Not Worth Dying For

 

This article is worth reading.  Have you ever wondered why more and more young people, especially young women are getting melanoma??  In this article lies your answer.

 

 I know I certainly fit the mold in my younger years.  I was in the sun constantly in the summers, often working in the sun (lifeguarding and teaching swimming), but I also spent a fair amount laying out by the pool to keep my tan and while in my early 20's, sometimes used tanning beds to achieve that glow!  Little did I know back then, that all that damage from UV light catch up to me and land me a melanoma diagnosis.

 

Hindsight vision is always 20/20.

Love hearing good news!

Can I just say that I rejoice for other's successes just as much as my own?!  I love it when I hear that my melanoma friends are having success with treatments!  It is just as much of a celebration for them as it is for me because it means that we are winning the battle against melanoma!

 

 

Take for instance, my friend, Kari, who has been fighting melanoma on and off for 10 years.  She has been doing a clinical trial in L.A. of the Anti-PD1 drug and just found out last month that she is in remission again!  I couldn't be happier for her and her family.  She is my hero and if anyone can beat melanoma, it is Kari.  She has such a winning, never-give-up spirit.

 

 

Then there is my friend, Alisa.  She has had some major bumps in the road the last few months to get accepted into a clinical trial (same one as Kari), but finally did and will be starting treatment in 2 weeks!  Alisa had major success with Yervoy, which is a drug similar to Anti-PD1.  I just know this drug will work for Alisa too.  Alisa is already a walking miracle and I know that she will continue to be!

 

 



Do you know your city's UV Index?

This is a website that everyone should save on their favorites and onto their phones!

 

Do you know what your city's UV index?  The UV index is a measure of how strong the sun's rays are, or how quickly you can burn.

 

 

 

Go here to find your UV index and remember, if the UV index is high on any particular day, avoid long exposure in the sun and always, ALWAYS cover-up!

The Skin Check that could save your life!

This article done by Glamour Magazine recently talks about how you can spot a melanoma or suspicious mole that could save your life!

 

 

Read here for more info.

Melanoma month kicks off

Ok, I'm going to try really HARD to post every few days this month.  After all, it is MELANOMA MONTH!

 

 

First off, did you know that the first Monday of the May is officially called and recognized as "Melanoma Monday"??  Wear black on May 6th to support melanoma awareness!

 

 

And also, when was the last time you got your skin checked by a dermatologist? The Skin Cancer Foundation is promoting a Healthy Skin Tour, in which they will stop at several cities and perform free skin checks! To see if one is being offered in your city, click here.

 

 

 

Now, go get your skin checked!  It could save your life!

All caught up

Ok, ok, you're probably wondering where I have been the last month or so.  Or maybe you're not because you gave up on me?! ;)  Well, I'm alive and finally caught up on the blog.  (Read below for my newest posts.)  It's been a whirlwind of a month between a couple of short trips (spring break and a weekend getaway with girlfriends), and then of course, my family, our non-profit stuff, and everything else that consumes my life.

 

 

I still feel good though.  Maybe I'm not getting enough sleep on a regular basis (only because I'm so busy!), but healthy nonetheless.  I am happy to just be living a normal life!  The mundane things in life--the shuttling kids to school and practices, the grocery shopping, the cleaning, the church activities--are all things that I enjoy doing because there was a time in my life not very long ago that I wasn't able to do all of those things!  I even remember saying to myself how I wished I could just do normal "mom" things again, just be like everyone else, and have the same worries that anyone in my stage of life would have.  And I love that I can have that again.

 

 

Not that I don't worry about the big "C" word still, because I do.  It is always there in the back of my mind.  But notice how I wrote "back of my mind"?  That's because the cancer worries, the fear, the anxiety of the melanoma returning are in the back of my mind, not the front of my mind.  Cancer used to consume my thoughts everyday, and now it is a fleeing thought, a reminder for certain, but not something I dwell on daily.  Why?  Because I actively choose not to.  I chose to just live my life.

 

 

I have learned to be be exceptionally good at living in the moment, not sweating the small stuff so much, and enjoying life to the fullest, even despite all of its challenges.  These are things that I wasn't good at before I had gone through cancer.  Now, I am better at not worrying so much about the future (because it's unknown and I can't change it), and have learned to embrace living in the now.  It is a beautiful gift and one that I am infinitely grateful for.

 

 

Please read on for more happenings and thoughts!

2nd Annual Run for Dunn

The 2nd annual Run for Dunn is coming up Saturday June 1st!  This event was started in honor of Amy Dunn, a Boise, Idaho local who lost her battle with melanoma about a year ago.  She is one of the reasons we started and dedicated our foundation.  This year, the event is raising money for the Amy Rae Dunn Get-It-Dunn Foundation, held by the Idaho Community Fund.  Funds will then be dispersed between us, Sol Survivors Melanoma Foundation and the Make-a-Wish Foundation (to help young melanoma patients).

 

 

This event will help bring melanoma awareness to the community.  We will also offer free skin exams before and after the run, as well as host a BBQ for the participants to honor Amy and celebrate her life.  It should be fun and inpsiring!

 

 

To register, donate, or find out more information, click here.

The Sun Will Rise

One of my all-time favorite stories (and broadway productions and movies) is Les Miserables.  This quote says everything to me.

 

Have a good week everyone!

B Strong

 

We live in an increasingly scary, unsafe world.  First people were bombing buildings like the Twin Towers in NYC.  And then came bombs at schools and movie theatres.  But now marathon races?  Seriously?!?! What is this world coming to?

 

I was appalled and shocked to hear about the tragedy at the Boston Marathon yesterday.  I was also freaking out because I had friends running it and on the sidelines.  I was relieved to hear that all of them were safe, however, my heart broke when I heard about the people who lost their lives (like the 8 yr old boy cheering on his dad), or people who lost their limbs or were severly injured.

 

So, so frightening and devasting.  Yet, through it all, miracles and glimmer of hope sprung forth.  People came together and supported the victims' families, donated blood, held vigils and fundraisers, and rallied around the city.  There is hope in this world and seeing all of the acts of service, love and support is a reminder that there is still more "good" in this world.

 

 

I love this photo of these soldiers who ran the entire marathon in their fatigues and wore 60 lb. packs!  It is truly inpsiring.



And I just think this photo is so funny, yet true!!



You are Enough

 

Do you ever feel inadequate?  Not good enough?  Not doing enough?  I am beginning to think this is a woman thing, that all of us women have this life-long struggle to feel that we are enough, that what we do isn't enough.  I know I'm not alone in this area.

 

Maybe it's because we wear many "hats" and are usually running in 100 different directions to please everyone and do everything.  Because I run around with my head cut off, I always feel like I'm never doing anything REALLY great because I can't put ALL of my focus and attention on that one thing.

 

Slowly, I am learning that I will probably never feel like I'm doing enough, so I just need to get over that!  I'm a bit of an overachiever and I place high expectations on myself, so this is constant cycle for me.  I'm sure it will be something that I will have to continually work on... I am trying to learn that I am enough though.  That despite falling short of my own expectations, what I do matters to someone else and that my efforts aren't going unnoticed or underappreciated. "A" for effort, right?!

 

Perfection isn't all that is cracked up to be anyways.  ;)