Getting ready for a new year

Tomorrow will be the last day of 2009, another year with many memories, accomplishments, trials, losses and victories.
Each new year brings with it hope for a great year as well as fears of the unknown. I try very hard to concentrate on the hope but the fears do creep in, as they did today.
Each year on New Years my husband and I take some time, usually somewhere outdoors to reflect on the year that has just passed as well as to look ahead and set goals for the upcoming year. A great book to help with goal setting is "The Magic of Goals" by Ronald L Reynolds.
I think this is a very helpful activity for anyone but especially if you, like me are living with cancer. There is always something to strive for, to accomplish, to LIVE for!
There are times when it is very hard to see out into the future and many times we may have to take things one moment, one day, one week or one year at a time. I have been in all of these places, including moment to moment. But it is in these "moments" that we really live.
I am looking forward to spending the next few days outdoors with my husband, and thinking about the NEW YEAR ahead of us!
"True success is not something that is achieved; rather, it is something that is pursued- a series of accomplishments mixed with failure that make the present better than the past, and the future full of high anticipation and excitement".~ Ron L. Reynolds
And sometimes something unexpected happens, like the 3rd snowfall in a month in Texas and you just have to jump out there and take a run in the snow~ just because you can.

HAVE A VERY SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A few more pictures from Race day!

Running through the neighborhoods of Dallas and at White Rock Lake.

Crossing the finish line after 26.2 miles and the Finishers photo!

Biopsy & Tumor markers

Looks like I will be having my biopsy on January 7th. The area of concern is located in a difficult place to reach ( in the muscle, in the chest wall). My doctor is going to first try to do the biopsy in office and hopefully get some cells from that. The risk with this procedure is nicking and/or collapsing a lung. If they are not able to get the cells with this procedure I will have to have surgery to get the biopsy done.

Last week I also had more labs done and all my blood work looks good including my tumor markers. So, that is good news! Basically there are 3 tests looking at the markers. One, that was elevated is back to normal. Second test is still a little elevated. The third and new test ( circulating tumor cell) that is much more sensitive came back at 0, normal is <5. So, that is very good!

Our prayer request between now and then is that Dr. A is able to get the biopsy done in office with no complications and that this area of concern is not cancer. Also that the tumor markers on all tests remain in normal ranges.

Thanks all~ praying for a healthy 2010!

MRI results & Biopsy

I received my test results this morning from the MRI I had on Thursday. They found an area that is measuring 1.5 cm in the muscle of the chest wall. I will be having a biopsy either Monday or Tuesday. My doctor said it is not typical to have cancer show up in the muscle but it can happen and we have to find out what it is. I have been having some discomfort in this area lately. We will be praying that whatever it is it will not be cancer or anything serious. Your prayers, as always, are welcomed :)

Also~ THANK YOU! everyone for the e-mails, calls and comments congratulating Chris and I on the marathon. It was a lot of fun! The post below is from race day if you have not seen it yet.

We Ran The Rock!

It's Marathon Morning!! Matt was our photographer/driver all day. He did a great job. If you know Matt you are just as shocked at this picture of him smiling at 5 am.
Time to fuel and pack up all the necessities. We eat a peanut butter, banana, honey sandwich pre-race, about an hour and a half-2 hours prior. We have been hydrating well all along and adding Rehydrate and some Spark before the race.


Ok, I had to add these. They are the "WHAT THE HECK WERE WE THINKING" pictures!




Nikki's probably thinking "I didn't sign up for this race, why on earth am I at the American Airlines Center at 5 am"?? We sure are glad you were there!

Kevin's friend and co-worker Agnes met us at AAC and ran the 1/2 with Kevin. Here we are getting our chip timers put on our shoes.
Oh... these feet better be ready! No, that is not my hairy leg, it is Kevin's :)



It was in the 40's and very foggy, but great for running!

Well, here is where we made our "first time marathoners" mistake. We were lined up in corral E, the last corral. In other words behind about 20,000 people. It took 16 minutes before we actually crossed the start line after the gun went off. This does not effect our overall time ( chip time) but does effect the allotted amount of time given to finish the race. That was kind of nerve racking until we got out of the crowd and back on our pace.

There were horses at the start and confetti and smoke blowing all over when the gun went off. We were so far back we couldn't see or hear a thing. We just moved with the herd :)

Catching Kevin before he crossed the start line.
Matt and Nikki caught up with us at mile 9. We almost ran right by them because around mile 7 , the 1/2 marathoners split from the marathoners and the roads really opened up. At this point we were trying to make up some significant time.



These guys were hilarious! "The Ninja Turtles". They were at the start line with us and did a great job getting everyone pumped up to start! There were also some guys dressed up as Dolly Parton. I only wish I had a picture to show you. They gave us a great laugh while we ran up the "Dolly Partons" ( 2 hills at White rock known as "The Dolly Partons")

Kevin running it in to finish 13.1 miles~ Yeah Kevin! He does this with no training, ahhh.. to be in your 20's :)

Agnes completing yet another race. I think she said 16 marathons and I don't know how many 1/2's. Go Aggie!!

Kevin getting a celebratory hug from Nikki :)

Matthew really captured some inspiring people as they crossed the finish line. These are some great shots!



We were able to run a little with this family during the race as they pushed Jackie in her wheelchair the entire 26.2 miles!

Go Team!! Team In Training~

The money raised went to Scottish Rite Hospital that helps so many children, including my two sweet nieces Erika and Sarah, and makes things like this possible.

The happiest moment was when we saw the finish line and our kids yelling, jumping and cheering us on!

A quick high five to our kids that had been waiting at the finish line for an hour and a half.

Crossing the finish line together, 26.2 miles!

CHEERS & BEERS for the runners!

Our First Marathon~ Dallas White Rock 2009!

In Dedication to.....

After many, many months of training Chris and I are going to be running our first marathon this Sunday ! We will "Run The Rock".

Chris and I would like to dedicate our race first and foremost to our Lord who has given us the strength, courage, endurance and determination to do this.

We also will dedicate this race to Chris's dad, Ed Minich, who passed away just 3 weeks ago from brain cancer. He had always been such a great support in anything we did and always asked us about how our running and training was going. He truly cared and I know he will be with us.

26.2 miles for you Dad!

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"

Philippians 4:13

10 More Days!!

Well, we are down to the final 10 days before the White Rock Marathon! At this point, my training is pretty much over. I have a couple of injuries that I am "nursing" until race day. The worst of these is plantar facetious ( heel injury/pain). Pretty much all I can do right now is ice, rest, massage, heat and wear this stylish night splint to bed :) It does seem to be helping with the pain, so that's good!

We have been training for a very long time for this event. We began training in the spring with nice weather. Went through the blistering Texas summer running either very early in the morning or late at night but still in the 90's or higher. Then finally Fall with cooler weather!! Although it is not officially winter, this is what we woke up to yesterday~

We have trained in heat, wind, rain, & cold but... SNOW in Texas is definitly the one thing we have not trained in! Praying for great weather on Marathon Day!!