Chemo #6-What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.....

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? How many times have we all heard that expression?  Do we take it to heart though? I mean it's easy to say after the fact - once we've been through hell and survived. But it's not so easy to believe it when you're actually going through hell, is it?

On June 4, Operation Kick Cancer's Ass continued with Chemo #6. A few days prior we found out that Dad's psa decreased 10 more points to 26. While 26 would normally be high, it is a welcome low for us since last Fall it was at an all-time high of 101!! Chemo is definitely working, my friends! We're not finished yet but we sure are moving in the right direction and making progress! Your love, support and prayers are so appreciated - please don't stop!

We've pretty much got the chemo routine figured now. We know that Dad loses his taste buds the day after chemo. We know that he starts to feel absolutely miserable - and that's an understatement- two days after chemo and that chronic cancer-related fatigue is no joke!  This misery, frustration and depression lasts for about a week; sometimes 10 days after chemo.  While I try to remind Dad that it's just temporary, he is the one who is literally living the agony. If I could change that, if I could go through it for him, I would do it in a heartbeat; no questions asked. He's strong. He's tough. He's a warrior. He's the strongest man I know so seeing him defeated is what tears at my heart the most. It's when I think, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? Yeah, right. Geez, he's already Superman. What's stronger than that? Whatever it is, I guess that will be Dad soon.

It's so important to bask in the good days.  When the good days happen, we do our best to make the best of them. We want to focus on the good days and make memories on the good days! For that week of good days, we forget all about the bad days. Just when he starts feeling really good, a few days later he has to have chemo again and the cycle starts over. However, I never lose hope in the fact that the good days will come - even in the darkest of the bad days, we know that the good is right around the corner. That light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer. Every time that psa drops, it makes the good days sweeter and the bad days a little more bearable. But damn, those bad days are really bad.

Just when the bad days occur, though, something good always seems to comes out of it. After Chemo #6, I met my parents for lunch at Nandos.  Dad wanted to enjoy delicious food while he could still taste it and I there was no way I was going to miss out on that moment! When I returned to work, I had an email from Amanda, the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at ZERO. She explained to me that ZERO has the opportunity to feature the Capital Area Race on News Channel 8 - "Let's Talk Live!". She asked me if I would be willing to appear on the show to discuss the race, talk about my fundraising and tell Dad's story. After the shock subsided and reality sunk in, after the tears of joy quit rolling down my face, I replied, thanked her and absolutely agreed to participate!  So, on June 15, I'll be headed to the studios in Arlington to help raise prostate cancer awareness alongside my ZERO friends who will be promoting the Father's Day race.

Who knew that late night in January when I was playing on my smart phone because I couldn't fall asleep and I happened upon a prostate cancer walk that was occurring in June, that all this would have happened!   I needed an outlet. I needed to find a way to help. I needed to feel like I was making a difference.

I don't know how it happened but it's happening. I'm not questioning it. I'm just truly grateful and running with it. Everything happens for a reason and everything I am doing in my plight to bring awareness to prostate cancer and to help put an end to this wretched disease is in honor of my dad and in hopes that others, one day soon, won't have to go through the same thing.

One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. I, personally, know four men, three of which were diagnosed well under the age of 47. Odds are you all know someone who has been diagnosed or will be diagnosed.  Won't you please make a donation to ZERO in honor of Denny's Shotgun Riders and help me put an end to this horrible disease that is the second leading cause of cancer death in men?  It's as simple as clicking on the link below and making a donation online. If you're more comfortable writing a check, email me at valamoore@yahoo.com and I'll give you all the information you need. I assure you it will be money well spent and more appreciated than you can possibly imagine.

http://www.zeroprostatecancerrun.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1127720&lis=1&kntae1127720=DBFB0C7724E349C5A3A960A1481FFF06&supId=417434731&_ga=1.266485194.553503092.1433903363

Mom, Dad and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Let's strive for one number... zero!