Breast Cancer 3-day 2010

I did it! I walked in the Susan G Komen 3-Day for my third year. I had a new team, but kept the team name Rack Starz. My honorary team members, Mendy and Stacy sat this year out. Mendy is about 22 months pregnant (yes, I know I gave her the gestation of an elephant, but that poor girl has the biggest belly I have ever seen) and Stacy has to stay close awaiting the eminent arrival of Jaxon Bentley Blevins. Any day now - I will keep you posted.

This year was exciting as I walked with all newbies. Stephanie, my friend who battled breast cancer last summer - A-type organzied very well put together, competitive and high spirited, her sister Rhonda - the world's best fund raiser (more on this later) and the only one to cross the finish line without a blister - COMPETITIVE, low-key, quiet and conversational all at once, shares my taste in music. I wouldn't exactly fit her into the A-type model, but she likes timeliness and organization, likes to have plan at hand. And my cousin Leigh Anne - one of the funniest peeps I know, who also laughs at all my own jokes, so of course, I am going to keep her around. It was great to see them experience the event for the first time. It is truly an amazing sight to see all those people come together for a common cause.

Team Rack Starz - with one adoption we picked up along the way, and a fifth member who joined our team, but did not participate in our team at all, this was one of two times I saw her at all during the entire weekend.

Day One proved to be the hardest as we walked on uneven side-walks that made my usual blisters show up a day early. Gigantatoe made her third appearance and will likely loose that toe-nail as it was loose on the walk, but it's still hanging in there. (kinda like a badge of courage to loose a toe-nail. Afterall, some of these women I walk with have lost a breast(s), I can certainly sacrifice a toe-nail or two). When we got to camp and I pulled off the shoes, my right heel had a ginormous blood blister. That heel always gets a blister, but usually not until day two. There were some volunteers helping set up tents and one of them asked me in this horrified voice: "are you ok?" He was freaked by my foot.

World's Grossest Blister - the Medical tent personel was even impressed with this one.

Day Two was Hard. Hard to get going, hard to keep going, just plain hard. It was really cold at night and while I stayed warm and cozy in my sleeping bag, getting out of it and into the cold to walk and walk and walk is not an easy task. I learned last year to sleep in the clothes I am going to wear the next day so I don't have to change in the cold in the morning. So cold in fact, Leigh Anne and I had forgotten to brush teeth before we went to bed and wasn't going to walk the 100 yards to the bathroom facilities, so we brushed at the tent and rinsed out with Diet Coke. Decided the bubbles helped clean our teeth.

As the afternoon wore on, talking stopped, heads drooped and everyone just kinda turned in on themselves and found that strength, endurance, and small amount of insanity to continue to put one foot in front of the other. We all made it to camp. My knees at this point are screaming mad! So I went to Medical to get them taped up and was introduced to Kinesio tape. Miracle tape my friends, read up on it. It does wonders. Not sure what it's made of, spit, tree sap, and a pinch of dragon snot, but it works and works very well.

The sisters - Stephanie and Rhonda

Day Three - cheering sections were amazing, miles and miles of well wishers with dogs and babies and candy and Popsicles. It was greatness and kept us all in good spirits and walking, walking and walking. I, of course, have been popping Ibuprofen like M&M's again along with Fire in a bottle. However, the high dosage of ibuprofen was certainly masking the toll I was taking on my knees (more on this later).

The greatest part of the day, was walking arm and arm into closing with my three, brand new team members and watching them complete their first 3-Day. They all did an amazing job and are three of the strongest, competitive, and funniest women I know. All three days, we did alot of laughing as usual. Even when we were hurting, always found something to laugh about. As is ceremony, the survivors are separated from the rest of us to walk into closing ceremony last, in a sea of pink. When I told Stephanie it was time for her to join the elite, the confusion that crossed her face was bitter sweet. She did not want to separate from the rest of us, but wanted to honor that battle she had waged against this disease. With hugs and kisses, she finally went, but I think with an itty bitty tear in her eye.

Stephanie in the honorary line of survivors

Rhonda, was up for the top fund-raiser for the entire Dallas 3-Day. She officially did not win, but I am not sure it was a level playing field and in my book, she won hands down. She raised over $17,000 by pure determination and grit. The 3-Day did give her a lovely sterling silver bracelet which she as able to give to her sister the survivor. I have had alot of conflicting feelings over how the whole top fund raiser was handled and at the end of the day, it all goes to the same great cause. However, it was disappointing to know Rhonda had the top dollar amount at the deadline and they let some sandbagger sneak in with another donation 5 minutes after the deadline. But happy, happy, cheery, cheery, it all goes to the cause. With Rhonda's help, Team Rack Starz

raised over $27,000 this year. In it's 4 years, that brings our total to over $50,000. That's just plain crazy.

Tony and Jackson met me at closing and we got home and I took a bath and went to bed. I awoke the next day with knees very swollen and so sore, I could not walk. I staying in bed with knees elevated and on ice. They were a mess. It has now been over a week since the walk, and I can still hear them talking. Just murmuring at this point, not screeching like they were before. Leigh Anne's husband Damon was with my boys and we gave them a ride to their car. I think he was shocked at our condition. He even murmured, "I am not sure if I could do that if you two are beat to hell like this" - and he is a manly man - never admitting defeat. LeighAnne did discover however, that most of her blisters were probably caused by her allergy to athletic tape that was covering 90% of her feet. I reminded her of the excellent cure for weeping blisters, tie a panty liner to your boo-boo. Works like a charm!

Panty liner band-aid for a terrible case of poison ivy

Not sure exactly why the knees did not fair too well this year. I blame it on the side-walks from day one. The fact that I didn't train a step in preparation, didn't have anything to do with it all. If I were not so stubborn, I could have swept mileage in one of the sweep vans, but you know me, have to walk every step.

My feet and legs at closing ceremonies

So, will I do it again. I think I taking a break. My wonderful supporters who helped me raise the money deserve a break - I have been begging for money three years now. My team members have already decided they are walking next year, so I will be their official "Walker Stalker" and be at every pit stop to take extra clothes, give kisses, wrap up body parts with that amazing Kinesio tape. I told my team members, I would make a flip chart on how to wrap certain ailments. I didn't need to know why it worked, just what it looked like. I got a raised eyebrow from Rhonda on that one who was a trainer in high school.

Our Walker Stalkers this year were Steph and Rhonda's mom and Steph's best friend Jimi. I cannot conjure the words or phrases to say how important they were to us on this walk. They were at every pit stop, every lunch, with lattes, homemade cookies, trail mixes, and my fav - mommy kisses from Mom.

So, keep up those mammograms, Husbands - grope your wife, it could save her life.