go, girl, go cont'd and a little announcement

if you are just tuning in, you might want to read out of breath and go, girl, go (installment one) first. if not, you can just read this and catch up later...

so there i was running each week in the hopes of loosing my baby belly and in the process, gaining a valuable friend. after the first week or two, i suggested to my running mate that we might consider doing a 10k- heck, she got me to do 3 1/2 miles on that first run. what's a few more miles? i looked into it and we decided to do the livermore grape stomp in october. basically, you run and then at the end celebrate your accomplishment by tasting the fall crush. it sounded good to me- running and then a little wine. i'm down with that- it's one of the perks of living in this fabulous little known wine region here in the tri-valley. my pal and i agreed this was a good fit.

while i was busy running, my sister was busy getting her cancer treatment underway. she was meeting with various oncologists and comparing their recommendations for treatment, she was meeting with surgeons and learning the ropes for what was in store for "the betties" (as she humorously refers to her new but temporary implants), and she was doing a bit of research on alternative treatments.

when my sister had her 4th son and i had e, she and i simultaneously started looking into more natural and homeopathic ways to medicate. we both took our own organic routes in this area, but there were a lot of intersections. frequently, we compared notes. it seemed natural that this would also be part of her cancer journey.

in the early part of the summer, she met with a doctor that specializes in this field. after meeting with him, he confirmed what she already knew in her heart- she needed the chemo. i think that was good news, in spite of the bad that comes with chemotherapy. the other good news is that this doctor specializes in treatments that boost the immune system that chemo tears down. i almost choked when she told me that the preliminary meeting was $500. i really almost choked when she told me that each of these treatments was about $90 a pop and would take place weekly. we started talking about the other bills that come with cancer for an insured patient- it goes something like this... co-pays for each doctors visit ($35/3 times a week), co-pays for surgery (in the hundreds if not thousands), co-pays for the weekly fillings of the betties, co-pays for the implants, and down the road co-pays for radiation- yikes! if my head wasn't spinning before, it certainly was now. and that got me thinking...

how does the average family pay for treatment- traditional or other? as if the strain of the cancer isn't enough, right? on top of that, you get to add this pile of financial stressors right into the mix.

now, i've said before, my sister is a woman of faith. she believes that God will carry her and provide for her needs. her husband believes the same, so i think it is fair to say that this family doesn't get caught up in the worry of it all.

and right then and there, when we stand firm in our faith, we can usually see more clearly how God provides.

as i was thinking about these things day after day, i was still running. somewhere along the way, another friend of mine planted a little seed- "tasha, you should do a breast cancer run". but she didn't stop there- she found one on-line and sent me the link. this 10k was taking place in another town nearby in september (this coming saturday, to be exact). running for wine is good and fine, but running for my sister when i am so far away? i was over the moon. it was a tangible way that i could support her journey. and with that little seed, and with a lot of prayer, and with more running an idea began to bloom.

i could run the 10k and raise funds for my sister. my original plan was to raise funds for her wig- a mom of 5 is best suited for a natural hair wig that could put a pretty sizable dent into the pocketbook. she was fine with this suggestion- reluctant at first, because she didn't want to put a financial strain on people. but after some time and after some prayer she thought it would be a blessing.

simultaneously, my aunt (not knowing my plan) decided to do some fundraising of her own. she sent out an email to my aunts, cousins, siblings and grandmother. true to how God works, God made these people willing participants in my sister's journey. in fact, i think it is fair to say that they were grateful for a channel that would help support my sister in a real way. and so my fam (and my sister's in-laws) all pitched in to pay for most of my sister's new hairpiece.

and while she is beautiful without it (for real! look at the joy in her eyes!), this need has been met.

at that time, i did some more time praying- was there more that God wanted me to do in spite of the fact that this initial need had been met? and i immediately felt like there was- as i thought of her bills that would soon be coming her way, i knew i had to continue with my plan. again, she and i talked about this. we both saw the value of helping her, and we both felt like maybe there is more. it's not concrete at this point, but we both have hopes of doing this for other women down the road. we both felt like you shouldn't have to go this alone- that becoming part of community that surrounds women walking this path is essential.

and so without further ado- an announcement. on saturday, i am running the hers breast cancer 10k in freemont, ca. if you'd like to support my run and help launch this fundraising campaign, i would cherish that support!

you can do so in one of four ways-

1.) pray for this fundraising effort. pray that God would be glorified. pray that my little old legs can run like the wind. and pray for my sister as she walks this road.

2.) click on the "chip in" link (top left-hand corner of my blog page) and make a donation to "the betties". your donation will help cover the costs of my sister's medical treatments. my hope and prayer is that there will be funds left over to help start the support for the next person that God places in our path with breast cancer (we will be activly looking and praying for this component to fall into place with God's perfect timing).

3.) today (and today only) you can also buy a necklace from sarah on etsy (click those words right there and it will direct you to her etsy site). sarah makes necklaces in an effort to raise funds for tons of different charities. today, her sales with raise funds for my sister. if you choose to help in this way, you can purchase any of her regular items (special orders are not included). in the etsy checkout, indicate that you are purchasing on behalf of my sister. sarah will in turn donate 50% of the sales to my sister.

4.) send people via facebook to this page and encourage them to jump in. if you do so today (monday) they can be a part of options 1-4. if you don't get this today, they can still participate by participating in options 1,2 and 4. the more that know, the more that can join me and my sister on this journey.

and i can't just end there... you know me by now, right?

i was in church this morning. i'll confess, i almost didn't go because i felt like i could use the time writing this very post. but i felt like i needed to be there. God was tugging at my heart and i was certain that there was something i needed to hear. well, the sermon this morning was the exact confirmation that my heart needed. the title was "hello my name is____ and i've tried doing this alone". the very core of the message was that in life, we so often try to be self-sufficient. we try to doing it alone. but if you look at the example laid out by paul, we are called to do this together. alone doesn't work. we need to rely on God and we need to rely on the people in our community to support us, encourage us, and propel us forward. my pastor (and good friend) ended the message with this- we need to have someone's hand to hold (a sponsor, if you will) and then we need to sponsor someone else that comes our way (hold their hand and support their journey just like we received support).

and so today, i ask you to grab hands. run with me, support my sister if you are able and don't be shy about reaching out your own hand when you need support.

much love to you today, and thank you.