I have been acquainted with Sharon Washburn for about 10 years, since I began attending Richland Hills Church of Christ. Her husband, Mike, now Executive Minister of the church, taught a premarital class Amanda and I attended. They both also co-facilitated a young couples class we went to. Most recently I have seen Sharon regularly as she would teach in a Bible class Sydney attended. Sharon is one of those people who genuinely loves people. She is warm, caring, and welcoming to those she comes in contact.
Sharon is fighting cancer right now.
She has already been keeping a blog http://www.sharonwashburn.blogspot.com which has many powerful thoughts on her life and her battle. She graciously agreed to write one about her battle and gave me permission to post it.
Having the courage to be transparent with your thoughts has given hope and courage to others in not only cancer but many struggles in life. Thank you Sharon!
Again, I am competing in a Half Ironman triathlon in October and I have asked for people to share their stories to foster support for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. You can make a donation to this cause via the link below.
http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2009/paulaslinlonghorn09
Here is Sharon's Story:
"It Can Be Done!"
Shock! That's the only word that comes to mind when I heard I had cancer 6 months ago. I had no history of breast cancer in my family, am a non-smoker, had children before I was 30 & got a "clean" mammogram & sonogram only 5 weeks prior to discovering the golf-ball sized knot under my left arm! I had done everything right- in my mind- & still heard those dreaded words!
Not only did I have breast cancer, but it was fast growing & aggressive with only one medical regiment of treatment available. Even as my head was spinning with doctor appointments, scans & test results, the chemotherapy began. 8 rounds over 16 weeks. 4 months of intense, aggressive medications to fight a mean, aggressive cancer wanting to take my life!
Chemo is now done for me, as well as a mastectomy, but the journey still isn't complete. 5 weeks of radiation will begin next week & breast reconstruction surgeries will be in the spring of next year. Cancer- any cancer- is a long, daunting journey for the patient & their loved ones. Not one easy thing about facing cancer- but- IT CAN BE DONE!
*It can be done... with faith. I chose & still choose to walk this journey with God. He's the source of all strength, love & hope. He's on my side & I want Him close to me every step of the way. His peace is the peace I need! My family & I are stronger & closer through this journey because God is our refuge, protector & strength.
*It can be done... with love. I chose & still choose to surround myself with people I love & who love me. My husband & family are my anchor of support. Friends have constantly encouraged & supported us. Love is the best medicine ever!
*It can be done... with determination. I chose & still choose to think positively, to focus & do what I can to aid medical healing & count the blessings in the middle of this terrible circumstance. For there are always blessings in the midst of trouble.
Yes, this journey can be done! Facing cancer can be done one moment, one hour & one day at a time! With faith, love & determination, anything is possible!"
Thanks to Sharon and Mike Washburn for serving our church and impacting our lives and the lives of many other families for the glory of His kingdom. We will be making many more prayers on your behalf for continued healing and strength. Thanks for sharing your story!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Papaw's Story
The following story is the first of several to come about people's stories of cancer. Some of these stories are from survivors, others are about those who fought but succumbed to the disease. All of these people had different battles, meaning some dealt with the disease for years, for others the outcome was very decisive. Some are still fighting today.
Again, I am doing this two month campaign before I compete in the Ironman Longhorn triathlon on October 25th in Austin, TX. It is my intention to encourage hope, honor those families who have fought or are fighting cancer, and raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. You can make a donation at: http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2009/paulaslinlonghorn09
This is the story of my grandfather, Tom Aslin, or Papaw as I called him.
My Papaw was a big man, not physically, but rather, in his personality. (I am 5'9, 150 lbs., and he made me look big.) He always had an enthusiastic greeting for everyone he talked to and he had a special gift of making you feel like you were the most important person in the world. One of the things I remember most about his cancer fight was how this gift was prevalent even up to his death. Papaw was diagnosed with lung cancer in early December of 1997. The cancer was the result of asbestos exposure after years of working for a manufacturing company. This type of cancer is very hard to detect and it's almost always fatal. Papaw was told he had less than 6 months to live.
I remember going to visit him to pick onions from his garden with my brother. He came outside to talk with us while we picked onions. Granny tried to get him to come back inside and he said "No, I want to stay out here with these boys." He made us forget he had cancer that day and we felt like the most important people in the world.
Papaw was always cold-natured. (He was probably the one who gave me the idea of sleeping with an electric blanket on my bed jacked up to the highest setting in the middle of summer.) I had bought him one of those "World's Greatest Grandpa" sweatshirts to give to him, but I never got the chance. Papaw died on a Monday, March 10th, at 10AM. He came home, told my Granny to call 911 because he has having a heart attack, sat down in his chair, and then he died.
I could tell 100 stories about my Papaw. Not only did we live with them for a while, we also visited all the time, went on vacations with him and Granny, and I have special memories of spending time with my Papaw in the mornings before he would take me to footbal practice. My Dad would drop me off on his way to work. I spent about 30 minutes each morning at the guardhouse where my Papaw worked before football practice was to start. He would tell me stories, play games with me, and deliver his big greetings, making everyone he came into contact with feel like they were the most important people in the world. I could tell 100 stories, but I chose to tell this one.
I asked my Dad to share how he coped and to give any advice for those dealing with cancer right now.
Here is what he said:
"After we knew he had cancer we spent many days talking with him about his life and if he had any unresolved issues he wanted to talk about. We gave him as much time and support as we could during this time. We had a hospice nurse who would come by and check on him and mother, and she was so kind and insightful about the end of life. We coped with this by lots of prayer and being open with our feelings with each other.
My advice for someone who is facing any cancer disease is to remain hopeful and prayerful. Make peace with yourself, God, and your family. Fight the disease with all available tools both medical and spiritual."
Please continue to check back to read training updates and more cancer stories. Thank you to my Dad for his words of advice and information on this post. Thank you to Granny for being right there with Papaw for over 50 years.
Again, I am doing this two month campaign before I compete in the Ironman Longhorn triathlon on October 25th in Austin, TX. It is my intention to encourage hope, honor those families who have fought or are fighting cancer, and raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. You can make a donation at: http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2009/paulaslinlonghorn09
This is the story of my grandfather, Tom Aslin, or Papaw as I called him.
My Papaw was a big man, not physically, but rather, in his personality. (I am 5'9, 150 lbs., and he made me look big.) He always had an enthusiastic greeting for everyone he talked to and he had a special gift of making you feel like you were the most important person in the world. One of the things I remember most about his cancer fight was how this gift was prevalent even up to his death. Papaw was diagnosed with lung cancer in early December of 1997. The cancer was the result of asbestos exposure after years of working for a manufacturing company. This type of cancer is very hard to detect and it's almost always fatal. Papaw was told he had less than 6 months to live.
I remember going to visit him to pick onions from his garden with my brother. He came outside to talk with us while we picked onions. Granny tried to get him to come back inside and he said "No, I want to stay out here with these boys." He made us forget he had cancer that day and we felt like the most important people in the world.
Papaw was always cold-natured. (He was probably the one who gave me the idea of sleeping with an electric blanket on my bed jacked up to the highest setting in the middle of summer.) I had bought him one of those "World's Greatest Grandpa" sweatshirts to give to him, but I never got the chance. Papaw died on a Monday, March 10th, at 10AM. He came home, told my Granny to call 911 because he has having a heart attack, sat down in his chair, and then he died.
I could tell 100 stories about my Papaw. Not only did we live with them for a while, we also visited all the time, went on vacations with him and Granny, and I have special memories of spending time with my Papaw in the mornings before he would take me to footbal practice. My Dad would drop me off on his way to work. I spent about 30 minutes each morning at the guardhouse where my Papaw worked before football practice was to start. He would tell me stories, play games with me, and deliver his big greetings, making everyone he came into contact with feel like they were the most important people in the world. I could tell 100 stories, but I chose to tell this one.
I asked my Dad to share how he coped and to give any advice for those dealing with cancer right now.
Here is what he said:
"After we knew he had cancer we spent many days talking with him about his life and if he had any unresolved issues he wanted to talk about. We gave him as much time and support as we could during this time. We had a hospice nurse who would come by and check on him and mother, and she was so kind and insightful about the end of life. We coped with this by lots of prayer and being open with our feelings with each other.
My advice for someone who is facing any cancer disease is to remain hopeful and prayerful. Make peace with yourself, God, and your family. Fight the disease with all available tools both medical and spiritual."
Please continue to check back to read training updates and more cancer stories. Thank you to my Dad for his words of advice and information on this post. Thank you to Granny for being right there with Papaw for over 50 years.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Livestrong
I began participating in triathlons about 2 years ago. What started as a one time thing just to see how it would go has grown into a hobby and, hopefully, a lifetime of participation in a sport I enjoy. My first race was a "sprint" distance race. Sprint distances are typically a 300 meter swim, a 12 mile bike, and a 5k run. It usually takes me around 1 hour and 10 min to complete this distance. My next race will be a 1/2 Ironman called Longhorn Ironman on October 25th in Austin, TX. This distance consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a half marathon or 13.1 mile run. It should take me somewhere between 5 and 6 hours to complete this event. (I've only done one race longer than a sprint and it was half the distance as this half Ironman.)
Training for any triathlon event takes a lot of time, planning, and dedication. I usually swim, bike, or run 5-7 days a week for at least an hour each time. Some of my workouts for this coming event will approach 5 hours.
There are many benefits I have realized as part of this new hobby. A healthy physique, motiviation to train, more energy, attention to a healthier diet, an outlet for my competitive side, and being a role model to my girls on living a healthy lifestyle have all been a part of the positives of being a triathlete.
One downside is the amount of time it takes to train for these events. Many times I have had to make sacrifices on sleep and quality of workouts in order to make sure I was available for family time, and many times my family has sacrificed time for me to train. Although the positives of training and competing in triathlons can stand on their own in justifying the time required, one can't help but to think of ways to maximize the returns of the sport. This is why I have chosen to partner with the Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise money for cancer research and awareness. Over the next two months I hope to post training updates interspersed with stories of people close to me. They will share stories of survival and stories about those who were victims of cancer. By allowing these people to share their stories it is my intent to honor these people and their families, and I hope it can provide a sense of hope, perspective, and collaboration in fighting this disease. Please join me in this fight by clicking the link below and making a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2009/paulaslinlonghorn09
Training for any triathlon event takes a lot of time, planning, and dedication. I usually swim, bike, or run 5-7 days a week for at least an hour each time. Some of my workouts for this coming event will approach 5 hours.
There are many benefits I have realized as part of this new hobby. A healthy physique, motiviation to train, more energy, attention to a healthier diet, an outlet for my competitive side, and being a role model to my girls on living a healthy lifestyle have all been a part of the positives of being a triathlete.
One downside is the amount of time it takes to train for these events. Many times I have had to make sacrifices on sleep and quality of workouts in order to make sure I was available for family time, and many times my family has sacrificed time for me to train. Although the positives of training and competing in triathlons can stand on their own in justifying the time required, one can't help but to think of ways to maximize the returns of the sport. This is why I have chosen to partner with the Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise money for cancer research and awareness. Over the next two months I hope to post training updates interspersed with stories of people close to me. They will share stories of survival and stories about those who were victims of cancer. By allowing these people to share their stories it is my intent to honor these people and their families, and I hope it can provide a sense of hope, perspective, and collaboration in fighting this disease. Please join me in this fight by clicking the link below and making a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2009/paulaslinlonghorn09
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