Tag Archives: cancer

Impossible… or I’m Possible

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Impossible

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!”

~ Audrey Hepburn ~

Impossible… ten letters that form a word that can have a massive impact on how you approach something and situations.  The word can force you to avoid or run and hide when, in fact, the somethings and situations just might be possible.  There are times when the option to run from the seemingly impossible does not exist because this option to run, quite frankly, may lead to death.

Have you ever been forced to come to grips with your own mortality?  For those who have been on the receiving end of, “You have cancer…”, facing one’s mortality becomes a body and soul numbing reality.  Give some thought to how you would handle it.  While you are doing that, let me introduce you to a young lady who faced the impossible and kicked it right in the chops at the very young age of 13!  I had the honor of sitting down with her and her mother to hear her story and hear what she wanted the world to know.  Her story is one of inspiration, determination, bravery, grit, and oozes with the kind of courage most can only dream of. So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I introduce to you Gracie Snyder. Here is her story…

On May 28, 2014 at the age of 13 and in 7th grade, Gracie was diagnosed with a Astrocytoma, a brain tumor that was located in the front of the brain positioned between her eyes.  When I ask what the events were leading up to the diagnosis, Gracie explained it to me like this (slightly more fun than her mother’s description).

“We were playing Ten Base in gym class.  The ball was kicked into a corner where it went between the wall without padding and the bleachers.  I was running to get it and I was going too fast. I went to grab the ball and I didn’t get it because my head is too big and my arms are too short.”  (insert giggles during the interview)

Gracie fell and hit her head causing her to go unconscious.  As it turned out, this fall saved her life.  At the emergency room Gracie started to come around and she said she felt fine and wanted to go home.  Mother’s intuition said, “No.  Let’s stay and get it checked out.”  The CAT Scan showed something on her brain and Gracie was rushed to Upstate Medical Center.  The MRI showed the walnut-sized tumor.  On July 17, 2014 she underwent surgery to remove the tumor.  But, the surgery didn’t go as planned.

The procedure was supposed to be quick with ten days in the hospital.  The original plan was to pull the tumor through her nose rather than cut into her skull.  Gracie’s scans were viewed by top specialist in Germany. They all agreed this approach was not an option.  Gracie was admitted on July 16th.  Electrodes were connected to map her brain to see where they were going to go in.  The procedure was supposed to be a six-hour surgery.  As soon as they opened her up, they saw the tumor was much larger than expected.  It had spider webbed into the ventricles of her brain.  The surgeons had to instantly come up with a brand new plan.  The surgeon made an incision across the top of her head and down the side and an attempt to get as much of the tumor as possible was underway.  Unfortunately, the tumor had wrapped itself around the optical nerve.  If the doctor had pulled any more on the tumor it would have resulted in blindness.  The tumor was also too close to the pituitary gland causing the surgeon to leave some of it behind. This grueling surgery ended up being twelve torturous hours.  Gracie did not wake up for three days after the surgery.  I can not begin to imagine how agonizing this was for her mother.

Gracie then began to have clinical seizures.  To make matters even worse, the drain tube in her head broke as they were taking it out.  Gracie had to undergo another procedure to have it removed.  The next few weeks were spent in the pediatric intensive care unit.

With some of the tumor remaining in Gracie’s brain, she had to undergo very intense chemotherapy treatments.  Every Wednesday for twelve weeks Gracie got out of bed, followed the same routine and headed out the door for treatments.  The rest of the day on Wednesday and the entire next day she felt horrible, tried not to vomit, slept and wouldn’t talk to anyone.  Being a cancer survivor myself, I can completely relate to every part of this.  But, the thing about Gracie is she never once felt sorry for herself.  And, this is where the real story begins…

After Gracie was diagnosed with a brain tumor, had surgery and went through treatments, she had to learn how to walk and talk all over again and still struggles with her memory.  Her mother said the situation was like having a baby all over again.  Speech, cognitive and occupational therapy were on the slate for rehabilitation.  Both Mom and Gracie persevered with determination and hard work.

Sitting down to talk with Gracie, I found myself going through a truck load of emotions as I listened to her tell me about the actions of friends and family as she went through all of this.  Then, I listened to her describe her philosophy, her attitude and sense of humor with the entire situation.  I quickly realized this young lady was faced with the impossible and embraced the “I’m Possible”!

Before her diagnosis she was a typical teenager with a ton of friends and never being home.  When she was first diagnosed many of her friends were there for her and wanted to help.  Once she started chemo treatments, the list of “friends” dwindled to just a few people.  Now many of the “friends” don’t talk to her.  Gracie believes some of her friends think the brain tumor is contagious and they want to stay away.  Others may not have liked her sudden weight gain.  When the surgeon remove the tumor away from her pituitary gland it allowed her body to begin to mature properly and put on healthy weight.  She went from 80 pounds to just over 100 pounds.  I hope with all of my heart this is not the reason some of her friends have stayed away from her.  How very shameful this would be.

I asked Gracie what she wanted to tell the world.  Listening to her response, I found myself becoming emotional and grew even more proud of her.  Here is what she wants you to know. “I never gave up.  I don’t want to be treated differently.  I’m not the girl with the brain tumor or the sick kid.  I’m going through something a little tough.  I’m just a little different version of me.  To me it’s just another bump in the road. I don’t see it as a big deal.  It’s Wednesday… Chemo… OK, here we go.  We had a routine and just did it.”

“Something a little tough.”  Are you kidding me?  This young lady is awe-inspiring!

When Gracie saw the other children in the hospital who were going through chemo as well she realized her situation was not as bad as it could be.  The other children were much worse than she was.  She also spoke of her friend from school, Robert, who recently passed away and battled leukemia.  Gracie said,”I have a brain tumor.  Whoopdeedoo. I’m still here.”.  She said the whole experience was life changing.

The extraordinary thing about Gracie is she never once felt sorry for herself; not about the treatments, the disappearing friends, the family member who should have been by her side and wasn’t…  She has not one ounce of “poor me” in her.  Gracie’s sense of humor about the whole experience is spectacular.  Because of her memory issue, she calls herself Dory (“Finding Nemo” movie reference) and refers to the small tumor that remains as her squirrel brain.  I have personally witnessed Gracie’s determination on the field hockey field.  She has an incredible never give up attitude that, as a coach, I wish I could bottle.  Her drive, tenacity, grit, and perseverance are extraordinary.

Gracie is a remarkable young lady who sees her glass as half full.  What could have been a murky, cloudy, nasty view through glasses is definitely clear, lustrous and rose-colored.  Gracie has outmaneuvered adversity with dignity, class and maturity that some adults lack.  She is spectacular!

Fighting cancer takes guts, courage, strength, conviction, a never quit attitude, and an amazing support system.  Gracie has it all and then some.  Some would see a brain tumor as an impossible battle.  Gracie looked at it and said, “I’m possible” and kicked it right in the chops!

Gracie & her mom, Michelle            Gracie & Beth, a hospital volunteer

Writing With Your Marker

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Did you draw on your mom’s walls and in inappropriate places with markers when you were a child?  I bet you were in a ton of trouble when you did so.  I know you were because, let’s face it, we all did it.  I am now 40 years old and can tell you I often write on my bathroom mirror or on myself with a marker… a dry-erase marker.  What do I write?  Well…

I believe everyone should have a mantra; a saying; a quote that inspires them each day.  I actually have all three. Your mantra should be something you can lean on during the toughest of times.  When you are faced with adversity, your mantra is something that should have the ability to give you the kick in the butt you need.  My mantra comes from my marathon training team, Pink Nation.  It is “All Go No Quit Cowboy Up”. It means suck it up and finish what you started.  My saying is one that I use absolutely every day for every aspect of my life: work, home, fitness & health, personal, volunteer work, etc… My saying is “Be > Yesterday” (Be Greater Than Yesterday).  I don’t think I need to explain that one. Your selected quote should be the one that inspires you to get through tough times, gears you up to get ready to face adversity head on or is a quote you can rely on to put things in perspective, stay positive and get through the ugly. My quote is “Spes et Fortitudo” (hope and strength).

So, what do I write on my mirror with my trusty marker?  Sometimes I write things I need to add to the grocery list as they appear in my mind while brushing my teeth. Sometimes I write work thoughts or presentation ideas.  But, everyday I see two things on my mirror written with my trusty marker: “Be > Yesterday” and “Spes et Fortitudo”.  To me, these two statements keep me pushing forward.  They keep me thinking about being better every day.  But, they also remind me of the positive.  There’s so much “yuck” in our every day lives that being reminded of the positive in so important.

I also write on myself.  Yes, I am a grown adult and write on myself.  I am a runner.  Any race I run, whether it’s a 5K up to a marathon, I pick a person or persons to dedicate the race to and write the names on the top of my left hand right next to my watch.  Every time I look at my watch to check my pace, distance or time, I see the name(s), the reason I am running the race.  It is my motivation.  But, I also write “I Am My Hero” on my fingers.  I believe there are times in your life that you need to stop relying on others and become your own hero.  You need to do “it”, whatever “it” is, for you.  I use my trusty marker for these writings as well.

So, what are you going to write with your marker?  Where will you write it?  What is the meaning behind what you will write?

More To It Than Just A Number

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I recently read a couple of blog posts that got me a bit fired up.  The first one I read is by a blogger named Bryan Vaughn.  Mr. Vaughn wrote a post called “Why We All Hate Your 13.1 Stickers.“.  The second post is in response to Mr. Vaughn’s post called,  “Why We Love Your Post, ‘Why We All Hate Your 13.1 Stickers,”.  I strongly recommend you read both of these posts so you have an understanding of what my response is referring to.

Most of my blog followers know that I am a runner.  If you are new to my blog, you can check out some of my older posts where I talk about running the Richmond Marathon and my running team, MTT Pink Nation.  Mr. Vaughn’s post was quite aggravating to me as I am a very proud card carrying, number sticker/magnet displaying member of the running community.  So, I was compelled to give a different view of what these number stickers and magnets mean aside from just bragging about an accomplishment, as Mr. Vaughn suggests.

Here is my response to the two blog posts:

“Heck yeah my stickers are to announce to the world what I’ve accomplished! I am proud of every race and distance I’ve completed. You see, once you kick cancer’s butt not once, not twice, but three times and are able to run any distance it is fair game to shout it from the roof tops (and the back of my car). What people don’t see when they look at these stickers and magnets is the whole story. I run for my health; I run for myself. I display the stickers because I am proud of my accomplishments and, yes, I want to show that off. I do not care if that angers people. Cancer angers me and I’ve kicked it right in the chops. So, to those who are bothered by these stickers I say get over it. It’s time to be angered by things that truly matter in this world… Cancer, diabetes, lupus, stroke, heart disease, alzheimer’s, and so many other medical problems that affect the lives of so many incredible people. Be angered by children shooting children. Be angered by domestic abuse. Take your anger and make a difference. Don’t just sit and type a ranting post, hiding behind the computer screen. Do something good with your anger and help people. My number stickers are absolutely symbols of greatness in times of adversity and I proudly display them for the world to see. I spend my anger on helping to finding a cure for Cancer. What are you going to do with your anger?”

I can only hope Mr. Vaughn read this response and sees that there is more to a sticker or magnet on the back of a car than just numbers.

Small Efforts Global Impact

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VCU Massey Cancer Center

Founded in 1974, VCU Massey Cancer Center is a non-profit organization part of Virginia Commonwealth University, one of the nation’s top research universities, and VCU Medical Center, a leading academic health system ranked Virginia’s top hospital by U.S. News & World Report in 2012.

We are one of only 68 among 1,500 cancer centers in the country, and one of only two in Virginia, designated by the National Cancer Institute. Placing us among the top 4 percent of cancer centers in the country, NCI designation means we are truly leading and shaping America’s fight against cancer. 

Every day, Massey expands its groundbreaking research and leading cancer care to more Virginians through a network of affiliations and partnerships throughout the state, giving Virginians greater access to cutting-edge treatment, clinical trials, genetic counseling and cancer prevention and control research. As one of only two NCI-designated cancer centers in Virginia, Massey is truly Virginia’s leading cancer resource. Just think, right here at Massey, our community has access to:

  • a cancer center that is in the top 4 percent in the country, as designated by the National Cancer Institute.
  • more than 450 clinicians specializing in various forms of cancer detection and treatment.
  • multidisciplinary treatment that ensures each patient has a team of experts providing the best possible care
  • access to more than 150 clinical trials and research studies
  • a nationally-recognized “safety net” hospital that serves the entire community with compassion and expertise, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

Approximately, 40,000 people will run the Monument Ave 10K this year… that’s roughly the number of Virginians who will be diagnosed with cancer this year.  Massey Cancer Center treats nearly 14,000 patients from very city and county in Virginia each year REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY!

As the official charitable partner of the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k for the ninth year, more than 3,000 people will come together to raise more than $500,000 to fuel VCU Massey Cancer Center’s life-saving research in 2014 and beyond. Thirty-one percent of the funding for Massey’s research comes from people like you.  So, whether you donate $10, $100 or $1,000, you play an integral part in ensuring our researchers are pursuing innovative, exciting concepts that could lead to cancer cures.

  • SUPPORT life saving cancer research.
  • HONOR someone you love who has battled cancer.
  • UNITE with the community to put cancer on the run… for good.
So, I ask you to consider making a donation to my fundraising efforts. Just think – if all 40,000 10k participants asked 10 friends for $10, together we could raise $4 million for cancer research right here in Virginia!
 
Your 100% tax deductible gift will make a difference to Massey’s researchers working tirelessly on innovative concepts that could extend the lives of countless cancer patients. To make a donation online, simply visit my fundraising page. Here’s the link: http://support-events.vcu.edu/site/TR/Events/General?px=1053082&pg=personal&fr_id=1200
 
Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight against cancer. Every dollar will have a global impact!  Thank you for your support and I promise to keep you updated on my progress!

#masseychallenge

What makes you not quit?

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It’s 4:59AM and you are sound asleep. Your head is positioned just right on the pillow and your blankets are wrapped perfectly around your body. You’re having sweet dreams when all of a sudden… BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! You alarm clock clicks to 5:00AM and blasts that obnoxious sound in your ear. The very first question you will ask yourself today is “Do I hit the snooze button and go back to sleep or do I get up and go for my training run I have scheduled for today?”. You think to yourself for a minute that you could probably squeeze it in after work, but then again you know that will probably not happen. So, reluctantly, you get out of bed and turn the alarm clock off, get your gear on and stretch a bit before hitting the road. Sound familiar? So what was it that made you get out of bed and go for your run? Why did you chose to not go back to sleep even though you know you really wanted to?

‘Tis the season for running races. Are you just getting into running? Are you someone who runs the annual 5K or 10K? Or, are you the running warrior who schedules your vacations around races? No matter which runner you are there will come a time during your training that you are going to want to quit. It may happen during a run or in the early morning when you need to get out of bed to go for your run. So, what makes you not quit?

There are hundreds of reasons why people become runners. Some people start at a young age and may have been successful runners on the High School Track Team. Some do it because their doctor informed them they need to exercise more and change their diet because their health has diminished to the point where the doctor has to prescribe cholesterol medication. Did you turn 50 this year and make it a goal to finish a 5K or 10K? Then again, maybe you are someone who was motivated by a friend and their accomplishments to start running. I have talked with many people over the past few years who have one of the above reasons to start running. Then again, there are bigger reasons, as well.

I have had the unfortunate displeasure of having the ultimate battle with Cancer… a few times. Each time my determination and stubbornness (and my amazing medical team) have helped me win the battle with brilliant colors. I had tried to run a couple of races during my first couple of battles, but my body just would not allow it. Last year I started my third battle (and hopefully last) with Cancer two weeks into training for the Richmond Marathon. I was devastated to say the least. So treatments began… Let’s skip all the bad stuff and jump ahead to October 8th. I was sitting across from my doctors, they informed me I was finished with treatments, my tests were perfect, my levels looked great, and I could begin to get back to my normal routine. Then, I looked at my watch…

My doctors, who have been through every battle with me, knew exactly what I was looking at and what I was thinking. They knew I was doing the math in my head. They knew I was figuring out how many weeks remained until the Richmond Marathon. They were the ones who told me I had to stop running during my treatments and knew how devastated I was. This was to be my year for the marathon. I was crushed! They were right. I was doing the math. I had 1 month, almost to the day, to train for the marathon. I was not about to let Cancer and the battle I had been through stop me from running this race, even if I did have to crawl to the finish line.

Long story short, I trained, I ran, and I finished. I had two coaches by my side for the last mile and a half and we were running, not crawling as I thought I may have to do. But, what was it that kept me going? Part of me wants to say it’s because half way through the race I was down by the river with no city bus going by to pick me up and take me home. It wasn’t. I don’t like losing. I don’t like it when people tell me I am not capable of doing something. And, I certainly do not like it when someone tells me I am not physically strong enough to do something. I will prove them wrong!

I had a lot of people on my mind during my training and the race. I have lost many friends and family to Cancer. Some were young people in their 20’s, some were much older and some in between. All of them at one time were capable of running whether it was a mile or 26.2 miles. Now they couldn’t because Cancer took their lives. I thought of each and every one of them when I wanted to quit or not get out of bed in the early morning to run. Then, I thought of all those who told me I shouldn’t or couldn’t run. I ran for those who no longer could and ran for those who doubted me for one reason or another. So, why did I tell you all of this?

My very long point is, what is your motivation? What is your reason? What makes you not quit? Some times it’s very clear and some times we need to dig deep to figure it out. I saw a picture one time on line of a persons fist that had 4 words written on it; one word on each finger. It said “Be Your Own Hero”. I immediately fell in love the phrase and picture and adopted it for myself. I wrote on my hand “I Am My Hero” for the Richmond Marathon. When the doubts started popping into my head, I looked at my hand and thought of all those who could not do what all of us were doing that day. That is, and always will be, my reason why I will not quit.

What will make you not quit?