Blog entries for PinkCosmos

Race Day Tomorrow

PinkCosmos — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 01:58:44 GMT

Race day is finally tomorrow! I have been busy getting ready for the big day. The Pink Cosmos team has really come together pulling in donations throughout the team.

Our top fund-raisers are:

Mary Vollmer at $350.00

Christine Zielinski at $315.00

Kate Petrosky at $300.00

Here are some of the cool and interesting things we did to fund-raise this year:

1.) Enlarged our team size with 32 total members

2.) Held a girls night Cosmo Happy Hour with a cover charge

3.) Put our fund-raising bucket out on Jean Friday within several departments

4.) One team member held a rummage sage with all funds going to the race - she raised over $250.00! - Next year we will have a team rummage.

I am really looking forward to the race tomorrow and will wear my pink shirt proudly. After the race we are co-hosting a BBQ at my sister in law, Chris Zielinski's house. This is our way of thanking all of the team members for their contributions to our fund-raising initiative. Look for photos of the race and our party in my next post.

We can only hope that one day this will just be a race...

Race Day is Around the Corner

PinkCosmos — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 01:32:18 GMT

Race day is almost here and we are almost to the end of this year's fund-raising journey. Here is a quick update on our progress -

We held a cosmopolitan happy hour/girls night at a team member's house and raised over $500! Then we held a fund-raiser with co-workers on a friday and raised an additional $250! We rounded out our team total to 30+ team members who are rocking on their fund-raising and we hope to reach $4000 as our total. $6000 would be better (our initial goal), however the current economy has impacted our efforts.

This weekend I pick up and deliver team t-shirts and then onward to race day. Last year at race day I was still finishing up chemo and honestly the event was a bit of a blur for me. After completing the 1 k, I was too tired to make it to our team photo - how embarrassing! This year, not only will I make it to the team photo, I will complete the 5 k this year.

The team experience further enhances the event, as you walk (or run) alongside your family and friends. All of which are there to support you, others who have been impacted, and the prospect of finding a cure for this horrible disease. I cannot wait to experience this year's race - I hope to see you there!

Team Total is In

PinkCosmos — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:17:36 GMT

Well team registration for Susan G Komen Race for the Cure closed this past Friday at midnight. After a flurry of e-mails and phone calls, the Pink Cosmos team closed with 28 team members. Go Team!

What is really nice is that many individuals from last year's team chose to join in again. I do not blaim them, not only does the race support a great cause, and so many people know someone personally who has fought the disease - but the event itself is so uplifting and lot's of fun.

Race day is truly an amazing site, with a sea of individuals clad in white and pink shirts, all there to support ending this terrible disease. I am always relieved to see there are far more white shirts than pink. This year I am really looking forward to race day, walking with my team, and wearing my pink shirt.

It's not too late to join us or support Milwaukee's Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. Visit our team's site for more information:

http://komenmilwaukee.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=261838&lis=1&kntae261838=FA31FDB50AB6491B918E088580B94FF6&team=2798417

Winning the Fight and Achieving Survivorship

PinkCosmos — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:09:25 GMT

Here is something I have been pondering…how and when do you achieve survivor status? After months of treatment, well actually over a year of rigorous adjuvant therapy and several surgeries, can I now officially hang up my boxing gloves? Am I deserving of the pink t-shirt on race day? In walking through my mental check list I have completed all of the major milestones – ü Chemotherapyü Surgeryü Countless blood draws completedü Port removed ü Hair is growing back in…ü Scans are clear…. So why am I not feeling a sense of relief? My family and friends have all moved on, why haven’t I? Aside from needing to allow myself time to adjust to the gravity of my cancer experience; my greatest issue is shifting gears from fight mode to survivor mode. So far I have not figured out how to do that. Perhaps wearing my pink t-shirt on September 28th at this year’s Susan G. Komen Milwaukee Race for the cure will enable me to cross the finish line and finally achieve survivorship! Send me a message if you have any thoughts on how to achieve survivor status or what it means to be a cancer survivor. Walk with me at this year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure – join my team:http://komenmilwaukee.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=261838&lis=1&kntae261838=FA31FDB50AB6491B918E088580B94FF6&team=2798417

Only one week left to join!

Support Susan G Komen Milwaukee Race for the Cure: http://www.komenmilwaukee.org/rftc/

Story #5: Healthy Eating Issues

When undergoing cancer treatment you hear a lot about ‘eating healthy and natural’. Unfortunately when going through chemotherapy you really need to do the opposite – I met with a dietician (provided through St Josephs) after a ‘healthy eating’ experience and learned that you want to stick with white foods, not green or red foods (anything with lot’s of color). Actually a Twinkie would be easier for a cancer patient to ingest than say peas…this is because chemotherapy does a real number on your gastrointestinal tract. I found this out when my well meaning parents made this super healthy soup to help get me through my first chemo. It was full of brown rice, beans, peppers, peas, corn …beginning to get the picture? I was incredibly ill for days after consuming this concoction! While undergoing cancer treatment most doctors are not concerned with you having a special diet as much as they are concerned with your blood count and sustaining a healthy weight. So…save the healthy stuff for later and have a Twinkie or two!

Taking Fundraising to the Next Level

PinkCosmos — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:56:20 GMT

Well as August nears an end and race day is creeping closer, my fund-raising totals have stagnated. This year is a tough year as people’s finances have constricted due to the current economic climate. As mentioned last post, the fact that I am the picture of health and no longer look like a plucked chicken is not helping matters.

Rather than wallow in despair at not meeting my goals, I gathered together a few members of my team this past week to brainstorm on fund-raising ideas. I figure, that is why we have teams!

So over lunch a few of us ladies tapped into our collective brainpower and arrived at a few key ideas and then some hair brained concepts too….

Happy hour fundraiser: invite your friends over to an early evening event of cocktails and appetizers. All attendees pay an entrance fee.
Host a raffle at work, offering up something of value to employees. Since I work downtown, we are scouting out volunteers in the management team to offer up their parking space for 5 days.
Locate dedicated sponsors who will place a donation can at their business/office.

Here are some other fun ideas such as bake sale, win a dinner party completed by the team, all out bra burning party…..or, a second happy hour type event. We suspect that some of our co-workers would appreciate and actually pay to attend an event if it means they have an excuse to head out a bit early and relax after work (well, and perhaps they have heard about my crab dip).

If you have an interest in supporting Susan G Komen Milwaukee Race for the Cure, please check out the website:

http://www.komenmilwaukee.org/rftc/

Or join my team:

http://komenmilwaukee.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=261838&lis=1&kntae261838=FA31FDB50AB6491B918E088580B94FF6&team=2798417

Remember, every dollar raised is used locally for research, awareness and to fund programs that support access to diagnosis tools and treatment.

Story #4

When receiving a cancer diagnosis, the hard road of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and physical therapy – can overwhelm even the strongest of individuals. On the positive side, when you are down so many people reach out to support you and help you through the difficult times. I cannot count the number of people who helped provide much needed counsel, meals, child care, rides, dog walking and general help around the house. They were family members, friends, co-workers, friends of friends, other survivors, and even a few strangers. I am still thanking people to this day. So here is another one, thank you!

Why Are Some Compelled to Give

PinkCosmos — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:55:57 GMT

Why are some compelled to give but others are not? I am not saying those that do not give are bad people; I am merely wondering why some individuals are more compelled than others to support a cause, volunteer and do things for other people. What is it inside each of us that drive us to do good?This has been an area of speculation for me lately as I have noticed a significant decline in participation on the Pink Cosmos team this year’s Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, as well as a decline on supporting donations. I know and understand that financial times are tough for many right now, but I do not believe that is the primary reason for this decline in support. I attribute this change in support to my successful completion of breast cancer treatment. You see, last year at this time I had no hair (looked like a plucked chicken), a yellowed complexion from chemo, had a minimalist attitude when it came to expelling energy, and was about to embark upon a series of surgeries. There was no escaping the issue for all who came into contact with me.

Now that I have recovered from treatment, I am focused on contributing to this cause with a volume of force that surprises many, even other survivors. Many survivors just want to forget and have no desire to relive this disease. Plus the 'getting over it' phase can last months, even years, if you ever truly do. I am not over it – merely transitioned my focus from fighting the disease to supporting the cause.

When talking with a representative from Susan G Komen regarding the volunteer team in place for this year's Susan G Komen, Race for the Cure in Milwaukee, I was surprised to learn the team of volunteers (95%+ are volunteers) are not survivors, just women that want to do good. That is astounding. All these women volunteering, essentially taking on a part time job for no pay to support a solving for a disease that they themselves have not personally had to fight. So I wonder, what compels them to dedicate an average of 20 extra hours each week to this cause? The only conculsion I arrived at is they just want to ‘do good’.

I am not sure what it is in each of us that compels us to do good. I only know that by supporting this cause I feel like I am in some way helping to educate and support integral funding to stop this disease. I pray every day that some day in the near future there will be a cure and this will only be a race.

Feel free to respond and let me know your thoughts on what compels some people to donate their time or money to a cause. If you have an interest in supporting Susan G Komen Milwaukee Race for the Cure, please check out the website: http://www.komenmilwaukee.org/rftc/

Or join my team:http://komenmilwaukee.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=261838&lis=1&kntae261838=FA31FDB50AB6491B918E088580B94FF6&team=2798417

Story #3I worked all throughout my breast cancer treatment journey. It was quite difficult, I made it through, but let me tell you, if I were to do it again (not volunteering here) – I would have taken more time off to rest and regroup. Anyway, due to my hair loss I wore colorful hats every day into the office. It was my hope that people would focus more on the hat then my lack of hair. This tactic worked most of the time.

One day I stepped into the elevator and another female passenger commented on my hat. I thanked her for the compliment. She then asked me if I was undergoing chemotherapy and if so, for which type of cancer? When I responded and told her breast cancer, she said, “Oh, my neighbor had breast cancer and she died.” It was not just what she said, but how she said it – quite factually with an emphasis on the word ‘died’. My jaw dropped, I was at a loss for words. Luckily the elevator stopped and she got off.

My head was spinning. This is definitely the type of comment that should be thought but not said to an individual in the thick of fighting said disease.

Weekend Getaway Provides Much Needed Refresher + Helps Fundraising

PinkCosmos — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:46:54 GMT

Life is busy and overwhelming at times. I promised myself while undergoing treatment for breast cancer that I would ‘stop and smell the roses’ and focus on living my life versus getting sucked into the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I have failed miserably in achieving this promise time and time again, working extra hours, forging ahead with house work and errands; when really I should be taking a walk with my toddler or sharing a glass of wine at sunset with my husband.

So after a few of the busiest weeks ever at work, our family happily packed up the car and headed to a lake up north to stay with family for a few days. Being new to the Milwaukee area, a visit to a lake up north is a totally new experience for me. I often wondered why people were so excited to head north, who would want to go north when Wisconsin is so cold already? Why are we not heading south? Well now I know, the northern parts of Wisconsin encompass some of the greenest tree lines and bluest waters I have had the pleasure of viewing. We were only at the lake for a few short days, but I am officially hooked. Plenty of rest, relaxation, a few cocktails and an exhilarating tubing ride later – I feel refreshed. And don’t worry, I did not leave my race recruiting behind, I am working on one additional team member and added donation support from family.

It is amazing what people will commit to after a cocktail…

This year's Susan G Komen Milwaukee Race for the Cure is just around the corner on September 28th. Visit http://komenmilwaukee.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp for more information.

Story #2:

Fundraising can be hard. It is often awkward to solicit donations from friends and family. I tend to feel bad hitting the same folks up for donations every year. Here are a few tips I have employed to help increase my fundraising power:

1.) Start a team, so you can spread the fundraising efforts out amongst a group.

2.) Send out pertinent information to friends and family. I like to send the latest statistics for diagnosis/survival rates for breast cancer. In addition, I e-mail updates regarding my fundraising progress and how the team is doing. These e-mails are more informational and less of a solicitation.

3.) I talk about the upcoming race in everyday conversations. I do not solicit a donation, I merely remind people about the upcoming race and my team’s participation in the race. People receive e-mails and forget about them; often a casual conversation will remind someone of their interest in contributing or joining your race team.

Pink Cosmos - Prepping for Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

PinkCosmos — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:31:50 GMT

Ta Da!!! Here it is, my first official post at OnMilwaukee.com. My name is Tara and I was asked by Susan G Komen Milwaukee to provide a survivors point of view, as well as key information regarding the 10th anniversary of the Race for the Cure in Milwaukee. In the upcoming weeks prior to the September 28th race I will share key information about the race, what it is like to be a breast cancer survivor, and how to get involved in this important cause.

Look for new posts from me up to two times a week. Within each post I will include an anecdotal story about how I coped with breast cancer treatment and moving forward as a survivor. You are welcome to ask any questions you have about the race or breast cancer, I will do my best to answer questions with the caveat that I am not a medical professional - so do not look to this blog for medical advice.

This year's Susan G Komen Milwaukee Race for the Cure is just around the corner on September 28th.

Visit http://komenmilwaukee.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp for more information.

Story #1: Chemotherapy is an incredibly difficult experience. I liken it to having a bout of severe food poisoning and your worst college hangover at the same time. My first chemotherapy treatment landed me in the bathroom for days, of which I spent most of my time laying on my bathroom floor. As I peeled my face off of the cold hard floor of my bathroom - I recognized a new very important need to invest in cushy bathroom rugs. So as soon as I was able to exit the bathroom I was at the nearest wholesale bed and bath store selecting all new bathroom rugs and decor. If you are going to be sick - you might as well do so in a stylish and comfortable environment!