Celebration Time...Come On!

It's finally official, today marks my tenth year anniversary for being breast cancer free :o) Did I think I would make it this far? If you had asked me ten years ago, even five years ago, I would have said "No".

In actuality, it took me eight years to come to terms with my breast cancer. That was when I threw my Pink Party :o) Don't get me wrong, I can picture the whole experience like it was yesterday. That will never fade but the fears have become manageable. I doubt there are many cancer survivors out there that can honestly say that fear has completely gone.

As I write this post, I can picture walking into the waiting room full of people and being ushered right into the doctor's office. I was initially going to get my dressings taken off (I had had a breast reduction) but as soon as I sat down, Dr. H dropped the bomb. It's literally like being shell shocked. Luckily my mother had driven me and was out in the waiting room. Somehow I found my voice and asked Dr. H to bring her in. The rest, as we say, is history but February 4, 2000 will always be the day that changed my life forever.

Awhile ago I posted about doing something special for this milestone in my life. I have yet to figure out what I want to do for myself but I 'do' know what I want to do for others :o) If you're not familiar with Attic Needlework, I highly suggest that you sign up for their newsletter. Each year they hold an auction to raise money for breast cancer research. This past year, they raised just over $20,000!

How did they do that, you ask? Jean, the owner of Attic Needlework, takes in donated ornaments and items from stitchers across the globe. Check out one of their auction newsletters and this will give you an idea of the talent and generosity out there. This year the auction will take place on Saturday, November 20.

So to celebrate, my plan is to donate an ornament but there's a catch...I would like to recruit at least nine more stitchers who will commit to do the same :o) It's a small commitment but the rewards will be great. If there are more than ten people who sign up, then all the better! Jean says that they cannot have too many donations. I would like this to be like real ornament exchanges (although you don't get an ornament back) so please contact me if you want to participate. I will keep track of our progress and perhaps work with Jean to confirm that donations have been received.

Maybe this will give you some inspiration -

I've created a needle felted snowman who sports the breast cancer ribbon and this will be my ornament that I will be donating :o) I'm not sure if he will be the exact one because this was my first attempt and he might need some fine-tuning. Not to mention that he has no arms!

Here's another (bad) picture to give you an idea of how small this wee man is -

I hope you will join me to celebrate the big 1-0 and give a little bit of yourself. There are a few things that I have learned over the years. One, as much as you think it will never happen to you, it could :o( Breast cancer does not discriminate. It might be you, your mother, sister, cousin, daughter or friend. Breast cancer not only affects you, it affects everyone that loves you. Two, breast cancer is not the death sentence that it once was. New treatments and technology are advancing every day. Most importantly though, early detection is the key! I truly believe that if it weren't for my Gram and my DH, I would not be here today. I consider them my Guardian Angels and I want to dedicate this celebratory day to them both :o)