Blessed to be given another awesome Honor!!!

I have been so blessed with all that the 3-Day has given to me. My first year I was asked to be a flag bearer and I was so honored. I was able to carry the "My Mother" flag during opening and closing ceremonies. This year, I was selected to be a 3-Day Ambassador. Some of you may know that there are quite a few ambassadors per city. Still, what an honor. There are thousands of people that do this walk every year.
 I believe with every fiber of my being that some day we will find a cure. Currently, there are many different drug trials. However, cancer is different for everyone and reacts differently to some of the meds. Most of the advances made in breast cancer are funded by grants from Susan G. Komen.

 I'm hoping that those of you who do read this, are doing what you can for your health and your loved ones, early detection is KEY!! They don't recommend mammograms for women till the age of 40, possibly earlier if you have a family history. So please do your monthly self breast exams!!

 I have read and heard stories of women getting diagnosed with breast cancer, at a very young age. The youngest I personally heard of was 20 years old. When she noticed something wasn't right and went to her Dr. it was Stage 4. Meaning it had spread through out her body, she is currently living with cancer in her body! I recently watched a news report about a 4 year old being a breast cancer survivor. I can't imagine how hard it had to be for her mom to make such decisions for her then 2 year old daughter.. That little girl is now cancer free, however she had to have a mastectomy and will have to do reconstructive surgery later in life.
 I am hoping that this "little"blog of mine will have the ability to make an impact in someone's life. I believe that, I have the ability to make a change. By doing that I am choosing to raise awareness and money to fund more research. In hopes of finding a cure.

Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure has given me my voice. I always knew I was meant to do something great in my lifetime. My hope is that it leads to saving lives and giving something to the future of our children and grandchildren.
 Some of you may know that I come from a some what small town in Hawaii. I spent my formative years in Waianae, Hi.  Life was great for the most part. School was always a little rough for me, although if you spoke to me you my not notice it. I wasn't really the kind of girl that just fit in. I was teased a lot, I know a huge surprise for those of you who know me. But I didn't let that define who I was or wanted to be. I joined the army right out of high school, I started to discover myself.
 I've taken many different paths in my 30 years of life and I've taken all the ups and downs to "build" a better me. I could have taken all the name calling and relentless teasing in school and let it break me down. However, I some how managed to use it as "constructive" critisim.  So whenever life hands me lemons, I squeeze the crap out of them till I get something good out of it!
 I know your wondering where is this going??? Almost 2 years ago, my mom was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. She caught it early and we were very lucky. there is no family history on my mom's side, she was diagnosed at 48 years old. Most of my family still lives in hawaii, so I decided that I would do "One of those, breast cancer walks"! Well, I decided to do the SGK 3-Day for the Cure and I was able to put a positive spin on this situation. I had no say in weither or not, my mom would have cancer or anyone else for that matter. Instead, I would flood people with knowledge on breast cancer and raise as much awareness as I could.
 Last year, I raised $2,974 when I walked in Boston. This year, I'm hoping to raise a minimum of $3,000.

So, I leave you with this final thought. When you picture your future or your children's future, do you picture a world without cancer? I know I do, that's why I'm doing what I do! What will you do to give that hope to your children??

Donating is Easy!!!

www.the3day.org/goto/brandy

Obviously, you noticed I put up a link to my 3-day page. It is so that I can make it easier for you to donate to this very important cause. Click on the link above and it will take you to a page, where you can read my story. It gives you options for donating all at once or monthly installments. Even if you like, there is a tab to print out the form and mail in your check or money order.
 Why did I spend the first paragraph explaining the process?? Because to some who may want to donate, may feel OVERWHELMED!! Which isn't surprising, you know you wanna help, you wanna donate, how much? Where do I click? So many questions. My job is to help clarify.

 Those of you out there hopefully reading this want to do something to help and donate. But realize you don't have a bunch of money or would like donate more but can't right now. Susan G. Komen gives you options to make it easier for you to give. You can do upto 4 monthly installments of what works for you. Also, You can always share this story with your family, friends and co-workers. Starting up a donation collection, then print out a form and mail in a check or money order. ALL donations are TAX DEDUCTABLE!!! Bring this to your boss and see what they think about it!!

 So, please don't think that there is no way for you to make a big difference. You always have options. My BIGGEST lesson in fundraising is you don't know if you don't ask!! So, I usually do most of my donation requests by email. Now I'm going to try snail mail!! More bake sales coming, possibly a kids fair and a Hoedown for Hooters.

Donations received so far $897 thats from Family, Friends, Bake sales, Gift wrapping and Superbowl squares. I gotta keep going to get to $2,300!!!

  *Donate, because you know Me.
  *Donate, because you know My  Family.
  *Donate, because you know Someone fighting this horrible disease.
  *Donate, because you have Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Nieces, Husbands, Sons, Etc.
  *Donate, BECAUSE WE ALL DESERVE A LIFETIME!!!
   (Borrowed from teammate Kathey Lawrence)

What's up right now???

Well as of right now my fundraising is going really well. I had decided to sell Superbowl squares thinking it would be SO easy. I mean I live in New England!!! However, it was not so easy. I needed to sell 100 squares at $10 each. So, I'd make $1000 and $500 would go to prizes and the other half would go straight to my 3 day page. Well I was sitting at 37 squares sold for what seemed like a long time. Then my bother in law Greg would keep posting it on his facebook page. Then, his friend Dave sent me a message and bought 10 squares!!! I could hardly believe it. Then he took it and ran with it selling all of my remaining squares. THANK GOD!!!!!!!! So, now I have $500 to add to my page towards my goal of $3,000. I only need to raise $2,300 in order to walk, but I like to aim high!!

 So now that I have accomplished the selling of my squares I am now trying to help my BFFL and team mate sell hers!!

My training has been put on hold, due to my hurting my back. I really need to get out there and started training. By out there I by no means in anyway am talking about walking outside!!! Unless, maybe I had a pair of snowshoes and a babysitter. Well with ALL of this snow, I am really looking forward to walking 60 miles in 3 days of heat and have fun doing it!!I'm a Hawaii girl, I thrive in the heat!!!That must explain why I'm usually in a depression during the winter, lack of vitamin D!!! Gimme my sunshine!!

Just a rant coming up!!!!

My sister and niece have safely made it to San Diego and have been trying to adjust over this past week. She has been having a hard time as I expected. So when she calls me in a panic thinking she's not sure if she can do it, I tell her she's strong and made the right move. A lot of people who know my sister and I say were not very much alike. I agree we really are different, esp. on the outside. She is everything I would love to be, but obviously not possible. While people see me as being this strong woman, who knows just what she wants and fights to get it. For the most part it's true. However, if you've know me for a while you know I wasn't always this way. It was a long hard road to get to where I am, Strength wise. I was always putting on a tough persona, being so invincible!!
 Inside, I was afraid if someone every really pushed me would I be able to push back?? Or would I finally be seen for my "tough girl" facade???
 After, many trying times in my life. I decided no more pretending I would be a strong woman and that I did.
 So for my sister who may now doubt her strength will soon realize it is in there, She just has to trust in herself. My sister is quite a bit smaller than me in size, which is why the envy. But she is an amazing woman, who has great strength for which I have seen. Netty, your are strong and amazing.
 Sometimes the strength in ourselves is determined by the things we do, not just say. I am making a statement by walking 60 miles in 3 days and raising $2,300. So please never think your weak because you never finished something, your strong because you tried!!

 ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!!!

Good Perspective

You  know when you have "those" days where you just feel like "Your having the worse possible day"??!! Well, I am a follower of another blog on this website. It was brought to my attention by a fellow teammate and friend. If you have sometime, my hope is for you to read it. It is about this AMAZING young woman named Bridget she is younger than me a living with stage IV breast cancer. www.mybiggirlpants.blogspot.com

If you didn't know I hurt my back at work last week. I've been in some pain and as usual complain about how it hurts, etc. So this morning I got my wake up call. WHINING CAUSES BLISTERS!!! This is one of my favorite sayings on the 3 day. So my back does hurt, but it's not cancer. This is something I said to myself on the walk last year. Although it was about my legs hurting. As the end of day 1 came to a close, my legs were in PAIN!! I mean I knew I just walked 20 miles, but everyone else was walking just fine. Maybe, I didn't train enough (very true) or maybe I didn't stretch enough??? Did I get in enough electrolytes?? So after I went to medical and got fixed thanks to Nancy.
    I was better in the morning and I really wanted to walk day 2. So after breakfast, my tent mate and I went back to medical and asked to be released to walk.
 Every single day that I walked, I walked with men wearing pink bras (PROUDLY), women older than me, survivors telling their stories to women going through or just finishing treatment walking with huge beautiful smiles. I was amazed by these women for their strength and joy for life. So grateful to be here not just walking the 3 day, but to have a 2nd chance at life. I was humbled to even be in their presents!!

 I feel the same way when I read Bridget's blog. So I hope you make the time to read it and I hope your heart is humbled!

In life things happen that you don't see coming and that is just a part of life. It's what you chose to do in life, when your met with an unexpected surprise. I don't think anyone every really knows what to tell someone who has just found out something has changed in their life. What do you say to someone who has found out their life will NEVER really be the same again??  You tell them in your own loving way, that life will be different. Because you will look into yourself and find your warrior, you will be fearless and tell cancer or whatever maybe the battle to go F%&* off!!! Your life will never be the "same" because you will "never be the same" you have forever changed. You will have become stronger, wiser and come to relish the gift of life.


 Life was given  to us and sometimes is taken so lightly. All it takes is one moment to make you realize just how fragile it is. It is in these moments that define the person your are and are destined to be! So just remember this " TOMORROW IS NEVER PROMISED, SO LIVE IN IT AND LOVE IT TODAY!!!".