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dmozal-cancer-walk-in-50states · 7 years ago

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Wicomico County, MD & Bath County, VA

I would like to thank everyone who takes the time to read this blog and special thanks for your patience. I love sharing peoples lives with you! If you find any information inaccurate please let me know and I will correct it.

Salisbury, MD – September 22, 2017

The event in Salisbury was in a beautiful park in Wicomico County, with a pond that was lined with the luminaria bags representing many people battling or in memory of the fight against cancer.

Beginning of the track

More of the track

My husband doesn’t get to come with me very often but it was great to have him with me.

My husband Dave walking with other caregivers and survivors

The first survivor and caregiver I met were Gina and Pat. Gina is a 4-year survivor of breast cancer. Gina didn’t have any indication she had a problem. She was careful to check but she had no lump or any other symptoms. She had gone for her annual checkup and the doctor found a mass.

Pat and Gina

Things moved quickly for Gina. Her original appointment was on a Tuesday, then she had a sonogram on Thursday, Friday she had a needle biopsy, and the following week she had surgery.

Gina had some issues with her surgery. She didn’t heal on the inside, instead she had a wound vac for 5 weeks until she healed completely. Her surgery was followed by chemo and then radiation. When the doctor removed 8 lymph nodes she was told that 2 were not clear.

Gina also takes a maintenance drug that has some interesting side effects. She was a bit disappointment because the side effects include hot flashes and green urine. Gina said she had finally stopped having hot flashes and then had to go on this drug for 5 years which meant the hot flashes came back.

She had a little trouble with the chemo because she ended up with blood clots in both legs and lungs but she is doing great now.

Pat, one of her caregivers, is who Gina calls her “surrogate son”. Pat was her sons best friend in high school. Both of Gina’s children live a distance away so Pat stepped up to help. Gina said she doesn’t know what she would have done without him (she also said sometimes she doesn’t know what to do with him, and then she laughs). Gina’s son, an Airforce retiree, lives in Utah. Her daughter, a Navy veteran, is in Norfolk, Virginia. Pat and Gina laugh because Gina’s daughter says if she had been asked in high school if Pat would turn out like he has she would not have believed it. Pat said she really didn’t like him in high school.

Gina and Pat have been coming to relay for 4 years. She makes these beautiful rocks that are used for fundraising but I was blessed to be given one to keep and remind me of her. These two were a hoot. Pat is a firefighter and he is a workaholic (Gina said). They tell funny stories that just made me laugh.

Gina is such a loving and animated person. She has a very open heart. She has a surrogate daughter as well. Her surrogate daughter, Danielle, lost her mother (and Gina’s friend) to pancreatic cancer. Gina told her friend that although she couldn’t help her with her cancer she would take care of her daughter. Gina got to walk Danielle down the aisle when she got married.

Gina continues to live life to the fullest with family and friends that keep her busy!

I also met two wonderful friends.

From left to right: April Walker, me, and India Johnson

April Walker is an almost 11-year survivor of thyroid cancer and mother of two. Her son was 3 years old and her daughter was 6 years old when April was diagnosed.

April has a lot of trouble with her allergies and they seemed to be acting up so she went to her ear, nose and throat doctor to see what was going on. She really hates when people mess with her neck and throat so she didn’t think her allergies would cause the doctor to do anything with that particular area, but she was wrong. First he put his hands around her neck and asked her to swallow. Then he had her drink water and did the same thing. Her doctor sent her for a sonogram, which led to an MRI then an MRI with dye and then a needle biopsy. The results were that she had thyroid cancer. Although the cancer was in her left side she chose to have the whole thyroid removed. She then had 2 doses of radioactive iodine. April raised two kids while going through surgery and treatments but she has been cancer free ever since.

I also met India Johnson, a caregiver that was walking for her mother and grandmother. These two special ladies, Katherine Holland and Bernice Holland, are both colon cancer survivors. She also walks in honor of her father Asbury Johnson who passed away from liver cancer. India said her father’s cancer was removed but spread to his brain, lungs and spine. Her father was 56 when he lost his battle. Eight years later the pain of his loss is still so raw.

April also mentioned she lost her mother at 69.

Although they didn’t stay too long India did share that this disease is definitely something we need to fight and win against!

The event chair, Debbie Marvel, started Relay many years ago in memory of her grandfather. A coworker had started a team and asked if she wanted to be a part of it. Debbie said that she was hooked as soon as she took her first steps at the Relay.

Debbie Marvel and me

Debbie lost her father a few days before the Relay 5 years ago but she knew she had to attend the event. She says that over the years she has seen so many people fight this disease, walk with or in honor of someone special affected by cancer, and she knows how important the funds are as they help not only with research but also with many services provided by the American Cancer Society.

ACS Staff Partner Debbie White and Debbie Marvel, signing shirts at the Maryland Relay

Penny Travers is a volunteer for Relay for Life and she is also a survivor. Penny sent me her story. She is a mom of who has “wonderful young adults” (children). They are Jake (23), Emma (18) and Lily (13). She has been married to Kirby for 23 years and refers to him as an “amazing man”.

Penny and me

Penny was diagnosed with Stage 3a Her2+ breast cancer in April of 2013 just a few short weeks after her 40th birthday.

Penny and her family

Penny said “Like many of us I had been touched by cancer prior to my diagnosis when I lost my grandmother in 1997 and then a very dear friend of mine in 2002. My aunt was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and thankfully is still celebrating being cancer free.”

She continues “Prior to my diagnosis I did participate in Relay for Life a few times and donated to teams that were participating so I felt like I could say that I was doing my part. But after I was diagnosed I began to have a whole new appreciation for the group of people that have assisted and participated over the years.”

“My family and friends came together after my diagnosis and decided that they wanted to start our relay team and had just a few months to organize fundraisers and get donations. I wasn’t much help because of my surgery and chemo treatments. But they were amazing and were able to raise about $5,000 by the night of relay. They keep doing it year after year without fail.”

Like so many others Penny said “We are a very close and very large family, so I have a wonderful support group with them and my friends and I know the importance of having that during my recovery. I’ve had over 13 different surgeries and procedures over the past 4 years. I’ve struggled with infections and anemia but keep pushing through with the help of family. There are many survivors out there that don’t have that or not to the extreme that I’m fortunate enough to have. And that’s where the Relay Community comes in. When the survivors and caregivers come out to relay and walk that first lap, they see all of the campsites and all of the participants…they see their support group. They see all of the people that care and that are determined to make a difference even though they don’t know you by name. They see all of the effort that you’re putting in to make that difference and to help fight for them.”

Penny’s resolve to help others is shown by her determination in being involved in Relay. She says “Regardless of how I feel, I’m there for them. My team, Penny’s Loafers has coordinated the Survivors Reception for the past 4yrs. It’s been an honor to meet all of the survivors and caregivers that come out to the event. I’ve heard the term warrior given to anyone that has been diagnosed with cancer. You’re fighting the biggest battle- the battle for your life, your health and just one more day with your family. But you can’t do it alone. You have to have people there to support you and to help you win the battle. That’s what relay means to me…people coming together, remembering all that can no longer be there with us and supporting all of the warriors in the fight for the cure!”

Penny’s enthusiasm and story are inspiring!

I spoke with several people who preferred not to share their stories in the blog. They showed their strength and fortitude by attending the event and caring for one another. The park at the Wicomico event was pretty but the true beauty of the event became surreal as night fell and the luminaria bags were lit against the backdrop of the pond.

As my husband and I headed out for the night we were reminded of what Relay is all about by the lights of the sign shown below.

Hope….the message behind each event is that everyone touched by cancer has the American Cancer Society fighting to find the cure, doctors and family members who are there to give them strength, and most of all there are others who continue to fight for them and with them so they have HOPE!

20th Anniversary of Bath County Relay for Life, Millboro, Virginia

The people at the Bath County Relay for Life in Millboro, Virginia were another group of friendly people. They made me feel so welcome, like I was already a part of their community.

I met several survivors and some shared their stories but not everyone wanted to have it on the blog. As I continue this journey I am reminded that each person’s voyage is unique and so are their personalities. Whether I am able to share their story on the blog or not, their journey and survivorship is a testament to the will and resiliency of each person touched by cancer. This includes not only the survivors but their caregivers, family members, friends and coworkers.

The track for Bath County’s Relay

The Relay included an auction and games. They had many beautiful items to auction off and the games were fun. I even won one of the games.

Auctioneer as he helps raise money for Relay of Bath County

Playing games (and I won)

I met Patty, a lung cancer survivor, who originally went to the doctor for a hernia. When they took an x-ray they found more than Patty bargained for, they found she had lung cancer. She was completely surprised, in fact her sister fainted when the doctor gave her the diagnosis. When she met her cancer doctor (who isn’t bad on the eyes she said) he set up her treatments. She has had 2 rounds of chemo, 6 treatments each time. She is now on a study drug every 3 weeks and has a CT scan every 4-6 weeks. At this time, she is stable (actually looks wonderful).

The lung cancer was in both lungs and in her lymph nodes. The medication is an immunotherapy drug that seems to be working well on her stage 4 cancer. She is reminded that stage 4 means that the cancer is in 4 parts of the body.

Patty is working 6 days a week, wears her husband’s hats when she can, and is involved with her family, friends and work. Patty knows the importance of the people you care about and spends her time and energy in being a part of their lives while continuing to work on her health. She is like the energizer bunny with so much energy you wouldn’t know she ever had cancer.

Donna, me, and Patty

Donna Ingram, good friend of Patty, was 50 when she was diagnosed. She had cervical cancer that was literally growing out of her body. She said that her mom could smell an odor and told her she needed to get checked right away. Donna went to the emergency room and they told her she needed to get to the cancer doctor right away!

For 9 weeks she did radiation every weekday. She also had chemo once a week for 9 weeks. She did the chemo and radiation treatments at the same time. She was stage 3 when they found her cancer.

Donna was hospitalized 3 times for different illnesses she picked up from other people while her immune system was weakened. She has 3 children, 4 grandchildren and another on the way. Donna looks amazingly healthy even though she just had back surgery, having titanium rods put in. She used to be a fitness trainer so exercise is important to her.

Each person deals with their loved one’s cancer in a different way. Each of her children dealt with her cancer diagnosis in a different way. The strength she received from them helped her through each step. The one thing she wants to make sure people know is that having a pap smear and yearly checkup is imperative.

She says that whenever she has to go to the doctor for her scans she gets quite anxious. I have heard the same thing from others before and I feel the same way. I’ve heard it called “scanxious” but there is no way she would skip the appointments or the scans.

It is an important reminder to be your own medical advocate and take care of yourself by seeing the doctor. Don’t ignore symptoms or any nagging feeling.

Gloria Lindsay is a colon cancer survivor. Her story is also unique. Gloria had been using a new push mower and noticed her side was really sore. The next day Gloria decided to clean out the basement. On Sunday she wasn’t feel very well. She is a florist so her husband went to water her flowers while she got ready for church. When her husband called to pick her up from church she said she wasn’t feeling good and that she had to lay down with a heating pad. Her husband called her daughter, Amanda, now known as “the warden”. Her daughter works at Bath County Community Hospital.

Gloria and her family

Amanda happened to be off work that day. Normally Gloria doesn’t complain because she has such a high pain tolerance so when she said she wasn’t feeling well this made the rest of the family concerned. Amanda said she’d take her mom to urgent care so she picked up her mom to drive her. Instead of taking her to urgent care, however, Amanda took her mom to the emergency room door at Bath County Community Hospital and said “this is where this taxi ride stops”. She told her mom she could either go into the emergency room or she could walk to the nearest urgent care (which wasn’t near AT ALL). Now this may sound a bit harsh but Amanda knows her mom is a bit “stubborn”. Gloria wasn’t going to the hospital unless Amanda tricked her. Gloria said she didn’t want to go to the emergency room because she didn’t feel it was “bad enough” (figuring it was a pulled muscle) and she didn’t want to pay the large emergency room fee. Left without a real choice Gloria knew she had to go to the emergency room.

Amanda told her mom to be adamant about the amount of pain she was in. Luckily the doctor listened to Gloria. He did a CAT scan and blood work. After Amanda read her mom the results of her bloodwork the family started making plans to take her to a bigger hospital.

Gloria’s tumor started at 5.5 cm but by the time they took her to the bigger hospital the scan with an IV contrast showed the cancer was the size of a plantain banana. They were a bit surprised since Gloria had been going in for colonoscopies every 2 years because she had precancer cells. What they believe happened is that the cancer was in a bend in the colon so it had been missed for 3 to 5 years. They went into the hospital May 21st, surgery was done on May 22nd, chemo started on June 16th and Gloria rang the bell on September 14th. It was a difficult three months.

Gloria’s granddaughter was there when she received her diagnosis. The family has a very special bond. Gloria’s granddaughter was graduating high school on June 3rd. Even though it had only been a couple of weeks since she had surgery Gloria participated in something called “capping” which means the special person selected goes up on stage the night before graduation to place the cap on that special graduate’s head. This special someone was Gloria’s granddaughter. Her daughters and husband continue to say how tough Gloria is.

Gloria said it had been tough at times but her family has been so amazingly supportive and strong. Her granddaughter drove in from Norfolk to spend the special day at the Relay with her grandmother. They are a close family who sees the importance of having each other, which keeps them strong no matter what!

Gloria continues to say that people need to be very active in their own medical advocacy (and so do the rest of her family). Getting checkups, communicating with doctors, and being aware of your body is imperative to catching this disease early!

Lisa Vestal, a breast cancer survivor whose cancer was discovered in 2004 said she considered herself cancer free in 2005. She was staged 3B. Lisa had a lump in one of her breasts but she wasn’t super concerned because she was always “lumpy”. She always needed additional films when she had the mammogram on her right side but her cancer was actually detected in her left breast.

Lisa had a lump that she ignored on her left side. Partially because of the fear of knowing what it might be and partially because of the fear of being overly dramatic. However, once she saw that there was discoloration and then pitting in the tissue she knew she couldn’t ignore the issue.

Pat Foutz, me, (way in the back is Cindy Andrews – a 3-year breast cancer survivor), me, Lisa Vestal

When she went to the doctor she had a needle biopsy right then. The doctor told her they already knew it was breast cancer. Although it was a shock, especially at the age of 43, Lisa knew it would be ok. She is a very positive person. Luckily her family and friends are very positive people as well. Lisa said she had 2 aunts that had breast cancer in their 80’s.

Through this whole experience Lisa has found that her family has become closer. Lisa is quite funny. Her children were 8 and 16 years old when she was diagnosed. She said she doesn’t remember much and tells people it wasn’t that bad an experience but her family looks at her and says “it was tough”. Lisa feels quite blessed to have had a journey that has made her faith and family stronger!

From her experience I believe she would tell you to push through your fear and face whatever is happening with your body as early as possible. Go to the doctor and get through the diagnosis, treatments, etc. Earlier is better if you have that opportunity!

Pat Foutz, chair for the Relay for Life event, is not originally from Bath County but loves the community. She has worked at the hospital for 36 years and involved in the Relay for Life for all 20 years.

Pat Foutz signing the Relay for Life shirts

Pat has a giving heart and determination that shows in the things she does. She says her story is more about adversity. Not by choice she became single when her children were young so her education became important to her. She needed to provide for her children as well as herself. She also wanted to show them the importance of being self-sufficient. Pat wanted to be involved in the community while showing her children what it meant to be active within the community so they became involved with Relay at a young age. In fact part of the time her daughter was at the Relay to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

Now that she has grandchildren Pat would like to be more involved with them because she doesn’t feel she had the ability to spend the time she wanted to with her children when they were young. She knows the impact of Relay for Life and especially for Bath County’s Relay. Not everyone who is involved with Relay for Life has a family member or friend who has been touched by cancer but being a nurse and someone who has a heart for others Pat has found that Relay for Life helps those affected by cancer through their multiple programs as well as through continuing research for a cure.

A small but powerful community, the Bath County event held in Millboro was one of the friendliest I have attended (they are all friendly). The people are close and take care of one another. Before I left I received a few items that I will cherish forever:

Gifts from Bath County’s Relay

The Color of Comfort

I received this beautiful afghan from Pat Foutz, Chair of the Bath County Relay. There was a touching note that reads:

Dear Denise,

This colorful lap afghan was lovingly crocheted by Janel Gum of Monterey, Virginia, for Bath County Virginia Relay for Life. She donated this in memory of her mother who died from breast cancer. We call it a Color of Comfort Throw, because every color represents awareness for a different cancer and because we fill it with hugs and hope!

We are honored to have you participate in this our 20th Anniversary of Relay. Please carry it with you to every event so that relayers from all over may fill it with hugs and hope as well. It’s the perfect size for travel, in case you need to cover your knees or make a pillow. We pray this will unite us into one Relay Nation filled with hope and determination.

Thank you for your encouragement.

Relay for Life of Bath County, Virginia

I cannot tell you how much this beautiful afghan means to me. I get so much from each Relay I attend. I am encouraged by the stories I hear and am blessed to be able to share them on this blog. As a survivor it gives me hope, as a caregiver it gives me hope, and as a friend it gives me hope.

Thank you to Janel Gum for sharing her talents to make this afghan. I’m sure your mother is proud of you, her wonderful daughter. I will carry this afghan as I attend additional Relays.

As the night finished, the luminaria ceremony included loved ones standing by the luminaria bags of their family member or friends as we celebrated the lives of those affected by cancer…..and the hope for the cure!

Bath County Community members quietly honoring those who have fought, are fighting, or who have lost the fight

#salisbury maryland rfl americancancersociety cancersucks cancer wicomicocounty bathcounty virginia millboro relayforlife relay

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