Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, and a giveaway!

(Wanna get straight to the giveaway? Scroll down!)

It's been awhile since I've updated, but... so far, Something sure the hell ain't right has raised $1700+ for PCRF.

UN. BELIEVE. ABLE.

The VIP team that I'm training with has raised over $23,000 for pediatric cancer research.

That's SO EXCITING. Since being founded in 1982, PCRF has raised over $22 million to fund research to stop pediatric cancers.

If you're one of my new followers, THIS is Gabby's story, and why I'm fundraising for PCRF.

Where is Gabby's story now?

We're lucky. She's on her third round of chemo now, and it's by far the easiest that we've experienced yet. She has 1 intrathecal treatment (a lumbar puncture with chemo delivered directly into her spinal fluid), and 5 IV treatments. That means there will only be 11 visits to the infusion center in the 57 days of this cycle. THAT is exciting.

I've been warned that the next cycle is pretty rough. But, I'm pushing that out of mind for now. We're enjoying having this kid back... She's got her smile back. She's full of energy and fun. She's been participating in the Suck Less Program with me, yoga included....

And she stole my lime green reflective headband from TMB... Yeah. She's a little crazy.

Her prognosis is good, but it's a long way from being over. The two years left of chemo is standard. It won't magically be less. I downplay a lot of things, because... I'd probably lose my mind if I didn't.

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Who's ready for a giveaway?!

I've got a half marathon to run in 6 weeks, and my go-to nutrition (that sounds so fancy!) is GU. It's the first new thing I tried when I started adding mileage to my runs, and I loved it immediately. I used to be a Shot Blok loyalist for long hikes, but I took them once on a run and had to walk out constant nausea... no such problems with GU!

Outside PR was awesome enough to donate a sampler box of GU products -
Yum-tastic.

There's also a voucher for a Road ID included! If I were a better blogger, I'd have a picture for that as well. But, alas...

Here's how to enter... 4 choices!

1. *Mandatory* Be a follower, and comment to let me know! (1 entry)

2. Make a donation to PCRF, HERE. Any amount - $1, $5, whatever. Every dollar you donate goes to end pediatric cancers. Tax deductable, too. Comment to let me know! (1 entry)

3. Are you a tweeter?! Tweet the word: "#cancersucks! I just entered @hmgiraffy @GUEnergyLabs #giveaway! http://bit.ly/g5abZ7" Leave a comment to let me know! (1 entry)

4. Share via facebook, your blog, whatever. Leave a comment to let me know! (1 entry)

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Rules:

All comments must be recieved by midnight, PST, on Friday, Mar. 25th. Winner will be announced by Monday the 28th, or over the weekend if I'm feeling fiesty.

PLEASE leave one comment for each entry. I know it's a PITA, but I've made it easy and don't have any security words or anything to hold you up. Plus, I'd really hate to miss any entries that were lumped into one comment. It's for your own benefit, I promise.

Disclaimer, I get absolutely NOTHING out of the donations, all donations are made through PCRF's fundraising portal. I've earned enough in donations to cover my registration to the half marathon, but every bit of it goes directly to them.

That's it!

Good luck, ya'll. Donate, donate, donate!!

Happy Monday!

Saturday morning was my first run with the PCRF fundraising team (to donate, you can click here). I was pretty excited to get out there - I'd taken an extra day off, iced and stretched my IT band, and was feeling GREAT. We took off on a 3.5 mile run... and awful. My leg? Hurting. I walked the second up-hill, and that was the end. I didn't get back out. I didn't finish my 7.5 remaining miles. I didn't do my long run. I logged 6.5 miles last week, total.

Sucktastic.

I spent the rest of Saturday, and all of Sunday, alternately stretching, icing, and foam rolling. Tonight, I attempt again. Fingers corssed?

I also have an update on my Brooks shoes situation...

So I posted this picture on the Brooks Gurus FB page...


And this is the ensuing conversation:
Okay, so that came out teeny, but, essentially, Brooks Gurus tells me that my "nagging" pain (that at this point has been around for 3 full days) is what caused the defective-looking wear on my shoes TWICE, which started last JUNE.

And now I'm pissy, because I've been preaching about how rad Brooks are, and their customer service is above and beyond, and their shoes rock... HERE... and... HERE, for example.

So, something to keep in mind when looking at Brooks in the future, I guess. And such a bummer, because I really did love Brooks.



But what makes this such a Happy Monday?



This...


I think the steroids have run their course, and my kid seems to be back. She spent the weekend being sweet, and huggy, and playful, and moving, and it was the.best.thing.ever. I mean. I don't think there are even words for how grateful I was to see her again.



General housekeeping... don't forget about the $25 CSN giveaway! This runs until tomorrow night, and winner announced Wednesday.


I've also been gifted with tons of other goodies from some generous companies, that you'll all love (think fab running supplies)! I'm so excited about these.... Next week :D



And..... of course, my donation page, and our story - please share!

OH! And, Happy Birthday, TMB! Stop by and tell her how awesome she is. I hear she likes that.

Well, something sure the hell ain't right.

Did you know this is Leukemia Awareness Week?

Leukemia is one of those things, for me, that I knew about - I always thought it was sad, of course, but... it was not really on my radar. A few years ago, I signed up for Team in Training with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I didn't know anything about blood cancers, and while I found the stories touching, they weren't really... life impacting, for me. I just wanted to be a runner.

Some of you are new followers, and might not know how my last month unfolded. It started with a cold. I've got three kids, in two different schools, so unsurprisingly, someone brought home a cough.

Three weeks after this cough started, it still hadn't stopped for Gabby. But all the kids in her class were also coughing, so.. it didn't seem like much. I brought her to the doctor, and they thought nothing of it. She'd be fine.

New Years Eve, she was kinda sleepy and bleh. I thought it was her body resting and fighting off whatever funk was left.

New Years day, when she wouldn't get off the couch or eat, still, I gave in and brought her to urgent care.

Something sure the hell ain't right. Something was really, really wrong.

I brought her to Urgent Care, and they took one look at her, and sent us to the ER down the street.

I brought her to the ER, and the nurse on duty took one look at her, and cleared a bed and brought her back. 5 minutes, from door to bed. Done.

Within 20 minutes, she had a chest X-Ray, blood draws, and IV's. Shortly after, the doctor came back in, and said, for real, "There's some abnormalities in her blood. I've been on the phone with the children's hospital. They are sending a transport ambulence for you now. The Oncology ICU is waiting for her."

And there is nothing you can imagine, scarier than that.

You can read about her official diagnosis HERE

And everything in between then, and now, tells her story.

Me, I'm just a mom. A mom starting to run. A mom with two other kids, a full time job, and a husband. A mom with an already full plate.

I'm not a fast runner. I'm not a perfect wife. I'm not the World's Greatest Boss.

But I do have amazing support, through my blog, through my favorite message board, through the running community.

And now, I'm counting on that support to help support the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.

The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is holding its Annual "Cinco de Mayo Races" on Sunday, May 1, 2011 in Irvine. The money raised will fund research that explores causes, treatments and cures for pediatric cancer.

My donation link is HERE.

And this is where the fun starts...

There's a Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K option for this race.

I'm willing to do ANY distance, but the distance I do depends on how much I raise.

$500 for the 5K

$750 for the 10K

$1000 for the half marathon

That's it.

In the next few weeks, I've got some great giveaways lined up, and the more you donate, the more entries you'll earn.

I know this is a loooong post. But Gabby has TWO YEARS of chemo treatments. Two years, where she can't play in the sun. She can't go to Disneyland. We can't travel to visit our families. TWO YEARS where her sisters can't have their normal lives back.

And that sure the hell ain't right.

5 bonus entries on my first giveaway to whomever can guess what movie my title quote is from.