A Special LIttle Breast Cancer Request

This is a special little breast cancer request on the final day of breast cancer awareness month.

Save the Dates '09 LiveStrong Challenges

http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/site/c.frKPI1PAIoE/b.3920225/

Back from the Austin Livestrong Challenge

We are back from the Austin Livestrong Challenge and what a challenging weekend it was. We kayaked on Lady Bird Lake (Colorado River), rode the mind-boggling Segways (which, by the way, works every muscle in your body it "felt" like), watched the famous Congress Bridge Bat Flight ( millions of bats take flight every evening from under this bridge and folks make a real spectator sport out of it), visited The Alamo in San Antonio, and ate lots of real Tex Mex. Of course the highlight of the trip was participating in the Livestrong Challenge 5k with that memorable stroll down the Survivor lane with thousands of folks cheering and clapping and being met by LAF staffers that presented you with a yellow rose as they offer you their warm sincere congratulations. It was just one of those moments - you know one of those moments when you are reminded one more time of not how lucky you are because luck has nothing to do with it but how blessed you are and that you are a winner no matter how life's race tried to defeat you. This was my first Livestrong Challenge but I am sold on this extraordinary experience and plan to participate in all of the various cities' Challenges next year that I possibly can. I would advice you to check them out as well.
By the way, 3.6 million dollars was raised for the 12 million Americans living with cancer today at this Challenge alone. To learn more about the Challenges from this year and the future Challenges visit: http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/site/c.frKPI1PAIoE/b.3920225/

Headed to Austin...

Thursday I will be leaving for Austin, Texas to take the "Challenge", the "LiveSTRONG Challenge". This is my first LiveSTRONG Challenge and I have heard it is a pretty incredible experience. I will be participating in the 5k and look forward to crossing that finish line.

Look for my challenge pics when I return....

What Helped Get Me Through Book

I had the honor of being a contributor in the compilation of this book by sharing various quotes concerning parts of my story along with Lance Armstrong, Scott Hamilton and Carly Simon and many many survivors from all over the country. If you want to learn more about it or purchase one you can visit the link below. It is a great book for the survivor or anyone who has been diagnosed.

http://www.basilandspice.com/healing-and-wellness/what-helped-get-me-through-my-cancer.html

Life is SWEET!

Pink Sunday

Celebrate Pink Sunday, October 26, 2008
Join your fellow church members in celebrating Pink Sunday on Sunday, October 26th, a grassroots effort with over 300 Upstate churches to raise awareness about breast cancer. Women will receive an educational packet from Susan G. Komen for the Cure which discusses risk factors and the critical role of early detection in savings lives from breast cancer. Wear ‘pink’ that Sunday to show your support, to honor those who have lost their battle with breast cancer, and to celebrate survivors and their courage. Share with your friends, family members and neighbors the life saving message of early detection!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

GET CHECKED OUT! It only takes a little couRAGE!

Dragon Boating comes to Disney

http://www.gwndragonboat.com/default.asp?id=134&l=1

Upstate Dragon Boat Festival

The Upstate Dragon Boat Festival was incredible. This was the first time Livestrong Upstate Dragon Boat Festival Team raced and we did great. We actually finished 3rd in the final 6 of our division. We did not medal (although two of our ladies - Joy Foster and Laura Armstrong were alternates and filled in for paddlers on another team and did receive a gold medal), but we did get recognized as best new team. This was such an amazing experience that we all shared and at the same time raised a lot of money for cancer research right here at home in the Upstate as all proceeds benefited Greenville Hospital's Cancer Research & Care Center. We are forming our permanent "Breast cancer Survivor" Team now - if anyone is interested in climbing on board, you can contact me at ajsuttles@bellsouth.net. We need survivors to paddle, supporters and sponsors. This really is a great substitution for the typical support group - it will change your life and your torso! Ha.

(Additional mixed survivor, caregiver and professional teams to come throughout the Upstate).

You Are Beautiful

NewSpring will be starting a new series called "Beautiful" that will be going from Oct. 19 - Nov. 23. It is described as a series for women and the men who pursue them. A lot of us feel beaten up as a woman (not defeated, but just left battered and bruised). In my case, after dancing with a couple of stage four female cancers while only in my thirties often times I felt like damaged goods and that is exactly how cancer wants to leave you feeling if you do manage to make it out of the ring. Some of us have so many scars - I'm not just speaking of physical scars but emotional and spiritual ones. I encourage you, woman to woman, to please come to this series cause I don't know about you but I want to see myself the way God sees me. I want to take back all that cancer took from me and often times this final claim of seeing myself beautiful again has been the hardest for me and I don't mean in a vain way but in the way God created me in the likeness of Him.
If you cannot physically come to NewSpring - please, watch it on-line.

http://www.newspring.cc/series/beautiful

Evolution Green

My son is heading up a "green" project in our community.
Click on the link below and learn what you can do to "Go Green".


www.evolvegreen.org

My Livestrong Challenge Ausin, Tx Fundraising Link

http://austin08.livestrong.org/faf/login/partMenu.asp?ievent=262612&lis=1&kntae262612=29C2F703DF884FBFAA93C895563D60FE

CNN Report on Breast Cancer Survivors and Dragon Boat Racing

CNN will air a segment on dragon boating and breast cancer this coming Monday, October 6, sometime "mid-morning". It will be part of Judy Fortin's "Health Minute".
CNN was at the Peachtree City Dragon Boat Festival last week-end to interview & film Dragon Boat Atlanta and Jill Binkley, Director of TurningPoint Women's Healthcare about paddling a dragon boat after breast cancer.
If you miss the TV version, you can connect on line to: www.cnn.com/HEALTH and watch the video of the show and read an article that Judy is also writing.

Livestrong Army Upstate SC will be racing this Sat., the 11th, at the Upstate Dragon Boat Festival being held at Portman Marina so it is pretty exciting that CNN will actually be touching on the benefits of Dragon Boat racing for breast cancer survivors on this particular week. The Oct. 11th race is a festival and is for anyone who would like to paddle from survivors to caregivers to professionals to raise money for the Cancer Research & Care Center of the Greenville Hospital System Oncology Research Center.

My Son for President?

As you can see my son has been very busy. I think he would make a great President. In fact, I think I just might write him in on the ticket. Ha

Really he and his classmates have been involved in a "mock" Presidential Election. And really getting caught up in it I might add - yes, mudslinging and all.

The South Carolina Cancer Alliance will be holding its quarterly membership meeting on Friday, October 24, 2008 at the Hyatt in downtown Greenville.On Thursday, October 23, tours will be given of AnMed Health Cancer Center and the Spartanburg Regional/Gibbes Cancer Center. A Thursday night reception will be held. Friday's program begins with a session of early morning yoga, task force meetings, and a panel of survivors and professionals. After a day long program on Friday, tours will be given at GHS and St. Francis. Please see attached agenda and event registration form for more details. Or you can visit their website at http://www.sccanceralliance.org/ and click on "Next Meeting" in the middle of the page.

I will be in Austin for the Livestrong Challenge and will not be able to attend but I know it will be worth your time, so check it out.

Friends at Race for the Cure

Some amazing friends at the Race for the Cure this year.

World Cancer Declaration

Visit this link and sign the World Cancer Declaration...

http://www.uicc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14227&Itemid=356

The World's Cutest Cheerleader

ok, I just had to post this photo of my niece at the Citadel vs. Clemson game last week taken by the Greenville News. She is the world's cutest Cheerleader!

I wonder what my brother would do if she chooses to go to USC - I bet he wouldn't dress up like a Gamecock Cheerleader.