Taking on Cancer, Mile by Mile

We all know that feeling of doom when things get so busy, it seems like there is no way out. Being a full-time mom keeps us busy enough not to mention being a wife, housekeeper, employee, and cook, just to name a few. I often know that I am overextending myself with all of the things I try to do.

For this reason, I have decided to take on another adventure. Am I crazy? Yes, but it is for good reason. A few weeks ago, a close friend of ours, Adam Eves was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. At 29 years-old, his entire world changed with one phone call.

The tumor is located in his chest and is a very aggressive tumor. In fact, his doctor has already spoken at a seminar about how severe his situation is and how fast growing the tumor has been. He has since completed two weeks of radiation and started chemotherapy treatment. It was his first of five to seven treatments over a time period of six months.

I had been training for a half marathon in January and decided to do some good with this at the same time. In honor of Adam, I have joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and Team in Training for the half marathon event. I will now be running the half marathon for Adam and to raise money for cancer. The services that LLS provides ranges from research to financial support for cancer patients and has helped others I know personally in the past. Additionally, our team has honorary members, and they are both children with cancer. This struck home even more, as a mother. I knew right then that it was a perfect fit.

I have found myself wondering why I have decided to take on yet another endeavor. Do I really need to dedicate more time to something outside of my family and job? The answer is yes. As a mother, a sister, a friend, and a health educator, I know the severity of cancer and the effects it has on everyone involved. I want to not only raise money to bring us closer to a cure, but I also want to raise awareness of the types of cancers and warning signs. Signs that may one day save someone else's life.

What are the causes and issues that you find important in your own lives? Do you ever think that you alone couldn't make that much of a difference? You can! We all can and I am going to do it mile by mile (for 13.1 miles), dollar by dollar. I wonder how long it will take me...

Join the fight to help those like Adam!

Insipration to Us All

A few days ago I wrote a post about the importance of taking time doing things that you love to do. I recently decide to sign up for the Inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon at Disneyland in January to motivate getting back into one of my greatest loves, running (no, I am not crazy.) The post was prompted by a number of different things that have come to the surface in my life, including this quote that I read from Steve Jobs:
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

The quote inspired me to do just that, to be sure that everyday, I make the most out of what I have and with the chance of being cliché, to stop and smell the roses. There have been three separate events in the last 24 hours that have reminded me just how important this is. Two of these events are hitting very close to home as a mother, a sister, and a friend. One of my closest friends has just learned that her younger brother has cancer at the age of 29. Knowing her and the special relationship she has with her brother, I can only imagine the grief that they are feeling at this time. I have gone through the last few days heavy hearted, with her family in mind, as I waited the news. Shortly after hearing the diagnosis, I saw a story on MSNBC that caught my attention, again provoking tears, about a mother who was diagnosed with cancer shortly after she found out that she was pregnant with her first child. Given the choice to save herself with chemotherapy or ensure the health of her unborn baby, she chose to risk her own life. The mother was able to hold her newborn daughter shortly after giving birth, but died three days later.

I want to share this story from MSNBC because, as a parent, the choice this woman made is very relatable. We would give anything, including our lives for our children, our family. Keep in mind the quote from Steve Jobs, another person who died before his time and be inspired to live everyday to its fullest. Don’t focus on the negative or the little things that could be better but instead go out and spend the time doing what you once wished you could do, doing what you were thinking about doing “when you retire”, and doing things you enjoy with the ones that you love.

Cancer-stricken mom chooses baby’s life over hers

Thrifty Thursday

This week's Thrifty Thursday features a FABULOUS shopping site! The site Uptown Liz is another site that gives back to a good cause. Not just one good cause, but almost 30 great causes! The reason for its existence is even more special than the site itself.


Ramona Russell

The founder, Ramona Russell is a savvy, haute business woman with a mission. She lost her sister, Liz, to breast cancer in 2006. It was a harsh and painful loss for many reasons, one being that Liz was only 28 years old. Ramona used her talents to start a company in her sister Liz's memory that promotes products from companies whose proceeds directly give back to charitable organizations. She launched Uptown Liz on what would be her sister's 30th birthday, July 17, 2007. (The fact that Liz and i share the same birthdate and I was only born one year before her has made me very reflective.)

Uptown Liz supports almost 30 causes ranging from animal rights, women's health, children's rights, and of course, breast cacncer. You can shop by cause or by product and there is something for everyone. The site sells jewelry, bags, infant clothes, pet products, and even shoes! I found a darling pacifier clip for Stella and dontaed 10% of the amount to the American Cancer Society by purchasing it! 

Pacifier Clip

Be sure to stop by Uptown Liz the next time you need a special gift or the next time you just want to shop, like all us haute moms do!



Haute Mom Dilemma #15 - Leaving A Piece of You Behind

I know that your entire mentality changes when you have children, especially your first one. I think about things that I have never thought about before, which is very wearing on my already OCD-type brain. I can't imagine what it does to my husband. I worry more about people on the road next to me now that I have precious cargo in the car. I worry about leaving Stella and driving a distance too far away to get back to her quickly. I worry about the sun, the wind, the rain, how loud something is, and people smoking around me. I worry about what I eat because I am nursing and want to make sure Stella is getting enough nutrients. I even worry about going to the gas station (I haven't pumped gas since before I was pregnant thanks to my hubby). I had a small scare a few months ago when my doctor found cysts on my thyroid. CYSTS - what a scary word. It launched me into a new line of thoughts, specifically about who would care for Stella if something happened to me. Would my husband be capable of raising her on his own? What is something happened to the both of us? What could I do now to make sure that Stella was able to inherit all of life's lessons that I have waiting for her? I now am going through another scare. I found a lump in that dreaded female area and originally thought it was a clogged milk duct. This was quickly answered when my doctor shook her head and stated that a clogged duct would feel different than what I was experiencing. I have a follow up appointment in a week. My thought for this post was to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness month as I have seen an increasing number of younger women being diagnosed with breast cancer. I know how busy us moms can be and wanted to dedicate all of my October posts to creating awarenes for all you haute moms out there. I never thought that this would be something I would be going through at this point in time. I go back to those dark thoughts of how I can leave a part of me behind if something should happen to me. What are some ways I can be sure Stella hears my voice growing up if for some reason I can't always be here? I am sure that my next appointment will be fine and whatever it is will be something simple, only made serious by my own mind. That aside, I see now how important some things are to think about when you have a part of you that you will one day leave behind. Do all moms go through this or do I belong in the crazy house?

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month - 25 years!