My Mr. Wonderful

Have I mentioned how amazing my husband is and how proud of him I am? No? Well, let's fix that!!!

When my mom was diagnosed with cancer in December 2010, my husband did the only thing he knew how in order to help her. He dedicated a great deal of his time, his efforts, and himself into raising money and awareness for cancer research. He teamed up with The American Cancer Society and the Relay For Life and also created his own event called Caching For A Cure, which was held last summer and raised over $1,000!! We put Caching For A Cure on hold this year due to an increasing number of other responsibilities but plan to hold it annually again once things die down.

This past year, Matt got very involved with the Relay For Life and created The Purple Potty Project. He literally painted a potty purple and places it in the front yards of unsuspecting neighbors each night.  The recipient gives a donation to The American Cancer Society in order to have the potty removed from their yard and help "flush" away cancer. They also get to choose who the next recipient will be. This has been a huge success!! To date, he has raised nearly $2,000 from this alone! Oh, and did I mention that he did all of this while working full time, going back to school, raising two kids, and helping me around the house?

I am SO proud of him for all he has done for this amazing cause!!!!!

I feel now that I have to do a shameless plug as well -- if you'd like to make a donation, no matter how big or small, you can do so at this link.

If you'd also like to help me thank my husband for all of his hard and amazing work, you can vote for him in the Mr. Wonderful contest at My Little Life and help me win him a $100 Visa Gift Card. {All you have to do is click the "like" under his submission -- it's the first on the list! Easy to find!} I think, after all he's done, he more than deserves it!!

{Not So} Wordless Wednesday: Caching For a Cure

The Caching For a Cure event that my husband organized was last Saturday. Here's a picture summary of the day.

We didn't have a super great turn-out {which, honestly, we expected as it was our first year} but we did raise.... are you ready for this???......














$935!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Awesome. Awesome. Awesome!

Thank you SOOOO much to everyone who helped out. We couldn't have done it without your support! We still have several silent auction items available -- t-shirts, gift cards, jewelry, and more!! 100% of the money earned goes directly to The American Cancer Society! You can find Caching For a Cure on facebook as well. Please consider "liking" our page and help us spread the word to make CFAC 2012 even better than 2011!! This is also where you can bid on the remaining silent auction items. Help us break $1,000 for our donation to American Cancer Society!!! Thanks in advance!!

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REPOST: Caching For a Cure

REPOST! This was originally posted on June 12th but with the event coming this weekend, I thought it was worth posting again :-)

It's no secret that my mom was recently diagnosed with liver cancer. It's also no secret that she's been undergoing chemo and kicking cancer in the behind!!!! But what you may not be aware of is what my amazing husband has been up to because of this.

He had wanted to give back to the community for awhile and after the devastating diagnosis came last December, he knew what he wanted to do. So he worked hard to create Caching for a Cure. What this event will entail is a mixture of geocaching and Relay for Life, basically. It's going to be a fun time to raise money for cancer research. ALL proceeds go to the American Cancer Society to help find a cure for my mom and the millions of others affected by cancer.

The event will take place on Saturday, July 16th at Palmer Park (1275 52nd St SW, Wyoming, MI) Registration will begin at 10am (you may also pre-register on the Caching for a Cure website). So come on out for a good time and a chance to win some great prizes (including a brand new Magellan eXplorist 510 GPS!) We hope to see you there!!

We are still in need of the following:

- Donations for goods/services for the silent auction

- Donations for the event itself (especially lunch)

- And of course, monetary donations/sponsors for the American Cancer Society! (That's what it's all about, after all!)

If you can help, please email sticks1983@gmail.com with the subject "Caching for a Cure"

Cache for a Cure: woodtv.com

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Explaining Cancer to a Two Year Old

Cancer is not easy to explain. As an adult and especially as a person in the medical profession, I thought I understood cancer. At least for the most part. After all, we all know that unhealthy behaviors (smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet, etc) can cause cancer. But then it struck my family. And suddenly nothing about cancer made sense anymore. And more than that, I realized how much I truly didn't know about it.

Then add a two year old in the mix. A two year old who wonders why one of his favorite people, his Lolo, no longer comes over to our house to babysit him. Why we don't see her as much anymore, why we can't play with her anymore, why she has no hair. The innocence of some of his questions is just heartbreaking. And all I can muster to say to him is "Lolo is sick, but she's getting better."

Almost every day we have a conversation that goes something like this...

Jake: "Lolo all better?"

Me: "Not yet, but she's getting better."

Jake: "Then we play with her?"

Me: "Yep, then we can play with her."

Jake: "Lolo sick" *insert pouty face*

Sure, it's kind of adorable. But it's also sad. Because he can't understand it. Because none of us can. But how do you explain cancer to a two year old?

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Surviving

Another article I received with my order from ChooseHope.com that I thought was worth sharing. This was not written by me.

Surviving:

15 Helpful Steps When You're Diagnosed with Cancer

by Chris McHugh

STEP 1: Go to the best "National Cancer Center". Usually a training school facility will have the latest treatments available. Sometimes you have to push until it feels uncomfortable to find the newest treatments. This is something we should do in life whether we are decorating or finding the best treatment.

STEP 2: Use technology to research your disease and possible treatments. Call 1-800-4-CANCER, ask for help to formulate the best questions to get the best answers from your doctors. Use the internet, but have someone be your researcher because this is very time consuming. The key is to educate yourself about your disease.

STEP 3: Cancer is BIG money business to hospital and treatment centers. You are hiring this professional, get different opinions until you are comfortable. Remember this doctor will be with you until they die or you die. Does your doctor have the same goals as you do? Do you share the same values? Remember, YOU know your disease, you can make choices. No one will walk into the room and say they will cure you. You have to fight for the best treatment and care. I interviewed three doctors and asked them questions. The most important question to me was, "If after I listen to your treatment plan, may I choose what I think is best for me?" My doctor answered, "absolutely!"

STEP 4: Make doctors aware of your life and your life stories. Make yourself human to them. Make sure your doctor knows you are loved. Make this known to your insurance company also. They document who calls. This is important for questionable treatments. If they don't think you can fight and know no one else is around, they may deny you. (During my bone marrow transplant, I wore a button every day that said, "I AM LOVED.")

STEP 5: Do not consider yourself a statistic. Doctors can only give you their human opinion. My attitude and my family's love changed my statistics.

STEP 6: My belief is to use the "Biggest Guns" they have, but remember treatment choices are choices that are as unique as your cancer is, and as unique as you are. Life goals, general health, and age are all factors. When we use words like "win" and "lose" with cancer we are setting ourselves up for feelings like "failure". You make the best choice at the time and don't look back. "Should'ves" and "could'ves" are traps.

STEP 7: You have choices... choose to be POSITIVE! A positive attitude has everything to do with it! Choose to make the most out of any situation, but don't beat yourself up if you have a bad day. Forgive yourself and go on.

STEP 8: Wrap yourself in a blanket of love provided by family and friends. Allow others to take care of you so you can take care of yourself.

STEP 9: Be honest about your feelings with yourself and share them with family, spouse, and friends. Sometimes saying it out loud allows you to move on.

STEP 10: Support groups were my lifeline. They know how you feel, making you feel less isolated.

STEP 11: Avoid toxic people. You know who they are. You work with them. You live next door to them. You may even life with them! Put a sign on the front door that reads "Don't come in if you can't be POSITIVE!"

STEP 12: Financial burdens and giving up work both cause emotional strife. If you can't work, remember you ARE working. Your job is to heal.

STEP 13: Headphones and meditation. I couldn't have survived without these two. Use your mind, it's the most powerful tool you have. Learn to relax and understand your body. Let your heart and mind be open to messages.

STEP 14: You are not dying the day you are diagnosed, so seize the day.

STEP 15: Never lose your faith. Never lose hope and believe in prayer. Believe in miracles!!!!!

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Caching for a Cure

It's no secret that my mom was recently diagnosed with liver cancer. It's also no secret that she's been undergoing chemo and kicking cancer in the behind!!!! But what you may not be aware of is what my amazing husband has been up to because of this.

He had wanted to give back to the community for awhile and after the devastating diagnosis came last December, he knew what he wanted to do. So he worked hard to create Caching for a Cure. What this event will entail is a mixture of geocaching and Relay for Life, basically. It's going to be a fun time to raise money for cancer research. ALL proceeds go to the American Cancer Society to help find a cure for my mom and the millions of others affected by cancer.

The event will take place on Saturday, July 16th at Palmer Park (1275 52nd St SW, Wyoming, MI) Registration will begin at 10am (you may also pre-register on the Caching for a Cure website). So come on out for a good time and a chance to win some great prizes (including a brand new Magellan eXplorist 510 GPS!) We hope to see you there!!

We are still in need of the following:

- Donations for goods/services for the silent auction

- Donations for the event itself (especially lunch)

- And of course, monetary donations/sponsors for the American Cancer Society! (That's what it's all about, after all!)

If you can help, please email sticks1983@gmail.com with the subject "Caching for a Cure"

Cache for a Cure: woodtv.com

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Cancer: Signs and Symptoms

This is the first of a couple of cancer related posts I will be doing soon. None of these were written by me, but I received this paper in the mail with my order from Choose Hope (definitely recommend this site!) and I thought they were all worth sharing.

The following is taken from www.chosehope.com

The key to a cure is early diagnosis! Knowing these signs could save your life or the life of someone you know. Having any of these symptoms does NOT necessarily mean you have cancer, but is something you should have checked out if symptoms persist.

Bladder Cancer: Blood in the urine, pain, or burning upon urination; frequent urination; or cloudy urine

Bone Cancer: Pain in the bone or swelling around the affected site; repeated fractures in bones, weakness, fatigue, weight loss; repeated infections; nausea, vomiting, constipation, problems with urination; weakness or numbness in the legs; bumps and bruises that persist

Brain Cancer: Dizziness; drowsiness, abnormal eye movements or changes in vision; weakness, loss of feeling in arms or legs or difficulties in walking; fits or convulsions; changes in personality, memory or speech; headaches that tend to be worse in the morning and ease during the day, that may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting

Breast Cancer: A lump or thickening of the breast, inverted nipple or discharge from the nipple; change in the skin of the breast; a feeling of heat; or enlarged lymph nodes under the arm

Breast Cancer - Inflammatory: Change in the skin of the breast including redness, thickening of the skin, prominence of the hair follicles resembling an orange peel. A rash-like appearance that doesn't go away

Cervical Cancer: Abnormal vaginal bleeding, such as between periods or after intercourse. Vaginal bleeding after menopause. Foul vaginal discharge. Discomfort during intercourse.

Colorectal Cancer: Rectal bleeding (red blood in stools or black stools) abdominal cramps; constipation alternating with diarrhea; weight loss; loss of appetite; weakness; pallid complexion

Esophageal Cancer: Difficulty swallowing; severe unintentional weight loss; pain in your throat, mid-chest, or between your shoulder blades; hoarseness or a chronic cough

Hodgkin's Disease: Painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin

Kidney Cancer: Blood in urine; dull ache or pain in the back or side; lump in kidney area, sometimes accompanied by high blood pressure or abnormality in red blood cell count

Leukemia: Weakness, paleness; fever and flu-like symptoms; bruising and prolonged bleeding; enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, liver; pain in bones and joints; frequent infections; weight loss; night sweats

Liver Cancer: Loss of appetite and weight loss; fever; fatigue and weakness; pain in the upper right abdomen; abdominal swelling or a feeling of fullness/bloating; jaundice

Lung Cancer: Wheezing, persistent cough for months; blood-streaked sputum; persistent ache in chest; congestion in lungs; enlarged lymph nodes in neck

Melanoma: Change in mole or other bump on the skin, including bleeding or change in size, shape, color, or texture

Multiple Myeloma: Bone pain or frequent fractures; infections, especially bacterial infections of the respiratory and urinary tracts; generalize fatigue, weight loss and malaise; nausea, vomiting, altered mental state; depression

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, or groin; persistent fever; feeling of fatigue; unexplained weight loss; itchy skin and rashes; small lumps in skin; bone pain; swelling in the abdomen; liver or spleen enlargement

Oral Cancer: A lump in the mouth, ulceration of the lip, tongue or inside of the mouth that does not heal within a couple of weeks; dentures that no longer fit well; oral pain, bleeding, foul breath, loose teeth, and changes in speech

Ovarian Cancer: Abdominal swelling; in rare cases, abnormal vaginal bleeding; digestive discomfort

Pancreatic Cancer: Upper abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss; pain near the center of back; intolerance of fatty foods; yellowing of the skin; abdominal masses; enlargement of liver and spleen

Prostate Cancer: Urination difficulties due to blockage of the urethra; bladder retains urine creating frequent feelings of urgency to urinate, especially at night; bladder not emptying completely; burning or painful urination; bloody urine; tenderness over the bladder; and dull ache in the pelvis or back

Stomach Cancer: Indigestion or heartburn; discomfort or pain in the abdomen; nausea and vomiting; diarrhea or constipation; bloating after meals; loss of appetite; weakness and fatigue; vomiting blood or blood in the stool

Testicular Cancer: Pain or swelling in the testes; lumps or nodules, whether painful or not; enlargement of the testicles; pain in the lower back or groin area; swelling of the scrotum

Thyroid Cancer: Problems with swallowing; hoarseness; enlarged lymph nodes in the neck; breathing difficulty; pain in the throat and/or neck

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUE FOR THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN OR OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. IF YOU HAVE AN ILLNESS, MEDICAL PROBLEM OR ANY CONCERNS REGARDING THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE CONTACT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL

www.choosehope.com

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Wordless Wednesday: Relay For Life

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last week

I keep meaning to be a better writer in here but then another week or more passes and I haven't logged on.

I wanted to get on and thank everyone for your prayers regarding my mom, especially those of you who have prayed before even knowing what was going on. I am so happy to report that those prayers have worked!! We received great news at my mom's first CT scan last week. The chemo is working! Her tumors are shrinking and some of the smaller spots on her lungs have disappeared. PRAISE GOD!!! We never know what God has in store for our lives and sometimes when we are faced with these challenges it is hard to trust in His plans. But I know my mom is going to come through this and we are ALL going to be stronger people because of it.

My aunt came up to visit this last week which was wonderful. It was so great to see her and have her here to help my mom during her most challenging week thus far. I am only sad that I only got to see her I think three times during her stay. I wish I could have seen her more.

My 27th birthday was last Thursday. I celebrated by going to work. Haha. No, really, we celebrated with my family on Friday. We had pizza and my aunt made a chocolate cake. It was a nice, low-key celebration.

On Sunday (2.27) Jordan was baptized at church. He did really well and didn't cry. We are considering Jordan to be 5 months old today since there is no 30th of February. I will write his 5 month update later.

I don't think there's anything else to update on at this time.

birthday cake

Jacob showing off his messy hands and face

birthday celebration

Jordan's baptism

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