Kick Off Meeting

It was a long day for me. I went to Kaisser to get my inhaler in case I ever need it. I have mild asthma, and have used it very frequently my entire life. Then I had to meet with a claims adjuster to look at my truck, it's now at the shop getting fixed and I have a rental.

After work, I went to the gym and warmed up for 20 min. I did 3 minutes on the stair master. I have not mastered this machine, and those people who can do 30 minutes on it, May God Bless You!! That thing is TORTURE!! Then I did 15 min. on the bikes and 3 minutes of stretching. My trainer met up with me after my warm up and he kicked my butt again!! He knows how to make the sweat just pour out of my body. I make him laugh a lot so it's all good. I like to embarrass him, he gets super red. It's funny.

After working out, I went to the Santa Clara Mariot where we had our Kick Off Meeting. There were SOOOOO many people there!!! I was suprised to see how many people are participating in this marathon. It was very encouraging. The highlight of my night was when this young mother went on stage with her 7 year old daughter who is in remission from MDS. I had tears pouring down my face as I listened to her story.

She laid her healthy baby down to sleep, a few hours later she woke up to her baby screaming. Took her to the emergency room in Los Gatos, and the doctors told her that her daughter most likely had leukemia. She was rushed to the children's hospital. There the doctors told her to prepare for the worse. Her daughter underwent so much treatment and Chemo (need to learn how to spell it) that her little toe nails and fingernails died and fell off, she lost all of her beautiful black hair, and was bleeding from her little mouth and ears. Her mother, watching her suffer, going days without eating because she was scared of she left the room, she would come back and her daughter would have died. Her daughter received her last rights, and her mother, actually gave her permission to die. She couldn't stand to see her daughter in so much pain and go through all of that suffering.

The doctors found a perfect match for a bone marrow transplant and at the last minute, the donor backed out. They found another donor 3 weeks later who was not such a perfect match, but went ahead with the surgery. Her daughters body rejected the new bone marrow and they had several medications to try and make her little body respond. Her daughter had a strong spirit and a huge will to live. She is now 7 years old and has been in remission for the past 5 years. Her mother lives with the fear every single day that the cancer will return.

Seeing that little life on stage and hearing everything she went through, just seems to make all of our problems seem to be so insignificant. And she is such a cutie pie.

After all of us met in the main room, we went to different rooms according to what we are participating in. We met the Captains, Mentors, got our training schedules. They are just like the post man, come rain or shine, we are out there training. So we have to wear layers.

My first official training is Saturday Morning at 7am. I will be doing a 3 mile walk. Shouldn't be too bad since I usually walk fast anyway and when I go to amusement parks, I can walk all day long!! I rarely ever sit unless it's time to eat.

The more I get to meet the survivors, and the people who are currently going through things, the more I see how important everyone's donation's are to find a cure for cancer.

As the mother of the little girl we met today said, "No One should ever have to hear the words You have Cancer"

I agree with her 100%.

Time to go eat some dinner, it's almost 10pm.