In March 2009, I went in for a doctors appointment and a few days later, I received a phone call from the nurse saying I may have cervical cancer and I needed to get a biopsy. There were a few cells that were of concern. And after going for a check up every 6 months, and being negative each time the medical team said I was probably ok and cancer free. During that time of waiting and the check ups, I just remember thoughts of what I must do and priority lists, like a bucket list of stuff I should accomplish. And I was glad my dream of restaurant ownership was taking place - this has been my dream since being a kid. Since then, a lot has changed and being cancer free I've become passive in following my dream. I actually wrote a blog on it that I will publish later.
Since then I've been more cognizant of cancer awareness programs and fund raisers for research. There are a lot! A few months ago, I met Flo, a woman from Canada that created the Conga, which is a Canadian & United States joint effort in raising funds for cancer. The event is annual and the crowds get larger every year. This year the ride was a success and the amount raised was over $35,000! I was fortunate to meet her, her best friend Judy, and brother Eric - the three of them rode their bikes from the rally point in Wyoming all the way to Los Angeles! They visited with us for a few days then rode on back to Canada. Total, they were on the road for about a month - what an awesome ride!
During the Conga visit, I met another woman Brenda Fox. A friend of mine had told me she had cancer... had... I assumed Brenda was in remission and doing well. Brenda is such a fascinating person - and she rides totally like the wind! She took us for a ride around Mulholland Drive in the Santa Monica mountains. My friend Carrie, that introduced us is the only other woman I know that enjoys riding curves, fast. Most of the bikers I know think Carrie rides too crazy and gets nervous around her. I like riding with people that know how to handle their bike and I was just totally impressed with Brenda. Even though I was trying to keep up and I thought I was going fast Brenda was gone and Carrie was right behind her. I'd round a curve just to see Brenda and Carrie go around another curve. Amazing! Truly amazing, I wanted both of them to keep on riding so I could just watch them ride around the curves super fast.
But the reason for today's blog is Brenda's cancer. It's not in remission like I thought. She's still has it. I didn't know she was in bed for one whole year. The cancer almost killed her...and two years trying to recover... she was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago. It's been a tough road to recovery for her but she's making it. I have this link, yes I know it's another fundraiser but this is for a really good cause. October 2 is a cancer declaration day Livestrong 2010, where people from around the globe can urge for better treatment, more research funding and care. Part of your donations will be given to Brenda for her medical treatment. Please donate what you can http://starride.net/brendafox/
Thank-you.
