UCAAN Cross Country Trip - Day 5 & 6

Friday May 13th, 2011
Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Tampa Florida
Total miles: 715 miles, 12 hours total

These days seem to be getting shorter and shorter and the distances further and further. I feel some days that we've been driving for weeks and yet it's only been 5 days. Lol. This was the longest of all of our days of driving.

But on the lighter side of things, Sarah and I thoroughly enjoyed the sights and the journey - we crossed over through 4 states in about 2 hours - from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Alabama to Mississippi to Florida. By the time we arrived in Florida we were beyond famished and it was 9:30pm- we still had much to do - eat and interview June.

Let me give you some information about June, the first person to donate to our first UCAAN event and who is also a HUGE supporter of UCAAN! In September 2009, we had our first ever date auction with celebrities and we were auctioning off dates with single men & women as well as time with celebrities. We were lucky enough to get some big names this year, which included: Kevin Sorbo, Dean Cain, Morgan Brittany, Maurice La Marche & Victoria Jackson. Somehow we got the word out there on ABC7's on the Red Carpet website and they did a small article online about it. Well, June who lives in Tampa saw a piece of that article on her Dean Cain Fan Club site - Zoomway! She was so excited that he had the possible chance of a date with Dean, that she couldn't refuse!

June ended up being our winner - at $1500! Her date would include lunch at Bocaccio's (An Italian restaurant on Westlake Lake in Westlake Village, CA). June, who was beyond excited when she heard the news couldn't believe she was the winner - but was beyond excited!!! Her time with Dean was 7 months later and from what she reported to us today she had the time of her life!! She flew in from Florida, stayed in the Ventura County Area and enjoyed lunch with Dean and a boat ride - as he drove her around in the boat supplied by Bocaccio's restaurant. June says it was a time to remember. And she has continued to support UCAAN by suggesting our cause to receive donations from her Dean Cain Zoomway club, that chooses a charity once a year to donate to for Dean's Birthday. Goooo June!!

Sarah and I had a BLAST with JUNE and enjoyed our time with her in Tampa. Thanks so much June for letting us stay the night!

Saturday May 14th, 2011 - "So We Meet Again!"
Tampa, Florida to Boca Raton, Fl Total Miles: 240

This was a beyond special day for me..... because I was seeing my aunt and uncle (on my father's side) for the first time in 25 years!! Avi is my father's brother, who live in Boca with his wife Rita. I had chills, as Sarah and I drove out to Boca, in addition I was dealing with a slight cold that I got from Arizona. :0( We were enjoying the drive..... until we hit the toll roads and the miles of bugs that flew into our window. When Sarah and I arrived at a gas station, our front window was covered in bugs who had committed suicide. But we weren't the only ones! In the gas station, there were 18 wheelers, SUVs, and compact cars all with the same issue - trying to get the bugs off their grills and their windows. WOW!

When we finally arrived in Boca, I was about ready to cry. I had lost my father when I was 3 to melanoma, and was about to see his brother, who I hadn't seen in too long. I remembered the photos and recalled how much they looked alike. As Sarah and I walked up to the door, we found Aunt Rita (a cute short lady) standing in the hall with Uncle Avi behind her. I embraced them, knowing I should have seen them sooner than this, but knowing that they loved me none-the-less.

The View from Uncle Avi's and Aunt Rita's was phenomenal! The Florida Beach was clear and crystal blue and the sand was white. Beautiful!! (The pictures will come later!) We spent time with them until we all went out to dinner and enjoyed some Cuban food with them and Rita's Nephew Drew & his wife Vicky. The food was amazing - I had never tasted anything so good. We all enjoyed the night and spent time with one another. It didn't hit me till later before I was going to bed - how much my father and Avi looked alike and how much he reminded me of him - my father was a great writer and a world traveler, and intelligent, funny man who didn't live long enough to see what I have made of myself today... I miss him so much. But I know he would be proud of where I am now. Spending time with his brother & Rita, enjoying the world and taking on cancer like I did. Thanks dad for your strength and passion for life that you have given to me!!

I hope to visit Avi & Rita again - maybe once or twice a year, because I feel like I have to make up for lost time & they my father's family!







Tomorrow's Teaser: We drive out to Jacksonville, Florida and meet a survivor named Jim, stay in Jacksonville and then head out the next morning for another long drive - this time out to North Carolina! Stay Tuned for More adventures with Rachel & Sarah!

UCAAN Cross Country Trip - Day 3 & 4

Got UCAAN Fever? Here's our Cross Country Documentary Updates!!
Updates for Wed May 11th & Thurs May 12th 2011

Day 3: El Paso Texas to Austin
Day 4: Austin to Houston, Tx to Baton Rouge, Louisiana!

Day 3: El Paso, Texas to Austin, Tx Total Miles: 529

Day 3 was indeed a long one, with lots of adventures, and long driving..... Sarah and I headed out at 10am in hopes of getting to Austin early enough to meet with fellow survivor Eric in Austin. The drive was long and tiring, mainly because we had huge stretches of nothing but desert and it just became monotonous. But Sarah and I pushed through, taking turns driving and taking pictures on our journey. We did see some wild sand storms, and swirls of sand in the distance that looked like a mini tornado. We eventually made it to Austin, and how confused were we? We had been driving for close to what seemed like 8 hours and had arrived later than we had hoped. We checked into our hotel and moved our stuff into our room. We soon found out that our room smelled and the floor was wet. Lol. So we had to move to another room. By this time it was 9:30pm and we still had yet to meet up with Eric and interview him. (I should probably include that the freeways in Austin were beyond confusing to us, and the streets lacked signs..... I think Sarah and I had had enough..... and by the next morning were ready to leave. Lol.) PS> We had a blast driving through Fredricksburg, New Mexico)

Once Again we pushed through and arranged to pick up Eric - about 7 miles from our hotel and all go somewhere where we could talk. Denny's!! Lol. Now let me give you a little info about Eric. Eric is a fellow young cancer survivor who had Melanoma in his eye when he was 37 and living in Chicago. Eric and I first started talking about 3 years ago on a cancer site called C is for Cupid - a dating site that was for survivors of cancer or others affected by the disease. We talked on the phone for years - hours of conversations and relating to the same situations with cancer and stories about those we had met. At the time I was starting to work on UCAAN and he was working for a non-profit in Chicago. Eventually he moved out to Austin. So this was the first time I was meeting Eric. The anticipation was great, and crush on him. :0) So we met!! He was just as I remembered from the pictures, and his personality was the same old Eric I had been talking to over the years! He gave Sarah and I both a big hug - awwww... nice.

He told us he would only talk for 10 minutes on camera. That ten minutes turned into a full 2 1/2 hours! There we were in Denny's in Austin, miles from our hotel chatting about cancer, experiences, and the aftermath. Although he didn't go through chemo or radiation, he had experienced some things that I had - like the "fog brain" (aka.chemo brain, and the troubles with dating. Eric however was lucky enough to find a great woman in Texas, and I'm so happy for him. I can't wait for you to see our convo in the movie!

Day 4: Austin to Houston, Tx to Baton Rouge, Louisiana!
Total Miles: 575

Onto my favorite day..... Today! Sarah and I had to get up super early after only 3.5 hours of sleep, we were up and out of the hotel by 5:45am and arrived at MD Anderson (Houston, Tx) )a little later than expected 9:20am. I cannot even tell you how impressed I was with MD Anderson Cancer Center - which has been rated the #1 cancer hospital in the country by US News (Health). The facility has 5 buildings total, including a new in patient center that is 9 levels for inpatients! I cannot even begin to tell you how much this hospital has to offer, without giving away too much. Lol.

We met with Julie P and got a great tour of the hospital including the skyline walkway they have that goes from the out patient center to the hospital - a full 3/4 of a mile one way, that offers golf carts driven by staff that take patients down and back! There were a few things that we noticed that were somewhat similar to the CTCA, but there were a lot of huge differences. The way that MD Anderson outpatient building is set up is very organized - like their breast cancer floor, encompasses every single doctor and specialist that you would need to see for your BC treatments all on one floor (instead of having to walk all over the hospital for different appointments).

We met 2 cancer survivors who were helped at MD Anderson and were now volunteers at MD! Two great women with positive attitudes and great stories of hope. 00132

After MD Anderson, we headed out towards Baton Rouge, Louisiana - a almost 5 hour drive. The drive itself was exceptional and the sights were beyond phenomenal! Gorgeous Lush land, lots of forests and swampy areas. This included an amazing bridge (Breaux Bridge) that stretched across the swamp/water for 27.6 miles, and crossing over the Mississippi! Pictures Included!! We finally arrived in Baton Rouge, and enjoyed a late lunch at the Waffle House....... So this is short and I figure I have written enough for tonight. Plus I'm sleepy and Sarah is sleeping already!
The best part of the drive: Breaux Bridge - 2 bridges - each going a different way!!

Note: I forgot to mention something about MD Anderson. Julie, our awesome tour guide told us that when Katrina hit, they welcomed 487 cancer patients, they were unable to get their medical records, they helped the people - no questions asked, no requiring any insurance of payment. When we hear stories like this, we can see what a TRULY amazing hospital this is!!

UCAAN appreciates your continued support! A special thank you goes out to all of you that contribute to our cause. Thank you! We hope that this documentary will help us not only spread the hope to others, but also to raise awareness about what UCAAN can do for you!!


Tomorrow's Teaser:
We venture out to Tampa, Florida (10 hours!!) to meet a woman who supported UCAAN in the beginning and we're meeting her for the first time!!

UCAAN Cross Country Trip - Day 2

Hey Everyone!

What a day! Day 2 was a lot of fun and I have a lot to tell you, so hopefully you enjoy all of the writing and the pictures! Feel free to send these entries to your friends as well if you think they'd want to read about this trip!

When we woke up in the morning after a good sleep, we got ready to visit the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Goodyear Arizona. I had always heard about the CTCA on the TV and always wondered what it was like. Today I found out and was beyond impressed. It's hard to tell you exactly how amazing the hospital was without writing out an entire few pages of details. But I can tell you this: It's like a resort for cancer survivors. It doesn't look like or feel like a cancer hospital, which is only a small reason why It's awesome! There are more reasons, and I'll explain with some bullet points, since this email is going to be long as it is.


CTCA Treats survivors 18+ with Stage 3 & 4 (advanced stage) cancers
Each patient/survivor is assigned a "Care Team", which is generally 5 people- an oncologist, a spiritual advisor, a mind & body therapist, a nutritionist & a naturopathic doctor. All of these people work as your care team & help you through all of your treatments!!
Flights to and from the CTCA are included for qualified patients
The are 100% digital! This means that when you are picked up at the airport by them, you get the paperwork in the car on a small tablet, this way you can fill it out on the way to the hospital!!! Saves time!
They do grocery store trips and activities with the patients
They have a restaurant on the grounds for the patients & their families that offers 90% Organic food and an experienced chef that cooks all types of food!! (Delicious & beyond affordable!)
They offer a lot of other treatment help like chiropractic, acupuncture, and more!
They offer a manicure & pedicure to survivors while they are getting treatments
They go above and beyond to make sure that every patient feels at home and is comfortable.

We were unable to video tape the interview with Beth, the survivor that we spoke with, but we were able to get the tour on tape, which you will see later. Beth's story is exceptional, and she shared with us how she was diagnosed and was at a treatment center that wasn't giving her all of her options. Her father told her about CTCA and within 2 days of calling them, she was admitted. She was very appreciative and excited about speaking with us. Her story to come soon!

Betsy, who gave us a great tour of the facility, bought us lunch and organic smoothies!! After our adventure at CTCA, we were on the road again, heading out to El Paso, Texas - a 6 hour drive. The drive itself was fun and of course Sarah and I found ourselves laughing the majority of the drive. We saw some extremely colorful checkered buildings near Phoenix, and had an interesting encounter with a cop, who was driving behind me for a few minutes- turned on his lights and as I pulled to the right he rushed past me. I can't even begin to tell you how fast my heart was beating (Sarah's too), and that I couldn't believe that he didn't just go around me. Lol. Classic.

I can tell you that Arizona seemed to go on forever and for the longest time we thought that we were in New Mexico already...but we had another 75 miles to go. As soon as we crossed into New Mexico, we noticed the time change- we had gained an hour and and it went from being 3:45pm to 4:45pm! We did stop in a small town to get some gas and as we drove back to the freeway, we noticed a deserted town that looked destroyed, and many run down buildings with businesses closed. It was Lordsburg, New Mexico. One hotel stuck out to us, as it reminded Sarah of the Bates Motel on the Universal Studios tram!

By the time we reached El Paso, we were beyond excited to finally be here. We spent some time just hanging out and ended the night by going out to karaoke for a bit. I had looked up a karaoke bar that was in El Paso, prior to us arriving and was beyond excited about being able to go out and sing with Sarah! We each sang a few songs and returned to our hotel.

I can tell you that today has been a busy day and we have another full day ahead of us tomorrow. Some things have changed with the trip so far, but we are working through them and finding a way to still get what we need to get done - DONE! We had 2 cancellations from hospitals, and some small route changes. We won't be able to go to Fort Worth tomorrow, and instead will be heading out to Austin, Texas to meet my online friend Eric and have his share his story. Till tomorrow...... This is the end of Day 2 and finally I am off to sleep!

PS. Day 1 I made 20 "Share the Hope" Bracelets and today I made 10. So far we have only given away 2, but there will be more!!!

Till tomorrow.... signing out!

UCAAN Cross Country Trip - Day 1

Hello Everyone!

Today - what an awesome first day! It all started at 9am,
when Sarah (my assistant extraordinaire & best friend) arrived
at my house to get me in her fabulous red Kia Soul. Our first stop
was San Diego, California to meet a father and his daughter, who
were both affected by cancer in different ways.

Doc, who had prostate cancer, shared his story with us and told me
"I'm not a survivor." As we talked, I told him what my definition of a
survivor was "From the moment you are diagnosed with cancer, you
are a survivor, whether you're going through treatment or have been
free of cancer for years. Every day you kick the cancer, you are surviving!
It doesn't matter if you've been through chemo or radiation or neither, you
still are a survivor!" Doc, smiled at me as I told him this.

Also with Doc, was his daughter Kryse, who was affected by cancer in another
way - she had lost her husband to pancreatic cancer in January. She shared
her heart wrenching story, but also her strong, positive attitude and her
passion to help others she met battling the disease.

How did UCAAN help these two fabulous people & UCAAN supporters?
My step-dad, met Doc at an event and told him about UCAAN and how we
help others affected by cancer. Doc in turn contacted me on Facebook to
find out more. We hit it off and have been speaking for several months.
I helped him by providing information to Kryse when she was going through
her husband's treatments and his passing - sometimes by providing small
things to people can make a big difference, which is what we try to do!

I gave a few gifts to Doc & Kryse today..... Gifts of Hope that many have
received from me in the past and will continue to receive. I made a "Hang in
there Hope Monkey" for Doc- it was cute and had some awesome muscles! I also
made Kryse a "Share the Hope" Bracelet and a "In Memory of" Plaque with her husband's name on it and a special message on the back. Just seeing how excited they were to receive these small gifts of hope, was awesome!

After we spent time with them, we were on the road again - with a 5 hour drive ahead of us to Phoenix, Arizona. The drive was fun, as Sarah and I found ourselves singing the whole way, laughing and having a blast. We say a lot of fun sights during the drive, like a small chapel on a big hill of sand, a restaurant shaped like a UFO, some gorgeous mountains & scenery, the handsome fellas at the border patrol with their dogs, the exciting sign for Golden Corral (Where we stopped and ate- amazing how they show commercials in our area for this restaurant but we have none.) and the awesome sign that read "State Prison Surprise" and underneath it "Wild Animal Park" - sooo random!

We did encounter what I would call a crazy intersection, that had cars coming from like 8 directions. I've been at a 5-way stop, but never an 8-way stop - which was completely confusing. Sarah and I can't wait to leave tomorrow and not have to deal with this intersection again!

I've included some pictures of the day for you. Hope you enjoy and You'll heard from me tomorrow, after we visit the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Goodyear Arizona and head out to El Paso, Texas!

More to come!! This is only Day 1.

This Life - You Must Make it Work

It didn't take me long to realize what was most important to me in life after my whole cancer battle. For most people, it's hard to see past the tornado of things that we focus on and we miss all the important things along the way. I heard a song the other day, and one of the lyrics said "Those things don't last forever." The things they were referring to, were the material things - the cars, fancy flat screen TVs, the million dollar house, the items that would eventually depreciate and would need to be purchased again. The same thing goes for your private jet, your million dollar a year salary and your 200 foot yacht.... these are merely possessions and sometimes big goals for people... but after we go, what are they really worth? Nothing!

So, what makes me write this blog titled "This Life - You Must Make it Work"? Because in my journey through life, I have met many people, heard lots of stories and learned a lot. The truth is, that I have a memory problem and can't remember most of those conversations, but I usually try to write the stories down, or record them with a camcorder, so I can hear them over and over again... I wish I could remember them... But I can't. Why? Due to my radiation that I had to help me beat cancer for the second time, I have scaring on my brain, scaring that is permanent and has caused permanent damage to my brain. This is one of the problems that I have incurred since my last cancer treatments in late 2008. None the less, I somehow find a way to look past these bad side effects that I have incurred, the ones that will be with me forever. I must find a way to make things work.

So how do you apply this point of view to your own life? You need to look past everything else, and I know this may sound funny but you need to decide if what you are doing in life is what makes you happy. It sounds crazy I know! To throw caution to the wind and just do what makes you happiest in life, but this is one of the ways to improve your own personal quality of life. It's like putting on a pair of rose colored sun glasses, everything changes, things look clearer and more colorful! You need to think and decide what you love most in life and how you can turn it into a career, something that you can in turn make enough money to survive from. This isn't a quick decision and you may need to give up some of the extras that you are accustomed to, like the $150 a month special cable package, the $50 a month make up set, your $850 a month Mercedes with all the bells and whistles. When you look at all that stuff... do you really need all that? I guess most people think that since they have the money, why not spend it, well why not spend it doing something amazing, long lasting that will help others and best of all make you feel amazing!

We only have this one life and to waste it on fights, material things, excessive spending, etc is just like wasting your life away. Now this is only an opinion and you don't have to take it to heart if you don't want to. I think a lot about other charities, because people are constantly comparing UCAAN to the other charities, but we are very different. There are other charities that take in huge amounts of money, that have CEOS, including retired ones taking six to seven figure salaries, when the average amount that a CEO should be making for a non profit is between $92,000 and $147,000/year. Who decided that $915,000 was acceptable or event $1,550,000? These amounts are exuberant and they are taking so much away from the survivors that need the money more because they have gone through their savings, or just cannot afford the treatments that they need. It's sad and disgraceful and this is why we need to stand up for those that need the help! This folks, is part of why I left what I was doing and chose the path less traveled. I got into something that I was somewhat scared to get into, and nervous about - starting a non profit organization. I looked at my life after cancer and knew what my purpose was, I was saved to help others, to use the skills and passions that I have to help other people. I cannot do all this alone, because of my damage from treatments, there are things that I cannot accomplish without help. But I don't allow it to withhold me from accomplishing what I need to. The brain scaring, it's bad and has destroyed my confidence in myself, it has taken away my ability to remember and learn new information, but it has also shown me that with the help of others, I can accomplish even the hardest of tasks.

So, for this life folks.... look at what you are currently doing and decide if it's enough to make you happy. I have found that for the most part, I am happier, and although I have some life altering side effects I try not to allow it to hold me back. You shouldn't either. What would you do with your life if you could choose something better and more fulfilling than what you are doing now? What would make you happiest? And what would you need to do to accomplish this? Would you be able to make this work for you?

:)