I'm back...

Hello to all my loyal readers and fellow survivors.  I apologize for the lack of blog posts.  Prepare yourselves to get some great weekly updates.  For most of June I was on a very special trip across America as part of the crew for a wonderful racer in RAAM, Janet Christiansen.  If you don't know what RAAM is, please visit http://www.raceacrossamerica.org.  The Race Across America is the world's toughest bicycle race that most of you have never heard of.  I would have to say that this race is as tough on the crew as it is the rider(s).  There is no comparison to the Tour de France, unlike the tour, when the clock starts it never stops.  Imagine riding 3,000 miles on the seat of a bicycle in 12 days or less.  No monetary prize, and if you don't finish in the allotted time frame you are considered a "did not finish" even if you ride the entire route.  Stay tuned, I will be publishing a short story about this experience.

July has also come and gone spending time with family.  Now August has arrived and it is time to work on getting those bicycle wheels turning again.  It is time to resume the path of random acts of kindness.

Write to me, let me know what you would like to see here.  I would love for you to leave a comment, tell me where your favorite cancer center is and what makes it unique.  Why I should put it on my list of centers to visit.

Stay tuned, I am going to work on a video post for you about what I learned from my trip across country.

A Day of Healing Cranes...

Warm, sunny weather and warm, sunny greetings is how my day at Moffitt Cancer Center started.  With each visit to a new place there is always an excitement and anticipation of the unknown.  I do my research before deciding where to visit but there are still things you cannot anticipate.  I have discovered that no matter how comprehensive the website you cannot fully understand all that you may experience when you finally arrive at a cancer center.


Whether you are there as a patient, a caregiver, or simply a guest, there are so many unseen experiences to be found.

Moffitt Cancer Center is located in Tampa, Florida on the campus of the University of Florida.  The first thing I noticed was that just the building alone had a welcoming presence.  It didn’t have a cold, clinical feel.

My day began with the Manager of Patient Relations.  We dropped my bike and bags in the office and there is where the day began.  I had a small audience to share my story of survivorship with and since that is what this trip is about I was happy to oblige.  Sharing my story would end up being a theme throughout the visit.

I was taken to many parts of this wonderful facility and I will highlight a few of what I like to call the lesser known aspects of the day.

An early stop was in the Arts In Medicine department where I was introduced to several people and shared my story again.  It was there that I learned the story of the healing cranes, inspired by the family of a patient.  In Japan the crane is a symbol of peace and healing and the tradition is to fold a thousand “cranes,” for healing.  There were cranes on display throughout the area and I would soon discover they were on the desks in other parts of the center.  The Arts In Medicine department decided to put their own unique spin on this tradition so instead of having each patient fold a thousand cranes, their patients are instructed to write a healing message on the inside of the wing and hang the crane where it can be seen a thousand times and used as a reminder of peaceful, positive moments.  They graciously offered me the instructions on how to make my own healing crane.  I can’t wait to try it.  Arts in healing is so very important, it can bring a sense of calm in the midst of the storm.  Arts is a way to focus the mind on something positive, energy flows where attention goes and therefore focusing on the positive brings positive results.

I heard them make an announcement for a soon to begin meditation session for stress reduction.  That was the next sign that this center was treating the person and not just the disease.  The sentiment with patients and families seemed in agreement, as I heard them express they were glad that they were receiving their care at Moffitt. 

As we made our way through the different parts of the building I got an explanation for the things I saw along the way and the next place I would share my story was in the patient library.  That is where I left my gift of Livestrong wristbands.  That would also be where I would be introduced to the hospital president.  A very welcoming man, he was sincerely interested in my story and the fact that I had chosen to visit Moffitt along the way.  We chatted for a bit and then it was time to move on.  I now had a new tour guide. 

I was thrilled when I was shown HER Place, a special place for women where they can research and get information on the illness they have.  Her Place is complete with computers, written materials and so much more and it is quietly tucked in a corner away from the hustle and bustle of patient activity.



Another wonderful, relaxing feature was a fairly large rock display with a fountain.  It was very serene and in the warm, sunny weather of Florida would be a plus for anyone needing to escape.

Next I would be shuttled off the main campus to meet with a woman who is doing some wonderful work in risk assessment, detection and intervention.  She has an amazing story and the work she is doing focused on HPV is certainly near to my heart.  I think we could have talked for hours.  Needless to say, I will spread the word wherever I go, on the importance of her work.

I lost count of how many times I shared my story that day.  To be honest, the time just seemed to slip away.  Everyone at this facility went out of there way to make sure I had a successful visit.  When the day was done, I was given a ride to my host’s home and all ended beautifully.

For more information on Moffitt Cancer Center click here.

Human Kindness

This post will be short as I have limited access to the internet. I hope to post again soon. I wanted to let everyone know that the experiment in human kindness is going well.
I just finished reading Blake Mycoskie's new book, "Start Something That Matters". I will do a full review in the coming days. For now I will say, it is the greatest book I have read in quite some time. Prepare yourselves to win your own free copy. I was chosen as a participant in books for bloggers and was given an extra copy to give away to one lucky winner. Check back for more details in the coming weeks. If you can't wait or you don't win the free copy, I would recommend you buy it.
Gotta sign off for now. Internet is a precioius commodity and it is time to go.
Have you made someone smile today? If not what are you waiting for?

A World without Cancer?

In light of the most recent tragic loss of Steve Jobs, one of the greatest minds this world will ever know, I really have to ask what would our world be like without cancer?  Can you imagine a world where cancer is something you read about in a history book and never experience first hand?  I can and that is what makes this trip so much more important. 
If we can create a vaccine that eliminates a virus that is linked to cancer thereby effectively eliminating that cancer, there is no reason, in my mind, that we can't do it for other cancers.  Which vaccine does that, the HPV vaccine.  We can't stop there.  We need to keep pushing toward a cure for all cancers.  I don't want to hear about "rare" cancer's, all cancer sucks!  Whether you experience cancer first hand or you are a family member or friend, the impact is great.  We can't just sit back and do nothing.  Look around you 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will at some point in their lives be faced with cancer, those numbers need to change.
Okay so maybe those of you reading this aren't crazy enough to ride a bicycle around the world, but we can all do something.  It may be just holding the hand of someone suffering or offering up a prayer, it may be speaking out and keeping this disease in the forefront of everyone's mind, we all have some way of giving back.  I challenge you to find yours!

The importance of One!

All change begins with one, and that one is you, that one is me.  If we each resolved to make a shift in our thinking, in the way we do things, and in our daily intentions, we would have a collective of intercultural cooperation. 
I will give you examples of those shifts from my own life.  Have you ever heard this when you were a child, "You need to eat everything on your plate, we don't waste food, there are children starving in other countries."?  At the time we all thought, but gee I don't like it and more importantly we couldn't identify with those starving children.  Even better, we would have gladly given them that food.  Now we are adults and we know all too well the reality of children who are starving in other countries.  The first step to ending world hunger;  be more mindful in your own home and at your dinner table.  As I learned the power of the message I was given as a child, I realized how important it was to only take what I could eat and even more importanatly to share the bounty with others.  When is the last time you made food to share?
Another great shift in my life came as a survivor of multiple types of physical and emotional abuse and being able to not only survive those realities but also come out a stronger woman.  I first had to bring peace into my heart.  There came a point in my life when I no longer let the fear and self doubt control my life and what I knew I needed to do.  I learned to love myself so I could live.  I came to accept that those things happened to me, however, they did not define me.  I believe that if we want to see an end to domestic violence, child abuse and to see world peace we must first shift our hearts and homes to a peaceful mindset.
I wear many different coats in the physical realm.  I am a mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt.  I am a survivor of domestic violence, rape, molestation, and several serious health issues.  The list goes on, yet who I really am is simply Spirit.  All those other things are nothing more than roles I play on the stage of life and this is no dress rehearsal.  There are no second chances.  So my question to you is how will you make a shift?
I would be ill serving if I did not say to those of you reading this who may be struggling, it can and will get better when you intend it to.  If you need to talk it through, I encourage you to use the Say Hello page and send me a note.  I am here to inspire. 

I have to make my opinion known!

I needed to take the time to make my opinion known about a controversy that has arisen through the political scene. I would not normally do this but this hits very close to home for me.  As someone who was diagnosed with HPV and has had ongoing cervical issues, first 18 years ago, and then again for 3 out of the last 4 years, I am disheartened by anyone who speaks out against a preventive vaccine.  I firmly believe that it is our duty as parents to protect our children in anyway we can.  To the best of my knowledge, this is the first vaccine available that has been shown to protect against a virus that causes certain types of cancer.  It is time for people to get some courage and speak out, this is not a taboo subject.  Yes, HPV is sexually transmitted, and I ask, how many of you are celibate?  Studies show that a very large percentage of all women will at some time in their lives contract this virus, which also means that a large percentage of men will also.  The greatest thing is the vaccine is now available for both boys and girls.  If this had been available when I was young it would have saved me numerous surgeries, the emotional stress, and ongoing fear of living with this virus.

As you all know cancer is a cause I take to heart, I do what I do because I can, so many people cannot.  Please watch the video, I ride for many reasons, cancer being one of them.  I have lost a Grandfather, 2 Aunts, an Uncle, and a Sister to this disease.  I have a sister who holds my hand in survivorship.  I want to know that there will be a day when my grandchildren are reading about cancer in a history book, not experiencing it first hand. 

How is being a survivor just like riding a bike?

This post is for all of you who have asked how did I get through the life experiences I have had and come out with a positive outlook. It is also for those of you who are struggling to find answers.
I would first have to attribute some of my ability to staying positive through adversity to a gift. At a very young age I discovered that I was able to separate who I am from my physical being, with the knowledge that what is happening to my person is not happening to me. This I truly believe is a gift from God.
I also know that some of the credit goes to watching my father. Having 8 children and many unexpected hurdles, to this day he just has faith and does whatever it takes to get through.
My life isn't just about surviving, anyone can do that, all you need is a pulse. My life is about living and not giving my life's energy to the negative things or negative people that come along. It is about awareness and about being here now. Does that mean I am never hurt, disappointed or have a bad day, absolutely not. I am just as human as the next person. What it does mean is that I don't live in those hurts, disappointments or bad days, I live through them to get to the other side and back out into the sunshine.
What can you do, well here are a few things to look at. What kind of energy are you surrounding yourself with? Studies have shown that we tend to become like the people we choose to spend our time with. Is it time for new friends, more positive friends?
What are you feeding your brain? What books are you reading or are you reading at all? Are you spending mindless hours in front of the tv? Are you learning new things? Here is a fun exercise for your brain; for one day do everything you would normally do but with your non-dominate hand, brush your teeth, comb your hair, do the dishes.
How are you caring for your body? Are you eating healthy? Are you moving each day? How about annual exams? Are you taking time for yourself?
Maybe you look at your life and all you see is stress. Determine is it dis-stress or eustress, is it bad or good. A bad stress would be a constant fearfulness, a good stress would be the excitement you feel when you walk into a gathering of friends and family who have surprised you for your birthday. If you are unsure how to deal with dis-stress contact me for suggestions.
Now you have a place to start, a new way of looking at the hurdles life throws in your path. No excuses.
I recall when I was about 7 or 8 years old my father was teaching me how to ride bike. He held onto the seat and I started pedaling. Of course, as any child would, I thought he would protect me from falling. I was so wrong, he let go and I landed in a rose bush. I was crying and scratched from the thorns. My father reached out his hand, helped me out of the bush, and said get back on the bike. At the time I had no idea that would be such a life lesson for me. When life throws you into the rose bush and leaves you wounded, get up, and get back on. The freedom I felt when I got back on and learned to ride is the same freedom I have every time I get back in to the game of life.
Being a survivor for me is much like riding a bike. The pedals on my bike are a reminder that I am the source of the power. God helps those who helps themselves. If I don't pedal, I go nowhere. The gears allow adjustments for the climb and help me to accept that change is a positive thing in life and it is there to help with the climb. The handlebars are clearly for direction and the knowledge that I can choose the direction my life goes. And last but not least, my helmet, my protection. This represents so many things. Friends, family, an organization that supports me in my time of need, and so much more. Most of all it represents the love I give myself everyday and in turn the love I have to share with others.
Share your love everyday, you will always get more than you give.

How many lives can you touch?

I am just one person, how can I make a difference? What can I do, I have no money, I can't ride bike, I have no talents? I have heard them all and I have an answer for all of them. I challenge you to give me one I can't answer.
Each day I discover a new way that I have inspired someone, many without even trying. It may be a smile I gave to someone who really was feeling sad. It may be sharing an inspiring word on social media. Sometimes it is simply going out on a limb and doing something I may not have ever considered as I grew up painfully shy. I have learned to think outside the box. Things that you may think are impossible or not even worth trying are the things you should be doing. What is the worst that can happen? One of my new friends says, "falling on your face is still moving forward" and I agree.
If you have been dreaming it, thought you never could, feel like people may laugh or judge ask your self these questions. Will it make you happy? Does it serve you? Will it make someone else happy? Does it serve the greater good? If you have said yes to these questions, what are you waiting for? If you have said no to any of these, look at what needs to be changed for you to answer yes to all and get moving. Stop worrying about what others may think, don't fret the how, if you have answered the why the how will take care of itself.

Panniers, racks, and roll!

The most important part of preparing for an adventure like this is the equipment.  The bike is rolling along beautifully.  Many people ask, do you need to spend a lot on equipment.  That is a complex question, I will take a shot at it.  Certainly I would not want to take this challenge on a bike from the local big box department store however I knew I could do it without spending thousands on a bicycle.  Let's be honest, not many of us have thousands to spend on special equipment.  I am no different, this is a self supported tour and I need to do it on a shoestring so I have money for the more important things like visiting as many survivors as possible.  I chose to modify a bike a currently owned, a Specialized women's specific mountain bike.  We changed out the suspension fork, changed the gearing so I would have those much needed gears for hauling my life on a bike, added safety equipment, and racks and now we are on to the panniers. For those of you who aren't bicycle savvy, panniers are bags that attach to the racks on the bike.  Right now, just for fun, I am designing a coat guard and a friend is trying to see if he can find a metal worker to make it for me.  It is a fun, exciting process.
I encourage anyone involved in a project like this to seek our sponsorships, even the smallest things are helpful.  It may be something as small as a donation of a new bike seat.  There are many good people out there who want to support a good cause and you will be surprised to see what offers you may get, sometimes it is a service, sometimes it is a product.  I have gotten many great donations along the way.  The most recent is a wonderful sponsorship opportunity for the panniers with Arkel, a great company with great bags.  
 If you have always wanted to do something and you are hesitating, there are no excuses.  I challenge you to at the very least, whatever it is, try it for 30 days.  Even if you decide it is not for you, you won't be able to say that you never tried.  Life is for living, enjoy!

Long fruitful day.

From the front lines of advocacy, I spent the entire day at the PA Immunization Conference.  I learned quite a bit that will help me in the future as I speak to others.  I was a guest speaker for the part of the day focused on the HPV vaccine.  I followed a very knowledgeable, fun loving, physician.  I was given the opportunity to share my story and why I believe it is important for us to be spreading the word about this vaccine.  Our presentation sparked a very informative conversation with the audience and that was a good thing.  If you were there, thank you.
I made a new friend as I sat next to a wonderful physician from the local area.  He introduced me to one of his friends and as the day went on I had met many wonderful people.  I even recruited someone who wants to volunteer to help out Tamika & Friends.  This was a great group to speak to and everyone there was very receptive to the conversation. 
I am so blessed and I love getting the opportunity to share and help others.  If I can bring a smile to one persons face it is worth it all and today there were many.

Updates from the journey

I wanted to check in with all of you who are following this journey.  Amazing things are happening every day while I get prepared to leave PA.  I have met survivor families in response to sale ads as I sell my personal possessions.  I have listened to heart breaking stories.
I am open each day to whatever blessings may come my way.  In that openness, I was walking into an office a couple of days ago and the shirt I was wearing opened a conversation with the gentlemen who were leaving that office.  Once again, I met someone who was touched by cancer, his wife was a breast cancer survivor.  I shared this epic journey with them and learned so much about their experiences.  One more blessing.   One more reason why this epic bicycle challenge is so necessary; to bring an even greater connection between survivors.  See you along the way.