Last night Jacqueline and I went to the Kick-off meeting for the Relay For Life. I've decided to have a team at this ACS event to raise money for cancer research. We get to the event and many of the people in attendance seem to be previous participants and the volunteers who get the event rolling each year. I'm feeling a little out-of-place. My name tag says "Jennifer Webb: BC Veteran". I really don't like to say survivor - I read someone else say that "Survivor" made her feel like a victim. It stuck with me. So anyway, everyone is looking at my name tag to figure out what I need from them. There is a table where "survivors" are supposed to sign-in because the Relay event starts with a "survivors lap". As a survivor you get a purple shirt so that people know who you are (if you want to be known - it's not mandatory to make yourself stand out). As we're there watching a video presentation I'm welling up with tears. People telling about why they walk, who they honor, what their battle was like... the whole room is quietly crying.
I'm that. I'm one of those survivors. One of those poor people who had cancer, who had chemotherapy, radiation and a surgery to rid my body of the disease. And I really like to see someone who has "29 year survivor" next to their name. BUT, then it hits me that this is for the rest of my life. It's not something that I'll get over. It's just part of me and I have to accept it. It also hits me that I have 0 years. I'm surviving and cancer free, but it hasn't even been a year since my diagnosis. And I have a flash of the thought that I am jumping the gun. Have I jumped into this too soon? or am I supposed to move on as soon as I can?
Where's the hand book? There needs to be a curriculum or something. When can we say that we're healthy? that's what my friend and fellow BC veteran asks. I don't know when. I feel healthy. I tell myself that I am. We are. Now.
Anyway, getting involved was an emotional moment. I think it will be hard, but also I think it will be an opportunity to work towards the greater goal of figuring out the disease. The theme for the event is "Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back." I'll be setting up and sharing the web-page for my team. I'd love you to walk with me. If you can make a donation, you'll be able to do so online. If you want to do the relay in your community, I encourage you to.
4 comments:
I think of you as a conqueror.
What's the date? I'll be on your team.
love aunt amy
Thank you readers for not pointing out that ultimately annoying typo where I had "their" in place of "there". Ugh - I hate that! I must have been "distracted"... let's blame it on the kids.
your aunt is spot on with thinking of you as a conqueror.
you are supposed to move on and state, unequivocally - DAILY - that you are healthy!
thoughts ARE things, jenn.
each day with you in my world is a day to celebrate!
love,
~ c
PS -- just happened across this article, for not only you, jenn, but for all women:
Breast Cancer: 3 Ways to Lower the Risk of Recurrence
A new study indicates that lower estrogen levels can help keep cancer from coming back
By Deborah Kotz
Posted March 6, 2008
Many women diagnosed with breast cancer find the hardest thing about treatment is facing its end. After the harrowing chemotherapy, the radiation burns, and the hot flashes from anti-estrogen medications like tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, patients then are told there's nothing else they can do to prevent a recurrence; they just have to sit back, wait, and pray for no new breast lumps or painful twinges in their bones.
New research, though, suggests women may be able to lower their risk of recurrence by taking steps to reduce their estrogen levels. A study of more than 300 breast cancer patients found that those whose cancer came back within seven years had estrogen levels on average that were twice as high as those found in women who remained cancer free; this was true even for those taking tamoxifen. (The researchers controlled for other possible explanations such as age, cancer stage, body weight, and exercise habits.) Previous research has shown that women with excess estrogen, which fuels the growth of the most common breast cancers, have a greater likelihood of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the first place. Of course, estrogen levels are partly determined by genetics. But "based on what we now know, we recommend that patients do whatever they can to reduce their levels," says study leader Cheryl Rock, a professor of preventive medicine at the University of California-San Diego. She suggests the following:
1. Exercise as often as possible: Move fast enough to break into a sweat for 30 minutes on most days of the week. Studies have shown that regular, moderate exercise lowers levels of blood estrogens. Rock admits this can be very hard, especially for the 1 in 4 women who suffers from postchemotherapy fatigue. "It's counterintuitive to say this, but research shows that exercise can actually help reduce this exhaustion," she says. Once they get through the first 10 minutes of, say, brisk walking, she adds, the rest is usually a piece of cake.
2. Maintain a healthy weight: Body fat churns out estrogen, and excess fat around the abdomen causes hormonal changes that make breast tissue more vulnerable to estrogen's detrimental effects. Rock recommends aiming for a body mass index of below 25 (145 pounds for a 5-foot-4 woman) and a waist circumference of no more than 35 inches.
3. Increase dietary fiber: The role of fiber in reducing estrogen levels is somewhat less certain, says Rock, but it certainly can't hurt to get the government recommendation of 25 grams per day for women 50 and under and 21 grams for those over 50. Plus, that feeling of fullness you get from eating high-fiber foods can help you shed excess weight. Think whole-grain cereal for breakfast, replace white rice with brown rice, snack on raw vegetables, and top your pizza with broccoli and spinach.
you continue to teach me, jenn, thanks!
xoxoxoxo,
~ c
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