love & light

- race weekend was awesome...28,500 were in attendance this year!


- even though this is my 9th year, and 10th race it never ceases to amaze and inspire me to see the men and women in pink 'survivor' (i prefer the word 'warrior') shirts surrounded by a sea of their loved ones who have also been affected by this disease.

- all of us want just one thing, we're all united even though we're all at such different levels of so many different emotions..it's such an overwhelming feeling, each year it leaves me utterly speechless.


- the 'in celebration of' and 'in memory of' signs on peoples' backs make it all real and remind us that we're all in this together.

- extra special thanks to uncle charles, aunt cathy, and cousin kristin who all flew in to be here with us. it was so good to be able to spend time with them and the rest of my family the past 5 days.

mom, ashton, tracy, and kristin

- as always much love and gratitude go to my family who are there for and love me no matter what.


- thank you to toye, ashley & jamie who came to walk with us, snagged all the good stuff for me before the race, and then hung out with me afterward.


- thanks to my friends who i know wanted to be there...we missed you, but you were there in spirit.


- i had a HUGE suite at the westin...it was so cool! ashton spent the night in my room, which was super cool.


- come to find out, she's got an 11:11 connection too.

- at the time, she was across the huge suite from where kori and i were sitting, talking, and sharing a beer. he asked me what time it was, so i looked on my cell phone...11:11.

- i was explaining the whole concept to him when ash got up to look at the hotel clock, as she walks back to the couch she says almost under her breath, "11:11...make a wish!".

- i asked her if she had heard me talking to kori about 11:11 and she said, "no why?"...."cuz uncle kori and i were just talking about 11:11!"

- weird....but in a really cool, good way.


- on monday, i met with dr. geier to discuss genetics. my blood has been sent to a testing facility in utah. those results should be back in about 3 weeks, i meet him again on 8/31 to discuss the results.

- negative means it's just a genetic anomaly in me, and there are no worries for my family. positive means the cancer is genetic and they should be tested for the mutation and be extra vigilant about prevention.

- obviously, i am hoping for a negative result..and that this crap started and ends with me.

- i also met with dr. mck. on monday to discuss my tumor marker going up. it wasn't a significant jump, but he does want to have another PET/CT scan done just to see what's going on inside.

- i am scheduled for that on friday, 8/14.

- yesterday, i met with the neurologist to discuss the jaw thing. she did a physical neurological exam (which felt a lot like a drunk test), and ordered a brain mri which has not been scheduled yet.

- i hate all mri's, but brain mri's are extra bad. not only are you in a little tube, there is also a cage-type thing over your head...double trapped, which isn't good for a claustrophobic.

- i've done it before though, so i know i can and will get through it.

- i feel pretty good other than the ever-present tiredness, and of course my crazy jaw spasms which seem to be getting worse and more frequent over time.

- thank goodness for the cheap plastic mouthpieces i've purchased in the sporting goods section of wal-mart and target. they're much cheaper than the ones they sell in the dental hygeine section, and they really help keep me from biting my tongue, mouth, and lips. my fear is that i will chip a tooth or dislocate my jaw. i can tell that it's out of whack already.