later they received a call saying he had stage 2 stomach cancer. That world wind started as he dealt with another type of cancer. Lyle had 6 rounds of chemo, several surgeries, and continues dealing with the side effects of the treatments. Melanoma has attacked other parts of Lyles’ body as well but he gets the cancer removed and he just keeps going!

This couple is a hoot! They shared stories from their farming days and the relationships they had with their neighbors. The tricks they used to play on the couples that they shared their lives with were hilarious. I loved the stories Lyle told about hand fishing (yes, catching fish with your hands) and the tricks he, Diane and their neighbors used to play on each other. It sounded like a blast living next to this wonderful couple.

They have faced a lot in their lives so far. Diane having cancer at such a young age must have been scary to a couple just starting out their marriage. As well as all the different attacks of cancer that Lyle has faced over the past 10 years. You can see the love and respect they have for each other. They lived and worked on a farm for many years but are now living in a place closer to the city. Their lives are a little slower now but there is still a twinkle in their eyes as they know the importance of finding a cure to cancer along with the time spent with the ones you love.

Relay staff are more than just volunteers

The team of volunteers/workers at the Seneca Relay were involved for many reasons.

Left to Right: (front row) Dennis Schmitz, Misty Blume, Shirley Claas, Carolyn Zeller

(back row) Kristena Bowles, Joan Buessing, Karen Buessing, Kristy Wilhelm, Alicia Keegan, Denise Mozal

Joan Buessing said that she relays because not only has she had two close friends who died from cancer but also because her mom and dad have dealt with cancer as well. She says there needs to be more research to get rid of this disease.

Shirley Claas, a retired teacher, said she relays in honor and memory of friends and relatives who have been touched by this disease as well as to bring awareness to the community. She had a cousin that passed away last year and he was only in his early 60’s.

Kristy Wilhelm relays because cancer runs through her family quite heavily as she has had grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and her mom were all touched by cancer. She relays because she wants to remember those family and friends who have lost their battles, but also to show to the survivors and those still battling cancer how amazing these communities that we live in are and how many people support them and the fight to find a cure!

Misty Blume relays because there is too much cancer in the world. She lost all 4 of her grandparents to cancer, she lost her sister-in-law a few years ago which is why they started a team, and a few months ago another sister-in-law diagnosed. Misty said there just needs to be a decrease in this disease!

Kristena Bowles started relaying because of Misty (at first) but then she decided that she relays for everyone. Her great grandparents on her mom’s side all had cancer and her dad has had several friends affected as well.

Karen Buessing relays because she lost a son-in-law to melanoma at a young age. Like the others, Karen wants a cure to all cancers.

Alicia Keegan relays for those that cannot make it out to walk due to cancer. She walks for those that cancer has taken, including her dad and father-in-law, other family members and some of her best friends. She walks so her kids do not get cancer. She walks so we can wipe out those words “you have cancer”.

Many of the people on the team joke about the fact that they relay because Alicia Keegan calls them but it is obvious that they each have a very personal reason to be involved as well. There was a lot of fun, camaraderie and joy at this event tempered with a huge desire to have cancer eradicated from our world!

Omaha, Nebraska - July 15, 2017

I really appreciated the help I received on my accommodations from the Courtyard by Marriot and Christine Bleich from American Cancer Society for setting the accommodations up for me. The hotel was wonderful and very close to the Relay of Omaha.

The event was held at Stinson Park at Aksarben Village and the venue was wonderful. There was a covered stage for not only announcements and music but there was a live singing group. A lot of the community attended for the concert, which helps bring more awareness to the people who may not normally attend a Relay for Life event.

FUN FACT: Aksarben is Nebraska spelled backwards

The walking path for the Relay at Stinson Park

Lots of team participants

One of the team tents at Relay (selling decorated bras to raise money)

The Relay arch at Omaha’s Relay for Life

The band High Heels on stage at the Relay

Andy Loftis

I met a young man named Andy Loftis who was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer at the age of 41 (no way does he look like his age but he says “I don’t feel a day over 51” – funny guy!). Andy went to his primary doctor last June (2016) after about 2 months fighting some type of lung infection that he thought turned into bronchitis. He had tried using over the counter medication and he would feel a better for a little while but then it would come back. It was just not going away. The doctor agreed it was bronchitis and prescribed an inhaler and an antibiotic. On his way out the door though the doctor said they should get an x-ray. It was a good thing he had the x-ray because the doctor found a tumor in Andy’s lung.

Cindy Loftis, Rod Loftis, Andy Loftis and me

Andy Loftis was a smoker several years ago but he had quit and had no issues. Because of the tumor shown in the x-ray Andy was sent for a CT scan and based on those results he was referred to a pulmonologist, who then sent him for a PET scan. The PET scan showed many things not mentioned when it was reviewed with Andy originally but a biopsy was suggested. Andy was told that they could tell it was cancer but they didn’t know exactly what type, stage, etc. because they didn’t have all the labs back yet.  A couple of oncologists were suggested for Andy and luckily he has several nurses in his family to help him make an informed decision on who might be best suited for him. His sister-in-law is one of those nurses and Andy says he has “absolute faith” in her, and she was already compiling a list for him.

His choice was Nebraska Medicine, the best place in town by far in Andy’s opinion. He says “the revolution in cancer is going to start right here in Omaha”.

The oncologist told Andy that they were going to look at this cancer from their perspective not what he’d already been told, so basically starting from the beginning. The PET scan had showed that there were multiple lesions in his bones going all the way down his spine and on both sides of his ribs. One tumor that the specialist didn’t mention had fractured his neck. The MRI showed the tumor in his neck was big and there was cancer in his brain. As he said, it was a rough day!

The doctor also wanted to check for a mutation. The results seemed to take forever. Andy has had such a rollercoaster of ups and downs. While waiting for the results Andy had 10 radiation treatments to shrink the tumor that was causing pain in his neck. The radiation completely eradicated the tumor. When the lab results came back they found that he had a mutation which was good because it allowed Andy to use Tarceva, a targeted therapy for all types of cancer, as his first line of defense instead of having chemo. He now takes the Tarceva pill every day.

The results of Tarceva that he started last July showed the cancer in the brain was gone in October and November showed all the lesions were gone except the primary tumor. The primary tumor was 21mm when it was originally discovered but in February it had shrunk to 4 mm. The side effects can be challenging and Andy has some pretty rough days but his job is very understanding and he is able to work from home when necessary. Luckily he says he has lost very little time from work.

The hard part is at some point the Tarceva will stop working but for now he has been extremely lucky. Andy has seen where the medication has stopped for working for some people in 2 months but he has a friend that has been on it for 6 years and is doing fine.

Andy says it’s tough because lung cancer doesn’t get the same focus as some other types of cancer and when you have stage 4 cancer waiting for someone to pay enough attention so that more research to be done is frustrating.

In his family medical background Andy was surprised at how much cancer was in his family. His grandparents, who were heavy smokers, both died from lung cancer. The doctor doesn’t believe that lung cancer is genetic so Andy connected with a place that did a deeper dive in his genetic background. They also don’t believe it is genetic. Andy said it doesn’t matter if it is genetic at this point, it is more important to eradicate this cancer.

Most survivors and caregivers will tell you that the relationship with the doctor is as important as the course of treatment. Andy loves his doctor. His family put together a fundraiser the night before the Relay and his oncologist and two nurse case managers came with their spouses. As he said, they are part of his family now. It is hard as a patient to keep from being concerned, especially as a patient that has a more advanced cancer.

He has found that the anxiety that goes with stage 4 cancer can get to you. When he was talking with his doctor in February he was told he could wait for scans until August, which is such a long period of time when you are fighting for your life.

Someone asked Andy what it was about his doctor that made her special. Andy said “It wasn’t really a medical thing, most cancers have a road map,” but the difference for him is the empathy and caring his doctor has for him. The doctor told him that she wanted him to let her worry about what was going on because it is her job and she had his best care in mind. At first Andy was not comfortable with the span of time before his next scan but as he walked to his car he realized she was right. It is her job to take care of him and he found he could finally let that anxiety go. For the most part his days are not consumed by fear and thoughts of cancer, but he also says there are days when that fear creeps in for a little bit. Most people I’ve talked with about their checkups, whether getting scans, blood tests, or whatever it is that is used to check where their health is, waiting for results are nerve-racking and Andy is no exception.

Andy considers himself very fortunate. The epiphany that came to Andy is the fact that he was dying and he didn’t even know it. If he hadn’t been diagnosed when he was he would not be here. He also says because of the speed in which he was diagnosed and that they found the tumor in his lung, the original source of his cancer, instead of finding the one in his neck which was a secondary tumor….he most likely wouldn’t be here sharing his story with me.

A person’s outlook can make a huge difference in how they deal with their cancer, how well they do with treatments, and even their overall health. Andy’s view is amazing especially now that he is feeling better. He finds that getting involved with Relay and other survivors have really helped. Andy and his family are very close. His sense of humor and attitude has made this past year a little more bearable. He enjoys photography and every day as he lives life!

Stacey Atkinson

Stacey Atkinson had stage 4 uterine cancer that was discovered on August 12, 2011. Stacey had been having some trouble with heavy periods so she wanted to talk to her doctor regarding something she heard about, uterine oblation. Only being 47 she had heard that it helped to stop periods, but the test she had showed something Stacey hadn’t been prepared for. The doctor said she had cancer and gave Stacey a pathology report and a surgeon’s name. What a shock to go from thinking you needed a minor procedure to help alleviate heavy periods to having stage 4 uterine cancer!

Me and Stacey Atkinson

Originally Stacey was supposed to have robotic surgery to remove her uterus but she had too much scar tissue from having two C-sections. Stacey said it is a blessing that they had to do abdominal surgery because the lesion on her abdominal wall would have been missed, it was outside the uterine wall. Normally patients aren’t told what stage their cancer is until the extent of their cancer is determined. If the lesion was missed Stacey would have been staged incorrectly and her plan of attack for treatments might have been less aggressive than it should have been. She also had cancer in 7 of the 35 lymph nodes that were tested.

Stacey was a bit upset with her doctor because he told her he believed she was more likely to succumb to her disease than she was to survive it. This was not an acceptable viewpoint for Stacey so she sought a second opinion.

At the University of Nebraska Medical Center she found Dr. Steven Remmenga. He did say it was an advanced case and it was going to be an uphill battle. Stacey asked him if he thought he could help her and the doctor said he wouldn’t have taken her case if he didn’t think he could help. He did tell her she had a 10% chance of a 5-year survival but he was willing to fight with her!

Stacey has 2 sons but she doesn’t believe this type of cancer is hereditary. Actually she is part of a wonderful blended family with Stacey having 2 sons, her husband has a son and a daughter, and they have 3 kid-in-laws and 6 grandchildren.

She said that looking back she realizes she was having issues for at least 6 months before she was diagnosed. She just thought it was the beginning effects of menopause. Sometimes she says she feels survivor’s remorse, knowing that there are people who have lost their battle with this disease even though their cancer was detected earlier. She realizes survival is a gift so she said it is important for her to give back to the community and to fight for an end to cancer.

Stacey is at 6 years survivorship and has been in remission since May 2012! She did 6 chemos and 25 radiations. Each radiation treatment was equal to 150 chest x-rays (which is a lot of radiation). Stacey started Relaying the spring after her treatments and has been on the committee for the past 3 years. She really loves being a part of these events but would love even more to be a part of the party where we celebrate the cure to cancer!!!

Michelle Shkolnick

I also met Michelle Shkolnick who is a 2-time cancer survivor and volunteer for the Relay as well. In 2001 she had stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 35. I said that she was so young when she was diagnosed and she said “yes but I’m still here at 52”.

Left to Right: Phoebe Shkolnick (mom), Michelle Shkolnick, Lisa Shkolnick (sister)

Michelle found her lump when she rolled over in bed accidentally jabbing herself. It hurt so she grabbed her breast. That’s when she felt the lump and the area around it felt hard. The next morning she got up and looked in the mirror. She said she had the telltale signs of breast cancer – puckering and the breast looked lopsided, which was different from before. She was taking her niece to Disney World in a couple weeks so she didn’t say anything to anyone.

When she got back from her trip she made an appointment for a Tuesday with her primary care doctor who sent her for a mammogram the same day, then Thursday she met with the surgeon, Friday was the biopsy, Monday she received the results and Wednesday had her surgery. Wow, that is a lot to take in within a very short time period. She had a mastectomy of her right breast. Michelle said if she had it to do over again she would have done things a little differently by having both breasts removed but things went so fast for her.

Michelle’s course of treatment was surgery, then chemo, then radiation. She said she also took Tamoxifen for five years followed by a Zoladex shot in the abdomen so she could take Femara (an aromatase inhibitor) for another 5 years. Her tumor was ductile, about 4 cm in size, and 5 of the 12 lymph nodes tested were affected. Almost a year after her first mastectomy, after all her treatments were complete, and Michelle was ready to be released from her surgeon she told him she wanted to have the other breast removed. He agreed and told her he would also remove her port if the breast didn’t look like there was any cancer. Her surgery was scheduled for April 1st.

What a hoot Michelle is. Michelle was very large breasted so there were bets going at her work as to how much her breast weighed. She forgot to ask at her first surgery to have the breast tissue weighed but she remembered the second time. She also wanted to keep her port (to put in a mason jar) so the day of surgery she wrote on paper tape and put it on her left breast “please weigh this breast and save this port”. She woke up in the recovery room and her port was still in so Michelle was a bit scared and asked for her doctor. She knew that still having the port meant there was possibly cancer again but when her doctor came in to the recovery room he told her not to worry that everything is ok. He misunderstood her surgical instructions. (He thought she wanted him to “save the port”, not to save it FOR her) Michelle said it looked like the April fool was on her that day! After Michelle healed from the mastectomy, the doctor removed the port.

One of the things that the doctors asked was if there was a history of breast cancer in Michelle’s family. Her answer was no because she was the first, however just 18 months later her mother was diagnosed with lobular in situ breast cancer. Her mom had a double mastectomy and required chemo but no radiation. Michelle’s mom was also at the Relay and doing well!!! There does not appear to be a hereditary factory to the breast cancer in the Shkolnick family, as Michelle and one of her sisters tested negative for the BRCA genes.

There were no other issues for several years but a few months after her Dad passed away from Alzheimer’s, in February 2013, Michelle hadn’t been feeling good. This kept happening all summer and her doctor thought she had an ear infection but that wasn’t the case. At the end of September that year she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma at the base of her tongue, caused by HPV. Due to the size and placement of the tumor, it was inoperable. Michelle went through chemo and radiation and it was extremely difficult. She said no one really tells you how bad head and neck cancer is to deal with, because it was so hard! Everyday Michelle would tell herself “if this is as bad as it gets then I’m ok” but she said the next day would be tougher. She made it through the two tremendously hard months but it was very difficult.

Michelle is very involved with Relay, having been involved for over 15 years - from being team captain, to committee member, to Relay chair, to 2012 Hero of Hope for Nebraska. Michelle is a survivor, a caregiver, and continues to fight for the cure! In fact, there is going to be a Hope Lodge built in Omaha and one of the women on the Omaha volunteer team, Kim Joiner Sevening, had lost her father several years ago to cancer. He, too, was very involved with Relay. Kim auctioned off his very first Relay for Life shirt from 1997, with all the proceeds going to the Relay for Life of Greater Omaha, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. Michelle bought the shirt with plans to donate it to Hope Lodge so it can be place there in remembrance of Kim’s father. What an amazing thing to do!!!

Photo by Skip DeBusk Photography

Kim Joiner Sevening  and Michelle Shkolnick

For more information on the Hope Lodge in Omaha please click the link below:

https://www.cancer.org/treatment/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging/hope-lodge/omaha/about-our-facility.html

Relaly of Omaha team

The team from the Omaha event is more like a family. They work together and, like every event I’ve attended, it really works. Below is a great picture of the 2017 Omaha team:

Photo by Skip DeBusk Photography

Back row left: Heather Schmit (Event Chair), Stacey Atkinson, Richard Atkinson, Krista Winter, Kim Sevening, Kari Hodoly (Event Chair), Laura Quist, Dianna Hite, McKenzie Marshall (ACS Staff), Shirley Reinert

Front row left: Angela Taylor, Megan Walker, YOU!, Michelle Shkolnick, Erica Zikas

McKenzie Marshall

I spoke with McKenzie Marshall’s mom, Brenda, before I chatted with her and you can tell how proud she is of her daughter.

McKenzie Marshall with her parents Miles Marshall and Brenda Marshall

McKenzie started a team when she was a freshman in high school after she lost a friend from cancer. She said that McKenzie said at that time that someday she was going to work for a non-profit. Lizzie’s death touched not only McKenzie but Brenda Marshall said that many of the kids in their class went on to work for non-profits or that type of work. It shows how one person’s life can alter the lives of so many others. And look, now McKenzie is working for American Cancer Society as Community Development Manager.

McKenzie and me

McKenzie signing the shirts

As with every event I attend these two events were emotional and encouraging and inspirational. The people continue to help me appreciate every day as we all look for the day when cancer is a disease of the past!

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Donation Link

I am often asked if people can donate to help me with the cost of travel. I have set up a pay-pal account. If you would like to help offset the cost of travel please use the following link: paypal.me/Mozal50states4cure

Any money left over will be donated to the American Cancer Society when I complete all 50 states. Thank you in advance for your help!

[dmozal-cancer-walk-in-50states]

Derry, New Hampshire Celebrates 20th year with Relay

June 16, 2017

At the Derry, New Hampshire event I was able to chat with a few people on the rainy evening event. There was a good turn out with all that rain.

I met Jo Ann Palermo, a retired post office worker, who has always been very health conscious. She worked the 3 to midnight shift sorting mail, ate only half of her dinner so she could use half of her time to walk (rain or shine), doesn’t drink or smoke. She bicycles, walks, hikes, cross country skis and camps. She has been very cognizance of her health so she was very surprised at her cancer diagnosis since she sees so many people who eat and drink unhealthy thing but are not afflicted with the disease.

Jo Ann Palermo, 6 year ovarian cancer survivor

6 years ago, at the age of 65, Pat was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. As her job as a trainer for the post office was being phased out she was moved to unloading trucks. She found the new job was very physically challenging. After about 6-7 months she noticed she was very tired and had to use the restroom more often to empty her bladder. Because of the constant need to use the restroom she was told she would have to get a doctor’s note.  She made an appointment and her doctor said he wanted her to see a urologist. When she made the appointment, there was a snow storm so by the time she got to see the doctor is was about 3-4 months later. The doctor thought it was a bladder issue so he sent her for more tests.

After the results came back it was discovered that Jo Ann had ovarian cancer.

She is a strong woman of faith who found that she has grown much closer to God since dealing with having cancer. Her daughter bought a cabin so she could spend time at it. She has found that cancer has made her life better because she looks for more of the good now. With 3 kids (2 girls and a boy) and 6 grandchildren she finds she is so much closer to them now. Her son changed his days off so he could sit with her during her chemo.

Jo Ann has a great saying “Cancer invaded my body but it can’t invade my soul”, and people who have been told they have cancer start fighting the moment they hear the words “you have cancer”. We don’t realize how much we fight through all the phases of diagnosis, surgeries, treatments, etc.

Jo Ann continues to live a healthy lifestyle. She is doing well and enjoying life every day!

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Carol, a diabetic, had to have her finger amputated in the middle of January 2016. She mentioned to the nurse practitioner that she had severe stomach pains as well. The nurse said that she had a fatty liver from eating too much fried foods. Carol didn’t agree. She ended up in the hospital in July 2016 from severe pain, especially after she would eat even a little bit. By the time they diagnosed her it was stage 4 liver cancer.

Carol, liver cancer survivor, and one of the Santa’s that attended the event

Her doctor ordered a barrage of tests to see what exactly was going on. Because the ultrasound didn’t look good the doctor ordered even more tests.

A wonderful woman, Olive, that Carol has been living with helped her through a lot of her diagnosis and treatments but she passed away this past April 14th just before she turned 90 so Carol is dealing with her cancer without a strong support system.

In the early 80’s Carol’s father had lung cancer and was given 3 months to live but Carol says he was a stubborn man. He survived 18 years! She figures she is as stubborn as her father was. He died March 9, 1999 at the age of 63. Her parents were so close, with such a great love for one another that her Mom passed away 13 days later.

Now Carol is going through chemo and says you really find out who your friends are. Olive was a dear friend. Carol worked with her 30 years ago, so they had been good friends for a long time. She misses her and finds that the people who are true friends are the ones that try to help her. Carol drives herself to her treatments but says the people at the clinic are awesome. Cancer is hard enough to deal with but your support system makes a huge difference as well.

Doreen was 48 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, 9 years ago. She is one of 10 children and her mom was one of 10 children but nowhere was there any cancer in the family. Doreen has 2 girls of her own so, because of her diagnosis, they need to be more aware now. She went to the doctor for her checkup and he found a lump but he never said to do anything about it. Doreen couldn’t feel the lump so she didn’t really think about it after she left the doctor’s office, especially since she isn’t the type of person who puts herself first.

Doreen, 9 year breast cancer survivor

It was around thanksgiving and things were busy in her household, especially with a 9 and 11-year-old girls and a husband that works “crazy hours”. When she told her husband about her strange experience at the doctors, he asked if she needed to go get a mammogram. Doreen already has an appointment in February and the doctor didn’t say it was urgent so she waited. Her husband was gone on a job for 4 months so Doreen was busy taking care of their girls, the house, the snow, etc. She did keep her commitment to get the mammogram (even though she contemplated not going because she was tired). It was about 4 or 5 days later as she was getting ready for the day when she was thinking “all must be well for another year” because she hadn’t heard from anyone. Then the phone rang.

Doreen had to go back in for more tests. They did a partial mammogram and an ultrasound and told her they did see a lump and wanted her to go to her surgeon. Doreen was completely thrown off because she doesn’t have a surgeon. She wanted to go home and check her insurance. It was tough because no one said “these are the surgeons we recommended”. Doreen said she picked her surgeon on a whim, no one recommended a specific surgeon and she didn’t know any of the ones available. He was a nice man but he was a general surgeon, not a breast surgeon.

Doreen asked for him to leave her some information and they gave her breast cancer pamphlets. It was scary because no one told her it was cancer. Around Valentine’s Day her husband came home for a few days and Doreen finally told him what was going on. As many of us can imagine he was devastated. As much as he wanted to stay Doreen is one strong woman because she sent him back to work.

The surgeon did a lumpectomy, but a few days later she received a call saying she needed to come back because they didn’t get clear margin. At this point Doreen decided it was time to find a breast surgeon. She had a tough time during recovery. She didn’t want to be a burden, her husband was afraid he’d bother her, so Doreen felt a bit isolated. It’s so hard because everyone believes they are doing what is best.

When she went for a second opinion they found another lump that no one had seen or felt so they suggested Doreen get a mastectomy. During the discussions with her husband she decided to get breast reconstruction. Recovery was tough, but luckily Doreen says her husband was home.

Originally chemo was suggested so Doreen and her husband prepared for these treatments however when they went the morning of the first treatment they decided not to do it. Doreen’s husband didn’t like the idea of chemo so they cancelled the appointment that morning. They told the doctors that chemo was on hold until they could get more information.

After some research Doreen decided to have some testing on the cancer tissue. Fighting to get the testing done was crazy but she was persistent. She went through appeal boards and review boards but she won! The results came back on the tissue and it showed that chemo wasn’t needed!!! Doreen fought through this whole situation as the strong one, she is one tough cookie.

Relay is a part of the family as well. Her daughter, Victoria, started a Relay team at her college, St. Rose in Albany, and is extremely involved. On her fundraising page Vicki says “When I was 10, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I've spent the last 9 years Relaying in the hopes that no other little kid has to fear growing up without their mom. This year, I'm honored to serve as the President of Colleges Against Cancer and once again work to put this all together. We celebrate, we remember, and we fight back against this terrible disease and the people it affects.” You can also see the St. Rose Relay page at https://www.facebook.com/SaintRoseRelay/

Doreen is healthy now and has even started a 5k training program. She still reminds every one of the importance of mammograms and taking care of their health!

Tom has an unusual story as well, a bit more unusual than some that I have heard. Tom loved to play street hockey but took a hit to the head (tough player) and fractured an orbital bone several years ago. He also had developed a hernia when he played in a memorial game for his uncle. He went to his primary doctor and was told to get an ultrasound of the hernia. As soon as he had finished the ultrasound and arrived home the phone was ringing. The doctor told him and his mom to get back to her office right away. She said that behind the hernia were 4 tumors – a 22 cm tumor on the right and left side of the hernia and 2-10 cm masses on his spleen. It was strange because Tom had also developed high blood pressure.

Dr. Anne Thomassen, Tom’s primary doctor, sent him to Dr. Lata Thatai for the biopsy. The results were surprising to the doctor so she sent him for a second biopsy. She was still astonished by the results so she suggested they would do the hernia surgery first and retest the tumors. When Tom came to the office, thinking he was going to start some type of treatments, Dr. Thatai said the pathology report indicated something she had never seen. Tom had both B-cell and T-cell Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s cancer in each of the 4 tumors. One is an aggressive and the other is a non-aggressive type of cancer. Dr. Thatai contacted a doctor at Brigham & Women’s Hospital to get some treatment ideas but was told not to treat the cancers at the same time. Dr. Thatai didn’t want to take a 50/50 chance on curing one of the cancers but not the other type so she contacted another doctor to get more advice. She contacted Dr. Jeremy Abramson at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Abramson asked Tom if he’d be willing to take all the Hodgkin’s chemo drugs at the same time for 6 rounds of chemo. Tom accepted. Dr. Thatai wanted Tom to do 8 rounds of chemo but he did 6 rounds of chemo since the drugs are VERY strong.

Tom also shared how his faith has helped him through his journey through cancer. He said “I had asked my priest for the sacrament of the sick, and went to a healing mass, where they used (for the first time) the healing oils from St. Joseph's Oratory, the same holy oils from the same place that Brother Andre Bessette (now known as Saint Andre) came from in Montreal. I have known of the holy oils and miracles since I was young, and was stunned when I saw the bottles we always got from St. Joseph's.” He had two moments before he started chemo that he feels these faith-events affected in his treatments and cure.

Although he has some health issues now that are separate from the cancer Tom feels his is doing well. Tom has lost special people in his life to cancer – an aunt and a friend. He attributes his 5 years cancer free status to Dr. Thatai and Dr. Abramson (and I believe Tom’s tenacity in taking multiple chemo drugs to destroy 2 separate types of cancer at the same time).

Bianka Beaudoin, Community Manager for American Cancer Society’s New England Division, has been working for ACS for 6 years. Bianka relays in memory of her father. She is very passionate about Relay! I appreciate the love of someone special in her life that drives her (as it does so many of us).

Bianka Beaudoin, Community Manager for American Cancer Society’s New England Division

Bianka signing the shirts

While I attended this event, Derry was celebrating their 20th year for Relay for Life. Even though the weather was a bit damp, the spirits of the people at this event were not….they were exhilarating, supportive, appreciative, and welcoming.

Every event I attended in the last few weeks were wonderful, as usual. I am so blessed to be able to attend the Relay’s and be welcomed by the people who have been touched by cancer. I am honored to be able to share their stories.

More to come soon!!!

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Whitney Commons Park holds Sheridan’s Relay for Life

June 10, 2017

The Sheridan Wyoming Relay for Life was in the lovely Whitney Commons Park. It was the first time I’ve been to a combined event that included a Relay for Life and Bark for Life. The people and dogs were friendly and beautiful. One person even brought her pet rabbit!!! I was able to sit and chat with a few of the survivors and staff members. New friends for life I think (as is the case with all the relays I attend).

Whitney Commons Park in Sheridan Wyoming

My first conversation was with Margo, a hilarious and amazingly strong woman. She diagnosed herself with breast cancer last year (2016). Her Mom had breast cancer in the early 80’s after a traumatic injury during a car accident that she had been in which left her severely burned in a car fire. Part of her injuries included losing her fingers, which made it extremely difficult for her to take care of herself.

Margo Marosok

Margo watched her mom go through her treatments and said at the time she thought “wow, that’s tough”. The chemicals in the 80’s were so much more caustic than they are today. Her mom also had a mastectomy. Margo thought that was very hard and kept thinking “I don’t want to go through this”. She realized that her chances were higher because of her family history. Sadly they didn’t realize until her mom was very close to passing that the cancer had progressed to her lungs and then her brain. She passed away 7 years ago at the age of 72.

When Margo found her breast cancer, her mom was already gone. Margo was very good about taking care of herself so at 40 she started to have her mammograms. This is one tough woman! She worked on a heavy construction crew crushing concrete as part of her work. She was muscular so when she found a lump that was sore she figured she may have just pulled something so she waited a month before she went to her friend Michelle’s and said “I want you to feel something, don’t freak out on me”. Michelle’s mom had just finished her treatments for breast cancer so Margo knew it would be a bit hard on her friend if this was what she thought it was. Michelle said Margo must go to the doctor, so Margo set up an appointment the Monday after New Year’s Day.

The mammogram showed a spot that needed to be checked but it was so small that they could barely see it. The needle biopsy was very difficult for her it because Margo was so muscular. In fact, the doctor broke the needle the first time trying to get through her “tough exterior”! Margo said that the biopsy was harder for her than chemo! She had to have that needle inserted 4 times before they finally got the tissue samples needed. By the end of the week, she had her diagnosis, CANCER!

Margo had a lumpectomy the end of January 2016. After about a week’s recuperation she went back to the surgeon. The doctor said they didn’t have clear margin so he gave her the option of another lumpectomy or a mastectomy. (The doctor did give her the option of a bilateral but Margo did not choose that option, although now she wished she had) She had the mastectomy and after another week she said the “circus started”.

Margo met her first oncologist but she didn’t like him because at first he said he didn’t know what to do with her. He told her he didn’t think she needed chemo, just tamoxifen for 10 years and she should be good. Margo was not comfortable with this doctor, in fact really didn’t like his handling of her case at all so she walked out of the office, spoke with her sister in law and decided to get a second opinion in Gillette. They sent the records to a doctor they chose in Gillette to see what he thought. She really loves her oncologist Dr. Mills. He told her that he felt 4 treatments of chemo and then tamoxifen was her best course. She was now confused because she had two different opinions. Margo said she wanted to get another opinion and so Dr. Mills gladly set her up with a third opinion. His office had the nurse navigator get a team of doctors together for her at the University Hospital in Denver. That team agreed that no radiation was needed and Dr. Mills was right, Margo should receive 4 high doses of chemo, and then the tamoxifen which would lessen her changes of reoccurrence. She had her answer.

Margo lived with her brother and sister in law on their ranch for about 5 months while she had her treatments. Her sister in law drove her to town every 3 weeks to get her treatments. She said the reality of chemo didn’t really hit her until she sat in the chair for her first treatment. When they walked past her with biohazard bag she said “oh this stuff just got real”!

Margo never got sick but she was in pain due to fibromyalgia. It took a while to get her pain meds set correctly so that after the Neulasta shot she could finally be comfortable. Once they got the pain under control, it made it the treatments more bearable.

Margo was on her brother’s ranch during her treatments. They had a bum calf so it became her focus while she was on this journey. It helped her to have to walk down to take care of the calf a couple times a day, it kept her moving, etc.

Margo has two brothers and a sister so she made sure to get the genetic testing and found that she doesn’t have the BRCA gene. The whole family is good about taking care of themselves. She is so thankful and is in awe of those people who have had to receive more than four rounds of chemo.

It is hard to believe she is just a one-year survivor since she has the demeanor of a seasoned survivor. Margo says the hardest part of this journey is figuring out “the new me”. She has started a new job that she loves but it is very different from what she has done before. She works inside now and doesn’t have to face the seasonal changes, plus she gets the opportunity to talk to others that have questions about dealing with cancer. She also says that part of cancer is a head game. It is something you think about with every ache and pain.

The side effects of the chemo have been hard as well but she appreciates every day. She is involved in the community and really likes the different classes that are available through the cancer center (she goes to Billings) and finds that it helps her. The YMCA in her area offers classes for people who have had cancer as well. There is a lot or resources in her community that help others through their journey.

Margo mentioned that there are young people in the community that have or have had cancer but they struggle to share their cancer journey because they want their life to be “normal” again. She mentioned that you really don’t realize how much your journey will help someone else when you share it.

She said her family is amazing, “you just don’t realize how much you rely on others when you go through so much” on your cancer voyage!

One thing Margo continues to say is “I am blessed”.

­­Rita Arnold is a 15 year breast cancer survivor who discovered her cancer when she found a lump in 2002. The surgeon believed it was no big deal but after a weekend thinking she was “good” she received a phone call from the surgeon saying it was cancer. Rita called her sister in law, Aunt Millie, almost hysterical as she tried to tell her what was going on. Her sister in law was in the Navy and took leave for a little bit to help take care of Rita after her mastectomy. She said Millie is the best sister in law EVER!

Rita Arnold

Rita had many visitors that summer with sisters, family, and friends. She chose not to have reconstruction right away because wanted to stay home and the reconstruction needed to be done outside of Sheridan. Her treatments included 4 months of chemo. Rita said she didn’t get horribly ill but  she had her share of side effects. One affect was to her taste buds. She found that Chips Ahoy cookies tasted good after the first chemo.

Rita had waist length hair that she had cut before chemo started because it was going to be hard to do her hair herself. When her hair started to fall out she “convinced” her husband to shave her head. First she cut his hair and then he shaved her head.

She had a great amount of family support. She attributes her lack of getting very sick to her prayer time spent before each treatment. She also said she has a wonderful sister in law that drove her to her treatments. And five years after her mastectomy Rita had tram flap reconstruction in Casper. She stayed with her sister in law and her sister in laws mom for a couple of weeks so Rita could build her strength and heal enough to get rid of the tubes that were needed after surgery.

Rita has two girls who were 14 and 10 years old when she was diagnosed. At 38 years old Rita was very young when she was diagnosed. The doctors tell her daughters that they need to start being checked 10 years prior to Rita's diagnosed age.

Rita mentioned she has been through a lot tougher stuff since her diagnosis but she believes the reason she’s been able to handle those things is because of the support of others and the experience of her voyage through cancer.

These events not only affect family, friends, survivors, and caregivers but much of the volunteers and staff that work the events have been touched in some way by cancer as well. I was privileged to be able to talk with 3 very special members of the Sheridan team. 

Jonathan Schmidt, Community Development Manager at ACS (left) and Michelle Edwards, Event Leadership Team Member (right)

Michelle Edwards, Event Lead for the Sheridan & Johnson County event said that she loves being involved in Relay in part because of the great staff partner Jonathan Schmidt.

Michelle was involved with relay a little bit when she was younger by being part of her sister’s team. She says you work your way up in Relay as you become more involved, first as a walker, then maybe a team captain, etc. She has now been on the committee for several years.

Since she first became involved all four of her grandparents have had some type of cancer so for her it is also personal.

Michelle Edwards (left) and Michelle Jensen (right)

The other person I spoke with who has been affected on multiple levels is Michelle Jensen. Michelle is not only a volunteer for Relay, she is also the daughter of a breast cancer survivor and Margo's friend. She is the person Margo went to when she discovered her lump. Michelle is passionate about finding the cure to cancer – for her family, friends and her community!

[dmozal-cancer-walk-in-50states]

South Dakota’s Rapid City Relay for Life

June 9, 2017

I met a wonderful group of people at the Rapid City event. I met a family that took me under the wings and shared a lot of their evening with me, talking about their experiences with cancer and their love for one another. I was told it was the hottest day of the summer so far!!

Rocky (left, Shirley’s son in law and a cancer survivor), Shirley Johnson, and me

Shirley Johnson was originally born in Hot Springs South Dakota. She was living in Wyoming when she was diagnosed with breast cancer 17 years ago. She discovered her cancer because she was tired and decided to talk to her doctor. The doctor said he thought she was just depressed (winter blues) so he suggested she spend the winter in Huma but he wanted Shirley to get a mammogram before she left on vacation.  That mammogram saved her life.

Once her cancer diagnosis was given, Shirley and her husband Chuck moved to Rapid City because they felt there were better options in Rapid City than there was in the whole state of Wyoming. It worked out well because her mom was still living in Hot Springs and Shirley was helping take care of her. Shirley and Chuck built a house in the area and feel it was the best decision they could have made.

Shirley went through a study at Mayo Clinic for her treatment although she REALLY didn’t want to have chemo. She tried going to three doctors hoping to hear she didn’t need chemo but all of them said the same thing. Her doctor explained she needed chemo because she had an invasive type of breast cancer. Chuck has a daughter who is a surgeon that specializes in breast cancer so they asked her advice often. His daughter in law knew the surgeons in the area so she suggested the one that Shirley had performed her surgery. She has been very happy with him!

Shirley had the mastectomy, then reconstruction, then chemo. Every person I’ve talked to has a different thought on how they would handle their disease if they had to do it over again. Shirley said she would have the chemo before reconstruction because the chemo was so hard.

Shirley has been lucky to have no edema and no other major issues. By being a part of the study at Mayo, Shirley took a few types of drugs that were very harsh and made her extremely ill. Her doctor said at that time that he hadn’t see anyone get as ill as Shirley but she is an extremely strong woman. The effects of the chemo took a toll, especially since so long ago the drugs were much more powerful. She has had a few health issues since her diagnosis such as needing brain surgery, having a pacemaker and issues with bone density. She is glad, however, to know that changes in the drugs are substantial so the side effects are much less than they used to be.

Shirley’s mother also had breast cancer. She was 92 when she passed, 6 years after she was originally diagnosed. The family thought the cancer was gone but it had spread to her bones and lungs. They attribute the reoccurrence to the fact that she didn’t have a “cancer doctor” but you just don’t really know. Shirley’s mom was relatively healthy before she was diagnosed.

Shirley has two sisters that were also affected by cancer. One had breast cancer and the other had ovarian cancer. Her two brothers haven’t had any issues.

Shirley has four daughters and would have liked to have had the genetic testing but they didn’t do testing close to her. She would have had to send it out and it would have been extremely expensive. Her daughter Kathy had the genetic testing and she doesn’t have the BRCA gene. Since they have children Kathy wanted to get the genetic testing done for not only herself but for her siblings as well.

As always, I loved Shirley’s family. I was blessed to meet two of her daughters and one son-in-law, Rocky, who is also a cancer survivor. In fact, Kathy made a luminaria bag for me (which was extremely special).

The family was involved with Relay before Shirley was diagnosed but their involvement increased significantly since she has been diagnosed. They are a great support for Relay and especially for each other!

Nita McClure is a 4-time cancer survivor! I’ve included an excellent article that was written about her in 2014. She has been dealing with cancer for over 36 years. It’s amazing to read about this woman. She had thyroid cancer in 1981, then pancreatic cancer in 2005, followed by lung cancer in 2007 (even though she had never smoked), and her last bout was a return of the pancreatic cancer in 2013.

http://rapidcityjournal.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/four-time-cancer-survivor-lives-life-in-the-moment/article_c23f3b67-55c9-5490-9c0b-4b1f8fb0c5a3.html

Nita comes from a family of longevity. Her parents are 91 and 93. Both have had cancer themselves. Her mother had skin cancer and her father had lung cancer from asbestos exposure.

With all the surgeries and chemo Nita is amazingly strong. Her second bout with pancreatic cancer caused her to have her pancreas removed, which caused diabetes. She says that diabetes has actually been a very difficult health issue to deal with but she keeps plugging along.

Nita is finally at the point where she will go to the doctor every 2 years. She says sometimes it’s scary to have the visits so far apart because the relationship you build with your doctor gives a sense of security. With having a 2-year-old grandson Nita finds life to be better every day as he and her family is what she focuses on now. He adds additional purpose to her life and gives her a focus other than cancer. I was in awe of the tenacity and spirit of this 4-time survivor!! 

Nita McClure, 4-time cancer survivor

The guest speaker at the Rapid City event was Gary Larson. I was privileged to speak with Gary, who has a daughter that had brain cancer at 19. At that time she was given 2-3 years to live, then a couple years after her original diagnosis she was given a 3 to 5 survival rate and has defied the odds. She now is 31 years old. She has some issues because of the brain cancer but she is an amazing daughter who, like many survivors, struggles with anxiety and depression because of the fear of the return of cancer. She is now engaged and will be getting married next year. Gary helped start the event in Rapid City. His involvement has increased every year and I was so happy I was able to hear him share his families story. His father had said “why won’t the good Lord take old people like me and leave these young people alone (he said he was going to talk to God about that)”. Gary also had a sister that had breast cancer 11 years ago. I was so inspired by such a strong and loving father wanting to help as many people as he can fight against this disease.

Gary Larson, guest speaker and proud father

Jo (Josephine Cotton), one of the Team Leaders for the Rapid City event, started with Relay because her dad died in 1992 of prostate cancer at the age of 76. She continues Relay because of the people she has known over the years affected by cancer. Recently her aunt passed away from breast cancer. Her aunt was actually affected by cancer several times. She had breast cancer, got through that, and then she had bladder cancer and a tumor on her kidney. Her aunt died at 83 from cervical cancer. Sadly, her aunt thought she was having a backward menopause issue so she ignored the symptoms for a while. By the time her cancer was discovered it has spread too much. To hear that story all I could think was what a fighter!!!

Josephine Cotton signing the shirts to be given to ACS the walks are complete

Like so many others Jo and her team work tirelessly to raise money to fight this terrible disease.

Color by Numbers team

Christine Diers, Community Manager for several events including Rapid City’s Relay for Life, was very busy at the event as they were celebrating their 25th year anniversary.  She is a wonderful woman with a passion for relay! I only had a few minutes to chat with her; however she was on the news promoting the event for this year. Her passion for others and for Relay is quite evident in her interview. Below is the link:

http://www.kotatv.com/content/news/Participants-gear-up-for-Relay-for-Life--427080003.html

I really enjoyed this event and was inspired yet again by the people I met. Somehow I agreed to be interviewed by two reporters that Christine set up. If it helps promote relay and brings more awareness and inspiration to others about the strength and tenacity of people all over the country then I’m willing to talk about what I’m doing and why. But I am doing this state to state attendance because I want to show and share the stories of the people I’m lucky enough to spend a few hours with. The reporters, Taylar Perez of Black Hills Fox and Emily Olson of News Center 1, were professional and calming as I am NOT a good person to be in front of a camera.

http://www.blackhillsfox.com/content/news/Mom-on-a-Mission-walks-in-50-states-to-cure-cancer-427583813.html

http://www.newscenter1.tv/story/35646540/woman-on-a-mission-to-fight-cancer-stops-in-rapid-city

[dmozal-cancer-walk-in-50states]

Relay for Life of Walsh County in Grafton, North Dakota

June 8, 2017

Although this might be considered a small event you wouldn’t know it by the number of exuberant people involved at Walsh County’s 2017 Relay for Life.

Survivors lap at St. John’s Parish

Katie Pipinich had been involved with Relay as a walker but not as a Community Manager and employee of American Cancer Society (ACS). She had worked with hospice for several years and enjoyed it however she now finds her work with ACS extremely rewarding as well. Katie became involved with Relay for Life several years ago because her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. According to Katie, her grandmother is “quite possibly the coolest person on the planet”. She found it very difficult to deal with her grandmothers’ diagnosis because she was just starting college and felt she was so far away. This was the first time her family had been touched by cancer.

Katie feels her family has been very lucky through the years. All Katie’s grandparents are living and healthy. After living out of state for a while Katie is so excited to be only 40 minutes from her grandmother now and loves it!

She finds her work with ACS, setting up events and fighting for an end to cancer, inspiring and uplifting. She feels that her work with Relay for Life is exactly what she is supposed to be doing.

Katie Pipinich signing the shirts

Sara Lepp is involved in American Cancer Society as Senior Manager. She actually started because she was looking for a position being able to continue her enjoyment with fundraising, event planning, etc. She has known people who have had cancer but, like many of us, when it hits a family member it becomes even more real. Sara’s aunt passed from breast cancer about 5 years ago. She finds that being involved gives her an opportunity to put her skills to work. She was once what is called a “hometown hero” which is someone whose volunteer work is above and beyond what is considered “normal volunteering” (no volunteer work is actually normal, it is always given from the heart). She is very humble when someone talks about this recognition.

Sara Lepp, Senior Manager at ACS (left) and Katie Pipinich, Community Manager at ACS (right)

I was very lucky to get to talk to a few of the survivors at Grafton’s event.

Shirley Suda (left) and Ida Feltman (right) are sister who were kind enough to let me sit with them and shared their stories. Greg Dusek (center) and his wife Pat were also at our table and gracious enough to chat with me as well.

Shirley is a two-time cancer survivor, mother of 11 children, and sibling to 6 sisters and 4 brothers. Shirley has been on both sides of cancer, as a survivor and a caregiver. She lost her husband to stomach cancer, had ovarian cancer in 1991 and kidney cancer 3 years ago. Her cancer was discovered when she had pain on her lower side and was found through a pelvic exam. She underwent surgery and 6 months of chemo. You wouldn't know it though! Shirley keeps a smile on her face as she also deals with a disease which runs in her family, Froederich Ataxia.

Sitting next to Shirley was another beautiful smile, her sister Ida. Ida Feltman is another amazing woman. She is a mother of 9 and a kidney cancer survivor. Her cancer was detected in 1996 but she is cancer free now and doing great. Ida and Shirley have had siblings that have also had cancer including Rose who had cervical cancer and another sister that lost her battle with cancer in 1978 after it affected her aorta.

Having 3 sisters of my own I understand the bond that these two sisters seem to have. From my observation they aren’t just sisters, they are also friends!

Another smiling face is Greg Dusek. Greg is a one year survivor of prostate cancer. It was a tough year for Greg in 2016 as he was having seizures that he was trying to get under control. Greg and his wife Pat went to Mayo to find out what they needed to do since this was something completely new for him. He had always been healthy so the seizures were a bit of a surprise when they started. That same year Greg fell off a ladder at home and broke his pelvis. While having blood work done they discovered his PSA was 10.02 which is extremely high.

The doctors talked about having a specialized prostate cancer test done but it is expensive and there are only 4 facilities that perform the test so they opted for an MRI instead. After confirmation of the cancer they did a biopsy. Because of his age, Greg, Pat and his doctors decided to have him take Lupron (I believe) and radiation instead of surgery. They also decided that a lower dose of radiation with 45 treatments would be better for Greg instead 40 treatments at a higher dose.

Greg said that when something like cancer comes into your life you sure find out who your friends are. He had many people offer to take him for his treatments (although he drove himself). He credits his smile and return to good health to his wife Pat’s sense of humor and support, the support of their sons, and the encouragement of friends. Greg’s smile is of genuine appreciation of life and health. Not only is he doing well after finishing his radiation but his PSA is now .03. Greg also hasn’t had a seizure since May of 2016.

I really enjoyed the event in Grafton. For the short amount of time I was in North Dakota the people at this event treated me as though I was a member of their community. I was even a part of an article written about their wonderful event. The last page of the article shows the true spirit of “community” and the heart of the people of Grafton.