Lake swim

The nice weather just keeps on coming. This morning I had a wonderful ride to work. It's so great to be able to bike to work, it helps get there relaxed and be ready for the day.
The day at work was good, I'm back in out-patient gym for this week so had to dust of my vertigo and neuro-rehab skills. People already started to bring in garage sale items so that's great.
After work it was of to the Lake for a swim practice with Lisa who is practicing for a 5 mile swim in July, oops I told more people. Lisa keeps telling me not to, but it's so much fun! Like at work during lunch when I told 5 co-workers and then Lisa walked by and yelled at me when she was asked about the big swim:):):):)
After 20 minutes we were called out of the water for a safety check?!?!?!, what is that about? Do the life guards just need a break, because they are sure not out and looking for people in trouble.
Back in the water for another 900 yards, then to the BBQ at Lisa's house. Very tasty steaks!
Sis

Woensdag

Dear Friends,

I’m writing you this letter to ask for your support in an important event in my life.

I am organizing a Garage Sale Fundraiser!
July 15th
2533 33rd Ave S
Minneapolis (Seward neighborhood)

The garage sale is part of my fundraiser and I hope that you will be able to help me out by donating items to sell. Please call me at 612-703-8227 if you have items to donate. I’ll be happy to come and pick-up items you want to get rid of.

Please feel free to send this letter or the websites to anybody you know that is need of a little garage cleaning.
Thanks for your support,

This is the latest letter I send out to local friends and co-workers. I just got a message from the Minnesota Women's press that they are going to place my story in the August edition. How cool is that?
Today was a day for running after my ride home. A nice little switch, but oh how the legs just don't like it. The first block you feel like it's the first time you ever run in your life!
I'm sorry I haven't been able to thank everybody in person with a picture like in the beginning of the fundraiser, but there are so many names! Thank you!

Bedankt Dutch Race & Rally Parts voor de gulle bijdrage!

MRI

I just got the all clear on my MRI. I sure like good news like this.
Now back to work.
Sis

$9148.50!

It's that great! I'm almost at the $10,000 mark, over 60% of my overall goal of $15,000! I'm so grateful to everbody that have helped my get this far. Thanks, bedankt, merci, gracias, supashi-po ( I sure hope the translation from English to Japanese from the web is right!) danke and again!
Friends, family, co-workers, people I don't even know! My dream of participating in the Ride of the Roses is getting closser and closser!
My next fundraising activity is a garage sale on July 15th her in Minneapolis. I'm hoping to have people donate stuff they don't need and others to buy what they do! So I can raise more money for the Lance Armstrong foundation.
We have just ordered cable so we can watch the Tour de France. I'm wondering how it's going to play out this year and seeing all the press attention I'm not the only one.
Today the weather was beautiful a wonderful day for a ride. The flowers and gras are loving it! I finished of the work-out with a 45 minute swim in the pool. Practicing my free style and good old breast stroke.
After a wonderfull diner of homemade shrimp quesedilla it's now time to ride in my BLOG.
Bedankt iedereen in Nederland voor alle bijdragen. Het grote bedrag van vandaag was nog 2000 euro van de stille veiling in Leiderdorp. Gisteren was mijn vader jarig en hij kreeg nog weer 200 euro van vrienden voor mij "Ride", ik ben heel blij met zijn verjaardags cadeau! Gefeliciteerd pappa!
Kus Sis

1 cheer, 2 parties and 1 pick-up

Why is it so difficult during the week to wake up when the alarm goes of and yet in the weekend when you can sleep in, you wake up without the alarm at that same time?
This did give me time to clean the bathroom, sweep the bedroom and livingroom and vacuum the rug all before going to cheer on Lisa. She's my swimming buddy and collegue who convinced herself she should go out and do a 1 mile lake swim. All to get ready for the 5 mile swim she is, at least according to me and some others, going to swim next month. Her sister and I will be in a canoe paddling along and cheer her on on the occasion! Lisa did great and came in 1st in her age group! You go girl!
I finished my bikeride and went to Target. I didn't have anything I needed but came home with a new Holland/Amsterdam T-shirt, I tell you that store is great! (Let's hope somebody at Target reads this and decides to sponsor me).
Than I went up the White Bear Lake to the Flames ski-team party. I help out coaching this great special olympics team. mostly for skiing but if I can fit it in I show up for softball. It was great to see everybody in shorts and with their normal hair. Who knew Adam had so many curls! During ski season we're used to helmet-head and lot's of layers.
When it started pouring it was time for me to move on to party number 2 at Kim and Michele's in Blaine. It's Pride in Minneapolis this weekend so they decided to trow a party for friends. Because it was still raining they also had moved their party to the garage.
Then Deb called that she made it to the airport which was my cue to wrap it up and head down south. We just watched the pictures from her brother's wedding and it's already time to call it a night. That was a busy day.
I need to go for a run tomorrow!
Sis

MRI

Yesterday I had to get a breast MRI, the new best thing for young women to detect signs of breast cancer. So now my MD wants to do a mammogram and a MRI
once a year. This will get me a test every 6 months.
The MRI technicians were very nice, but my
uncooperative veins drove one of them mad. Why do the technicians
not listen when I tell them the veins in my elbow are
not any good! I wish I had been given the choice to
have a porter catheter when receiving my chemo. It’s
a normal practice here in the US and saves your arms
veins from being destroyed.
Then I had to lie chest down with my breasts kind
of hanging down in an opening in the bench. What a
noisy machine that MRI is. Even with my earplugs there
was no way of falling asleep! About 25 minutes
later it was all finished. Now just waiting for the
results.
After going home I called Nancy to go on a bike ride.
That was a good way to get the MRI experience out of
my system. A new route into St. Paul, very pretty ride
with a few nice hills and total of about 45k. Not bad
for a Tuesday evening, back home before the rain.
Today at work we celebrated the beginning of summer by eating treats al day, brought in by all of us. Fruit pizza, taco dip, cookies, oreo-salad and much more carbs! At the end of the
day I had to return all the way back to work for yet another late CPM,
that’s twice this week!

Now I’m watching the wrong soccer game on TIVO,
because the game from the Netherlands wasn’t recorded!
Well at least I can cheer for a team in orange!
Good thing Holland made it through already.
I got a response from the Women’s press that their
issue was already filled. But I’ve got some good
offers for garage sale stuff.
The LAF also gave me the opportunity to extend the
fundraising deadline until October 8th if I guarantee
that I will get the $15,000 so the race is on! Please
write me with any ideas you might have for
fundraisers.
Sis

No swim, but run

I’m writing this while watching the Hockey Play-offs, North Carolina just scored 3-1 only 1 minute to play. The crowd is going wild and so are the players, beating each other up!
I’m glad that our C2 women’s hockey is no checking.
So I was ready to leave work when I was reminded that I was the late CPM girl. This means that if there are total knee surgeries running late you have to stay or return to work to set up the Continues Passive Motion-machine for that patient. I was planning to go swimming but had to change plans! So I rode back home on my bike to eat and than returned to the hospital by car.
Oh, they won the Stanley-cup, North Carolina that is.
So after returning home I went for a quick run, my legs were feeling good. I hope they will feel like that on July 9th.
The cats are resting by my site, exhausted from at day outside! It’s tough to be a cat!
I’m ready to go take a shower and go to bed, because tomorrow it’s an early day, 7am wound care meeting.
I made a rough draft for my fundraiser activities:
July 14th garage sale at Kharmen’s.
August 5th (extreme) croquet tournament in the Park.
August 26th will I be able to pull it of? Silent Auction.
Plenty to organize, I’ll need to get out and ask for some help.
Any suggestions?
Sis

Holland wins!

OK, I'm a day late, but that's the wonderful world of TIVO. My friend Kharmen TIVO's the game and I get to watch it when I'm able. This means no watching Dutch news or reading newspapers on the Internet! Luckily I'm working with non-soccer-interested people, so they won't be able to spoil me fun.
Now we're through to the next round!
USA against Italy just started let's see if the US can make a fist today!
The planned swim this morning with TEAM Survivor was cancelled due to heavy rain last night. It's not wise to swim in the lakes because of the run-off water.
So I went out for a long run as ordered by my coach Victoria! I made it 1 hour and 35 minutes, with a quick bathroom stop around minute 50.
1-1 in the game, with Italy playing with 10, only 29 minutes played! I better start paying attention!
Sis

End of the week!

Friday is already here! It's great if you only have a 4 day work week.
I got great support from the CCC (cyclists combating cancer) group on line. These people are all survivors fighting in different times in cancer treatment and survivorship. I've had a packet e-mail inbox ever since I signed up with them.
Yesterday I met Nancy an fellow bikerider and hopefully we'll be able to go on rides together. She also offered to help fundraising so that's wonderful. It's great to get more unexpected support.
Yesterday I also did a lake swim with Lisa which was a good practice because it's a little different out in the weather. No walls to turn around and push off, but waves, wind and green water.
Today a day of rest.
Sis

5 year cancer free today!

Today 5 years ago I underwent my lumbectomy. The bigging of a long road to recovery which I hope to finish this December when I take my last Arimidex tablet.
Life has changed in those 5 years and I believe a lot of great thing have come from the experience.
I love life and am ready for my challenge this fall.
Thanks everybody for your support throughout these 5 years, I am very fortuned to have so many great friends and such a wonderful family!
Ride Strong, Live Long!
I got a big smily face balloon and cake from Kharmen and Deb took my out for dinner, sushi mmmmmm!
Sis

More pictures from a great weekend!

Back to work is not easy after a great little get away!
My activity today has been sending out my English press release to the APTA(American Physical therapy association) national and the Minnesota chapter. Hopefully they will be interested in my story!
I have to make a planning of all the other fundraiser events I'm planning. Time is getting shorter by the day, why am I such a procrastinator! It’s not easy to ask for money or help from others, but that is part of the Challenge!
Thank you Eric for your donation.
I’ve been getting a lot of donation in on my bank account in the Netherlands from family and friends there. I’m not going to be able to put them all separate on the fundraiser website. But I do appreciate everybody’s donations.
Bedankt voor alle gulle bijdragen!
Sis

Obsession!

I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Itasca state park, the headwaters of the Mississippi River. It’s beautiful up there, a big lake, woods, nice campground and even the weather was pleasant.
We borrowed a canoe and put it to good use by paddling around the lake. First day down to the beginning of the Mississippi, where we just pulled the canoe up to the little beach and walked around. Had to walk over the rocks crossing the mighty stream. There were a lot of people there and I wasn’t able to jump over as I promised my father I would do.
Paddling back we had to fight the wind and stream, but staying close to shore we didn’t have any big problems. In the afternoon we walked up to the observation tower and I enjoyed the view from the top. Lot’s of green around, with some blue spots of lakes.
The next morning I ran from the campground to the source, a wonderful trail, about 4 miles, on a bike path with a few small hills and hiding in the woods. That was better, nobody around at the source so I could jump all I wanted, but now there was nobody to take my picture! The afternoon we filled by canoeing up to the lodge and enjoying lunch, or for my mainly desert. Blueberry Sunday,mmmmmmm!
In the early evening Deb wanted to walk to the source again and I would follow by car, so she could finally take my picture jumping! When I arrived Deb was sitting on a bench reporting that I just missed a ballet practice around the Mississippi. Oh, there they were again, starting to dance, must have been the local dance school. No pictures for me.
By now it had become and obsession, I was going to get the jumping pictures even if I had to get up really early on our last morning!
And so it happened, please judge for yourself if it was worth it!
Sis

11 days in a row

It was a long stretch, 11 days in a row, working that is! But it will be worth it when I’m sitting by the campfire, throwing peanut shells in the flames tomorrow night!
Another sick call today, but luckily for me, a lot of my patients were either gone home, didn’t show up or cancelled their treatment. My colleague did work hard, you go girl.
Than I went to grocery shop at Traders Joe’s to get ready for the BBQ and other food activity this weekend. Salmon, steak, asparagus, chip, nuts etc. all very healthy!
We’ll be picking up a canoe tomorrow morning and than drive up North!
I hope the water is good up there so I can practice my out-door swimming. It’s supposed to get a little cooler this weekend, so we’ll have to bring extra blankets.
I’ll be back on the BLOG Monday.
See you, Sis.

Getting ready for camping

An other reason to go to REI, I needed foam blocks to use on my roof rack so we can bring the canoe to our camping trip.
We’ll be going to Itasca to see the headwaters from the Mississippi this weekend. Of course rain is on it’s way but we can always turn the canoe around!
I should bring a shovel so I can make some ditches and water works. It’s in my Dutch blood. Last time we had water coming into the tent and I had to go and borrow a shovel from the rangers.
I’ve done the laundry, packet my bag and pumped up the soccer ball! I’m ready to go!
Thanks Molly for your donation!
Sis

Bike, Work, Bike, Run, pffffffff!

Sunday a day of rest, I guess for some.
I had to work this weekend, but it will give me 2 days of later.
The nice thing about working the weekend is that there's not as much competition for the patients. So most of the times it runs smoothly!
Today was no exception, everybody worked together and we got to leave a little early, which is nice on such a wonderful day!
Riding was racing today, this morning a guy passed me and than had a hard time staying in front of me, constantly looking back over his shoulder as to say, ….she’s still there! He finally turned of the bike-path, I like to think because he was getting to tired!
This afternoon it happened again with an other guy, this one was saved by his cell-phone.
Have I told you I’m quite competitive!
After coming home I went for a run with a little speed training, will it help?
Than Julie called to tell me that she is going to ride with me from Sept 21st until the Sept 23rd how great is that!! We’ll be riding together through the fields!
I’m amazed every day by the kindness of others, people that don’t even know me are helping me with the fundraising! Thank you everybody!
Sis

The things you learn!

Today I figured out how to set up a Link from my BLOG to an other website!
I'm somewhat computer challenged so this is a great accomplishment for me!
Today it was my turn to work the Saturday, but all went pretty smooth. I bought browniebites and cookies for tomorrow so that should my working Sunday a little sweeter for eveybody. Being lead therapist brings great responsibility, bring the goodies!
No work-out today, I needed a break and had to make sure I still knew how to drive a car after riding my bike all these days.
I cleaned my desk and had a beer.
A good day!
Sis