If you are on this blog to read about Fort, in HER words...go to the blog archive on the right side of this page - her last post was Christmas Eve 2008. You can start there - kind of have to work your way backwards. What I have to say is NOTHING compared to what she had to say. What I write is all about HER. And FOR her. But you want to read HER. I don't know where she got her writing talent, but it sure wasn't from me. Thank you for visiting her blog. I hope you keep reading until you've read it all. I KNOW you'll be inspired, and you'll LAUGH out loud, a lot. This blog WILL be published some day. I promise you that.
Fort's mom
Monday, November 2, 2009
Here's to YOU Fort...3 days - 60 miles!!!
Our journey began around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 22.
Originally we were both going to work a half day, until I found out I had to be in Atlanta at 4:00 on Thursday. Thus the early departure...we were on the road about an hour - right about the Sharonville exit - had a blowout. (Fort would have taken a picture of the shredded tire, and of the tire being changed...but it was WAY too early for me - I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet! In fact, I was sleeping when Donny said "Is that OUR car????"...he was asking about the "thump, thump, thump, thump..." It was. I knew John was already at work, so we called him, he found a place within a couple of miles from where we were - we had the new tire put on and were back on the road by 7:30. And made it to Atlanta with a few minutes to spare!
Melissa (Fort) would let me know RIGHT AWAY that she was going to be there with us.
We were waiting with the other flag bearers for the practice to begin. I got up to go to the car for something and they were doing a sound check on the stage. Of the thousands of songs they could have chosen, they chose the Cold Play
song (Viva La Vida(?)
For those of you who don't know - that song was on a CD that a nurse from the hospital made for Melissa last year around this time (when Fort was in the hospital). We both liked the song, and while SHE probably knew who the artist was and what the song was, I DIDN'T. After she passed away, I started hearing that song whenever I really needed her. SO...of course when THAT was the song the began BLARING from the speakers - I KNEW she was there. She always lets me know. (at the end of the pictures - I have ANOTHER story of her letting me know she was there-just the other day...) And that began the incredible adventure of the 3 day in Atlanta. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
I had the priviledge of being one of the Honor Flag Bearers. I was to carry the
banner "MY DAUGHTER" in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies! This was at the practice the day before the walk started.
After the practice for the Opening Ceremonies, Donny & I checked into the hotel. John & Diana were already there. They had made reservations for dinner at the Macaroni Grill across the street, so we joined them. This was the second time in about 2 hours that Melissa let me know she was there with us...our waitress was Melissa! (she even had that CREATIVE handwriting like OUR Melissa!)
FORT'S YAYAS for TATAS leaving the comfort of the hotel for...who knows what kind of adventure! And an adventure it proved to be...
One of my first friends, Carol. She was an Honor Flag Bearer also. She carried the flag "MY HUSBAND"...which wasn't true in the Opening Ceremonies. He wasn't her husband until she crossed the finish line - he was waiting with a Judge, and they got married when she finished! (Not sure, but he might have walked too).
Less than a mile into the walk and Sharon tries to convince me to "hop on a sailboat"...but I won't do it...so she decides to stay on the walk with me...THANKS Sharon!
Donny greets me & Sharon at the first cheering station...THANKS for being there Donny!
GREETERS...from the United Nations???? AWESOME!
FORT'S YAYAS for TATAS ALL complete the first 20 miles!
20 miles down, 40 to go...and STILL smiling!
Sharon & Karyn make themselves at home after 20 miles of walking...
DAY 2
Getting ready for DAY 2...I'm SURE we're talking about how our training will help us get going on day 2...NOT. John is the only one on our team that really "TRAINED". It was obvious - we couldn't keep up with him. We had to keep reminding him that "this isn't a RACE, John." He didn't listen. He WON every day. Way to go John!
ANOTHER motivational poster along the way...(is he (I mean SHE) losing a boob there?)
Karyn's best friend, Melissa Bacon, comes from Dayton, OH to surprise us at a cheering station! THANKS Melissa!
STRETCH it Sharon...and get your shoes on...we gotta get a move on!
Halloween in reverse...the KIDS are giving out the candy!
I LOVE this woman...THANK YOU Diana for not selling our bed to the highest bidder! (I know you could have sold it MANY times before we came in...thanks for protecting it!)
Volunteer Nurse Lois takes a look at my blisters at then end of Day 2 - she wouldn't touch them - said I did a "GREAT"job bandaging my toes! They all came off in the shower and had to redo them later that night for Day 3.
I TOLD you you'd be on the blog Jill!
40 miles down, 20 to go....(and STILL smiling!)
Finally...a REAL bed! (the first night, I had a 1/4" thick pad to sleep on...on top of concrete...might as well had NOTHING under me - I tossed and turned (as much as you can toss and turn in a 2 man pup tent) until Mandi offered me HER 2" thick pad to sleep on-THANKS MANDI!-the next morning, I called Donny and pretty much begged him to buy us a mattress...for ONE night. He did. He's WONDERFUL.
A sea of pink...imagine trying to find YOUR tent - I got lost one time, actually got a little nervous!
Tent City - 1000 2 man pink pup tents in the Atlanta Trade Center
DAY 3
Our "across the street" neighbors in tent city - KRISTA'S MINGOS - Becky, Erin, Rose and Bobbie. (Thanks for helping us with our tent on Sunday Becky & Bobbie!)
Day 3 - John left AN HOUR after we did - snuck up on us and PASSED US. He finished about an hour before we did. (all that training paid off...except IT WASN'T A RACE JOHN....You were AWESOME!)
Downtown Atlanta Cheering Station - Donny & Diana are on the corner by the crosswalk-I took the picture and didn't even know they were there - almost passed them by and didn't see them! This cheering station was over two blocks long on both sides of the sidewalk - just the motivation we needed to get those last miles in!
This Hospice Nurse is "Walking to Lose her job!"
Pam and an emotional Suzanne (a neighbor from tent city)at Turner Field.
Karyn & Mandi go through "the gauntlet" as Donny calls it - 60 miles, lots of blisters, 3 stress fractures and SMILES on their faces!
FORT'S YAYAS for TATAS make it 60 miles to Turner Field!!!!
Closing ceremonies...my flag is second from right.
3 days. 60 miles. It was incredible, and talking about doing it again ALREADY seems, well, crazy. But we are talking about doing it again next year. I do it for
Melissa, and will continue to do EVERYTHING I can to help raise $$ to find a cure for this horrific disease. I walk for you, your daughters, your friends, your mothers, your sons and your husbands. I am so glad I got to experience it with Melissa too. I know she was with us the entire 60 miles - a little easier on her this time! Love you pretty girl...thank you for being there!
**Okay...the OTHER story. I had a mammogram scheduled for the day after we got home.
Right before the radiologist was about to do the mammogram, she was looking at my chart and started asking about family history, when she said "Oh, you have a daughter with breast cancer?" I replied "NO. My daughter died of breast cancer in January." When she did the mammogram, she noticed some calcifications that weren't there in my last mammogram. She took more pictures, and sent it on STAT. I heard from the doctor the next day that I needed to have a biopsy. SO...Donny took a half day to take me. When we got in the car to go, we turned on the radio, and guess what song started playing? Cold Play. Viva La Vida. She was with me THAT day too.
OH. Got the results today. NEGATIVE. GREAT news. GET YOUR MAMMOGRAMS GIRLS....
it's VERY important to catch this early.
Originally we were both going to work a half day, until I found out I had to be in Atlanta at 4:00 on Thursday. Thus the early departure...we were on the road about an hour - right about the Sharonville exit - had a blowout. (Fort would have taken a picture of the shredded tire, and of the tire being changed...but it was WAY too early for me - I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet! In fact, I was sleeping when Donny said "Is that OUR car????"...he was asking about the "thump, thump, thump, thump..." It was. I knew John was already at work, so we called him, he found a place within a couple of miles from where we were - we had the new tire put on and were back on the road by 7:30. And made it to Atlanta with a few minutes to spare!
Melissa (Fort) would let me know RIGHT AWAY that she was going to be there with us.
We were waiting with the other flag bearers for the practice to begin. I got up to go to the car for something and they were doing a sound check on the stage. Of the thousands of songs they could have chosen, they chose the Cold Play
song (Viva La Vida(?)
For those of you who don't know - that song was on a CD that a nurse from the hospital made for Melissa last year around this time (when Fort was in the hospital). We both liked the song, and while SHE probably knew who the artist was and what the song was, I DIDN'T. After she passed away, I started hearing that song whenever I really needed her. SO...of course when THAT was the song the began BLARING from the speakers - I KNEW she was there. She always lets me know. (at the end of the pictures - I have ANOTHER story of her letting me know she was there-just the other day...) And that began the incredible adventure of the 3 day in Atlanta. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
I had the priviledge of being one of the Honor Flag Bearers. I was to carry the
banner "MY DAUGHTER" in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies! This was at the practice the day before the walk started.
After the practice for the Opening Ceremonies, Donny & I checked into the hotel. John & Diana were already there. They had made reservations for dinner at the Macaroni Grill across the street, so we joined them. This was the second time in about 2 hours that Melissa let me know she was there with us...our waitress was Melissa! (she even had that CREATIVE handwriting like OUR Melissa!)
FORT'S YAYAS for TATAS leaving the comfort of the hotel for...who knows what kind of adventure! And an adventure it proved to be...
One of my first friends, Carol. She was an Honor Flag Bearer also. She carried the flag "MY HUSBAND"...which wasn't true in the Opening Ceremonies. He wasn't her husband until she crossed the finish line - he was waiting with a Judge, and they got married when she finished! (Not sure, but he might have walked too).
Less than a mile into the walk and Sharon tries to convince me to "hop on a sailboat"...but I won't do it...so she decides to stay on the walk with me...THANKS Sharon!
Donny greets me & Sharon at the first cheering station...THANKS for being there Donny!
GREETERS...from the United Nations???? AWESOME!
FORT'S YAYAS for TATAS ALL complete the first 20 miles!
20 miles down, 40 to go...and STILL smiling!
Sharon & Karyn make themselves at home after 20 miles of walking...
DAY 2
Getting ready for DAY 2...I'm SURE we're talking about how our training will help us get going on day 2...NOT. John is the only one on our team that really "TRAINED". It was obvious - we couldn't keep up with him. We had to keep reminding him that "this isn't a RACE, John." He didn't listen. He WON every day. Way to go John!
ANOTHER motivational poster along the way...(is he (I mean SHE) losing a boob there?)
Karyn's best friend, Melissa Bacon, comes from Dayton, OH to surprise us at a cheering station! THANKS Melissa!
STRETCH it Sharon...and get your shoes on...we gotta get a move on!
Halloween in reverse...the KIDS are giving out the candy!
I LOVE this woman...THANK YOU Diana for not selling our bed to the highest bidder! (I know you could have sold it MANY times before we came in...thanks for protecting it!)
Volunteer Nurse Lois takes a look at my blisters at then end of Day 2 - she wouldn't touch them - said I did a "GREAT"job bandaging my toes! They all came off in the shower and had to redo them later that night for Day 3.
I TOLD you you'd be on the blog Jill!
40 miles down, 20 to go....(and STILL smiling!)
Finally...a REAL bed! (the first night, I had a 1/4" thick pad to sleep on...on top of concrete...might as well had NOTHING under me - I tossed and turned (as much as you can toss and turn in a 2 man pup tent) until Mandi offered me HER 2" thick pad to sleep on-THANKS MANDI!-the next morning, I called Donny and pretty much begged him to buy us a mattress...for ONE night. He did. He's WONDERFUL.
A sea of pink...imagine trying to find YOUR tent - I got lost one time, actually got a little nervous!
Tent City - 1000 2 man pink pup tents in the Atlanta Trade Center
DAY 3
Our "across the street" neighbors in tent city - KRISTA'S MINGOS - Becky, Erin, Rose and Bobbie. (Thanks for helping us with our tent on Sunday Becky & Bobbie!)
Day 3 - John left AN HOUR after we did - snuck up on us and PASSED US. He finished about an hour before we did. (all that training paid off...except IT WASN'T A RACE JOHN....You were AWESOME!)
Downtown Atlanta Cheering Station - Donny & Diana are on the corner by the crosswalk-I took the picture and didn't even know they were there - almost passed them by and didn't see them! This cheering station was over two blocks long on both sides of the sidewalk - just the motivation we needed to get those last miles in!
This Hospice Nurse is "Walking to Lose her job!"
Pam and an emotional Suzanne (a neighbor from tent city)at Turner Field.
Karyn & Mandi go through "the gauntlet" as Donny calls it - 60 miles, lots of blisters, 3 stress fractures and SMILES on their faces!
FORT'S YAYAS for TATAS make it 60 miles to Turner Field!!!!
Closing ceremonies...my flag is second from right.
3 days. 60 miles. It was incredible, and talking about doing it again ALREADY seems, well, crazy. But we are talking about doing it again next year. I do it for
Melissa, and will continue to do EVERYTHING I can to help raise $$ to find a cure for this horrific disease. I walk for you, your daughters, your friends, your mothers, your sons and your husbands. I am so glad I got to experience it with Melissa too. I know she was with us the entire 60 miles - a little easier on her this time! Love you pretty girl...thank you for being there!
**Okay...the OTHER story. I had a mammogram scheduled for the day after we got home.
Right before the radiologist was about to do the mammogram, she was looking at my chart and started asking about family history, when she said "Oh, you have a daughter with breast cancer?" I replied "NO. My daughter died of breast cancer in January." When she did the mammogram, she noticed some calcifications that weren't there in my last mammogram. She took more pictures, and sent it on STAT. I heard from the doctor the next day that I needed to have a biopsy. SO...Donny took a half day to take me. When we got in the car to go, we turned on the radio, and guess what song started playing? Cold Play. Viva La Vida. She was with me THAT day too.
OH. Got the results today. NEGATIVE. GREAT news. GET YOUR MAMMOGRAMS GIRLS....
it's VERY important to catch this early.
Are you there FORT?????
I think she is. I spent THREE HOURS last night posting pics of the 3 day walk in Atlanta. When I first got started, the screen flickered a little...and when I finished, I SAVED everything. But when I went to preview what I had posted, it wasn't there. I think FORT was telling me I went a little overboard. I'll try again later - and not post as much. Maybe she really DOESN'T want me on here.....
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Firebirds for Fort FUNdraiser
Just a preview of the pics from the fundraiser...I'll try to post a few more later, then pics from the 3 day walk in Atlanta.
AND THE WINNER OF THE QUILT IS...(drawn by Ruth, breast cancer survivor, neighbor and friend of Pam's)................
TRACY (good friend of Melissa's)
and THANKS to our FANTASTIC DJ Mark!
MM family
Thanks Heather for your contribution to the 3day walk from Solar Tan!!!
Franz Fam
Food (dessert) of course!
Angie selling raffle tickets....
Netti LOVES her FORT shirt!
Cary, Pam, Jen (Security!)
Karyn working the crowd
AND THE WINNER OF THE QUILT IS...(drawn by Ruth, breast cancer survivor, neighbor and friend of Pam's)................
TRACY (good friend of Melissa's)
and THANKS to our FANTASTIC DJ Mark!
MM family
Thanks Heather for your contribution to the 3day walk from Solar Tan!!!
Franz Fam
Food (dessert) of course!
Angie selling raffle tickets....
Netti LOVES her FORT shirt!
Cary, Pam, Jen (Security!)
Karyn working the crowd
Monday, October 26, 2009
3 days...60 miles...WE DID IT!
Two years ago this month, Melissa called me TWO days before the 3 day breast cancer walk she was doing in Atlanta. I was driving her to Atlanta and staying in a hotel for the weekend while she walked with her friend from college, Shannon, and Shannon's sister Julie. She was very excited, and informed me that the rugby team raised enough money that I could do the walk with her...60 miles...in...THREE days.
I tried to talk my way out of it, but to no avail. If she could do it (on chemo)... I could do it. So I did. We did.
It was THE most incredible experience of my life. Something I NEVER thought I could do. But WE did. The ENTIRE 60 miles, we walked. We had fun. We laughed. I have three days of WONDERFUL memories.
And I did it again. This time FOR Melissa. Our team was FORT'S YAYAS for TATAS.
We shared Melissa's story, made a lot of new friends, and AGAIN I was amazed at the energy, the LOVE, the incredible people that volunteered their time for this fabulous event. I KNOW Melissa was with us - we all (Sharon, Karyn & Mandi & John) made it to the finish line at Turner Field...with just a few blisters (and a few stress fractures) - but we made it. And ALL smiling at the end.
To all of our new Atlanta friends - THANK YOU for your HUGS, your love, your compassion and for listening to my story. I can't talk about Melissa enough. And now you can meet her yourself. Thank you for reading her story.
I'll be posting pics of the 3day AND the fundraiser sometime later this week...
stay tuned.
I tried to talk my way out of it, but to no avail. If she could do it (on chemo)... I could do it. So I did. We did.
It was THE most incredible experience of my life. Something I NEVER thought I could do. But WE did. The ENTIRE 60 miles, we walked. We had fun. We laughed. I have three days of WONDERFUL memories.
And I did it again. This time FOR Melissa. Our team was FORT'S YAYAS for TATAS.
We shared Melissa's story, made a lot of new friends, and AGAIN I was amazed at the energy, the LOVE, the incredible people that volunteered their time for this fabulous event. I KNOW Melissa was with us - we all (Sharon, Karyn & Mandi & John) made it to the finish line at Turner Field...with just a few blisters (and a few stress fractures) - but we made it. And ALL smiling at the end.
To all of our new Atlanta friends - THANK YOU for your HUGS, your love, your compassion and for listening to my story. I can't talk about Melissa enough. And now you can meet her yourself. Thank you for reading her story.
I'll be posting pics of the 3day AND the fundraiser sometime later this week...
stay tuned.
Monday, October 19, 2009
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU...
To EVERYONE who contributed in ANY way- it was an event that Melissa would have LOVED. I'm thinking we were NOT QUITE at 500 (maybe 499????) - in any event the hall was PACKED. Thank you to those of you who contributed SILENT AUCTION items, Raffle items, door prizes, PRINTING, the HALL, the DJ, the tons and tons of delicious FOOD....and
very important to the success - those of you who attended! It was incredible.
We raised over $20,000 - with more to come. There are some NASCAR items on ebay, so if you are a NASCAR fan, check them out (nose cone of Danica Patrick's car for one)- and rugby friend "Jen" (no last names, I remember AGAIN fort) is running the Breast Cancer Marathon and will be contributing to the Scholarship fund also.
I wish we could thank each of you personally. You have NO IDEA what this means to our family - me, Donny, John, Nick, Mere, Drew Max AND Angie. It was a labor of love - and will benefit a LOT of Fairmont students in the years to come! She would LOVE that.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
(will post pictures later).
very important to the success - those of you who attended! It was incredible.
We raised over $20,000 - with more to come. There are some NASCAR items on ebay, so if you are a NASCAR fan, check them out (nose cone of Danica Patrick's car for one)- and rugby friend "Jen" (no last names, I remember AGAIN fort) is running the Breast Cancer Marathon and will be contributing to the Scholarship fund also.
I wish we could thank each of you personally. You have NO IDEA what this means to our family - me, Donny, John, Nick, Mere, Drew Max AND Angie. It was a labor of love - and will benefit a LOT of Fairmont students in the years to come! She would LOVE that.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
(will post pictures later).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JP!
"Well, Ill be honest. When I was growing up, I never imagined this was where I would spend my child's fifth birthday."
This was Melissa's quote from October 19, 2008. Today, October 19, 2009, Melissa is celebrating WITH JP for the first time. He would have been 6 today.
Happy Birthday JP - Grandma & Grandpa love you and miss you...we're getting together
with you dad, your uncle Nick aunt Mere & your cousins Drew & Max.
We love you and miss you both.
This was Melissa's quote from October 19, 2008. Today, October 19, 2009, Melissa is celebrating WITH JP for the first time. He would have been 6 today.
Happy Birthday JP - Grandma & Grandpa love you and miss you...we're getting together
with you dad, your uncle Nick aunt Mere & your cousins Drew & Max.
We love you and miss you both.
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