Randy Lopez Testimonial for Block Center Integrative Treatment Center

An ice cream cone was my tipping point.

At that time I was living in Florida and concerned with a new job and dealing with a recent relocation from our home in southern California.  My wife and our two daughters were at “Twistee Treat” and having a nice weekend day together when I decided to turn a shade of green.  At 34, my doctor had explained earlier that I had an internal hemorrhoid and that symptoms would come and go.  This was before the “Couric effect” and I wasn’t aware of colon cancer and its symptoms.

The following day I began my formal introduction into a whirlwind of doctor visits, scans, colonoscopies, surgery and chemo to combat what was determined to be Stage 3 Colon Cancer.  My wife, Beatrice and my daughters, Caitlin and Natalie became my team along with my incredible in-laws and parents.  Less than a year after finishing chemo, a metastasize was found in my liver and I began another battle with my Stage 4 status: liver resection and another bout of chemo.

In the 13+ years since diagnosis, I’ve learned so much about how to deal with cancer physically and emotionally.  My wife and I changed my diet, I’ve tried to laugh more, and everyone who knows me or meets me gets a few stories of my “cancer story”.  I’ve been fortunate to be able to tell my story at various conferences, events, and was even featured in CNN’s “Surviving Cancer with Dr. Gupta and Lance Armstrong” a few years ago.   As a member of the Colon Cancer Alliance, I acted as spokesperson with Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres.  And as a personal high point in my life, I had the opportunity to meet Mel Brooks and thank him for being part of my healing process by giving me laughs when I was listening to his “2000 year-old Man” recordings during chemo.

In the years since being first diagnosed, my wife and I have seen the medical community begin to understand the treatment of the whole person including diet, attitude, and including traditional and non-traditional means of treatment.  I continue sourcing new treatments and leaders in the cancer battle to pass on information to others and to keep an eye out in case it comes back again.

Personally, I speak to cancer patients all the time but my major focus is speaking to those that should be screened for cancer due to a family history or have symptoms.  These are the people that Get Your Rear in Gear supports.  And my personal mission is the same – To ensure that all citizens have adequate information and access to screening for colon cancer.

Please join me in supporting the Colon Cancer Coalition and Get Your Rear in Gear and I look forward to telling more of my story in the future.  Feel free to contact me on Twitter @randylopez and @stage4survivor.

Let’s get the word out about screening and education.
Don’t wait for an ice cream cone to change your life.

Want to see more on Randy?  Click on these links below:

Get Your Rear in Gear Philadelphia co-chair/caregiver

Betty Jo Snow as a nurse

I was just a little girl when my mom got sick.  In that day and age, if people spoke of “the ‘c’ word” at all, it was in hushed whispers.  I didn’t realize how sick she was, or have any sense that I might grow up without her.  When I was 9 years old, mom lost her fight with colon cancer.  She was way too young to die.  She left us before she reached her 40th birthday, leaving behind a devastated husband and three children ranging in age from 9 to 17.  It left a hole in all of our hearts, and was the defining event of my young life.

As a young adult, I began to experience some digestive issues of my own, and was ultimately diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, which I learned puts me at a greater risk for developing colon cancer.  I learned that my brother Tony also had colitis – but his symptoms were much worse than mine.  He and I spoke often of the risk that tied us together, and our own deep the fears that cancer could one day catch us, as it had our mother.

The Snow Family in early 70's

Tony did everything he was supposed to do to prevent colon cancer.  He had annual colonoscopies, took medication for his colitis, exercised regularly and ate a healthy diet.  What did he do right? Everything!

In 2005, at the age of 50, while he was working for Fox News cancer found him.   During his annual screening that year, the mass was discovered, and it was already Stage III – an unusually aggressive tumor in the world of colon cancer.  The entire family was again devastated, and the news stirred up all of the emotions around losing our mother at a young age, and fear that we would lose Tony, too.  Tony assured us that he had fantastic doctors (he did), and that he would do everything in his power fight and beat the disease.

Initially, Tony seemed to respond well to the treatment.  Post-surgery he regained weight, and seemed strong and healthy.  We all collectively breathed a sigh of relief, and allowed ourselves to feel cautiously optimistic about his chances.  We all believed, or at least wanted to believe, that he would be the one to beat it.

Tony Snow smiles as he is introduced by President Bush as his new Press Secretary on April 26, 2006. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

About a year after his initial diagnosis and treatment, Tony was contacted by the White House and asked if he would consider serving as Press Secretary – the job of his dreams.  He knew that taking the job would be a risk – it would pay significantly less than his television job, and there were no guarantees about his future health.  After much consideration, and with the blessings of his family, he took the job, and was never happier.

Another year later, Tony discovered that the cancer was back.   Ultimately, he had to decide to leave the White House.  Tony had remained optimistic about his chances beating cancer to the bitter end.  His positive attitude and strong faith in the face of the disease was and is an inspiration to me and many others.

Jay McConville (Alexandria GYRIG chair), Tony Snow, and Jenny Snow Ashbrook (Tony's sister and Philly GYRIG co-chair)

When Tony was first diagnosed, I wanted to do something to show him my support.  At the time, I had just gotten involved in endurance sports, participating in a few small triathlons and running events.  I decided that I would raise money during the summer of 2006 for colon cancer research in Tony’s honor.  That summer, I participated in the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon and the Nation’s Triathlon in Washington DC, and raised over $15,000 for colon cancer research in the process.  Tony’s good friend, and Get Your Rear in Gear Alexandria event director, Jay McConville joined me in racing at the Nation’s Triathlon.

While I was thrilled with the amount of money I was able to raise, I thought there might be a better, more sustainable way to help fund colon cancer programs serving local communities.   I became involved with co-chairing Get Your Rear in Gear Philadelphia in 2009.  My hope was that Tony would be joining us to run or walk in the inaugural Philadelphia event – but instead, we ended up naming the Kid’s Fun run in his memory.  Colon cancer had claimed another member of my family.

The Tony Snow family

Tony was a man who loved his family, as our own mother loved us.  His wife and three children were his world, and his loss looms large for them.  Having lost my own mother at a young age, I understand the impact of losing a parent more than most.  Supporting families who are caring for or have lost loved ones to this disease has become a strong interest of mine.

I am looking forward to continuing to work with Get Your Rear in Gear to honor the memories of Tony and my mother Betty Jo in a way I think would make them both happy – by taking care of other families and caregivers that are so strongly affected when their loved ones are diagnosed with this disease.

He as also been chosen as “Mr. March” for the 2012 Colondar, created and sold by GYRIG partner, The Colon Club. (Sidebar: We have to take some undeserved credit for Roger being chosen, after all we’ve known he was the model type for a long time, as he has been featured on our Facebook profile picture several times in the past year-or-so.)

An article by Mike Baird of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times recently featured Roger’s story about overcoming a cancer diagnosis with a healthy lifestyle, and proudly sharing his involvement with Get Your Rear in Gear. Read his story, then head over the The Colon Club to order your Colondar.

“My son told me that cancer changed my life,” Rojas said. “And he’s right, but not in the way some people might think. It made me stop and look at my life, and now I live a better life than I was living.”

- Roger Rojas, as told to Mike Baird, of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Photo by Michael Zamora, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Read the story en Espanol.

Back when we created our “Stories” section of the website, we weren’t sure how we would get warriors to tell their story.   We ended up writing a couple stories through interviews, but eventually Trish Lannon jumped on board and wrote her story for Get Your Rear in Gear.  It ignited others to follow in writing their stories.

When I heard Trish was going to be down on her favorite team’s field on national television in pink, I asked her to share her journey and what it felt like to be on that field.  There is a common thread between breast and colon cancer linked as the soft tissue cancers.  It’s hard enough to get one of these cancers, but imagine what it feels like to have both.

The Crucial Catch

By Trish Lannon

Dx Stage 3C Colon Cancer in March 2007/Dx DCIS Stage 0 Grade 3 Breast Cancer in April 2009

Trish pledges to the flag and cancer

Currently NED
Pink. I am not a big fan of pink. I never had a pink room or a pink phone – and when I had my daughters, I never decorated their rooms in pink or dressed them head to toe in pink. I would often find myself quite annoyed that the world was covered in pink – especially during the month of  October. My yogurt, my daughter’s tennis racket, even the fire starter sticks we use in our fireplace were covered in pink or pink ribbons. What about all the other cancers? What about colon cancer?! Where is all the blue? After being diagnosed with Stage 3C colon cancer when I was 39 years old, I wanted the world to be covered in blue – I wanted to share my story with anyone who would listen so they and their families would never have to go through what I went through. What my family went through. Two years after my colon cancer diagnosis, I would find myself surrounded by the color pink.

On April 14th, 2009, I got the call I was not expecting at all. A biopsy that had to be done on my left breast four days earlier had come back positive for breast cancer – specifically DCIS stage 0 grade 3. I had been NED (no evidence of disease) for 16 months when I got the call that I had breast cancer. I was told it was not my colon cancer coming back and spreading, but a totally separate primary cancer.

On the field

Due to the number of areas in my left breast that had linear calcifications, my surgeon told me I would have to have a mastectomy of my left breast. I then met with my oncologist who laid out all of the statistics for me, which led me to make the decision to have a double mastectomy. I did not want to find myself in this situation again 5 or 10 years from now.

On May 15th, 2009, I had a double mastectomy and began the reconstruction process. Since I was stage 0 and my sentinel nodes came back clean, I did not need chemo. When I woke up in the recovery room, a woman I did not know from some sort of breast cancer support group associated with the hospital was standing over me. She reached down and touched my arm and told me they were there to support me all the way through breast cancer. She then handed me a pink duffle bag filled with everything pink – pink water bottle, pink blanket, pink jewelry, pink hat, pink shirt, and more. I could not embrace the pink! Imagine my surprise when I was invited by a local breast cancer awareness organization, The Tyanna Foundation, to participate in the Baltimore Ravens kickoff of their breast cancer awareness month activities, “The Crucial Catch.” I am a HUGE Ravens fan and have had season tickets for several years now. The chance to be on the field during a game was intoxicating.

Trish in a close up shot with other warriors on the field

I joined about 30 other survivors who were given special T-Shirts to wear and given brief instructions about what to do once on the field. The game was going to be nationally televised and they were having country music singer, Martina McBride, sing the national anthem. We were going to be standing on either side of Martina while she sang. Fans were given pink ribbons as they entered the stadium and special cards were placed in the seats on the visitor’s side that spelled out “A Crucial Catch” and displayed pink ribbons when the fans would hold them up together.

While the Ravens Marching Band was on the field, we were escorted out the very same entryway the Ravens players run out when they are being introduced. Once I got through the tunnel and onto the field, my entire body was covered in goose bumps. There were over 70,000 football fans in the stadium, staff from both teams on the sidelines, and television cameras everywhere.

Photographers were following all of us around the sidelines taking pictures.  We were taken around the whole field and to the Ravens sideline where we got a close-up view of the team introductions.  It was the most amazing feeling to be on the field and hear everyone cheering and see the players up close.  Once the players were on the sideline we were shuffled out to the field to take  our positions.

When the announcements began, I turned to look over at the visitor’s side and was amazed by the powerful message being held up by the fans.  It was probably the first time that seeing things covered in pink didn’t bother me.  I suddenly became very emotional listening to everyone cheering us on for being survivors – even the players were cheering for us.  When Martina McBride started singing the National Anthem, I found myself singing along with her as loud as I could.  It was all over so quickly and they rushed us off the field so the game could begin.  As we all headed back into the tunnel, fans on both sides cheered us on – we all felt very special that night.  As I stood in the tunnel at Ravens Stadium, in the same place where future Hall of Fame football players have stood, I turned and took one last look at a stadium filled with pink.

Two cancers in two years.  Two.  What are the odds? I speak out about colon cancer almost daily to whomever will listen and now I have begun to encourage everyone to get a mammogram and not put it off.  My mammogram saved my life and it was my first one!   I am also learning to embrace pink.  I still don’t love that it is everywhere and on everything, but I have come to realize that as passionate as I am about advocating for colon cancer awareness, I have room to advocate for breast cancer awareness.  Heck, I even bought a pair of hot pink high heeled shoes!

Trish gives her thumbs up tto pink

Cancer Had It’s Hooks in Me

I feel like I’ve been through a war this year.  I’ve been beaten down, broken, but never out of the fight.  In fact, I’m rising out of the ashes, I’m pissed, and I’m coming out swinging!

I’m David McCluskey, and I’m a cancer survivor.  Those from my hometown in Grinnell, IA, know me as David Dimit, which is confusing for some, but it need not be.  Think of it this way, I have the dual honor of carrying on my grandparent’s last name, (Wayne, who died of Lung Cancer in 1998, and Phyllis McCluskey, who died of Emphysema in 1993), and appreciate the love, adoption, and acceptance of the entire Dimit family, not just once in my life, but twice.  If you still find this confusing, get over it, I could never be more blessed.

How did you know?

The first question I always get is, “How did you know?”  I didn’t.  But, I did listen to my body telling me something wasn’t right.  I was at a trade show in Las Vegas in October of 2006, when I noticed a little bit of blood in my stools, not much, but it concerned me a little, blood is blood, right?

When I started paying attention, I realized that I had been experiencing some irregularity, (constipation and diarrhea essentially), but didn’t think much of it.  I am in outside sales, so I travel a lot, didn’t eat right, didn’t exercise, drank a little, and was a smoker.  So, what do you do?  Mix in a little Raisin Bran, try to stop smoking, and go make that next sale.  I had to keep moving, I have a family to help support.

Someone Saved My Life

But, things persisted.  I finally decided on New Year’s Eve that  to go see my doctor, Jeffrey Schoon, DO.  I guess I was just tired of feeling tired, and something just wasn’t right.  After meeting with Dr. Schoon, we were both pretty confident there was nothing to be concerned about, “You’re pretty young,” he said, “Probably just a hemorrhoid, but why don’t we schedule a colonoscopy, just to be sure?”  I agreed, and we scheduled it for February 15th, 2007.  Dr. Schoon saved my life that day.

February 15th, 2007, is the day that changed my life forever.  It is the day of my colonoscopy and cancer diagnosis, (Jeffrey Stahl, MD),  and my world was turned upside down.  It was a whirlwind day, quite a blur actually.  I remember waking up from my colonoscopy, with my wife, her dad and mom, (Bob &  Nonie Doty), and sister, (Carla Reindel), looking at me with the most concerned, red, puffy eyes.  Not a good sign that all is well.

Family is the Foundation

My beautiful wife, Winonah, broke the news to me that I had cancer.  I’m so glad that I heard it from her.  I know she was shaken to the core, but she was so strong and reassuring.  Quite honestly, she is the strongest person I know.  She gets it from her family.  The strength of the Doty Family is unbelievable.  We started to cope immediately as we were off to see Sue Beckwith, MD, for a surgical consultation.

Winonah and Bob took me to see Dr. Beckwith, who specializes in Colorectal Surgery.  Again, a whirlwind and a blur, and the next thing we know I’m scheduled for surgery the next day.  Our thought, “Let’s get this thing out of me, NOW!!!”  Certainly a quick decision, but in retrospect, I’m glad we just pulled the trigger.  No better time than the present to take a step forward.

My brother, Greg, arrived early the morning of my surgery, He drove straight through the night from Chicago to be by my side.  There is nothing I can say that could possibly relay how important Greg is in my life.  He is a rock, and I would be lost without him.  The love and support of his wife, Chris, the Dimit, Doty, Reindel, Solik, Cantrell, and entire Saracco Family has been overwhelming.  My brother and I have been blessed with great family and friends.  Thank you to everyone for your support!!!!

Now the Fun Begins

I really don’t know how to describe what the following 9 months brought me.  The colon resection surgery, (Sue Beckwith, MD), was off the pain scale, followed by chemotherapy & radiation, (John Martens, MD), genetic testing, (Pati Berger, RN), a hernia repair, (Mike Mohan, MD), and more chemotherapy, (Robert Behrens, MD).  If there is a side affect, I think I’ve had it.  We are finished with the chemotherapy, and ready to get on with our lives after treatment.  It was very difficult, to say the least, but is now a distant memory.

My entire medical team has been unbelievable!  I can’t begin to thank everyone who has been involved with my health care.  Our very dear friend Denise Albert, (Registered Dietician, University of Iowa) saved my life with her advice.  I was withering away to nothing, until she got involved with my care and turned things around.  She is so talented, and a great friend.  Valerie Ripperger, (massage therapist) helped me get on the road to recovery physically.  She is a healer, and was a good friend with an attentive ear.  Everyone at Mercy Therapeutic Radiology Associates, Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates, (especially Ramona!), Iowa Methodist Medical Center, and Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines has been a truly committed team.  Thank you for all you do!

New Friends and “The Rally”

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a special couple who came into our lives since our diagnosis, and really made a difference during this difficult time, Don and Jennifer Slagle.  Don and I have become good friends, and I would have felt so alone without him.  It was amazing to share such a difficult journey with him.  I feel like we will always have a special connection.  I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone, but being able to share it with someone like Don was truly a blessing.

A special thank you to Carol Frazell.  Carol was an angel of light walking into our lives during a very dark time.  Thank you so much, Carol, you truly made a difference in our lives, and I know many others.  One last thank you to Kim Johnson for organizing the Rally Against Cancer.  We wouldn’t have Carol without Kim.  What a wonderful world we live in.  We are looking forward to giving back!

I can’t even begin to tell you how much my wife, Winonah, has meant to me throughout this very difficult time.  She has been my foundation, and is my strength.  There is no way, I mean NO WAY, I could’ve made it without her.  She is the light of my life, and I will honor and love her all the days of my life.

We are moving forward, and getting stronger every day.

Butch Kummer first decided to undertake his 4-50-4 duathalon in order to get back into shape. After further consideration, Kummer, a colon cancer survivor, decided that he wanted to use this event to raise money for a good cause.

“Last summer I heard about Get Your Rear In Gear Twin Cities and started doing some research online and determined it would be a good cause to support.  I signed up for the 2011 race, ran it with my daughter, and finally decided that I was going to take my idea and make it happen,” shared Kummer.

Kummer was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2001 at the age of 45. After undergoing surgery in January 2001 and chemotherapy in 2002, Kummer went in for periodic appointments and received the news that the cancer had metastasized to his liver in the spring of 2006.

“I had surgery in April of 2006, followed by another summer of chemotherapy. Now I can say that at this time I am cancer free,” said Kummer.

Kummer also hopes that this event will assist in raising awareness of colon cancer and the importance of screening in the surrounding community.

“My goal is to let people know that colon cancer, if found early enough, is not a death sentence.  I’m hoping that people will hear my story and be motivated to get checked earlier. Hopefully, that, in turn, will be the difference between whether a cancer is treatable or untreatable,” commented Kummer.

Kummer’s 4-50-4 event will take place in Hastings, Minnesota on October 8, 2011. The race will consist of a four-mile run, a 50-mile bike ride and another four-mile run. Kummer’s supporters are invited to join him at the finish line at the Green Mill in Hastings. The Green Mill will be donating a percentage of sales from the finish line gathering.

For more information is available here.  All contributions to Kummer will benefit Get Your Rear In Gear to help promote colon cancer awareness. He is not asking people to join him on this run/bike/run but anyone is welcome to join be a part of any or all of it. Contact Kummer through his website.

Donation from Adeline and Emma so other kids don't have to lose a parent.

Every Get Your Rear in Gear race is built on stories.  Attend a race and you truly appreciate the stories surrounding you. You see the stories come alive in the teams wearing matching t-shirts walking in honor or in memory of a colon cancer patient. They show themselves in the “memory” and “honor” bibs family and friends wear. They are manifested in the camaraderie found when people who have been through the same hardships come together in support of one another.

At the Kansas City event in July one of these stories caught the attention of Get Your Rear in Gear event manager Christie Lockhart when two young girls presented their donation to the Get Your Rear in Gear team.  Team Jo Jo was walking in memory of Joanna Chance, wife, sister and mother of three young girls and one small boy. Her two oldest girls, Adeline (now 9) and Emma (7), presented their life savings, a princess vitamin jar filled with $63.11, to help ensure that other kids wouldn’t have to lose a parent like they had. Their mother, Joanna, had lost an 18 month battle with colon cancer in October 2010 at the age of 29.

Joanna’s husband, Terry, was kind enough to share the story behind Team Jo Jo.  Read it below in his own words. Thank you, Terry, for sharing your story.

Remembering Joanna Chance
September 7, 1981 – October 15, 2010

This story was generously shared by her husband, Terry Chance

The Chance Family

I moved from Des Moines, IA to Kansas City, MO in the late spring of 1999 to work with children at Northland Cathedral. While there I met this wonderful woman who liked to work with kids as well. I finally got up enough nerve to ask her out and we started dating in August of 1999. All things worked out and we were married April 28, 2011, her grandfather’s birthday.

Our first child, Adeline, was born on August 10, 2002. She was our bundle of joy. She was not a fan of her mom after 9 weeks or so. She wanted daddy and a bottle. Joanna was glad when I came home to entertain her. On March 18, 2004, our second bundle, Emma, came. This started a new trend because she only wanted her mom till she was about three. We had our third daughter, Isabelle, on May 3, 2006. Isabelle gave us a run for our money because she went through a phase of holding her breath till she went blue and passed out and it would take both of us to get her to come back to breathing. Then we had one more… this was a surprise to the whole family… on January 17, 2008, we had a baby boy, Owen.

We finally had our family and in September of 2008 took the entire family to Disney World. Talk about a trip that made memories that will last a lifetime. The following November, because of the economy, I lost my job, which in turn meant we lost our health insurance. Luckily in March 2009 I started a new job and began receiving health insurance as of April 1, 2009.

On April 7, Joanna was at home with the kids and began having abdominal pains and called her sister to take her to hospital. I left work and met her there. They started running tests to find out what was wrong they first thought she had diverticulitis, but they wanted to keep her overnight and do a colonoscopy in the morning. The next day I went back to work because I just started this job and all they were going to do is run tests. About midday Joanna called me crying because the result of the colonoscopy was a diagnosis of cancer.

Our first thought was she is too young for this and it happens in older people. Joanna kept positive and was determined that this will not keep her down. She had surgery on the 10th of April. They removed part of her colon and rectum plus her right ovary and right fallopian tube. She did well through out the surgery and spent a couple weeks in the hospital. Twelve rounds of chemo started mid-May of 2009 ending in December. The chemo took a lot longer then expected but she had problems with white blood counts, fevers and nausea. Most of these problems were caused from the chemo.

Team Jo Jo at Get Your Rear in Gear Kansas City

On December 22, results of blood work and a body scan came back a big thumbs-up, there was no sign of cancer in her body. Talk about an early Christmas present. She was excited because she was ready to put this all behind her (literally).

In April of 2010 she had a follow-up colonoscopy. The results were good, even to the point that she sent the picture to friends and family. We had a “Kicked Cancer in the Butt” party. She was on cloud nine. A couple of things that got her through it were the love she had for her kids, and a song by Kutless “What Faith Can Do”.

By May during a follow up visit, her doctors noticed her blood count was elevated. A CT scan revealed a baseball size tumor around her pelvis. They decided that they wanted to get more scans to see the mass and see if they could see if it has spread anywhere else in her body. Her doctors started to get a team together because of the location and not sure what the tumor had attached to.

The morning of June 21, she doubled over in pain and couldn’t walk, so we called for an ambulance. We also live about 30 miles from the hospital. They got here right in and reviewed her file. To our amazement they declared she had a bad case of gas. We did not accept that as the problem and requested that they contact her doctors. Her oncologist had her admitted, but they failed to contact her surgeon as well. By midday the next day her stomach was so swollen she looked as though she was pregnant. That evening the surgeon made it in to see her. He informed us that he would do the surgery on June 24 or 25.

Back of Team Jo Jo's shirts

On the morning of June 24 they ordered another CT scan and determined that it has grown in size and wanted to remove it now. The tumor was actually her left ovary that swelled to the size of a cantaloupe.  It had ruptured and was leaking fluid.  This is what caused the pain on the 21st, and the subsequent swelling in her abdomen.  The doctors drained 3 liters of fluid from her at the start of surgery.  They did a hysterectomy and oophorectomy.  Cancer was found on her left ureter, so they removed part of that and had to cut and stretch her bladder to reconnect the ureter to the bladder. The surgeon also inserted a temporary stint in left ureter to keep it open.  They found cancer on the colon and small intestine and removed sections of those.  They found gallstones in her gallbladder and removed the gallbladder.  The entire surgery took 5½ hours.  She received two units of blood post-surgery. When she got back to the room she looked a pale as a ghost.

This was the beginning of a very long summer. She spent most of the rest of the summer in and out of the hospital. She never really ever gained an appetite since the surgery she would just pick at food. It seemed she could make it home for a few days and needed to go back because she would have pains or become sick. Had several different types of infections. Buy the end of July they started giving her TPN.

Her doctors continued changing her meds to help with pain and infections. They had her on so many different medications that at times she would hallucinate and have major body twitches. Most of the time the kids were able to come for a visit, but when this would happen we asked Joanna’s sisters to not bring them because they didn’t need to see their mom this way.

During all this her pain level kept increasing, and continually had pain in her legs. Finally after additional scans they decided to try chemo and radiation. Through out both stays in the hospital I would be with her the entire time and left only on a few occasions but would return after a couple of hours. The day they started chemo I was gone for a couple of hours during which she had a reaction to one drug made her heart spike to about 260 bpm and her blood pressure to drop.  She went into anaphylactic shock.  As she was going into shock she could hear the nurses use words indicating how critical she was.  When she finally awoke, there was no one in the room, so she thought she was dead (no joke).

Team Jo Jo

After this incident they adjusted her chemo and scheduled her for radiation on her legs to see if this would help with the pain. She did that treatment with no effect on the pain. At this point I tried talking with her doctors to understand why she did not seem to improve. He would tell everything was looking good, because he did not want her to give up. He also knew that she was a strong woman who had faith in God to heal her.

August for us was an amazing month. Joanna and I had helped the children ministry at two different churches. Some friends decided to do a benefit for us and with that they raised over $15,000 dollars to help us. At the gym where Adeline is on the gymnastics team, some friends and coaches did a week long bake sale to help us out with tuition and fees for gymnastics.

At the beginning of August we were able to finally pin down her doctor and ask with all that is going on and her pain is increasing what we are looking at. They told us that after the first round of chemo and one round of radiation there had been little change and stated that if all went well she would live for about a year and if they go bad, 3-4 months.

This news was hard for both of us to grasp.  We struggled with how to tell the family and made a decision that we did not want the kids to find out until we felt the time was right. Imaging receiving this news and the only thing on your mind is your kids… It started a prominent statement “I am not giving up”…

Joanna finally came home with the help of home health. They would come every other day or as needed, but while it seemed good to have her home, we would always end up back at the hospital.  Joanna went through the second round of chemo, after which the doctors determined it had done nothing and there was not much more they could do except adjust pain meds to make her comfortable. In early October they broke the news that Joanna had 3-6 weeks to live.

As you can imagine this was hard news, we finally went home with hospice to help us through the last days. On Thursday, October 14, a little after 9 a.m., I called the two oldest kids to our bedroom to tell them that there mom was not going to be around much longer (the two younger kids had been staying with their aunt since June). This was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

Members of Team Jo Jo, including her husband Terry, prepare to cross the finish line at the Get Your Rear in Gear Kansas City event

Around 2 a.m. on October 15, 2010, Joanna finally, after 18 months of fighting cancer, received her healing. That next morning I had to tell the youngest two about their mom.

Because of the benefit we had the money we needed for the funeral and other expenses.

We decided to participate in the Get Your Rear in Gear in Kansas City because before all the bad news Joanna wanted to do this walk just because she liked the name. We are a family of jokers and pranksters. So it caught our eye after one of her sisters saw something about it. Now this is one thing we can do to keep her memory alive.

Mark Chambers (center) with Andrew Stein (far left) at a charity golf event before Mark's death.

Organized by Andrew Stein, Chambers’ business associate and golfing buddy, the event was created to honor and remember a local business man and friend.  “Mark was an avid golfer, he loved to have fun.  As a huge Jimmy Buffett fan, Mark just wanted to have a good time,” Stein said while talking about his friend.  “He was one of the brightest, most intelligent guys. He worked hard, but also played hard.”

The two men met through the local Chamber of Commerce where they both served on the Board of Directors.  Once they discovered their mutual love of golf, wine and travel, they enjoyed both a friendship and a business relationship. “I was lucky to have Mark as both a golfing buddy and a client,” Stein stated.

Chambers battled colon cancer off and on for nearly 5 years.  A month before he passed away in January of 2011 at the age of 58, he was still traveling and playing golf.

Stein wants others to know that Chambers was not screened for colon cancer prior to his diagnosis. If he had had a colonoscopy at the recommended age of 50, the cancer may have been caught earlier or prevented entirely. “While Mark wasn’t screened in time, the good news is there are others who got screened because of his struggles.”

The tournament organizers felt a golf event was the perfect way to honor a life-long golfer with six handicap who enjoyed playing in charity and fundraising golf events. Money raised at the golf event has been donated to Get Your Rear in Gear to help advance awareness, education and screenings for colon cancer.

View additional photos from the tournament here.

Tournament organizers (l-r) Ken Fosheim, Judy Havener (Mark's significant other); Peggy Stein, Andrew Stein, Jon Egge. The HWC on their shirts is in honor of what Mark wrote on each of his golf balls, meaning "Handle With Care."

]]> http://www.getyourrearingearblog.com/events/golf-tournament-honors-beloved-buisnessman/feed/ 0 http://www.getyourrearingearblog.com/events/fundraisers-the-people-changing-colorectal-cancer/ http://www.getyourrearingearblog.com/events/fundraisers-the-people-changing-colorectal-cancer/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:18:06 +0000 Kristin Tabor http://www.getyourrearingearblog.com/?p=3963

LA Back Enders - Top Team Fundraisers in Raleigh

When people watch someone they love struggle with a disease, they deal with it in multiple ways.  It’s why nobody can step into the shoes of another for how they grieve a loss.  Some may suffer in private.  Some may act-out and not show their sadness.  Others may choose to make a difference in honor of their loved one’s life.  The latter are our often the fundraisers who share the commitment of never letting another loved one experience what colorectal cancer brought to their lives.

Over the course of the years, I’ve been amazed by numbers of families and friends that have become individual or team fundraisers. The stories of those who walk, run and celebrate with a colorectal cancer patient can elevate the day.  Then you see a sign, bib or shirt signifying a loved one is gone and it can feel like a large pit dropped into the stomach.

There is an amazing camaraderie of all of the fundraisers and teams.  They are not alone. They are committed to change this world and other lives.  They are our “grassroots army” that has understood our mission and vision.

Fundraisers work as hard as our staff to ensure their communities turn toward colorectal cancer instead of away from it.  They tirelessly send emails, letters and tell others they need to get screened.  They say the words colon, colorectal and colonoscopy, because to them – it is everyday language.

With every race, thousands of dollars are raised by teams and individuals.  In many of our events, it’s often more dollars than the dollars provided by sponsors.  Fundraisers take the time to recruit others to the race.  Teams have ranged in size from 3 to 300 in cities.  Corporate and medical teams have joined the party too and show their support of their employees, patients and the community.

The story doesn’t end there…it keeps going with every event and benefit. There are countless stories daily. We wish we could tell the story of so many of you.

Be moved to celebrate someone’s life.  You you may be surprised at what you can do to bring change.  L.A.‘s  Backenders  took first place in fundraising as a team honoring the memory of Lynn Anderson.  I was one of the lucky ones fortunate to meet this amazing team in Raleigh, North Carolina. We wanted to post this story today to honor Lynn’s memory, on the anniversary of her death.

Lynn Anderson

Written By Van Anderson, husband

Lynn Anderson

Lynn was diagnosed with colon cancer in April, 2007.  During her battle, she was always looking to the positive and trying to find different ways of coping with having cancer.  She went through all the traditional regimens for treating the disease, and worked with alternative techniques such as holistic healing, spiritual touch therapy, and hypnosis.

Lynn was an inspiration to many people and demonstrated a positive attitude of “living with cancer, rather than dying from it”.  For greater than three years, she, with courage and grace, fought to beat the disease that finally took her life.

Lynn passed away July 11, 2010.  She was a wonderful wife to me for greater than 25 years and mother of two fantastic children, Jeremy (24) and Olivia (20).    She loved God, her family, and friends from many areas of her life.

Lynn walked and proudly formed and led a team in the 2009 Raleigh Get Your Rear in Gear event.  She had hopes of participating again in the future.  During the 2009 event, Lynn and others, thought of the team name L.A.’s Back Enders.   Kathy Chmielewski and Lou Ann Martin-Rogers, both friends from our church, Aldersgate UMC, wanted to lead this team in memory of Lynn.

Many people from AUMC, as well as other family and friends, quickly joined us in the effort.  Lynn was loved by many, which is evident by the number of people that were on our team and the amount of money we raised.

Although Lynn is no longer here to participate, it is with great pleasure that we honor her by participating in the 2011 Get Your Rear in Gear event.  In memory of Lynn, our team plans to return each year to help raise money for supporting the Colon Cancer Coalition.

Editor’s note: next month, we will be highlighting a couple of very special 13 year old fundraisers – Selena Lemus and Kyle Rosenberg

David Goodman at the NYC Marathon

Get Your Rear in Gear: What made you want to start running marathons?
David Goodman: In 1997, I was living South Africa, where I was writing a book.  While I was there, I ran in the Cape Town half-marathon, which was my first long distance race. Because it was so hot in the daytime there, all their races took place at 6 a.m., which was unusual, but a very pleasant time to be outside.  I really enjoyed that race, and when I returned home to Vermont a few months later, I decided to run my first marathon, the Vermont City Marathon.  I had a great time (well, except for miles 18-20, which was the first time I experienced “hitting the wall”).  In 2001, I “won the lottery” and got accepted into the New York City Marathon.  That was a fateful year — the race took place six weeks after 9/11.  During the race, we had many views of the still smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center. Many many runners wore shirts saying they were running in memory of certain friends and family who had been killed. It was very moving, and I saw how running a marathon for a cause could both motivate you and inspire others.

GYRIG: In 2010, you ran the New York City Marathon, and your NYC Marathon fundraiser helped raise awareness of colon cancer by raising nearly $2000 for the Colon Cancer Coalition. Was colon cancer something you were aware of before your mom’s diagnosis?
GOODMAN: No. I didn’t know anyone who had colon cancer, so it wasn’t on my radar at all.  When I reached out to friends and family to raise money for the Colon Cancer Coalition by running the marathon, many of them unexpectedly told me of their experience with colon cancer. I was amazed.  Doing the fundraiser not only raised money, it raised awareness about colon cancer among my friends, and it made me aware of how many people’s lives had been touched by cancer.

Doing the fundraiser not only raised money… it made me aware of how many people’s lives had been touched by cancer.

GYRIG: As someone who has run in the NYC marathon, is there a difference, mentally and physically, in preparing for a marathon over a 5k?
GOODMAN: A marathon takes a very different mentality than a 5k.  Many runners can go out and grind out 26.2 miles.  But feeling good and not getting injured while running a marathon is the real challenge.  The key is preparing your body: a typical marathon training program is 4 months, and it includes a number of weekly long distance (13-20 mile) training runs.  Anyone can do it, you just have to put in the time. Rest and recovery is also a big part of the training, so you have to be patient. For me, having the goal of preparing for a big marathon gives me a reason to keep running and not become a couch potato.

GYRIG: What was the most memorable part of running the NYC Marathon?
GOODMAN: The NYC Marathon felt like a celebration of life.  I was part of sea of humanity, one of 45,000 runners from all over the world snaking my way through the five boroughs. The most moving part came around mile 22, when I ran right past Mt. Sinai Hospital.  It was just a year earlier that my mom had passed away there.  I had tears in my eyes as I ran past the front doors.  I looked skyward and thought of my mom, and knew she was cheering me on, just as she had always done throughout my life.

The NYC Marathon felt like a celebration of life.

GYRIG: What is your next race?
GOODMAN: I entered the lottery for the NYC Marathon again, but unfortunately my name didn’t get picked this year. I will do another fall marathon, but I haven’t decided which one yet. Wherever I end up running, I will look forward to using my run to raise money and awareness again for the Colon Cancer Coalition. Knowing that people have pledged money to the cause will keep me from slacking off!

Interview by Amy Wenzel, Get Your Rear in Gear Communications Intern