Sherri's Journey for a cure

My ABC's of 2011

2012-01-05T22:14:00.002-05:00

A new year, a time to reflect and a time to resolve.

I have never been one for resolutions. I just can't keep them. I don't know what that says about me, but it is what it is. This year, I will make one, as I do every year, and I hope to keep it. I resolve to write more blogs in 2012. Last year I really dropped the ball and I have heard from many of you that I need to pick it up again. Duly noted. I will do my best.

One thing that I do like to do, however, is reflect on the previous year. 2011--was quite a year--filled with some of the brightest moments I can think of, but at the same time filled with times of sadness and anxiety. Moving on, I am once again filled with hope for the future. As a teacher, I always find myself learning new things, and I try to relate my experiences to my teaching. As most of you may know, I transferred out of the Special Education Department and into the English Department this year. It has been challenging having to develop new curriculum for books I haven't read since college, but it is something that I am pleased that I chose to do. Thinking about how my life relates to teaching, I have decided to share with you my ABC's of 2011. Be prepared folks...it's a long one.

A: Anniversary

During this past year I celebrated one of the BEST anniversaries ever! My five year "cancerversary!" I know you have all heard that once you reach five years your chances of recurrence go way down. Hooray for me! In addition, at the beginning of December I went off of my Tamoxifen! I am now drug and cancer free. Here's hoping 2012 stays that way.

B: Bridget
I am sure that most of you know who she is. I have written about her in several blogs, and provided links to her blog as well. She is my stage 4 metastatic breast cancer survivor friend. She was diagnosed at the age of 21 and was told she had a 16% chance of living to see the age of 30. She recently turned 28. Bridget is a brilliant writer who has an uncanny knack of making her readers part of her world. Throughout this year, Bridget has experienced great highs and also some very scary times. She has taken over a new job being the Field Coordinator for the Boston 3-Day. I feel so very blessed to have her as part of my life, and each day she gives me another reason to walk. Please take the opportunity to read her blog, My Big Girl Pants and you will see just how amazing she is.

C: C25K

After our walk in July was completed, many of the TWPs experienced "princess withdrawal"--a condition only known to those who have participated in the intense training that goes along with the 3-Day. Patty came to our rescue organizing a Couch to 5K program for those interested. The first week had over 50 people, and almost half of them were kids! It was incredible to see so many people gathered together trying to become healthier. It was a great 8 weeks even if the Race for the Cure was canceled due to the freak October snow storm.

D: DC

This past October Patty, Cheryl, Jody, and I made the journey to Washington, DC to be crew members of the DC 3-Day. It was an experience that none of us will ever forget. We were members of the Traffic Team and we literally directed traffic--sometimes in the dark! Even with reflective vests and light sabers, it was very scary standing in the middle of a busy street. The four of us were inseparable, and thanks to our fearless leader Jason, we became known as "Boston." We were one unit. The first day sucked. Of course "Boston" brought the rain down to DC because we know it always rains in Boston on the 3-Day. This rain was torrential--buckets and buckets. They ended up having to bring yards and yards of mulch into camp because it was a complete mud pit. We were freezing and soaked to the core, as was our luggage. Good thing we listened to the 3-Day coaches and packed everything in Ziploc bags. Day 2 was much better, and so was the weather. We were relatively comfortable with our duties, and Jason even let us cheer on the walkers coming in--a TWP cheering squad, the perfect job for us. We did have one minor mishap when we tried to jump into the back of a golf cart for a photo op and spilled mulch all over the route. Oops! The last day, Day 3, was TOUGH! We helped pack up camp. We stacked tables and chairs and more tables and chairs. Don't ever think that Crew is easy—working from 5AM-9PM is hard work. I would much rather walk 60 miles any day!

E: Emma

Emma is a beautiful, vibrant eight year old girl who happens to be Tina, our Treasurer's daughter. Late in the summer Emma was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that affects the adrenal glands and the nervous system. It usually affects young children, so it was surprising to see that Emma had it. Being a survivor herself, Tina was devastated. She had some idea of what was in store for Emma. Since her diagnosis Emma has undergone chemo, which has been a rocky road with numerous hospital stays due to low blood counts and some illnesses. She will hopefully finish her last round this week and then be on to her next steps--stem cell transplants and surgery. I can't begin to fathom how difficult this time has been for Tina, Derek, and their two other boys. I do know that the TWPs will be by her side throughout it all. While this has been more than a trying time for Tina and her family, once again I feel that cancer has brought out the best in all of us. I know that Tina and Emma will stay PRINCESS STRONG!

F: Flash Mob

This past October the TWPs joined forces with The Pink Angels for our first flash mob. After several practices, we met in Boston on a sultry October afternoon. Completing one last run-through in the parking garage, everyone casually made their way to the area in front of The Aquarium. Once the music started, we were led by several talented young dancers. Check out Mia on the left in front. She gets her great rhythm from her mom!

G: Get Started Meeting

Last March I told you about a Get Started Meeting where a woman, Kathleen, recognized Patty and me from our video. She told me how she showed it to her sister who was recently diagnosed, and how it made a powerful impact on her and lifted her spirits. Well, this story gets better. On Day 3 of the walk, the TWPs were completing the last 3 miles of our 60, together as a team. (These were by far, the best miles of the walk.) As the survivors carried our sign, we rounded the corner to enter into holding. Before us stood a woman clearly just out of treatment. She yells to me, "Sherri! I'm Eileen, Kathleen's sister! When you said, 'Cancer is not who I am' in your video, you changed my life. Thank you!" I write that verbatim, because they are words I will never forget. That moment will be etched in my mind always.

H: Husbands

The men who wear pink and don't think twice about it. Where would the TWPs be without our husbands? Really they are the glue that hold us together. Without them who would shuttle the kids to their games and activities while we are walking miles on end? In addition, who would put up with us when we are exhausted from walking the miles on end? Seriously, we have some of the greatest men around. Cheryl's husband Bob was so inspired by his wife he chose to walk with us this year, and Ronnie, Lisa's husband has taken hundreds of pictures for us and put them into slideshows which can be found on this page. If that wasn't enough, he is donating 5% of the proceeds from Ron Mushow Photography to the TWPs. Be sure to check him out on Facebook. Also there is Dana's husband, Jim, who would paint something new on his car every time he rode by us on the route. And of course, the other Jim, Maurine's husband, who followed us all along the route offering a chauffered ride to his lovely bride. They are all amazing, but we cannot forget my AZ who organized the TWP cheering station and creates some of the BEST signs ever! He is my rock!

I: Inspiration

The TWPs have always hoped to be a source of inspiration to others, and I feel we have. My point was proven at breakfast on Day 3 of last year's walk. While a group of us were gobbling up eggs and bacon, a young woman, probably in her late 20's came up to us. She told us of her friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer while she was pregnant. Like many women, she opted against chemo for the safety of her baby. When her daughter was born, her friend arrived at the hospital with news that she had decided to walk the 3-Day in her honor. A few weeks later when the friend visited mom and baby, she decided to show her our video "Walk Like A Princess." The mother's quality of life had gone drastically downhill and she knew she did not have much time left. The video seemed to touch her soul. Two weeks before the walk, as she lay dying, she looked at her best friend and said, "Find the Tough Warrior Princesses at the walk, and tell them I said thank you." I have told this story many times, and even as I type it here, I have tears streaming down my face. That moment is what it is all about.

J: Jeff Hollett
I have written about our friend Jeff, whose sister passed away from breast cancer. He is part of the team Baghdad Breast Defense, and was in the service while he began training for his first walk which he hoped to complete with his sister. Unfortunately she passed before July, and Jeff walked in her honor, and has ever since. Jeff is a great character--he dyes his hair hot pink and carries a large flag during the entire walk. Every year he enters Closing Ceremonies wearing pink army fatigues. This year one of the highlights of the walk happened with Jeff on Day 3. About one mile outside of Holding, Jeff asked us to form a "circle of trust." We all stood shoulder to shoulder facing outward with Jeff in the middle. He proceeded to change into his pink camo. As we stood there, someone started singing God Bless America. Immediately the tears started. What a memory to have.

K: Komen Where our money goes. Thank you for giving life to many of my friends.

L: Letters from Santa

This was the second year that the TWPs conducted this fundraiser, and it was even more successful than last year. For $10 a child could receive a personalized letter from the Big Guy. Parents said that their children were ecstatic to receive something from Santa himself. The best part is that we raised $500! Way to go! Let's hope we have even more requests next year.

M: Maurine
Just a few short weeks ago, the TWPs gathered to celebrate Mo's 50 Years of Greatness! What a night! What was supposed to be a surprise was obviously not--Maurine looked too damn fantastic! There was good food, good company, and a fabulous roast with notes from friends who were not able to make it. Maurine's sister Linda even flew up from Florida! And of course there was lots of dancing. Whenever the TWPs get together it looks like a scene from "Old Ladies Gone Wild!" I think our feet were more sore after that night than during the walk.

N: Non-Profit This year the TWPs became official. Yes, we are a 501c3! What that means for us is that we can now solicit donations directly from sponsors. We have our own tax exempt number which will make it easier to receive goods for events. Businesses can donate food and alcohol directly to the TWPs. We are hoping this will bring in even more funds this year! Speaking of funds...

O: One hundred and nine thousand dollars! Need I say more?

P: Princesses (and Princes too!) These are some of the most important people in my life. They are who I contact when I am anxious, sad, or thrilled beyond compare. I know that every single one of them would be there for me no matter what. Together we make magic. The only way you will ever understand what I mean is to join us.

Q: Quest for a Cure I am on it. This is my mission, and I will not stop until there is one.

R: Rides

Two of my favorite moments on this year's 3-Day involved rides. Both of which happened on the last day of the walk. On Day 3 I was feeling a bit down. I was not feeling the magic that I had experienced in previous years. With a large team it was difficult to get that close-knit camaraderie. As a large group of us was just about to leave Pit 1, we see Maurine come in. We made a conscious decision to hang for a bit and savor every moment of the rest of the walk. I am so happy that we did. I had it stuck in my mind that I wanted to ride the Swan Boats in The Public Garden. If The Pink Angels could manage to do it every year with a team of almost 100, then we could definitely do it. And we did!

The other ride happened a little later that day. We were walking our last two mile,s singing songs and enjoying everything around us, when we happened to come upon 3 transit police. Coincidentally, it was one officer's birthday, so of course we serenaded him. Then good old Maurine proceeded to jump on his motorcycle ready to finish the route. It was classic Mo, and we all just cracked up.

S: Silent Auction

Our second annual Dance Like a Princess Silent Auction was our most successful fundraiser to date. In one night we raised over $20,000 and had an absolute blast doing it. We had over 150 auction items. It was a lot of work, but so worth it. It is probably the only night, other than the walk, when the entire team was together (minus Melanie because she had already planned a vacation). If you weren't able to make it this past year, we will be releasing the date soon, so mark it on your calendars for 2012. It should be even better. For highlights from our 2011 auction, just click the link to the right.

T: Tea Party

Last spring we held our first Princess Tea Party for girls and their moms, aunts, or any special person in their lives. The Amesbury Cultural Center was emblazoned in pink and the girls all looked so precious dressed in their finest. We decorated sugar cookies, made crafts, and even had Princesses Alexa and Kiki available for photo ops. There were tea sandwiches and sweets to satisfy everyone's pallet. I am so looking forward to doing this again in 2012. We plan to have two seatings this time, and I am sure it will be even better!

U: UMASS

Where Closing has been held for the last several years. Walking along the beach in South Boston and seeing the University in the distance is such an overwhelming feeling. You know that you have just completed three of the most memorable days of your life. You feel...

V: Victorious Okay, so "v" was really hard to come up with. But it is true.

W: Walks

What else would "w" be? Lots and lots of them. And really long ones too. Heck, we even have one planned for 6:45AM on Saturday. Want to join us? It may be a lot, but, you know what? I wouldn't trade any of them--even those on the hottest of days or the most blustery of mornings. Why? Because of the people I am spending my time with.

X: X-Rays

This was the year of the x-ray. Last winter I thought I was having a heart attack and was rushed to hospital by ambulance. There they did a chest x-ray. Then I sprained my ankle hanging my new drapes--another x-ray. Then I broke my toe a week after the walk--yet another x-ray. And the piece de resistance...the brain scan because I thought I had a brain tumor. I should probably be worried about all the additional radiation exposure, but as a survivor I feel at peace knowing that I have had the majority of my body scanned recently, and everything looks a-okay.

Y: You

My readers, my family, my friends. You are what made my year so very special--your kind words, your laughter, your tears, and your donations! I wouldn't be able to do this year after year without your generosity and support. I look back at where I was five years ago, and I was a different person. Thanks to you I am new and improved. For this I truly feel humbled. So I must say the sincerest of thank you's to each and every one of you! xo

Z: Ziomeks

For most people "z" would be difficult, but not so much for me. When I say Ziomeks I mean my family--the hubby and the kiddos. They never asked for a cancer diagnosis, but they got one too, and I have to say that they have handled it with all the dignity and class one can muster. When the 12 year old boy doesn't blink an eye if mom hands him a pink shirt, or a shirt with a princess on it, you know that some good has come out of this mess. The same holds true for the girlies wanting to raise money for your walk, or make bracelets for your team. AZ holds a sign for me at closing each year and it says, "in sickness and in health." He is the one who is always there for me, each and every mile along that walk. I know I can round a corner at any moment and my family will be standing there in the sweltering heat, even when the route is closed down.

Now, I know my parents' last name is not Ziomek, but I could not let the highlights of 2011 go by without mentioning my parents. They made me who I am. They taught me courage and resilience. They are the ones that encouraged me to never give up and to follow my dreams. They are the reason I do what I do today.

So--That was my year. A little long-winded, I know, but I haven't written in 6 months. Here's hoping that 2012 is even more dynamic!

Love to all,

Sherri

EXTREME 3-DAY 2011--Day 2

2011-07-28T23:02:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not, the majority of us woke up at 5AM chilled. We all left our tents open and were just sleeping with sheets--no sleeping bags this year. Personally, I didn't sleep great, but what can you expect. We quickly got dressed and put the fly and tarp over our tent. It looked like we might get a quick shower, but we figured it was going to be so hot, everything would dry quickly. They planned to open the route earlier than usual, at 6AM, because the temps were expected to soar once again. After a yummy meal of eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown, and banana, we were on our way again. We arrived at the gate just a little after six, but the route still wasn't open. Someone said that the ice vendor would not arrive early, and they were fearful that people would arrive at Pit 1, and there would be no ice. At 6:20 the route was opened and we were on our way.

Every day on the walk we start together, but you've heard me talk about our kamikaze walkers with Connie being the leader. Well Connie had a partner in crime this day--little Miss Allison. For those of you who do not know Allison, she is one of the children's librarians in our town. She also can't be more than 5 feet tall. We used to joke that it was one step for Connie and two for Allison. Well, that day, Allison led the pack and arrived back at camp at number 140 out of 2000.

Taking a break waiting for the route to re-open.

What started as a much cooler morning with a slight breeze, began to turn ugly at about mile 3 or 4. There was one portion of the route where we had to walk up the street a bit, use a crosswalk, then double back on the other side of the street. When we turned around, the sky was an ominous charcoal gray. Oh no! I thought there would be no rain this year. Then began the rumbles of thunder. The wind was blowing, and it just felt like a storm. As we trekked up the "hill that never ends" (you've heard me mention in previous years) it began to sprinkle. Then the sprinkle turned to a light rain. Then came the lightning. Yep--extreme 3-Day! As a child, I was terrified of thunder and lightning. I'm over that now, but believe me, the last place I wanted to be was under a bunch of trees, next to a body of water in Winchester. Seriously? Being familiar with the route I knew that there was a pit stop ahead. As we pulled in, we put on our lovely pink ponchos, that Jody had so generously purchased for everyone, and were getting ready to refuel when they looked at us and told us that the route was closed due to lightning. It was me, Nichole, and Dana, and we sat down under a porch and waited. We found out later in the day that those in front of us were never pulled off the route, they just kept walking, and those behind us were pulled into Arlington High School for a bit. Unfortunately, that made the gap between all of us even larger. I knew we wouldn't be able to be together the entire day, but I was missing the rest of my team.

After about 20-30 minutes, the route re-opened. Ponchos came off and the sun started to try to peak through. We began walking with Wayne from the Pink Angels. The Pink Angels, if you don't already know, is the largest team in the Boston 3-Day. They are simply amazing. Since their creation, they have raised over 1.5 million dollars! Very impressive! Josie, one of their captains, has also been a huge support to the TWPs in our endeavor to become a 501c3, and personally has offered much guidance in how to lead a large team. Thanks Josie! Love you! But, back to Wayne. Since I have walked, Wayne has always been a member of the Pink Angel Posse. He always dressed in a pink gown with big angel wings. You will see the posse everywhere along the route, and they are always wearing something to make us laugh. This year, Wayne was walking. His wife is a 14 year survivor, and he had the honor of carrying the "My Wife" flag during Opening and Closing. It was so interesting to talk with someone who is such a wealth of 3-Day knowledge and is just so passionate about finding a cure. It was one of my favorite parts of the day.

From Winchester, we headed into Woburn where the TWP cheering station was. I had decided to hang there and eat lunch with AZ and the kids. It was motivating to see all of our families there. The signs were outstanding. McCue the Florist was super supportive, and even moved stuff around for us. They provided watermelon, and others brought orange slices, freeze pops, squirt bottles, signs, dunking stations, and we even had photo ops with Big Papi! My mom provided a camp chair with an awning so I took a few to sit back and relax. I loved hearing the walkers go by saying, "We love the TWPs!" "Those girls are the best!" It really made me feel good.

From there, we bypassed lunch and continued on the route. It was here that we ran into Dana's husband and her three gorgeous girls. Every time we turned around, they were there. And each time her husband had painted something new on the mini-van. It just cracked us up. This continued for the remainder of Day 2. Her girls showed up at a pit stop with face paint, and were even allowed just inside the shoot as we were headed into camp. What a special moment that was for Dana.

If you have been a reader of my blog, you know my friend Tracy--the woman who has been my rock for the last 5 years. She's the one who did all crazy stuff for me while I was in treatment, and she also made the outstanding signs that lined the route on Day 2 of last year's walk. Well, once again, Tracy came to cheer me on! As I was walking into Lexington center I see this woman walking toward me. Mind you, I don't have my glasses on, so to me she is just some random woman. Then I realize my dear friend has returned to the 3-Day to walk with me for a few miles. I am so disappointed I didn't get a picture of us. Tracy missed us at the TWP cheering station and decided to walk up and down the route looking for us. Before she met up with me, she had walked with both Kaitlyn and Patty. All in all she ended up walking about 3 or 4 miles in a skirt and flip flops. The funny thing was that she ended up with a blister! In all her miles of training years ago, she never got one! Must be those sassy silver sandals. Seeing her just brightened my day and gave me the strength to keep plugging. I keep hoping that one day she will walk with me again. No pressure Trace!

Dana, Nichole, and Sherri with the Minute Men.

After saying good-bye to Tracy, we realized it was starting to get very hot again. It was around 2:00, and the sun was now blazing. Where was that lovely cloud cover we had earlier in the day? I would even take the showers sans lightning. We knew we only had 5 or 6 miles left, and that we could do it. As we passed through the Lexington cheering station, we were greeted by the Minute Men. Of course we had to stop and take a photo.

We arrived at Pit 5, 2 miles outside of camp at 2:55 when we heard rumors of the route closing again. Hell, no! I am not getting on another bus when I only have 2 miles left. I asked one of the crew what was going on, and they said that if you were not back on the route by 3:00, you would be transported back to camp. My response, "Gatorade, please." And off we went.

At this point, we were done--not actually, but we were ready to be. All that was left was a medium-sized hill. No prob. We would be back before the buses came in. No shower lines for us.

As I said earlier, we were greeted by Dana's family as we entered camp. In addition to them, was a member of the Event Staff who said we could not shower until 5:00 or so, and that they would prefer we did not go into our tents. I just said that I needed to get my flip-flops. "Okay," was his response. How could he argue with a woman who just walked 21 miles? Here is where I got a bit sneaky. Having done this walk for years, I understand my body, and know how it reacts to these conditions. I knew I had consumed enough food and Gatorade that I would be fine in the shower, but how could I argue with staff? People were standing guard at various entrance points to the tents. All of a sudden, I saw my break. One staff member walked over to talk to another, and immediately I started zig-zagging through tents, sneakily making my way to the showers. Not very "Safety Spice" like, but I just couldn't wait to get clean.

We had all agreed that we would sit together at the dining tent on Saturday night. What the majority of the team did not not realize was that the reason we wanted to do this was because our fearless teammate, Maurine, was chosen out of 2000 people to be the camp show speaker. Plus, the Saturday night camp show should be experienced as a team.

We didn't need to wait for the show to start, Connie was our entertainment--not just that night, but all weekend long. I think of anyone on the team, this weekend affected her the most. To see someone who is always laughing and joking around be turned to tears, really makes an impact on those around. At this point Connie proceeded to call the good Dr. over to introduce the TWPs to her. This year, Komen has a new National Spokesperson for the 3-Day for the Cure. While many of us miss Jenne, Dr. Sheri did a fabulous job. Connie called her to our table and made sure she knew who we were. Dr. Sheri said that she had seen our video, and that it was outstanding. She said that they gave the youtube link out at some Komen media thing. I don't know the exact details. What a great feeling to know that the TWPs are known outside of Boston.

The camp show started with the Bank of America money booth--one of those blow up booths where the money blows everywhere, and you try to get as much as you can in a certain time. There were two people that were chosen, and wouldn't you know that one of them was Maurine's son Dylan who was participating in Youth Corp once again. Dylan and another young woman were able to grab almost $250 dollars which Bank of America doubled and donated to the Komen Massachusetts Affiliate. It was an exciting start to the evening.

Following that was Maurine's speech. I really have no words to describe it. Maurine is simply one of a kind. She made everyone understand the poignancy of this walk while inspiring, motivating, and laughing along the way. She had the perfect combination of seriousness and comedy. I heard someone say after that they didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It felt like you were just having a conversation with her. If you have not seen it yet, please take the time to view it. You won't regret it. Her closing had such an impact on a young woman, Samantha, that she took a photo from her 3-Day adventure and embedded Maurine's words into it. I was thrilled to receive an email from Samantha and immediately forwarded it to the rest of the team. We now all have it as our profile picture on Facebook in honor of Maurine. Our hope is that Samantha will decide to join us as a TWP next year in Boston.

After that, Youth Corp stood up and told the crowd why they raise money and volunteer their time to the 3-Day. These kids are wise beyond their years, and have such a maturity about them. I guess when faced with cancer, they have to. It is uplifting to see kids realizing that they too can make a difference, yet sad too, because they want to do this when they should just be kids. Our team is lucky enough to have 3 kids on Youth Corp. This was Alexa's second and final year. Next year she will be old enough to walk with us. This was Maurine's other son, Tyler's, first year. Of all the Youth Corp, Dylio, as he has been affectionately named, was the last to speak. At this point, all the walkers knew who he was. He had already done the money booth, and was on stage when his mom gave her speech. Let me tell you--like mother, like son. He just commanded that stage. He was absolutely adorable.

When the camp show ended, we decided to walk over to the Remembrance Tent. Last year when we went, it was so emotional for all of us. This year was no different. In the tent there are photos of walkers that had passed over this past year. They were such beautiful women. The most disturbing part was that many of them were younger than me. In the past I have written about those times when I feel so vulnerable--when I feel like I may not know it, but my cancer could still be wreaking havoc on my body. This was one of those times. Why am I here, and they are not? I think about years down the road. Will my picture be in this tent? Then in the next moment I look at those around me and think, "No, it won't. We will find a cure." As I walked out of the tent, I saw my friend Mara, a fellow survivor. Just one year ago, after turning 40, she walked for her best friend, only to be diagnosed herself after completing the walk. I can't even begin to imagine the emotions running through her. One year later, and she is here. I don't think I will ever forget that hug we shared that night. On the 3-Day you laugh and have loads of fun, but the Remembrance Tent is what it is all about.

EXTREME 3-DAY 2011--Day 1

2011-07-26T18:48:00.002-04:00

Another year, another 3-Day. Once again, this year's 3-Day was one of a kind. In the four years I have been doing this event, each one has been so different from the others. This year's walk is being deemed the "EXTREME 3-DAY" for me because, well that's what it was--extreme.

Anyone who lives in Boston knows that yes, it can be very hot in July. We were expecting temps in the high 90's with a heat index even higher. During the week leading up to the event as I ran into friends around town at baseball games or soccer, they were all sending their well wishes, but each one had an edge of concern about the heat. "Make sure you drink lots!" "Potato chips are your best friend!" "Listen to your body!" "Sunscreen!" Personally, I was thrilled that there was really no rain predicted in the forecast. I had walked in high 90's before, but that rain--it gets me every time. However, as the week wore on and the team kept posting about tent ceiling fans, and how nervous they were about the heat, I, too, began to feel concern. I did my best to hydrate all week long. There was nothing else I could do--I had prepared as well as I could.

Allison and Sarah at camp

On Thursday at 5:00PM I had to pick up Allison at the library. Allison was a newbie (I say "was" because she is now a lifer!) and was planning to spend the night at my house with Sarah, another teammate. Sarah and Allison are best friends. These two young ladies are simply amazing. They have brought a vitality to this team of 40-somethings. They were definitely extreme walkers, and came in at the front of the pack every day. On Thursday night, we made pizza, chatted, and finished making bracelets that M & M had planned to give all of the teammates. (The girls made 23 and then gave up. I thought 23 was pretty good for 9 year olds.)

At 3:15AM, Friday morning, my alarm goes off. It really didn't need to, because I honestly didn't sleep much. We quickly dressed and headed out. As I opened the door, I was hit with a brick wall. The air was so oppressive and thick. On any other day like this, I would not even leave my home--A/C all day long! Instead, we picked up Sandy and headed to Cheryl's house to board the bus. If you remember, last year we took a small "party bus" to the 3-Day. Well, this year, it was a Coach bus. It was so cool driving down the street to Cheryl and Bob's and seeing this huge bus w/all these cars parked around like it was 2 in the afternoon. We were so efficient loading up that we were on the road by 4:15!

The ride in was pretty uneventful except for the passing out of bracelets, cards, and the cutting of shirts. Barbara had this ingenious idea of cutting the sleeves off of our NB shirts. She did it so well, that they looked like they were supposed to be that way. With the sleeves off our shirts, it only felt like it was 101, not 105!

We arrived on time to be greeted by Patty and Maurine who had spent the night in Framingham. We loaded our gear bags onto the truck and made the short walk over to Opening Ceremonies. Last year Opening and Closing were so emotional for me because I was in the Survivor Circle. This year, Maurine was given that opportunity. I was absolutely thrilled to be able to stand there and watch her walk in with that flag. She is more than an inspiration. On top of that, Patty was a flag bearer as well, carrying the "My Daughter" flag in honor of Katie and Alexa. The most amazing part of the whole thing was that Patty and Maurine stood directly across from each other. In a sea of people, you could see the connection between these two women. It almost took my breath away.

After we wiped our tears, it was onto the route. It was 7AM, and man was it HOT!!! We started off, and figured it would be slow and steady. That it was. When you have 2000 participants leaving one place at the same time, it has to take a while to get where you want to go. We were slow to get on the route as well, so it seemed to take extra long. By the time we reached the first pit stop, the lines were absolutely out of control. I hit the porta-potties, grabbed some water and was on my way with the others. About 7 miles into the walk I started to feel yucky. I have done this enough to know when I am starting to get dehydrated. The headache was coming on, and I felt a little nauseous. I NEEDED Gatorade. Dana handed me a snack then Connie gave me some peanuts. It still didn't do the trick. For the first time in four years, I questioned whether I would be able to complete this walk. Fortunately, the next pit stop was just ahead. As we rested for a few, I drank almost 32 ounces of Gatorade and felt much better. I knew this day was extremely hot,
but thanks to my former friend, Mother Nature (I have since severed ties with her because she never cooperates on my 3-Day), Boston experienced record high temps on Friday--We are talking Africa hot--triple digits!!!

We left the pit stop at the fire station, and were on our way through Wellesley toward the next pit stop and cheering station. It was about 3 miles. We trudged on through, but just as we arrived, they announced that the route was closing. 10 miles in, and we were done for the day. The temperatures were too extreme, and it appeared that it was difficult to keep up with the physical needs of walkers. Medical was swamped! I had never seen so many ambulances. I heard some people complaining saying walkers should be able to make their own decisions, but I believe that Komen made the absolute right decision. There were more first time walkers than ever in Boston this year. To me, that is reason enough to close the route in these temperatures. You really don't know what a toll this takes on your body until you have done it. Walking 20 miles is difficult enough, but doing it in 105 degree weather is absolutely insane. That being said, I do feel for those for whom this is a personal journey. For me, I have been there and done that. I understand how frustrating it must have been that your goal was just moved out of your reach by no fault of your own.

So the waiting began. Half of our group had been on the cooling buses, and were immediately transported to lunch which was moved to Pit 5, 3 miles from camp. The rest of us had to wait until the people along the route where there was no shade were rallied together and transported to lunch as well. Meanwhile, I was supposed to be meeting Andy and the kids a half mile up the road at the cheering station. If you know my stalkarazzi husband, you know that if we can't come to the cheering station, the cheering station will come to us. Soon after my phone conversation, he arrived with the kids, cherries, and drinks. It definitely helped to pass the time.

While we waited, texts went back and forth between team members making sure that everyone was accounted for. The crew came by with candy, ice, and Gatorade. They were doing their best to keep everyone comfortable. During this time, someone created a sign and was passing it around to different teams. I agree, I think we were the champions that day!

We missed several buses, because we didn't stampede everyone, and ended up waiting almost 2 hours before we were picked up. We had talked to the rest of the group and they had eaten lunch and were waiting for transport back to camp. When our bus finally arrived, we piled in refreshed by the cool air that greeted us. Almost immediately after sitting down, many of us dozed off. It was an eight mile ride to lunch. We awoke to see a ginormous line waiting to board the exact bus that we are on. Hell no! We were not getting off this bus only to wait for two hours for another bus. We would forgo lunch so that we could arrive at camp at a reasonable hour. As we looked closely at the line, the 9 missing TWPs were at the front of it. As several people climbed off heading to lunch, we waited in anticipation for our fellow teammates to board. As soon as we saw the first one, we started, "TWP! TWP! TWP!" Yes, we were together again!

As we arrived back to camp they had an air-conditioned gymnasium waiting for us. We were one of the first groups there, so we were the lucky ones with chairs. The dining tent and 3-Day Main St. were open so we all decided to get our legacy pins. Legacy pins are earned by doing different things during your 3-Day experience. There is a team captain pin, a survivor pin, a 5K pin, a Power Team pin (which thanks to our donors, we were able to receive) and many others. On this day I received a pin I never thought I would--the Sag bus pin! You hop on the Sag bus if you feel you cannot walk anymore. Well, this year, I had to get it because they closed the route. From there we went to the Camp Post Office where we retrieved all of the mail that was sent to us. Thank you all so much for your kind words of encouragement and support. It meant the world to me. I even received letters from fellow walkers that were so moved by our video! Absolutely unbelievable. My best letter that I received was from my mom. Every year she writes me a mushy letter telling me how proud she is of me. Well, at this point she had been telling me how great I was for 4 years. She needed to change it up a bit for fear of my head exploding. She decided to write a song to the tune of Gilligan's Island. I have included it below for you to see:

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,

A tale of the TWPs.

Who would've guessed when two girls met,

That this would come to be.

One day Sherri took a walk,

A walk of 60 miles.

At the end when she looked up,

She saw a great big smile.

Patty said, "I know your beat,

And tired to the bone,

But this day I will promise you,

You'll never walk alone."

So Cheryl turned her hair to pink,

Sue's hubby took the twins.

Theresa and Gretchen put down their books,

And Vicky said, "I"M IN!"

Then Tina joined, and Kaitlyn too,

And pretty soon Maurine.

Ten strong women side by side,

Make an incredible team.

New Balance came a-calling,

The news had spread so far,

You said yes, we'll do your show,

We want to be the stars.

We will walk.

We will run

We'll do a dash,

With ease.

We'll work for sure.

We'll find a cure...

Cuz we're the TWPs!!!!

Isn't that awesome? Thanks Mom!

At around 5:45 they finally allowed us into the showers. They were fearful that with the heat people would pass out. Believe me. You don't want to pass out in the showers. They will drag your butt out naked. We weren't even allowed to set up our tents until 7:00. I guess they figured we would just bake in them. After we showered, we ate dinner, got ourselves settled and decorated tents. They looked pretty awesome. Lots of tiaras, photos, and blinkie lights. By the way, don't even ask about tent decorating. I'll fill you on that on Day 2.

At around 9:00 we tried settling in. It still had to be in the 90's. I was happy that I broke down and bought a personal fan. I climbed onto my air mattress, pointed it directly at my face, and tried my best to rest up for the day ahead.

Stay tuned for Day 2...

Royally yours,
Sherri

WOW!!!

2011-07-15T22:38:00.002-04:00

WOW!!! That just about sums it up. I am having such difficulty finding words to express the emotions I have experienced today. I cannot believe that I am part of such an amazing group of people. If you haven't heard it by now, (those of you on Facebook, please forgive us for our 18 million posts that clogged up your news feed today) the TWPs reached our $100,000 goal! This morning we still had $3,500 to raise and now we are at $100,292 and have an additional member!!! Gretchen's brother decided to join our team. Can you believe it? I hardly can. Earlier in the week we just surpassed the $90,000 mark. When we started getting close, I became so consumed with this goal that my entire day was spent alternating between Facebook, posting how much more we needed and the 3-Day site, checking to see if our thermometer had risen. In the last two days I have received over $400 in donations. Simply amazing. Social networking truly does work! I have had my mom's high school friends donate to me! These are women that my mom hadn't seen in over 40 years and just recently reconnected with. The thing that shocked me the most were the donations that came in today from those who had already donated to other members on our team. Having such a large interconnected team, people often have to choose who to donate to. By becoming a non-profit, we will have the ability to divide funds among teammates. I had two different people donate to me today having already donated to others. One family has even donated to TWO others on the team already! When something like that happens, it really makes you think. I can turn on the news on a daily basis, and 80% of it is so depressing. Then I can have a day like today, and the world is a wonderful place. Again, I wish I could find the words to express what this day has meant to me. All I can simply say is thank you. My life has been changed because of every one of you.

Royally yours,
Sherri

What a difference a year makes!

2011-07-15T06:53:00.000-04:00

It's is 5AM, and I can't sleep. One week from now, I will be getting off of a coach bus in Framingham, ready to embark on my fourth 3-Day journey. Maybe that is why I can't sleep. I am too excited. I have already begun to run through my packing list making sure that I have all of the necessities. This year I purchased a new lightweight bag and am excited to use it. It has lots of space to hold everything including all of our tent decorations. If we don't win tent decorating this year, I am done--no more decorations for me.

As I sit here I can't help but think what a difference a year makes. Last July, Patty and I started on the journey of a lifetime with the filming of our New Balance video--Walk Like a Princess. It was during this weekend last year when we had the pool party and found out what we were really in for--the cameras, the microphones, the interviews, and the friends that we made. I recently viewed it for the first time in a long time the other day. It was just as amazing. We have received over 63,000 hits. It really was pretty incredible to be a part of something like that. But the thing that has been even more incredible, is the impact that it has made on those around us. Our little team of 10 is now an army of 31. 30 women and one prince, who have each raised at least $2300 and trained for hundreds of miles. Yes, I said hundreds. There are very few people around Amesbury who do not know the Tough Warrior Princesses. We can usually be seen in the early morning hours of the weekend, dressed in pink, walking around Amesbury or Newburyport. Just this year we have raised $96,500--just $3,500 shy of our $100,000 goal. However, we have high hopes that in the next week we will surpass that $100,000 mark. While I am eternally grateful to those of you who have already donated, if you have forgotten, no need to worry. Believe it or not, you can still donate. Just click on the link to the side of this page. Think of the lives that will be impacted by this money. Maurine and my friend Bridget, (you have hopefully all read her blog--My Big Girl Pants) are both recipients of Komen grants. Our money is helping them to live their lives the way that they should be lived.

While the money this year is terribly exciting, I can't help but look at the bigger picture. As most of you may know, the TWPs have filed to become an official non-profit. It took lots of work to create Articles of Association and Bylaws, but we did it and are just waiting to hear back from the IRS. What I am most proud of is our mission statement. We talked a lot about what we want the TWPs to become and what purpose they should serve, but to put it all on paper was very challenging. We wanted everything to be perfect--not too specific, but not too broad. Drum roll....I would like to share with you the TWP mission statement!

The Tough Warrior Princesses are committed to raising funds for breast cancer research, educating and enlightening the public on the need to find a cure, and providing support to local women and their families impacted by cancer.

Pretty good, huh? In the process of doing this, I just so happened to be reading Promise Me which is Nancy Brinker's story of how she started Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It is simply amazing to me, that something that started so small, just like the TWPs, has blossomed into an organization that is the global leader in funding breast cancer research. It definitely makes me think about what we can accomplish. By no means do we have plans to reach far and wide, but we would like to broaden our scope to include women with all types of cancer. From experience, we know that being involved in something bigger than you can make a great impact on your life. Our hope is to expand the TWPs to encompass those who want to make a difference in the lives of a woman diagnosed with cancer. We want to include people who may not be able to walk 60 miles, but feel that there is a need to do something, whether it is babysitting, making a meal, or driving someone to treatment. Simply put, we want to help make the lives of women battling cancer just a bit easier.

So while we wait for the IRS, life on the 3-Day continues. This Saturday is Street Team Day, a day when we canvas businesses along the route and let them know that 1,600 people will be traipsing through their neighborhood in just a few days. It is a fun day where I get to see my 3-Day family who I have really missed since the Get Started Meetings have ended. Plus, it gets a walk in. I know I am ready, but one more walk can't hurt.

On Monday I get to spend some time with my TWP family. Lisa S. has graciously offered her home for a little TWP party. Every time our entire group gets together, it is always for a reason, whether it be a meeting where we have to discuss business or a walk. While walks are entertaining, and can be downright hysterical, we have really had little time to just hang out and talk--no business. I am looking forward to bonding with my "sole sisters" as we begin this journey.

You, too, can be part of our 3-Day journey. Be sure to visit Spectator information to find out about all the ways that you can support us. Consider coming to closing ceremonies Sunday afternoon at UMASS Boston. It is so amazing, I can't describe it. It needs to be experienced. Or if you would rather join us on Saturday, in addition to the cheering stations listed on the 3-Day site, the TWPs will have their own cheering station at the McCue the Florist parking lot on Saturday July 23 from 10am–2:15pm. It is located at 200 Cambridge Street, Woburn on the corner of Rte. 3 and Lexington St. next to the 99 Restaurant. Our families will be there, and hopefully you will be too!

Thank you all again for your continued support. Many of you have been with me on this journey for 4 years. For that, I am forever grateful. I wouldn't be where I am today without all of you! XO

Royally yours,
Sherri

Spring has Sprung!

2011-04-23T10:25:00.001-04:00

Like so many of you, I really enjoy this time of year. Spring signifies re-birth, and that is truly the case with me. It is during this time when I really kick my training into gear by walking several times a week. I always feel like a healthier me. I am getting up earlier, eating better, drinking more water, and getting fit. Sometimes I enjoy the early morning solitude of walking by the farms as the fog hangs low in the field, cows staring as I walk by. When I say it that way, it sounds kind of creepy, but it really isn't. Then on the other hand, just as fun, is walking with a group of 10 women laughing and sharing stories of their escapades the evening before. For this reason, I chose to become a 3-Day Training Walk Leader this year.

My first year I completed the walk, I didn't really participate in any of the Komen events. Luckily, at the time, I didn't realize what I was missing. I thought that I knew all I needed to know in order to have a successful event, and I did. What I did not realize was that I was missing out on so much more--the friendships that blossom during that time. I have said it before, but it takes a special kind of person to participate in the 3-Day. I don't mean to sound boastful, or arrogant, but to take the time to train for hundreds of miles, and to raise thousands of dollars, this event has to be of significance to you. When my friend Meredith runs her Get Started Meetings, she always tells a story about her brother and how he asked her what makes the 3-Day different from other events. She replies that it is the "community of kindness" that the 3-Day creates. What exactly is a "community of kindness?" Simply said, it is bringing your best self to the event. When you choose to walk 60 miles and raise $2,300, you are being your best self. When you see someone sitting alone at dinner and you invite them over, you are being your best self. When you are standing in a parking lot in 100 degree weather cheering your family on, you are being your best self. When you volunteer to drive in to Boston, pick up your friend's luggage, schlep it a mile back to the car, walk back, and cheer them on as they proceed into Closing Ceremonies, you are being your best self. Clearly, everyone who, in some way, participates in the 3-Day is bringing their best self.

So I decided to bring my best self and become a Training Walk Leader this year. You may not think so, but this was a difficult decision for me. I train with a group of women that really don't fit the training walk profile. What I mean is that we didn't always follow the rules. I know that might be a shock to some of you, but it is true. We weren't blatant offenders, but could incur some minor infractions. There would be the occasional cell phone conversation while walking, sometimes we would not stretch enough, Connie might not walk on the sidewalk, Connie could have us walking at a 5mph pace, and I believe there was one time when Connie did not bring water on a hot day. So I guess that it really wasn't all of us...it was just Connie! JK--xo Connie! Seriously though, the fact that we were so comfortable with the way we did things, and how we were with each other, I was nervous about including new people and new rules at the same time; however, I figured it was important, so I signed up.

If the TWPs were unhappy about me being a TWL, they didn't show it. Nine of them signed up for my first official training walk two weeks ago. I had mapped out a great five mile route around Amesbury which included everything that it needed to--a few hills, a stroll along the river, water, restrooms, and stretching. I remembered the echoes of Pit Stop volunteers, "HYDRATE, URINATE, STRETCH, STRETCH, STRETCH!!!" I tried to anticipate everything. I had waiver forms waiting to be signed, and my cell phone was charged. I had water, and my safety speech was ready to be recited. The one thing I didn't anticipate was that even though it was technically Spring, and some flowers have started to sprout, it is still felt like winter in New England. I was not expecting 25 degrees, with a zero degree windchill.

Sherri the Safety Monitor AKA...Safety Spice!

We arrived at our starting point, the Rail Trail in Amesbury, behind the Stop & Shop. We all waited in cars for the last of the stragglers. When everyone was almost there, we began our stretching. As I am just about to finish, Michele G. shows up with a special present in honor of my first training walk--a reflective vest with the words, "Sherri--AKA Safety Spice" emblazoned on the front. Yes, I had made it to the big leagues. I was now one of the Spice Girls. All I needed was a pink whistle. Having that vest allowed me to play up the safety role and made for a more entertaining walk. I was proud of the Princesses for walking despite the freezing temperatures.

Since then, the TWPs also participated in the 3-Day Kick-Off event. When you sign up to do the 3-Day you have a choice of which training schedule to do--a 24 week one or a 16 week one. My first year I did the 24 week one. At the time, I hadn't been doing anything physical and was just a year out of treatment. I thought I needed that much time to be prepared. I walked more than I needed to and was very burned out by the time the actual walk came around. Since then I have opted for the 16 week schedule. So, the Kick-Off event is a day where participants gather together and celebrate the beginning of the 16 week training schedule.

The TWPs in full force!

Cheryl sporting her new toy!

We met at New Balance in Burlington where we planned to do the first of two 3 mile training walks. Believe me, the TWPs were going to represent! We had about 20 of our 33 teammates there! After checking in, the store was open just to 3-Day participants, and we got a special 20% discount. Many of us loaded up on t-shirts, flip flops, and some of us even got sneakers. At 8:00 we began the first of the two walks. It was a leisurely pace with one stop on the way. I don't think the TWPs knew what to do! We rarely walk at a leisurely pace. After getting back to the store, we shopped some more, ate munchkins and waited for raffles. Lucky Cheryl won a really cool pedometer/heart rate monitor.

Jenna, Melanie, and Dana

Julie and Lisa

While we were there I thought it was a good time to grab some photos of our new TWPs. I hope that as the season progresses you will get to know them as well as you did last year. They are a great group of women who are adding a whole new dynamic to our group. There will definitely be tons of laughs on this year's walk. In addition, they have renewed my energy, and once again reminded me why I continue to walk. What I love most about them is that they all want to be a part of the "team" that we have created. While some of us stayed in Burlington to do a second 3 mile training walk, another group went out for breakfast. I have to admit I was a little bit jealous when I received a text from Cheryl with a photo of them sitting around a large table with the caption "Our second training walk." I'm glad they had the opportunity to hang out a bit. It is all part of the journey.

xo
Royally yours,
Sherri

Inspiration...it's contagious!

2011-03-10T10:20:00.004-05:00

Even though there is still more snow on the ground than us native New Englanders have come to expect, I am sure that if you look out your window you will agree with me that it is finally beginning to melt. With the promise of spring, comes numerous 3-Day activities. Over the last month or so I have been volunteering at 3-Day Get Started Meetings--a LOT of them. To quote my dear friend Sharyn, "I am a 3-Day addict." These Get Started Meetings are such an important part of your journey as a 3-Day participant. There are always a bunch of volunteers ready to offer support and encouragement. Meredith or Mara, the two Boston Field Coordinators, run the meetings explaining just what this 60 miles is all about.

Arriving at these meetings, it is wonderful to see old friends, or those I have affectionately come to know as my "3-Day family." Just as exciting is meeting the "newbies" who have no idea what to expect. It is such an inspiring feeling to be surrounded by people who all share the same motivation and desire. I think about the times in my life when I have been in groups like this. Of course, there were those clubs I was in when I was in school, and those who shared the same major as me in college, and even my PTA friends, but this is different. Maybe because we are talking life and death. Everyone who is there is there for a specific reason. We all have a story. It seems that when you get a group of people together to talk about the 3-Day there is an electricity that reverberates through the room.

During some of the meetings, we have been watching our video "Walk Like a Princess." Mind you, I have seen this video a million times. My daughter Mia even says it is her favorite movie ever! (Probably because she is in it, and her sister was too scared to be!) But watching it in a room full of people who are about to embark on one of the most life changing experiences, adds a whole new level to it. The first time I saw it in a group like this, I saw the tissues being passed around, and heard muffled sniffles. I couldn't help but join in. I hadn't cried watching it since the first month it was posted. I think about when I say, "We have made a difference," and we have. I looked around at the women in the room, and they were inspired. My hope is for that chain reaction--for those women to inspire others too with their commitment to finding a cure.

While in a meeting one night, a 3-Day participant, Kathleen, said that she recognized me and Patty from our video. As the meeting finished I approached her and asked her how she had seen it. She explained that she had followed a New Balance link. She had decided to complete the 3-Day because her sister was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She said that her sister was having a very difficult time coping with this diagnosis when she happened to stumble upon our video. During a visit with her sister in Pennsylvania, they viewed it together. Kathleen told me that when I say, "cancer is not who I am," I truly made a difference in her sister's life. It made her sister realize that cancer does not define her and has since changed her outlook on things. Immediately the tears started. To think that my words could have that affect on someone. How humbling. Another reason to continue this fight.

Just last night, Patty, Cheryl, and I were attending yet another GSM. There were so many volunteers there, including Wayne from the "Pink Angel Posse," (he dresses up as a pink angel to cheer the walkers on) and Jeff, who is a one man team, "Baghdad Breast Defense." Jeff is a Sergeant First Class in the Army and has been overseas many times, most recently returning from Kuwait. He told us how he became involved in the 3-Day. His sister had breast cancer, and upon celebrating her 5 year "cancerversary" they agreed to walk the 3-Day together. Well, Jeff registered, and kept waiting for his sister to do the same. Then came the conversation with his mother saying that his sister Kim's cancer had metastasized to her bones and brain--she would not be able to walk with him. While overseas, Jeff began to train. Fortunately for him, Jeff was able to come home on leave and walked his first 3-Day. While at closing ceremonies, he scanned the crowd for Kim, but to his disappointment she was too sick to come. Kim died in December of that year. He continues to walk each year, now with his sister Jen by his side. To see him speak of his story with such passion shows what a true hero he is.

In addition to all of these outstanding volunteers that were at the meeting, we were also blessed with Maurine, TWP Extraordinaire, who arrived with her two sons. Every time someone who does not know us watches our video, their first question is, "How is Maurine?" To have her there as a survivor last evening made quite the impact. If you don't know Maurine, she truly is one of a kind. She is full of wit, sarcasm, bravery, love, and more hope than one could imagine. During the walk she insisted on doing everything for herself in the midst of going through treatment. Last night was the first night I ever caught a glimmer of her fear. At the end of the meeting she stood up and asked Meredith if she could speak. She looked at the crowd of potential walkers and implored them to not wait--to sign up today. She continued saying she was the research and that she did not want to leave us five minutes before the cure was found. She referenced her two boys, sitting off to the side, saying she wanted to see them graduate from school and have their own children. Believe me when I say there was not a dry eye in the place. All I could think of was her boys and how brave they are as well, to stand there and listen to their mom say she might not make it. As scary as it is for me to think about losing a friend, I can't even fathom how Maurine's family feels. I don't see how anyone could have walked out of that room without signing up for the walk.

Today Patty and I are heading to the Haverhill Rotary meeting to discuss our experiences with cancer and the 3-Day. We again will be showing our video with hopes to inspire those present to make a difference. I believe we have made it pretty clear that one person can. I ask you to please think about how you can too.

Royally yours,
Sherri
xo

What a crazy vacation!

2011-02-28T16:04:00.011-05:00

After posting my most recent blog, I sent letters out to co-workers explaining my "cancerversary" and 5 years later asked for their support. This time I was hoping their support would be in the form of a donation to my 3-Day walk. Once again, my colleagues did not disappoint. Donations have been coming in over the last few weeks, and I am on my way. It makes me feel honored to have such giving people in my life. If you would like to donate, just click on the link on this page.

While this blog appears to be an "everything is wonderful in the world" blog, it is; however, it didn't always start out that way. Just two days after I distributed letters at work, I was rubbing my leg and I found it...yes, a lump. Then further down on my leg, another one. Many of you are probably saying, "I have a lump in my leg. What is she worried about?" You are right. Many people have fatty deposits in their legs. I have many friends that do. But, these people have not had cancer. I have said it before. If you are a survivor, it is sometimes so difficult to stay away from that evil place. I feel that I go through my entire life trying to be positive, but there are just times when I want to someone to say its okay that I got dealt a sucky hand. Again, I have many friends that are battling much more difficult situations, but sometimes I just need, even for a minute, to think why did this happen to ME? This was one of those times. It was about 11 o'clock at night, and I tried to self-diagnose online. Please, please, please don't ever do it! I thought I had learned my lesson the first time, but obviously I didn't. I walked upstairs inconsolable, only to wake my sleeping husband. After 45 minutes of conversation and good old hugs, I finally fell asleep with the promise to call my oncologist in the morning.

The following day was a Friday, and I had to work. I woke up feeling a bit better and determined to make it through the day. As I sat in my office waiting to call my doc, I just lost it. I called Patty on the phone and told her what was happening. Patty was fabulous. She knew exactly what I was feeling. She said I had every right to be scared to death. That was what I needed. I needed someone to justify what I was feeling, not someone telling me that everything was going to be alright. After I hung up the phone, Tracy and Carolyn, two friends from work, picked up where Patty left off. Within the next 15 minutes I was waiting for a return phone call from my oncologist. My breathing became less labored, and I made it through the day. Around 6:30 that night, I heard back from them, and they had scheduled an appointment for me the following Friday. My mind seemed a bit more at ease when they said that breast cancer doesn't usually manifest itself that way.

So I had to wait a week. I could do that. I was feeling a little more at rest after talking to my doctor. I had Z's basketball game over the weekend, and all the craziness that goes with the week before vacation for a teacher. As Saturday went on I started to develop a case of sciatica--a debilitating case. The only time I had ever experienced it before was when I was pregnant with the girls. Man, does it hurt! By the end of the day, I was in bed speaking to the on-call doctor at my PCP's office. She prescribed something, and over the next day or two, I began to feel better.

The waiting game continued. Early in the week, was business as usual. My back was feeling better, but I was extremely dehydrated. The meds I was on were killing me. I didn't feel like I was taking in enough water, but figured I could bear it for a few more days.

Tuesday night, Patty called and invited the family over for dinner Friday night. I told her that we would love to and that I would need either celebrating or consoling because I was headed to DFCI that day. She then told me she had an appointment with our oncologist one hour later. We decided to make it a date, and go in together. That way AZ wouldn't have to take off from work, and honestly, Patty is such a huge support. She truly understands what I am going through.

Wednesday and Thursday evenings were spent volunteering at 3-Day Get Started Meetings--definitely a place to keep my mind occupied. We all know how much I love speaking about the 3-Day. I met some wonderful people, and a lot of them signed up. Yahoo!

I came home Thursday evening ready to relax and watch American Idol which I had dvr'd. At around 9:45, I started getting heart palpitations. Those of you who know me, understand that this is something that happens, and has been checked out by my doctor; however, these were different. They were lasting much longer and were not resolving themselves. I decided to go to bed. I figured that I was probably making myself more anxious, therefore making it worse. As I lay it bed, it did get worse. My chest started to feel heavy, and I began to have difficulty breathing. All I could think of was that wouldn't it be just great if I beat cancer and died of a heart attack. Seriously! I told AZ we should probably go to the hospital, so we called my mom and dad, who always come to the rescue, to watch our little cherubs. As we waited for them to arrive, I felt worse. I made the decision to call 911. I have heard so many stories of women and heart attacks. I didn't want to be one of the statistics. Shortly after, two adorable (of course) EMTs showed up at my house. Upon the initial monitoring, they noticed something unusual and decided it would be best to take me to the hospital.

The ride to the hospital was uneventful. The most fearful part was that the EMT had to put an IV in my hand. Keep in mind, how smooth Amesbury's roads are when you think of this. Fortunately, he waited until we were stopped at a light. He gave me some nitro and I started to feel better.

At the hospital I explained my situation, and told them what meds I was on. I couldn't remember the name of the anti-inflammatory or the steroid for the sciatica, but they said that was okay. They ran a bunch of tests, a chest x-ray, an ekg, and a slew of blood work. The preliminary results looked good--just one more blood test to wait for. They told me that as far as my palpitations were concerned, they were normal. That made me feel much better. While I was there, they gave me 2 liters of fluid and I still felt thirsty. Weird.

A few moments later, the nurse came in and told me that my d-dimer test was slightly elevated. This is a test that can determine whether you have a pulmonary embolism otherwise known as a blood clot in your lung. The way to rule this out is with a contrast chest CT. I had one of those when I was first diagnosed. When they insert the dye you have a rush of heat throughout your entire body, and you feel like you are peeing your pants. It is truly a bizarre feeling. The whole test takes about 5 minutes, and then you feel fine. The down side is that you have to wait about 45 minutes for the results.

AZ and I dozed in and out of sleep in the ER for the next hour. It was about 3:15AM when the doctor came in and informed us that everything looked good. There was no blood clot. Of course my question was why was my test elevated. I was told that a good thing about this test was that it could rule out blood clots, but if it is elevated, it could be a number of things causing it to present that way. They sent me home with instructions to follow up with my PCP the next day.

I crawled into bed at 3:30 only to be aroused by the alarm at 5:30. Patty was picking me up at 6:15. I again, dozed in and out on my way into DFCI. Patty and I arrived early enough to navigate our way around the new building. It is just gorgeous. The healing garden is definitely something to see.

Our oncologist assured me that the lumps were just fatty deposits--of course they were. We chatted about our video, which she had not seen yet because it was released after our last appointments. We shared with her our excitement about the TWPs becoming a non-profit, and she gave us some great advice on ways to help women with the funds we raise. She even squeezed Patty in earlier, and we were out the door before we knew it. I would be home in time to call my PCP and get in to see him.

After a quick nap at home, I went to see my PCP. While there I was talking with him about my sciatica and how dehydrated the meds were making me. He didn't understand why until I showed him the pill bottles. The on-call doctor, not affiliated with my practice, had prescribed the wrong medication for me. The meds were not even remotely related to anything one would take for sciatica. No wonder I felt awful. He immediately told me to stop the meds and get some probiotics. My whole system was out of whack! He assumed this contributed to all of the palpitations. Just to be on the safe side though he wanted to run a full cardiac work-up, but he said I was able to continue with all of my activities. It was vacation after all!

Even with all of the craziness, vacation was off to a good start--I didn't have cancer, and I didn't have a heart attack. It would be a week of rest, family visits, some basketball, and ski trips. Of course my cardiac tests were thrown in there, but that was only one day.

The highlight of the week (or so we thought) was our Tuesday night skiing trip with friends. Gunstock has an amazing deal on Tuesday's from 4-9PM it is 2 people for $28! You can't beat that. The conditions were a little icy, but the kids had a blast skiing with their friends. My kids just really started skiing this year, and they have taken off. They love it, and have become confident skiers. Little Mia is our daredevil and always wants to go as fast as she can. She tries to go over jumps, and for being such a quiet girl, is just an aggressive skier; however, on Tuesday night, her daring personality got her into a bit of trouble. On one of the last runs of the evening, Mia caught a little too much air on a jump and came down on her hand. Bill, the EMT in First Aid, wasn't sure if she hyper-extended her thumb or broke it. He immobilized her hand with this really cool cast made of cardboard and foam and advised us to see a doctor in the AM.

Long story short, my entire Wednesday was spent traveling back and forth to Anna Jacques Hospital. By my third time there, I had forgotten where I had parked and spent 5 minutes looking for my car. No joke! I was there first for my cardiac echo, then for x-rays for Mia, back for my cardiac stress test, and back yet again for a hot pink cast for my sweet girl's right hand. Yes, her thumb was broken. Being the TWP that she is, of course she chose a hot pink cast. The little thing handled everything so well until it was time to go to bed. We all know that time when you are alone with your thoughts. Well the same happens for kiddos too. Mimi called to me, sobbing, saying it was all her fault, she never should have skied so hard, now she couldn't do gymnastics and had to wear a "stupid cast" for a month. It just about broke my heart. We had just planned more ski trips, and she is so close to getting her "kip" in gymnastics (one of the more difficult moves to get on the uneven bars). In typical parent fashion, I explained how it could be much worse. Just imagine if it were summer. She eventually fell asleep and woke up with that same smile on her face. A restful night can always make the world appear a little brighter.

Now it is Monday, and I am back to work, thinking about the week ahead. Thursday night is our second TWP meeting. I am so looking forward to having everyone together. We have lots of plans in the works including our Second Annual "Dance Like a Princess" Dance/Silent Auction on Saturday, May 14th! Be sure to save the date! It is a night not to be missed. We have changed the venue to Holy Family Parish Hall in Amesbury so that we can accommodate a larger crowd. If you or someone you know would like to contribute an item to our auction, just let me know. We would like to offer a variety of items ranging in price.

I'll keep you updated with the future endeavors of the TWPs. Keep those donations coming!

Royally yours,
Sherri

2011--A Big Year

2011-01-24T17:54:00.003-05:00

2011--This is a BIG year for me. There was a time almost 5 years ago when I wondered if I would see this year. This spring I will celebrate 5 years of survival. In the world of breast cancer, that is a HUGE anniversary. Over the last few years there have actually been times when I have forgotten that I had cancer. They are most always times when I am doing something fun with my family--skiing, sitting on the beach at the Cape, running around Amesbury for M & M's Amazing Race birthday party, and several others. In the beginning, I never thought that would happen. Mind you, these times are not always frequent, but they are there. What exactly does that mean? To me, it means that I am doing everything I can to stop this cancer from invading my body once again. When I was first diagnosed, no one would have anticipated that I would run a 5K and then actually continue to run after the race. I also never expected that I personally would raise almost $20,000 for breast cancer research--I had a hard time selling Girl Scout Cookies when I was a kid! But to me, the most important thing in warding off my cancer is surrounding myself with positive energy--energy from me, my family, my friends, and of course the TWP's! The people in my life are the ones that have gotten me through these five years.

Over the last few days I have been very nostalgic, reflective, and super emotional. If I wasn't in menopause, I would think that I was PMSing. Many of you have heard of my friend Bridget, and hopefully have read her blog My Big Girl Pants through the links I have shared. If you have not, you really should read it. Bridget is a 28 year old woman who has been living 6 years with metastatic breast cancer. If you look in the dictionary, next to the word "hope" you will see Bridget's name. Every time I read what she has written, I remember how fortunate I am to be surrounded by caring and inspirational people. That in turn, brings me back to that summer five years ago. I am sure that everyone of you have been in the situation that my family and friends were in that summer. What do I say to her? Can I do anything to help? Does she want to talk about it, or should I just ignore it and pretend life as usual. When I was diagnosed, I was very open about my situation--hiding it was not going to make it go away. I am a high school teacher and a firm believer in teachable moments. For that reason, I just opened up and let everyone in--family, friends, and students alike. Because of this, I was lucky enough to have my friends do some really cool things for me. I would love to list everything that they have done for me over time, but there is absolutely no way I could; however, I will include some of my favorites--a video of faculty and students wishing me well as I started chemo, a pajamagram, my red lipstick on the day of my mastectomy, Dream Dinners from Zach's baseball team, Tracy's picture of her photoshopped bald head, the basket of gift cards and activities for the kids from Zach's kindergarten class, my radiation kit, the hundreds of cards that hung on a bulletin board in my computer room for over a year, my surprise visit on my last day of chemo, and probably one of my personal favorites--house cleaning (something I have continued in the following years!) Why do I tell you this? Because it is so important to reach out to friends and family in need. Most likely, they don't know what to say either. If they don't want you around, they will let you know. Nothing is lost by making an effort.

So, making an effort. That is what I am planning to do. The other day Patty and I sat at lunch talking about our upcoming speaking engagement. Yep, we have been asked to speak at the Haverhill Rotary Club in March. We were discussing the approach we were going to take, and Patty shared her New Year's resolution with me--"BE MORE." It struck me. I can do that. I can be a better parent, friend, and teacher. I can work harder. I can raise more money. I can beat cancer.

Life after the 3Day

2010-09-10T16:32:00.000-04:00

Each year after the 3Day, there is always a let down. Those three days are so overwhelming and such an adrenaline rush, that of course you are going to be slightly off your game afterward. You no longer have people cheering for you as you cross the street, nor do they give you candy when you hit that all time low. For me, this year has been especially difficult. From spending hours with these women, to getting back to the daily routine of work, activities and whatnot, it has been quite an adjustment. We all learned what it means to be a team. We definitely embodied the motto, "no woman left behind." The ten of us bonded in a way that is difficult to put into words. I still see most of them regularly, but it is different now. We are all back to our routines. I miss "us"--the TWP's.

Last night was the first night since the walk that I had that TWP feeling again. Andy and I decided to go up to the track to run--remember that I am training for my first 5K with many of the other princesses. Patty rallies a group of us together every Tuesday for running club, but because of my crazy schedule I have missed the last few. Don't worry, I am still training, but just on my own. As we got out of the car, I looked to my left, and Patty was pulling in the parking lot. I was so happy. Patty and I became very close this spring and did the majority of our training together. I knew that I couldn't keep up with her running, but at least she was there for support. She then told me that Cheryl was coming. Cheryl was definitely more my speed. After she arrived, we started to run together. I took my headphones off, and we just listened to music. The next thing you know, we got into a groove. We were running at the same pace and were even able to carry on a conversation, which I am never able to do. Cheryl, was a week ahead of me in our running program, but decided to stay with me because I had my ipod. I don't know what came over us, but we just kept going. We pushed each other, and ran further than we had to. When we were done, we had run two miles and were thrilled. Once again, I had that TWP feeling, that indescribable "I can do anything with you by my side" feeling. It was the first time that I thought I can make it through this 5K. Cheryl called me her "running soul mate." I couldn't have said it better. Needless to say, we plan to do the rest of our training together.

Speaking of that feeling, be sure to save Friday, October 1st so that you can attend our "Pink Carpet Premiere Party" at the Lafayette Club in Amesbury. There will be a cash bar, munchies, dancing, AND we plan to show our documentary. We are hoping to have a blooper reel, which I'm sure will prove to be more entertaining than the actual short film. Our hope is to have a fun, relaxing evening celebrating the success of our 2010 walk. Tickets are just $10 at the door, and proceeds go the the 2011 TWP team, which by the way, already has 7 members. We look forward to seeing you there.

Royally yours,
Sherri

The Real Housewives of the 3Day: Day 3

2010-08-23T00:40:00.001-04:00

Well, I am back from vacation and can finally finish my blog. Here goes...

Once again, everyone got a pretty good night's sleep. How could you not be exhausted after walking 40 something miles? We knew we had to get up early because we told Paul, the director, that we would be leaving camp around 6:30. I don't think he really believed that we would be ready by then, so we had to prove him wrong.

After waking, we got dressed and went over to the dining tent. Again, breakfast was just okay. We quickly ate, stretched a bit, and went back over to the tents to pack up. Normally we would pack up first thing, but we wanted to leave our awesome decorations for the crew to see. Even if we didn't win, we knew they would appreciate them. When we walked over, Ben and Doug were already there, and they were filming. They proceeded to film us packing everything up and chatted with us a bit. When Patty and I both realized that we forgot our deodorant and went to put it on, we asked them kindly not to film that.

Around 6:00AM Cheryl arrived. She had gone home the night before because her feet had been so bad, but she was looking refreshed and appeared to be feeling well. I knew she would cross that finish line with us. Kaitlyn's feet continued to get worse, and she was over at Medical getting them taped. Maurine was doing well too. We knew we would be at UMASS arm in arm even if people had to sweep the majority of the day. Those last 3 miles after lunch we would be together.

We left shortly after 6:30 and were excited to be on our way to the finish. When we left camp, somehow we had lost some of the crew and just had Ben and Doug with us. The poor guys--we were on a mission. I was supposed to arrive at UMASS no later than 3:00. Doug would run ahead to get footage of us walking toward him. It was extremely hot already, and I felt badly. I keep remembering Ben running with a camera, holding his coffee, and trying to ask us questions. Ben is a producer; he usually does not have a camera. He was doing remarkably well until he inevitably tripped. Fortunately he only lost half of his coffee. However, it did make me feel better about my spill the night before.

When we left Waltham, we walked through Watertown which is where we met up with Paul and the rest of the crew. From there we had a pit stop in Cambridge, where we did a short group interview. At this point, everyone had heard about my lack of balance while dancing, and of course Paul had to ask me about it while on camera. Ha ha! Funny! Let's laugh at Sherri again.

Not long after we left the pit stop we met up with Men With Heart, a team of all males who are simply the most unbelievable men. The wear bright yellow shirts, serenade you, and cheer every single walker into camp even in the worst of conditions. When we met up with them, we were just entering Harvard Square, and they asked us to sing one of their cheers with them. Of course we obliged. The cheer was something like you would hear as you marched in the army. We repeated everything that they said. It was a lot of fun--something I had never done during the 3Day before. It was especially cool because we did it as we tromped through Harvard Square.

Just after we passed the magazine stand in Harvard Square, our director Paul, insisted that he wanted to get some footage in Harvard Yard. He made us walk out of the way, and into Harvard for which we gave him a hard time. We sat on the steps, and he asked us a few questions before security came over and kicked us out. I guess you cannot shoot footage inside the campus, just still shots.

From there, we continued through Cambridge toward City hall where there was a cheering station. Remember I said we had the best cheering stations, well once again our family rocked it. As you can see, we had a ton of people there. Gretchen's family was actually there too, but they arrived after this photo was taken.

While we were grabbing some snacks and chatting with our families, I spotted Team Courage. If you were a woman at the 3Day, you knew who Team Courage was. Tina spotted them Friday night at camp, and the cougars began to prowl! They were 4 young, very attractive, very well-built men. We joked about them, and admired them from afar all weekend. I don't know if it was the mood that we were in, or if it was because of the cameras, but we called them over. We had no problem fawning over them, and Andy even joined in the fun saying they had nothing on him. We took some great photos, and they even had us record a message to their 4th teammate who was not able to walk on Day 3. They were such good sports. You should have seen our faces light up when we found out that one of them was a podiatrist. Blister help, please!!!

From there we continued through Cambridge toward MIT which was our next pit stop. After MIT we were crossing the Mass Ave. bridge where the crew would be shooting some special footage with a long lense from up in a building. This was the reason that Paul wanted to know when we were leaving in the morning. He wanted to make sure that the cameras were there at the right time. At this point, Kaitlyn was really hurting. She was planning to take the sweep van to lunch, but we all convinced her to stick with us until she got over the bridge, then have the van come get her. She was such a trooper. While walking over the bridge, we had to be in a very tight formation and we said our cheer. It seemed to take forever, but I think it will look great in the film.

From Mass Ave, we turned onto Commonwealth and walked toward the Public Gardens. Last year on this part of the route, there were not many people. It was a beautiful area, but you did not feel the support of the spectators. This year was extremely different. There were lots of people, and even a cheering station. In the Public Garden, Patty and I did our last individual interviews. We were both a bit emotional to think that we were so close to ending our journey--about 8 miles away. It had been so amazing up to this point, we could only anticipate what the culmination would be like. Here we told our families to meet us at Closing. We felt we needed to be a team and try to get to UMASS in a timely manner; therefore, we opted to pass by the Swan Boats even though they looked very relaxing.

The next few miles of the walk were some of the most difficult for me. After the Public Gardens we walked through Downtown Crossing and made our way toward South Boston. I felt that this area of the walk was not very scenic, and there was a lot of concrete and hot top. Concrete and hot top = HEAT!!! I remember Theresa looking at me and saying, "I can't believe that you do this every year." Yep, and I will continue to until a cure is found. Hearing her say that gave me the little push that I was needing right at that point.

Soon after that we came into Southie. It was here that one of those memorable moments happened. The 3Day is filled with them--the typical ones like Opening and Closing, but there were many others--Theresa's tears, rain at camp, falling at the dance party, Maurine's spirit, Patty trapped under the air mattress, and the guy with no pants. You heard correctly--the guy with no pants. As we walked down the hill toward lunch, we looked across the street and saw a man standing on the corner in his boxer shorts with his pants around his ankles. Who knows what he was doing. He was just standing there. Of course, in true TWP fashion, we cracked up. Then in true Gretchen fashion, the comedian of our group breaks into a chorus of "Pants on the Ground." The rest of the way that was all we sang. Seriously, it was so hysterical.

On our way to lunch there were only 7 of us. We knew the other Princesses and crew would be meeting us there. It was so cool to walk in to lunch hearing the rest of the team and the entire crew shouting, "TWP, TWP, TWP!" We continued to have our own fan club. Sitting near the water, it was 30 minutes of shoes off, refueling, hydrating, and gearing up for the last 3 miles.

The last 3 miles were going to be completed together. We were a team--we were whole once again. We walked along the water, and just chatted. It was an easy walk, and it was beautiful. About a mile from UMASS, Youth Corp was there waiting for us with chocolate chip cookies, cheering us on. It was here that they let Alexa and Dylan walk the last mile with us. This had never been done before. We were so excited. We were singing songs and listening to music. We were pumped and so proud of ourselves. I knew exactly where we were and how close we were to the finish. When we got really close, we gave Alexa and Dylan our sign to carry in. We marched arm and arm behind them. That was when we saw our families. They were all there. We literally stopped traffic on the route with all of the camera equipment, and hugs that were being given. It was such an amazing feeling. That would be the last time we would see our families until Closing Ceremonies. From here we went into Holding. In previous years, you could just hang out with your family outside, but this year we were shuttled into the gym. The nice thing was that it had air-conditioning. And music. Yep, more dancing! Walking 60 miles then dancing on the speakers sounds like something the TWP's would do. It was AWESOME!

After we collected our victory shirts from Patty's friends Jody and Barbara, who were volunteering, we were able to hang for a few minutes before we did our final group interview with the crew. Paul chatted with us and asked us all what the 3Day was to us. I honestly can't remember much about that interview, that was when I lost it. I had been pretty composed during most of the interviews, but not this one. This year's 3Day was so surreal to me. It was like none I had ever experienced or will probably ever experience again. It was simply amazing, and I still had Closing.

As I walked up to where Closing was, I noticed another Tracy sign. It said, "TWP--Yeah, you know me!" Like the 90's song, OPP. I think most everyone knew us by now. We had definitely made our mark.

Walking in to closing was even better than Opening. When they raise that flag that says, "A World Without Breast Cancer" I always cry. Standing there looking up at that flag, holding hands with women who know what it feels like to have cancer, I can't stop thinking how unbelievable it would be if my kids never had to think about breast cancer. I look at the crew and see how this is affecting them. I looked over to Patty, Tina, and Maurine and blew them kisses. We did it. After such an emotional moment, Candy Coburn comes out and sings her "Pink Warrior" song. It brings a feeling of empowerment to the entire crowd. As the ceremony ends and music begins to play, of course the dancing commences to none other than the Black Eyed Peas--I Gotta Feeling. Tonight was definitely going to be a good night.

From there we said "so long" to our new friends--it could never be "good-bye." We gave our last hugs, shed our last tears, and walked away with a sense of accomplishment like no other. We had spent an indescribable 3 days together--something we will never forget. We were proud of what we had achieved and didn't know what we were going to do with all of the free time that we now had. We had raised over $41,000 for breast cancer research. That was pretty incredible. How were were going to keep this feeling alive? We knew it would last for a few days, but when would it fade? No one wanted it to. We needed a way to have the TWP spirit live on until next year. Several of us decided that if we could walk 60 miles, then we could run a 5K. It didn't matter that many of us had never run before. We were the TWP's, and we were a special breed of women.

So I went home and registered for the Race for the Cure and started a Tough Warrior Princess team. We have 10 members so far, and many others that are planning to join us. We would love to have you join us too. If you can't run, just come and cheer us on Sept. 25th.

I again want to say thank you to all of my friends, family, and supporters who helped to make my third time a charm. It was simply the best. I look forward to sharing the experience with you once the video is released. We are in the process of organizing a Pink Carpet Preview Party, so we'll keep you posted.

Love to all!
Sherri

The Real Housewives of the 3Day: Day 2

2010-08-06T14:07:00.005-04:00

I awoke earlier than expected on Day 2 (about 5AM) to the sounds of someone in a tent behind us speaking much too loudly for that time of day. I think I speak for the team when I say that we were all feeling pretty great. The rain had stopped, and the temperatures were already starting to heat up. We were determined to make it in to camp earlier than the day before--we no longer had that film crew to hold us back. We all got dressed, and then went to eat a hearty breakfast to nourish us throughout the morning.

All throughout breakfast I kept thinking about what the day's route would be like. Yesterday was the same exact route as the year before. Did that mean that today was going to have that monster hill that last year had? If you followed my blog last year you will remember the hill that actually caused my lymphedema. It is one of the biggest hills that I have ever walked up--Prospect Hill in Belmont, and I absolutely hated it. The year before, we were told about it at camp, and offered a sweep van up it. This year, I had not heard a thing; maybe that meant they had changed the route. Either way, I knew what to expect, and I was mentally prepared for it.

As we left camp, we felt like we were missing something. We didn't have our matching shirts, and we didn't have our crew. It was like we didn't know what to do with ourselves. I felt like we were scattered. You couldn't spot anyone without the big pink NB, but as soon as we started on the street a little before 7AM, our cheer unified us. The thought that it was going to be another amazing day was only intensified by a sign that I saw just outside of camp. Not only was it a motivational sign, but it was a sign designed specifically for the TWP's! TRACY!!! You may remember that Tracy was red carded on Day 2 last year, and was not allowed to walk. She was very upset by this, and wanted to show her support of me, so she went out at the crack of dawn and hung signs all along the route. I think Tracy's decision to not walk this year was a difficult one, and she was experiencing feelings similar to those of last year. Once again, Tracy lined the ENTIRE Day 2 route with motivational, funny, and sometimes inappropriate signs. They really got us, and many others, through the day.

Our second day had started at a great pace. We were feeling fabulous, and everyone even made it up that daunting hill. I felt much better than last year. I don't think I trained more, maybe I just knew what to expect this time. Shortly after that we arrived at our first Grab & Go on the route. Just then Kaitlyn asked if I had seen the tricked out TWP car that just drove by. Oh crap! I missed it. What color was it? Silver? Of course--Tracy. I called her up again (I had already thanked her at 7AM when we saw the first sign) and asked her to drive by us again so that we could all see the car. She turned around, and came by again. She had painted her side windows, and the on the back window were the words, "Tough Warrior Princesses." Where was the camera crew when you needed them? Our "Posse" appeared to be growing.

We continued walking through Winchester, and about a mile from the second pit stop our amazing families were waiting once again. They had actually set up their own mini cheering station. There were outstanding signs indicating that, "Blisters are this weekend's fashion statement." But for me, the best part was seeing Tracy. I was so excited that she was there, but when I saw what she was wearing I almost cracked up. Tracy had taken our TWP logo and added the word, "wannabe" below it. She also took her daughter's favorite crown and added the princess to it. She is the best! Seeing her refueled my strength.

As the morning wore on, the temperature continually increased. On our way in to lunch a thermometer at a bank said 93 degrees, but it felt hotter than that. We seemed to be constantly walking up hill, and there was little shade. The heat was taking its toll, and so were people's feet.

As we got in to lunch our amazing husbands had set up quite the spread for us. In my opinion, the food this year at the 3Day was not great. In past years it had been so good, but this year they hired a new catering company. Luckily for us, we had a picnic spread with all sorts of fruit and even a blanket to sit on. I'm sure other walkers were looking at us thinking, "Those damn TWP's again!"

For the brief time you are at lunch, it is important to take off your sneakers and give your feet a break. Most people reapply moleskin and Vaseline, and change their socks. It is important to just check your feet to make sure no blisters are forming. Cheryl and Kaitlyn's feet were really bothering them. Kaitlyn had already had her blisters taped up, and it didn't seem to help much. It was during lunch that we first saw Cheryl's blisters. Yikes! She had two huge blisters on each of the balls of her feet. When I say huge, I am talking at least 3 inches in diameter! On the balls of her feet! No wonder she was in so much pain! The worst part of this was that Cheryl had trained harder than anyone else on the team. Other than her feet, she was feeling fabulous. She was determined to continue. That is one thing about this team...we are full of strong, assertive, stubborn women!

Right before we were leaving lunch we received a message from one of the producers, Ben. He planned to stop by to drop off a new Flip camera for us because one was not working. He showed up with his adorable daughter minutes later. It was so great to see him. We were really missing the crew, and I dare think they were missing us as well. After a brief visit, we were off again.

To me, the afternoon on Day 2 was the toughest part of the walk. It continued to be uphill, and it was never-ending. When they divide the 60 miles between the 3 days, Day 2 is always the longest. If I remember correctly it was over 22 miles. You may not realize it, but those 3-4 miles can make a huge difference. As the afternoon continued, our team began to dwindle. Cheryl's blisters became unbearable, as did Kaitlyn's. Maurine had also walked much further than she should have considering that she had treatment scheduled for Monday. We encouraged people to take sweep vans so that we would all be able to walk across that finish line together. To me, that was what was truly important. I think others agreed.

We made it back to camp, albeit short a few people. Reunited with everyone, we immediately wanted to get our tents decorated. Because of the rain the night before, we were not able to decorate Friday night. We knew that we would win the contest. We pulled out all of our materials and went to town. We had crowns, flags, lanterns, our noodle princesses, and of course our incredible sign that so many of you signed. That sign was going to win us tent decorating. As we were busy at work, a fellow walker came by and asked us if we were trying to win tent decorating. Of course was our response. Then she hung her head and said she didn't know how to tell us this, but the tents had already been judged and her friend had won. What!?! No way! Not fair, not fair, not fair! She did say that we totally would have won. Although we were feeling dejected, we continued to make our mark, by letting the 3Day know that the TWP's were here to stay!

After we finished decorating, we took showers and went to dinner. Dinner was chicken cacciatore, and was very dry--not too great; however, the entertainment at the tent was fabulous. Jenne, who is the national spokesperson for the 3Day is AMAZING! She is funny and caring, all rolled into one. She just recently wrote a blog about "The Pink" and the Boston 3Day. It is truly worth reading. After the silly games that are played, my favorite part of the 3Day happens. Youth Corps, 20 kids ages 10-16 stand up and speak about why they are part of the 3Day. I've said it before, but these kids are something else. They sacrifice 4 days of their lives, raise a ton of money, and work their tails off for something that many their age never even think of. These are the kids that realize that life is precious. They all have a story, a reason they are there, and their stories are always the most powerful. No one wants to see a child affected by cancer, but each and every one of these 20 kids has had their lives changed forever because of it. Some of the stories are uplifting and talk about survival, others are just the opposite and talk about the loss of a mother, grandmother, or aunt. This was when Alexa and Dylan stood up and spoke about their moms. They were phenomenal! All of these kids are unbelievable, and there was not a dry eye in the place after they finished.

While the 3Day is filled with lots of tears, it is also filled with so much laughter. After Youth Corp spoke, it was time to lighten the mood again with a dance party. Yup, you heard correctly. After walking 40 miles, you get up and dance your butt off. Believe it or not, it feels great. It stretches your body, and makes you use muscles you haven't been using all weekend. The TWP's were psyched. We had been dancing the entire weekend. We would dance at pit stops, along the route, anywhere there was music. This was right up our alley. We got out our Flips and were having a blast. Sue was filming Patty and I dancing to FloRida--"Low." If you've ever heard the song, you know that it says, "low, low, low, low." Well, that's exactly what Patty and I were doing on our exhausted legs. You can probably guess where this is going, and if you have read Patty's blog, you already know where this is going. Unfortunately my legs decided to take that opportunity to stop working, and I fell flat on my tush! It was hysterical. Through my tears streaming down my face, I looked up to see Sue standing there with the Flip focused right on me. Oh no! It was captured on film, and I wasn't even drinking! I then did what every TWP would do--got up, brushed myself off, and started dancing again. I figured it would provide some entertainment for the editing crew.

As the dance party ended we decided to walk over to the Remembrance tent before going to bed. There is a Remembrance tent in every city of the 3Day. It is a white illuminated tent where walkers can write messages to loved ones who have lost their battle with cancer, or a place where you can write words of encouragement to fellow walkers. We knew that this would be difficult for Patty, but we wanted to be there for her as a team. We walked in together and it was completely still--a group of loud boisterous women had been moved to silence. It was such a feeling. It was here that Patty wrote about her mom, Tina wrote about her grandmother, and Maurine wrote about us. Reading how Maurine hopes her team, the TWP's, will never have to walk in her memory just made me lose it. Tears, laughter, now tears again.

As we walked over to our tents, it was past "lights out" time, but that didn't matter to us. We switched back to laughter again as we tried to get comfortable in our tiny tents when it was still at least 85 degrees out. We all unzipped them and decided to go to sleep with our heads sticking out. Cheryl had done it the night before, and it seemed like a good idea. As Patty and I were laying there, we had another fit of the giggles when we were debating climbing out of the tents to cool off. It seemed like it would take too much effort, so I suggested to Patty that she do a forward roll dismount off her 3 foot tall air mattress, and that was all it took. Laughter erupted from the TWP's, and once again, I'm sure we probably aggravated somebody somewhere.

After about 20 minutes we finally settled in, only to be woken by the zip, zip, zip sound of all the tents as the rain once again started to fall. Fortunately it was just a passing shower, and we were all able to get much rest before our final day.

Royally yours,
Sherri

The Real Housewives of the 3Day: Day 1 Scene 2

2010-08-02T23:45:00.000-04:00

Day 1 continued...

As we walked down the street and were scanned onto the route, we saw the rest of the film crew, or "Our Posse," as they became affectionately known to us. I can't explain to you how much these people just intensified this whole experience. They became our friends, and completed almost the entire journey right by our side. They supported us, made us cry, cheered us on, and most of all, made us have fun. They have truly become our friends and I miss them every day.

Once we got on to the route and a little further into Framingham, a still photographer from New Balance came along and wanted to do a team photo. He pulled us off the route and to the only area of trees along this stretch. I hope that the picture comes out well because it set us back at least 10 minutes. The 3Day is not a race, it is a journey; however, you do want to get back early enough to set up your tents and still have time to enjoy yourself.

The beginning of the walk seemed very slow. We jokingly harassed the film crew saying they were holding us back. We had to get mics on, and we had to stop and do interviews every so often. Jarrod, who was working one of the cameras walked backward almost the entire day, a feat I was definitely impressed with. I have said before how difficult it was for me to film training walks with my Flip. Then there was Dave, the sound guy. He had on a huge pack with sound equipment, and he walked carrying the big boom. We were definitely moving slowly, but it was all good. The walk had barely started and we were already a spectacle!

I'm sure that many other walkers looked at us as that obnoxious NB team. With our big pink NB's on our back and the 10 or so people with us all the time, I'm sure we were always in someone's way. We also came up with the idea of counting off before we left every pit stop. Each person was assigned a number so we knew that we were all present and accounted for. I'm sure all of the other walkers loved that! Then there were the times that we would talk with people who were up for the casting call. You just felt terrible. Here you are surrounded by this mass of equipment, unintentionally flaunting it in their faces. As I looked around, I would continually say to myself, that I was doing this for a reason, other than my own fame! LOL!

Day 1 continued on without incident. We made it to the first cheering station in Wellesley to be greeted by some of our favorite TWP supporters, Cheryl's family, Patty's dad--George, and my family. In true 3Day style, my husband amazed me with his signs. At this station, he had taken Zach's 6 foot tall Big Papi from his room and had him hold a sign which said, "SAVE SECOND BASE." Only Andy would think to use Big Papi. Unfortunately we were moving so slowly, they were pretty much the only ones there.

Just before lunch I found my family again. This time it was my extended family. There on the corner was Andy's brother Dave, his wife Cuch, their two kids--Matt, and Ali, and Cuch's mom--Ita. I was so happy to see them, especially considering that Cuch has been wheelchair bound for umpteen weeks after having foot surgery. I know how difficult it is for her to get around, and to come to see me, meant more than she knows. I only wish I could have spent more time with them. Fortunately for Andy, Ali was coming out to help with the kids for the weekend.

Lunch consisted of hanging out with the family and conducting more interviews. The only problem was that there was starting to be a light sprinkle, nothing too heavy, just refreshing. After lunch we walked through Newton and into Waltham. When we hit the center of Waltham it really started to rain. The staff at the 3Day hands out these obnoxious yellow rain ponchos whenever it starts to drizzle. They look absolutely ridiculous and stick to your sweaty body, but they do keep you dry. As we went to do one of our final interviews of the day, we were all wearing our ponchos with hoods up. Paul, the director, looked at us and said, you just can't leave those hoods up, reiterating how attractive we must have looked. Good thing there were no mirrors available.

At this point we had just a few miles left. I was in Waltham, a city I know well because I used to work there. I could tell Kaitlyn was excited too because this was her hometown, and she knew her family would be there cheering her on. It was hard, because by the time we reached Yolanda's where Kaitlyn's family was, it was drizzling pretty steadily and everyone just wanted to get back to camp. We were tired and it was an excessively long day. It was great to see her family, especially her brother Jeff who was also a student of mine. He just returned from the service, so seeing him was even more powerful. Kaitlyn was able to spend a few minutes, then it was up the hill to Gann Academy--camp!

We were taking it slowly because as I said, everyone was exhausted. Camp was up a long hill and we were just beat. I was so proud of everyone, especially Maurine and Theresa. Maurine, in treatment again, was so upbeat and positive. She was always making us laugh. Whenever we asked how she felt, her response was always, "GREAT!" which you knew could not be true. And Theresa, 5 months pregnant. Seriously? You couldn't get me off of the couch at 5 months pregnant, never mind do anything physical. Just think of what she will be able to say to her future son Leo when he is older. Amazing.

During all of our training as a team, we often spoke of coming up with a team cheer or song. It never happened. We always ended up getting side-tracked. As the rain was coming down, and we were a half mile from camp, it finally came to us--our cheer!

"Who are we? We are Tough!"
"What are we? We are Warriors!"
"What else are we? We are Princesses!"
"TWP! TWP! TWP! TWP! TWP! TWP!"

Not too exciting, but it worked for us. We rehearsed a few times to make sure we had it just right as we walked into camp. As we came to the base of camp, there were Men with Heart, lining the entry way. This all male team is always there, every day, rain or shine, cheering on the walkers. We had done it. We walked into camp, arm in arm, saying our cheer. We were so proud of what we had done. Just as we began to relish in our achievement, CJ looked at us and told us to do the same exact thing again at the top of the hill because that was where the cameras were. Seriously? This leads to one of the big jokes of the weekend. You know how you watch TV and someone says something funny? Well little did you know that chances are the first time it was said, it was not picked up on the mic, and the person was asked to say it again. Somehow, it just doesn't seem as funny the second time, but you have to laugh just as hard because it is on camera. I can't tell you how many times we had to repeat things throughout the entire weekend. Needless to say, we were more than happy to repeat this again. We had made it through Day 1.

As we walked past the cameras we were just thrilled beyond compare, and then something happened that will stick with me forever. Just as we let go of each other, Theresa burst into tears. Theresa is always composed and refined, to see her so moved by what she had just done made me cry too. It was one of the most memorable parts of the weekend. We all just sat there hugging and sobbing.

After we wiped our tears and said good-bye to the crew until Day 3, we knew it was time to grab our gear and get our tents set up. The weather appeared to be taking a turn for the worse, and it was crucial that we get situated before that. No such luck. We no sooner got our tents set up and began to blow up our air matresses, than it started to pour! When I say that I laughed more during this walk than I ever had, this is where it starts. For those of you who don't know, when you camp at the 3Day, you sleep in 7X7 hot pink tents. They barely have enough room for two twin air matresses. Normally you would sit outside your tent with your gear, put your air mattress inside, and blow it up. Because of the rain, this was not possible. Patty and I grabbed our gear and mattresses and quickly hopped in the tent. We were sweaty and gross, but we had to close up the tent because of the driving rain. I moved my luggage to her side of the tent and began to blow up my mattress. It was definitely tight in there, and there were lots of giggles, but we did it. Next was Patty's turn. Patty wanted to be sure that she got a good night's sleep, so she purchased a double high, extra long air mattress. When I said the tents were 7X7, I didn't tell you that there is barely enough room to sit up straight in them. I knew this was not going to be good. Patty started to blow up her mattress, and as it got bigger, it started to crush her, and she became trapped underneath. When I tell you that it was hysterical, that is an understatement. I felt like a little girl at summer camp, when you laugh so hard you feel like you are going to wet your pants. Tina and Vicky kept asking what was going on because we couldn't control ourselves. Finally I helped Patty escape but not without my mattress becoming victim to hundreds of little black pellets from the astro-turf.

As the rain continued to pour down, we tried to decide what to do. We really wanted to shower, but at this point we were starving. We didn't get in to camp until after 4:30, and now it was a couple of hours later. We opted for dinner then showers. The unfortunate thing about the rain, is that it really put a damper on camp life that night. There was no way that we could decorate our tents, and we were convinced that we were going to win. Also, everyone was freezing, and we didn't really get the opportunity to relax; however, we did get over to the Bank of America tent to sit in the massage chairs. They even had laptops available so that you could update your facebook status. Wouldn't you know that when I got there the internet was down.

On our way to bed, we picked up our mail. Mail is such an important part of the 3Day. I thank all of you who sent me letters. It means so much, especially when it is pouring rain, and you are wondering why you have chosen to do this walk, yet again. The inspiring words or simple "thank you's" make all the difference.

At this point it was just about 9:00--lights out. I put in my ear plugs, put on my eye mask, and tried to prepare myself for the day ahead.

Next up, Day 2...

The Real Housewives of the 3Day: Day 1 Scene 1

2010-08-02T16:01:00.001-04:00

In order for me to share the best of my 3Day with all of you, I have once again, broken it down into several parts. Here is the first installment of The Real Housewives of the 3Day:

For me, the 3Day actually started on Thursday not Friday when I had to travel down to Framingham to participate in rehearsal for Opening Ceremonies, in which I was to be a flag bearer. I had to be there at 3:45, so I decided to have lunch with former TWP, Sarah, who completed the walk with me in 2008. We had an enjoyable time catching up and visiting with another friend from work, Carolyn. At 3 o'clock I left to head over to Farm Pond where the ceremonies were being held. Upon arriving I was shocked at how many people were there. I knew that it was Crew Day, and there were a lot of crew, but I never expected to not be able to find a parking space. After parking a good distance away, I followed the route over to the stage, reflecting on last year when I walked this same path during the middle of a nor'easter. The weather was perfect on Thursday. It was about 80, and there was a beautiful breeze. I could only hope that the weekend would be just as perfect.

Arriving at the stage, I was greeted by other flag bearers. They then separated us into groups, with me being placed in the Survivor Circle. It was here that I met Dina, a young survivor from Andover. Dina was the captain of Second Wind, another small team that raised a lot of money. The funny thing is that I had heard of Dina because she and Patty had a mutual friend. The eight of us women chatted and shared our 3Day experiences. There were only 2 of these women who had never walked before. After practicing with our flags, we were finished and were told we could be on our way. On my way out, I gave a quick wave to Dylan and Alexa who were at Crew Day for Youth Corp.

As I got onto the Pike, I gave Kaitlyn a call to let her know that I was stuck in traffic. I was on my way to pick her up, so that she could take the party bus with us to Opening Ceremonies. Mind you, Kaitlyn lives in Waltham, about 20 minutes from Framingham, but she agreed to get up at 3:00AM, so she could be part of the team. What a good sport!

I arrived at Kaitlyn's house, she said goodbye to her family, and we were on our way. After we arrived home, we grabbed a quick salad, made sure that we had packed everything, relaxed for a few, and then went to bed a little later than we had expected--10:30. Much too late when you are getting up before dawn.

Of course, I didn't sleep well. Do you ever when you have some big event happening? 3AM, came much too quickly. We threw our clothes on, and were just putting our sneakers on when Patty pulled into the driveway. We grabbed our gear and were off to Cheryl's where the party bus was meeting us.

As we turned down Cheryl's long driveway, we saw several cars, the awesome party bus, and yep, the film crew! They must have gotten there around 3! Patty parked the car, and we headed over to the bus. Immediately the cameras were on us. It was blinding, the light was so bright. As we got on to the bus, I knew this would be a weekend that I would never forget. We started talking, laughing, and eating macaroons. Paul, CJ, and Jarrod had become part of our team. It was like the cameras were not even there.

We arrived in Framingham at O'Dark:30, which is 3Day time for Opening Ceremonies. The sun was just coming up, and I knew it was going to be a good day. Dylan was there to load up our gear, and Alexa was further down waiting for us, with beads in hand. Something that you may not know about the 3Day, is that all along the route, supporters give out Mardi Gras beads, stickers, and pins. You wear them, or place them on your lanyard, and by the end of the walk, you look like you belong in New Orleans.

As we walked over to Farm Pond, we stopped in at the tent which held the Opening Ceremonies flag. It was a long piece of rope with hundreds of small strips hanging off of it, almost like miniature banners. It was here that we waited as Patty wrote her mom's name down, and we wrote the names of those who are meaningful to us. From there, we took a few photos and waited for our journey to begin.

Right before I had to go behind the stage for Opening Ceremonies, my friend Gail showed up. Gail has seen me through all stages of my life in recent years. During the 3Day she became affectionately known as the "macaroon lady" because she makes the best chocolate chip macaroons, and was kind enough to make some for the team. Her parents reside in Framingham, and she decided to come over to see me, Theresa, and Gretchen off. It meant the world to me to have her there.

While I was waiting back stage, who comes up with a pink swim noodle decorated with TWP all over it, but Tracy! Seeing her there brought back all the memories of last year, the torrential rain, and all. It was bittersweet. I was thrilled that she was there, but so sad that she was not walking. We spent a few minutes chatting, and then it was time for the Ceremonies to begin.

Being a flag bearer was indescribable, as was most of the walk this year. I was given the "love" flag to carry and couldn't have been happier. As I walked across the stage, and up to the Survivor Circle, I looked to my left, and there were all of my teammates, most of them with tears streaming down their faces. Wow! The feeling of admiration I have for these nine women just washed over me. As I stood in the circle looking down at them, I just wanted to scream, "Thank you! You have made me a better person, and have made the world a better place!" I know it sounds corny and cliche, but to me it was so true. When I walked off the stage, I headed onto the street to wait for my team. Once again, there was Tracy waiting to cheer me on--a true friend.

I was thrilled when I saw my team dancing along the path leading up to where I was. We immediately hugged and were on our way--3 days, 60 miles.

When we first started this journey, we made a conscious decision to walk as a team--no woman left behind. We knew that this would often be challenging for us, but it was so important. That was what made this year so powerful to me. It is so rare to have 10 women get along so well, and support each other in every way possible. That is exactly what we did.

Still Flying High

2010-07-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

Just when I was starting to come down from the high of the pool party, UPS pulls up my street with a package from who, you ask? New Balance of course! It was our team t-shirts! When I spoke with Nadesha at the party, she didn't think that we would be receiving them until Tuesday or Wednesday, so this was a pleasant surprise. When I first found out that we were getting t-shirts instead of tanks, I was definitely disappointed; however, these shirts are ADORABLE! They took the logo that I created, blew it up, and put it on the front of the shirt. On the back of course there is a bright pink "NB."

These are definitely going to make our iron-ons on Day 2 look a little shabby.

In terms of this week, we have one more training walk to do tonight. We are hoping to capture some more footage of us walking on the Flips. It is really hard to tape while you walk though. I'm sure they look at my taping and say, "Seriously? Doesn't she know the difference between telephoto and wide angle?" I am constantly zooming in when I should be zooming out. Who knows if they will even use any of this footage, but it is fun to do.

Also, the New Balance crew has requested that we try to get fans at two specific cheering stations on the route. The cameras will be rolling, and they would like to see lots of support for the TWP's. As I said before they will only be filming us on Day 1 and Day 3. Here is the info:

Friday, July 23rd
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
St. Paul's Church
502 Washington St.
Wellesley MA 02482

* This is about 8 miles in to the walk, so I estimate that if you arrive by 9:00 you should be able to see us coming along.

Sunday, July 25th
8:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Cambridge City Hall
795 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139

As far as our arrival time on Sunday, I can't really give you an estimate because I am not exactly sure of the route.

While we would obviously love for you all to attend one of these, there are also several other cheering stations along the way. Just be sure to visit the Spectator Information page at the 3-Day website to find out more information about how you can support us. If you decide to join us be sure to look for one of our family members so that you can show your support by wearing a Tough Warrior Princess pin.

If for some reason you can't make it in to cheer us on Friday or Saturday, you could always join us for Closing Ceremonies on Sunday at UMASS Boston. If you have never attended Closing Ceremonies, it is surely something you should do at some point, just be sure to bring your tissues and arrive early. If you get there early enough we might even be able to hang out with you for a bit.

While we would love to have everyone come and join us, we understand that for some of you, that might not be possible. We know that you will be there in spirit, cheering us on every mile of the way. That spirit will help us to take that next step when our bodies feel like they can't go forward another inch. It is your support that will help us get through every day, and we are thankful for that.

Royally yours,
Sherri

The Real Deal

2010-07-19T12:19:00.002-04:00

My phone rang at 9:00 yesterday morning. It was Patty. She said, "If you weren't intimidated before, you will be now." What? What was going on at her house? She proceeded to tell me that her long winding driveway was filled with cars, at least 10 or so, and her garage was overflowing with technical equipment. There was also a large box truck whose supplies seemed to be endless. If it wasn't already confirmed before, this was the real deal.

I arrived 15 minutes later to be greeted by the crew consisting of Paul the director, Steve who I believe is a producer, CJ, a writer, Rachel and Ben who are producers, Nadesha from Marketing Drive who is the go-between for New Balance and Element, and several other sound, lighting, and camera crew. After we signed our releases, Patty and I sat in her living room taking deep breaths and trying to stay cool. We knew that they were interviewing us first, so we were looking forward to being able to relax, if only for a bit.

Patty's house looked amazing. It was spotless from top to bottom, and her landscaping was gorgeous. (I wouldn't expect anything less from Mike.) As I looked out into the back yard, I saw what appeared to be a movie set. There were two cameras, reflectors, coverings to provide shade, and lots of other technical stuff. Yes, I was intimidated. Steve came in and told us that he would be interviewing Patty and I together. Yay! That made us more more relaxed. He said they enjoyed how we played off of each other. He then looked at us and told us that our clothing needed to compliment one another. I had on a red and white sundress, so Patty went upstairs and put on a brown one. As she was doing that, they sent me to get my make-up done. Wahoo! Maria traveled up from NY that morning just to do make-up for us. I was thrilled, but she told me that I would obviously not be made up too much as this was just a pool party. I didn't care. It had to look better than what I did. After I was done, they sent me over to get my mic. I had a small mic that was placed in the inside of my dress with a little battery pack attached to the back of my dress, just like you see on reality tv shows.

When I was finished, it was Patty's turn. While I was waiting for Patty, I chatted with the crew. These people are AWESOME! They are so friendly and make you feel very comfortable. It didn't matter that they had head sets on one ear listening to feed as they talked to you. They were far from intimidating. We talked about where they lived, what I did for work, how many kids they had. The most important thing was that they all understood that this was our pool party, and they were trying to be as unobtrusive as they could be. They wanted us to have fun too.

Around 10:30, Steve tells us that they are ready for us. Patty and I head over to the middle of the yard where everything is set up, and take a seat. Paul and CJ are interviewing us, which definitely makes us feel more relaxed. They were the ones that conducted our on-camera interview in Boston. It was going to be the same questions. Hopefully we could provide even better answers. As we were sitting there waiting to start, someone came out with a clapboard, you know the thing that directors use to say, "Action!" Patty was hysterical. We didn't expect that. Obviously, we know nothing about film production. Then the questions began. I don't want to tell you them, but you can probably figure out what most of them were. I wish I had a picture of them interviewing us, but everyone had to stay way back because of sound. I guess the mics are super sensitive, and I almost blew out the sound tech's ears when I put my hand to my chest. Oops! They even stopped filming as a plane flew overhead.

Our interview lasted almost an hour, and was much easier than we anticipated. When we finished, we went inside to prepare some food while our husbands were interviewed. They were not as fortunate as us. They had to be interviewed individually. Mike went first, and then Andy followed. It seemed like it took forever. When Andy came out his eyes were puffy. I knew he had been crying. Oh dear, what had they asked him?

Back in the kitchen while we were putting appetizers together, we had someone following us around with a camera. All I could think of was my friend and sorority sister, Melissa, who won The Next Food Network Star last year, and now has her own show Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa D'Arabian. I had a camera man watching me slicing tomatoes and washing basil. When he asked me to slowly take the tomatoes out of the package I was like, seriously? It was just too funny.

This same camera man moved outside to film the kids making signs. I have to say that the kids were super. They had to be very quiet during the interviews, and could not go swimming until all the individual interviews were over. We all brought lots of supplies so the kids could go to town with their creativity, and they did. The tables were filled with glitter, glue, markers, and stencils--a crafty kid's dream. I think Maddie and Mia could have stayed there for hours if the pool wasn't calling their names. Patty's daughter Katie got a little creative with some of the glitter letters. Check out where she put the word princess. Patty is such a good sport.

While all of this was going on outside, Kaitlyn was being interviewed inside. Kaitlyn was a student of mine years ago when I taught at Waltham High. She is now 28, and after visiting me during the 3Day last year, she decided to join our team. I have no idea what she was asked in her interview, but when they called me in to see her, she was crying, which of course made me cry. I'm sure the crew was happy to catch that on film.

At about 1:00 the guests started arriving, and the crew took a break for lunch. This was a scene in itself. I didn't really think about it, but legally they have to provide a lunch break for everyone. The crew suddenly vanished and we were free to do as we pleased. Patty and I still had our mics, but that was it. As I was socializing, Patty came over to me and told me to take a look out front. The crew brought their own tables and chairs, and set up their own little banquet in the front yard.

After lunch the crew began setting up for a group interview. They set us up in two rows, one behind the other, sitting on platforms. It felt like the reunion show on Survivor. I was happy that they decided to talk to us all together. They wanted to spark a conversation, and they did. The interview took about a half hour, and we laughed, spoke admirably about each other, and even shed some tears. I think when it was completed, everyone felt much better about having the cameras with us during the walk.

After they completed our interview it was on to the kids. I was in the garage getting some dessert, talking to Nadesha and Rachel when they said that they heard singing on their headsets. Alexa--they were interviewing her. She did a fabulous job, in true Alexa style. I am continually amazed with the amount of confidence and poise this young woman has. I never would have sat by myself in front of a camera at her age. Heck, I didn't even want to be by myself in front of a camera now!

When they finished interviewing Alexa, they asked us to gather a bunch of our kids for a group interview. We pulled many of them out of the pool, put clothes on them, and sat them down on the ground. Zach and Mia decided to participate; however Maddie was a little shy. They asked the kids what it was like to have their mom's walking and how it affected their family. I was never so proud of Zach when he explained who the Tough Warrior Princesses were, and what we did. He made me start to tear up when he said I was his hero. It just doesn't get any better than that.

After the kids were done interviewing they had everyone come over and join them sitting on the ground. They filmed us as we said a little cheer and that was it. They took off our mics, and they started to pack up their gear. Patty and I immediately changed into our swimsuits and headed into the pool. As long as the cameras were off, I was going swimming. Once we cooled off, we could finally relax.

It took almost an hour for the crew to pack up during which time we socialized and ate. We were able to chat with Nadesha, CJ, Rachel, and Ben to find out more details about what the weekend was going to be like. We found out that the four of them would be walking with us for some of the time. Luckily for them, they have the luxury of getting into the truck to move from location to location if they need to. We joked with them asking if we could get access to electricity to dry our hair and charge our phones.

Overall, it was a fabulous day--something that I will never forget. There was one part, that was especially great. While we were hanging out, Nadesha and Rachel told us that all the stories they heard throughout this whole process were so moving, that they have both decided to walk in the 3Day next year! That is what this film is about. By inspiring these two women, all of this chaos has been completely worthwhile.

I am sure that I will be writing more as the week continues!

Royally yours,
Sherri

It's not Blue Suede Shoes, it's Pink Suede Sneakers!

2010-07-15T23:24:00.000-04:00

First of all, one final thank you to everyone who came out and supported us at our Flatbread fundraiser. If you haven't heard, the final tallies are in, and between pizzas and donations, we raised over $800! I think that is pretty impressive. Thanks to all of you, the Tough Warrior Princesses have surpassed the $40,000 mark and are quickly approaching $41,000! There is still time to donate if you haven't done so yet. Just click on the link to the side of this page.

As many of you know through my Facebook status updates, the New Balance chaos continues. When Patty and I signed on for this, I think we thought that a camera crew would follow us around for three days. If I had just talked to my brother-in-law who is a producer for ESPN, he would have informed me otherwise. It is a MAJOR production! Hours and hours of footage. I think I first realized this when I received an email with an agenda for our pool party. Agenda? Seriously? What about hanging around the pool with a cool refreshing beverage? The director of the shoot is even coming up on Friday to map out the filming locations! The party starts at 1:00, but poor Patty. The crew arrives at 9AM! As I shared the agenda with Andy, imagine his surprise when at 11:30 it says, "interview with Sherri's husband." I thought he was going to faint.

Yesterday, the first of the boxes arrived--Sneakers--the most important requirement for the 3Day! As you all know, this has been the major concern for our team. We all received different kinds of sneakers, some walking, some running, but the majority of them were pink. Patty and I received top of the line ones--pink 993's. They are different than anything I have ever worn. We will be walking tonight to test them out. Be sure to keep your fingers crossed. (We've been doing a lot of that lately, and it seems to be working.)

While waiting for the second package to arrive, I have been busy making decorations for our tent and also making Tough Warrior Princess pins. The pins are adorable. It is our little princess made out of pink and black pipe cleaners and craft foam. We are hoping to hand them out to people on the route. As far as our tents, we expect them to be outstanding. We'll be sure to take lots of pictures.

Late today our clothing arrived. It is really cute! Some of us got capris, others got shorts. The shorts are absolutely adorable. They are black with a little hot pink embroidered pocket on the butt. Patty tried hers on tonite and I made her turn around and filmed her butt on our Flip. I'm sure they will like that footage. There are also black jackets for some of us, and white ones for others. The team t-shirts will be shipped next week with our socks and hats. So far everyone is very happy with our attire.

Speaking of attire, Patty and I went for our first walk in our sneakers. They really are VERY pink. I don't know if it is that they are pink so much, as they are just very boxy which makes them look even more pink. I have large feet to begin with, and I feel like they look ginormous. We decided to take a short walk to try them out. We were both pleasantly surprised as we started out. Besides our focus being drawn to them constantly, they felt pretty good for the first 2 miles. After that I started to run into a bit of trouble. Some of you may remember that I had surgery on a neuroma on my left foot a few years ago. For this reason, I need to be very particular with my sneakers. Not far into mile 3, it started to bother me. Now, it could be that I was wearing inserts, or that I just have to break the sneakers in. I loosened my left one at the top near my toes, and it did start to feel better, but it was still sore. Patty and I kept laughing and joking about the sneakers and were looking at everyone's expressions as we walked by, wondering what they were thinking. As we headed up through town, we turned the corner by the fire station. It was a beautiful evening and we greeted the firefighter sitting outside with a "hello." You should have seen us when he responded, "Hey! Nice sneakers!" OMG! I thought we were going to pee our pants. Where was the Flip when you needed it? It was too funny!

So early tomorrow morning I will try my sneakers again, without inserts this time. After that we meet with Paul, the director of the shoot. He is headed to Patty's to plan the set up for Sunday. The rest of the day will be spent getting last minute stuff for the walk. I'll keep you posted.

Royally yours,
Sherri

Street Team Day!

2010-07-11T23:04:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that the walk is in less than two weeks! This past Saturday Patty, Cheryl, Alexa, Dylan, and I all journeyed into Waltham to be part of Street Team Day. With the 3Day being such a large event, I believe there are over 1,500 walkers in Boston this year, there is so much preparation that goes into it. Once the route is established, it is important for all the local businesses along the way to be informed that masses of people will be walking down their street. Letters are sent out to them asking them to support us. We were responsible for letting residents know about the walk, and asking them to support us in any way.

We met at Panera in Waltham to receive our instructions. Our packet contained a map, signs, tape, and hot pink cards to hand out to residents. From there we drove to our starting location. All I can say is that our section started in Arlington and continued through Winchester. We parked the car and began walking the route. We were assigned about 3.5 miles, so we figured we would stick together, paper the entire thing, and then walk back to the car. We started early, around 8:30ish so we assumed that most residents would be asleep. Not even a half mile into the route we passed a street sign saying, "Beverly Road." Beverly was Patty's mother's name. She passed away from breast cancer when Patty was just 22. She was never able to meet Alexa and Katie. I stopped everyone and told them that we had to take a picture to honor her. After a few minutes of tear-filled eyes, we were on our way.

Along the way we did meet a few people and explained what we were doing. There was one very kind woman who told us she would have some water, balloons, and signs waiting for us. As I have said before, the communities that we walk through really make this walk what it is. When you feel like you are just about to drop, you turn the corner and there are kids with lemonade, frozen grapes and chocolate, pink balloons, and upbeat music blaring. That support just pushes your feet to keep taking one step after the other. We could have used some of that support on Saturday as it was scorching hot. We are used to doing the majority of our training in the cooler, early morning hours. There were definitely some times when we were dragging.

The most inspiring part of the day was watching Alexa and Dylan. These two kids are really something special. They are both so confident in themselves, and are willing to take on any task given to them. As we walked into Panera, they comfortably talked with volunteers that they had never met before. They also thought nothing of walking up to someone's door and explaining what the 3Day is. And, they walked all 7 miles without one complaint! The fact that 2 teenagers did all of this is simply outstanding. It is a real tribute to their parents.

After we finished papering, the 3.5 miles back seemed a lot longer than it was. Patty, the crazy athletic nut that she is, decided that she would run ahead and get the car. For the last mile of the walk we kept anticipating the navy blue mini-van coming around the next corner. When she arrived, we all hopped into the car, cranked the air-conditioning, and headed back to Panera for some lunch. After a delicious tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad, it was time for the journey home.

Royally yours,
Sherri

Lights, Camera, Action!

2010-07-09T08:58:00.000-04:00

As many of you already know, the past two weeks have been very exciting for the Tough Warrior Princesses! As I said in my last blog, both Patty and I submitted our stories to the New Balance casting call. After the creative team reviewed them, they decided that they needed to know more information about this fabulous group of women. I was given a phone number and a time to call in for my interview. You all know how much I like to talk, especially about the 3Day, but for this I was really nervous. I think I do much better face to face. I don't think I could ever have a job where I had to make conference calls. Plus, when I wrote my initial response to their questions, I wrote over two pages. They knew my story. What else was there to say? Patty's interview was at 9:30 and I was scheduled to call in at 10:30. Around 10:05 my phone rings and it is New Balance telling me that they are ready for my call. I grab my notes, announce to my family that there should be no interruptions, and head to my room where I close the door behind me.

When the phone is answered there are several people on the other line. I was so nervous, I don't remember exactly how many, but I think it was around 6? They all seemed very pleased with what Patty had told them, and they asked me to expand on a few things, like how we got our name. I told them the story of how my cousin Kimm and her friend Suzanne came over shortly after I was diagnosed. Suzanne had a shirt from her friend Jen who created the company Emotional Armor. The shirt was black and in hot pink letters it said, "tough warrior princess." That shirt said it all. That was what I was. It didn't matter that I had lost my breast. It didn't matter that I was going to be bald. I was fighting a battle with cancer and I was going to win. So when I first decided to do the 3Day, what better name was there for our team. They also asked me to talk about each of the amazing women who will be joining me on this journey. After a few more questions, they told me that they would be in touch with us. I hung up the phone feeling confident with my conversation.

My conference call took place on a Tuesday. On Thursday we each received phone calls from New Balance asking us to go to Element Productions on the following Tuesday to conduct an on-camera interview. Seriously!?! We never thought that we would make it this far. I immediately began to panic. I had to lose weight, get my hair highlighted and figure out what I was going to wear. I knew that at least I would be able to do 2 of those things, so I got on it. Tuesday morning Patty had to work in Boston, so we agreed to meet at Element. After trying on clothes for at least an hour, I chose a simple brown skirt, white t-shirt, and of course a pink linen jacket. As I walked out of my air-conditioned house I thought I was going to melt, but I felt that I looked the best I was going to, so I went with it.

When Patty and I arrived, we were brought into a room with a camera, a large screen, and four chairs. The chairs were in pairs and were facing each other--Patty and I on one side, the interviewers on the other. It didn't seem too intimidating until they told us that the creative team would be behind the screen watching us on monitors and taking notes. We were then outfitted with mics and sat down to wait. Our interviewers told us that if we were chosen, today would be the most difficult part of the entire process. As we sat there, they asked us to tell our stories again. They had questions about what brought us together, and how we are different. We just sat there and talked. After a few moments we forgot that the camera was even there. The interview lasted a little under an hour. We actually enjoyed ourselves, and we thought that the creative team did too. They told us that they had one more interview, and they would be in touch soon. As Patty and I walked out, we thought we nailed it. It seemed like everyone genuinely enjoyed themselves, and the people from New Balance and Element were moved by our story. Now it was time to sit and wait again, with fingers crossed of course.

We hurried home and changed into our Tough Warrior Princess shirts to head up to Flatbread for our fundraiser that evening. We are so fortunate to have a business in our community that offers such a fabulous fundraising opportunity. The community came out in droves, despite the soaring temperatures. We sold pink ribbons to honor those who have battled cancer. We will be carrying these ribbons during our entire 60 miles. The restaurant was packed, and some people had to wait a while to receive their order--the sign of a successful night. We packed up at around 9:30, happy with the day.

The following morning I continually watched the clock. Were they interviewing today, or did they complete it yesterday? I felt in my heart that we would know that day. I thought about what it would mean if we were chosen. Would we have to wear all New Balance attire? Sneakers too? I love my sneakers, but they are not New Balance. What does the rest of the team think of this? Patty and I never even discussed it with each other when we submitted applications, never mind the rest of the team. If we were selected it was going to change the entire walk. Didn't I want everyone to experience the 3Day the way that I did? I was so excited, but also slightly ambivalent. That ambivalence didn't stop me from constantly checking my email and voicemail.

At around 3:00 I once again checked my email--nothing. I was going back to the pool resigned to the fact that we probably didn't get chosen. While swimming around my father says, "I think some of your friends are here." Huh? Who was stopping by? I look up and see Patty, Cheryl, and Patty's daughter Katie getting out of the car. OMG! Did we get it? OMG again! Yes, we did! Holy Cow! I had to go inside and check out the email from NB.

I found out that they would be outfitting the entire team from head to toe. As I said earlier, many of us don't generally wear NB sneakers which makes us nervous. Walking 60 miles is one thing, but walking 60 miles in sneakers that you haven't broken in is another. They have shipped us Flip cameras to film some of our training walks. I also found out that they would be attending our team pool party at Patty's house. They would like to film us making signs and preparing for our tent decorating, which we will DEFINITELY win this year. I hope that NB will understand, but there is no way that I will be filmed in a bathing suit unless it is from the neck up. They may also be meeting us at Cheryl's house on the morning of the walk. We are all gathering there and taking a party bus to Framingham for Opening Ceremonies. After reading all of the details it was still surreal to me. I decided it was time to take a break from the computer and call some friends to share my news. Of course one of the first people I called was Tracy. She was absolutely thrilled for us. She is a TWP at heart.

Later that afternoon I was still flying high. I didn't think the day could get any better, then I checked my email again. I had received a message from Meredith, the Field Coordinator for the Boston 3Day, and in it she asked if I would like to be a flag bearer in the Survivor Circle at Opening and Closing Ceremonies. If you read my blog last year, you are aware that this is something that I have always wanted. I was honored, but it was bittersweet. All I have thought about this year is that I will have 3 amazing women by my side in the Survivor Circle. Being a flag bearer means I will be with 7 other women up on a platform, not with my team; however, there was no way I could pass up this opportunity. Of course I would be a flag bearer.

So the last few days have been filled with the craziness that goes along with being chosen. Patty and I drove up to the New Balance Outlet to try on sneakers and apparel yesterday. If we are going to be on camera, we have to look our best. I have had numerous emails and phone calls with New Balance giving sizes, and discussing details about shipping. New Balance has graciously offered to make us our team t-shirts! We are absolutely thrilled! One of our main concerns was that we did not want the Princess to get lost in all of this.

In the meantime, this weekend a few of us will be part of the 3Day Street Team where we go around to businesses along the route and ask them to place signs in their windows supporting the 3Day. The exciting thing is that we get to see where we are walking. Shhh! We can't tell! It is a secret!

I'm sure I will have lots to share over the next two weeks. I have to say again, thank you to everyone for your support. The Tough Warrior Princesses would not be where they are without all of you! XO

Royally yours,
Sherri

26 Days and Counting...

2010-06-28T11:11:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it has been a month since I have last written. Yesterday, when I had two people ask me when I was going to write another blog, I had to motivate myself. Here goes.

Training has kicked in to high gear recently. I was nervous about this because I had sprained my ankle a few weeks ago. I was hanging new drapes, stepped off my couch, and rolled it. Stupid, I know. I had an aircast for a while, but now it is feeling much better; however, I was tentative about this weekend because it is the toughest of the entire training schedule. Saturday we walked 18 miles! Yes, I said 18. Seven of us met at Patty's house at 6AM. Kaitlyn lives too far away, Gretchen had soccer, and Maurine would possibly join us midway. We walked to downtown Amesbury, up the Riverwalk, and all along the river to Vicky's house in Merrimac. It was a beautiful walk because much of the road along the river is closed. The views were delightful, and there was often a refreshing breeze. We stopped at Vicky's, the halfway point, and had breakfast--lots of high protein food. While there, Maurine called and said she would be joining us for some of the walk. Speaking of Maurine, that woman absolutely amazes me. After being diagnosed a second time, being part of a clinical trial with drugs she doesn't know much about, her mother's recent passing, and just the general crazy life that goes along with 2 adolescent boys, she ALWAYS manages to make people laugh. Her upbeat personality is an inspiration to us all. I am in awe of the fact that she is even attempting to do this walk. I don't know if I could have while I was in treatment. Fortunately, she was able to walk with us for a few miles. Just as we turned up Rocky Hill Road we saw Gretchen, who was out on the second half of her walk. With our crazy lives, we sometimes have to break up our longer walks because of our kids' commitments--soccer, baseball, dance, gymnastics. Even though Gretchen was headed in the other direction, we grabbed her and forced her to come with us. After a quick stop at DD, we finished up the last few miles. It was really beginning to get hot, and we were happy to have the longest of our training walks completed.

While training, your body becomes used to walking almost every day. Walking 10 miles feels like a piece of cake; however, 18 completely exhausts you. Your body is in good enough shape to generally not feel too sore, but you are just physically tired. I think almost the entire team napped at some point over the past two days. These weekends can become very trying on our families and our husbands. We are lucky to have such an amazing group of men that understand our commitment, and our need for sleep after these walks.

Sunday was another longer walk, 15 miles. We were set to leave from my house at 6AM. I had gone to bed early, around 9:00. Unfortunately, something funky has been going on with my alarm clock and it never went off. I awoke at 6:40 to see everyone's cars parked along my street. I immediately called Patty and met up with the girls along the route. I told them to call my house phone if it ever happened again. They thought it was really funny and decided to take a picture of all of them waiting outside my house. These are the women I walk with!

The second day of walking is always harder than the first. It takes a good 2 miles before your body gets into that auto-pilot mode. Everyone was feeling a little sore, but got over it relatively quickly. Sunday's walk took us over the Chain Bridge, into Newburyport, along the river to Rolfe's Lane, and back along High Street. It is one of my favorite walks. I love the smell of the marsh early in the morning, and there is always lots of activity on High St. A bonus is that there are no hills! We made it back home and still had a good portion of the day to ourselves.

In the early afternoon I decided to take a nap. My girls had a sleep over the night before and were tired as well, so we all crashed. After waking up I actually felt worse, and so did one of my girls. It ended up that we both had fevers--not just little ones, but high ones! Even though I felt awful, I was pleased to know that I could make it through those long walks when I wasn't 100%. Today it is off to the doctor for both of us. I have my fingers crossed.

So training isn't the only thing that has been going on for the 3-Day. I have recently achieved my goal of $5000! Yahoo! The only thing that could be better would be if I could surpass the $5,600 I raised last year. I am almost there with $5255. There is still time to donate if you haven't already done so. You can just click on the link to the right of this page.

Another exciting piece of news is that I made it through the preliminary round for a New Balance casting call where they will be doing a short documentary on someone's 3-Day experience. Early last week I received an email from Komen explaining that a group of people were selected to participate if they chose to. I went back and forth, but decided to tell my story. I stayed up late Wednesday night, and ended up writing over 2 pages! Once I got started I couldn't stop. It was the first time that I had written everything down, and it was quite therapeutic. The following day I received an email thanking me for sharing so openly and honestly. The day after that, I received another email asking me to complete a phone interview on Tuesday morning. The most exciting thing about this is that Patty received one too! How awesome would it be if they profiled the Tough Warrior Princesses on our 3 day journey? Way too cool! I will be sure to keep all of you posted, and let you know how Tuesday goes. Now that school is out, I should be able to write more.

Another bit of information I would like to share is the address for the 3-Day Post Office. While we are at camp, we can actually receive mail from our friends and family. It is one of my favorite things about camp. These messages do so much to motivate me and remind me of why I walk. If you feel inclined to send a note, all you have to do is mail it to:
3-Day for the Cure
ATTN: Sherri Ziomek
P.O. Box 8557
Warwick, RI 02888
Envelopes only, please. Mail must be postmarked no later than July 13th in order to ensure delivery at the Komen 3-Day for the Cure Camp Post Office. I would love to hear from all of you.

Lastly, we have the information for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies this year. We are starting at Farm Pond in Framingham again, and will be ending at UMASS Boston. I am hoping that the route will be similar to last year. The only thing I could do without would be that horrific hill on Day 2! The information on the cheering stations should be coming out later this week or early next week. I will keep you posted, but you can always check the3day.org and go to the Spectator Information page.

26 days and counting...

Royally yours,
Sherri

Realizations and Celebrations

2010-05-21T19:31:00.000-04:00

Okay, so now that I am writing this, I hope that my mom will finally get off my back. (xo Mom!) I have been planning to write a blog for literally a month, but I have just been completely overwhelmed with work. I have had a bazillion meetings and papers to grade. Fortunately the meetings have ended for the year, and I only have poetry portfolios left to comment on. MCAS is over, and final exams will be here before you know it. I love the late spring when the school year starts to wind down and the anticipation of summer is brimming in the air.

Where to begin? Here goes...

April and early May brought forth lots of emotions for me.

At the beginning of April, the Tough Warrior Princesses gained a new member--Maurine Turcotte. Maurine has walked the 3Day before, and is known by many around town. She is a true inspiration to me as she continues her daily life, head held high, living with cancer. I admire her exuberant personality as she refuses to let cancer beat her. She provokes in me the drive to continue to help others. SHE is the reason that I do this walk, and I am excited to have her by my side in the survivor circle.

During April vacation I found out that ANOTHER close friend of mine, Marcia, was diagnosed with breast cancer. How many does this make now? The numbers are getting too high to count. I was discussing this with my friends and we are just baffled by the amount of local women battling this disease. Yes, we are getting older, but doesn't it seem more prevalent now than in years past? The thing that is most disturbing about this case is that Marcia truly is a pillar in our community. She does so much for others, always has a kind word to say, and has more faith in God than anyone I know. Throughout all of this, Marcia continues to take care of her 3 amazing boys with the support of her loving husband. She is still at the ball field almost daily, and has not lost her perky smile. She even continues to make the scones for our Snack Shack! Why her? What reason is there to deem her part of this sisterhood? The realization that cancer does not discriminate comes to the forefront again.

On May 3rd, 2010 I celebrated my 4 year cancer-free anniversary. It is always such a bittersweet day for me. I relish in the fact that I am healthy and that my cancer has not returned; but, I cannot help remember that summer 4 years ago. Each year that I become further removed from treatment, my fear of cancer's return grows, until I reach that 5 year mark. Next year is a big anniversary for me! They say that if you make it to that point, you are in good shape. That is what I am looking forward to. During this time of reflection, I am reminded of the support of my family, friends, and loved ones. I think that I had over 30 comments on my Facebook page that day. Thinking back, I know that I couldn't have made it through that time without all of you.

Last month I was able to participate in The 3Day Expo. The Expo was held at Bentley College. It is a day when 3Day participants join together to find out what the event is all about. There are 3Day Outfitters where you can buy clothes, a post office where you can write letters to teammates, tent set-up, and workshops on packing and blister care. I was asked to be a member of "Ask an Expert." I don't know if I would consider myself an expert, but those who know me, know that I love to talk and especially about the 3Day (just ask my teammates--they have heard my stories more times than they care to, especially on our long walks). I shared my experiences with blisters, my thoughts on fund-raising, and my general love for these 3 days. I think I motivated other walkers, but I, myself, walked out of there inspired.

Shortly after that was our May 8th fund-raiser--a night that I don't think I will soon forget. As I have said before, when we began planning this event, it started out as an intimate evening between friends. Well, let me tell you...we must have a lot of friends because we had over 250 people at the Lafayette Club and raised $8000!!! I am humbled by the generosity and kindness of all of you.

The week leading up to the fund-raiser was hectic and crazy. The great thing about our team of 10 amazing women is that everyone pulls their weight. If someone says they are going to do something, then they follow through. We met Monday evening to discuss last minute details. I passed out the t-shirts and Theresa shared the signs she designed for the auction. When we realized that we had almost 50 auction items, we knew that we needed to do something so that we could make the most of our donations. Maurine had the brilliant idea to have 3 different auctions with 3 different ending times, that way if people did not win an item during the 9:00 raffle, then they knew they had more money to spend on the 10, and 11:00 raffles. Needless to say, it worked!

The Friday night before the event, we met at the Lafayette Club to decorate. In terms of decor, there isn't much there, so we wanted to make it as festive as possible. We brought in tons of white lights, and lots of pink--pink tablecloths, pink balloons, pink candles. Cheryl had a huge banner made with our logo on it that people were able to sign. I have to admit that my favorite decoration were the tough warrior princesses that I made. They are adorable. Hopefully they, coupled with our banner, will help us with our tent decorating.

The auction items were amazing. The biggest seller was the 3 Pats tickets. Other items that brought in big amounts were the Sunset Cruise, Sailing for 6, consultation with a lawyer, clambake in a bag, electrical work from George White, and Red Sox tickets. The most coveted item was the dogwood tree. There was almost a fight over it! Even after the auction was closed I had people offering me more money for it! Unbelievable!

The thing that impressed me the most about that night was the generosity of everyone. A friend at work found out about it, made a hand-painted tray to donate, and drove all the way from Framingham to attend! I was more than thrilled when my sister-in-law Emily called the week before and asked if she could donate some of the canvas bags that she makes, in shades of pink of course. I told her that we would be delighted to have them, and she said she would bring them when she came out that day. Well, on Thursday before the event, Emily told me that she would not be able to attend, but that she was going to drive up Friday afternoon with my 3 year old nephew, Nathaniel, and my almost 2 year old niece, Sophie to drop off the bags. Seriously? Four hours in a car with two little kids just to drop something off. She knew that I would not be able to spend time with her, but that didn't matter. She just wanted to help. Can you believe that? Help she did. Her bags brought in $135! Thank you so much, Emily!

The evening ended at midnight with those still in attendance helping to break everything down. By 12:45 we were all cleaned up, and you wouldn't known we had even been there. Amazing! What a night!

I know that I still need to get through this year's walk, but we have already begun planning next year's silent auction. The English teacher in me feels that if this is something we are going to do every year, we need to come up with a catchy name for it. Unfortunately, the creative juices are not flowing! If you have any great ideas, please let me know.

The money from that night brought us all closer to our goals. The princesses have now raised over $30,000 for Susan G. Komen. If we reach $33,000, then we will be considered a power team and will receive special recognition at the 3Day. The $33,000 means that on average, each team member will have raised $3,300. For me, I am still working to reach my personal goal of $5,000. I am almost there. If you haven't donated yet, there is still time. Just click the link on this page to donate.

Again, thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Royally yours,
Sherri

FUNdraiser--Come One, Come All

2010-03-25T09:31:00.011-04:00

Last week the Princesses got together for our monthly meeting to discuss fundraising and other details about the 3Day. We met at the Ale House, our usual spot. I was delighted that Kaitlyn was able to make the drive up from Watertown, especially it being her birthday. Many of us also met Tina for the first time as well.

Our main priority was to discuss our fundraising event set for May 8th. The original plan was to have a smaller venue, and make it an intimate evening; however, due to such an overwhelming response from friends and family, we made the decision to host the evening at a larger hall to accommodate more people--more people=more money! We wanted a venue that would allow us to bring in the most profit. What good is it having a large place if you have to spend a fortune for it? We decided to look at the Lafayette Club in Amesbury. We felt it was important to try to keep revenue in our town--most of us are townies at heart. Cheryl had the great idea to just walk over to the Lafayette Club that night to see if it was available. Four of us journeyed past the raging Pow Wow through the Mill Yard, over to High St. We nominated Cheryl to go in. Five minutes later the hall was booked--no charge! Many of you have heard the details already, but here they are again!!!

SAVE THE DATE!!! The event takes place on Saturday, May 8th from 7PM-midnight. We will have a silent auction with items such as Red Sox tickets, a catered dinner party, a day on a sailboat, a bucket of joy, electrical services provided by George White, a clambake in a bag, Celtics tickets (if they make the playoffs) and many other items. For a small fee, you will also be able to purchase pink ribbons on which you can write a loved one's name. Each of us will carry these ribbons on our entire 60 mile journey. In addition to that, there will be drinks, dancing, and loads of fun! To purchase tickets in advance, you may give any team member cash or a check payable to the Susan G. Komen 3Day for the Cure. Tickets are $10 per person. You may also purchace tickets online by going to a team member's site and making a $10 donation. Instead of including a message, just write that you would like tickets. If you choose to donate online, there are still team members who have not raised their minimum of $2,300. In order for our team to raise as much money as possible, I would prefer that you purchase your tickets from someone who has not raised their minimum. Many people have already purchased tickets, so I urge you to get them fast, before they are all gone. Line your babysitters up--you won't want to miss out on this fun-filled evening.

Now that you are all planning to attend...on to other news. Last Saturday Patty convinced me to go to her running club. As you know I have been running on my treadmill. I said I would give it a whirl, but told her that I may not be able to go every week because of baseball. As you may remember, Saturday was absolutely gorgeous--unseasonably warm for this time of year. We arrived just before 10 and I was prepared to run. I knew that running on the street is different from indoors, but I was up for the challenge. The program is a C25K program. We were on week three, so I figured it wouldn't be that hard. They usually meet at Fuller Field in Newburyport, but the track was taken so we went on the bike path. I had never been over there before; it is fabulous. Unfortunately we had to run back and forth so that we would stay together and be able to hear the whistle (it is timed intervals). I started off well, but by the end I was definitely fading. I had met a friend of a friend named Michelle, and thank goodness for her. Just when I felt I was going to give up, she pushed me onward. I am so appreciative to her for that. I made it, and felt so energized. I have to admit, I was pretty proud of myself. When Patty asked if I would do it again, I said of course--that was before I saw the temperature for Saturday morning. Yikes! I enjoy running, but my flannel sheets were calling my name. However, I did run, just on my treadmill.

One last thing before I go "dark" for Earth Hour. As I've said before, I have been volunteering my time at 3Day Get Started meetings. Just the other day I received an email from a woman who is in charge of media relations for the 3Day. She asked if I wouldn't mind being a 3Day Ambassador. "I would be honored," was my response. So who knows, maybe you will be hearing more from me in the future.

Royally yours,
Sherri

It's swell to run

2010-03-12T08:23:00.011-05:00

Well, I was on a roll for a while, but as usual, life got in the way of writing my blog. Actually I didn't feel like I had much to report, but of course that has changed.

As some of you may know, I started running this fall. Those who know me well, understand that running is something I have never done, nor had any interest in. This story begins on a beautiful fall morning when Patty and I had gone out for a bike ride. We rode up to the AHS track and she said we were just going to run a lap. I laughed in her face. My body does not run. After much coaxing, she convinced me. After all, she was only a few months out of surgery and was still in treatment. It had been years for me. So I ran, well at least I tried, albeit not very successfully. That day I went home and told Andy. I don't want to say that he laughed, but he had this look on his face that I had never seen. He was the one who was the runner, not me. For the next week I thought about it continuously. I thought about my friend Tracy who did the walk with me last year. She lost over 125 lbs. and was now running every day! Our lives parallel in so many ways, why not this one? I could run too. Maybe we could even do a race together. So I started, little by little. I began in my basement on my treadmill--heaven forbid anyone see me struggling on the street. I increased each time I ran, and before Christmas I was just over 2 miles--not a lot, but more than I had ever done. I was never even a walker before the 3Day. I actually started to enjoy it, then the holidays came, and with them came a decrease in my running. There was little time to run, and I took a few weeks off.

As relaxing as that time off was, I began to notice a change in my left arm. It started to hurt more, and I noticed some swelling--lymphedema. Lymphedema sometimes occurs after a mastectomy when lymph nodes have been removed. Your lymph nodes regulate your lymphatic fluid throughout your body. This fluid is what fights off infection. After surgery, you are given range of motion exercises to help prevent developing lymphedema. I was diligent about mine. You are also instructed to not go into a hot tub or to lift anything heavy. You have to be careful about wearing clothing that fits tightly on your arm, and be cautious about shaving and manicures because of the risk of infection. I did everything that I was supposed to.

Unfortunately, these symptoms did not just come out of the blue. Last year during the walk was the first time I started experiencing arm pain. If you read my blog last year, you will remember the bear of a hill on Day 2. That day I was wearing a short sleeve shirt and had pushed up the sleeves. They didn't feel too tight, but as I was walking up the hill, probably faster than I should have, my arm began to hurt. I immediately put it over my head and pulled my sleeve down. It helped to alleviate the pain momentarily, but it continued to return off and on throughout the remainder of the walk. When I came home, I took it easy for a few days, and my arm felt fine. Over the next couple of months, it didn't bother me too much, although it would sometimes return when I overdid it.

When the pain started in January, I was not able to relieve it as I had in the past. I figured it was because of the running; therefore, I stopped altogether. Earlier in the fall I had mentioned my lymphedema to my oncologist, and she gave me a prescription for a compression sleeve. I hadn't needed it up until then, so I never filled it. I tried to hold off a little longer, but it seemed to get worse. I finally bit the bullet and ordered my sleeve. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to wear it all the time. Meanwhile, I was not working out. My teammates had started to train, and I was fearful to.

Last week I drove to Salem to pick up my sleeve. It had been backordered, and took several weeks to come in. After I battled the Friday afternoon traffic, I excitedly arrived, knowing that I would finally begin to work out again. As I walked into the Hutchinson Medical Supply fitting room armed with 2 sleeves (get it?), I was not looking forward to wearing one of them all of the time. I took the first one out of the wrapper, folded it over, and slid it up my arm. It didn't stay. It didn't even fit loosely on my arm, never mind compressing it. Damn it! They ordered the wrong size. Come to find out, they didn't. The sleeve was actually mismarked. Obviously, they had to order me another one. More time wasted, waiting to train.

While I was waiting for my second sleeve to come in, I began talking to a friend who also has lymphedema. We talked about physical therapy, which I will be starting soon, and how her therapist said that cardiovascular exercise helps lessen lymphedema. HELLO!!! The reason I had developed more symptoms was because I STOPPED running!!! Stupid! I immediately went home, and ran that night--not too far, but it was running nonetheless. I felt great, and my arm didn't bother me!

So my sleeve still hasn't come in, but I have been walking and running every day this week. Yahoo! It has been great. Now I am ready--ready to really start training again.

So that was great news for me, but there is more, sort of.

THE GOOD NEWS:
On Wednesday, I went to DFCI for my 6 month check-up. They usually don't do much, just a breast exam, blood work, and I get an injection. When I met with Lisa, the awesome nurse who draws my blood, I was shocked with she brought over 6 vials to be filled. What!?! I have never had 6 vials! I didn't have good veins before chemo, never mind afterward. What were these 6 vials for? She explained to me that there is a cancer blood test. I had never had it before, and was more terrified than ever. She did a great job, got all the blood she needed, and didn't cause a bruise afterward. After my blood work and injection, I went to see Dr. Chen, my oncologist.
She examined me and said that everything looked great. She also checked my blood work and informed me that it was also fine. What a relief! Once you have had a cancer, it is a constant fear that it will someday return. This was fabulous news.

THE NOT SO GOOD NEWS:
After I arrived home, I posted my news on Facebook. I had so many people respond. My family and friends are what got me through that difficult time, and their encouragement and support never waiver. Later that evening I went to my basement to run. I had a good run, and went a little further than the time before. When I walked upstairs to take a shower, I noticed that my neck was red and blotchy. As a matter of fact, it was itchy too. I chalked it up to heat rash, showered, and went to bed. When I awoke in the morning, the rash had spread and was now on my face and wrists. A phone call to my PCP was in order. After a quick appointment, I found that I had an allergic reaction to my injection. I had been taking this drug for 2 years! I had never heard of such a thing, but I guess it happens. My doctor gave me a prescription for steroids, and as of today I am doing much better. Well, what exactly does this mean for me? We'll have to wait and see what happens the next time I get my injection in June. I'll keep you posted.

Royally yours,
Sherri

What a difference a week makes!

2010-02-16T12:45:00.013-05:00

The last time I posted, we were ranked number 7 for the Boston 3Day for the Cure. Since then a lot has changed. Drum roll please..........Tough Warrior Princesses are NUMBER 1!!! Thanks to all of you, we have raised over $10,500! AMAZING! There are many teams that are larger than us, but we will work hard to remain in the top 10. Keep those donations coming! You can click on the link to right of this page to be part of finding a cure for breast cancer.

This jump did not happen overnight, but close to it. Things all began to change shortly after Gretchen and Theresa joined our team. They immediately started bringing in money! They have both raised half of their fundraising minimum already! Unbelievable! On the same day that they joined, Patty sent out her donation letters. It was a very special day for Patty...her one year anniversary. If you followed my blog last year, you have an understanding of what these anniversaries mean to survivors. We no longer worry about getting older, we relish it! Please read Patty's blog to hear more about her special day. With Patty's letters out, the money continued to flow in.

Wednesday night was an exciting night for all of us Princesses. It was spent with numerous status updates on Facebook, and emails going back and forth. Little by little we watched our thermometer climb, and our name go up the ladder. By the end of the night we had moved up to 5th place.

Thursday night was spent at another Get Started Meeting. I met some amazing survivors who were volunteering as well. I once again shared my story and was touched by 2 other stories. One woman found a lump when she was just 20 years old and pregnant with her daughter. After a biopsy she found that she was lucky, her mass was benign. The experience affected her so much that she felt she had to do this walk. She knew she was one of the fortunate ones who will be able to see her daughter grow up. The other woman, a little bit younger than me, had found a large lump, and upon a biopsy was told that it was benign as well. Unfortunately, she has had to have 5 reconstructive surgeries to remedy the situation. She says it was just like having cancer without the chemo and radiation. She said it was great to be in a room of women who truly understood what she was feeling. When she said that I had such a feeling of purpose knowing that I was personally making a difference in the lives of others. I can't imagine what it would be like for my daughters to never have to worry about breast cancer. It is my lifelong wish.

Friday was pretty uneventful, but we started school vacation! Yay! This past weekend we traveled to Connecticut to visit Andy's brother and his wife. We were given tickets to see the Lion King in Hartford. What an unbelievable show! We all loved it. Thanks John, Jen, Mark and Gary!

While in Connecticut I did not check my email as often as usual. If you are as addicted to your computer as I am, once you are registered for the 3Day it becomes another website that you check frequently, looking for that mercury to rise. By the time we left CT, the Tough Warrior Princesses were at number 2! We were about $500 away from the top spot. On the way home, I got a phone call from my mom saying that we had made it (thanks to a very generous $500 donation to Gretchen!). So here we are are at number 1. Who knows how long we will be here, but boy does it feel good!

So that seems like it would be a good place to end uplifting blog, but there is more.

Fifteen years ago I took a job at Waltham High School. I kind of fell into the position just days before school started. I was going to be teaching a small group of students in a language based classroom. It was there that I met Kaitlyn. She was a freshman in my class. Each teacher has "one of those students"--someone who sticks with you forever. Kaitlyn is mine. She was one of those kids who worked so hard to overcome her disability. She would commit to something, and with sheer determination she would achieve it. It was more difficult for her, but she never gave up. I was lucky enough to teach Kaitlyn for four years. Our relationship grew and once she graduated and attended college, we kept in touch. She used to babysit Zach when he was little. She was even the one who watched him the day that the girls were born. Once we moved to the North Shore, we didn't see Kaitlyn as much. When I was diagnosed, it really affected her. In college she had an advisor who was also diagnosed with cancer and lost her battle. Through Facebook we got back in touch. When she found out that the walk was going through Waltham last year, she surprised me by showing up at a cheering station. When I listened to my voice mail last night and there was a message to call her, I immediately thought she was engaged. There was another message following that said, "No, I'm not engaged." She sure knows me well. I couldn't imagine what she wanted. When I got her on the phone, she asked if it would be possible for her and her friend Korinne to join our team. I was honored. "Of course!" was my reply. When I didn't think that the week could get any better for the Tough Warrior Princesses, it did. Two more people means $4,600 more for breast cancer research. This has been a good vacation so far!

Royally yours,
Sherri

Eight was Great, but Seven is Better!

2010-02-07T07:54:00.003-05:00

The number "7" is considered lucky in many cultures. This past week it has been for the Tough Warrior Princesses.

Shortly after I made my last post, the Tough Warrior Princesses moved up to #7 in the fundraising totals! Wahoo!

Last week started off really crappy for me. I felt like I was getting sick, but as all mom's do, I just trudged along. At work on Monday I really started to go downhill. By the end of the day I was too miserable to tour our new school! Can you believe it? After my hour drive home, I walked in my house with chills and a fever. Unfortunately, I spent that evening and most of the next day on the couch.

By Tuesday evening I was starting to feel better, which was good because I had a Get Started Meeting with Patty and Cheryl. I really wanted to go because they were going to be there. If it were just a regular meeting I probably would have stayed home. I'm so glad that I went. We all shared our stories about why we we walk. Again, I can't say it enough, how much this disease affects so many families--to think that 1-8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Look around at your best girlfriends. One of you will be diagnosed in your life time. Very scary.

As soon as Patty started talking at the meeting, Cheryl started crying. This is something we all joke with her about. Now, Cheryl will tell you that she is an emotional basket case, but what she does not tell you is that she is also an amazing cheerleader. Personally I wish I could be that comfortable to let my feelings out. Cheryl is going to make this year a special 3Day. Every year I have always tried to keep my feelings in check, but she gives me permission to let them all out. Thanks Cheryl! xo

Another moment during the meeting that got us a little teary eyed was when Patty walked up to a young woman who lost her mother to breast cancer last year. The woman looked to be about the same age that Patty was when she lost her own mother. Patty knelt down beside her and softly spoke about how she wished that she had as much courage as this young woman does to do the 3Day at her age so soon after her mother has passed. I was so proud of Patty. It takes a lot of guts to walk up to a complete stranger and share your deepest feelings. That moment is what the 3Day is all about. Over 3 days there will be more just like that--different women, similar story. It is one of the many reasons why I walk.

So Wednesday night I had book club, and was so exhausted, both physically and emotionally, I really didn't feel up to going. Boy am I glad I did. After a meaningful discussion of what heaven means to us and debating over the ability to make peace with yourself (we were discussing The Five People You Meet in Heaven), we broke up into our little conversations. It was at that time that my friend Gretchen started asking lots of questions about the walk--time commitment, training, the actual 3 days. She then told me she was thinking about doing it with us. I was ecstatic! I have really gotten to know Gretchen better this year, and she is a really fun person who can tell great stories--what an asset to our team. Gretchen said she has not personally been affected by breast cancer, but has had to face many other forms of cancer within her family. Cancer is cancer, it doesn't matter what kind. I told her she could look over my Walker Handbook to get more information.

On Thursday evening I received an email that Gretchen was in! Maddie and Mia were thrilled and immediately asked if Ella, Gretchen's daughter and Maddie and Mia's friend, could come over and help make signs. Even better news was that my friend Theresa from my book club decided to do it too! Theresa is a teacher with Gretchen, and I just met her a few months ago. I'm sure this journey will help us to get to know each other better. Then on Friday, Tina officially signed on. So now we are seven, and 3 of us are survivors! Lucky seven, but eight would be great too!

Think about joining us!

Royally yours,
Sherri

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

2010-01-29T12:09:00.007-05:00

The last couple of days have been filled with two very important 3Day activities!

On Wednesday night the Tough Warrior Princesses got together at the Ale House to discuss some ideas.

First on the agenda was to order drinks--they had to be pink. After our drinks arrived, we immediately began talking about fundraising. When we first talked about starting a team, Patty was the one who suggested raising $20,000. She's the one you can blame for all of the emails asking for money! (JK Patty) Most people feel that fundraising is the most difficult part of the 3Day. It is something that you don't have complete control over. You can decide how far and how often you want to walk, but you can't decide how much your friends are going to donate. As I stated in my last blog, I really dislike asking people for money. It is especially challenging this year as Patty, Cheryl, and I run in the same circles. For this reason, we have tried to plan some events--one of which is a dance at The Polish Club in Amesbury on May 8th. Be sure to save the date! Last night Patty and I were chatting about it on the phone. We hope to have some raffle items and a silent auction. If anyone has anything they would like to donate, just let us know. I am super excited about this team and this event. We have a vibrant, spirited, and fun group of women (just look at Cheryl with her pink hair!) who will make this walk, and this dance, a really fun night. What better way to raise money than hanging out with your friends and having a couple of drinks? We also have some ideas of family friendly events for when the weather gets a little warmer. We'll be sure to keep you posted.

Other great news for the Tough Warrior Princesses is that we are now up to 5 members! Last week, Vicky's friend Tina decided to join us. Tina is a survivor as well! It is amazing to have such a small team, and to have 3 survivors on it. When you think about it, that is really cool. So now we are 5, but I am looking at us as 51/2. We have someone else who is also thinking of joining, but is not quite sure yet. I don't want to say her name, because I don't want to put any added pressure on her, but I hope that she decides to embark on our journey. It is such a huge commitment, mentally, physically, and financially (in terms of fundraising), especially if you have a young family at home. I've said it before, but if I did not have the amazing husband that I do, I would not be doing this walk again.

On Thursday night I attended my first Get Started meeting for the 3Day. I had never been to one of these before, and this time I was going as a volunteer. I met 3 great women, Sharyn, who is on the Cup Crusaders and works for the 3Day, and Angela and Pat, who are both on the Pink Angels--the largest team in the Boston 3Day (they have about 50 walkers so far!). It was great to hear other people's stories and find out their connections to breast cancer. We each spoke a little about why we walk, answered some questions, and watched a video. We also discussed fundraising and how it is so important to carry 3Day business cards. Sharyn got a $1000 donation from a doctor she did not even know because she happened to hand her a business card! I can't imagine her surprise when she opened her email to find the donation, and not know who this extremely generous person was, showing once again, breast cancer affects everyone.

By the end of the evening we had two more people registered to walk! Personally, I think that getting to that first meeting is the hardest part. If you are willing to journey out in the freezing cold temperatures battling black ice on a Thursday night, then you already have your mind made up that you are going to complete this walk. It was an enjoyable evening, and I am looking forward to Tuesday night in Methuen when Patty and Cheryl will be attending the meeting!

Royally yours,
Sherri

Eight is Great!

2010-01-25T18:43:00.004-05:00

Well, it's a good thing that I haven't started training outside. This wind and rain is awful! It reminds me too much of the Nor'easter we had during the 3Day last year. I came home from work today, brought the girls to gymnastics, and put on my pj's. It was only 4:45, but I know that the majority of you have done the same on more than one occasion. There was no way I was stepping on the treadmill. I just wanted to snuggle under a blanket and read a good book. BTW-I just finished reading a great book-- The Help. You should check it out.

So the other night I was on the 3Day website and was looking around. I like to look at the other teams, what they do for fundraisers, how much they have raised, etc. I happened to click on a link to the team that was the 10th highest fundraiser to see what their page said. When I opened it I was surprised by the amount of money they had earned--it was just over $3,000. I immediately thought that we had raised more than that, so I went back to the original page--then I saw it--Tough Warrior Princesses! We are currently the eighth highest fundraiser for the Boston 3Day! We have raised over $3,800 and we haven't even sat down as a team! Thank you to everyone who has donated already! We truly appreciate you! I was thrilled. Now it is up to us to stay in the top ten.

The end of the week is filled with a couple of 3Day events for me. On Wednesday night I will be sitting down with Patty, Cheryl, and Vicky to discuss some ideas for fundraising. I think we have some good ones, if we can pull them off. The following evening I will be in Beverly volunteering for my first Get Started Meeting--a meeting designed for people who are interested in participating in the 3Day. I am really looking forward to meeting some new women and getting them excited about walking. Again, if anyone is thinking about it, we would love to have you join our team.

I'll post later this week, and let you know how everything went. I have to go finish my grades now. The term ended on Friday. The good news is that we are halfway through the year.

Royally yours,
Sherri

Here comes the money!

2010-01-20T19:59:00.004-05:00

Well, I decided that I would finally start my fund raising. I have never started it this early, but whenever I would go to the 3Day website, all of my teammates would have money, and I didn't have any. Both Cheryl and Vicky have over a thousand dollars! That is amazing! I am so proud of them. It's not a contest to see who can earn the most money, but as team captain I thought I should have something on the board! What type of leader was I if I couldn't raise money?

So today I sat down and composed my e-letter. When I began, I thought, how do I ask people to donate to me for a third time? After trying to be witty and creative, I just scrapped that idea and simply told my story and asked people to support me. When I showed it to a friend for editing, she reminded me that people are donating to a cause, and would most likely donate to some other nameless person anyway. She continued by telling me that people would prefer to support someone they know. I agreed with her, and felt better about my letter.

So like almost anything I do, I share it with my mom and dad first. I sent an email to them asking if there was anything in the letter that I should change . I kept waiting for a response, but didn't get one. Finally when I checked my email later in the day, there was a notification from the 3Day stating that I had a donation--my first one of the year--from mom and dad of course. I know that I can always count on them to support me in anything that I do. I am so lucky to have them in my life.

Shortly after that, the second one came in. Let's hope that they continue to pile up!

Royally yours,
Sherri

200 Days and Counting!!!

2010-01-02T22:34:00.011-05:00

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone!

As I sit here listening to the wind and watching the white stuff pile up outside my window, it is hard to believe I am writing my first blog about yet another 3Day adventure. Yes, exactly 200 days from today I will again be walking 60 miles for breast cancer. The crazy thing is that I am not really surprised that I am doing it--the walk that is. I am still shocked that I am actually writing a post. It has been a long time, and I have missed it.

Since the walk ended, life has pretty much continued without incident. The kids went back to school, I went back to work, PTA started up again, and I became the ever-efficient taxi-driver, shuttling my cherubs to their various activities. The positive thing about the walk being moved back to July this past year was that I had some down time before school started. We were able to go to a friend's lake house in Maine, we hosted our niece Ali, from Amherst, for her annual summer visit, and we took several day trips to York Zoo, Halibut Point in Rockport, the beach, and one of my favorites, the American Girl Store.

Starting in early fall, Patty, my neighbor and fellow survivor, and I began walking together. Patty was my friend who met me at the finish line last year.
Well, after seeing the 3Day in person, Patty decided that she was going to do it this year--finally a friend in the survivor circle with me! Patty's sister-in-law, Cheryl, who also coached baseball with Andy, is also walking with us. Just recently Patty's friend, Vicky, has also joined the ranks. So far we are four, but we could be many more. I am still hoping that Tracy will join me again. We'll have to wait and see.

With the majority of the team not being teachers, we had to change our name. As sad as I was to leave Teachers for Ta-Ta's behind (Tracy made quite an impression with all of those signs), we were happy to go back to the name of Tough Warrior Princesses which was the name of my team the first year I did the walk. When I was first diagnosed, a friend gave me a t-shirt that simply said, "tough warrior princess." The definition of a warrior princess is: "a strong female personality, determined in pursuit of her goals and often eager to take on typical 'man's work' like fighting wars or performing manual labor to accomplish those goals--when of a royal background, a woman warrior may be called a warrior princess." I think that sums it up pretty well.

So here we are, Tough Warrior Princesses, ready to do battle with a dreadful disease. The four of us will be meeting soon to take a team photo, share ideas, and discuss fund raising. I'll be sure to update you on our progress. In the mean time, if you care to donate, just click on the link on the side of this post. It will bring you directly to my 3Day page.

Thank you all for sharing in another 3Day journey!

Royally yours,
Sherri

DAY 3

2009-07-30T15:21:00.013-04:00

After an okay night's sleep, we woke at 5AM. We had to pack up all our gear, take down the tent, and eat breakfast before leaving camp. As we were packing, wouldn't you know it, it started to rain again. What is up with that? They told us sunny skies for Sunday! We debated whether to bring jackets, but opted for ponchos. If you bring ponchos then it doesn't rain. If you don't, then it does.

We crammed everything into our suitcases--it never fits as well on the way home as it does on the way there--and headed to breakfast. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns and cheese blintzes. By 7AM we were on the road.

Tracy was feeling great, and I was happy for that. I was definitely more sore than the day before--those hills did me in. We started off slowly, but were able to pick up the pace a little once my body stopped hurting. We started heading down Rte. 60 through Watertown and into Cambridge. No hills--Yay!!! It was an area I knew well, so it helped to gear how long it would take to get to pit stops. We continued through Harvard Square where it began to rain again. Ugh! I walked for about 10 minutes then decided to put my poncho on. The day was definitely not like Friday; it was hot and muggy, so the poncho stuck to my arms and legs. I couldn't take it; I would rather be wet. So in to the trash it went, which is a very risky move. I, however, felt confident with my actions.

Cambridge City Hall brought some great fans, as only Cambridge can.

While stopping to take a photo, I noticed a woman carrying the "my neighbor" flag. I immediately went up to her. I had to have that flag. I currently have 2 extremely strong neighbors, Sandy and Patty (I have mentioned them before), who both recently finished treatment. This walk was for them as well. I had to have that sign! The woman carrying it was kind enough to pass it on to me. Yay!

Shortly after, we entered the campus of MIT where the Youth Corp had the best cheering yet. While at that pit stop I looked at the flags waiting to be carried, and there was "myself." I had to carry it; even though it was very breezy, it was calling my name. I picked it up, and on we went.

We crossed the Mass Ave. bridge, too in awe of the sights to bother to count the smoots. From there we traveled up the center of Comm. Ave. and into the Public Gardens. It was beautiful, and shady. After the next pit stop we headed toward Downtown Crossing, but not before stopping for Tracy to take a picture in front the Park St. church which is where her friend Bridgette's mass was. Bridgette was one of the main reasons that Tracy walked.

From Downtown Crossing we continued into Southie. Still no hills, and we were both feeling great. I am sure that Tracy got sick of me telling her to drink, and asking her if she was okay, but she was going to have to deal with it. I did not want to finish this alone.

As we arrived at lunch down by the water, Tracy's friend Nilda and her husband Sean were there to cheer us on. Nilda is also a survivor. I had heard so much about her, it was great to finally meet her. They hung out with us at lunch and decided to walk with us for a while after--which ended up being right up until the end. It made those last 3 miles fly by.

Upon leaving lunch we met up with the "Honey, I'm Home" guy. He is an older gentleman, who has been doing the walk for the last 6 years. His daughter passed away from breast cancer, and his wife is currently battling cancer. Every time he walks into a pit stop, lunch, or camp, he yells, "Honey, I'm home!" at the top of his lungs. Everyone immediately responds with a hearty cheer. We were talking with him about how great it was that he did this. Come to find out, he lives in Amesbury! Can you believe it? How funny.

When we were one mile from camp, I called Andy to let him know that we would be on our way. Upon reaching UMASS, we said good-bye to Nilda and Sean, and started the journey in. It is so emotional. There are just lines and lines of people cheering you on, many of whom you have seen all along the way. I frantically began looking for my family, and found them quickly as my kids almost knocked me over as they ran toward me. I looked at Andy who was filming, then looked at the sign he was holding. Remember I said he made great signs? Well, this exceeded all expectations. It was a small sign with a large heart in the middle. The words on the sign simply said, "In sickness and in health." I just lost it. Wow, that said it all.

When I got myself together we headed up further and saw Tracy's family. Her mom and sister were volunteering that day, so they were there. Her kids raced to her as well. As we looked over, we saw Tommy's signs--they were awesome!

These signs are so them--I loved them!

Walking a little further we walked through the the large blow up signs which are posted at Opening, Closing, and at camp. This feels like a finish line, but actually isn't.

It was here that I found my parents. After grabbing a few photos, Tracy and I got scanned and grabbed our victory shirts--pink for survivors, white for walkers. I immediately took off my sneakers and put on my Birkenstocks. Only one teeny blister--not too bad for one day of complete rain. My feet felt so much better compared to the year before. After that we just sat and waited for Closing Ceremonies to start. I hung out with my parents for a few and just relaxed.

The whole time I was sitting there, I was scanning the crowd for my friend Patty. She said she would be at Closing, but there were so many people. I was never going to be able to find her. Just as we were getting ready to line up, I spot her. You can't imagine the feeling that rushed over me. Patty has had a difficult year, and this walk was for her. I just hugged her and didn't want to let go. We were cut short because I had to go line up, but it still meant the world to see her there. Thanks Patty! You're the best!

I walked over to line up with survivors, and Tracy went with the rest of the walkers. That is the only problem with the 3Day. You give so much of yourself to finish, only to be separated into two categories at the end. For the past two years I wish I had someone close by my side in the Survivor Circle. The ceremony is such a tear-fest, it would be nice to have your friend on whom to wipe your nose. Another surprising fact about this year's Closing is that it was significantly smaller than last year. I think there were about 3000 walkers last year, and this year there were only 1600. Economy? Probably. We still raised over $4 million for breast cancer research. Not too shabby for 3 day's worth of work.

I arrived home to balloons and a plant on my porch--thanks Katie! and signs and a basket full of goodies from my family. I was so happy to be home. I immediately showered and my mom and dad came by to hear all about the details of the weekend. Last year Mom and Dad presented me with a beautiful ring to commemorate my walk; it has 3 small diamonds to represent the 3 days. This year they gave me the earrings to match. There is still a necklace--next year?

Later that night I called Patty because our time together was cut short. I thanked her for coming and asked her what she thought. She agreed that it was very emotional. The 3Day just sucks you in. I think I may get that necklace next year, and I won't be standing alone in the Survivor Circle.

Ta-Ta for now!

DAY 2

2009-07-27T17:03:00.017-04:00

I woke up on Day 2 feeling pretty well. I had a decent night's sleep--I had the tent to myself. I wasn't really sore, had no blisters, and my plantar fasciitis was not bothering me. I was, however, a little leery of what the day had in store. The staff of the 3Day had told us about a hill between pit stop 1 and 2 that was a bear. They were offering shuttle rides up it. What does that tell you? You're not even 5 miles into the walk, and they are offering you a ride. To me, that was pretty concerning. I'll be honest, the fact that Tracy was not there had me concerned as well. She called me that morning to wish me luck and told me to keep her updated on my status so that she could meet me at the cheering stations. I got up, got dressed, and headed to breakfast.

As soon as I walked out of my tent I heard someone calling my name. It was Helen, the secretary from my kids' school. I know Helen pretty well because I am in the school all the time. I knew she was doing the walk, but I never had a chance to look for her at camp because I was at Medical with Trace. Helen is an 11 year survivor and has done the 3Day every year for the last 4 years. She has traveled to San Diego and Tampa to do it there as well. She was even in the survivor circle at Opening and Closing.

Helen was walking with her daughter Lisa, and I was thrilled to have found someone that I knew. Helen said she had looked for me all night on Friday. I explained to her what happened and she asked me to join them as they walked. After scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and some coffee, we headed out of camp around 7AM. The weather was much better--no ponchos or jackets were needed.

As we started walking I realized something--Helen and Lisa walk really fast. It was good, for a while. Then we encountered "the hill." The hill was actually Belmont Hill. Upon looking at it, I almost cried. How am I ever going to make it up this? It went on and on. You all know how much I love hills. I just put one foot in front of the other and kept going. When we got to the top, we turned to the left and the hill continued, not like the first, but a hill nonetheless. There were several spectators at the top handing out candy and freeze pops. (Point of interest: If you are ever on the route of a long walk and wish to provide "goodies" for participants, frozen chocolate, frozen grapes, watermelon, and freeze pops are general favorites.)

We continued walking for a bit and ended up on Route 2 in the Belmont/Arlington area. We had a beautiful view of Boston. Those of you who have ridden that road know the view I am talking about. It was hard to believe that we were going to be walking all the way over there. It was pretty amazing to think about it.

Continuing on, we walked through Arlington and into Woburn. There was a cheering station posted on the website as being at mile 15.3, but it was actually at mile 11.5. My mom and dad were bringing the girls and planning to meet us at it (Zach was had a playoff game), but were not able to make it because they were expecting me to arrive there an hour and a half later. Fortunately they were able to meet me at lunch, about a mile up the road. I actually think that was better than a cheering station. I felt I was able to spend about 30 minutes with them and didn't feel guilty.

Lunch was a chicken caesar wrap which is something I generally love, but I hardly ate any of it. I didn't say anything at the time, but I was not feeling too well. I felt nauseous, and I felt like Gatorade was sloshing around in my stomach. Maybe I was drinking too much. I knew I had to eat something, so I just ate a little. (Side note: When you partake in an event like this you have to eat constantly. Every 2-3 miles you should be consuming 32oz. of fluid, preferably Gatorade, and eating something with salt. At each pit stop there would be pb&j sandwiches, peanuts, bagels w/cream cheese, bananas, oranges, cheese sticks, carrots, pretzels, chips, granola bars, animal crackers, and I think that I ate all of them at one point.)

We continued 4 miles to Lexington Green for our next cheering station. It seemed that the entire day so far was uphill. I don't understand how you can walk uphill so much, and down so little. I still wasn't feeling great, but I cut back on my water intake and started to feel a little better. I had been talking with Tracy, and I knew she was going to be there and AZ was going to be there with all the kids. It was definitely motivating. As I arrived I saw the whole gang including my brother-in-law and my newest sister-in-law all the way up from CT! How awesome is that? The signs that AZ made were amazing, but Tracy's just cracked me up.

All three little girls were handing out stickers which everyone collects along the way. I told Helen and her daughter that I would see them at camp and stayed with my family for about 20 minutes. It was only 5.5 miles after that, and I could do that by myself. I had a freeze pop, took my sneakers off for a few, and relaxed. Shortly after, I was ready to go. It was 3 miles to the next cheering station, and I knew my family would be there again. John and Jen watched the kids, and Andy walked with me through Lexington Center. We then said good-bye and I was on my way.

As I walked I talked to a few people. The terrain was flat, so I was happy. Up ahead I could see a sign on a telephone pole. As I got closer I realized that it was a sign for me. My eyes filled with tears. Tracy had gone ahead on the route and posted it so that she could be with me the whole day. Who does that? Only an unbelievable person.

Not far after that AZ and the kids were on the side of the road with squirt bottles trying to keep us cool. The pit stop was only a mile after that. I can do this.

Along the way I found more signs from Tracy.

As I rounded into the the final pit stop/cheering station for Day 2, I again saw my family sitting there, but there was someone else with them. I wasn't wearing my glasses, so it was difficult for me to see who it was at first. Imagine my surprise when I saw Kaitlyn, my former student from when I taught at Waltham High. Kaitlyn and I had a very close relationship when she was in my class, and we have kept in touch for the last 9 years. Talk about a powerful moment.

I again found Tracy and she told me that she had ridden the rest of the route and there was a terrible hill. Kaitlyn and I knew the hill she was talking about and Kaitlyn said she wouldn't walk up that hill on a regular day. Yikes! How was I going to make it? Tracy said there was no shame in sweeping, but I was so close--2.5 miles left. I would just take it slowly.

I said good-bye to my family for the final time that day and journeyed forward. Trace was heading to camp to get cleared by Medical so she could walk tomorrow. She looked so much better than she had. She had her color and energy back. I knew they were going to clear her, and we would be able to cross that finish line together.

As I approached the hill I knew it was going to be a tough one--The Pink Angels were there. The Pink Angels are the biggest team in the Boston Breast Cancer 3Day. They have a huge fan base, a man who dresses up as an angel, another who dresses as Cleopatra with pink hair, and just tons of people cheering you on. They always locate themselves in a critical spot, exactly where walkers need the most support. On Day 1 they placed themselves right before you entered into camp.

I trudged on up the hill, knowing I only had a mile left. There continued to be signs from Tracy, one that was absolutely hysterical about the effects of cussing as walking up ginormous hills. At the top of the hill I met Michelle whose teammate had already made it back to camp. Michelle had cancer twice, Hodgkins and thyroid, and was walking for a friend. We found out our tents were right by each other. We had an enjoyable conversation which helped pass the time until we reached our goal.

Walking into camp, Men with Heart was there cheering us on. They are a large all-male team that travel all around the country doing the 3Day. There are actually 3 men who do all 15 walks! Imagine having to raise $34,500!?!

As soon as I passed them and turned the corner, there was Tracy, wearing her credentials and carrying ice in one hand and water in the other. I was thrilled to be reunited and even more thrilled that she would be able to walk with me tomorrow. I showed her to our tent where we relaxed for a few before I headed over to the showers.

At the showers I was greeted by the self-proclaimed "shower Nazi" from Medical. I guess that several people had passed out in the showers that day and we all needed to be cleared by a nurse. I had to list everything that I had consumed in the last hour before I was allowed in. When you arrive to the showering area there are rows and rows of chairs. You move up one by one until you reach the coveted inner circle of 5 chairs, the ones closest to the showers. When a stall is available you walk up the steps into the truck to a changing area. Inside are also 8 individual shower stalls. It is similar to a locker room set up, but on a much smaller scale. The showers are actually pretty good--warm with decent water pressure. Outside the truck are portable sinks with mirrors used to wash your face and brush your teeth.

After showering we headed over to 3Day Main Street. There is a 3Day store, a post office, massage tent, camp chairs to relax in, and the 3Day Cafe. This is where you get the legacy pins I have spoken of before. Tracy and I got our "power team" pins, she got her 3K and I got my 5K. We were hoping to receive the tent decorating one, but they gave it to a much lamer tent--everyone told us we got robbed. It was here that we met the Energizer bunny, one of the sponsors for the event. You can see bunny ears in some of our photos.

From there we walked over to the large tent where there is entertainment while you eat dinner. Dinner was chicken picatta, rice, broccoli, and salad. At 7, the main festivities start. On Saturday night there is a game show based on breast cancer facts. It is actually pretty funny. Then there is a tent folding demonstration where the cutest guy is picked to demonstrate and he "conveniently" needs to bend over facing the audience. The poor guy. The finals of the "Rock Star" (karaoke) competition are also that night. After that there are a few people who speak about why they walk. It is pretty emotional. Then Youth Corp stands up and speaks. Youth Corp is the most amazing group of kids. They are ages 10-15, and they act as crew for the walk. They sleep in tents, they run pit stops, they cheer us on, and they have to raise $500! Each and every kid has a reason to be there, and when they share their stories there is not a dry eye around. Many of them have been doing it for years, and are just waiting for when they are old enough to walk. Zach is in awe of these kids and has expressed an interest in doing it next year. We'll see.

The evening ends with a dance party. Yes, you heard correctly. After walking 42 miles we have a dance party, and believe it or not, almost everyone dances. This year they started the night off with men only on the stage. They were all such good sports. Ladies joined in shortly after and danced until the late hour of 9PM, when it is lights out.

All in all it was a good day.

Ta-Ta for now!

DAY ONE

2009-07-27T14:02:00.015-04:00

DAY ONE: As everyone in the Boston area knows, Friday we awoke to a Nor'easter--pouring rains and whipping winds--not the best day for a 20 mile walk. Andy drove me to Framingham where we picked up Tracy. Once we arrived at the start, we had to drop off our luggage and then walk back to Opening Ceremonies, through the pouring rain and puddles. We were soaked to the core before the walk even started. It was also freezing to boot! After an emotional Opening Ceremonies, we were on our way. It was 3.3 miles to the first pit stop--no problem. Other than the rain, we were doing fabulous. The rest of the morning continued without event--easy walking, more rain. The forecast said that it would stop by 9 or 10AM, but it didn't until around 2ish. We walked out of Framingham, through Wellesley and past the first cheering station. There was hardly anyone there. Again, the rain. By the time we reached lunch in Newton, I was feeling good. I had changed my socks twice and the rain was really letting up. After Tracy and I finished eating, she said to meet her at the beverage tent. I headed over there, and there was no Tracy. I start looking all around--still no Tracy. Where is she? Did I get the location wrong? I decided to call her. Thank God for cell phones. She answers her phone, "I'm in the Medical tent. I'm fine, just a little dehydrated. Don't worry." OMG! She was fine when I left her. What happened? When I got to the tent she told me that when she stood up she didn't feel well. She walked over to the beverage tent and asked for some Gatorade. As she talked, she realized she was slurring her words. She was smart enough to walk right over to Medical. How could Tracy be dehydrated? She was drinking. She laid down on a cot and had something to drink. After resting for a few, she felt much better and was back on route. Crisis momentarily averted.

Shortly after we came upon the next cheering station where my dear friend and former colleague Margery was waiting. Margery was like my Mom-At-Work before she retired. She was a sounding board, and a truly supportive friend. It meant tons to me that she came out to cheer us on. Thanks Margery! Tracy's family was there as well. One of the best things about this station was that some our Connections students, many of whom have significant special needs, made us a stupendous sign. The kids were there themselves, but because we were later than expected arriving at the cheering station, they had to leave. Nicky, one of the Connections Facilitators was also there with her daughter and two huge pink ribbon balloons. It was just the boost we needed to finish our last 7 miles.

I forgot to mention that during the 3Day there are 18 flags that are carried throughout the entire route. They say things like, My Mother, My Wife, My Sister, Friends, Celebrations, Anniversaries, Love, Commitment, Joy, and there are many others. Last year it was very difficult to get a flag. This year I was able to get several. On Day 1 I was able to carry the Love flag. I asked Tracy if she wanted it after and she said, "No way! I did my share of carrying flags in the color guard."

After lunch, the weather finally started to break. We had passed through Newton and were headed into Waltham. We were doing well. Tracy's legs were still a little crampy, but she was feeling better. We found out that morning that we were camping at Gann Academy in Waltham. It is a private Jewish high school, with a gorgeous facility. I can't imagine how much it costs to go there. Of course, Gann is located at the top of a hill--an almost mile long hill.

Tracy was starting to feel worse again, but she was such a trooper. She made it all 19.7 miles into camp. This is when everything started to go downhill.

After coming out of the restroom Tracy said she needed to lay down. I asked her if she wanted to go to Medical. She insisted that she was fine and just needed a few minutes. I told her I would go get our gear and the tent. I came back to check on her and she was still not feeling well. She said she needed a few more minutes and that she still did not need to go to Medical. That Tracy is a stubborn one! I told her I would set up the tent and be back in a few. When I returned she looked worse and I told her she needed to see someone. She finally agreed, but was not able to walk over. I went and got someone and they came over with a golf cart. They immediately started an IV and brought her over to the Medical tent. They told me that I could go over with her. Before I joined her, I went back and decorated the tent. I knew that the tent decorating was important to her, and it didn't look like she was going to be able to do it. Plus I thought seeing a picture might cheer her up. The tent came out awesome and everyone kept telling me that night that we were going to win the tent decorating contest. That would really help to boost Tracy up.

When I arrived back at Medical, Tracy was on her second bag of fluid. Her blood pressure was low and all of her stats were out of whack. She was drinking during the day so it was confusing to everyone why she was so dehydrated. Looking back it may have been her gall bladder, and she was also on an antibiotic. Her body was just not in its usual state.

I had to eat so I grabbed my dinner and brought it back to eat with her. Before I finished my spaghetti she was onto her third bag of fluid and had developed the shakes; she was starting to go into shock. It was time. They had to take her to the ER. This meant that she would be "red-carded." Red-carded is when they take your credentials away and place a red card in it's place. This means you are no longer allowed to walk. They told Tracy once she was released from the ER, she would need to be cleared by the 3Day Medical Team and then she would be able to walk again. They told her she would probably not be able to walk on Saturday. In true Tracy fashion, her primary concern was me walking alone. Did she not know that there are 1599 other people on the route? I assured her that I would be fine and that she needed to get better for Sunday, because that was the day that mattered. I really wanted her crossing that finish line with me. She was so strong and her smile never left her face, even as she was being wheeled out on a gurney.

Once Tracy was gone I finally went to shower. At this point it was after 7 and I had to wait over an hour. The good thing about it is that I met some great women, many of which asked me to walk with them. That is the thing about the 3Day. I think you need to be a special kind of person to sacrifice the amount of time and energy it takes to complete something like this. Everyone is so friendly and caring.

After showering I got my mail, read it, cried, and called Tracy to check on her. She was released from the ER at 9:30 after 3.5 liters of fluid. Holy cow! Tomorrow was going to be a new day.

Ta-Ta for now!

Hooray for us!

2009-07-27T09:12:00.006-04:00

Well, yes, we did it! It was an eventful weekend to say the least. "How do ya like them apples?" was the theme for the weekend. Teachers for Ta-Ta's was well-known by the end of the event. We had the best apples around.

I will be including some photos, but I will post more on my facebook page. I guess the best way to tell you about our adventure is to do a day by day blog. So...onto to day one!

Feelin' the Love

2009-07-23T22:13:00.004-04:00

As I sit here listening to the rain fall, I am thinking that I really should be in bed now, but I wanted to get one more post in before I head off on 60 miles of joy, inspiration, courage, determination, and every other emotion that you can think of. I have been bombarded by words of encouragement from all over the country--CT, NY, FA, IL and even CA! I have the best friends ever!

I finished packing a few hours ago, and managed to get everything into my suitcase. My air mattress and sleeping bag are strapped to the outside. I don't think that it weighs over 35lbs., but it could be close. After that, the girls and I gave ourselves pedicures, hot pink of course. It was nice to have some special time with them. Even though I see them every day during the walk, I still really miss them. The weather tomorrow is supposed to be cold, so I am still trying to decide what to wear to walk--yoga pants or running skirt. What do you think?

All I can hear is the wind and rain outside. Damn, this nor'easter! It better stop raining by tomorrow morning. Don't they know we are trying to cure breast cancer? Mother Nature, could you at least cut us a break?

Considering I must get up at 3:15AM tomorrow, I would like to say, again, how grateful I am to have friends like all of you. You have shared so much of yourselves with me through your support. I truly appreciate it! You have helped Tracy and me raise over $9000 for breast cancer research. That is pretty amazing.

We hope to see you along the route this weekend, but if not, we know that you will be there in spirit. Be sure to check Tracy's blog for the latest updates.

Lastly, if you are local to me, check out The Daily News on Friday. My friend Courtney wrote an article about me, my experience with cancer, and my 3Day journey. I am looking forward to reading it.

Love to All! Ta-Ta for now!

The Power of Dance

2009-07-22T23:02:00.009-04:00

This will be my second to last blog before the walk. I will try to write tomorrow night, but it may be short because I need to be well-rested. I have to leave my house by 4Am on Friday. Once the walk starts, be sure to check Tracy's blog for updates.

I'm sure you are all wondering about my tooth. Well, I am fine. I got up early to call the dentist, which doesn't open until 10:00 on Wednesday; I had no idea. Dr. Balboa was able to squeeze me in at 11:45. When I arrived, they did an x-ray and didn't see anything. He did say that I may be brushing too hard and told me to use Sensodyne toothpaste. He also suggested that I bring some Advil on my walk in case it is something else. Great--one more issue to be concerned about. Seriously though, it seems to be feeling better.

As I said in my last post, my dentist is in Newton. Being out that way I decided to swing by Bentley to see if I could see camp. I am still obsessed with finding out where camp is. I drove through my old stomping grounds--I used to work at Waltham High--but I didn't see a thing as I rode by Bentley. I was stunned. I really thought that camp was there. I know for a fact that it is some place in the 02452 zip code of Waltham, so I started driving around. I didn't see anything. I thought maybe Brandeis, but that is 02453. Anyone have any ideas? It has to be some place where we can go inside in case we have inclement weather, which is not going to happen this year. I am willing it not to. My husband says to get over it. I guess I will just have to wait until Friday like everyone else.

I don't think everyone is doing the weather dance that I have asked of you. Friday looks yucky. I am not looking forward to walking through puddles. That is the worst. My plan is to bring two extra pairs of socks on the first day. If it does rain, Tracy and I will look cute in our matching windbreakers. Yes, I found out when I went to her house the other day, that our jackets match. Talk about a cohesive team.

Early this evening was spent finishing t-shirts for the weekend. Then I sat down to watch So You Think You Can Dance? It is my favorite TV show. I danced for many years, and I live vicariously through these dancers. Tonight I watched a performance like I have never seen before. It brought me to tears. I can't help but write about it. Melissa and Ade, two of my favorites, danced a contemporary routine about a woman battling breast cancer. Melissa is an exquisite ballerina and the oldest contestant on the show--I feel she just has a maturity and elegance about her. Ade is a hulking man who just exudes strength. When the performance started, Melissa was on stage with a gorgeous silk scarf on her head in shades of blue and purple. She looked absolutely stunning. Seeing her reminded me of that year in my life when the bolder the scarf the better. They danced the routine beautifully, Melissa trusting Ade as she leaped into his arms, feeding off of his strength. At one point she began beating on his chest which made me recall many nights when I felt like doing just that. It was so emotional that I called Andy in from the other room to watch it again. I don't think I have ever been moved so much by a piece of artistry. The raw emotions that I could feel were ones that I have not felt in some time. I hope that you take the time to watch it, because it is truly amazing. It was another indicator that I should continue to fight to find a cure for breast cancer. It lifted me up, and inspired me. It gave me the strength to walk my sixty miles.

Ta-Ta for now!

The Countdown Begins

2009-07-21T21:06:00.009-04:00

Well, I have finally recovered from my daughters' birthday camp out. After postponing it a day, the weather cooperated, and the kids loved it. It was a great group of girls. For many of them, this was their first sleepover. We started the evening by going on our inflatable water slide, Banzai Falls. The girls enjoyed it so much that the screaming could be heard at my friend's house down the street and around the corner! Sorry again, Kathleen! After they got changed, they ate pizza and started their crafts--making camp visors and bug catchers. Shortly after that we had a special visit from the Seacoast Scarlet Divas when they arrived to take our flamingos away. Confused? The Divas, part of the Red Hat Society, are doing a fundraiser for the local Relay for Life. If you make a donation, they will come after dark and place 2 dozen flamingos on your front lawn with a sign saying, "You've been flocked!" My mom thought it would be great for the girls to wake up the day after the camp out to a yard full of flamingos. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and the camp out was postponed. The kids were still surprised when they woke up in the morning, and it was great that we got to take pictures with the Divas. It was definitely a highlight. After the Divas left, the girls had a bug hunt, continued with cake, ice cream, and presents, on to roasting marshmallows, and ended the night with sparklers and a dance party. Everyone was asleep by 11:00, which I didn't think was too bad. Andy and I had a 2 person tent that we were sleeping in next to the girls in case anyone needed us in the middle of the night. I bought a new fleece sleeping bag for the 3Day and thought it was a great time to test it. Laying down to go to sleep at around 12:30AM reminded me how much I hate air mattresses. I have a queen sized one, and every time Andy rolled over I got jostled around. Trace, I hope you don't roll around a lot in your sleep! It took a while to fall asleep, only to be woken up by Andy changing positions. Once I was awake, I realized that I was cold. Laying there for the next hour I kept thinking about how much I wished I had my regular sleeping bag. I tried everything, and was still not able to stay warm. I had really hoped that this sleeping bag would work out well because it is so small. The packaging said 50 degrees, and it was only about 60. At 3AM I turned to Andy and said, "This sleeping bag sucks. I'm freezing. I'm sleeping in a tent all next weekend. I'm going in the house. You can stay out here." He just said okay, and into the house I went. I got a good 3 hours of sleep before the girls woke just before 6AM. I am sure this made for some cranky kids the next day, but I really feel it was worth it. All the kids were saying how much fun they had. Isn't that what it is all about? Our dear Maddie fell asleep on the couch watching a video the next day. She slept for over an hour and was still exhausted after soccer.

After going to bed early last night I have recovered. I woke up this morning thinking that I can't believe the 3Day is only 3 days, well almost 2 days away! With it being a month earlier this year, it has come up so quickly. My girls kept asking when we were going to make signs. As I have said before, my kids really enjoy this event. Last year we had some of the best signs--just check out my earlier blog "Here's to Hallmark Holidays." This year will be no different, so it was off to get poster board early this morning. Zach was thrilled when a friend called, and he didn't need to partake in sign making. He is so not into anything crafty. He dislikes painting, drawing or anything artistic. To the girls this was going to be an exciting day--paint, markers, stencils--what could be better? We worked on signs for quite a while. They are outstanding, and made with love. Again, however, they are top secret until after the event.

The last point I would like to bring up is something that I have mentioned before. You have heard both Tracy and me say that when something happens to one of us, the other sits there waiting for something to happen to them. When I read Tracy's last blog I could not believe that she had ANOTHER gallbladder attack. She was right, I immediately thought it was the black beans. When I talked to her later that day, she assured me that she was feeling better and she would not eat anything with oil or with bubbles. We joked about her gallbladder and my foot, and everything that we had to overcome during training. So this is where the something to me comes in--nothing major, but a pain nonetheless--I think I have a cavity. I just had a dentist appointment a few months ago, but a tooth on my left side is bothering me. I initially thought I would wait until after the walk, but it seems to be getting worse. Tomorrow morning will probably be spent driving down to Newton to have my tooth fixed. Exciting, huh. I keep thinking it could be worse.

Ta-Ta for now!

Tents, T-Shirts, and Ten Miles

2009-07-19T06:54:00.008-04:00

What a fun day yesterday! I had hoped to write this blog last night, but really needed to spend some time with Andy--it was our 11th anniversary, and I unfortunately was gone the entire day. He is such a great guy--he completely understood that what I was doing was really important to me.

I got up early yesterday, much earlier than I have been, and made the trek down to Framingham to Tracy's. We made a plan to walk our last 10 miler, decorate t-shirts, and figure out how we were going to win the tent decorating contest. I arrived around 9AM ready to walk. Upon leaving her house Tracy asked where I wanted the hill, at the beginning or the end. Knowing me as she does, I am sure that she assumed it would be at the beginning--and it was. I still hate hills and wanted to get it over as soon as possible. The hill that she was talking about was the one in her Finding New Motivation blog. It is definitely bigger in real life; the pictures do not give it the respect that it deserves! But, because Tracy is my friend, we went in the other direction, so the hill was not as bad. Along the 10 mile route we only stopped twice--once for Powerade, and once at Stop & Shop for the restroom. It was a really great walk. The weather started very murky, "pea soup" as Tracy called it, but then it began to burn off and became sunny and hot. Upon arriving back at Tracy's house I cooled off in the A/C--thanks for leaving it on Tommy, and jumped in the shower while Tracy made me one of her amazing salads. It was so yummy. You see, after I walk I am disgusting. I am always hot and sweaty. It doesn't matter if it is warm or cold out. I am convinced that my dear friend Tracy does not have sweat glands. She can walk in any type of clothing and not get hot. The only downfall is that it makes for more restroom trips because she doesn't sweat it out. After yesterday I now know where the bathrooms are in Michael's, and A.C. Moore in Natick.

After lunch we headed out for tent decorating supplies. But first, Tracy wanted to take me by the place where Opening Ceremonies are. It is literally .76 miles from her house! I will be meeting her at her house around 5:30AM on Friday and we will follow each other over. As we pulled up to the site, we saw everything. The stage is already set up, and there are several trailers with giant 3Day signs on them. "Holy Crap!" to quote Tracy. This event is Friday!

After a few deep breaths, we went to the craft store to find decorations for our tent. Have you ever tried to decorate a tent? It is really difficult, because there is no place to hang anything. Not only do I have to decorate one on Friday, but I have to do it for my daughters' birthday camp-out tonight! Luckily Tracy and I have some great ideas. We don't want to give away any secrets, but our tent is going to be awesome. We'll be sure to post lots of photos. Anyone have any ideas for tonight's tent decorating extravaganza?

The rest of the afteroon was spent designing t-shirts. The challenging part of designing t-shirts is our team name--Teacher's for Ta-Ta's. I have already had the discussion with my almost 10 year old son that the only time it is appropriate to call breasts "ta-ta's" is during the 3Day. He just giggled the way any other boy his age would. On the shirts for my parents and Andy, it was okay to put our team name, but we wanted to be sure to have a design that was a little more adult and classy. We didn't really want to put our team name on the kids' shirts, because they would not be able to wear them again, so we spent a lot of time figuring out what to do. Tracy is so good on the computer, and was able to put all of our ideas together. Both sets of shirts are fabulous and appropriate too.

Our t-shirts--definitely NOT appropriate! I can't imagine wearing it any place other than the 3Day, for fear of being thrown in jail--JK. I cannot wait to be able to post a photo of them. They are absolutely hysterical. Tracy and I could not stop laughing the whole time we were making them.

I didn't end up heading home until just before 7. AZ and I didn't get to go out for dinner, but were able to relax on the couch. He even watched Twilight with me. Those of you who know Edward Cullen realize how sweet my husband is to let me spend the evening watching him. I think I'll keep him for another few years, at least.

My hope is to try and write a blog every day this week. My wise words for today: If you ever get the opportunity to come to the 3Day you should--especially this year to cheer us on. The things that people wear are a riot. Mind you, it is not a place for the modest. There are boobs everywhere! It is a total blast--my kids think it is the best. More importantly, it is very moving--something that should be experienced at least once. Hope to see you there!

Ta-Ta for now!

$5000!!!

2009-07-16T17:40:00.009-04:00

Yippee! Thanks to all of my wonderful donors, today I cleared the $5000 mark! With the economy the way it is, I knew I would never raise the amount that I did last year ($7,600), but I am so excited to have raised this much. When I set my goal for this year, I set it for $3000--more than what I had to raise, but not so much that I wouldn't be able to achieve it. Once I rounded the $4000 bend, I secretly wished that I would make it to $5000. Once you reach 5K you receive a special legacy pin that you can wear during the walk. I know it sounds silly, but I really wanted that pin again. In all of my life I never thought that I would raise over $12,000 for something, but when it is your childrens' future that could possibly be at stake, you do whatever it takes.

The past few days were spent getting last minute things for next week. Yesterday I went to the tent sale at the New Balance Factory Store in Lawrence. They were having some great deals! 25% off the entire store. I got 3 shirts, a running skirt, and 2 pair of shorts all for $63! What a bargain.

Today I went up to the Kittery Trading Post and Dick's Sporting Goods. As I said in my last blog, this year I am using a windbreaker instead of a poncho. I was hoping to not have to use anything, but as of now, Friday doesn't look great. I know that it is truly too far out to predict, but I am obsessed with weather.com these days. Because I am using a jacket, I needed a new fanny pack, that is a bit bigger than the one I used last year. Finding a "lumbar" pack, as they are called, is no easy task. Most are either too big or too small. I think I have searched every website and still have not found exactly what I am looking for. You don't realize all that you have to carry on the walk. Here is a partial list: water bottle--to be refilled alternately with Gatorade every 2-3 miles, sunscreen--needs to be applied several times a day, Body Glide--to protect from blisters and chafing, socks--must be changed at lunch time, windbreaker--for those pop-up thunderstorms that New England is famous for, Band-aids--for the blisters you will get from the thunderstorms, moleskin--also for the blisters, because Band-aids won't stay on your feet when they start to sweat, scissors--to cut the moleskin, powder--to dry your feet from the sweat, cell phone--to call your friends and family to tell them you are approaching a cheering station, camera--to have your family take pictures of you and your sweaty teammates at the cheering stations, money--for iced coffee and ice cream, wipes--to clean your hands before eating the ice cream, identification--so everyone knows who you are, and lastly, insurance card--we don't want to go there. So, when I do my training walks, I have a smaller pack that I use; however, that pack is not big enough for the 3Day. Today, I found a pack that I think will suffice. It is similar to a regular fanny pack, except I purchased a water bottle holder to put on the belt of it. This is what I did last year and it seemed to work out well. I hope the same goes for this year.

At Dick's I purchased a sports bra, hat, capris and a wicking shirt. I didn't get the deal that I got at New Balance. Tracy and I are planning to get together in the next few days to decorate our shirts. Since we are Teachers for Ta-Ta's. our theme is, "How you like them apples?" Get it? I personally think it is very funny. On the first night of camp the 3Day staff give out an award for the best decorated tent--another pin that I really want. Tracy and I have some great ideas, and we are really hoping to win this one. From past experience, I think we have a shot. We'll be sure to post photos after the event.

The last item that I bought was a fleece sleeping bag. It packs up much smaller than a typical one, and chances are that it is not going to get below 55 degrees. Packing for the 3Day is an absolute nightmare! Your bag should not weigh more than 30 lbs. For those of you who fly, you understand this; however, when you fly you usually do not have a queen sized air mattress and pump in your bag. They are really heavy! You also need to have your sleeping bag and pillow either in your bag or attached to it; but, you cannot use bungee cords--they are a big no-no. The 3Day recommends that you use a duffle bag instead of something with wheels. Tried it and was miserable. Bringing the wheeled suitcase this year. Tracy has been generous enough to take the pump and put it in her bag. We also need to bring 2 tarps--one for over the tent, and one for under, and the typical--clothes, toiletries, second pair of sneakers, and flip-flops; however, this year for me it will be Birkenstocks. The kicker about all this, is that if it rains before you get back to camp on the first day, your luggage is sitting in the rain. The staff will eventually try to cover it with a tarp if it is going to rain for a long time, but it is strongly recommended that you pack everything in Ziploc bags inside your gear bag. My teammates tried it last year and fortunately none of their stuff got wet even though it poured.

Now that I got all of my gear out of the way, it is time to focus on family stuff again. On Saturday Andy and I will celebrate our 11th anniversary. I can't believe it. I so vividly remember the first day we met, but that is a story for another time. We were supposed to celebrate by having 10 of our daughters' closest friends sleep out in our back yard for their birthday camp-out--another reason I have been checking weather.com. I really don't know what I was thinking sleeping in a tent two weekends in a row. Unfortunately, or fortunately, due to the weather, that has been changed to Sunday. Maybe AZ and I will get to go out for dinner or something after all.

Ta-ta for now!

Anticipation

2009-07-13T12:51:00.009-04:00

Just yesterday my cousin looked at my calendar hanging on the door and couldn't believe how many things we have going on. Every single night it is something. Since Zach made All-Stars, he has a baseball game every night except Tuesday, never mind soccer with the other two. The girls had their seventh birthday on Saturday, and my dad's was on Sunday. So again, here's another excuse for not writing. One would think that because I am not working, I would be able to write more, but unfortunately that has not been the case. I have had to take on a new job at times. You all know that Andy coaches baseball, well, he has also coached the girls' soccer team for the last two years. This year, with All-Stars, there have been some conflicts between baseball and soccer; thus, Sherri acts as Asst. soccer coach for the girls' team, which is a hoot in itself, because I know very little about soccer other than you score goals--corner kicks, goal kicks--what's the difference? While I have been filling in for my hubby, my dear teammate has been writing up a storm. She has had so much to write about recently, especially in terms of her health. You should definitely check out Tracy's recent blogs. If you do that, then I won't need to write all about spectator information for the 3Day!

Good news is that my foot is feeling much better. Still not 100%, but about 90, which I can take. I went to the doctor today and he did give me a night splint like Andy has, and a prescription for steroids for the week of the walk. I am hoping that the steroids will not only help with my foot, but also the total body aches and pains which I am sure to experience this year, because I have not been able to train as hard. Last week I was able to turn it up a notch. I did a 10 mile walk, two 8 milers, and a 6 miler. Definitely not where I was last year at this time, but good enough so that I will be able to make it through. No sweep vans for us! On my first 8 miler last week, I walked in the rain--something I never did last year except for the day of the actual walk. I figured the chances of it raining during the 3Day this year were pretty good, so I needed to gear myself up. I had also gotten a new windbreaker, pink of course, and wanted to try it out. It worked out great. I didn't get too hot, and it kept me dry. I felt fantastic and didn't even stop at all. If it hadn't gotten dark, I would have kept going.

So the sometimes tedious training continues, even up until the very end, but the excitement for the actual event is really starting to get underway. When they posted the cheering stations the other day I got very excited. On the first day we are walking through Wellesley and Newton! These are places I know, not like Stoughton and Quincy last year. This means that maybe, just maybe, (hint, hint) some of our friends from Newton will come to cheer us on. You cannot imagine how motivating it is to see people supporting you. Ever since last year, I always honk at a group of walkers who are participating in an event--something I never did before. So, please, please, please make some signs and come out and see us!

Once I found out where the route was the first day, I began trying to find out where we were going to be camping. I can't stand surprises. My husband thinks I am crazy trying to figure out where we will be staying. "What's the big deal?" he says. What he doesn't understand is that when you are on mile 22 or 23 on Day 2 and you know how much further camp is, it makes that last mile much easier. See, the entire route is a secret because of security. This drives me crazy! Tracy has figured out that we will probably be walking the marathon route on the first day, on which she has been training for the last several months. This is huge! I think, but am not sure, that we will be camping at Bentley University. We know we are in a residential neighborhood, and are on Astro-turf--that's it, nothing else. The last cheering station on Day 1 is Newton, and the first on Day 2 is 7 miles from Bentley. On the second day, we usually do a loop ending back up at camp. The last cheering station on that day is in Lexington. It makes sense, doesn't it?

If you do decide to come out and cheer us on, we won't know exactly what time we will be arriving at the cheering station; however, Tracy, is hoping to send a mobile blog each morning of the walk to let people know of an approximate arrival time. She has even bought a battery charger for her phone. Can you believe it? She kills me! In the morning we will know how many miles it is to a cheering station, so we can estimate our time of arrival--obviously give or take a bit. Rest assured that I will not allow her to blog "en route" as it is strictly forbidden. So be sure to check her blog the morning of the walk.

Please start practicing your sun dances so that we have outstanding weather for our 3Day journey! It is right around the corner! 10 days and counting!

Ta-Ta for now! Off to coach soccer, LOL!

What the heel!?!

2009-06-06T09:18:00.008-04:00

First of all, disregard the date on this blog. Yes, I actually started it almost a month ago, but then life happened-- kid's school, PTA, finals, baseball playoffs, my brother-in-law's wedding. You know how it is. More about those later.

Plantar Fasciitis--you've all heard of it, what an annoyance it is, the orthotics that people wear, how much it hurts, etc. Well, I had too. For approximately the last three months, Andy has been complaining about his heel. I, like everyone else he mentioned it to, figured it must be plantar fasciitis. He fit the symptoms perfectly. He could barely walk when he woke up in the morning, and by the afternoon he was feeling much better. After much prodding, or as he refers to it "nagging," Andy went to to the doctor. We found out that plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia which is the connective tissue that supports your foot. It is my understanding that it runs from the heel of your foot to the ball. Keep in mind that I am not a medical professional, nor do I claim to be an expert on heel pain. This being an inflammation, the doctor prescribed steroids for Andy. My husband finished a round of steroids and was still hobbling around the house.

So...when my foot started to bother me after a 15 mile walk 2 weeks later, I began to ask more detailed questions about the exact location of his pain--was it a sharp shooting pain, or was it a dull, constant ache? Mine didn't seem anything like his, but when I woke up the next day, I could barely walk. I called my primary care doc and we thought it was probably a stress fracture. He referred me to an orthopedist later that day. At the appointment the orthopedist asked me if I had ever heard of plantar fasciitis. Duh? My husband has it! Duh again! Well, I do too! He took an x-ray just to be sure, gave me some steroids, told me not to walk for a few weeks, and sent me to physical therapy. The good this about this doctor is that I think he really understood that nothing was going to stop me from doing this walk. He said he would do what he could, so that I could complete it. When I came home and called Trace we were both happy that it was not a stress fracture. A few weeks of rest and I should be fine. I just won't be walking at the quick pace I was last year.

The worst part about the doctor's appointment was that he told me I cannot wear flip-flops. WTH! I love flip flops! I had even gotten some adorable "switch flops" where you can change the bands on them. No--he told me I should be wearing Danskos or Birkenstocks. All the women that I teach with wear Danskos and they swear by them. I could do Danskos. There are some really cute ones out there. Birkenstocks--not over my dead body! Even when they were popular, and I went to school in Vermont, I would not wear them. They are just way too "crunchy" for me. So it was off to Red's Shoe Barn to get some sandals. There was absolutely no way I was going to wear sneakers all summer.

Upon entering the store, I immediately gravitated toward the Danskos; they were cuter, and they were pretty comfortable. I just have a difficult time paying $100 for sandals. That is not something I generally do. Shoes or boots I can justify, but sandals? A little more difficult. I asked the clerk at the store what were other shoes that were good for my "condition." She said Naots, and again the "B" word--Birkenstocks. I tried the Naots and they were super comfortable, but they didn't have the style I wanted, and they were even more expensive than the Danskos! I decided I would stick with the Danskos.

Even though I wasn't planning to buy anything else, I decided to walk around the sale section. My foot wasn't going to feel like this forever, right? I saw that they had some Birks on sale. Maybe I could get them for just around the house. With my "condition" you are not supposed to be barefoot--like ever! Some crazy people even wear shoes in the shower. I figured if they were cheap enough, I could justify it. Well, as I am perusing the boxes, I come upon a pair of silver ones that look similar to a flip flop. Yes, I did say silver. When did they start making semi-stylish Birkenstocks? If they were silver, they couldn't be that bad, right? As you can see from the photo, I did end up purchasing them, and believe it or not, I wear them every day. They are the most comfortable shoe I have ever put on my foot. The best part is that I think they are really helping.

As I said, my orthopedist also prescribed physical therapy for me. The therapist told me to continue stretching and doing ice massage. She is also doing what is called "iontophoresis." My understanding of it is that an electrode, covered with a liquid steroid, is placed on my heel--at least I think it a steroid. I have these little vials which are usually used for injections, but not in my case. The pharmacist didn't even understand how it was being used; however, I have talked to several people who have heard of it, and swear that it works. The actual therapy doesn't really bother me, it just tingles a bit. The only downfall is that sometimes my foot is more resistant to the therapy than other times, which causes it to take longer. One time it took almost 50 minutes! I go twice a week and only have a few more sessions left. Again, the good news is that it seems to be making a difference.

So over the last month or so, I have been going to therapy, taking lots of Motrin, wearing Birkenstocks, and not doing so much walking. But really, who would want to walk with the horrendous weather we have been experiencing. If I have to walk in rain during the 3Day then I will, but I am not going to do it by choice. I guess that is my way of justifying it. I have done a few shorter walks--5-6, but nothing major. I've told Tracy that I am not in the shape I was in last year. She may have to drag me over the finish line, but that's okay because we'll be together.

As far as Andy goes, he is still struggling with his foot. He is seeing a podiatrist, who has a different approach than my orthopedist. He has had a Cortizone shot and is on his second round of steroids. He also wears a boot to bed, which I have tried a few times and is awesome! I'm going to see if I can get one. It is a race to see who will be better first. Those who know me well, understand that I will win.

Lastly, a quick thank you to all of you who have donated. You have made "Teachers for Ta-Ta's" a Power Team! Personally, I am just short of $5000...but there is still time! If you want to donate, just click on the link on this page. Also, we are starting to find out more info on the route. It starts in Framingham, right near Tracy's house and ends at UMASS Boston, which is a beautiful walk with which to end. We should know about cheering stations in the next two weeks, so we will keep you posted.

Ta-Ta for now!

How can it be?

2009-05-29T13:15:00.010-04:00

So I originally started this blog a bazillion days ago when I found out that I had plantar fasciitis. It never got published because since then my life has gotten a little crazy--something new and different, right? If you follow my blog, or Tracy's blog, you have heard us mention our colleague, Bob Mitchell, a dynamic Latin teacher who passed away just over a week ago. Being the third faculty loss this year, you can imagine that NNHS was reeling. I was finding it difficult to be able to sit down and write. Unfortunately things became more chaotic when the Newton North community found out that we lost yet another vibrant faculty member over the weekend, Ucal McKenzie. Some of you may have heard about him on the news, or may have even read about him. Ucal was a guidance counselor and soccer coach at our school. His passing at the age of 32, was a shock to say the least. He had an infectious smile, and was able to connect with all students and staff alike--even those he had little contact with. The sorrow at school this week has been almost unbearable at times. Every time I went to sit and write, I just couldn't seem to say what I wanted to. It didn't feel comfortable talking about me, and I couldn't find the words to express what I was feeling. Click here to find out a little more about these phenomenal people, Ucal and Bob.

Here's to Hallmark Holidays

2009-05-13T08:19:00.014-04:00

Mother's Day. Many feel it is one of those Hallmark holidays. I guess I do in a way. I'm not one of those moms who "demands" that their husband gets them jewelry or some extravagant gift. I don't have to. I am fortunate enough to have one of the most caring husbands known to man. Every Mother's Day, Andy tries his best to go above and beyond to make my day special. I will never forget the year that he created an art museum, consisting of our children's artwork, past and present, in our attic. The tour finished with brunch in the "cafe"--a table set with flowers in the middle of the room. There was even a second tour later in the day for my mom, Nanny. I don't know many men who would put the time in to organizing all of the kids' art work, never mind being creative enough to think of it.

As the kids have gotten older and have more commitments, to which Andy and I constantly drive them, my dear husband has realized that Mother's Day is more about getting a break than about devoting the entire day to family. This year he did just that. After baseball on Saturday he packed up the kids for an overnight to see Grandma. This to me was a great gift. I had Saturday evening and Sunday morning all to myself, well not all to myself. I had a ladies' sleepover with my mom, cousin, and a friend. Many stories and laughs were shared, along with some sangria. After breakfast and a trip to the Christmas Tree Shop in the morning, my clan arrived home, excited to see me, and me excited to see them. They presented me with portraits, poems, and vases they made in school along with their special journal. Ever since I got sick, one time in the spring (usually Mother's Day or my anniversary) each child presents me with his/her journal. They have designed the cover, and each year they add more detail to it and write a special sentiment to me. We all enjoy seeing how smart they are getting, and it never fails that I cry over what someone wrote. After that we had family batting practice. The day was the perfect combination of relaxation and family time. Isn't my husband the best? Oh yeah, he also got me the fire pit I wanted.

The point of this is not to go on about Mother's Day, but to announce to everyone that I am so fortunate to have the best guy around. When you make a commitment to walk 60 miles, it is not just your commitment. It effects your entire family. When I have to do 18 mile training walks, I am gone for several hours. These long walks happen EVERY weekend--both days! Never once has Andy complained about this, well maybe once or twice, but who can blame him? He realizes how important this is to me, and he supports me however he can. (You should see the signs he made for last year's walk--they should have been entered in an art show!)

So I was just about to sign off--and talk about strange. Here I am writing this blog about how great my hubby is, and he does it again. Just this morning my allergies were out of control, like everyone's these days. Well, I had run out of Claritin and didn't have time to get some before school. My eyes were so puffy and swollen that I had a student say, "Ms. Ziomek, you're not going to make it through the day!" Believe me, that was how I was feeling until my knight in shining armor saved me again. During his free block at school, Andy went to CVS and showed up at my office door with a new box of Claritin. Now that is love! You're the best Z!

Ta-ta for now!

To blog, or not to blog

2009-05-08T09:35:00.007-04:00

First, I would like to start by thanking all of you for your overwhelming response to my last post. This is a really special time for me, and it has been great to share it with all of you. Just this morning I had someone say to me that it was the best post yet, and it has been a week since I have written it! It is amazing the power of words.

When I began blogging, I initially started because Tracy was doing it. She is the computer gal, and if she was doing it, then I should be too. For those of you who know our relationship well, you understand how similar we are. We have a long-standing joke that if something major happens to one of us, the other knows that there is something waiting for them on the horizon. I, however, have only had to call 911 once, well actually twice, and it was not for my children--just my fainting husband.

Another important thing about my relationship with Tracy, is that we challenge each other--in a good way. We are competitive, in our over-achieving sort of way, but we are honestly happy when the other does something better than we did. To me this is the sign of a true friend--one who is happy for you even if things do not work out the way they want them to. This is Tracy--someone who continually gives of herself to her family, friends, colleagues, and of course students. I love you Trace! You're the best!

So Tracy was my initial inspiration for blogging; however, over the last several months I have really started to enjoy it. Even though I am an English teacher, I don't write for pleasure like many of my colleagues. I don't feel I am very good at writing, and I don't believe I have a strong writer's voice. If my students heard me say that they would probably freak out. This blog, however, is different. I don't know when it went from being another "chore" on my list of things to do, to wanting to express my words on paper (well, computer screen, that is). I really enjoy it, and at times it seems therapeutic. I am amazed that people actually read what I write. I thank you all for that. At least someone is listening to me, even if my kids and students aren't! That being said, you will continue to hear more from me.

Ta-Ta for now!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-05-03T08:45:00.004-04:00

Well, today is a very special day for me...it is 3 years cancer free! On this day 3 years ago I was having my first mastectomy at Anna Jacques Hospital. My surgeon was Dr. Bentley and if you don't know him he is a wonderful man. He can chat forever, but it is clear that he truly cares about his patients. He even left his company who was visiting from overseas to come and see me on his day off. What surgeon does that? I am happy to say that because of him I am here today.

Earlier this week I was speaking with someone about a friend who has cancer and is not doing well. Mike asked me if it was difficult to talk about cancer, especially when the situation is bleak. I thought about it before responding. Before I had cancer I personally did not know anyone affected by it. Like many people, I believed it was a death sentence. I was afraid of how people were going to look at me. Would they take pity on me? Would they be afraid to talk to me? For that reason, I embraced the fact that I had cancer. I know that sounds bizarre, but what I am trying to say is that I would not let cancer control my life. Those of you who knew me during treatment saw that I never wore a wig--scarves and hats were my thing. Wigs are uncomfortable and I figured everyone already knew I had cancer anyway, so why not get some cute scarves and earrings (we all know how much I love jewelry) and be comfortable! Once I had the proper accessories, life was still life. I knew that cancer was going to consume me for the next year or so, but I would not let it consume my friends and family, especially my children. I made it to almost every baseball and soccer game that year, even after my surgery. I realized that family was, and is, number one, and even though it is so cliche, life is too short.

So again, when Mike asked me if it was difficult to talk about cancer, sure it is. Having cancer is something that I identify with, even though I may not want to. It will always be in the back of my mind. Sometimes it resurfaces when I am in bed and can't sleep, I have that strange ache or pain, or when a dear friend is diagnosed with the same dreaded disease I was. In those moments I reflect back on what that year was like. It really wasn't so bad. Believe it or not, I have some fond memories from that time in my life. My kids were fascinated by my bald head and were constantly touching it or kissing it. Mia still rubs my head every night before she goes to sleep, something that started during chemo. Maddie told me she liked me better bald, and Zach wanted to bring me in to school for "show and tell" because "not many kids have seen a bald girl before." Kids can just crack you up. They really helped me get through each and every day. I also reconnected with old friends, became closer to my family, and learned to truly appreciate my mom, dad, and of course Andy. Without them I never could have made it through that year.

Today I celebrate 3 years! I celebrate by going to dinner with my husband, with flowers, hugs, kisses, words of endearment, and of course by walking 15 miles! (Thanks, Jane!)

Thank you to all that have been part of this journey. I appreciate you, and all of the well wishes. Here's hoping for another 30!

Ta-Ta for now!

How I hate those hills!

2009-04-27T10:03:00.018-04:00

Well, I am very sad to say that vacation is over, and I am back to reality with the rest of the working world. One of the best things about vacation is that I am able to walk whenever I want--the benefit of having a husband as a teacher as well. This weekend was absolutely beautiful and I did lots of walking, which makes it even more difficult to go back into a building with little, to no, ventilation. Hopefully this will all change once the new Newton North High School is completed in 2010. Don't get me going about this project--this blog is intended to be about my walk with Trace this weekend, but if you really need to hear about our new school, check out the new NNHS website for progress on the "Taj Mahal," as it has been deemed. http://www.newnnhs.com/

Back to training...
On Saturday morning we were all up for the Amesbury Little League Opening Day parade--AT 6:45AM!!! Who does this, really? Are people going to come out of their warm, comfy slumber to watch a couple hundred 5-12 year olds walk down the street in baseball uniforms, with their parents straggling behind? I don't think so. The good news was that for the first time since my kids have been doing this parade, we were not freezing. It was absolutely gorgeous. After the festivities were over, I decided I would stay uptown and go for a nice long walk. I did about 7 miles and it felt great to be outside and in the warm air. The rest of the day was spent watching baseball games. Maddie and Mia had their first coach pitch game, and they both got hits every at bat. What did I expect? They are Ziomeks, of course. Zach is now in his first year of true Little League. As a parent, these games are much more difficult to watch. I will expand on them more in another blog.

I apologize, but it seems like this blog is all over the place. I feel like one of my students where I am continually going off on tangents and not following my thesis statement. Is it summer yet?

On Sunday Tracy and I met at Bentley College for the 3Day Expo. We met at 8:45AM so that we could do a nice long walk before the event. When I arrived, Tracy was dressed in an adorable pink t-shirt she created. For those of you who don't know Tracy, she is famous for designing t-shirts and burp cloths, among many other things. (When I was having my mastectomies, Tracy made a shirt for me that looked like it was a sign you might see in a building that said, "PLEASE PARDON OUR APPEARANCE WHILE UNDER RECONSTRUCTION.") She is too funny. The shirt she had on yesterday said, "lost 100+ pounds" and "cure cancer" with little boxes next to them with a check mark in the "100+ lbs." box. The "curing cancer" box was yet to be checked off. On the back she included her blog address and her before and after pictures. The transformation is pretty unbelievable. If you haven't read her blog yet, be sure to make the time to do so: http://www.tracys3day.blogspot.com/

So we started on our 7 mile walk. I was doing great until we reached about 3.5 miles in Belmont. I now understand why they call it Belmont Hill. We started walking up a large hill, and of course I started complaining. I know that hills are good for me, but I hate them. I just had a friend run the Boston Marathon and I am completely amazed that anyone can run up Heartbreak Hill. As I panted my way to the top of the hill, Tracy assured me that going the way we were, was much better than going the other direction. As we turned right and I saw, yet another hill, I was not sure whether I believed her. At this point I imagined she was fed up with my complaining, but I still continued. I REALLY HATE HILLS! Once we were at the top I understood what she was talking about. I felt like I could see all the way to the ocean. We never could have made it the other direction--well at least I couldn't have.

The rest of the walk continued without incident until mile 6.5. At this point we were reaching Bentley and the end of our walk. I had no idea that Bentley was so high up on a hill. Remember, I drove by it every day for 5 years when I taught at Waltham High. I obviously didn't pay much attention to my surroundings. Again we start, and so does the complaining. That hill really kicked my butt, but it was so worth it.

The Expo itself was pretty uneventful. Having done the walk once before I didn't really learn much, other than the fact that we will be camping on Astro Turf this year, which sounds fine except that we cannot leave the tents up during the day. Coming back to camp on Day 2 knowing that your tent was set up, was one of the only things that would keep you going at mile 20! We'll have to see how that works out. We'll keep you posted!

TA-TA for now!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

2009-04-24T05:11:00.003-04:00

As most of you can assume, some of the best perks of being a teacher are the vacations--Thanksgiving, Christmas, Winter, and Spring breaks. Ask my brother-in-law, Dave, he will tell you all about the fact that Andy and I are constantly on vacation; however, I do believe he is at the Cape this week as well. Seriously though, there is no better profession to have when it comes to having kids.

This vacation, like many of the others, has been exciting for us. Some highlights include:

ONE:
I went to the Sox game with Andy, Maddie and Mia. Every year on Opening Day, my very generous father-in-law gives Zach 4 tickets to the Red Sox. This year was our 4th time going--me, Andy, my dad, and Zach. Well, the girls have finally caught on and have started to ask Grandpa Stan where their tickets are. Since Stan only has 4 tickets, we have to pick and choose who gets to go to the game. This past Sunday, it was the girls' turn. It was a great game with Lester pitching, and the girls seemed to enjoy themselves; they ate s bunch of junk food and got to ride the T as well. The best part was when they announced that all children would be able to run the bases after the game. As excited as I was for the girls, my heart dropped. This would be Zach's dream. At the top of the the 9th, (the Sox were winning) we lined up on the Lower Concourse. After the game ended, they filed us out through center field onto the warning track. We walked along past the Sox dugout, and then they split adults and kids up. Unfortunately, adults didn't get to run the bases. I think Andy was secretly disappointed, as was Zach, but they both handled it well, Zach realizing that Maddie and Mia will probably never get to Opening Day as long as he is around.

TWO:
We bought a new car--a 2009 Ford Focus. Our commuter car was definitely on its way out and we needed something with good gas mileage, that wasn't too expensive. After researching several cars, we ended up with the Focus; it was the best value for our money. The kids are very excited that we no longer have the "old-fashioned car." We really don't know how it got that name because it was a 2003. It really wasn't old. Anyway, we love our new car.

THREE:
My daughters are not allowed to have a sleepover EVER AGAIN! I'm sure many of you parents have said this before. I don't know why I do it to myself. Those of you who know my girls, know that they are good kids. I am not bragging, but they really are. They are kind, friendly, and never get into trouble. However, they turn into to very different little people the day after a sleep over. During the sleepover, they are well behaved, good listeners who have a ton of fun. This time it wasn't like they went to bed exceptionally late or got up way too early. I think it is just the excitement of it all. Yesterday I think Maddie cried 16 times between 1-5:30PM and Mia cried about 10. It was a lovely day in the Ziomek household.

FOUR:
One of my favorite things about Spring vacation is the weather. This week hasn't been too bad weather wise, except for the freezing cold, whipping wind at Zach's baseball game last night. The good thing is that I have been able to do a lot of walking. I have walked about 16 miles this week and plan to do 6-8 miles on Saturday and Sunday. Trace and I are getting together on Sunday for the 3Day Expo and are excited to walk again.

On Monday I was able to walk with my friend Melissa. Melissa and I have never walked together before, so I didn't know what to expect. Melissa is in phenomenal shape and works out all the time. (Are you starting to see a pattern with my friends? Why didn't I get the fitness gene?) We decided we would go about 5 miles. As soon as we started off, I knew I was in for it. I generally walk at a pretty good pace, about 4 miles/hour. In the beginning, I could barely keep up with her. I had know idea how I would make it 5 miles. Fortunately I got my groove on and we went almost 7! It was great. Thanks Andy for watching all the girls!

FIVE:
This morning we are off to the park to enjoy the good weather, and tomorrow we will be up early for Little League Opening Day. (Who has a parade at 7AM other than Amesbury?) Other than that, we plan to bask in the sunshine as much as we can before it's back to work on Monday.

TA-TA for now!

Kick-Off!

2009-04-06T07:17:00.008-04:00

So Sunday was the 16-Week 3Day Kick-off event. Can you believe it is only 4 months away? I can't. Last year I didn't do this event, but this year Trace and I decided it would be a good way to walk together. Sometimes Framingham and Amesbury seem on opposite ends of the universe.

We met at New Balance in Burlington at 7:45AM for a 3 mile training walk. There were probably about 25-30 other people there. It was the first time Tracy and I were able to walk together. When you do something like this you get kind of nervous--what if she is a really fast walker? what if she is really slow? what if she babbles on about nothing? Knowing Tracy I figured we would have good conversation. Although we are best friends, we really don't get to talk too much. When we do talk, it is on the phone, and we are usually talking about something school related. It was the speed I was unsure of. Well, we started out and we both felt great. I got to hear about the kids, and we didn't huff and puff too much on the hills. I almost think this training walk had more hills than the entire 3Day last year. I feel that we made a great pair. Our speed was very comparable, and we got to catch up about our families.

After the first walk there was a shoe fitting clinic and New Balance was open just for us. We both bought the cutest t-shirt. We'll be sure to post a photo when we wear them. The initial plan was to look for sneakers. One of Tracy's feet has been bothering her a bit, but of course we saw an adorable pair of sandals. Who knew that New Balance made something other than sneakers? Of course they were $140, so they were out for us. We didn't end up finding sneakers, so we just went to get ready for the next walk.

At around 10AM we did a second 3 mile walk. There were only a few of us who did both. We were pretty proud of ourselves. As we started out, Tracy decided she would start blogging. I warned her that she would get scolded. I knew from last year that these training walk leaders were hard-core. She's walking along thinking she's all that. Then the leader turns around. Sure enough--busted! The leader stops everyone and gives the big "safety" lecture--thanks Trace! I always knew that she was a trouble-maker.

The rest of the walk was uneventful, but we did decide that we would be getting together to walk again after the 3Day Expo, Sunday April26th. I am looking forward to it. If Tracy acts up again, I may just have to demote her as co-captain. LOL

Ta-ta for now!

The best laid plans...

2009-03-23T10:18:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I had full intentions of going on a 7-8 mile walk this weekend with my friend Sue. (I think you can see where this is heading.) I don't feel too badly about missing it because I have been really good lately, and we still haven't reached the 16 week mark. When you do the 3Day they send you a handbook, you know, the one that I told you is emblazoned with my photograph? Well, in this handbook there are 2 training schedules--a 24 week one and a 16 week one. Last year I did the longer of the two, and I was so done with walking by the time August came. Granted, this year the walk is almost one month earlier, but I keep convincing myself that I will be fine. Last year, I was more than prepared and sailed through the 3 days with the exception of my blisters caused by the torrential downpours on the first day. This year, I will be bringing my own supply of moleskin, second skin, and powder. Other than my feet screaming, "Are you on crack?!?!" I felt really well. As you can see from my photo, I was even able to smile. This was on day 3 in Quincy. (I am with two of my teammates, Mary, on the left, and Sue on the right.) So now that I know what to expect, I have started to train a little more slowly this time. I know that I can go out and walk 10-15 miles no problem; its the other 45-50 miles that concern me. I walked 3 times last week and of course did my Wii Fit every day. Again, it is the weather. 30 degrees today! Are you kidding me? Once it consistently stays warm I anticipate being out there almost every day.

So like I said, I planned to walk 7-8 miles yesterday. The reason I didn't wasn't because of the freak snow squalls at my house, or the fact that we had an impromptu visit from two of Andy's brothers. No, Tara is completely to blame, well her husband Woody too. Tara is my sorority sister (AXO), roommate, and best friend from college. She had to go out and turn 40 on Saturday (Happy Bday, Sis!) and her husband had to throw her a rockin good time including a pimped out party bus, Chinese food, the "king pin suite" at the bowling alley, and after hours at their house! (Did I mention he also gave her a trip to Ireland?) After an evening this exciting, dancing in the kitchen til 2AM, I was hardly ready to get out of bed and shower, never mind walk 7 miles. Needless to say, my day consisted of visiting with family and napping on the couch.

So in terms of my social life, this is probably the last you will hear of it. I really don't have one. Looking at my most recent posts, one would think I am a socialite; however, those are pretty much the only 2 times I have been out in the last year. I usually spend most of my week working and driving in my car, so that when the weekend comes, I am ready to chillax, to quote my six year olds.

Thanks again to everyone who has donated. I will continue to keep you all posted. I am almost at the $2000 mark! I can train until I look like a supermodel, but I couldn't do this walk without all of you. You are the best!

Ta-ta for now!

Video Games Aren't Just for Kids

2009-03-18T09:33:00.000-04:00

I am so excited that the weather is continually getting nicer; the only problem is that baseball is starting, and it tends to be more difficult to find time to walk between gymnastics, practices, and games. If you know anything about my family, especially the Ziomek side, you understand the importance of baseball. If your last name is Ziomek, you NO QUESTION, MUST, ABSOLUTELY, HAVE TO play baseball. My father-in-law has been the President of the Amherst Little League for over 50 years, if you can believe that! I, like the rest of my family, do love baseball, it just makes training a little more difficult, but I think I may have found a solution.

Last weekend our family went over to Sue and Cliff's house for yummy food (Sue is a great cook) and thirst quenching libations (Cliff is a great wine connoisseur). Sue and Cliff are our former neighbors, and Sue was a Tough Warrior Princess with me last year on the 3Day. Sue loves to workout, do yoga, and she is a great walking buddy. After dinner, the kids started playing Wii. We have Wii at home, but we do not have the balance board or Wii Fit (something that Zach has been saving up for). Cliff and Zach came up with the brilliant idea that Sue and I should box. That would be a sight to see! What we did do however, was play Wii Fit. Everyone was taking turns, and before you knew it, it was almost 11:00! We had so much fun! Thanks Cliff and Sue! As I said earlier, Cliff knows his wine, so when Zach caught Andy and me in a weak moment and asked, "Can we buy Wii Fit?" Both of us immediately replied, "Sure, we'll go get it in the morning."

Understanding the importance of following through on what you say (doesn't that usually just have to do with punishments?), on Sunday morning it was off to Toys R Us to find it. Luckily for us they had a few in stock. I guess it can be difficult to find. We brought it home, and surprised Zach when he got home from a birthday party. Since purchasing it my only concern has been, will the kids be able to share and take turns? Anyone with kids knows how trying this concept can be. Well, fortunately it really hasn't been an issue because Mommy wanting to use the Wii Fit trumps everyone else! I have been using it daily and I must say that I am quite the hula hooper! I never thought that using a hula hoop would be such great exercise. My butt and thighs are really feeling it. It has been great for me to get a few minutes in, here and there, while I'm cooking dinner, or before PTA. Believe me, it has not taken the place of a good 4 or 5 mile walk (which I did on Sunday). It is just being used to supplement my daily training.

Anywho, it is beautiful today, so the plan is to get out there for a few miles after school. Wish me luck!

Ta-ta for now!

More fame...

2009-03-11T11:38:00.000-04:00

Well, I was really happy with the weather this past weekend, but since then it has all gone down hill. After coming home from work on Monday I started to feel lousy, and by the end of the night I had a 102 fever! Needless to say, no training has been going on here. I have been out of work for 2 days, but am starting to feel slightly better now.

However, I did receive some good news. It seems my "poster child" fame is ever increasing. I'm sure my teammate Tracy is going to love that! LOL See her blog for her thoughts and comments on my fame--http://tracys3day.blogspot.com/ (If you read hers you will see that she is a much more interesting and funnier person than I am.)

Anywho, my old, I mean former, college roommate, Annie, told me that my photo is in a 3Day advertisement in this month's Shape magazine. Thank goodness Annie is a fitness guru, because there would be no way that I would be getting Shape! Next time you are at the news stand or grocery store, check it out. Of course I went to the store and bought a few--you can never have enough fame, as far as I am concerned.

Not much else to report as of now. I am trying to post a slide show of pictures from last year's 3Day, but am still having some trouble. Hopefully it will be up and running soon!

Ta-Ta for now!

Chaos ensues Part 2

2009-03-09T03:00:00.000-04:00

Again...this will probably be the longest blog I will ever write, so please bear with me and don't give up.

While snuggling with Zach one night, I noticed a lump kind of under my arm. My initial reaction was to not panic. My oncologist always says wait a few days to see if it is something to be concerned about. So I waited, and waited, but the lump didn't go away. Before you start to get too worried, remember I said everything was just ducky now. So I called my doctor and she wanted to see me that day. That was a week ago Friday. I went in, had an exam, and she tried to assure me that she, "thought it was nothing." Those of you who know my story are aware that I had 2 doctors say that same thing days before I was diagnosed. I was terrified. She said that she wanted to do an MRI, "not because she thought it was anything, but because I hadn't had one in a while." So the MRI was scheduled for this past Wednesday--"Cancer Day."

I had never had an MRI at the Brigham before, so I called my dear friend who is starting treatment this week. (Good luck, Patty!) Patty suggested that we make a day of it. I would go wig shopping with her in the morning and she would come with me to my appointment at DFCI later that afternoon. Thus..."Cancer Day."

So Patty and I had an appointment with Sylvia at 11:00. When we walked in, we realized we were in for a ride. One look at Sylvia's hair, and we knew there was no way in hell Patty would be purchasing a wig here. We originally thought her hair was a wig, but after looking at it closely, we found out it was just really bad hair. Sylvia was a trip--she continuously walked around her salon looking for "her"--she calls all of her wigs "she" or "her." This was a little disturbing to me. Needless to say, we made a run for it to enjoy lunch.

After lunch we headed to the Brigham for my MRI. I vaguely remember having my last two. I had no idea how long it would be. I was okay until the tech told me it would be 1 hour and 20 minutes! That's longer than it takes to walk 4 miles! I put my game face on and gave myself a pep talk, you know, "one for the Gipper" and all that. I'm sure most of you are familiar with MRIs--the incessant banging and buzzing, and the freezing cold temperature of the room. Well, what you may not know is that when you have a breast MRI you lay face down, with your boobs hanging through 2 holes--yes, you heard me correctly. You then put your face on top of some plastic mold, which is covered with the most irritating tissue paper, like the kind that came in little squares in the elementary school bathrooms when you were a kid. After that you have to raise your hands above your head and hold the little ball to squeeze in case of emergency. I hadn't even begun yet, and was ready to squeeze away. Then they start to move me into the tube. The one benefit of being face down is that you can't see that you are literally in a coffin. They have a small mirror that reflects up so that you can look at your hands--like that is supposed to make you feel less like a sardine! The breathing quickens and panic sets in as the rapping and tapping start. I try to meditate and slow my breathing. It begins to work until the rapping turns to buzzing and I almost hit my head because I jump so much. After about 15 minutes I decide that I can handle this.

Then it happens...I have a hot flash! For those of you who have ever experienced a hot flash, you know where this is going. For those of you have seen someone having a hot flash you do too. The next thing I know I have droplets of sweat in my eyeballs! I am drenched and have this insatiable urge to scream; however, I keep my composure until the end of the 7 minute test. After asking several times for the tech to take off my blanket, and completing another 3 minute test, I am relieved by the gentle wafting of air from the fan. Now, I ask you, if someone is going to be enclosed in a tube for 80 minutes, wouldn't you offer them a fan from the start?

Okay, so traumas one and two averted. Did you think there were only two? Well, obviously you don't know me very well. Wouldn't you know it that within 2 minutes, my right arm falls asleep. Not just a little, but major pins and needles. Again, panic. This time I squeeze the button knowing that I still have at least a half hour of tests left. The gracious tech tells me that I can move my arm JUST A LITTLE, but to be sure not to lift my chest! Are you kidding me? Of course, I do exactly as she says and am comfortable for the moment. Can you tell where this is heading? I do have 2 arms! This time I don't even ask. As soon as the next test is over I just move. Luckily I didn't get scolded.

The rest of the test was uneventful except for the fact that the tech said the last test was 3 minutes and it was actually 3 minutes and 45 seconds, counting slowly. As I went out to find Patty, the look on her face said it all. I looked like I had been through the ringer, and I hadn't even waited for my results.

So my oncologist said I would get the results in one business day, which was perfect because I don't work on Thursday. I was terrified, and I think Andy was in denial. Mom came over to be with me when I called. Okay, so they need to specify that the next business day means a full 24 hours! I had to wait until Friday!

So enough of the drama...I called on Friday, from work, where all of my colleagues were super supportive! As I said earlier, everything is just ducky now! My MRI was fine. Yea!

Now that I have all of this chaos behind me, I feel like I can really start to focus on the task at hand, training and helping to find a cure for breast cancer. With the beautiful weather this weekend I was able to get outside and do about 4 1/2 miles! Thank you to all that have donated so far. I already have over $1,400! If you haven't donated yet, and wish to, just click on the donate button on my blog. Most importantly, thanks to everyone for all your support.

Be sure to visit my blog often. I will definitely be updating more frequently.

Ta-Ta for now!

Chaos ensues

2009-03-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it has been a long time since I have written. You may think that I just fell off the earth, or that I completely gave up blogging because there is no way I can keep up with my over-achieving teammate, who has the most hysterical blog around, talking about underwear and sports bras! While I am inclined to think that the latter is partially true, I do have other reasons for not writing. I want to warn you that I have a lot to say, (something new and different) so this will be a long post First let me preface this story by saying that everything is just ducky now. So here's a glimpse of my life recently...

As many of you know, both my husband and son had surgery right before February vacation. This, in and of itself, was difficult. Andy was in the hospital for a week and was home recovering until last week. Zach's surgery was not as difficult, but if any of you have ever tried to keep a 9 year old sitting still for any length of time, you can understand what my life was like--there is only so much Nintendo DS a kid can play without losing his eyesight! Everyone was recuperating well and gaining their strength back, then I found it...

2009-03-05T09:22:00.000-05:00

Shock & Awe
Thanks to my amazing friends and family, I have cleared the $1000 mark--only $1500 left to go! I am awed by the generosity of people. It was a difficult decision to ask people to support me as I take this journey again. Everyone has been so amazing, donating the same, if not more than last year! In light of these economic times, I appreciate you all more than you know.

OK...here comes the shock part...
Last I had written, I had just received my 3Day brochure, with me, yes me, inside it. Since then I have perused 3Day paraphernalia with a much keener eye. Imagine my shock when I realized that my photo was used on the 3Day homepage as well!!! It is the last of 4 scrolling photos.
Needless to say, I was feeling pretty famous already. Then the call came...no not from my agent, from Tracy. She asked if I had received my 3Day walker handbook. I told her that my mail had not arrived yet. Shock again, when she told me that I was on the cover!!! She keeps teasing me saying that I am the poster child for the 3Day. Not a bad thing to be in my opinion.

So today Trace and I decided to take our picture for our team page. We are taking the "Teachers for Ta-Ta's" theme to a whole new level. You'll have to check out our team page in the next few days for the reveal.
Ta-Ta for now...

by Sherri Ziomek on Wed, Feb 25, 2009 @ 9:01 AM CT

2009-03-05T09:20:00.001-05:00

HOLY COW!!!
Okay...so my phone rings this afternoon and it is my friend and former teammate Sue asking me if I received the 3Day brochure. I told her I received one a few weeks ago and threw it away b/c I knew I was already doing it. Well she says...you and Denise are in it! HOLY COW! I could not believe it! I immediately went out to my mailbox and I had received one too. I opened it up and could not believe it. I assumed it would be a small picture, but it is 1/3 of a page! Again, HOLY COW! It is a really cool picture of the survivors walking in, holding hands. I knew that being in the front row, I had a shot of being in photos, but I never imagined. I was so excited and it just reinforced the idea that I need to do this again (and maybe again). My kids think that I am famous now!
This makes me really want to start training now! Gotta go walk!

by Sherri Ziomek on Thu, Feb 19, 2009 @ 7:24 PM CT

2009-03-05T09:17:00.000-05:00

Money, Money, Money.....Money!
Well, the money has started to come in. One day, and I already have $400. Bring it! Now it seems real.

I can't remember when I sent out my information last year, but I think it was around the same time. I don't know if it is because of the snow or what, but I thought I was outside walking at least sometimes at this point. It is really difficult to motivate yourself to train in the basement on your treadmill. There is only so much 80's dance music you can listen to.

Also, my apologies for the 2 typos, yes, both were pointed out by my mom, (if you know her, this is no surprise) in the email I sent out. I proofed it several times and still missed them. You have no idea how much it bothers me being an English teacher and all.

I have got most of my hard copy letters photocopied, typos fixed, and will be mailing them out tomorrow or the day after. Just need to lick the envelopes and stamps--my least favorite part, maybe I can get the kids to do it.

In terms of our team, Trace and I have never talked so much. I am so thrilled to be doing this with her. It seems we are calling each other constantly with fundraising updates. We've almost got $1000. We would really like to update our goal, but it is so scary to do with the economy the way it is. I am honored with the generosity of those who have already donated.
Anywho...Ta-ta for now! (No pun intended of course! LOL)

by Sherri Ziomek on Wed, Feb 18, 2009 @ 10:35 AM CT

2009-03-05T09:14:00.000-05:00

Well... I did it.

I bit the bullet again. I signed up, and believe it or not, I am very excited. Tracy is going to be so great to do this with. I just set up my facebook group, and plan to send out letters later this week. Now I have to really start training. Gotta go to Staples for envelopes and paper.

by Sherri Ziomek on Tue, Feb 17, 2009 @ 11:09 AM CT