Best Race for the Cure…EVER!

Team Aly-Oop

I had the best team EVER for Race for the Cure this year- no question about it! I was completely overwhelmed with love by my family and friends who came out to support me and raise breast cancer awareness. There are dozens of dates that stick out in my mind from my cancer journey that I silently and sometimes not so silently celebrate.

My sweet sister, bro in law, and my precious nephew Liam were so sweet to come in for the race! And help us put up everything!

Well, Race for the Cure allows me to have a date and an event where I can get together with my loved ones and remember and celebrate! We are not only raising money for those continuing to be affected by breast cancer, but we are laughing, running and celebrating. Every day I’m celebrating! The help from Ginger Stapp with starting my team, her artistic skills and encouragement–she is amazing! And thank goodness for sweet Tammy Hampton coming in and offering her decorations to us! We won 3rd place for best tent decor! And there were TONS of tents!!!

My sweet family members that came to support me. They are THE best!!!

So, any year I can, I want to have fun with my loved ones remembering, supporting and celebrating. As I was running that race, I was praying and thanking God for sparing my life. I was praying for survivors and Him continuing to protect them. I was praying for those currently fighting. I HATE cancer. I HATE that Satan has chosen this disease to try and destroy so many.

Love these two ladies!

As the months and years go by (thank you Jesus), God is continuing to heal my heart and allowing me to reach out to those currently fighting. Yes, there are moments I still have to protect myself because fear can creep in, but he has given me the ability to look past most of that and trust him. I want to give out of my pain. Thankful I am at a place where I can do more of that now.

My team!!!!!!!

Sharing My Story

As many of you know, I had the opportunity to share some of my story with KNOE ( a local news station), as they were interviewing survivors for Race for the Cure week. I was nervous to have my face for all to see, but if it encourages one person or has someone visit the doctor or make Jesus famous, it is so worth it!

It was great that I got to be interviewed in my own office!

I was also able to share some with our college ministry at church last week. I have never spoken at our church before, even though I’ve spoken at several others. There is nothing better than speaking to my home church, as many faces in the audience walked with me through cancer.

I was blessed to be able to share 4 ways that cancer changed me (us). I focused mainly on the power of words!

As we are more heavily looking into adoption, IVF, and continuing to try on our own, it is getting so exciting thinking we could have little one soon! We are continuing to pray that through sharing our story, we will have the funds to do this. We really aren’t too concerned though. When God has showed up like he has in our life, I just don’t doubt much anymore.

Great 6 month check-up!

After race for the cure Saturday, we headed to Houston Sunday after church! I had my 6 month oncology check-up with Dr. Litton on Monday and everything was perfect! It was a great visit. We had a new nurse who was awesome and Dr. Litton is so great. After a physical exam and a multitude of questions, she said I will see her again in 6 months! We asked lots of questions about my lymphedema and possible future IVF cycles and she was very helpful.

Ready for another 6 month appointment to be over!

My faithful chauffeur and waiting partner!

With my new nurse doing my physical exam

Perfect check-up- thumbs up!!

She is going to look into some possible options for helping my lymphedema and she said that she was okay for me to proceed with IVF if we were to do that again. As of now, I can’t imagine going through that process emotionally and physically. I literally can’t imagine it. But to know that it was an option down the road is definitely encouraging.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

A blog will be posted in the next few days of some more specifics of how YOU can help US grow our family. Until then, we are so grateful for my perfect check-up. I will never take one for granted. Thank you for your prayers and concern for me and my life and my future family. I LOVE YALL! Every day I’m celebrating.

Celebrating every day,

Aly