This is what I did during the year of 2009...I thought I would share a very personal story and what I belive to be a very very important cause
this is how it went...
Dear Friends,
On September 11-13, 2009 I'll be participating in a very special event called The Weekend to End Breast Cancer.
I'll walk 60 kilometers over the course of one weekend with thousands of other women and men. The net proceeds will support breast cancer research, treatment, and services through The Princess Margaret.
I've agreed to raise at least $2,000, but I've set my personal goal at 5,000.00. So I need your help. Would you please consider making a donation of $50? Use the link at the bottom of this email, and go visit my site - and please take the time to support me. Please keep in mind how far I'm walking - and how hard I'll have to train.
According to the National Cancer Institute of Canada, approximately 20,500 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and about 5,400 will die from the disease. That's why I'm walking so far. To do something bold about breast cancer. I hope that you'll share this incredible adventure with me - by supporting me in my fundraising efforts.
I have included my reasons for walking in this event. Please pass along this message to anyone who might be able to support me in this walk.
My motivation is to do what I can to ensure that best friends do not have to walk alone, they can walk together. That best friends do not have to say good-bye prematurely. By walking this walk I am doing what I can to raise awareness and cure what took my childhood friend away from me much earlier than we had planned. I do not want any other women to have to deal with this as their reality.
Breast cancer has had a profound effect on my life in a very personal way. When we first talked about Cathy finding her lump it scared the hell out of me! We were both concerned, but focused on fighting it every step of the way! I offered to be there for Cathy any way that I could, from taking her to appointments to sitting with her waiting for our pager to go off for her next round of chemo to begin, to massaging her feet while she was being treated, we laughed, we smiled, we had fun through it all, we watched movies and talked about our plans when we got old and gray. We held each other and we cried on the way home from Sarnia when the homeopath said that she did not have breast cancer, we were so willing to accept his words we did not question his diagnosis. We grinned like Cheshire cats all the way home with the top down from Sarnia. When asked by Sherri what Cathy's wishes were, I think she was stunned to learn that I did not know, but, I truly did not know, I shared with her that we never talked about that, this was not our plan. We honestly did not discuss what would happen if she did not beat this. I think it was naive of us perhaps, but we were so busy living that we did not have time to focus on anything else, except treatment, and life itself. I held her hand and she held mine when I went for my 1year check up, mine came back clear, and we were thrilled! Good news was a rare find for us at the hospital.
The last few days were good, I read to Cathy from Psalm, I started at the beginning and I read as far as Chapter 23, I read the one passage that I thought needed to be read to her, and talked to her about it, we sang "You are my Sunshine", I sang and Cathy mouthed the words, I know that she could understand and that the verses were giving her solace, I played Il Divo on my i-pod and placed the pods near her ears and she acknowledged that she enjoyed the music. So many things go through your mind when you realize and accept that your friend is not going to grow old with you. It has taken months to be able to even try to type this without completely and utterly falling apart. I am good today, not sure what tomorrow will bring because you just have to take each day one at a time. I find strength knowing that Cathy does not want me to wallow, I know we talked about doing this walk, and that if she were here, we would be doing it together. Since Cathy cannot do it with me, I will do it for her and bring her with me. I loved her dearly and I still do, she is with me wherever I go, in my thoughts, my memories and I speak of her each day, I say good morning, I say good night, I still have not quite come to terms with the loss, and I likely won't for some time to come. But, that is OK that she will understand she knew how important she was to me, and how much I cared. When I have my moments, I take the time to reflect on what time we did have together, not the time that we no longer have as a team of Thelma and Louise. She is my Thelma and I her Louise and no one can ever take that!
<edited part>
Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Sincerely,
Trish
this is how it went...
Dear Friends,
On September 11-13, 2009 I'll be participating in a very special event called The Weekend to End Breast Cancer.
I'll walk 60 kilometers over the course of one weekend with thousands of other women and men. The net proceeds will support breast cancer research, treatment, and services through The Princess Margaret.
I've agreed to raise at least $2,000, but I've set my personal goal at 5,000.00. So I need your help. Would you please consider making a donation of $50? Use the link at the bottom of this email, and go visit my site - and please take the time to support me. Please keep in mind how far I'm walking - and how hard I'll have to train.
According to the National Cancer Institute of Canada, approximately 20,500 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and about 5,400 will die from the disease. That's why I'm walking so far. To do something bold about breast cancer. I hope that you'll share this incredible adventure with me - by supporting me in my fundraising efforts.
I have included my reasons for walking in this event. Please pass along this message to anyone who might be able to support me in this walk.
My motivation is to do what I can to ensure that best friends do not have to walk alone, they can walk together. That best friends do not have to say good-bye prematurely. By walking this walk I am doing what I can to raise awareness and cure what took my childhood friend away from me much earlier than we had planned. I do not want any other women to have to deal with this as their reality.
Breast cancer has had a profound effect on my life in a very personal way. When we first talked about Cathy finding her lump it scared the hell out of me! We were both concerned, but focused on fighting it every step of the way! I offered to be there for Cathy any way that I could, from taking her to appointments to sitting with her waiting for our pager to go off for her next round of chemo to begin, to massaging her feet while she was being treated, we laughed, we smiled, we had fun through it all, we watched movies and talked about our plans when we got old and gray. We held each other and we cried on the way home from Sarnia when the homeopath said that she did not have breast cancer, we were so willing to accept his words we did not question his diagnosis. We grinned like Cheshire cats all the way home with the top down from Sarnia. When asked by Sherri what Cathy's wishes were, I think she was stunned to learn that I did not know, but, I truly did not know, I shared with her that we never talked about that, this was not our plan. We honestly did not discuss what would happen if she did not beat this. I think it was naive of us perhaps, but we were so busy living that we did not have time to focus on anything else, except treatment, and life itself. I held her hand and she held mine when I went for my 1year check up, mine came back clear, and we were thrilled! Good news was a rare find for us at the hospital.
The last few days were good, I read to Cathy from Psalm, I started at the beginning and I read as far as Chapter 23, I read the one passage that I thought needed to be read to her, and talked to her about it, we sang "You are my Sunshine", I sang and Cathy mouthed the words, I know that she could understand and that the verses were giving her solace, I played Il Divo on my i-pod and placed the pods near her ears and she acknowledged that she enjoyed the music. So many things go through your mind when you realize and accept that your friend is not going to grow old with you. It has taken months to be able to even try to type this without completely and utterly falling apart. I am good today, not sure what tomorrow will bring because you just have to take each day one at a time. I find strength knowing that Cathy does not want me to wallow, I know we talked about doing this walk, and that if she were here, we would be doing it together. Since Cathy cannot do it with me, I will do it for her and bring her with me. I loved her dearly and I still do, she is with me wherever I go, in my thoughts, my memories and I speak of her each day, I say good morning, I say good night, I still have not quite come to terms with the loss, and I likely won't for some time to come. But, that is OK that she will understand she knew how important she was to me, and how much I cared. When I have my moments, I take the time to reflect on what time we did have together, not the time that we no longer have as a team of Thelma and Louise. She is my Thelma and I her Louise and no one can ever take that!
<edited part>
Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Sincerely,
Trish
- Tanya James-Beaudry Good for you, Trish! Ken and I are happy to contribute to such a worthy cause. A few girlfirends of mine did the Manitoba version of the walk a couple of years ago. It was quite the experience! Good Luck!
March 31, 2009 at 7:08pm ·
I did not post this to convince you to donate to the walk, but if that is what you might like to do - please let me know as I know a couple ladies who are walking again this year and the fundraising is tough!
Trish
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| Cathy at my place after treatment - it was round two and her hair had just begun to grow in and then it left again in a couple more treatments. |
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