Cancer is like wearing white socks with dress shoes

Today I spoke in front of 500 people who attended the English mass, here in my parish church. I was nervous, actually sweating. I was told to deliver a 2 minute speech and did the best I could. I rose to the podium and I felt my voice cracking. I was scared I was going to cry in front of all these strangers. "Lisa, try to compose yourself."

Short but sweat, I spoke about Wigged Out In Purple and TAVOLA GRANDE. I spoke about how I was diagnosed and how they should hit the site for more info. I walked back to my seat as the sound of applause follwed me. The clapping made me feel wierd. When the mass was over I was confronted by people with heartfelt support and hugs. One woman commended me on my fundraising campaign and told me that she had 2 people in her family who had died from Lymphoma Cancer. I had to hug her for she had tears in her eyes. As the crowd broke away, I saw a friend of mine who I had not seen in months, and broke down in her arms. I was happy to see her.

I wake up everyday. I grab my coffee. Check my agenda. I answer my emails. I contact sponsors. This campaign has become my job. I think of something for the blog. Some people think my blog is sad. Some find it entertaining. I am not here to make people cry nor am I here to make people happy. "It is just a day in the life of", says my friend Rosa. I write about my feelings and my thoughts in hopes that, I too, will get something from my own writings after reading it, over and over. I am learning everything about Lymphoma cancer as I go along. For some this hits close to home. For others its a way of seeing into the life of someone who was diagnosed with an illness.

I get alot of emails from people with their cancer stories. Not only about Lymphoma, but about other cancers and how they relate. Cancer is too common now. Its like wearing white socks with dress shoes - It's still going on, will it ever STOP? Children, adults, the elderly. Everyone has a story and all of our stories are similar. Some have a happy ending. Some don't. I am not trying to find a cure. I am only one person, but people do need to be informed and get checked. I think this is a learning process for all of us. I am lucky because I can now wear dark socks, but I don't ever want to see white ones again!