I Choose Hope

RUN LIKE A GIRL

Hello!

The Nike Women's Marathon will take place in San Francisco on October 18, 2009.  This is an event not to miss.  It is the most beautiful and inspiring marathon course in the world.  You begin in Union Square at the corner of Niketown / Tiffany & Co.  Not too shabby.  From there you snake through the financial district to run along the embarcadero, wave to Alcatraz, marvel at the Golden Gate Bridge...and then you hit a hill as you enter the Presidio.  It is a challenge but nothing you cannot handle, because you are strong and nothing is going to stop you.  Always remember as you climb that hill that you will get to go back down.

After climbing up and up, you finally hit the beautiful Great Ocean Road and you head down the highway, as promised.  A quick loop through Golden Gate Park and you have now completed a HALF MARATHON - 13.1 miles.  

If that doesn't feel like enough and you want a little more, you can exit the park, and head south on the Great Ocean Road to take a lap around Lake Merced, then head on back.  You have now completed a FULL MARATHON - 26.2 miles.

Either distance, running or walking, you will receive a uniquely designed Tiffany necklace handed to you by a handsome San Francisco fire fighter dressed in a tuxedo.  Not convinced yet?

Mile 12 is brought to you by Ghirradelli chocolate.  CHOCOLATE is handed out to all.

Gents, are you man enough to tell your friend's you're running a "women's marathon"?  Well, it is for the boys as much as the girls.  Especially if you like the thought of being one of about 1,000 men surrounded by 20,000 women all weekend. :) 

If I didn't have you at hello, or a handsome fire-fighter, or chocolate, this is my last shot...

All money raised for this amazing event benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  As an almost 2 year survivor of a scary stage 3 non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis, I believe in giving back to organizations like LLS that fund life-saving research, patient care, and programs that people like me truly benefit from.

Below is the link to sign up for the lottery.  It closes on March 18th.  If you don't get in via lottery, there will be another option which I will share later...  Thank you for considering this and I hope to see you in San Francisco in October!

Much love, Amy

https://www.signmeup.com/site/reg/register.aspx?fid=SG2V6K7

Can-niversary

Yup, welcome to the day I found out I had cancer two years ago.

"What we see is consistent with lymphoma," Dr. Margie Lim said.  "Amy, you have cancer."

GULP.

I remember what I was wearing.  I never wear that shirt anymore, but it still hangs in my closet.  I remember exactly where I was driving in my car.  I was on the 92, heading to work, and I missed my Ralston Street exit because I was, well, distracted.  So I stayed on until the 101 and went south.  I skipped the EA exit because I went right to her office.  The receptionists knew.  When else do you not have to wait in the waiting room an annoyingly long time?  They escorted me right in.  I didn't even get weighed.  Bonus!

Eventually I got around to making some phone calls.  They started something like "Hey, are you busy?  I have some news and it isn't very good."  And then I tailored them to each individual person.  Some were sad, some had "WTF?" laughs, and some scared people.  I was pretty numb.  I attribute that to the shock. 

Two days later I met her.  The woman that saved my life.  We still stay in touch, even though she is not my regular oncologist anymore.  You're not really supposed to go out and be friends with your doctors, but in this case, how can we be prohibited contact?

We emailed today:

From: priya chakravarthi
Date: Thu, Mar 5, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Subject: Re: Hi
To: Amy Bartlett amyebartlett@gmail.com

Dear Amy,

 

It is wonderful to hear from you.

 

I think about you a lot too. In fact I share your story with a lot of my patients now. It does seem like a I have so many young patients with stage 3 large cell lymphoma these days. I share your story of strength and how you are now giving back. It has given courage to lot many of the patients.

 

So thank you.

 

Hope to see you soon sometime. 

 

Take good care.

 

Priya

 

On Thu, Mar 5, 2009 at 1:13 PM, Amy Bartlett <amyebartlett@gmail.com> wrote:

 

I was diagnosed two years ago today.  I met you on March 7th, 2007.   Thank you for saving my life.  I think about you all the time and am grateful for you every day.

Thank you never seems like enough...  Amy

Today, I'm reminded of my blog friend, Jen.  It is her 35th birthday and she spent it in the chemo lounge.  Not an ideal place, but she sure did it in style.  It gave me ideas if I ever have to go back.  Her new chemo to prep for her stem cell transplant is called ICE so she blinged herself out with a diamond tiara and lots of "ICE".  Bravo, girl.  Jen did tell me that since statistically one of would eventually relapse, she's taken the hit for me and our other blog friend, Francesca.  What a team player.  We have never met in person, but she feels like a friend in every sense of the definition.  Her blog is very real, and always very witty.  She has a young daughter, and after explaining to her that mommy would be at the doctor a lot, etc. she asked her "Do you have any questions about mommy's medical stuff?"  Her daughter deadpans this one:  "Yes.  How do I get some more candy?"

Shin, another blog I discovered at the recommendation of Francesca, recently died.  She is this exraordinary woman that died of breast cancer after beating it once then it came back with a vengeance.  Her story is incredible, and requires a lot of tissue, but well worth the read.  The videos of her eulogies are more than tough, but it sure makes me wish I had known her.

I don't have much else to say that hasn't already been said.  Kiss your loved ones.  Be thankful for every day you have.  And keep fighting against cancer.  In our lifetime, I want us all to be able to ask this question:

"Do you remember when people used to get cancer?"