Tomorrow afternoon I have to go for a psych eval. It’s part of the process to see if I can get insurance approval for the lap band. So today I got to fill out tons and tons of paperwork. It’s obvious that they want to be sure I’m not expecting to go in, have the procedure done, magically drop all the extra weight and never have to think about it again. Which of course, I’m not. I’ve been considering it as a tool, something to help me get healthier. I’m tired of having my knees and ankles hurt because they’ve got too much weight to carry around comfortably.
Some of the questions related to physical activity. What do I do now? Nothing, because my knees and ankles are killing me. What would I like to do? Ah, now that’s another question. I want to run. I want to go outside and play with my dogs. I want to try horseback riding. I want to go rock climbing. I want to run a marathon. I want to go dancing with my husband. I want to do yoga.
I’m a member of the Quality Council at work, and we had our first meeting of the year this afternoon. I’m a co-treasurer. I get to do the newsletter. That’s not a sarcastic “I get to” either. I like doing things like that. And I volunteered to be on the philanthropy committee. As we were sitting there brainstorming possible activities we could do throughout the year, someone mentioned the 3-day walk for breast cancer research. And my brain clicked on. I’ve been hearing ads for it on the radio station, in those rare moments that I’m not listening to a book on CD, and it’s something that I’ve thought about doing for a long time.
Dang it, I’m gonna do it! Whether or not I have the surgery, it doesn’t matter. I talked to one of the guys at work who has a genius for fund-raising–not so coincidentally, he’s heading up the fund-raising committee–and told him that if he’d help me get the money, I’ll do it. In early November of this year, I’m going to donate that $2300 (more if I can get it), and I’m going to walk sixty miles in three days to help breast cancer research.
Izzy, Danielle, Soleil–any time you want to go walking with me and help train with me, let me know. I’m planning to rack up a lot of miles this year! Anyone else in DFW that wants to get together and train, let’s do it. For my grandmother, who died of cancer. For my good friend Emm, who’s fighting it right now. For everyone who’s had mammogram after mammogram, and terrifying biopsies. For me. For you.
oh i will come walk with you. i love walking! 🙂
awww, faithy… i am so proud of you for so much in this post…
but i am so touched for the breast cancer walk… my mom and two aunts had it (one aunt died in 1985, the other fought and won TWICE and mom will be 19yrs since her double mastectomy in mid-february)…and i had a scare when i was 29.
please go download melissa etheridge’s “i run for life” for your walking music jam, ok?
i love you and i will donate money to your cause…
Your grandmother AND her mother. I think Izzybella is still getting two mammograms a year. I’m now up to four. They did a biopsy last time, and they think they’re going to do one in March, but I’ve got a hunch I am NOT going to be able to get into the right position, namely lying down on a table not meant to fit anyone of my breadth with my breast hanging through a hole.
They told me last time that there wasn’t anything but they got it all. Anybody want to translate that?
How did it go?