ANNOUNCEMENT...

Today, at UVU, the Women's Expo started. It runs through tomorrow. Sister Survivors has a booth there that we are sharing with Mountains for Mammograms. We'd love to have you stop by and visit us. There's some fun FREE stuff - including Saltair Salt Water Taffy (colored pink of course), breast cancer support stickers in pink, and a pink flier with our 6-month calendar and information about Sister Survivors. While there, make sure to support our group by buying a pink Sister Survivors bracelet for just $1. With the purchase of each bracelet, you'll get a pink ticket to enter into the drawing we are having. The prize is a beautiful Scensy Candle Warmer (bet you can't guess what color it is!) and 3 Scensy candle scents.

While you're at the booth, please take a minute to talk to us about Mountains for Mammograms - brought to you by Dr. Jennifer Tittensor and her husband, Zach. Here is a little bit of information about this wonderful fundraiser, which will provide FREE mammograms for women who can't afford them:

"When found early, breast cancer is a curable disease. Our goal is to provide free mammograms to those women in greatest need.We know many women who have breast cancer. Some will be cured, but some will not. Getting regular mammograms is the best screening tool we have to find cancer when it is curable. Rather than just donating money, Zach felt it would mean much more to ride to “earn” the tests.

American Fork Hospital and the Utah County Health Department have agreed to sponsor a free mammogram for each 5,000 vertical feet Zach climbs on his bike. Utah Valley Radiologists have agreed to read the mammograms for free as well. The goal is for 50 mammograms--thats a quarter of a million vertical feet!! The project has pushed Zach to ride harder and longer than ever. So far he has climbed 125,000 since the beginning of July!! After his ride in The Tour of Utah, he will be at 150,000 feet. This act of hard training (and pain) makes the project much more personal, as our lives have been touched by so many with this devastating disease."

You'll be able to read some survivors stories from a few of our own Sister Survivors on the Mountains for Mammograms website in the very near future.

Thanks for your support, and we hope you have a great time this weekend at the Women's Expo!

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - How Busy is TOO Busy?

I'm combining yesterday's Wordless Wednesday post with this one today, because I was just too darn busy to post anything yesterday. In fact, that's the subject of today's Thursday Thoughts...

Three years ago, I was a person who went about 150 miles an hour - I never rested, I said "yes" to everything, I was constantly busy. So much so, that my family and friends had started to bug me about slowing down. And then I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Cancer has a way of throwing up "Caution" signs, and "Stop" signs. And I did... STOP! I stopped working, cleaning, cooking, etc. And I started to focus on taking care of myself. Oh, it wasn't easy, believe me. Before cancer, Kara (me) too a backseat to EVERYTHING else. I felt kind of guilty, but I had to cut the stress completely out of my life so that I could focus on fighting the cancer, and healing. My husband and cute boys took over - they kept everything clean, they cooked, they took care of me. That went on for 1 1/2 years. When I started feeling better, I started doing a few things for other people. The better I felt, the more I did. And now, I find myself back in the same position I was 3 years ago. I'm so busy, I can hardly breath sometimes. Take the last 3 weeks, for instance: THIS IS ME RIGHT NOW...



Yep, this is the pink Wordless Wednesday - my hot pink cast. That's right, I had another surgery. But, did that stop me?! NO!!!! While hobbling around on this cast I've spent every spare moment helping my sister get ready for a children's charity sale - we've gone through and tagged over 2500 items! We have a non-profit charity foundation that we both run, and we just happen to be SUPER busy at the beginning of Fall and Spring. Today is the sale, and I'm stressing just a little bit because I can't help. Why? Well, today is also the day of our Sister Survivor's meeting and I'm supposed to hand out tickets to all of the wonderful women in our group tonight at the concert. Plus, I have to run around getting things ready for the Women's Expo this weekend. On top of that, I've got a sick child at home, who gets to have the wonderful experience of having a scope shoved down his throat today at the hospital! Not to mention, I work 3 days a week, and it's been mind-blowingly busy lately.

I'm not telling you this to show just how much I can do - because I know that probably most of you are exactly like me. Busy, busy, busy. My questions to you are: When do you say no? When is enough, enough? Why can't I learn to leave a little bit of time to take care of myself?!

One of our sweet Sister Survivors called and talked to me for a minute this morning, and before she hung up, she said "Thank you for everything you do. What you are doing is important". And, there's my answer right there... I do everything I'm doing because it's important. I promised myself that if and when I got better, I would spend some time helping others. It's important. Especially to me.

Yesterday, when I didn't make it home for dinner yet another night, my husband called me. In the course of our conversation, he asked me: "Why are you doing all of this?" It really made me stop and think. My first response was "It has to be done!" "If I don't do it, who will?!" When I finally shut my mouth enough to listen, he asked me again... "Why are you doing this?" And that's when it came to me - I don't do everything I do to get thanks, or feel important. I do it because it makes me happy, and I WANT to do it. I just need to carve out a little bit of time to take care of myself, and learn to budget the remaining time I have a little better.

Bottom line - I'm happy to be alive, and I'm going to make the most of it!

P.S. I get my cast off TODAY - HAPPY DAY!
-Kara

TUESDAY TIDINGS: A Celebration of Life Concert This Thursday...

This Thursday, we will be meeting at the Scera Shell, in Orem, to attend "A Celebration of Life", hosted by Central Utah Cancer Center. The show will feature Jason Hewlett - The Entertainer.

If you are or were a patient of CUCC, you can get two FREE tickets to this performance. If you haven't already R.S.V.P.'d to Kara about coming to the concert, but DO want to come, AND if you are/were a patient of CUCC, you can still get your free tickets - they can be picked up in the Radiation Oncology Dept.

If you want to come, but haven't R.S.V.P.'s to Kara, and you AREN'T a patient of CUCC, you can still attend - you'll have to buy tickets at the door - for $5 each.

An email will be going out to the group on Wednesday of this week as a reminder - the email will include the meeting place, and information on what to bring.

See you there!

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

FRIDAY FARE: Healthy Recipe - Chicken Sausage Kabobs

WAIT!! Before you put that grill away this month, try these yummy, healthy kabobs, courtesy of the foodnetwork.com:

Chicken Sausage and Pepper Kabobs



Ingredients:

1 cup couscous
2 bell peppers (red and yellow), cut into chunks
1 (12-ounce) package chicken sausage (preferably garlic-flavored), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into chunks
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 scallions, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Directions

Soak eight 8-inch skewers in water, at least 15 minutes. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Prepare the couscous as the label directs.

Meanwhile, toss the bell peppers, sausage, onion and tomatoes in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Thread onto the skewers, alternating the sausage and vegetables. Grill, turning, until the vegetables are slightly softened and the sausage begins to brown, 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree the parsley, cilantro and scallions in a blender with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar and 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Brush the skewers with some of the pesto and continue to cook, turning, until the tomatoes are tender and the sausage is charred, 6 to 7 more minutes.

Toss the couscous with half of the remaining pesto and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the skewers and the remaining pesto, for dipping.

Per serving: Calories 396; Fat 13 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 56 mg; Sodium 356 mg; Carbohydrate 45 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 24 g

SEPTEMBER'S SURVIVOR SPOTLIGHT...

We've got a NEW SURVIVOR SPOTLIGHT for September. We interviewed JUDY ANN BEHUNIN about her cancer journey. Judy is a shining light in our Sister Survivors Group. We just love her! To read the interview with Judy, go to the right side bar and click on SPOTLIGHT.

If you didn't get a chance to read about our August spotlight, Bethanie Newby, go to the Spotlight page, and find her name under "Past Spotlights".

“In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” - Francis Bacon, Sr.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Sweet Music...