Relay for Life According to Laura

As you know, this year was my first doing the Relay for Life.  2012 is only the second year that our town (a suburb of Seattle) has had a Relay for Life.

My husband, Greg

I had heard of it before - raise money for cancer.  Ya, that's nice.  But, I didn't know anyone with cancer, not really.  Sure, you hear people on the news who have/had cancer or someone might say they are related to someone with cancer or know someone.  But, cancer was never really on my radar until I got it.

I remember a few months ago when I was struggling with the "WHYs" - "Why did I get cancer?"  "Why did this happen to me?"  My new physical therapist, Kelly, said that maybe I got cancer so that I could have more empathy for others with cancer.  Well, I thought that was a sucky reason to get cancer!  Somebody could have just come and smacked me upside the head and said, "WAKE UP!"  A nicely worded letter would have been nice - "Hey!  People have cancer!  Be more caring!"

Kris (and Sheepie)

Regardless, I got cancer (twice) and survived and, as I find my way in my post-cancer world, I realize that I do want something good to come of this - maybe THAT's WHY I got cancer.  (Which, again, I'd like to say that's a terrible reason but whatever.)

Anyway, this led me to Relay for Life.  It took me several months to decide to actually start a team.  I don't really like to be in charge of things.  I don't particularly like to be a role model.  Being a good role model for my children (most days) takes a lot out of me...I don't have time or energy to be on good behavior for other people too.  I decided, though, that it was for a good cause.  Could I behave myself for a good cause?

Before I could make a team, we had to have a name.  I did the most intensive research I could to find a good name - I asked my friends on facebook.  There were several "interesting" suggestions including: "The Booby Bunch," "The Boob Squad" and "The Boob Crew."  After much deliberation (I asked my Mom), I decided on my friend, Elizabeth's, recommendation:  NO BOOBS REQUIRED!

Shana!

We had a name, I had the $100 starting fee - I registered our team.  I set out recruiting members, again on facebook because I'm cool like that.  I was surprised at how many of my friends wanted to join!  People, not only willing to fundraise, but also give up a whole weekend for the cause.  I was honored that they would want to be a part, especially of a team ridiculously named "No Boobs Required."  I would find out, as Relay neared, that all of us had a personal connection to cancer.

In the beginning, our team consisted of my family, Greg (husband) and Kyra (daughter) and my friends Shana, her daughter Jade, Tanya, Monika, Karen, Kris, Shereen, Brenda, Deb and Christy.  Karen's son, Drew, joined later as did my son, Carter, rounding out the team to 15 members, the maximum.

We all made plans and coordinated fundraisers and begged...um, asked...for donations.  Karen Williams made and sold hundreds of cake pops for a dollar each.  Our friend, Elizabeth (the team namer) helped decorate many of them as did I.  Even my Mom pitched in to help with the decorating. I also donated my services as cake pop taste tester.  I was really good at it!  Decorating those little suckers isn't easy in my opinion, since I was born without any sort of crafty gene, but tasting, THAT I could do!

Collection Jars

Tanya and Christy, at Relay

Shana Warner held a jewelry party with profits going to Relay (I did this as well).  Kris Bitnes put my scary picture on jars and collected money - I was a CAUSE for people to donate to (which saddened my Mother).  Brenda held a very successful fundraiser pool party with drawings.  I helped my 10 year old daughter, Kyra, organize a book sale.  People bought things, People donated.

As Relay approached, we had no clue what we were in for.  We held a meeting and Relay Goddesses, Carrie Blankenship and Kim Demary, came to answer all of our endless inane questions.  We were as prepared as a bunch of newbies who had no clue could be.


The day finally arrived and I got up a little after 7 a.m.  I don't appreciate anything that starts that early, but, again, this was for a good cause.  The realization that I would, likely, be awake for the next 27 hours or so was daunting but I felt empowered (delirious from lack of sleep too).  I loaded the car and made a quick swing by Starbucks on my way there.  Armed with a Chonga bagel and Double Chocolate Chip Frappacino, I was ready to conquer the Relay!

Karen!

Our encampment!  #8

I found our camp spot (lucky #8) and started to haul things over.  Shana and Jade (crazy early risers) were already there and Karen and I arrived at the same time.  We set things up quickly and Greg (along with Kyra and Carter) arrived a little after 9 to help.

Kyra was selling books and Shana was doing four raffles drawings (in the state of Washington, "raffles" are illegal, so we must call them "drawings."  Raffles are gambling but drawings aren't.  Go figure.).  Karen was selling more yummy cake pops (I was all "taste tested" out at this point) and her son, Drew, took on most of that duty.  Since food had to be sold in a different location (away from the track), Drew was away from our site most of the day.  As a teenage boy, he was super bummed to not get to spend the whole day with a bunch of 40 year old women.

Shereen!

A little after 10 a.m., the opening ceremonies began.  Everyone was called into the bleachers.   The opening ceremony was really beautiful and touching.  Several people spoke about the meaning of Relay and someone beautifully sang the national anthem.  It was then time for the Survivor's Lap. (To read about the Survivor's Lap - Go Here: Survivor Lap)

Following the Survivor Lap, it was time to really get serious.  Of course, it being MY team, that never actually happened.  But, as the day progressed, we sold books, "drawing" tickets, walked laps and gave the children endless dollar bills to buy treats, snacks and hot chocolate from the vendors.

Many of us took the special pledge to stay up ALL night without sleeping.  We were full of energy and empowered!  We were women (well, except for Greg) hear us Roar!

Deb!

Each hour throughout the day had a theme and it was fun to watch the costumes.  As our team members walked by, I cheered for them.  A few were really honored by the acknowledgement, most acted like they didn't know me.  Our little Energizer Bunny of the team, Brenda Dykgraaf, walked so many laps, so fast, that I think I missed her about half the time.  Our plan was that some people signed up for specific times to walk and the rest of us would fill in.  Sadly, I "filled in" much less than I had planned.  It was a particularly achy day for me and I'd been battling a migraine for 2 days.  The bright sun (a rarity in Seattle!) was not welcome to my eyes or head.

At 7 p.m., Shana prepared to draw for her raffles.  She was giving away 2 sets of Office Pro, an Xbox Kinect and a bundle of Xbox games.  I quickly bought three tickets for the Kinect.  I made sure to rumple my tickets and fold them and kissed them for extra luck.  Shana had me draw the names for the Office Pro packs and first Christy and then Tanya won those.  They were thrilled.  I drew a little boy's name for the games bundle.  Then, it was time to draw for the Kinect!  I was so excited!  I KNEW which ticket to look for!  As I reached my hand in, I gloated!  Shana was suddenly on to me and my cheating ways and she snatched the bag from me.  She turned to Tanya to draw a name.  I gestured to Tanya behind Shana's back to pick the FOLDED TICKET!!!  Shana caught me and, in disgust, she stomped away to find a stranger to pick the winning ticket.  Darn.

Monika!

A minute later, she stomped back in a huff.  I'd won anyway!!!  She had gone out into the field and found someone to draw the winning ticket and they chose my name out of the bag anyway!   It was great!  Shana wrote out the list for the announcer to call out the winners over the loudspeaker.  When the announcements came on, they called all the names and then read mine as, "Laura 'I LOVE COCONUT' Shelton."  Not okay Shana!  NOT OKAY!  But, hey, I won a Kinect, so it didn't matter.

As night neared, we gathered white bags to make luminaries.  Luminaries are bags decorated to honor people you know and love who have fought cancer (some that have won and many that have lost).  Shereen made a Luminaria for me.  She also made one for our 5 year old friend, Jenna, who died from cancer 3 years ago.  I made several for friends that I know.  Others made them for family members and friends.

We walked around the track to look at the luminaries before it got dark.  There were just so MANY of them.  It was beautiful and overwhelming.  Some had pictures, some had drawings, most had names.  They said things like "Grandpa," "Papa" and "Sis."  I stopped to read one in particular.  It had a letter on one side to "Mom" and a letter on the other side to "Sis."  The writer wrote letters about how much she missed each of them and how she was now, "the only one left."  I cried.

Dark fell and the luminaries glowed from the little battery operated lights inside.  At 10 p.m., we were all called to the bleachers.  Once everyone was gathered, the lights were all turned out.  The track now only lit by the glowing circle of bags that outlined the track.  Pink bags spelling out HOPE glowed in the stands on the opposite side.  It was beautiful and sad.

Voices spoke over the microphone but we could not see them in the dark.  It was like a voice from another world.  Eerie and haunting.  Survivors were then called down from the bleachers to get a purple glow stick and walk the track.

This was when I was sure the Relay people were trying to kill me again.  It was completely dark and they wanted me to navigate the dark bleachers and make it down to the bottom for a little purple glow stick.  After surviving cancer twice, I was pretty sure this was what was going to do me in.  I didn't think a little purple glow stick was enough reward for me to risk my life.  I do like glow sticks though...and they were free.

Luckily, I did make it down safely to the flat ground of the track to get my purple glow stick reward.  Everyone else was called out of the stands for a white glow stick.  I waited for my family and our whole group walked the track once more mostly in silence, in awe of the glowing luminaries.

The Relay peeps had announced at 10 that they were going to leave the lights off all night and let the track only be lit by the luminaries.  Our group was not happy.  First, we had NO light in our little compound.  Second, it was much harder to keep track of our children in total darkness.  Third, we knew we wouldn't be able to stay awake in darkness.  And last but not least, we feared that someone would get hurt on the dark track.  I feared that person would be me.  I have enough trouble walking in light!

Luckily, at 11 p.m., after one hour of darkness, the Powers that be in Relay decided to turn the lights back on.  Not only did they have some of the same concerns as us; but many are parents of teenagers and decided that a bunch of teenagers loose all night in total darkness was probably not a good idea.  (Good call).

Crazy Zumba peeps!

At midnight, Karen's niece, Emily,  brought a friend and directed an hour of Zumba.  Christy jumped right in to Zumba.  I decided to give it a try myself.  I was a natural!  I picked it up right away and was rocking it.  And then they started to move their feet too.  I was not told I would have to move more than my arms!  I am not coordinated enough to manage that.  I was bumping into all the people around me.  They were not amused.  It was a disaster.  I was going to maim someone.  I quickly bowed out.  My Zumba days over before they began.  Christy, Tanya, Shana and Shereen decided to do their own little Zumba club over on the side.  It was "entertaining."  Zumba lasted for a whole hour!  The vast majority of the Zumba-ers were kids and teens.  The rest of us didn't have the energy to Zumba at midnight (or any other time for that matter).

Jade?

When Zumba ended at 1 a.m., it was the PJ hour.  My kids and Karen's son, Ian, happily participated. Then at 2 a.m. was the Zombie Hour.  Jade wore a scary mask (or maybe that is just how she looks when she's really tired - Kidding Jade, Kidding!).  Carter dressed up as a zombie.  He made it around the track twice with only one flip flop because he says that zombies always lose one shoe.  I did not know this about zombies so this was helpful information.

At 2:30, Carter gave up and went to sleep in the tent.  Kyra and Ian were both still up and full of energy, hyped up on $1 hot chocolates.

At 3 a.m., it was Obstacle Hour.  The Relay people put out little "fences" to jump over.  Ian did the obstacle course with such enthusiasm that he won a prize!  I also energetically leapt over many of the obstacles (well, okay, I carefully stepped over them) but I got no such prize.  Hmph!

By 4 a.m., only nine of us remained.  Me, Kyra, Carter, Karen, Drew, Ian, Shana, Jade and Shereen.  Things started to get pretty delirious at this point.  We were sitting under the canopy talking.  Everything was funny.  Shana called her daughter (Jade) by the name "Lily" (Chrisy's dog's name).  Jade didn't even notice.  Shereen tried to convince us that she could have been a rapper in another life.  Karen was quiet (never a good thing).  We laughed so hard that we cried.  There were moments of long silences when we all sat in a trance and moments where we laughed so hard we cried.

I waited a long time for another team member to cross in front of our booth so I could cheer for them (and they could, as a result, pretend they didn't know me).  This is when I realized that we were all under the canopy.  No one was walking.  Whoops!  We all decided that just BEING THERE was enough.  We thought that was hilarious too.

Kyra - 6 a.m.

As dawn approached, we were all fading fast.  Shereen managed to convince herself that she should leave.  I was still resolved to stay until closing ceremonies at 10 a.m.  At 6:30 a.m., Kyra (who had been up all night) started having a nervous breakdown.  She was sitting in the chair under the canopy staring into space and crying.  I knew we were through.  None of us could go on.  I called Greg to come get us.  Karen left with her two boys and once Greg arrived, Shana and Jade left.

We packed up and waited for Brenda to arrive at 7 a.m.  I didn't want her to come back to an empty campsite.  What a shock that would have been!  Ha!  Once she arrived, we left and stumbled to our car.

Greg brought us breakfast and we ate and then all collapsed into bed and slept for hours.  We spent days unpacking the cars completely.

Energizer Bunny, Brenda!

Jade 6 a.m.

Brenda walked the most on our team, completing 80 laps (that's 20 MILES!!).

Our team raised $4,594.50 for Relay.  That's really impressive considering it was the first year for all of us and I wasn't even sure if I wanted to do it!





Relay was an amazing experience.  To be surrounded by people who had lived through something similar to what you had - to see people that had survived for years more than you dare even dream for yourself - it was humbling and beautiful.  Relay is highs and lows, we laughed until we cried, we laughed through tears, we just cried.  There were so many times that you could almost feel the presence of those that we walked for.  Those that couldn't be there.  Those that lost the battle with cancer.  So many times throughout the day, I just closed my eyes and absorbed "Relay."  Soaking in the sounds and emotions.  Looking at my children and all the children there and knowing that we are playing a small part in making sure that none of them have cancer.

Relay is for more birthdays.  It's as simple as that.  Making sure that all of us have many many more birthdays to celebrate!

RELAY!

Life is Unfair

I complain a lot about the current state of my hair.  I know I should be thankful that I even HAVE hair.  I know I should.  I KNOW!  And, I am....sort of.  It's just that when my hair started to grow back, I didn't envision THIS:

I know that, after chemo, often people have hair that grows back curly (this is a bit ridiculous though).  However, I would like to show you a picture of my adorable friend, Jen, who finished chemo three weeks after me:

Jen is adorable anyway - but this is just ridiculous.  Look at her cute hair in that darling pixie cut!

Again...

My adorable friend, Jen, with her cute pixie cut:

Me:

Adorable friend Jen:

What I look like:

Adorable friend Jen:

Me:

LIFE IS SO UNFAIR!!!!

The Survivor Lap

Saturday May 19 to Sunday May 20 was my first Relay for Life event.

A year ago, I'd barely heard of Relay for Life.  In May of 2011, I was just beginning to navigate the road of breast cancer.  At the time of Relay last year, I hadn't been officially diagnosed yet.  I had just started the testing.  I was "only" a renal cancer survivor - 4 months out from surgery.  I remember in April of 2011, my friend, Carrie Blankenship (a Relay Goddess), asked if I would like to come walk the Survivor Lap at Relay 2011.

That felt like such a weird invitation to me.  Sure, I'd had cancer.  Renal cancer.  Sure I'd lost part of my kidney and recovered from a difficult and painful surgery - but I didn't *REALLY* feel like I'd had cancer.  I had heard about people suffering through surgeries and then chemo and radiation and losing their hair and so much more - but all I'd done is had a teeny little bit of a kidney loped off.  What right did I have to walk a Survivor Lap among those who'd lost so much and suffered so deeply.  I didn't really feel like I'd had cancer.  My journey was too easy.  Cancer was "easy" for me - snip off part of a kidney and I was done!  Sure it was scary and life changing to hear, "You have cancer."  Yadda Yadda Yadda. But, I wasn't a card-carrying cancer survivor (or so I thought).  I told Carrie, "Maybe next year..."

And then...I found out that I did, indeed, have breast cancer.  If cancer hadn't changed me before, it did then.  I knew the road ahead would be agonizing.  I didn't know the half of it.

As the planning began in September of 2011 for the 2012 Relay, I went to the monthly meetings.  Carrie talked to me a lot about starting my own team for Relay.  Did I want my own team?  Did I want to be "in charge" of something?  I wasn't sure I was up to it.  I was in the middle of chemo and every day I faced new challenges, scary side effects and dilemmas as to what to wear on my bald head!  This alone took up a lot of my time.  Could I really tackle putting together a Relay team too?

After going to three meetings, in January 2012, I officially went to the Relay for Life page and signed up.  I did it.  I was finished with chemo, my hair was growing back, I could do this.  My friends rallied around me and joined too.  We made plans and coordinated fundraisers.  In early May, I was given my purple shirt designating me as a Survivor.

Talk of the Survivor Lap began again.  I knew this time, I'd have to walk.  Had I really had cancer?  Wasn't this all just a terrible nightmare?  Would walking around that track as a "Survivor" make it REAL?  Most worrisome: What if I tripped?! (That is something I would totally do!)

At around 10 a.m. at the High School Track was the official start of Relay 2012.  All participants were called into the stands and opening ceremonies began.  After speeches, the singing of anthem, etc; Cancer Survivors were called down to the track.  Starting with those Survivors of 25 years or more.  Quite a few people trickled onto the track.  Then 20-25 year Survivors - more people filled the track.  And so it went - more and more people, men and women, old and young, filed down.

As "Survivors of 4 years" was called, my teammate Brenda Dykgraaf joined the crowd.  Then, 3 years, 2 years and then, "Survivors of 1 year!"  I got up then.  It hadn't really been a year but I thought that was the last category (it wasn't - they called 6 months or less as well).  I ambled my way down to the track amid some cheers from the my friends and family.  It all felt so silly - they were cheering for me?   "Pshaw!  It was nothing!" I thought embarrassed.

As goofy as I am, I don't really like to be the center of attention.  I was mortified to discover that I was in the back of the crowd since I was one of the last ones to be called down and all the other Survivors had already started walking.  I didn't want to be LAST!  How awkward!  I sped up and managed to pass a couple of people so I felt better.  (Okay, one guy that I passed was in a wheelchair - I'm not proud of this...okay, yes I am...)

I talked to a few people around me, including my friend and fellow survivor, Stephanie Strom and her neighbor, another Survivor, also named Stephanie.

Halfway around the field is where your "caregivers" join you on the lap.  Really, everyone on my team, nearly everyone I know, could have joined me!  So many people pitched in to take care of me and my family for the last year!  However, only my family did come - my 10 year old daughter running to meet me first.  Hugging me, she grabbed my hand and looked up at me and said, "I love you Mommy."  Following her was my husband and 7 year old son.

As I held hands with my daughter and husband (the 7 year old refuses to hold Mom's hand now - hmph!), we finished the lap.  About 3/4 way around, I had the opportunity to go up the ramp and have lunch with other Survivors - but I opted to finish the lap with my family.  It didn't seem right to have them finish that important lap without ME!  I was the whole reason we were all there!

We did finish that lap together just as we'd walked the cancer journey together.  I couldn't have done the lap alone just as I couldn't have beat cancer alone.

I had been reluctant about the Survivor Lap.  Sure, I'd earned it, I suppose.  But, as I walked, I thought of all the people that weren't there walking - those people that had lost their battle with cancer.  To see the sea of purple shirts walking the track as Survivors was inspiring - but you can't help but think of all the people that aren't there.  Cancer takes too many people.

But, I realized part way through the lap that I was there walking FOR those people!  We all were!  Sure we were Survivors in our purple shirts - but, as we walked that lap, we didn't only represent ourselves, but all those before us - all those that fought cancer and lost.

In years to come, let's hope that we see MORE purple shirts out there - more purple shirts meaning not that we've "invited" more people - but that MORE people have SURVIVED!

And then someday - we won't need a Relay Survivor Lap.  There will be NO Cancer Survivors - because there will be NO ONE that had Cancer.

Someday.

(My entire Relay story (not just the Survivor Lap) is coming...)