It's Over - Until Next Year!!!!!
I am having a difficult time putting this phenomenal experience into words and everytime I try, I begin to cry. I hope I am able to explain what a significantly positive impact this journey has had on my life. I have put my film in for development and have ordered the 3-Day video and would love to share them with you. I am just afraid that even after the pictures and video you still won't get it...I guess you'll just have to do it with me next year!!!!!
When I signed up to participate in this event, I wasn't sure I could do it. But I thought, if Mom can beat breast and colon cancer, then I can raise the money and walk the miles. Thanks to you, I met and surpassed my fundraising goal and was financially ready to participate. But, I was still scared that despite all my training, I would be unable to complete my journey.
I saw so many men and women wearing shirts with photos of their loved ones on them that said, "I would walk 1000 miles to spend one more day with you." It was at that point that I learned that it didn't matter if I didn't walk every step of every mile of this walk. What mattered was that I, with your help, raised the money needed to help provide early detection, treatment and a cure for this disease. I was just one of the lucky walkers participating in this event, I was making this journey with my mother.
Here's my story:
Day 0 -
Mom and I arrived at Fair Oaks Mall on Thursday to catch the Greyhound Bus to Hood College. On the way to Frederick, Maryland, the bus got lost. The driver pulled over on the interstate to ask a state trouper (who had pulled over a speeding motorist) for directions. We finally made it to the college and started the registration process. We had to watch a 1 hour and 15 minute "safety video" which included alot of propaganda about Pallotta Teamworks and Avon - surprise!!! Among other things, we learned that we must "Stay Alert" to "Stay Alive" and that if we get into an accident with an automobile, "We Will Die". After the video, we had to stop by the medical tent so that Mom could notify them of her medical history and get a pink lymphedemia bracelet for her arm. When the doctors removed the cancerous lump from Mom's breast, they also removed the lymphnodes from under her arm to see if the cancer had spread. Luckily it hadn't. But, because they removed the lymphnodes, fluid can build up in her arm and hand causing swelling.
Once we finished registering, we boarded another Greyhound Bus to our hotel. Guess what? It got lost. After a lovely tour of Frederick farm country, the driver finally pulled into a small store/gas station and got directions. We arrived at the Days Inn for our last night of luxury and got situated in our room.
For dinner, we WALKED to a Mexican resteraunt a few blocks from the hotel and had a wonderful meal and an even more wonderful margarita (my brother donated the money for the hotel and dinner - Thanks Trey). Since the hotel didn't provide their continental breakfast until 6:00 AM and we had to board the bus the next morning at 5:00 AM, we then WALKED several more blocks to Walmart and picked up some breakfast munchies and instant caffeine (I mean coffee). We returned to our hotel and took HOT BATHS, used FLUSHING TOILETS and watched Survivor (Way to go Colby!!!).
Day 1 - 20.66 miles
We woke up at 4:15 AM and were checked out by 5:00 AM. The bus was 30 minutes late which meant we could have slept another 1/2 hour :-( and guess what? It got lost... We finally made it back to Hood College for the opening ceremony which was extremely touching (and a little long) and it was then that we first learned how much money we had raised for breast cancer treatment and research. Are you ready? 6.4 MILLION DOLLARS!!! Isn't that amazing?
There were so many people, men and women, and it was incredible to know that we were all there for the same reason. We all held hands and took our first steps together. We walked out with hand in hand raised high in the air amid the cheers, claps and tears of the onlookers. We exited the college and walked through the surrounding neighborhood full of beautiful homes and wonderfully supportive people who stood outside cheering us on and thanking us for walking.
Every few miles on the route, there were Grab and Gos (which included in order of importance Porta-Potties, water and sports drinks and snacks) and larger Pit Stops (which included everything above plus a medical tent and crew).
Because it took so long for all 3000 walkers to exit the area and because it was such a hot day (93 degrees), it didn't take long for everyone to become overheated. By about the 7th mile, Mom's body wasn't as strong as her spirit. She was getting very tired and hot and had developed a slight headache and lightheadedness. She knew she needed to take a break and rode the bus to the lunch stop.
It was extremely difficult for me to leave her there but since she was just mostly tired and a little overheated I did. I cried as I walked away from the Pit Stop and that was my first low point. It was then that I met another walker who was by herself. I asked if I could walk with her a while and it turned out that Mom and I had met her at the orientation at Chinn Library several months before. Julie and I walked the next 3.5 miles together to the Lunch Stop. We found Mom at the medic tent - doing much worse. Her headache was now pounding and she was even more lightheaded, dizzy and nausious. The medical crew had taken her walking credintials forcing her to stop for the day.
I signed up to walk this walk with my mom and I knew there was no way I could leave her in the condition she was in. I chose to ride the bus back to camp with her. Another low point - but, do you know what was incredible? As the bus pulled up and we entered the camp at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, there were crew members (volunteers who signed up to help - medical professionals, message therapists, cooks, gear and tent loaders, trash people, etc.) cheering us in. It didn't matter that we didn't walk all the way there. It mattered that we raised the money (say it with me - 6.4 MILLION DOLLARS!!!) for breast cancer treatment and research.
We went directly to the medical tent where Mom stayed for most of the afternoon, cooling down and hydrating. I found our tent section (which was in the opposite and farthest corner from the camp enterance and most ammenities), unloaded our gear and got help putting up our tent. By the time I got back, Mom was feeling better. We sat under the dining tent to stay cool and cheered as other walkers made their way into camp (both on buses and on foot - it didn't matter).
We then proceeded to the SHOWER TRUCK...which wasn't as bad as expected. There were people of all shapes and sizes and I think everyone was so concerned about other people looking at them that they made a point of not looking around. Everyone kept there eyes down or focused on their own task. There was a small changing area and then each shower had divisions and curtains so I just undressed, dried off and redressed at light speed.
Avon was great. They had free bottles of shampoo, shower gel, lotion, foot powder, etc. on hand at every camp and tubes of sunscreen at every Pit Stop and Grab and Go.
After dinner which consisted of chicken fajitas, beans, rice, salad and pie (I passed on the fajitas), we ended up back at the medical tent because Mom's hand started swelling due to Lymphedemia. She received physical therapy which consisted of massaging the fluid up her arm and back into her body. We heard that the entertainment that night was a jazz musician but we were just too tired and retired to our tent to get some sleep. Unfortunately, our tent was located about 50 feet from the railroad tracks which were used every hour throughout the night. I slept with my earplugs in and my bandana tied over my ears. Because she spent so much time in the medical tent rehydrating, Mom didn't get much sleep either - if you know what I mean...
Day 2 - 15.32 miles
We awoke at daylight and packed up and loaded our gear and tent. We had breakfast which consisted of eggs, au gratin potatoes, kielbasa, oatmeal, danish and fruit (passed on the kielbasa, oatmeal and danish). We checked in with the medical crew (who had told us that if the swelling didn't go down in Mom's hand she wouldn't be able to walk) and got permission to go ahead. Shortly into the walk, we met up with Julie and all walked together.
Mom did really well and walked most of the way with Julie and I. She stopped twice at Pit Stops or Grab and Gos and rode the bus to the next stop where we picked her up and continued on our way. We walked through some beautiful areas - past Needwood Mansion, along trails by Lake Needwood, Rock Creek Trail, Parklawn Memorial Park, etc. We started together and finished together. Day 2 was the best!!!
Now back at camp at Tilden Middle School, Mom checked in at the medical tent with her favorite physical therapist and received another Lymphedemia treatment just to be safe. Julie and I found our tents already put up with our gear inside. What a wonderful surprise. Thank you annonomous helper!!! Once Mom returned, we made our way up the steep hill to the shower trucks. Amazingly, every shower truck had a LONG line except one. So, we walked on over and started to go in. Another walker called out, "Just so you know, this is the communal shower truck." - meaning one changing area and one shower area. It was either that or wait in line at the other shower trucks and miss our 7:00 dinner reservations - hahaha!!! Well, we showered communially - again, not as bad as expected. Everyone just kept their eyes down and focused on hurrying up!!!! This time, I not only undressed, dried off and redressed in light speed, I also showered in faster than light speed. In my race to exit the communal shower truck, I left my favorite TAN (NOT PINK) ball cap. By the time I realized it was missing, it was gone for good. Which meant I would have to wear my lovely pink hat on Day 3. Did I mention that I HATE PINK?
Luckily, we made our dinner reservations and had a wonderful meal of spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans, garlic bread, salad and cheesecake - I didn't pass on anything!!!!! The entertainment was a cover band singing Beatles songs. They were really good and people were actually jumping around and dancing after all that walking. Mom, Julie and I just sat around our table drinking DECAF coffee and hot chocolate and listened for a while before turning in for the night.
Day 3- 13.59 miles
We awoke at 5:00 AM to be ready for team photos at 6:00 AM. We joined a group of walkers from the Manassas area called "Sole Mates". It was nice being a part of a group. We were even able to tent side by side in the same area. We loaded our tent and gear and headed off for photos. After the team picture, we ate breakfast and I checked lost and found one more time to no avail. I left camp in my PINK hat smiling all the way.
We started out walking with a member of our team, Tresa and at Pit Stop 1, got our finger nails painted by the "Butterfly Man". The "Butterfly Man" has done so many of these charity walks, runs and rides he probably can't count them. He is a wonderful guy who rides along the entire route all day making sure no one gets left behind and that everyone makes it back to camp safely each night. He dresses in (amoung other things) beads, disco ball earrings and butterfly wings and is a tremendously uplifting and encouraging site.
At about the 7 mile mark, Mom had another problem associated with her colon cancer that forced her to stop for the day. She wasn't terribly sick but knew she shouldn't continue. So, just .48 miles from the DC line, I again left Mom. We hugged and cried at the Grab and Go as she told me she would be waiting for me at the finish line. Thanks to Tresa, I didn't have to walk alone. We continued our journey and crossed into DC. What a wonderful sight. One of our loyal supporters, Lily, was standing in the median by the DC sign with her radio blaring welcoming us into the District (which I never thought I would be glad to be entering...). Tresa, bless her heart, sore feet and blisters, was right with me the whole way. We trudged along the streets anf up the hills of DC, the Rock Creek Park Trail and C&O Canal/Capital Crescent Trail. Once we exited the trail and realized where we were, there was no stopping us. Somehow, we managed to speed up and were passing people left and right. We flew around the Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool was just a blur. We could hear the cheering up ahead and just as we approached the crowd, we saw 2 other members of our team. We stopped for pictures and walked the rest of the way in together - a team!
It was amazing. Fellow walkers, crew members, family and friends were lining both sides of the walkway up to the check-in station as we walked in. They were clapping, giving high fives, cheering and yelling, "Way to go - you did it!!!" And we had!!!
I was crying - everyone was crying - and the next thing I remember was Mom in her bright pink survivor's tee-shirt running up to me. We just held eachother and cried right there in the middle of all the cheering!!! I think they even started cheering louder!!! Mom and I walked the rest of the way up that hill together - side by side. It didn't matter that she hadn't finished with me. It mattered that she was there with me - waiting for me to come in - cheering me on - the way she has done my whole life. She's my best cheerleader. Mom, I love you!!!!!
Closing Ceremony
All the walkers lined up in our navy blue walker tee-shirts at the top of the hill beside the Washington Monument. Arm in arm and hand in hand we made our way down that hill toward the stage. Family and friends lining both sides of the walkway - showing support and cheering us on. We made our way to the bottom of the hill in front of the stage and it was impossible to contain ourselves. We screamed, yelled, cheered, clapped, waved our shoes in the air (sorry for the smell), etc.
Then everything quieted. They announced the survivors and a sea of beautiful women wearing pink shirts appeared at the top of that hill. They made their way arm in arm and hand in hand victoriously down the hill (one even in a wheelchair) to the thunderous applause of everyone present. It was so emotional, everyone was in tears, and no one cared. I looked around at all the walkers wearing photos of their loved ones on their shirts as I watched as my mom walked down that hill and I thanked God she was with me. It was then that I knew I made a difference.
A Few More Of My Favorite Details:
At every Pit Stop, Grab and Go and Camp there were volunteers makling sure we had everything we needed.
At every intersection there were volunteers helping us cross the streets safely.
There were volunteers driving "sweep vehicles" along the route making sure we were alright and picking us up if we weren't.
There were family and friends at every cheering station and every other available spot along the route.
Residents who lived along the route were in their lawns cheering for us and thanking us for walking.
One woman handed out 700 popsicles during the heat of Day 1.
George (the college tee-shirt guy) was along the route every single day. He would stand in one spot for a while, change into another college shirt and move to another spot. He became a high spot in our day. We wondered what shirt he would be wearing next and we looked forward to the next time we would see him.
Lily followed us everyday. She would drive by honking, waving and yelling. Then, she would stop along the route for a while and cheer us on before moving on to another spot. She was such a motivator.
Egon (bootman) was a volunteer all three days. He helped us cross so many streets. He had set his cowboy boots along the street with flowers in them. As the last walkers came by his street, he gave them the flowers.
My fellow walkers and I were full of support and kindness like I have never seen before. If someone was stopped along the route, we made sure they were alright before continuing. If someone behind us urgently needed the porta-potty (and you could tell by the potty dance), we let them go ahead of us. Just imagine what the world would be like if we could bring that out in everyone all the time.
I spent a wonderful 3-Days with a high quality group of beautiful people!!!
Favorite Mottos of the Walk:
2-4-6-8 Don't forget to urinate
Drink - Drink
Pee - Pee
We don't want no stinkin' IV
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WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
WE DID IT!!!
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