A lot of people think that their parents are special, and I can tell you for a fact that mine are. My parents have always been extremely healthy. They both have a passion for exercise and healthy eating. It was a shock to everyone, then, when my mom was diagnosed with uteran cancer in August 2009. They miraculously caught it early and successfully removed the tumor with surgery, but my mom had the most deadly cancer cells that you can have with that kind of cancer. For many people, their uteran cancer treatment ends with surgery if it is in the early stages. For my mom, she had to go through back-to-back chemo and radiation after her surgery to kill the chance of another occurrence. The whole time she underwent her treatment, she never skipped one day of running or some form of exercise. How did she do that?!?!
She promised herself that if she got through everything, she would run the 2010 Chicago marathon. As it turns out, she is cancer free and running the marathon in five days. Let's just think about this for a second. One year ago, she was barely recovering from her surgery and just starting her chemo. Who would think that anybody could be strong enough to run a marathon now?
She promised herself that if she got through everything, she would run the 2010 Chicago marathon. As it turns out, she is cancer free and running the marathon in five days. Let's just think about this for a second. One year ago, she was barely recovering from her surgery and just starting her chemo. Who would think that anybody could be strong enough to run a marathon now?
My mom finished her treatment in late December, and my parents visited me in Australia in March. Here we are on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia.
This will be her third marathon (she ran her second when she was pregnant with me!!). This time around, she's raising money for PAWS. It stands for Pets Are Worth Saving, and it raises money for no-kill animal shelters.
All four of our dogs are rescued. As I may have mentioned before, they are a very important part of my life. The two tan dogs on the left, Mickey and Cody, would have been euthanized if my mom hadn't saved them. Like my mom, I am extremely passionate about PAWS and the work that they do. Around the time PAWS was established, approximately 800 perfectly healthy dogs and cats were euthanized in Chicago every week because they couldn't get adopted. PAWS has significantly decreased that number. Read more about it here.
Click on this link to view my mom's PAWS page. She's done an amazing job with her donations, but if you want to donate, I know that my mom and the animals would appreciate it more than you could ever know.
Seriously, though, how inspirational is my mom??
One more thing: If you hear about anybody you know having post-menopausal bleeding, please tell them to see their doctor immediately. My mom went to the doctor, and that is the reason she is still alive today. I know that people hate doctors, but it could save their life if they have those symptoms. I know it's a very touchy topic, but it's very important.
Click on this link to view my mom's PAWS page. She's done an amazing job with her donations, but if you want to donate, I know that my mom and the animals would appreciate it more than you could ever know.
Seriously, though, how inspirational is my mom??
One more thing: If you hear about anybody you know having post-menopausal bleeding, please tell them to see their doctor immediately. My mom went to the doctor, and that is the reason she is still alive today. I know that people hate doctors, but it could save their life if they have those symptoms. I know it's a very touchy topic, but it's very important.
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