The Mudmoiselle Effect

As I mentioned before, I was asked to be a "Mud Ambassador" for the 2016 Mudmoiselle run in the Beaver Valley at Talisman Resort near Kimberley, Ontario, Canada.  I was honoured from the start, but also a bit nervous. 

Obviously, I openly share my cancer story at any given moment...blog...public speaking...etc.  Usually I take the opportunity in stride, motivated to try to help others avoid at least some of the challenges I have met, but the odd time I do find it overwhelmingly emotional.  Melanoma Monday this year was like that, I was very sensitive and almost backed out at the last moment.  

I am happy to share, it is cathartic for me, but even after all this time I still sometimes have an anxiety attack from the fear in which I live.  BUT.... buoyed by the support of my family, friends, fellow Ambassadors, and the organizers of the event, I stomped that fear and jumped on the Mudmoiselle train in my bright pink shirt. 

From the moment I began talking about the event on social media, I received texts and messages from friends all over saying they wanted to participate.  Crazy ladies - I posted the previous years' videos and photos and made sure they all knew I wasn't myself doing the run but I would be there to cheer them on - and they did it!  

Some old friends (like haven't seen them since Ukrainian school in Sarnia almost 30 years ago old!) and some new friends, with whom I have vowed to get Mudmoiselle tattoos in preparation for next year!! haha..just kidding on that one, not sure about the tattoo part.  

All these lovely ladies dived into the event head first so to speak, raising pledges to smash our team goal, getting their friends to join in the fun, and showing up on a pouring rain muddy ski hill to fight the cancer fight.  

 The Crazy Mud Sisters - my Uky childhood friends from Sarnia :-)

Seeing my friends and all of the other 300+ women so pumped up to have fun for such a huge cause made me feel incredibly humble, and empowered, at the same time.  

My emotional moment was private, from my viewpoint partway (a very tiny part) up the hill; looking down across the organized area all set up, the music pumping, the obstacles shiny and ready, and I felt ready too.  I felt like a survivor.  I felt like the kind of person these women might be thinking of as they were getting muddy for their families and friends. I was ready to represent.  

I was given the honour of representing those who could not join us that day, and of being a symbol of hope to anyone who may need it, now or in future.  All of the Ambassadors were.  We all had our own reasons for being there, but I know they were mixed with the honour of simply being alive, and being able to keep kicking the crap out of cancer.    

The well-spoken DJ for the day made a very good point that hit home for many of us:  100% of people are touched by cancer.  

We ALL know someone who is or has been fighting the cancer fight, is or has cared for someone, or lost someone in a cancer battle... it was a heavy point but an effective theme for the day.  300+ Mudmoiselles wore their names proudly and fought to overcome the obstacles of the day.  Rain, mud, sweat, tears, smiles and cheers - it was all there - in the name of fighting cancer. 

Very powerful! And so inspiring.  I got to personally THANK so many of the muddy ladies as I gave them their medals at the finish line.  I felt like I was somehow giving back to them at least a tiny bit of the grit and effort that showed on their faces as they overcame all sorts of challenges to arrive at the finish line smiling and triumphant.  

I felt so energized by the day, and that strength is still sticking with me.  It's incredible.  Thank YOU Mudmoiselles, thank you Canadian Cancer Society, thank you friends near and far, thank you to everyone involved.  For donations and media, organizers and volunteers, for the hugs and the cheers of encouragement, I will remain grateful.  

Mudmoiselle in the Beaver Valley September 10, 2016 will always be in my memory books as stellar. 

Thought I'd share some photos in addition to the ones I or Bluewater Canadian Cancer Society put on facebook... enjoy!

These are the shirts Sonya had made up for "Natalie's Team(s)" - everyone generously donated to "buy" the shirts and then Sonya and Greg donated the money back to the event!  Thanks All!  *honoured*

Oh and my kiddos were Volunteers for the day as well, they helped run a couple of the obstacles - was SO fun!  Can't wait 'til next year!! 

Thank you to Save Your Skin Foundation for the UV indicator bracelets and key chains for the event - next year we'll need some more ;-)  ---^

Photos are all mine except where hyperlinked... thanks!  

Last week's milestone, and other news...

We are two weeks into high school, and still alive... well, mostly alive - Claire had a little trip to emergency last week after an ankle injury in gym class.  Thankfully her ankle is not broken, but it is painfully sprained.  This renders her helpless for the girls' newspaper routes, so that responsibility rests fully on Cass until her sister is recovered.  Have I mentioned the paper routes before?  Oh no? Maybe because I have been trying to block them out of my memory!?!

This summer I got the bright idea to encourage my offspring to start earning their own money; summer jobs did not pan out as hoped, but local newspaper carrier routes did.  This is where the story should stop: I should have thrown out the flyer and not have helped Claire contact her potential new boss... BUT.. anyway, long story short, both girls have toiled six days per week since July delivering papers and flyers in our neighbourhood and downtown, and they have reaped the benefits of the direct-deposit world.  (this did NOT save me any money at back-to-school-shopping time, just saying)

In any case, none of us are loving the paper routes, but it is a great life lesson.  I keep telling the girls if they work hard and make good choices then this may be the worst job they ever have... and they'll be able to tell their children how they had to SLAVE over newspapers, biking them all over town, in their pajamas, in six feet of snow, UPHILL... BOTH WAYS!

I'm finding it hard to believe that it is the middle of September already.  We are all adjusting to school schedule time again, and the girls' autumn theatre production rehearsals begin again this week.   And at the end of next week I will be one full year post-treatment for melanoma.  

I get to mark this anniversary with a small graduation.  Last Monday I had my quarterly check-up, bloodwork, CT scans and consult with my Medical Oncologist at Sunnybrook.  Pending clear scans this time around, I will move from CT scans every three months to every six months!  

I knew this was coming, but I didn't know how I felt about it until the actual moment when my medical friends said OK then see you in March!  MARCH!! 2017 YAH!  I wished them a speedy Merry Christmas and high-tailed it outta there before they could change their minds.  I swear that was the fastest I have ever made it to my car in the far parking lot.

Sitting in the car for a moment I caught my breath and absorbed the news.  Six months - that is wonderful.  But for a cancer survivor it can also be very frightening.  To move farther away from the safety net which is the Oncologists' close and careful watch, allowing more time for any undetected diseased cells to roam around doing their evil work, can cause some hefty anxiety.  Can't go on forever having 3-month scans, I know... but...   I started the car, blasted some "Victorious" and charged up the 400 Northbound.

Still have to wait about three weeks for the CT scan reports, but we are all planning on them being clear - No Evidence of Disease (NED).  My June scans showed a small inflammation on my right lung so that has had me a bit stressed, but... as my Gramma always says: worrying won't help it at all, so just live on and deal with it if it happens.

One snag - I still have the issue of the tummy trouble, so my Oncologist requested that I pursue the examinations she had ordered in the winter.  Dammit, I'm not going to get away with ignoring it - she wants to rule out any other damage or trouble from the ipi treatments.  I am going to pursue these tests closer to home though, through my family doctor.     

Otherwise living on I am, newspaper routes, theatre auditions, high school lunch arguments, Huffington Post blogging for Melanoma Through My Lens (coming soon!), and continuing to work through my fears toward the goals I have been setting for myself.  

  

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

A designation of “Awareness Month” gives voice to survivors of their given affliction. It also opens communication for caregivers or those working to cure or prevent harm from said disease or trauma, or those who mourn a loved one who may have lost their battle.

Interested parties can speak about their challenges and bring light to the subject, gain support in coping with disease, or raise funds for the aid of improving quality of life. It can be a time of action, a time of memorial, or both.

There are 12 months in every year, and hundreds of diseases or reasons to raise awareness, but for the purpose of this blog I will choose the one that weighs on my mind every day: September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. 

I typically spend my advocacy time on melanoma skin cancer because it is a disease which is highly preventable.  Thyroid cancer however, as is with most cancers, is simply a "luck of the draw" or chance happening in the body, either from genetic or environmental factors, or both, or neither.
  
I can't sit here and tell you how to NOT get thyroid cancer.  But I can be open in talking about my experience with it, try to raise awareness and help others find camaraderie when faced with this frightening diagnosis, and let others know that it is NOT "the easy cancer" - there is nothing easy about having cancer.  

 

A few months into my melanoma diagnosis, I was diagnosed with a second "primary" cancer, a tumor on my thyroid gland.  It appeared on my CT scans for melanoma and I was instantly referred to the head of Head & Neck Surgery at Sunnybrook, in late September, 2014.  I had surgery to remove the tumor - and my thyroid gland as well as 2 of 4 parathyroid.

I thought I would re-cap the highlights of my journey through thyroid cancer, for anyone who may wish to hear more about it, or may wish to connect if they are in the same boat.  I had thyroidectomy in December 2014, I had radioactive iodine treatment in March 2015, I take Levothyroxine Sodium 200 mcg daily (one hour before coffee every morning!) for thyroid hormone replacement plus TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) suppression (due to my intermediate-risk of recurrence).  And I feel the effects of all of this every day of my life.

I continue to learn about this disease and it's permanent effects on the body, and I usually update those findings here.

Here is a re-cap of links from my thyroid cancer journey since September 2014, articles which contain links to even more information beyond my experience:

Well... THAT happened.

Dreaming of morning coffee on a sunny day

Lymph Nodes

Radioactive Iodine Treatment, Part 1

Low Iodine Diet

Highs/Lows of my 2-week LID

Radioactive Iodine Treatment, Part 2 

Radioactive Iodine Treatment, Part 3

Life After Thyroid Cancer 

Nuclear Medicine Scan - Thyroid 

I Am A Special Snowflake

I have heard that some people consider - or even say out loud! - that thyroid cancer is "the EASY cancer."  That it can be treated and you're done with it.  

Thankfully I haven't had too many people actually say that to me, but apparently it is out there.  Having been through what I've been though, I can't imagine, but anyway... For my small part of bringing awareness during this, Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, I will be using the hashtag #NoCancerIsGood #nocancerisgood #NOcancerisgood  

Shoutout to fellow ThyCa's out there - you're not alone!   

Column - Meaford Express - Simcoe.com August 2016 - Meaford Through My Lens

Last week my little contribution to the Meaford Express Columns section was more about the Melanoma Through My Lens Reflection Project.  I was able to take a moment to parallel my exploration of this town, and melanoma journey, through the lens of a camera.  

This column was just published online today, so here is the link... and a photo of the paper copy.  It's about all I have time to do anyway LOL what with the girls starting high school this week (in Owen Sound) (-and not yet registered by the Board for a bus route! so Yours Truly still gets to play Mom's Taxi) as well as my prep for a busy weekend of Mudmoiselle guests and fun, this week is a bust and we're not even halfway through.  

Thanks, as always, for reading. :-) 

August 31, 2016:

Meaford Through My Lens

CTV News Toronto - #MelanomaThroughMyLens

Yesterday I buzzed down to the Big Smoke to visit with Pauline Chan, Health Reporter for CTV News Toronto.  I am grateful to report that she decided to cover the story of the Melanoma Through My Lens Reflection Project, launched last week by Save Your Skin Foundation.

We had a friendly visit in the gardens at Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, to discuss the importance of sun safety and the perils of a diagnosis of melanoma, skin cancer.  

Specifically we talked about #MelanomaThroughMyLens and how it became; a collection of stories from six Canadians coast to coast, reflecting on their skin cancer experiences through photography.  

Please click on any image below to view the story on CTV News Toronto. Thank you CTV for sharing our story!  And thank you readers, for clicks and shares... xo

That's Meaford Harbour... on CTV News!

MY take: #MelanomaThroughMyLens Reflection Project

Earlier today I posted the press release by Save Your Skin Foundation about the new #MelanomaThroughMyLens awareness campaign - the new e-book launched today!  Now I would like to share my insight into the project:

In the spring I was asked as part of a group to share my story through photographs, a unique way to document a cancer journey.  I was provided with a camera and some very helpful guidelines from a professional photographer, and I thought long and hard about how to best convey the messages I wanted to share through a relatively new (to me) medium; photography.
  

Save Your Skin Foundation Founder Kathy Barnard championed this campaign to kick-start a public conversation about advanced melanoma, the patient journey, and to raise awareness about the various gene mutations involved with it to empower Canadians to know more about the disease. 

“Every advanced melanoma patient lives their own journey in a very personal and profound way. The moment you get that diagnosis, it is life-altering for you and everyone in your circle,” said Kathy Barnard,  herself a 10-year survivor of the disease. “Patients and their families go through so much; it’s literally like a roller coaster ride. When I was first diagnosed I felt alone. This is why I created the Foundation in the first place. Through this campaign we want to raise awareness of the advanced melanoma journey and let other advanced melanoma patients know they are not alone.”

We were guided to take photographs over the course of three weeks, each week with a conference call to help us with artistic direction and photography tips.  

From the very first call I was inspired.  Thinking outside the box about how to portray my experience with melanoma skin cancer, I recalled mental images of my greatest physical and emotional limitations in the two years since my diagnosis.

Stairs.  Steps.  My leg.  Post-surgery.  Lymphedema.  Bed-rest.  Slow recovery.  Painful.  One day at a time.  One step at a time.  And there it was:  my theme.  I would photograph the steps along my journey.  

It all began with my basement stairs; for weeks after my surgery (superficial femoral lymphadenectomy, deep ilioinguinal lymphadenectomy) I was unable to go downstairs in my house to my own bedroom.  I thought about those stairs for weeks lying on my makeshift bed in the living room, unable to walk around.  I pouted and agonized and feared and fantasized about how my future would become... if I could ever even go downstairs again.  

Those photos didn't actually make the cut for the final e-book, but some of these other steps in my journey did... here are samples of my amateur photography.  (oh yes and Claire took some of the photos as well - kudos to two budding photographers in this house!) 

                                        
                                                    Diagnosis.

Oh and a quick note... these photos are NOT "photoshopped" - a few people have asked me LOL  ie. this one of the hallway at Sunnybrook is true, Claire actually managed to capture it on film with NO people walking in it.  It was good timing!  :-)

 

                                  Countless hospital stairs.... a maze.

It all felt like an uphill battle... even my porch steps into my house were nearly impossible some days.  I painfully remember Scott and my Mom practically carrying me into the house in May 2014. 

I also wanted to capture the light in my somewhat sun-drenched past, perhaps beach photos and bright skies.  But again they couldn't all make the cut... our favourites ended up being dawn at Meaford harbour and the others which are in the e-book with descriptions of my feelings when they were captured.  

There was also the feeling of fear that I wanted to portray... with the backdrop of sunlight... hard to explain but see if these help:

                                                     Fear. 

Our beloved Meaford Harbour stole the show with gorgeous photos at dawn... here are some of my faves: 

Sunrise... dawn. A new hope.  Community.  Family.  Support. One step at a time. 

If you haven't already, please do click on the e-book and take a look... all six sets of photos are moving and inspirational.  I was stunned by the final edit - I identify very much with the others in the e-book.  

Though I have not met all of them I feel we have a connection through our stories documented in similar ways, through photographs and vivid emotions.  The scars, the metaphors, the earthy imagery, and the red car!! 

Way to go Kathy, Danika, Sue, Mike, and Terry! 

I am honoured to have been asked to share in this project, and I thank Save Your Skin Foundation for their continued dedication to helping others in their skin cancer journeys - and everything they do - they are a very busy bunch!  

Thanks also to Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., and the PR team who facilitated this project, it has been great to work with you.  Last but certainly not least, the fabulous Photographer.... I miss our weekly calls.  I appreciate your empathetic mentoring and your professional expertise, it was wonderful to work with you.  I appreciate your advice and I hope we will keep in touch.  

Thank you everyone, for your continued love and support; couldn't do this without you. 

Article and Photos © Natalie Richardson 

Please click and share and help spread the word, I appreciate it.  We all appreciate it.  xoxo

Oh yes.... 
PS:  

Intrepid: dauntless, bold, courageous, gritty, gutsy, bodacious.