It’s been a long time since I was pregnant, but I remember it like it was yesterday. A lot of women moan and groan for the whole 9 months, and then scream and cry their way through delivery and say, “Never again!” I was not one of those women. I loved bring pregnant and I loved labor and delivery. I’m on video after giving birth to my oldest saying, “That was a piece of cake!” (I had drugs.)
One thing that was not a piece of cake were the aches and pains that come with growing a brand new human inside a small space. Making new life is HARD people, and I had the stretch marks and sciatica and back pain to prove it. No wonder women moan and groan for months on end…being pregnant isn’t always fun. I actually had to go to physical therapy when I was pregnant with one of the kids (Matthew, maybe?) and get massages from a therapist due to my sciatica. You shouldn’t have to be in pain like that just to get a massage while you’re pregnant, so that’s why I’m all about this new pregnancy massage video. The clip I’ve got below explains exactly why pregnant women have back problems and all of the other muscle pains that come with creating new life…but it these videos and DVD’s also explain how you can use simple massage to combat back and muscle pain. If I had access to a massage therapist trained in these techniques when I was pregnant, I would have been treating myself weekly!
In just over a week, I’ll be on my way to New York City to participate in my THIRD breast cancer walk, and I think this one is going to be the best time so far.
You may recall that I spent 2 of my 3 days walking in Philly (2006) getting rained on. That’s dedication.
Last year, the temperatures were in the upper 90’s as I stumbled my way through Tampa Bay. That’s nuts.
This year, the weather in NYC is promising highs in the mid 70’s and overnight lows in the low 50’s. That’s perfect!
(I feel like one of the three bears!)
As of right now, I am $425 away from my goal of $1800 raised. My donation ticker says I’m $400 away, but I’m sitting on a check for $25 from my godmother - I’ll turn it in when I get to the Event Eve site at the Sheraton in Manhattan next Friday. It’s not too late for you to donate!
I’ve got an appointment at my hair salon for a cut and color tomorrow.
Isn’t it funny how your hair looks fine…amazing even, and then within a matter of days, it goes to heck? All of a sudden, my gray roots popped out of nowhere this week, and my bangs are too long and I’m trying not to cut them myself. The only reason I keep bangs in the first place is to cover my forehead…someday my little furrow lines are going to turn into bigger wrinkles though, and bangs won’t be enough. I’d better break out the anti aging serum now and do a little preventative maintenance, eh?
And speaking of wrinkles, and how to reduce wrinkles, and aging gracefully in general, when do you go from using makeup to cover the occasional blemish to worrying about the elasticity and tone of your skin? Cheryl Tiegs swears by a product she promotes called Unbelievable…and I’ve got to say, she’s looking pretty darn good for 61, so that’s good enough for me. I like the concept of Botox, but not the idea of needles in my face, so when someone mentions a safe, needle free alternative like Unbelievable, that works in 5 minutes…well, sign me up!
So there are 26 (eek!) days until the Avon Walk in New York, and I’m still a bit away from my goal. I’m at $1150 right now, with a $100 donation in the mail to the Avon folks, and a promise of a donation from my sister’s friend Leebo coming as well. That’ll put me right around $1300 or $1350, depending on how generous Leebo is feeling. There’s not a single free weekend before the walk for me to spend any time soliciting donations, so we’ll be wrapping that up after the walk. I’ve got 30 days after the walk to get to my $1800 goal, or it comes out of MY pocket.
That said, feel free to donate!
I was out to lunch with coworkers today, and after gorging ourselves on sandwiches and pasta, our waiter offered us dessert. Now, I’m never one to turn down a dessert, especially when Key Lime Pie is on the menu, but I was stuffed. There was talk of sharing dessert, but in the end, we all split a single slice of birthday cake (it was a birthday lunch) and left it at that. One coworker remarked she didn’t even need the cake, and she’s a teeny little thing!
Of course, if you really do need to cut calories, even a bite of this cake wouldn’t have helped. It was a huge piece of chocolate cake with thick chocolate frosting, chocolate chips along the edge, and it was served with ice cream, whipped cream, and a cherry. Not exactly the best way to lose weight! I didn’t see anyone at our table sprinkling CalTrap on their food to cut the caloric value of the cake, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I did see it happen! It’s a way that people can loose weight without giving up their sweets or birthday cake!
I know times are tough. The economy stinks and gas is $4, but in times like this, we still need to be charitable - there are ALWAYS people who have less than us, due to circumstances beyond their control. That’s why I am walking for the 3rd year in a row in a breast cancer walk.
This October (just 49 days from now!) I will be walking nearly 40 miles over the course of a weekend as a participant in an Avon Walk for Breast Cancer event. Once again I am honored to be walking with thousands of others who have made the same courageous commitment: to help raise awareness and funding for this devastating disease. We will sleep in tents, shower in semi-trucks, and push ourselves far beyond what we ever thought we were capable of doing.
This isn’t the first time you’ve heard something like this from me and it probably won’t be the last. Why do I continue to push myself to participate in these events? Why do I keep talking about breast cancer? Why do I continue to fundraise and train? Why? Because when I first started participating in these events I only knew one person that had been touched by breast cancer. Now I know more than I can count. The numbers are not improving. The more people I talk to and the more money I raise to fund the fight against breast cancer - the sooner the numbers start turning around and the sooner a cause and a cure are found.
I truly believe that finding the cure to one cancer will be the key to unraveling the mysteries of many cancers. Too many people have had their lives torn apart by this disease. I refuse to sit idly by and watch it happen. So why do I continue to do all this? Because I can.
To participate in each event every walker must raise a minimum of $1800 - and I have raised $915 so far. I need YOUR help to make my goal and participate…I can’t do this alone! Every little bit helps, whether your donation is large or small. The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade will manage the money raised from these events, funding research and support services.
There are two ways you can donate to this cause and support my efforts:
1. Donate online using a debit or credit card at my Avon Walk website
2. Send your donation to me via PayPal, and I’ll make the donation in your name using my PayPal debit card
Thank you for your unwavering support.
Love,
Colleen
Things have been quiet on the Avon walk front. Our last fundraiser was several weeks ago, and I’ve received one huge donation since - my sister sent me $250! (This seems like a good time to mention that you can donate to the Avon walk and choose a flexible payment option which allows you to split up your donation over several months. It makes things less painful on your purse.)
Anyway, with the walk looming on the horizon, it seems like a good time for me to start thinking about my health - before, during, and after the walk. You’ll remember that in the first year of my breast cancer walking, I ended up at the doctor a week or so later, with unbearable pain in my knee. He chalked it up to walking 60 miles in 3 days and prescribed a brace for me to wear. With my cheap health insurance, the whole visit, including a quick x-ray, only cost me $40!
In 2007, I knew what to expect and wasn’t surprised when my legs started hurting during the walk. I spent a lot of time at the medical tent icing and wrapping my legs. No visit to th