I have been thinking a lot about The Relay a lot lately.

My good great fantastically amazing friend Val introduced me to Relay for Life back in 2007. She lost a very, very important person to her in such a shocking way to cancer and ever since then she has . . . → Click Here To Read The Full Blog Post: Throwback Thursday: Relay]]>

I have been thinking a lot about The Relay a lot lately.

My good great fantastically amazing friend Val introduced me to Relay for Life back in 2007. She lost a very, very important person to her in such a shocking way to cancer and ever since then she has been very dedicated to raising awareness and money for the American Cancer Society.

Relay for Life is an all-night party for Cancer. You camp out at a local high school track and at all times, someone from the team that you join (or create) should be on the track- signifying that cancer never sleeps. I’ve been honored to do the relay twice, with Val. There has not been one time when my eyes have been dry.

My mom had cancer.

My aunt had stage 3 breast cancer.

Worst of all, my grandfather died in 2008 of Prostate Cancer.

Cancer is a biatch that likes to eff with my family. So for me, helping to raise awareness and money for cancer research is the least I can do.

Last year, I shaved my hair and raised money for St. Baldrick’s foundation, the largest supporter of pediatric cancer research in the U.S.

There’s a relay happening this year.

I wanted to started a team with people at work, I did.

Things are so stressful, though. Work is busy, I’m still trying to adjust to being at a new school, in a new district. I think if I started a Relay team, I wouldn’t be able to give it the attention it deserves.

I’m sad I can’t relay this year. I didn’t relay last year either. I wish I could’ve gone to Florida to relay with my friends.

I miss Florida.

I miss my friends.

I miss relay…

I’m considering going to the Relay just to walk the track for a while. The best part, for me, is always the Luminaria Ceremony. You can buy a Luminaria bag in the name of someone you know that has or had cancer to remember them or celebrate their survival. I always buy a bag for my grandfather and I always pray knowing he is at peace.

They shut off all of the lights in the stadium and line up bags on the bleachers to say things like “Hope” and “Cure”… it is such a beautiful thing.

The relay is a huge part of my heart thanks to Val. I plan to make a team next year, or, I’ll just have to fly to Florida to reunite with my original relay team.

This post is a part of Throwback Thursday. “Throwback Thursday” is me, in my own nostalgic way, replaying some of the awesome moments in my mind and sharing them, with you.

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Friday came and I hadn’t heard back from my Doctor’s Office, so I gave them a call. The nurse assured me that she would put a note in my file . . . → Click Here To Read The Full Blog Post: The Results]]> I went in for the biopsy last week Tuesday and the nurse told me that I should have the results by Friday.

Friday came and I hadn’t heard back from my Doctor’s Office, so I gave them a call. The nurse assured me that she would put a note in my file and the doctor would be calling me before the end of the day to let me know.

Well the end of the day came and went. When Hubby came home he was beyond pissed at how unprofessional they were being and considered looking the Doctor up in the phone book to call her at home. To which I said “uhh no, we will call them on Monday.”

This morning I call and after being on hold for 13 minutes. I hang up, call back and wait some more. Hubby is in the other room talking on the phone to God knows who. It turns out, he’s on the phone with the administration of our little desert town’s medical facilities filing a complaint and finds out information from that person while I am still on hold listening to some guy tell me how “important my call is.”

Long story short? Don’t fuck with me or my Hubby will probably rip you a new asshole. He was telling them about all of the complaints that he was going to file because NO ONE should have to wait that long on results that could tell you whether you have something like cancer or not.

And. Finally. Thank You for all of your prayers and support. It is a cyst, it is benign. So every prayer put out there from you guys worked and I appreciate it.

Excuse me while I go find a new doctor. Since my Hubby took the time to rip them a new one, I am not going back there, they may try to kill me.

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I had a bibopsy yesterday. Remember that lump . . . → Click Here To Read The Full Blog Post: The Bibopsy]]> Have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek wedding? There is a part when her Aunt Tula meets Ian at a family get together and tells him about the “bi-bopsy” she had where they found a set of teeth. That shit is so funny!

I had a bibopsy yesterday. Remember that lump I mentioned finding? Well my Doctor wanted me to look into it further and I was sent to get an ultrasound on the breast where the lump is.

Remember being pregnant and going in for your ultrasound? Remember being nervous knowing that if the ultrasound tech said “excuse me” or “I’ll be right back” something was wrong?

Well, my ultrasound tech said “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” So I knew right away she saw something.

The Doctor came in, introduced herself and said “yup, there’s definitely something there… I’m gonna have you come back so we can biopsy it.”

Two grueling weeks is how long I had to wait for my “authorization to go through,” I could have been fuckin’ dying while I wait. I think there’s needs to be some prioritizing going on whereas if someone is in need of something like a biopsy for something possibly cancer related, their authorization is expedited- just sayin’.

Anyway, yesterday was biopsy day and the Doc said I took it like a champ- no flinching or anything.

I got some great advice from the one and only Shannon Tweed- Gene Simmons sorta/kinda wife of 26 years. “Breathe deep” is what she told me. I have to say, though, seeing the episode of Gene Simmons Family Jewels where Shannon went in for her biopsy and allowed cameras really prepared me for what was going to happen. I knew there’d be two needles for anesthesia and I knew there’d be the big needle- which would make a loud popping noise. The only thing that my Doctor did differently is that she took three samples of my breast tissue instead of one. That was a powerful episode and very informative- allowing women (and men) who may need a breast biopsy to know what to expect.

I’m kind of having an allergic reaction to the local anesthetic they gave me. It’s annoying. Last night I was so itchy and didn’t really sleep well, then woke up this morning with swollen areas all about my body. Fun!

Doc wanted me to go into Urgent Care to receive some sort of injection- but with the 15 month old, that’s not someplace I want to be. Sitting in Urgent Care with people spreading their germs? Uhh no. So I took Benadryl instead… which worked, but is now wearing off and I am starting to itch again.

The Tech said the lab usually gets the information to you in a few days and I should hope to hear from my Doctor by Friday… well today’s Wednesday, so, we will see.

Keep those prayers comin’, I really appreciate it!

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Now, we all knew that day would come aaaand I’m sure that in some way I should have been preparing myself for it, but it blew me away. . . . → Click Here To Read The Full Blog Post: Dear Grandpa,]]> So two years ago today I got woken up by a phone call letting me know that your battle with prostate cancer had ended.

Now, we all knew that day would come aaaand I’m sure that in some way I should have been preparing myself for it, but it blew me away. Like a brick to my chest. The same way I felt when I got the call that Auntie had died- she was really old- and I still couldn’t believe it.

When Trish told me about St. Baldrick’s and her plan to shave her hair to raise awareness for pediatric cancer, I knew I had to be a part of it. Cancer has affected our family in so many ways- I guess we’re just lucky like that. When I found out about Layla Grace and Maddie, I just thought Dear God- I can’t even imagine a doctor telling me that my sweet little Cadence has cancer.

People expect older people, in time, to die- but to find out that your own child is dying? I can’t fathom. I knew I would do it in honor of you… after all, it’s just hair- who cares. Losing you to cancer was hard for our family, you were our Patriarch. If there was a cure for cancer, you may still be here.

I really didn’t think it would have hit me so hard- you know? Shaving my hair. After I was done and Chris and I got in the car, I cried and cried and cried. Today is the day. It’s your day that we honor you. If there were no you, there would be no me.

You weren’t the most sentimental Grandpa, but you were funny as hell. Remember how you used to hide sweets in your kitchen cabinet? It was usually Entenmann’s pound cake or glazed popems. You knew you shouldn’t have been eating that stuff with your diabetes being as bad as it was. You would crush the boxes and put it at the bottom of your garbage so Auntie Les wouldn’t find it and give you a lecture about your health. I was in Elementary school, so I didn’t know any better and as long as you let me have a few, I’d keep my mouth shut.

Remember when you lined us all up (all of the cousins) and said “hol’ out yu han’” in your heavy Jamaican accent and slapped all of us with the belt on the hand- who knows what we did- but clearly something we shouldn’t have been doing.

I remember the ice cream truck coming around- but knew better than to ask you for even a dollar…. you were a tight wad and so funny about it too. “I doan have ah dime!” Oookay grandpa- whatever you say.

You are in pretty much every memory I have from Elementary School since all of the cousins waited at your house after school to be picked up by our parents.

I know you are out of pain. I am glad that you accepted the Lord as your Savior before you passed. I know you are in heaven looking down on our family. I hope that you are proud of us.

Love,

Me

Helping Mommy find a white candle

They say you can light a white candle in memory
of someone who has passed on…

For you Grandpa.
We miss you.

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My goal is to raise $1,000, though I hope to surpass that goal!

Two . . . → Click Here To Read The Full Blog Post: Help Me Raise Money for Cancer Research and Win!]]> You all know by now that I am shaving my hair to help raise money for pediatric cancer research on April 8th in honor of my grandfather and in solidarity with all of the children suffering from cancer.

My goal is to raise $1,000, though I hope to surpass that goal!

Two companies have offered incentives for people to help donate money.

For every $1 that you donate, you get 1 entry into a raffle to win either a Mini Moby Wrap or a personalized hair bow for a special little girl in your life!

You could win this personalized bow- with the initial of your choice:

Or, you could win this Mini Moby Wrap, so your little on can carry around their favorite doll:

It’s all for a good cause! So donate, please. Click here to give.

After you donate, please come back here and fill out the form below so that I know how many entries to give you. Again, every dollar gives you 1 raffle ticket for each prize. For example, if you give $20, you get 20 raffle tickets for each giveaway.

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