Back to Michigan - Have a Rack Pack Logo

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2008 11:02 AM

My little sister, Paige and I had a ton of fun hanging out together up north.

We collected rocks and washed them.


Here is the logo for the Rack Pack. I drew a little sketch for Kevin one night and I am so happy about what it turned into.

From Texas to Up North Michigan and back to Texas

Well here I am back on a plane and going to Houston again. I will be making this trip every Wednesday for the next 4 weeks. The first two weeks I fly out on Wednesday and fly back on Thursday. The last two weeks I will be flying back on Friday. The 4th week will be the one where they draw my blood every hour on the hour for the entire day for testing purposes for the trial. I’ll have to try my hardest to be in the best mood possible that day. I‘ll let everyone know my results from tomorrow. I am hoping for something like “OH MY GOD. We have NEVER seen such amazing results and so fast either!!!” Maybe not the first week, but it could happen week two. Aim for the sky right?

I want to clarify one thing a little further about the laying into doctors thing. I never did raise my voice or yell at the doctors at MD Anderson. That will get you nowhere fast and I don’t like yelling anyway. When I “told off” the doctors it was in a speaking tone but in a firm voice. A few people have talked to me since I have posted and I think it came across that I was yelling at people at MD Anderson. Anyway, no big deal, but I just wanted everyone to understand how I deal with the doctors. If you have a firm voice, a decisive and strong opinion, and some respect you will most likely get that respect right back from the doctors.

I went up north with my dad, step mom, little sister and Kevin on my short trip back to Michigan. It was great. I relaxed, spent time outside, kayaked, paddle boated, picked out cool rocks, played with my sister a ton, played in the lake and went to the Clare County Fair and saw horses, a baby fox, all the farm animals and kangaroos. It really is nice to get away from the house and busy schedule and wake up in the morning with no clue what you are doing that day. My sister is getting quite the imagination, so we could play and make believe anything and have hours of fun where we could entertain ourselves.

While up north, my dad and I worked on a possible logo for the Rack Pack (the new support group we made at Gilda’s Club). A while ago, I had an idea and I sat down and drew it to show Kevin. I got the picture on the computer and had my dad doctor it up in Photoshop. So far I think it’s great (and completely original). I am not much of an artist, but I kind of love my drawing. I also think it is so fitting for our group and totally gets across the breast cancer support group vibe in a pretty cool way. I’d love to hear what you all think.

While on the subject of the support group, we are really excited to start things going and we’re already talking about planning the Art Bra Show fundraiser. I think we might have it next October so it can be during breast cancer awareness month. Plus, I want the show to be huge so we will need a year to plan everything. We’re going to start looking at possible places to host the event. I was thinking some of the Michigan people could chime in with suggestions as to where we could hold it.

Here are the requirements:
Needs to hold at least 300 people
We need availability in October on a Saturday
Indoors of course
We can get a good price so the money can go to Gilda’s Club and not the venue
We’re trying to get a cool “artsy” looking place if possible as opposed to just a plain banquet hall
Somewhere in the metro Detroit area would be nice. Downtown would be cool too.

Okay, we’ll keep going with the subject of the art bra show while I am all excited about it. Here are some other ways people can help. (Austin people can contact the Breast Cancer Resource Center to help out the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls with their event because my girls hold quite the awesome event, which I hope to once again attend the third annual next April) Anyway, back to the Rack Pack event in Michigan….We will need artists to donate auction items and also sell art at booths. We will need food and drink vendors who will donate catering services possibly; we will need auction items (basically anything really cool that people would want to bid on). And lastly, we will need some very creative people to make art bras. Bras turned into works of art or works of art that are made into bras. Get super creative. It is still really early, but if you have any ideas for me for any of this of know anyone who wants to get involved as a vendor or artist, let me know at iezzzi@hotmail.com.

I’m now 70 miles from Charlotte where I have a 2 ½ hour layover. They have WiFi, so this will be posted very soon. Sorry I write about the art bra show so much, but since I don’t work, I have to find other things to do to make myself feel useful.

Thank you to all the new people from Jodie’s site who have come over to look at my site and add their support. I am constantly amazed at all the people who reach out to me even though they have never met me. Every message and email I get makes me feel so good and keeps me going with fighting hard, posting my entries and writing my story. I started writing for me, but now I write for other people as well as myself. Therapy all around.
I’ll write a health lesson entry soon. I SWEAR. Sorry it has been so long. I really do have so many lessons to still post. The learning never ends. That’s all for now.

Lots of love and many relaxing moments
Shannon
P.S. The Charlotte airport has a Jamba Juice that sells wheatgrass shots. Super cool.