AVON WALK EXPO

June 26, 2010

Okay, I know I said I'd be better at blogging. Sorry. June was a crazy busy month. I've been fund-raising and training for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, and things are going well on both fronts. So far I've raised $4,805.00! this is just from sending out emails and letters. I still have my Birthday Fund-raiser on August 10th at Via Della Pace here in the East Village. The address is 48 E. 7th St @ 2nd Ave (SE corner). Come have dinner on my 49th Birthday and Via Della Pace will donate 25 % of that date's GROSS!!! I'll be there all night celebrating the fact that I'm still here. The food is great, the wine is great, the company is priceless! Great Italian food, real Italian food. You eat, drink, be merry, and passively donate to the Walk. It doesn't get any better than that. I will also have a basket of great stuff (why do I keep using that word, great?) but really it'll be great! I'll post soon what will be in the basket, but remember...my daughter is on Modern Family....just saying. Haven't decided what the raffle price will be, I'll figure that out when I finalize the basket. You don't have to be there to win. So if you can't come, you can still buy raffles and win. I'll send it to you or you can pick it up from me. So stayed tuned! =D

On to the Training Walk and the Avon Walk Expo. On June 19th I lured two of my teammates into doing the training walk. SIX MILES!!! in Central Park. It was a beautiful day, hot, but once in the park the trees made it cooler. Our Walk Leader immediately got us lost! lol So we doubled back and that ended up adding an extra mile to our walk. So in total we did 7 miles. It got a little hard at around 5 miles, but we all pushed through and made it. I was the first to arrive in my group. Ed and Ian were there to greet us at the doors of the Running Company. Soon the store filled up with many women and men who were training for many different reasons. I had been asked to speak to the group along with a woman who has done the Walk since 2002! What a warrior she is. She walks for her mother. She gave a lot of advice about the do's and don'ts and inspired us all. Then I was up next. What an act to follow! But I spoke from my heart. My diagnosis, my determination to do the walk, and then for Beverly. I did well until I got to Bev. The reality of losing someone who was there for me when she was fighting for her own life hit; it hit us all. I spoke of my HER2 + status, and the fact that I will finish treatment 10 days after the walk. A cheer broke out. I spoke to the donations I have raised so far and invited everyone to come to the party on the 10th. I explained why I had named my team "Never Stop Moving" in honor to my Dance Teacher, the amazingly fabulous Luigi. And asked them all to take a moment and send a prayer for his complete recovery from a series of mini-strokes he had only days before. I ended my speech with "We must Never Stop Moving, Moving towards the cure for Breast Cancer!"

There were workshops on training, packing for the event, tips on how to decorate your tent so you can find it in the middle of the night, fund raising tips, and intro meetings so people could sign up right there. They also had a raffle, and although I came painfully close to winning a couple of times, we always cheered for the winners. It was a joyful day, and I met two women who approached me after I spoke and introduced themselves as HER 2 + survivors. At last, I met women who had the same type of cancer. We bonded immediately. Both free of the disease for 2 & 3 years now. It gives me such hope and encouragement for my future. Ed, long gone for home with aching knees and Cathy and MaryAnn off for the day, Ian and I bought hats, and Ian got a shirt from the The Running Company, and decided to walk from 63rd and 3rd Ave to Union Square. We had a wonderful time just walking together and enjoyed the day. We parted at Union Square and went to the SGI to chant, go to the meeting I was late for and then walked home with Rose. I took a rest, a shower, ate, and then we were off once again on a walk to SoHo where Ed had his closing night of 5 Genocides. Met up with friends and ran into my and Ed's commercial agent who had not seen me since I had lost my hair and scarves or wigs were my hair. He loved my hair and I told him that this was it, so if they didn't want to send me out anymore I'd understand. I was pleasantly surprised that Doug loved the idea of me keeping the look. Then suddenly, he said, "I think I might have an audition for you. Let me get back to you on Monday and see if it's isn't too late." A Nurse Jackie look. OOHHH!!! So we had a fabulous evening and grabbed a late night meal with MaryAnn, Jackie, and Richard. Then we WALKED home.

In the morning I put in my path throughout the day. 14 Miles! in one day. It was then I realized I can do this walk. I did a half marathon in one day. Not all at the same time, but in one day. I wasn't worn out, I did it!

I did get to audition for the commercial, and it went well. Whether or not I get a callback really doesn't matter. What matters is I am back. My first audition since pulling myself off the market back in August of '09.

Went to see George Lopez at Radio City and got to meet him and speak to him about his kidney transplant and the Foundation he has formed for kids with kidney disease, dialysis, and transplants. This man is an inspiration to the world. If we had more people like this in the world, we could find cures, bring smiles, and save lives. My face still hurts this morning from laughing and smiling so much.

So I have flexed a lot of muscles this month. Met amazing women and heard inspirational stories. Raised money, and knocked off two more Herceptin treatments. Paid bills, miracle!, lost a good friend to Breast Cancer, almost lost my mentor in dance (thank God Luigi is getting better), made major decisions (too complicated to get into), met a true hero, and today, I will chant for quite a while at the SGI Center to show appreciation for this amazing practice and what it has done for my life, and chant for my daughter's continuing health, my hubby, my son, my family, for those who have left us and for those who battle on. That's my day. Tomorrow, I'll top it off with a Mets vs. Twins game. I am ALIVE!!!!! Life's annoyances are merely that. I have the most wonderful friends and family. Isn't that what it's all about? The money always somehow finds a way to us to keep us afloat. I can't worry about the growing medical debt, it'll get paid off somehow someway someday.

Go enjoy your life! Live your life! Go for a walk, see a movie (Toy Story 3) and make sure to tell the people you love "I LOVE YOU!" Life is short. Make the most of it.

If you'd like to make a donation to me for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer go to:

avonwalk.org/goto/MelissaCanaday

Light and Love!

Melissa!