Relay for LIfe and other stuff

So Saturday was the Relay for Life in Fairfield. I ended up with a team of 11 and most of them were there at the beginning. It was great being out there visiting and raising money for the American Cancer Society. The relay started off with a survivor ceromony and lap. They read off all of the names of survivors and then we walked the first lap together. Over 150 survivors had registered for this Relay for Life.

I walked 6 and a half miles throughout the day and was exhausted by the end. My sister came out and did over 13, while my boyfriend did just over 10. I can't even remember how many my niece and her friends did, but altogether we walked a lot of miles in our fight against cancer.

We stayed until the end of the Luminaria Ceremony. They had luminarias set up all the way around the quarter mile track and also on the bleachers spelling out "REMEMBER". The luminarias were all dedicated to someone who had had cancer and they lit them with glowsticks. Survivors and caregivers spoke at the ceremony and then a bagpipe player came in to slowly lead the group of us survivors around the track. It was a very intense and emotional lap as all of the supporters watched us make the lap.

I was amazed at the number of young people out there supporting the fight against cancer. It is really neat to see them involved in something so important. The Relay for Life also had lots of activities for smaller children like facepainting, beadworking, and tie-dying shirts, all free. Participants had lunch, dinner, and breakfast on Sunday provided too. I will definitely try to start a group earlier next year and be more prepared.

I slept in on Sunday. I was completely exhausted and I suspect only partly from the Relay for Life. I think the chemo and radiation is finally catching up with me physically and emotionally. I went to get my blood work done yesterday too and the levels are still within normal limits, although they are getting more and more toward the low end of normal. After I got my blood checked I went to the ER for a suspected bladder infection but they found no signs of bacteria in the urine so I'm guessing it is a side effect from either the chemo or radiation drying out my skin. I'll talk with oncology later today.

I'm going to try and walk to radiation today but if this fatigue doesn't go away I may be driving for my last two and a half weeks. I have to go to get hooked back up to the pump today too and then hopefully out to Sac State to get my paperwork turned in so I don't get dropped from the nursing program.

Have a great week and I'll try and do the same.......