Off Topic: But If I don't ask, I can't get anyone to help so here goes

What a difference a few months make:

May 2010:

August 2010:

This is a pretty big OT (off topic) thread, but I just got to hear my wife speak today in front of a conference room of 1000 people and tell her survivor story, so I figure this post is at least one thing I can do to help her and show her my continuing support.

I haven't exactly gone "public" with this info mostly because neither I nor my wife want any pity or sorrowful looks or whathaveyou and we agreed that while going through what is now this past year we'd just try to keep life as normal as possible [and with me, the term "normal" might not exactly be what most others would call "normal" ]

I'm still not wanting any pity, any "I'm sorry's" nor am I wanting any charity: What I want is if you are able to help, and were already intending to make a contribution to a worthy cause in the coming months, please consider supporting my wife and her goal to raise money for the American Cancer Society through the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.

Backstory: Both unfortunately and thankfully, Mrs. Spank's oldest sister had undergone the BRCA genetic testing and found she was BRCA1 positive and learned how drastically the risks for ovarian and breast cancer were increased. She shared this information with the other 3 sisters, Mrs. Spank included, and shortly thereafter was herself diagnosed with breast cancer-- 1 year before Mrs. Spank...

Mrs. Spank was diagnosed June 25th 2009 with Breast Cancer that was found to have spread into her sentinal nodes and on July 23rd had a double mastectomy. After recovering from that surgery, she underwent an oophorectomy because she found out she was, as she had suspected, BRCA1 positive. (She had opted not to get the testing done because, as she puts it, "I already had the feeling that I was but I wanted to try and have a family before I was forced into making any other decisions." [There are many reasons to think long and hard before getting the genetic testing for the BRCA1 break and hers is just one]

Even though she herself hadn't been tested, this genetic information and her sister's status allowed my wife to get more aggressive screenings than would otherwise NOT be the norm for most insurance companies and HMOs. Despite carrying a cancer that had "spread", we still feel we benefited from an early diagnosis.

Mrs. Spank finished her chemotherapy in February (and Going for Broken was her first time doing something fun since finishing chemo) and is scheduled to have reconstruction in September, just a few days after her 41st birthday. Through ALL of this, she has not only supported me in my crazy endeavors with Lemons (both of my IOE builds and awards were while we were going through this), she has continued to work full time, or as close to it as her medical schedules would allow, and been a wonderful mom to our young son.

She is one amazing woman.

If you feel like you can and want to help, please visit this link to her Making Strides Against Breast Cancer page.

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=80 … fId=540692

If you are unable or unwilling to help, please consider passing the link along to someone who may. It only takes a second.

There are zillions of worthwhile charities out there in the world, but Mrs. Spank has chosen this one (even before she was diagnosed!) because the money goes to the American Cancer Society and is for the fight against ALL forms of cancer, not just breast cancer. While the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fund raiser targets breast cancer awareness, the funds are used against all cancers.

Thanks for your taking the time to read this far.