A challenge for you...if you dare!

Below is the link to my Team in Training Fundraising page! Check it out for the challenge of the week...you will NOT want to miss this!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/rnr12/sdalei

Camden's Story

There are THREE main reasons why I am running this Marathon, one of those reasons is Camden B. Methvin.

I asked Camden's mother to share their heartbreaking story with me so that I could share it with you. Ashley is a single mother to two adorable boys. She moonlights as a nurse at a CNA to help give her boys the lives they deserve. As a nursing student by day, you can imagine what a blood cancer scare could do to the strength she has built up for her already challenging life. Please take the time to read the story below. It is real, heartbreaking, and one of the reasons why I am raising money to find a cure for blood cancers. Remember, "Every Dollar Counts". When you are done, if you feel it your heart to donate, please do so either through my page, (http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/rnr12/sdalei), or contact me at sarahdale2011@yahoo.com for other ways you can donate. Thank you.

World Stopped on a Dime... Let's help catch it in Time <3
by Ashley Methvin on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 6:08pm
It was January 2011 and just a routine visit with the pediatrician for a well check up for my two boys. (Ages then 5 and 9 mos).  The baby had a cold but my oldest son, Camden, was perfectly fine. Everything was going great and as the Dr. began summarizing our visit and feeling Camden's neck to check lymphnodes before turning to myself and the charts... I noticed he wasn't moving. He kept feeling behind Camden's neck. I'm in the medical profession and immediately felt a knot tighten. He turned to me and said that he was a little concerned about the size because he wasn't exhibiting any signs of an infection; however with Xander (the baby) having a viral infection that Camden was probably just getting sick and would show more symptoms in the next few days. Sure enough he developed the 24hr virus his brother had and I assumed the Dr. was right on the $$.

Move along to middle May 2011.  I was getting ready to take the boys out on the boat when my mother approached me and asked if I had ever made the follow up appointment or gotten any blood work? Since the bloodwork was optional, Camden DID get sick, I opted to not make him endure being pricked. Honestly, He hadn't been sick since that 3 days in January and we went almost 6 months without needing an office visit for anything.  Perplexed about mama's question I grabbed my son and began to palpate (feel) his lymphnodes.  To my shock I felt one almost the size of a golf ball right under his chin area and three more behind his ears on his neck.  I FREAKED out! I called the Dr immediately and the set up an emergent appointment for the following day. I must have researched so many things that night... cried...and prayed that we'd get to the office and the dr would say it was nothing.

At the appointment, in walks Dr. Gonzales (The ABSOLUTELY MOST AMAZING Dr. Ever!!) He examined Camden and then asked if I had taken him for his bloodwork. I took Camden for the blood work prior to his visit at the office, so I said "yes" and that he should have the results within 24 hrs.  Dr. Gonzales, looked at me and I could see in his face the concern. I told him "Don't sugar coat it, i've been in medicine for 9 years and I need to know and what's our next step"... He said, "Ashley you know lymph nodes enlarge when there's an infection typically and since Camden's been completely well for almost 6 months .. .he paused... we're going to need to rule out..." and I finished with "Cancer".  In a flash, all my daily worries and plans just froze. My world stopped. Surroundings Blurred...and the Room was a hollow echo. I looked into Dr. Gonzales eyes for strength before I had to switch into mommy mode and not let Camden see my tears. Lord knows I didn't want him scared if indeed it was Cancer. Dr.Gonzales said, "Try not to worry right now because we'll know more when the bloodwork comes in".. Most people don't know but Leukemia will cause an  increaase in WBC's but not Lymphoma. At this point Dr. Gonzales was trying to rule out if it was Leukemia or Lymphoma. We were out on the boat fishing and looking for Alligators when I received the phone call AFTER HOURS from Dr. Gonzales himself. The bloodwork didn't point to Leukemia, so now our next step was the Ultrasound.

I literally hounded the operator into pushing us in a time slot for the following monday. (They wanted me to wait almost 10 days) and by now I figured if it was cancer back in January then it's been almost 6 months untreated and I wasn't waiting ANY longer! We were in the room waiting for the Ultrasound within 2 days! Again, being in medicine has its perks but when it's your child it makes it even more scary bc you know what's normal and abnormal. We felt 3 lymph nodes in the Dr's office. I explained to the tech what we were looking for and why (She asked)... She measured the largest one first.. (**FYI: anything between 1.5-2+cm is typically Lymphoma) either way it's abnormal in size. With that said... she measured another, and then another, (I"m thinking "OK we're done") and yet she kept measuring and taking pics... I counted up to 15 and stopped. I was horrified...this wasn't good.

We were getting ready to go out on the boat when I got the call about the Ultrasound Results. I have always gotten "good" results over the phone because we live almost an hr away... but Dr. Gonzales called for me to come into the office with Camden. Upon his examination and going over the results he revealed that 27 lymphnodes were enlarged ranging from 1.5-2cm in diameter. He immediately notified me we needed to do a biopsy to determine if this was indeed Lymphoma. Again, the wait time was almost 2 weeks. I pushed and pushed... and was able to get him scheduled to meet with the surgeon within 2 days. We met and he scheduled the surgery for the following week. I contacted St. Jude and had already established a "Pre Registration" folder with St. Jude and their dr's were prepared to recieve report from our Dr. within the week with results to determine his treatment. Camden was so brave during the biopsy and wasn't too happy he had to wear tape on his face with the bandage...lol. He came through just fine and tolerated anesthesia well... but when the Specialist came out I didn't get "Doesn't look worrysome to me but we're sending it off to make sure"...Nope, I got "He did fine, Your physician will explain the results"... SERIOUSLY I was scared out of my mind. Surely he would have said something more positive.

The next couple of days were an emotional roller coaster. I won't go into all the details because my sis says "Don't write a Novel" (she knows I could ;) ) And yet again I was called to come to the office...and not bring Camden. That drive to Tallahassee was filled with SO many .. fears, tears, prayers... I could barely see to drive. At least I had the comfort that St. Jude was prepared to take him and all they needed was my Dr's authorization. I walked down the hallway and Dr. Gonzales came in, took his seat on the stool, and said ....

"Breath it's not lymphoma. I don't have an explanation really to explain why he had so many enlarged lymphnodes, everything was pointing to Lymphoma." All I could say was.. "My God...Praise God.. He's healed my Baby"!! I burst into tears, told him Thanks so much for staying on top of it and being up front with me. I bawled like a baby for a good 10 mins. My mom thought it was cancer bc when I called I was still crying.. GOD saved my baby.

UPDATE: To this day the doctors still have no explanation for Camden's Miraculous healing. He was examined by 4 doctors that all were sure we were dealing with Lymphoma. His lymphnodes are no longer swollen, he's healthy and making Straight A's in Kindergarten.  I do obsessively check his lymphnodes randomly to make sure I don't feel anything abnormal, and Dr. Gonzales has been great with follow up. He promised to stand by us the whole way and he did!! He never allowed me to hear something "through the grapevine or nurses" .. He called himself. Camden is doing Great and is now 6yrs old!!

*I hope my story helped you connect on a mother's level about a Cancer that is taking so many lives both adults and children. Research is the key to defeating this monster...as parents we will defeat any monster for our babies... and this is no different. My sister, was so touched by this scare that she entered a marathon and is trying to raise money to Support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I was blessed that Camden's wasn't Lymphoma... But so many aren't. So many fight the battles daily and in the more advanced cases more research is needed. Please help join the fight!! Even a small $2 or $5 donation will help.

A New Mission

Hi Everyone! Sorry to have abandoned you for nearly 13 days now, but life has taken a quick spin towards awesomeness! Ready to join me on this new journey?


Over the next few months I will be training to run/walk a 1/2 marathon, which equals 13.1 miles. For someone like me, who works out every now and then, that's a long way to go. However, I've teamed up with a fantastic group called, Team in Training which is partnered with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation to raise money to fight against Blood Cancers. 

I will be using this blog to keep everyone updated on my progress. I will not only be creating fundraising events and contests, but I will also be tracking my workouts every Saturday! 

Until next time, check out My Fundraising website, 

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/rnr12/sdalei#Lets-Begin

feel free to make a donation. Your donation is tax deductible, and very much appreciated. If you donate online through my page, you'll be happy to know it's safe, secure and fast! 

Keep and eye out for give-aways, and fun games and contests being held in the next few months!

Cooking in the Kitchen with Sarah :)

One of my New Year's Resolutions this year was to 'Spend more time in the Kitchen'. So below I have a recipe that I created the other day, that I thought I would share with you. Happy Eating :)

Scrambled Deli Meat Sandwich Delight!


First let's get your supplies, materials or whatever you choose to call them.

All these materials you see here, though your choice of meat is well...your choice. 

First you'll start to scramble your eggs. 

~Crack~

Stir

Don't forget to heat up your pan, otherwise it'll just be "eggs in a pan"

Scramble them up (if you don't know how to do this, I suggest Google :))

Put your sandwich together

Should look like this.

Finish scrambling your eggs.

Put it together and microwave for 20seconds to really melt the cheese and....

Wa-la!

A tasty Meal :)

Smilebox Feature :)

This free photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

New Year, New Mama

It's that time of year again, a time of freshness, a new start and a clean slate. This post is going to be more about the Mama side of things than the kid part, for a change. How many of us have set New Years Resolutions and not been able to keep up with them? How many have done everything on your list?

Keeping promises to yourself, which essentially are what New Years Resolutions really are, is very challenging. But, it's not impossible. If you have ever wanted to make a list of Resolutions that will help reinvent yourself in the new year, do it! Follow some, all or none of the tips below, and you will see that it IS possible!

Tip #1- Make that list! Take a piece of paper and write down 5 things you want to accomplish in 2012! Some examples would include the common, "Lose 10lbs", "Go to church more", "Be a better more giving person", etc. There is no wrong answer here except, "I can't do it."

Tip #2- Recruit a small support team! This could be your spouse, family member, best friend, or the bag clerk at your local Ralph's. This person will ask you about your list, you share and they will continue to push you towards it. If they become hostile and threaten you, then it's best you separate yourself from that person and find someone else.

Me and My Best Friend Brandi R

Tip #3- Set a time line! What this means is let's say I want to find a new church for my family, and begin attending. I think it would be a good idea to give myself a month to find a suitable church, so I spend 4 Sunday's of the month of January attending 4 different churches. So my time line for that resolution would be, "by the end of January"

Tip #4- DO IT! Don't allow yourself or any negative Nancy around you to let you fall behind. My sister and one of my main supporters, Ashley M, once told me, "do for yourself, not what others expect or want from you". When you make these goals and resolutions, you have to do it for yourself. Don't commit to losing 10lbs for your spouse, or because the neighbor is getting more looks from hot guys than you are, do it for yourself. Creating the new you this year, is about YOU!

My Resolutions are about Me :)

Tip #5- Email me if you ever feel yourself falling behind on your goals or need an extra push! I'd be happy to encourage you. My email address is mama2keira10@yahoo.com. 

Tip #6- HAVE FUN!!! This may be a challenge but it most certainly isn't work! 

I look forward to reading about your New Year's Resolutions! We need to be great role models for our children, finding something you yearn for and sticking with it is a fantastic start!

:) This is YOUR year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Getting Shot ~ 18 months!

At certain times in a child's life, they must endure a horrid event called, "getting shots". Today Keira entered a new phase in her life, 18 months old! Tomorrow is her initiation or what we call, "getting shot". I'm not sure who it hurts more; my daughter as she's held down, tears streaming down her face as she gets poked with 5 different shots, or myself standing there being forced to hold her down while trying not to cry with her. Here's how I expect the day to go. 

As we enter the parking garage under the Doctor's office and circle around the dark building looking for a parking spot big enough to fit an SUV (the car of choice when you're a parent but don't want to be labeled as a "typical Mom in a mini-van). Finally catching a glimpse of a spot wedged between a Honda and the wall, we pull in. Keira in the back seat, her eyebrows scrunched in a frown while stuffing her face with cereal from a ziploc bag (it's how she prefers it). Opening the door, it switches her DVD off that she was focused on, and she glances around finally becoming aware we've stopped. 

After getting her out while she puts up a fuss, I sit Keira down and let her walk to the elevator. She has recently started to find interest in pushing the elevator buttons and I let her try. As we reach the fourth level, we step out of the elevator and Keira immediately turns to me, sensing what's about to happen. 

The office is normally quick so we only wait a moment and are called back. Getting Keira's vitals proves to be a preview of how the rest of the appointment is going to be. Hugging her close after we find out she's finally over the 20lb mark, we make our way back to the stuffy patient room and wait. 

and wait...wait some more...and finally when we feel like we can't have enough we hear voices outside the room. I'm suddenly as nervous as Keira is, despite the white bed paper having distracted her for a brief moment. 

The doctor walks in and smiles, comments about how big Keira has gotten, and begins her assessment. After the technical stuff (more vitals, questions I may have, etc), she leaves gives us her assessment and says the nurse will be in soon to give Keira the shots. 

My palms begin to sweat, heart stars fluttering and I hug Keira closer. She senses my fears now and places her head on my shoulder. In walks the nurse. 

Reading glasses, a wide smile with a slight lipstick stain on her two front teeth, the smell of rubbing alcohol fills the air. She puts the shots on the bed and motions for me to lay Keira down. I ask her how we are going to do this, and she tells me,

"we are going to both hold her down and I'll do it as quickly as possible" she exclaims as I sense a hint of wanting to roll her eyes. Like I should know this already. 

I take a deep breath, kiss Keira on her forehead and tell her it'll be OK. Laying her down she begins to struggle and I can't help but think that I'm the worst mother in the world. I continue to tell my beautiful daughter that it's OK yet she still cries and screams and thrashes about. Finally the nurse gets the shots in and I pull Keira up into my arms while trying to calm her down. We walk out of the office and I fix Keira into her car seat. She's tired, past her nap time to begin with, so she quickly falls asleep as we make our way back home. 

 One of the many difficult things we will have to endure as Mother and Daughter. It's over at least for another 6 months.