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This issue of Web Informant is a little different. While I was in
the Far East last week, my sister Carrie Wells (carrie.wells@db.com) was
walking around the circumference of Manhattan on the annual Avon Two Day Walk
to benefit various cancer causes. She wrote about the experience so beautifully
that I wanted to share her thoughts with you. Take it away, Carrie.
I felt like a bride getting ready for the big day. The Avon 2 Day
40-mile Walk on September 20 and 21, 2003.
Maybe it was because I received so many wonderful gifts from
friends, family and colleagues. I collected $5,000 from you, and your donations
helped two other walkers meet their minimums to participate in the Avon Walk.
First is the "wedding day" -- September 20.
Something old: my outfit, black shorts and a black tank.
I certainly looked like a New Yorker amidst 3,000 walkers from 45
states, dressed in pink, white and gray.
Something new: socks from Jen
Something borrowed: a sleeping bag from my brother.
Something blue: a borrowed fanny pack from "Aunt" Kathy.
The day started off early - 5am - Liz and I headed off for the
South Street Seaport to begin the walk.
And we walked through some "interesting" neighborhoods
in New York!
The most remarkable memories for me were the bridges. We walked to
the foot of the George Washington, and then up a STEEP cliff to the Henry
Hudson Bridge, over to Van Cortland Park and then back into Manhattan via the
Broadway Bridge. The traffic energized Liz - all the honking and waving and
cheering from the cars as the zipped by us. New York is an engaging city to
walk, you see all sorts.
We made an overnight stay on Randalls/Ward Island. Thousands of
tents were set up under the Triborough Bridge. We slept to the sound of traffic
and under the glow of the bridge lights. After 12 hours of walking it was
actually very calming. I don't think I could have returned home to a comfy bed
-- it was too important to stay and be part of a community of walkers, each and
everyone aching and realizing the sacrifices and hurdles we all shared to get
to that point. Everyone had a story to share. It was a event about helping
others.
The second day of the walk took us along the east side of Manhattan
and Brooklyn via the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. By then we were
approaching a state of delirium (aches and pains). But we survived.
And once again we are all survivors. So this question has been
running through my head for quite a while.
When did I become a survivor?
Was it in March 2002 when my cancer was removed? (I realized I
spent the same amount of time in surgery/recovery that day in March that I
spent walking on the first day of the Avon 2 day Walk.)
Was it in September 2002 when I completed my cycles of
chemotherapy? (Will it take me those same six months to recover from the
40-mile walk?)
Was it in November 2002 when I finished my daily treatments of
radiation? (On the walk I used sunscreen and prevented that wicked sunburn I got
during radiation. I NEVER want to get burnt like that again.)
Was it in December 2002 when my hair started to grow back and I
tossed out my wig? (NO HATS for me ever again!)
Was it in April 2003 when I finally received a "clean"
mammogram?
(I will always remember Dr. Eisen dearly.)
I really think we are all survivors. I don't think it needs a
milestone. It is part of all of us.
When I walk with the "survivors" I really don't feel any
different than I did two years ago. And that in itself is the point. Breast
cancer doesn't have to be the end of something. It was a year of doctor
appointments and medicines and learning. I missed having hair, but I'm
frustrated now with what to do with all the hair I have on my head! I missed
having the energy to walk, but now I have to motivate myself to go the gym and
keep in shape. I now have so many causes and volunteer opportunities. I've
become a more positive person and lost the ability to say "no" when
asked to help. Oh well.
I have joined two clinical trials at New York Presbyterian
Hospital. I will be getting two mammograms each year - one digital, one on
traditional film. As a photographers wife I figured it was my responsibility to
volunteer for the testing of newer, digital technology.
I also go to the hospital each week to participate in a study for
cognitive learning and mindfulness. I meditate and focus on my breathing. They
take blood and test my stress levels. I have learned about the differences in
positive thinking and a positive attitude, how we can control our nervous
system and our responses to situations. I really believe that a positive
attitude is essential in healing, recovery and the continuation of wellness.
I'm not so sure about the meditation, but I am open-minded.
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the
mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." - Einstein
It's one of my favorite quotations. It makes me think. I used to
try to solve my problems by sheer determination only to end up deeper in the
muck. But when I changed my tactics and accepted that I could be successful,
mentally, physically and spiritually, if I would only reach out to others who
had previously gone through the process, and use the tools they shared with me,
my life began to move forward.
So I volunteer, and I network, and I read and attend programs and
seminars. I'm a fearless fundraiser for breast cancer, and I'm walking 100
miles for breast cancer over the next year.
I'm already registered for the walk next year, so you can join me
again and look forward to regular updates on my progress. If you would like to
support me, click on my link below:
http://www.avonwalk.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1043&px=1004565
Entire contents copyright 2003 by David Strom,
Inc.
David Strom, dstrom@cmp.com, +1 (516) 562-7151
Port Washington NY 11050
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