Tuesday, June 21, 2016
A Special Thank You
When I think about the overall success of this trip I am reminded of my first trip back in 2011. Here's a little background on it. My former assistant Sarah and I had everything planned, 16 cancer hospitals, driving through 25 states in 21 days. Some of those drives were tedious, stretching as long as 12 hours, but we persevered with our sense of humor and love for life and adventure. Now, as we were driving, hospitals we had previously scheduled, were cancelling, not because of us but because of other priorities, HIPPA laws and natural emergencies. We were driving across country in May, at the same time of the year when that man had projected the end of the world on May 21st, 2011. The natural disasters included floods of the Colorado River into New Orleans and tornadoes in Joplin, MS and Nebraska. Despite all of this, even with 12 hospitals unable to accommodate us, we still survived and made the trip an amazing one. We visited 4 of the best cancer hospitals and got some great footage. We made it work no matter what.
So, why am I bringing this up to you? I bring this up because when I first planned this trip, I had 22 hospitals and organizations confirmed and so far, even with a bit of a rocky start, we still have a HUGE impact to make. We are meeting 10 of our patients on this trip for the first time, we are finally visiting Moffit Cancer center in Tampa (after our 2011 trip didn't work), we are meeting with a few small cancer organizations including one in Gainesville, Florida that's run by a husband and wife team that focuses on the needs of patients and has raised over $1.7 million in 10 years. We are visiting the first hospital to offer proton therapy in the country, one that has one of the largest Proton Therapy machines nationwide, in addition to being on a local radio station and Morning show on TV in Jacksonville. We are ding all we can to raise awareness about the needs of cancer patients and we honestly couldn't have done all this WITHOUT YOU!
We want all of our supporters to know how much we greatly appreciate your support and how your donation IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
Thank you again to all of our amazing Sponsors.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Day 4 - Sunday June 19th, 2016 - UCAAN Change a Life
They say everything happens for a reason.. like I was diagnosed with terminal cancer and survived it to create something bigger than myself... UCAAN. Well today we were at the right place at the right time for sure when we stopped at a gas station across from our hotel in Gillette Wyoming to get some gas for the long drive ahead (About 530 miles)
We stopped at the Sinclair gas station, whose logo is a cute brontosaurus, which we've seen a lot of recently. The gas was awesome!! Only $2.12/gallon!! As I was gassing up and Doryn was cleaning the bugs off our windshield, a man walked around my car and asked why we had sponsors on our car. He walked to the driver side and saw our logo. As he and I spoke about UCAAN and why I started it, he shared a story with me. He had lost his previous wife to Leukemia a few years prior (the same kind I had), she was a nurse and a big advocate for helping people. He spoke about how she was diagnosed and was in remission and a few years later it came back with a vengeance, unfortunately she lost her battle. I grabbed a UCAAN silicon bracelet out of my car and handed it to him. I told him how it glowed in the dark. He was excited! It was definitely a great encounter and meeting a new friend is always good. Great meeting you Phil of Wyoming!!
While we got a bit of a late start today, I can admit that it was a wonderful day! We left the hotel at 9:30 am and didn't get to our hotel in Sioux Falls, SD till 9:45pm. lol. Long day with a wonderful drive! We enjoyed our drive through Wyoming and the red roads on the freeway (per Doryn's mom Wendy and google its the oxidation of the iron minerals in the local rock).
We drove for about 2.5 hours to Rapid City, where we visited the Dinosaur Park, which was perched atop a high hill, the Dinosaur museum full of large dinosaur sculptures and Mount Rushmore. It was both of our first time going to Mount Rushmore and boy was it incredibly Break taking!
We stopped at the Sinclair gas station, whose logo is a cute brontosaurus, which we've seen a lot of recently. The gas was awesome!! Only $2.12/gallon!! As I was gassing up and Doryn was cleaning the bugs off our windshield, a man walked around my car and asked why we had sponsors on our car. He walked to the driver side and saw our logo. As he and I spoke about UCAAN and why I started it, he shared a story with me. He had lost his previous wife to Leukemia a few years prior (the same kind I had), she was a nurse and a big advocate for helping people. He spoke about how she was diagnosed and was in remission and a few years later it came back with a vengeance, unfortunately she lost her battle. I grabbed a UCAAN silicon bracelet out of my car and handed it to him. I told him how it glowed in the dark. He was excited! It was definitely a great encounter and meeting a new friend is always good. Great meeting you Phil of Wyoming!!
While we got a bit of a late start today, I can admit that it was a wonderful day! We left the hotel at 9:30 am and didn't get to our hotel in Sioux Falls, SD till 9:45pm. lol. Long day with a wonderful drive! We enjoyed our drive through Wyoming and the red roads on the freeway (per Doryn's mom Wendy and google its the oxidation of the iron minerals in the local rock).
We drove for about 2.5 hours to Rapid City, where we visited the Dinosaur Park, which was perched atop a high hill, the Dinosaur museum full of large dinosaur sculptures and Mount Rushmore. It was both of our first time going to Mount Rushmore and boy was it incredibly Break taking!
The Drive to Mount Rushmore was another beauty we enjoyed. Once we left Mt Rushmore, we stopped for a late lunch in Rapid City at a Perkins, which is like a higher class version of a cross between Norm's and Denny's. It was a little hard to find but we did spot something cool in this town, an indoor water park called Watiki. If we had more time I'm sure we would have gone and also enjoyed the Reptile Gardens and Bear Country. Maybe the next time we're in South Dakota!!
At about 4pm, after all our adventures in Rapid city, we were on our way to the hotel, which was now another 370 miles away. We kept seeing weird billboards for miles that said "Wall Drug", we wondered what it was... Turned out to be a drug store and coffee shop in the middle of no where, which also had cabins on their property.
Another thing we kept seeing were herds of cattle, gorgeous wilderness and plenty of water, which Doryn and I love!
We saw way too many people riding motorcycles without helmets, which we couldn't quite understand. Life is so precious and we need to do what we can to help one another and keep ourselves together! So WEAR YOUR HELMETS!
In closing, I am looking forward to tomorrow as we Visit Avera Health and their Cancer Center here in Sioux Falls, SD. We will be meeting with their navigation team (one of the first in the nation), tour their facility including the infusion center and visit with and talk to some cancer patients! We're bringing some informational packets and gifts for these patients including some small dental kits courtesy of our friend Violaine R, handmade bags by yours truly, Information about preventative dental care & healthier living and eating as well as UCAAN bracelets and some natural soap samples donated by Zatik Beauty Essentials!!
Looking forward to tomorrow!! Now, it's late. we lost another hour today and it's late! 1am... time for my beauty rest!
Saturday, June 18, 2016
UCAAN Change a Life Road Trip - Saturday June 18th, 2016 - Day 3
Day 3 - Idaho Falls, ID to Gillette, WY 496 miles & Who knows how many hours. (About 11 including stops and breaks)
When I think about today and the amazingly breathtaking views and the wonderful drive we took. I think about the simple things in life and one of the many things that Doryn and I spoke about today included how we all get so busy with our lives that we forget how it feels to life and to enjoy those little things in life. Especially for those of us who have had or have cancer... we are so focused on keeping everything together that we forget that time out for ourselves enjoying things in life that make us happy are just as important. The view below is from the remarkable view we saw of the Ririe Reservoir.
As we drove through Idaho we saw some remarkable sights from the luscious green farms to the herds of cattle, including the ones that Doryn tried to talk to and they all ran off. Lol. We drove through national forests as well. We were surrounded by trees, amazing views, mountains and so much wildlife.
On our drive we did pass through Jackson, Wy, a city with it's own "Energy". Driving through there was really something else and made us feel amazing. The town did have a lot of teepees and antlers decorating the town, including large antler arches near the center of town. The biggest reason why I wanted to visit Jackson was what I had heard about them. They are the most supportive town for those with cancer. Which means if you had cancer, this would be the BEST place to be because they make sure that the needs of their locals are taken care of. This was in fact confirmed by a docent we met at the Jackson Hole & Yellowstone Visitor Center. The docent, who shared information with us about the Elk migration, an antelope in the field about to give birth and some amazing painters in the fields below us that were painting the surrounding for 2 hours - this is something they do every year and they are all local painters/artists..... told us that their town had just held one of the events that they use to support the local cancer patients.... a run that raised well over.... $7 Million dollars! Here's the best part, this wonderful community only houses a population of 1,000 residents. WOW! Talk about AMAZING Fundraising!!
Snake River is a river that stretches far and wide. Not only did we pass over it in Idaho Falls, we also continued to drive over and past it throughout the trip.
I somehow missed Yellowstone on our drive, but we didn't miss out of the beauty through numerous national parks and up steep roads, through lush forests and high curvy roads. We stopped in the small Fremont County, the former home of Butch Cassidy. We stopped for a bite at a local cafe and each enjoyed a BLT. It was one of our favorite small town spots, filled with fun photos, signs, a gift shop and some great western designs and boots outside on the fence posts. Very nice indeed. The waitress told us about the roads we were about to take and warned us of bears and Big Horned Goats!
As we continued our drive, we drove through Boyken National Forest and past the World's Largest Mineral Hot Springs, if we had enough time we would have loved to go!!
IN the town or Worland, which we just drove through, they were all decked out with American flags on every corner.
We passed the Crazy Woman Canyon Road and Crazy Woman River. Yes! These were real spots!!
I saw a buck and Doryn spotted a deer, we passed the YCMA of the Big Horns - aka Camp Roberts. And drive through Buffalo, WY, where there were NO BUFFALO.
Best of all, the speed limit in Wyoming and some of Idaho was 80mph! Most people were flying faster! And there are surprisingly a lot of cyclists that ride on the freeway!
We finally made it to our hotel and are looking forward to seeing mount Rushmore tomorrow!
South Dakota, Here we come. FYI I am speaking in South Dakota on Monday! :)
When I think about today and the amazingly breathtaking views and the wonderful drive we took. I think about the simple things in life and one of the many things that Doryn and I spoke about today included how we all get so busy with our lives that we forget how it feels to life and to enjoy those little things in life. Especially for those of us who have had or have cancer... we are so focused on keeping everything together that we forget that time out for ourselves enjoying things in life that make us happy are just as important. The view below is from the remarkable view we saw of the Ririe Reservoir.
As we drove through Idaho we saw some remarkable sights from the luscious green farms to the herds of cattle, including the ones that Doryn tried to talk to and they all ran off. Lol. We drove through national forests as well. We were surrounded by trees, amazing views, mountains and so much wildlife.
On our drive we did pass through Jackson, Wy, a city with it's own "Energy". Driving through there was really something else and made us feel amazing. The town did have a lot of teepees and antlers decorating the town, including large antler arches near the center of town. The biggest reason why I wanted to visit Jackson was what I had heard about them. They are the most supportive town for those with cancer. Which means if you had cancer, this would be the BEST place to be because they make sure that the needs of their locals are taken care of. This was in fact confirmed by a docent we met at the Jackson Hole & Yellowstone Visitor Center. The docent, who shared information with us about the Elk migration, an antelope in the field about to give birth and some amazing painters in the fields below us that were painting the surrounding for 2 hours - this is something they do every year and they are all local painters/artists..... told us that their town had just held one of the events that they use to support the local cancer patients.... a run that raised well over.... $7 Million dollars! Here's the best part, this wonderful community only houses a population of 1,000 residents. WOW! Talk about AMAZING Fundraising!!
Snake River is a river that stretches far and wide. Not only did we pass over it in Idaho Falls, we also continued to drive over and past it throughout the trip.
I somehow missed Yellowstone on our drive, but we didn't miss out of the beauty through numerous national parks and up steep roads, through lush forests and high curvy roads. We stopped in the small Fremont County, the former home of Butch Cassidy. We stopped for a bite at a local cafe and each enjoyed a BLT. It was one of our favorite small town spots, filled with fun photos, signs, a gift shop and some great western designs and boots outside on the fence posts. Very nice indeed. The waitress told us about the roads we were about to take and warned us of bears and Big Horned Goats!
As we continued our drive, we drove through Boyken National Forest and past the World's Largest Mineral Hot Springs, if we had enough time we would have loved to go!!
IN the town or Worland, which we just drove through, they were all decked out with American flags on every corner.
We passed the Crazy Woman Canyon Road and Crazy Woman River. Yes! These were real spots!!
I saw a buck and Doryn spotted a deer, we passed the YCMA of the Big Horns - aka Camp Roberts. And drive through Buffalo, WY, where there were NO BUFFALO.
Best of all, the speed limit in Wyoming and some of Idaho was 80mph! Most people were flying faster! And there are surprisingly a lot of cyclists that ride on the freeway!
We finally made it to our hotel and are looking forward to seeing mount Rushmore tomorrow!
South Dakota, Here we come. FYI I am speaking in South Dakota on Monday! :)
UCAAN Change a Life Road Trip - Day 2 June 17th, 2016
As I sit here, I am dealing with some of the left over damage from my treatments. My memories were affected and because of it I have memory loss, even from something that happened yesterday. I hate to admit that I'm tearing up as I write this, because I am the strong one.... But low and behold. I can't remember. So I'll just write what I remember and share all the photos with you. Thankfully I remember today, so that will be a more detailed write up.
The first hotel, the Big Chief Motel in Battle Mountain, NV was by far one of the best ones that I've stayed in, in my life. It was clean, the bed was soft, the sheets were silky and soft, they really had everything you'd ever want in a hotel. The community was nice and friendly, the way a small town should be and we loved it. But we had to go, so when we woke up we stopped by the giant cowboy statue in front of the Fireworks store. Doryn and I had a blast taking pictured here, him especially in front of the giant missiles that sat out front.
Once we left that quaint town, we headed for Twin Falls Idaho, to visit the very location where Evel Kneivil took his infamous attempt to jump over snake river. As we drove over the bridge a few times we peered over the bridge and saw the enormous gap between both sides... we both wondered how he could have jumped this huge gorge. We parked at the visitor center and took a walk, taking photos of the exceptional craftsmanship of the Perrine Bridge. We wondered how in the world people could have created and built this phenomenal bridge. As we walked around we were surrounded by tourists, all of which spoke no English. Doryn and I watched in horror as these Asian visitors stood on the edge of walls that divided the spectators from the cliffs behind it. They were daring, and perhaps didn't see the danger in it, but one man just stood there and a family stood at the edge of one cliff..Despite Doryn being a bit of an adventurous person, not even he dared to stand there.
We enjoyed the sights and checking out the spot where Evel's ramp once stood. We also watched base jumpers jump from the Perrine Bridge and into the water below, their parachutes guiding them safely below. In the distance too, we saw a waterfall, kayakers and some breathtakingly amazing views.
The road between Nevada and Twin Falls Idaho was long, but gorgeous. The next part of the route to Pocatello would be the same beauty until we arrived at Golden Corral for a bite. Our last bit of our drive to Idaho Falls included more gorgeous farm land and trees. Thankfully, we made it to our hotel in less time than expected and stayed in a hotel with a hot tub. Since we got back so late, we enjoyed a dip in the hot tub before bed. We had a long day ahead of us and needed our beauty rest for sure.
I will get the photos up ASAP. Bad internet here.
The first hotel, the Big Chief Motel in Battle Mountain, NV was by far one of the best ones that I've stayed in, in my life. It was clean, the bed was soft, the sheets were silky and soft, they really had everything you'd ever want in a hotel. The community was nice and friendly, the way a small town should be and we loved it. But we had to go, so when we woke up we stopped by the giant cowboy statue in front of the Fireworks store. Doryn and I had a blast taking pictured here, him especially in front of the giant missiles that sat out front.
Once we left that quaint town, we headed for Twin Falls Idaho, to visit the very location where Evel Kneivil took his infamous attempt to jump over snake river. As we drove over the bridge a few times we peered over the bridge and saw the enormous gap between both sides... we both wondered how he could have jumped this huge gorge. We parked at the visitor center and took a walk, taking photos of the exceptional craftsmanship of the Perrine Bridge. We wondered how in the world people could have created and built this phenomenal bridge. As we walked around we were surrounded by tourists, all of which spoke no English. Doryn and I watched in horror as these Asian visitors stood on the edge of walls that divided the spectators from the cliffs behind it. They were daring, and perhaps didn't see the danger in it, but one man just stood there and a family stood at the edge of one cliff..Despite Doryn being a bit of an adventurous person, not even he dared to stand there.
We enjoyed the sights and checking out the spot where Evel's ramp once stood. We also watched base jumpers jump from the Perrine Bridge and into the water below, their parachutes guiding them safely below. In the distance too, we saw a waterfall, kayakers and some breathtakingly amazing views.
The road between Nevada and Twin Falls Idaho was long, but gorgeous. The next part of the route to Pocatello would be the same beauty until we arrived at Golden Corral for a bite. Our last bit of our drive to Idaho Falls included more gorgeous farm land and trees. Thankfully, we made it to our hotel in less time than expected and stayed in a hotel with a hot tub. Since we got back so late, we enjoyed a dip in the hot tub before bed. We had a long day ahead of us and needed our beauty rest for sure.
I will get the photos up ASAP. Bad internet here.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
UCAAN Change a Life Road Trip - Thursday June 16th, 2016 - Day 1
Thanks to some amazing friends, supporters and sponsors we were able to raise $5,000 for our UCAAN Change a Life Road Trip. I just wanted to thank all of you for your support, we appreciate it so much!
As Doryn and I embark on this 10,000 mile, 40 day and 40 night adventure, we will be driving the UCAAN Mobile, which was recently wrapped by our dear friends and supporters Jason & Theresa Hardman at SoCal Signworx in Camarillo. Thank you both for your support!
Today was our first official day out on the road. We had a long drive ahead of us, 585 miles from Thousand Oaks, CA to Battle Mountain, NV. Doryn and I didn't get much sleep because we were both beyond excited about the trip. After all of our stops and lunch we finally arrived at our hotel in Battle Mountain, NV at 6:45pm. It was a very long day, we probably drove for over 11 hours with the stops but the beauty that surrounded us on the journey today was remarkable.
Below in orange highlighter you will see the map I received from a wonderful AAA agent in Thousand Oaks, who provided me with a multitude of resources including tour books, trip tiks and maps. This map in Particular is my favorite!
Talk about a great DAY! More writing tomorrow. Thanks for reading!
As Doryn and I embark on this 10,000 mile, 40 day and 40 night adventure, we will be driving the UCAAN Mobile, which was recently wrapped by our dear friends and supporters Jason & Theresa Hardman at SoCal Signworx in Camarillo. Thank you both for your support!
Today was our first official day out on the road. We had a long drive ahead of us, 585 miles from Thousand Oaks, CA to Battle Mountain, NV. Doryn and I didn't get much sleep because we were both beyond excited about the trip. After all of our stops and lunch we finally arrived at our hotel in Battle Mountain, NV at 6:45pm. It was a very long day, we probably drove for over 11 hours with the stops but the beauty that surrounded us on the journey today was remarkable.
Below in orange highlighter you will see the map I received from a wonderful AAA agent in Thousand Oaks, who provided me with a multitude of resources including tour books, trip tiks and maps. This map in Particular is my favorite!
We drove from Thousand Oaks to Mojave,CA, a small town past Rosamond and Edwards Air Force Base. We stopped for gas, because we needed plenty of it with all the miles we had left to go We then continued on the long roads through a small town called Ochala, which housed a small Jerky shop, that we had seen huge billboards for about 30 miles prior. It was indeed a whole in the wall place, a lot smaller than I had expected, with overprices honey and olives. Lol. I used their restroom there, which was literally something out of a horror movie. Never again!
Next we continued on through Lone Pine, passing the famous Mt. Whitney, then past Bishop (one of my favorite old childhood getaways). Once we passed the border between California and Nevada, the roads seemed to be longer, with less traffic (thankfully) and more open land - mountains, hills, some very vibrant with colors as if God had painted it there. On one of the roads, I believe the 395 in a town called Mina, we met a young construction worker who was directing cars on a one way lane. We talked to Ty and spoke about the trip and our journey. He told us how the other guys he worked with switched off and how lonely it was for him on this road alone. We waited and spoke with him for 15 minutes until a lead car came with a line of Semis following him, once they passed us, we were able to go.
After driving on several more smaller freeways, we found ourselves in a tiny town, which seemed like somewhat of a ghost town, called Austin, NV. It was quaint, quiet and similar to something you'd see out of a movie. We gassed up our car and enjoyed a bite at a local cafe. This cafe's summer hours were only till 5 and we just made it. The cafe was nicely decorated with a Western theme, very colorful with a great staff. I think the other restaurant goers knew we weren't from there, we could sense it. Lol. We just enjoyed our food and talked about the trip.
Now back to those LONG Drives.....We couldn't believe the homes in these desolate areas on the highways we took, all in the middle of nowhere. Doryn and I wondered, how would they get their groceries, how would they get things from the store, would they ever leave their homes? It was interesting to think about but definitely not for us!'
I can admit we saw PLENTY of Cows in those fields! And happened to come across some signs for Bulls. Doryn didn't believe me that they were bull signs... because we hadn't seen one Bull crossing the road or even in the fields for hours. Well... sure enough, we did!! 3 Bulls in fact. One which was across the road close to the street, and two on our passenger side of our. Man were they beasts!! We had finally seen our bulls, bulls, bulls!!
The Day started out wonderful and we saw a lot of beautiful scenery. But best of all, my favorite part of the day was at the end, (two things actually) when we finally arrived at our hotel, which was better than I thought. The bed, probably the best one I've slept on in forever! Accompanied with soft satin feeling sheets. We ended up grabbing a bite tonight at a local restaurant called the Owl Club, which was a few blocks from our hotel. You know how they say things happen for a reason? Well there was a reason for us to be there tonight. We had breakfast for dinner, exactly the same way (thank god they had corned beef hash without black pepper - my bad allergy), egg yolks only too. All delicious. We started talking to our waitress about our long drive and ended up talking to her about our UCAAN Change a Life Road Trip. She smiled at us and told us that she had just lost her uncle, who was a veteran, to cancer, actually 4 types of cancer.. As she talked about his passing she started to tear up and told me what types: Adrenal, Liver, Colon & Lung. She shared how he was given 3 months and lived 10 years.
These stories always touch my heart. So I did what I'm known to do. I told her the ribbon colors of those cancer types and immediately ran to my car to get some supplies. As Doryn and I sat there I quickly made one of my special UCAAN Share the Hope bracelets, a "Hope edition" one, one with all the ribbon colors I mentioned. Before we left, I went to our waitress and gave her the bracelet. Tina (our fabulous waitress) walked around the counter to hug me, she was once again in tears sharing stories of her uncle and all the joy he brought to her life.
It's always wonderful when I can give a gift of hope to someone, no matter who they are, because we are all affected by cancer in one way or another, unfortunately. But we can do something to impact the lives of those we meet.
Talk about a great DAY! More writing tomorrow. Thanks for reading!
Monday, June 13, 2016
Change a Life Road Trip 2016
My boyfriend Doryn Betton and I are about to embark on the most amazing experience of our lives. On Thursday we leave with a main purpose to Change to Lives of Cancer Patients across the country. We are traveling 10,000 miles in 40 days and 40 night all the way around the country visiting national monuments and travel spots along the way, filming and documenting our trip and best of all, helping and changing the lives of cancer patients.
For those of you who have followed me over the years, you know that I'm not a novice to the cross country experience. If you're just joining us, let me give you a little background information. two years after my cancer treatments finished, i had a startling discovery, my teeth started to break on my mouth and fall out. My oncologist and radiation techs had no idea why this was happening to me. So when I went to a health expo and spoke to a dentist about it, I found out that it was a common side effect for those going through chemotherapy and radiation. He told me that I could have prevented it with something as simple as fluoride trays. My teeth continued to fall out and up to date I have had 10 teeth removed, including all but one of my molars. I have over $45,000 worth of damage that I cannot afford to fix and this could have been prevented.
Now, 5 years after the initial trip, Doryn and I will drive across the country connecting to cancer hospitals, organizations and patients to provide them with information about preventative dental care (both holistic and western medicine) and healthy eating and living. We believe that cancer patients need to know their options and what's available for them.
We’ll be Visiting the Following Cities:
For those of you who have followed me over the years, you know that I'm not a novice to the cross country experience. If you're just joining us, let me give you a little background information. two years after my cancer treatments finished, i had a startling discovery, my teeth started to break on my mouth and fall out. My oncologist and radiation techs had no idea why this was happening to me. So when I went to a health expo and spoke to a dentist about it, I found out that it was a common side effect for those going through chemotherapy and radiation. He told me that I could have prevented it with something as simple as fluoride trays. My teeth continued to fall out and up to date I have had 10 teeth removed, including all but one of my molars. I have over $45,000 worth of damage that I cannot afford to fix and this could have been prevented.
Because I didn't want to same thing happening to other cancer patients, I decided to go on a trip to visit some of the top cancer centers in the country to find out what information they provided to their patients to prevent this devastating damage. My friend and volunteer assistant Sarah and I drove 9,000 miles in 21 days through 25 states and visited 4 cancer centers. The trip was amazing and throughout it we met cancer patients along the way and gave away 100 Share the hope bracelets.
Meet Bree!
But it didn't end there, because of my experience and the trip, I started a Fluoride tray program through UCAAN and connected with 2 dentists that donated them to our clients in need.
Then in 2014 we applied for a grant through Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills for our UCAAN CARE (Caries and Restorative Education) program and we WON it because they loves our heart warming video of a dear friend and former cancer patient, Debbi. Watch our video below:Now, 5 years after the initial trip, Doryn and I will drive across the country connecting to cancer hospitals, organizations and patients to provide them with information about preventative dental care (both holistic and western medicine) and healthy eating and living. We believe that cancer patients need to know their options and what's available for them.
The Purpose of the
trip is to achieve the following goals:
Raise Awareness
about UCAAN, what we do and what we hope to do in the future – becoming a large
source of financial assistance for cancer patients nationwide!
Raise Awareness
in the cancer community through patients, nurse navigators, oncology nurses and
other staff about how to prevent dental deterioration that’s caused by chemo
and radiation. Offering patients information about Western Medicine and Holistic
options.
Raise awareness
about healthier eating options and avoiding refined sugars. How to change the
way you eat to benefit your health. And avoiding foods high in Glutamate.
Connecting with
cancer hospitals and organizations and sharing their stories and what makes
them different through a documentary, which includes footage from our 2011
trip.
Hearing stories
of cancer patients nationwide about what their needs are – many of which are
not being met, to raise awareness of the importance of more funding for cancer patients.
Empowering cancer patients nationwide.
Part of our trip also includes:
· *
Meeting
10+ patients we’ve worked with over the years for the 1st time
· * Enjoying
the Simple things in life by checking out national monuments and wonderful
sights along the way including the Grand Canyon & Mount Rushmore.
· *
Filming
healthy meals we create throughout our journey and sharing with our fans and
supporters!
·
* Sending
out daily newsletters/blog and sharing our trip with our fans and supporters. Information
about our sponsors, videos, photos and sharing our healthy meal recipes will be
included, also on our social media and YouTube!
·
* Attending
the Fancy Food Show in NYC to scope out our competition when it comes to the
future of our frozen dessert!!
We’ll be Visiting the Following Cities:
Battle Mountain, NV Idaho Falls, ID Jackson,
WY Gillette, WY Keystone, SD Sioux Falls, SD Bloomington, MN Minneapolis, MN* Chicago, IL*
Warren, MI* Niagara
Falls, NY Rochester, NY
Kent, CT New York, NY* Queens, NY
Middleton, NJ Point Pleasant, NJ* Hillsboro, WV
Irvington, KY* Clarksville, TN* Nashville, TN
Dawsonville, GA* Lawrenceville, GA* Jacksonville, FL*
Altamonte Springs, FL Winter Park, FL Orlando, FL
Tampa, FL Gainesville, FL Pensacola, FL
Baton Rouge, LA Lafayette, LA Granbury, TX
Channing, TX Arvada,
CO Farmington,
UT*
St George, UT Las Vegas, NV* Grand Canyon, AZ Cardiff, CA* Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
*Cities of patients we’ve helped!
If you’d like to
receive updates for this trip, please let us know!
Do you have our UCAAN App? UCAAN Download it from your
smartphone! Just search in your Google play store or Apple Store for UCAAN
We hope you enjoy and follow our trip. Donations will continue to be accepted through out the trip!
Thank you to all of our amazing Sponsors!!
Thank you to all of our amazing Sponsors!!
YOU ALL MADE THIS TRIP POSSIBLE!
Diamond Sponsors
SoCal Signworx Sandy Mills Miss Alynette Aly Cat
Gold Sponsors
Sallie Godoy Ben Asher Aderet- Laser Designs 4 U
Talia Wheeler Mitchell Sayer
Wendy Gentile-Molier Judy Friedman Theresa Davies
Aunt Zafrira & Uncle Yehiel Ken Leibof
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Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Letting Go and Letting Love In...
I've learned a lot about my experience with cancer. Some people won't understand, some people won't know how to help you and some people may not stay. But being able to see and understand that things may change in your life and friends will come an go.... that's another step we must take with open arms. Those people may have loved us at one point and perhaps the fact that you have cancer scares the daylights out of them and they just don't know how to love you, how to show you that and how to support you... so they leave. Now listen, YOU MUST be strong through this and understand that perhaps they are not the right people to be in YOUR LIFE, when you're fighting. Perhaps there are BETTER people to be in YOUR LIFE during YOUR FIGHT that will LOVE YOU Unconditionally.
For a long time after my initial diagnosis of terminal cancer, I was shattered when my "Friends" turned on me, But soon enough I realized that I DIDN'T Need or want people like that in my life, during my fight, during my battle or for the future. What I needed, were STRONG People, People who Embraced Life, People who Embraced Love and People who would Support Me No Matter What Decisions I Made.
Ok, I'll give you a little history... I wasn't always outgoing and bubbly. Around a certain group of friends in high school i was to an extent. But after cancer, that all changed. I became this super outgoing person that wanted to talk about it. Talk about Cancer, my Life Changes, my Experiences and I just wanted nothing more than to Share Life with others. Most of all, I had a Hankering to HELP, Anyone that I could. Now, most of my friends at the time didn't understand my newfound Love, Desire and Passion. And Honestly I didn't want to stop, not for a moment, not for anyone. Even at the times my doctor told me to slow down, I worked as hard as I could and shared as much as people would let me.
Now, Further back than that.... I'll tell you about Love and Life. I always thought that I knew what love was and what it felt like. I can be honest here and tell you that my Love Life was a complete Mess. I was searching for "Love" or what I Imagined it to be, you know.... typical fairy tale dreaming....I was meeting people at Online - through countless dating sites, phone chat lines, singles events, Mormon dances (and I'm not Mormon), through friends and through a ton of online chat rooms. Who knows what I thought I would find.... The reality was that if I was always searching, I would most likely find exactly what I didn't want. Well it's true. I dated to my hearts content, no matter how wrong they were for me... I think a lot of us do this, because so many would rather be with someone, than alone right? I know, this is a piece of my life story Before Cancer (BC) and After.
So, I ALWAYS dated the WRONG GUYS! Even when I saw it and knew it, I still did. So After CANCER (AC), that just added a little more... complication... something else to the mix. At this point I saw more Value in Myself and my Life. I Almost Died and I cherished the fact that I was Alive. Now, my picker honestly was still a little off and I was still clouded from Chemo. but Let me tell you, I DIDN'T Stop dating just because of cancer. But I did find other ways that seemed to work better. Like Speed Dating, Singles Events and yes... certain Dating Sites. I remember those Dates and Boyfriends Like Yesterday.
*There was the Chef who couldn't spell or cook that was in love with his best friend
*There was the guy who wore a kilt to our first date (Because I didn't believe he wore one to a wedding), he wasn't sexy one bit in that kilt
*There was the Stalker "Cancer Patient" (Claimed to be one, who knows if he really was)
*There was the Guy who didn't know what he wanted
*There was the Guy who ditched me at a restaurant and left me with the bill
*There was the Guy, who I really liked, but I wasn't his type and he was an alcoholic, used me to find a place to live (used my friend for a place to live) and ended up being a big douche.
*There was the Guy, who was actually Married...
I still laugh at those moments. There was one guy that I really cared for. Mainly because he had become my best friend and I loved him for so many reasons. As much as I told myself that things were right... I didn't listen to my gut and stayed in a "non-relationship" for over 2 years. I guess I still thought, like many of us women do that we can "change them" or "Change their Minds". The reality was that I never could and I would never be just the only one. After Cancer, I saw things more clearly, especially after this last one. While we're still friends.... the love I thought I had, wasn't what I thought it was. But I've learned from the experiences I've had. All of them and I've learned that....
We Need to Let GO of the Past We're Holding Onto, this include the Past Life we Once Had. Because Especially After Cancer.....LIFE CHANGES... and Depending on how we face it, it will either be For the Better or Not. So, my best advice whether you're dealing with cancer, a crazy life change, a break up........ The Best Thing to Do Is to Let Go of the Past and Move On, So UCAAN Be Ready to Let Love In when it's ready for you......
Make sure to read the continuation... Where I found someone... Finally. A REAL MAN PERFECT FOR ME.
For a long time after my initial diagnosis of terminal cancer, I was shattered when my "Friends" turned on me, But soon enough I realized that I DIDN'T Need or want people like that in my life, during my fight, during my battle or for the future. What I needed, were STRONG People, People who Embraced Life, People who Embraced Love and People who would Support Me No Matter What Decisions I Made.
Ok, I'll give you a little history... I wasn't always outgoing and bubbly. Around a certain group of friends in high school i was to an extent. But after cancer, that all changed. I became this super outgoing person that wanted to talk about it. Talk about Cancer, my Life Changes, my Experiences and I just wanted nothing more than to Share Life with others. Most of all, I had a Hankering to HELP, Anyone that I could. Now, most of my friends at the time didn't understand my newfound Love, Desire and Passion. And Honestly I didn't want to stop, not for a moment, not for anyone. Even at the times my doctor told me to slow down, I worked as hard as I could and shared as much as people would let me.
Now, Further back than that.... I'll tell you about Love and Life. I always thought that I knew what love was and what it felt like. I can be honest here and tell you that my Love Life was a complete Mess. I was searching for "Love" or what I Imagined it to be, you know.... typical fairy tale dreaming....I was meeting people at Online - through countless dating sites, phone chat lines, singles events, Mormon dances (and I'm not Mormon), through friends and through a ton of online chat rooms. Who knows what I thought I would find.... The reality was that if I was always searching, I would most likely find exactly what I didn't want. Well it's true. I dated to my hearts content, no matter how wrong they were for me... I think a lot of us do this, because so many would rather be with someone, than alone right? I know, this is a piece of my life story Before Cancer (BC) and After.
So, I ALWAYS dated the WRONG GUYS! Even when I saw it and knew it, I still did. So After CANCER (AC), that just added a little more... complication... something else to the mix. At this point I saw more Value in Myself and my Life. I Almost Died and I cherished the fact that I was Alive. Now, my picker honestly was still a little off and I was still clouded from Chemo. but Let me tell you, I DIDN'T Stop dating just because of cancer. But I did find other ways that seemed to work better. Like Speed Dating, Singles Events and yes... certain Dating Sites. I remember those Dates and Boyfriends Like Yesterday.
*There was the Chef who couldn't spell or cook that was in love with his best friend
*There was the guy who wore a kilt to our first date (Because I didn't believe he wore one to a wedding), he wasn't sexy one bit in that kilt
*There was the Stalker "Cancer Patient" (Claimed to be one, who knows if he really was)
*There was the Guy who didn't know what he wanted
*There was the Guy who ditched me at a restaurant and left me with the bill
*There was the Guy, who I really liked, but I wasn't his type and he was an alcoholic, used me to find a place to live (used my friend for a place to live) and ended up being a big douche.
*There was the Guy, who was actually Married...
I still laugh at those moments. There was one guy that I really cared for. Mainly because he had become my best friend and I loved him for so many reasons. As much as I told myself that things were right... I didn't listen to my gut and stayed in a "non-relationship" for over 2 years. I guess I still thought, like many of us women do that we can "change them" or "Change their Minds". The reality was that I never could and I would never be just the only one. After Cancer, I saw things more clearly, especially after this last one. While we're still friends.... the love I thought I had, wasn't what I thought it was. But I've learned from the experiences I've had. All of them and I've learned that....
We Need to Let GO of the Past We're Holding Onto, this include the Past Life we Once Had. Because Especially After Cancer.....LIFE CHANGES... and Depending on how we face it, it will either be For the Better or Not. So, my best advice whether you're dealing with cancer, a crazy life change, a break up........ The Best Thing to Do Is to Let Go of the Past and Move On, So UCAAN Be Ready to Let Love In when it's ready for you......
Make sure to read the continuation... Where I found someone... Finally. A REAL MAN PERFECT FOR ME.
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