A year ago today:

Just a few days until we do it all over again…

It’s been a little over a week since my last trip to urgent care, and since I got the bill for it in the mail yesterday, I figured I’d share an update. And also ask if my hospital bill can be considered a tax write off since the reason I was in the hospital was due to charity. I think I may have a case here!

In any case, I’m not in as much pain as I was a week ago. I only wear the cast at work, but I try to keep it elevated when I’m at home. I called yesterday and made an appointment in about two more weeks with my podiatrist. I figure I’ll either have her check out my foot if it still hurts, or she can take care of my toenail that’s sure to be ready to fall off by then. I always have something for my podiatrist to look into.

Tomorrow I head to the East Coast, where I will romp in the rain of a hurricaine and hope that I can make it to at least one Twins game that’s not rained out. The Yankees should have a dome. All the cool teams have one, right?

We went to Town Talk Diner last night. It was only my second time there, but I think I could write and write and write about how awesome it is. They serve chilled 40 ounce bottles of beer and cheese curds. What’s not to like about a place like that?

I need to do laundry tonight. All of my Twins shirts are dirty and I need to wear every last one of them while I’m Yankee-territory.

It’s a few days after the fact, so I’ve had time to just about fully process it all. I think it’s fair to say that I won’t ever completely process it, because it’s such a magnificent time of my life, so this is as close as it gets. It will probably get long and detailed and eventually jumbled because I’ll be overcome by emotions, but I don’t want to make the mistake of not writing about it. Please read what you can/want. You know how important this is to me, and that’s why I want to make sure it’s all here for me to see next year.

For starters, here are the pictures. There are almost 100 and I’ve captioned them all. For me, not you. But if you look at them start to finish, it’ll really give you an idea of what it’s all about.

FYI: There are 2800 walkers and we raised $6.4 million. Thank you for that.

Day 1
If I’m getting up at 4:30 a.m., you know it’s gotta be for something special. And really? This is the only thing I’d get up that early for. We got to the Minnesota Zoo just about 6:00, and since we took the back way in, we missed the miles of vehicles lined up to drop off walkers. It was a tear-jerking opening ceremony, which is par for the course with The 3 Day. As the walk started, we noticed our friends had gotten up just as early as us to surprise with a huge banner saying “We ♥ boobylicious”. It made me realize just how awesome my friends are. I wanted to take them all with me for the rest of the walk!

We walked through the zoo, where we saw baboons, moose, and some paddleboats in the shape of ducks. Most of the walk on Friday was through Eagan (my town) and Bloomington (my work town). When they announced the walk location, they weren’t kidding when they mentioned “the rolling hills of Eagan”.

There were two cheering stations during the first day, and we had people there for both of him. Bill, Cindi, and Sean brought the boobylicious banner to the first stop. And Stephanie made it to the 2nd one just as we were getting there. Seeing or knowing you’ll see people you know can get you pretty far along the way.

Despite some intense muscle spasming at lunch, Day 1 went smoothly. We got back to camp and picked up our mail that people had sent to us on our way to dinner. We ate, showered, and then wrapped our tent in painter’s plastic because threats of a storm were announced at dinner. With the amount of clothes pins Jenni used, there was no way in hell we would get wet. And we didn’t.

Day 2
Everyone starts moving a little more slowly at the start of Day 2. After finishing over 20 miles, what else can you expect? Because of the storm warnings that were in the forecast for the day, we had to pack up our gear and our tents, knowing eight hours laters we’d have to do the whole thing again.

Day 2 was 21.6 miles of walking through Bloomington. Bloomington is a suburb that has the Mall of America, my work, and a whole hell of a lot of hills. My quote for the day regarding these hills? “Why is Bloomington so [expletive] obsessed with all of these [expletive] hills?” Some teams sang songs or played games to pass the time. Jenni and I used profanity. It’s what we’re best at.

We walked past a Caribou coffee, my work, through the Hyland Lake Park Reserve (where we had lunch), through residential Bloomington and back to camp. We showered before dinner, and had chicken marsala in our pajamas. The results of a drawing we’d all entered earlier in the day had me winning an overnight stay to Treasure Island Resport & Casino in Red Wing, MN. The lady sitting next to me won the trip to Vegas. She wouldn’t trade.

After dinner, I spent the next 75 minutes working my way through the line at the medical tent to get a couple of large blisters lanced. Stephanie dropped by camp with contraband brownies that were more than spirit-lifting. She zipped Jenni and I in for the night before she left. The entire team seemed to have hit the delirious point, because we giggled about the smell of Ben Gay until we all passed out for the night.

Day 3
This is where it gets hard. It gets hard mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Despite the work I’d had done on my blisters the night before, it seemed like even more were popping up by the minute. My heels and bottoms of my feet were covered in blisters that would start out small, but end up the size of a tennis ball. At breakfast, I discovered I couldn’t walk. At all. Lanced or not, my shoes and socks rubbing against bandaged blisters was bringing tears to my eyes.

Jane had gotten her walking credentials pulled and been given a red card, meaning she was done walking, due to an incident that apparently involved her passing out in a bus the day before. She and I cheered the rest of our team on as they started out Day 3. Leaving Jenni and the rest of the team to continue hurt more than the blisters. The day before, I’d been able to work through the pain without a problem, but on Sunday, I just couldn’t do it.

We met up with the team again at lunch after hearing the stories of some of the survivors that were doing the walk. Some were barely out of treatment and others had been free of cancer much longer. They were walking just like me.

Bonnie had been diagnosed with a stress fracture in her right food (the same place mine hurts now) and made the call not to finish walking, so she joined Jane and I for the ride to the end. The most disconcerting and heartbreaking feeling I’d experienced all weekend was sitting in a bus while we drove past the walkers. I couldn’t even look, because I’d trained so hard and fundraised so hard only to, in my mind at the time, be defeated by something as miniscule as a few blisters.

The three of us met up with Amanda, Suzanne, and Jenni just before the finish line. We walked through the outstretched arms of walkers that’d finished before us as they cheered us on, and we walked through as a team. With all the hardwork we’d put into everything, that was the most important to us. And we did it.

Closing ceremonies was an emotional experience that’s impossible to describe. Spectators that don’t really get why we do the walk probably didn’t appreciate the ceremonies as much as we did. I wanted to cry when they announced the crew volunteers and didn’t want to stop crying until I was home. But without any water in my body, no tears came. It was just that kind of weekend.

The Aftermath
Jenni and I already signed up to do it again next year. We did that on the first night of camp. There’s not a doubt that I won’t do it every year until I don’t have to anymore, regardless of the consequence it might take on my body.

The night after the walk I had a 102.4 temperature and chills all night. By the time I went to urgent care the next morning, it’d dropped down to 98.4. They gave me 2 liters of a sugar/saline solution, drew some blood, and took a urine sample. I was mildly dehydrated which led to my severe bladder infection.
That same night, I went back to urgent care for the outside of my right foot. The doctor couldn’t find a break by feeling it, and since the only time it hurt was when I walked on it, he determined it must be a ligament issue. He gave me a walking cast and a prescription for painkillers, along with an order to come back in three weeks if it still hurts because it could potentially be a stress fracture.

I’m not mad about the injuries or the pain. It’s nothing. I’m mad I couldn’t finish. I’m mad I let my team and my sponsors down. I’m mad my body gave out before I wanted it to. Mad’s not even the right word. I guess disappointed is.

Once again, just like last year, these three days will be added to the list of three of the best days of my life.

Just for good measure, I decided to head into urgent care one more time before they closed tonight. Because the doctor couldn’t touch my foot and send me writhing in pain like I do when I walk, he just gave me a walking cast and a prescription to Vicodin. He also gave me orders to come back if it still hurts in three weeks, because then it could be a stress fracture.

Nobody gets why I’m not mad or sad about this, but c’mon. All I need are a couple liters of liquid and some painkillers and I’m home free. I’m elated. And I’m happy that I did this while helping a greater cause. How nice will it be when one day, after all of our fundraising and walking/limping across the finish line, a couple liters of liquid and some painkillers will be all that’s needed to get rid of breast cancer? I’ll take these battle wounds and wear them proudly, dude.

However, I can share my morning’s activities with you. It involved three hours in urgent care while 2 liters of sugar-water were pumped into a vein in my right arm. And during said fluid-pumping, I had to give a urine sample. I’m right handed. Gathering a urine sample is not easy when your right hand is busy with an IV. I’m not proud to admit that I peed on my left hand while trying to fill the cup, but they certainly received a full urine sample, that’s for sure.

As it turns out, I have a severe bladder infection and mild dehydration. Neato! It’s really neat when a nurse says, “Your urine turned out really nasty”. AWESOME!

I’ll probably be scheduling an appointment with a doctor to look at my right foot, too, but I’m going to ice that for a couple of days and see if the rest helps it at all.

And guess what? I’m already on the waiting list for next year’s walk.

They focus so much on keeping hydrated during The 3 Day. Everyone from the security staff to the people serving us snacks at pit stops remind us to drink a lot and pee a lot. For three days, everyone around you is concerned with your urinary habits.

Yesterday and even still today, I’ve been dealing with some wicked dehydration symptoms. My personal favorite, though, are the chills. Now that I’ve slept for 16 hours, I’m trying to do some major rehydrating. It’s fun.

More about The 3 Day… later.

It’s early and I’m not really awake yet. But in 30 minutes, I’ll be on my way to Opening Ceremonies of The 3 Day.

Thank you so much to everyone for all of your donations and terrific support!

I’ll be back on Sunday with billions of pictures and stories, I’m sure.

The 3 Day is tomorrow. Twenty-four hours from now, I’ll be walking in a sea of thousands that have all dedicated their time and energy in raising money for breast cancer. I’ll probably hug them all.

I could write paragraph upon paragraph about how much the walk means to me and how important of a fixture it is in my life. But since I’m at work, and that would make me cry buckets upon buckets, I’ll refrain from now and just say thank you. Thank all of you for all of the support you given me, Jenni, and the rest of Team Boobylicious by happily participating in all of our fundraisers. Because of your extreme generosity, we’ve raised over $25,000.

If you’re in the area, feel free to cheer us on. The encouragement we get from seeing people we know and even strangers applauding us for our efforts is unbelievably inspirational. There are several cheering stations along the way and just by watching the walkers go by, you’ll see how much your time is appreciated. The 3 Day site has maps, if you’re so inclined.

You know what’s going to happen about two weeks after the walk? We’re going to start all over again and this time we’re going to recruit you (yes, all of you!) to join us on the walk. It’s an experience that can hardly be described by words. It consumes your life, but in a way that makes you realize you can make a difference.

And just for the record, I’m currently sitting at $2985 in donations. I think I have a few more checks that are being sent in, so a goal I thought was impossible stands a good chance of being reached. Amazing.

Update: I hit my goal!! I’m now over $3000, thanks to one of my account managers at work. Woo hoo! Next year – $4000? :)

The 3 Day is next weekend. Yeah, I know. It’s soon!

Team Boobylicious is a few thousand away from hitting our $30,000 goal, and we have one final fundraiser planned to hit it.

Bowling for Boobs II
Sunday, August 13th
5-8 pm
$10/adults and $5/kids all you can bowl

It’s at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park. Here’s a map, if you need it.

This year’s fundraising efforts have been absolutely phenomenal. Two weeks before last year’s walk, I was scrambling around to get my fundraising minimum of $2200. This year, I’m trying to help my 10-member team raise $30,000. It amazes me beyond words. $30,000 isn’t just a couple of bucks; it’s thousands. Tens of thousands.

If you haven’t already donated and you’d like to, now is your chance. Come to bowling and drop off a check or donate online. There’s no amount too small.

If you’re in the area, please come to bowling. I’d love to see you there. It’ll be a good time. With Team Boobylicious, it’s always a good time. We’re not only passionate about boobs, but we’re entertaining, too. Definitely worth a ten-dollar bill.

See you on Sunday? Here’s a flyer you can download and distribute as you wish.

Thank you to all of you who have been such amazing supporters thus far. Without your support and encouragement, the entire experience wouldn’t be as incredible as it is.

The 3 Day Walk is August 18-20. I may not have mentioned that for a while!

They’ve set up something new this year, which involves walkers being able to receive mail while at camp each night. So, you can write me a letter! It doesn’t matter if you have or haven’t donated, a letter would still be awesome. You just have to have it postmarked by August 4th. That’s this Friday.

It doesn’t have to be anything special at all. I just know from experience that after walking 20 miles, it’s the little things (like letters, words of encouragement, hand-drawn pictures, etc.) that keep us going for the next day.

Here’s the address:

Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office – Twin Cities
Attn: Wendy (and my last name)*
1200 W. 35th Ave Suite #360
Chicago, IL 60609

The letters and postcards will be delivered to the 3-Day Camp Post Office and I can pick them up there each evening.

Important Notes:
* All letters must be postmarked no later than 2 weeks out from the event. (i.e. 8/4)
* The 3-Day location and the participant name MUST be clearly marked in the address
* No boxes/packages; envelopes only!
* Letters will not be mailed to participants after the event. Any unclaimed letters will be disposed of.

Anyway, think it over. And if you have a couple of free minutes, write me a quick letter! Be creative or don’t – just the thought is amazing. Plus, it’ll be fun for all of us.

*I have the same last name as this person. (Sorry. I’m still kinda hiding from Google!)