Stand Up To Cancer

Reid Sacco Memorial Foundation's 5th Year BikeAThon!!Our family lost a wonderfully talented member of our family to Rhabdomyosarcoma at the young age of 20. After his gallant 2 year battle, we promised to make a difference, so no other young adult,so full of life, would have to struggle to live life. We began a 28mi bike ride through the beautiful North Shore to raise money to eliminate Young Adult Cancers, one as you stated in your wonderful TV show, hasnt been addressed in 20 years! We the Reid Sacco Foundation have already made a difference in education and began Clinical Trials with the money raised from this Ride and other events. If you live in the Boston area and would like to participate in Reids Ride, Sunday, July 19th, please go to our website at www.reidsaccofoundation.org
"Together We Can Make A Difference"!
Thank you, Deb Sacco Senior Boardmember
Reid Sacco Foundation

Marta G. Chevere has had open-heart surgery for an atrial septal defect, back surgery for slipped discs and incredible sciatic discomfort; intestinal surgery for diverticulitis, and a hysterectomy which diagnosed cervical cancer.(chemo and medication are positive at this juncture) Through all of this she has gone through two natural childbirths, diligently maintained her responsibilities recently as project manager for Verizon Wireless in their disaster recovery unit, and above all continued to mainain her insatiable desire to live life to its fullest. She pursues her passions for diving and motorcycle riding and has never let the circumstances of life dictate to her what circumstances she can create for herself. All marriages have their stresses and strains that at times border on incredulity in their very fabric. Ours is no different, but I have been privileged to witness the tenacity and zest for existence of a human soul that takes whatever comes her way and tenaciously determines to 'damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead.' May all of you who have been so afflicted and those of you have not enjoy life half as much as she continues to do so. Gene Anagnos

I was diagnosed with anal cancer one year ago. It was Stage 1 and was diagnosed via a colonscopy...though iy is easily diagnosed with a Digiatl rectal exam or an anascpoy. This type of cancer is often misdaignosed as the symptoms are also caused by hemmoroids and most doctors will blow you off until you are at stgae 11 or more...not that thye do not care but they are unimformed. It is not a common cancer but suprisingly on the increase as it is most often caused by a strain of HPV. It is technically most often sexually transmitted. But because so many people carry HPV your immune system normally "takes care of it and it does not turn into cancer". Sometimes the immune system does not tamp it down and it presents in normal healthy people like me. I had no risk factors for this disease and never had a positive PAP for HPV. When I was diagnosed I had NO symptoms. Luckily I went in for a routine colonscopy and it ws found very early.

I tried to get finanacial help for my co-pays but several "alleged cancer assitance programs turned me down becasue it was "sexually transmitted"....In their incredible ignorance they did not get that HPV is a virus that they probably have too!! I was so furious that there is so much ignorance and shame associated with this cancer! It blows my mind!

I went through chemo and 30 treatments of radiation. It was quite debilitating and I lost 14 pounds I did not need to lose. I got through this and am now 1 year post everything and doing well. I really promoted the SUTC as it does not matter what kind of cancer you have we need to end it. I blog regularly on BLog for a Cure and the Rare Cancer Alliance (though this cancer is also the same kind and cause as tonsil cancer, vaginal cancer, cervical cancer etc..they are all caused they believ by a strain of HPV)

We all need to know this and I am trying to spread the word.

Cheers, peace and blessings to all of you who have made this journey as we will never be the same. We are now shinier and know more. let us all spread the word..........Lori in Arizona

About 2 and a half years ago my father was diagnosed with colon cancer. I fought and fought very hard. We found it at stage 4, we had no idea that he was even sick. He gain about 100 pounds and we just thought he was getting fat. He had a back injury from work and was on workermans comp. and he was going to have back surgury to help it so the pain would go away. He went in at about age 52 and the doctors had said he was past due for a colonoscopy and so they did one and got about a couple inches in the colon and was completely blocked out. The tumor had gone through the large intestant and small one as well. They went in and removed it and he started chemo right away. His doctor was Dr. Suri from Omaha, Ne. Dr. Suri has been all over the country fighting for cancer and helping many people out with cancer. He has made up his on cancer drug that my dad was able to be in the study for the drug. What the drug did was it went to the cells of the tumor and killed them so that the tumor could not grow anymore. It work amazingly. We were so greatful. My father has 4 kids from the ages of 22 to 19. We are not young but we still needed his help. Getting married, having kids, needing grandpa, those kinds of things. He was in remission afterthe first go of chemo and "the smart drug," the study he was in that Dr. Suri made. He waited about 6 months and went in for another scan and we found out that the cancer had come back. Once again we stepped up and faught and faught with the cancer. He started having issues with going to the bathroom so they put a cathiter in. He was not eatting at all he would eat about once a week. When he went to the doctors office they had given him 2 weeks to live. So my mother started prepairing herself as well as the kids and family. He passed up those 2 weeks. He visited the Cancer Center in Tulas,OK and by that time they said he was too far to do anything about it now. He then stopped doing chemo becaue it made him so sick and he would do it on tuesday and by the weekend he did not leave the house becasue he was so sick. So he stopped doing it. He knew at that point he was dying and he could do nothing about it. He got to the point where he could not talk, eat, drink, swollow anything, talking to people from the other side (they help the person with the transfer sopme believe), and on the 31st of may he no longer talked anymore. He would mumble everything he said and got so angry because he knew he was saying something but we could not understand him. It made us feel horrible and made him get so angry. The last days before he died we had no contact with him at all unless we were holdinghis hands or talking to him. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do and be apart of. Sadly on June 2, 2009 the cancer had won. He went peacefully in his home with all of the kids and my mother around him. He was laid to rest on the 6th of june. This was a day before his 55th birthday.

We love him with all our hearts and always will.
In memory of Greg A. Slayden

told by kayleen his daughter

My son was diagnosed at the age of five with leukemia and is now 19 and considered cured. I am so greatful and so blessed. I know what cancer does to lives and i know how very scary and uncertain things feel as you are moving through your own journey with cancer. As I watched my son cross the stage last year to get his dipoloma during his high school graduation, I cant put in words how i felt knowing that when he was five i wasnt sure if i would get to share this day with him. Because of my son's strength and courage I became a hospice nurse. I want to let those of you who are fighting cancer to continue to fight and to give it your best shot and simply take it day by day and I would like to honor those who have lost the battle, but will never be forgotten.

In October 1990 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was told the best thing would be to have a modified radical mastectomy. I did and was on Tamoxafin for the 5 year 'study'. Because of the breast cancer my doctors alway made sure that I had annual chest Xrays.. In March of 2007 (after a routine Xray) it showed a lump in my lung. The doctors told me it was 'treatable'. I had 2 operations, chemo and radiation (which I tolerated very well). It is now over 2 years since the original diagnosis and I'm feeling good. I hope my story will give hope to others too. I am a SURVIVOR!!

I was diagnose in October 2005 with a rare form of cancer called G.I.S.T. I was a healthy mother of three children and just turned 44 years old. My youngest was getting ready to start her senior year. My cancer is a orphan cancer and is not covered by the big fundraisers so we must rely on private fundraisers to get money to find a cure for G.I.S.T. Thanks to private money raised by those who have gist and their family they have a drug that can keep some of us stable until we become resistant. There is no cure for gist but with help from family and friends and others I will survive to see my grand children and celebrate more family events with my family.

When I heard about Dr. Jerri Neilsen FitzGerald, losing her fight against breast cancer, I was truly sad. Ever since my diagnosis, surgery, and treatment, always in the back of my mind I worry about it coming back or spreading. Then I read about these special people and their strength, and it gives me hope. But with Jerri's passing it makes me sad, scared I guess.

I too am a Survivor!! I was diagnosed in Sept 07 with Stage IV Melanoma at age 49 no mole, no rash, no markings. Just a lump in my collarbone area. after the shock and why me's that every cancer patient know's. I was blessed to have some of the finest Melanoma Dr's in PORTLAND,OR! I was able to take immunatherapy called IL2. After 6 cycles over 4 months I was clean for 2 scans over the next 9 months. There was a spot in 1 node in Dec, but after surgery & 5 rounds of Radation, I have had 2 more clean scans. YES!! I have been able to see my daughters Graduate from College and H.S. and seen my son turn 21. Things we have all learned to NEVER take for granted. I have been able to work thru all of my treatments because of the wonderful care of the NURSES and Dr.'s. I know I would not be here now with out Cancer Research Doctors. Everyday is a GIFT!!!!!!
SUPPORT CANCER RESEARCH!!!!!

I feel very sorry to have lost Farrah also and watched her story on TV a very brave thing to do. But please let's keep in mind the non celeberties that are also battling cancer, the survivors, and the ones that won't see the end of this day. God Bless, Joe

My son was diagnosed last year at 31 with atypical Burkitt's non-Hodgkins lymphoma, considered rare in the U.S. It was so aggressive he had to be hospitalized, usually 10-12 days at a time, for each extremely high dose chemo round. He'd be hospitalized again between rounds of chemo due to complications from the heavy dosages, and had to be heavily medicated for intense pain. He celebrated his 32nd birthday in the hospital and we wondered if he'd see his 33rd.

There's no clear cut answer as to why he contracted such a rare form of cancer; it just happened. We quit asking why early on, realizing that anyone at anytime can develop cancer from multiple causes, each adding to the moment that sparked the cells to become cancerous.

This past month he did celebrate his 33rd birthday. He's working full-time but also suffers a variety of weird complications that we're told continue to stem from the chemo, even though that ended last November. Even his doctors expect a recurrence, but so little is known about Burkitt's no one knows when or in what form.

We've learned the greatest lesson of all: to be thankful for each and every day we're given, and to fully live in that day and to never put off doing something we really want or need to do, and to make the most of the time we have with each other.

We will always stand up to his cancer. We refuse to buy into any prognosis limiting his time because we know too many factors can make or break any diagnosis. We refuse to allow this or anything else to define how we live...this is just one small part of our life.

I'm now Six years past rather debilitating surgery and chemo of a liver metastasis from my original Ovarian Cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2001. My chances for survival were slim to none. Having been given this gift of time, I have established two online shops where all the profits go to cancer research charity. Stand Up To Cancer inspired me to DO something to help support the science which will save my children and my childrens' children. So they won't grow up in a country where 500,000 people die of this disease every year. Thank you SUTC. We maintain two teams here.

I am 36 years old and was diagnosed in Feb 2009 with Breast Cancer. There is no reason I should have cancer at 36 but I am fighting the battle and I will win. I have twins that will be 3 on Monday and I am not going anywhere. Thank You for the info on Maimah Karmo.

As a cancer survivor, I think it is so important to hear all the success stories. Many times all we hear is the morbid stories of young mothers, fathers, children who are diagnosed and dead within a few months. Yes, this does happen, but the reality is many of us beat it. We have good stories. Stories that will inspire and encourage others in the same situation. These stories can give many others hope.

When I was 30 life was good. I had a 5 yr old little boy and a 2 yr old baby girl, and a husband I loved more than anything. I had a "weird: mole on my upper hip and had it biopsied. During this time I was moving to a new city away from my family, and building a house. The day we doing a walk though of the house, I got a call from my derm nurse and she told me I had malignant melanoma. The dr. wasn't in the office and she would call me the next day!!

I demanded more info and she informed me I had between a stage 2 and 3 melanoma. My brain first went to shock then despair. I had only heard sad, depressing stories about melanoma. I knew it was the most fatal cancer. I was, in a nutshell, freaking out. I let my fear take away my hope and faith. After many tests, excisions, xrays, cat scans etc... I was given a 90% survival rate. However, I became so fearful and depressed. I was so afraid of everything. Not seeing my children grow up, get married, enjoy my grandchildren etc.. I let fear hold onto me for years.

One daY I was in my dermatologist office(who by this time I have come to respect and adore) and I said why don't we ever hear good stories about melanoma. He said to me share yours. It is a success story. That moment was defining for me. I realized at this moment I was ok. That's all I could ask for. I could go in the sun and enjoy life and my family with sunscreen, I definately preach against tanning booths and my kids always wear sunscreen. I have decided this cancer won't rule my life. I will not be fearful, but thankful. Early detection with any cancer is the key. Be and advocate for yourself. Know your body and respect it. We only have one life to live. Make it count and be accountable!! The verse that always keeps me going Jer. 23:11- for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord- plans for hope and a future.
I have been cancer free for 8 yrs. :)