"Don't be afraid, JUST BELIEVE!" | Monday, November 21, 2011

Our newest Kourageous Kid is Paige D. and she ROCKS! MSU Football fan and Fashionista all rolled into a pint sized, bundle of happy! Celebrating her 12th birthday just yesterday, the MSU team "Played for Paige" on Saturday as she cheered from the sidelines, with the team! Read about her journey and association with the MSU guys HERE.
Paige's journey with cancer started a few years ago, found accidentally after a fall in a skiing accident in 2008. A brain tumor was discovered and headache's ensued. It was eventually diagnosed as a Meduloblastoma, occurring in the area of the brain that controls balance and other motor functions. Paige has now undergone, a 6 hour operation to remove the tumor, 30 radiation treatments, 2 blood transfusions, 14 weeks of chemotherapy, numerous boosts to her immune system and 34 more weeks of chemo YET TO COME....but her mantra is, "Don't be afraid, JUST BELIEVE."
She's an athletic kid, a soccer team in Okemos..... but more recently, side-lined at her own games, but not at the MSU Spartan Stadium!
Initially, reluctant to participate in the Kourageous Kids program, she changed her mind and wanted to do it to "help other kids" with cancer... and help she will! She ROCKED her 'modeling session' with several outfit changes, all with coordinating accessories and scarves. Someday, Paige hopes to be a teacher. I think that she's already doing that.... teaching everyone about what it's like to not be afraid, how to be Kourageous and to BELIEVE! Including some giant men dressed in Green and White.

Labels: cancer, childhood cancer, Kourageous Kids, msu football, msu sports, paige duren, play for paige, Terri Shaver, The Oldham Project

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A difficult story to tell.... | Tuesday, November 15, 2011

We at the Oldham Project hear stories every day from families struggling with catastrophic health challenges, but this one still brings me to tears...
Kate (55), and her husband have been together a long time. "I'm losing my right arm." So long that he was the one to give her a 16th birthday party and next he'll be holding her as she is welcomed into Heaven to party for eternity.
Diagnosed a second time with metastatic breast cancer, she's now on her 5th experimental chemotherapy for triple negative, metastatic breast cancer.
Her positive attitude, despite the obvious, keep her, her husband and 3 grown children going. Her candid conversation is open and frank... talking about making quality time with her kids and grandkids, making memories and leaving a legacy, and some day's thinking about not buying new shoes...'because I don't know if I'll get to wear them. Some people with cancer talk about counting years or months.... I'm counting days." Doctors gave her '6 months' back in March of 2011, but here she is, Bold and Beautiful as ever!
Talking with her children, she said, "Tell me the memories that you think we'll miss." Her youngest daughter, who is 21 will miss having her Mom at her wedding and enjoying all the planning....so Kate, with her daughter, made an event of going out and choosing a wedding dress, securing a venue and even buying the accessories and jewelry for her big day.... even though she doesn't even have a fiance! Kate, thinking of her daughter, wanted to make this memory happen for her.
She's making memories with her grandkids... buying things that she'll want them to have to remember her or have later in their lives. They took a last family vacation this past spring... all of them together at Hilton Head, making memories in an overgrown cottage on the beach.
She's intent on remaining positive, making a gratitude list and having a gratitude party... counting all the blessings she DOES have. An artist, she's painted about her cancer journey and a letter to her cancer 'sisters' , which she brought to be photographed with... "hope is there."
"My kids will be fine without me....they know I'll be fine. When I was diagnosed, I told the cancer it could have that day and the day I die, but none of the day's inbetween." And she's living every day like it's the inbetween!

Labels: bald woman, bald women, Be Bold Feel Beautiful, breast cancer, breast cancer awareness, t, Terri Shaver, The Oldham Project

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Slaying the dragon.... | Wednesday, November 2, 2011

We often see children playing either video games or in a pretend situation, imagining dragons and being often being victorious over the giant, fictitious creatures...
Trina's dragon ISN'T fictitious... It's a real demon, living inside her, that she battles every day. The "Purple Dragon" she's named her cancer... a rare thing, as are dragons.... Leiomyosacroma, a soft tissue sarcoma.
Originally diagnosed in August of 2010, she underwent surgery to remove her uterus and underwent 6 long months of chemotherapy, thinking all of this would be behind her. BUT, no, the dragon reared it's ugly head and again in July of 2011, not even a year later another tumor was discovered in and around her bladder. Doctors tried to remove it all, but in the end, were forced to leave two tumors behind, tucked in her intestines. Again, she's undergoing chemo, and I'm sure wondering all the time, when and where will the next tumor appear?
She's literally and figuratively slaying this dragon with surgery, chemo and positive thoughts! She's learned alot about herself and would like to share the most important things with us.
1. Learn when to say 'yes' and when to say 'no.'
2. Not to push herself
3. How friends and family WILL rally to help.... if you ask for help.
4. Ask for help.
5. Enjoy the little things.
6. 'FACE IT".... and she is, with determination, courage, knowledge, confidence and a really giant sword!
"Get as much information as you can and trust your instincts!", Trina K. age 53

Labels: bald woman, bald women, Be Bold Feel Beautiful, cancer, Terri Shaver, The Oldham Project

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