HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - walking in memory of courtney

v-ness · 09-05-2012, 07:37 PM

the other night i used magic marker to write the names of everyone i am 'walking for' on sunday, 9/9, in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. it came to WAY too many names. i had to start writing smaller. i thought i'd share it with you guys because one of those i walk in memory and honor of is Courtney L, who meant so much to many here and who was so inspiring and kind to me. i wanted to show you my t-shirt, which is in the album in the link below. if you click on it, you can see it big enough to read all the names. another person on it is vicky, VLCARR, whom i met here and who became a good friend. as you can see by the stars and the RIP's beside names, too many are gone.

my friend stacy's name has 2 stars because a month after she joined my team BRAVE, she was diagnosed with breast cancer too. she's in chemo now and can't do the 13.1 half-marathon, but a friend is coming to do it for her. BRAVE is not because i think i'm brave, but is made up of initials (and now it's become BRAVES to include Stacy). B is for my mom, barbara (ovarian cancer '10), R is for my husband robert (esophageal cancer '07), A is for his niece aimee (stage 4 breast cancer diagnosed in april), V is for me, E is for Everyone touched in any way by cancer.

the Walk raises millions for the Jimmy Fund which funds research and patient care at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. so often in dealing with cancer we are left feeling so helpless. you can say "let me know what i can do" and all that - but this way i get to also DO something concrete without being asked. instead i asked a bunch of people to support me and my team, and they came through.

we're up to more than $7700 and our goal was $7500.

apparently our story is so unusual that the Jimmy Fund media people emailed today because the Boston Globe wants to interview me at the Finish Line and a Boston TV station wants to film Team BRAVE.

i will have to pack a compact and lip gloss in my fanny pack. ha! and kleenex, because i am sure to be in tears.

so i hope courtney will smile upon me that day and use any influence to bring us sunshine and cool weather to keep my hot flashes at bay. and know that by doing this, i'm also walking for all of you because their research (and DF is a great hospital) helps us all.

valerie

http://her2support.org/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=63

09-05-2012, 07:37 PM	#1
v-ness Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: western ma Posts: 280	walking in memory of courtney - 9/9/12 the other night i used magic marker to write the names of everyone i am 'walking for' on sunday, 9/9, in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. it came to WAY too many names. i had to start writing smaller. i thought i'd share it with you guys because one of those i walk in memory and honor of is Courtney L, who meant so much to many here and who was so inspiring and kind to me. i wanted to show you my t-shirt, which is in the album in the link below. if you click on it, you can see it big enough to read all the names. another person on it is vicky, VLCARR, whom i met here and who became a good friend. as you can see by the stars and the RIP's beside names, too many are gone. my friend stacy's name has 2 stars because a month after she joined my team BRAVE, she was diagnosed with breast cancer too. she's in chemo now and can't do the 13.1 half-marathon, but a friend is coming to do it for her. BRAVE is not because i think i'm brave, but is made up of initials (and now it's become BRAVES to include Stacy). B is for my mom, barbara (ovarian cancer '10), R is for my husband robert (esophageal cancer '07), A is for his niece aimee (stage 4 breast cancer diagnosed in april), V is for me, E is for Everyone touched in any way by cancer. the Walk raises millions for the Jimmy Fund which funds research and patient care at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. so often in dealing with cancer we are left feeling so helpless. you can say "let me know what i can do" and all that - but this way i get to also DO something concrete without being asked. instead i asked a bunch of people to support me and my team, and they came through. we're up to more than $7700 and our goal was $7500. apparently our story is so unusual that the Jimmy Fund media people emailed today because the Boston Globe wants to interview me at the Finish Line and a Boston TV station wants to film Team BRAVE. i will have to pack a compact and lip gloss in my fanny pack. ha! and kleenex, because i am sure to be in tears. so i hope courtney will smile upon me that day and use any influence to bring us sunshine and cool weather to keep my hot flashes at bay. and know that by doing this, i'm also walking for all of you because their research (and DF is a great hospital) helps us all. valerie http://her2support.org/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=63 __________________ 8/09 - IDC 1.8 cm triple positive, lumpectomy left breast 10/09 began chemo (taxotere & carboplatin) and weekly herceptin. 1/21/10 finished chemo, continued on herceptin every 3 weeks until 10/2010. 2/10 began 7 wks of radiation 6/10 mom dies of primary peritoneal ovarian cancer 8/10 got my last remaining ovary out 10/10 mammogram all clear 3/11 MRI shows 5 'spots' in right breast, largest 1 cm unidentifiable on US needle biopsy proved the largest to be old inflamed cyst -phew! 7/10 switched to Arimidex 8/9 switched to Femara - allergic to arimidex Femara made me lose hair quickly so switched to Aromasin Aromasin made my hair fall out too and the bone pain was too much. back on Tamoxifen 1/2013. blood clot from trains and planes 5/2014 so on coumadin per onco for as long as i am on tamoxifen tamoxifen was supposed to be up with my 5 yrs in may but my boyfriend was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer so i am staying on tamoxifen indefinitely because i want some ammo against BC, given the stress. lost my husband in only 10 wks in 2007 to stage 4 esophageal cancer. cancer's screwing with another man i love 2/2016 - 6yrs in remission, off tamoxifen and off coumadin - yay!