On Wednesday, I went with my sister to Seattle, where I took this gorgeous photo.
This was right in the middle of the city. At the Flagship store for REI. They definitely had a good landscaper on that one.
Anyway, in one of the conference rooms at REI, there was a Young Adults Cancer Fest for the North West. YAC Fest. It was the first annual, so it was kinda cool being there. Basically any young adults you have or have had cancer could go, and anyone else who was interested of course. They had lots of organic foods (Veggies, tofu stuff, natural sugar sodas, nutty brownie bar things, and I even tried the cherry tomato/mozerella/basil skewer). There was also a 17 minute portion of the video Wrong Way To Hope that was played. The video was about a group of 6 Canadians, young adults, who had cancer, and they went on a week long float down the Owyhee river in Oregon. It was funny and touching--I could definitely relate. There was this one line where my favorite guy said "I felt like an 85 year old man." I had to just laugh at that because I TOTALLY understood it. My grandmother (who is 80) and I were always talking and comparing when I was going through treatments. Oy. Then there was a speaker, Chad Kellogg. He is about to embark on a trip up Mt. Everest, free of oxygen support. About 4 years ago when he was Mountain Climbing in China, he received news that his wife, who was climbing in Alaska, had died. Two months later, he found out he had colon cancer. Holy cow. How people deal with that kind of stuff, I'll never know. At the Fest there were also about 20 different booths where you could talk and get information, or paraphernalia. Here are some of my spoils.
I also got a few stickers and buttons too. Some of the booths that were represented there were: Livestrong, First Descents, i[2]y, Camp Korey, Cancer for College, the YMCA, American Cancer Society, True North Treks, Knight Cancer Institute, Team Survivor Northwest, Imerman Angels, Athletes For Cancer, Gilda's Club Seattle, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Survivorship Program. Let me tell you a little bit about a few of them. Click on the links to know more.
You've probably heard about Livestrong before. The world renowned cyclist Lance Armstrong founded it and came out with those nifty yellow arm bands--as seen above in my photo. This organization does everything. If you think that cancer patients need it, they do it. I'm excited to actually learn more as I peruse their website.
First Descents I hadn't heard of before but perhaps someday down the road I'll want to venture over with them. They offer free week-long outdoor adventure programs, such as Whitewater Kayaking, Rock Climbing and Mountaineering and Surfing. I've never done any of those things before, but why not? Perhaps I'll try it someday.
Stupid Cancer, or i[2]y is targeted towards young adults with cancer. i[2]y stands for "I'm too young for this." Their Seattle/Metro branch was the one hosting YAC Fest. They have tons of information for young adults affected by cancer and every Monday host an hour-long online radio show. I've listened to about 23 minutes of one show so far. ha ha but I'll get there. Sounds interesting. The bracelet you see there actually has a hand giving you the finger--well, giving cancer the finger. On their website they have a kid friendly version that actually has a bird. They didn't have any of those to give out though. :( Zack Efron is actually a supporter for this organization because his cousin had cancer and so they took some photos together flipping off the camera.
Cancer for College is basically what it sounds like. They give away hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships each year for cancer patients and survivors. It was started by a guy who by the age of 19 was battling cancer for the second time. He created this basically as a class project in college and with a little help from a fellow frat brother, it actually sustained and has lasted almost 20 years. Each year dozens of people receive lots of scholarships from them. Not only did this frat brother end up being someone, you might have heard of him, he's sort of well known, goes by the name Will Ferrell!!!! but the guy, Craig, who started it, ended up getting an infection he couldn't fight off because cancer treatments had worn down his immune system, and because of this lost both of his feet at the ankle. So, not only does this organization help cancer patients, but amputees as well.
True North Treks is an organization that helps survivors through treks in nature focusing on outdoor skills and mindful awareness practices. Lots of intense hikes and climbs. You connect with nature, yourself, and others. Sounds interesting but it's a bit expensive, so I doubt I'll do it anytime soon.
The last one I wanted to talk about was Imerman's Angels. I had to read the brochure to understand what they were about. Think about an online dating service. This is very similar. They give one on one support to those affected by cancer. You sign up and within a day, they match you with another participant who has a similar diagnoses, age, gender, treatment, and if you want, lives in the same area. You can contact this person however you want. It is just a support group that can be as personal or anonymous as you'd like. I want to sign up. It'll be nice to have someone who really knows to talk to.
I met quite a few people at YAC Fest, but no friends or anything like that. Perhaps that will come with time as I integrate myself into the Young Adults with Cancer society.
Today I went to my first physical therapy appointment. I met with Shawn, my physical therapist. She was very nice. We went over a bunch of basics and then she does some "testing" to see where my strength was at. She can tell I'm a little weak. My left side more so than my right. It makes sense. With my rib still hurting and being quite painful for so long, I've avoided using that side all that often. She gave me some "homework." I have to do some stretching to help my stomach and arms ... well ... stretch! I have bad posture right now because my stomach muscles have been healing and forming back together and they are getting tight and pulling me down and forward. We are going to correct that. Also, she noticed that about half of my scar is tight. She wants me to keep it moisturized everyday--like using my cocoa butter--and also help release the scar tissue. I have to massage my scar. Never even thought of that before. But it will help loosen it up and in turn, loosen me up. She also gave me a fitness "regime" that she would like me to do. At least 30 minutes of moderate cardio a day. I had already planned on doing this, so it's nice to hear it allowed and encouraged by a professional. I'll have at least 3 more appointments with her to get all the work I need to get me back in to optimum physical function. :) I'll keep you posted.
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