Blessings

To my beautiful family and friends...you are my blessings. You have lifted me, laughed with me, cried with me.
You have provided money for medical, massages, cleaning, and my oh-so-wonderful bed.

It has been a long two years. Things feel a bit more beat up and worn down, but I am still good for the fight. And I thank you all for that.

THERE IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Know that I am thankful for you.
hugs,
chris

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

This time last year I was hoping I would get an event put together for this year.... I am sorry that I didn't. As it turns out, I can't even get the floors mopped! So, my goal is to get an event put together for NEXT year! How about a walk the morning of, or the day after, Thanksgiving? We all need the walk and it is a time of thanksgiving. Seems perfect.

It is an opportunity to raise awareness, educate folks, and raise a bit of money.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month is a national campaign to raise awareness about lung cancer.
According to facts presented by LCA (Lung Cancer Alliance, http://www.lungcanceralliance.org), lung cancer will kill more people this year than breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer and melanoma combined.

Lung cancer will kill three times as many men as prostate cancer this year. Lung cancer will kill nearly twice as many women as breast cancer this year.

In 2006, 174,470 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States. About 92,700 men and 81,770 women will develop the disease -- the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women.

An estimated 162,460 men and women will die of lung cancer this year, accounting for 28 percent of all cancer deaths and taking more lives than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. While most people diagnosed with lung cancer will die within the first two years of diagnosis -- this has not changed in 10 years -- some people are cured. There are currently about 333,000 long-term survivors.

To see information about Lung Cancer Awareness month and items to use to promote awareness, go to http://www.lungcanceralliance.org/involved/lcam_month.html.

Here's to HOPE!
hugs,
chris

Cranky!!

Ok, I am hoping that I can just blame this crankiness on the chemo! What a fuss-budget. Good thing I have yoga tonight-time to breathe and calm.

Finally feeling less squishy today. Was really green on Monday (only worked a couple of hours)and Tuesday. Not as bad yesterday-was able to have a glass of wine with Debbie and Sheila before our Relay for Life team meeting. (We are gearing up for some fun fundraising. Stay tuned!)

I loved this from Leroy Sievers' cancer blog (npr.org/mycancer) yesterday:
"I know what Mari meant, of course. Having gone through cancer once, who wouldn't be afraid that it will come back? It happened to me. But I think that safety is an illusion. Life is an adventure, meant to be lived. It's full of ups and downs, triumphs and defeats, risk and reward. But never safety. Not true safety. So all we can do is pay our money, buy a ticket and take the ride. Even keeping your hands and arms inside the car doesn't mean it's safe. And I don't think it's meant to be."

Let's enjoy the ride! See you in the ticket line!
hugs,
chris