Happy Anniversary!!

Happy Anniversary to my mom and stepdad! I hope you enjoy many more years full of love together! Enjoy today! Love you both so much!

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To my momma

 

Happy Birthday to my momma! You are the best mother and friend a girl could wish for! Even though we may not always agree :) you are always there for me and always will be. I love you with all my heart and know that because of you I am here today. If you would not have insisted I have a skin check, we both know my life could have been very different. For that I will always be grateful. I hope you have a fabulous day even though I can't be there with you to celebrate.
Love,
Sam

Now blow out your candles!

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Birthday Week!

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Ahh! It's Birthday Week! I can't believe my birthday is here already! I feel like I have been excited for this for sooooo long and it is almost here. I had a little pre-birthday celebration with my family and my love this weekend. I am going to apologize right away for the lack of posting this week. Monday is all day class, Tuesday is my actual birthday, Wednesday's reason is I get to see Carrie Underwood in concert, and Thursday is celebrating my birthday with my friends. Yes I know this may seem extreme because it is just another day to some people, but to me it is not. My family has always made a big deal of birthdays, plus my mom's birthday is the day before mine. It is a big week in our house. Once you hear the words "You have cancer" you never know if you are going to celebrate another birthday, which is another reason they should be a HUGE deal. Every milestone is an accomplishment and should be celebrated. Three years ago made me realize no matter what the age, birthdays should be celebrated because you at least got to be here for it. Today I am thanking God for the wonderful people he has put in my life, the opportunities he has given me, my faith, and the pure fact that I am able to be here to enjoy it. :)

Say a little prayer

Yes, I do know those are some lyrics from the movie, My Best Friends Wedding. But more importantly the message holds true. Say a little prayer, today, tomorrow, and always for those around you who are in need of a little help from God. I have joined a new group on facebook so I am able to get into contact with other melanoma warriors. As much as I love this group because they all understand what I have been through and go through, I see and read how deadly melanoma can be. She really is a beast! So I ask you, my blog readers, to please say a little prayer for all those who are battling cancer and kicking it's a**. This post was inspired by all the melanoma warriors I have been reading about who are going through chemo, radiation, and any other treatments and for Robin Roberts from GMA.

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Maybe we can change minds?

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I recently came across an article by CBS New York, saying the Tan Mom is helping raise money for skin cancer. At first I could not believe my eyes, but in a round about way she is. The Tan Mom, Patricia, is working with Dana Ramos in YouTube videos to promote Ramos' book The Skin Regime: Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin. My only hope is that she can stop tanning and damaging her skin so she does not continue to age, because believe it or not she is only 44 years old.
*If you would like to read the full article and watch two of the videos, click on CBS New York above.

A hottie spotted!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who can resist a hottie, especially one who is helping raise awareness about melanoma?! Definitely not this girl. I have loved Ryan Reynolds for a long time and think he is hilarious, but I now love him for a different reason. He is helping spread awareness about the lurking beast; a message EVERYONE should hear. Take  minutes of your time, to drool at this hottie, but more importantly to hear the all important message about saving your own life by NOT tanning. Embrace the beautiful you! :) Remember, the sun is hot, but melanoma is NOT.
Click on the cutie to watch the video!

 

Live and let go

When I think back to when I was in high school or even four years ago when I began college I had my life mapped out. I knew what I wanted to do in life and I was living carefree in terms of sun safety. My life at that point consisted of thinking a tan was okay and beautiful. Boy was I wrong! That tan can kill you! So many things have changed that map for me and without my input. God knew my life was going to change completely after my first year of college and continue to.

Yesterday marked the six month passing of my uncle. I can say the pain has lessened somewhat or I have numbed myself, but the void is still there. The truth is he is no longer here because cancer took him. The quote above fits my previous vision perfectly, of him and my grandmother (who has dementia) attending my wedding (the some day, not yet planned or even propsed to wedding). The realization neither he nor she will be there breaks my heart and makes me cry every time. I have had to let go and realize they will be there with me in spirit.

The last two weeks I have really reflected on my journey with cancer, especially with beginning my last year of my undergraduate degree. The reality has hit me that I may not have made it this far all because I wanted a tan. I see postings on facebook about other young women my age who have had it much worse than I have, like Jillian. You can read her mother's blog about her harrowing journey battling stage IV melanoma. As I was packing my car to come home for the weekend I began to think about Jillian. Instead of going to college she is thinking about treatment options and then I think, that could have been me. I am forever thankful that my cancer was caught early, but I also know I am never out of the woods. Even though the cancer was caught early, my lifestyle changed. Tanning was no more and I had to become extrememly diligent about sun safety. I have had to accept letting the life I thought I was going to have go and embrace the one God is giving me. This is why I think it is sooo important to educate young women about sun safety. I wish I would have listened because I may not have had to experience what I have.

Fall

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Fall is absolutely one of my FAVORITE times of the year. Even though I dread studying, school starts, it means September is here, which brings cooler temps, changing leaves, cozy clothes likes jeans and cardigans, hot chocolate and coffee, fall colors, pumpkins, my birthday, my mom's birthday, my mom and stepdad's anniversary, and the list goes on.  This year it means the sweltering days of summer are finally over! Today is the first day it will actually stay in the 60's and I am ecstatic. I may need to go and buy a fall smelling candle for my room and some apple cider this next weekend because today has me completely in fall mode. When I did a google search to find a picture for the blog I found too many that I fell in love with. Here are only a few or I would be listing the entire search results :) Enjoy a fall like day! Be thankful that you are here and able to enjoy it because so many are not.


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Being thankful!

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As I walked around campus this afternoon I saw all the freshman by the dorms and the union making me a little nostalgic. I realized this was my last first day for a fall semester (at least until I get my Master's :) This makes me both a little sad and excited. I am in place I never thought I would get because it seemed like so many classes were ahead of me. Then I realized I maybe never would have had my dream and goal of attending and graduating college become a reality. Melanoma could have stole that from right under my feet. So as I dread having to study or get my projects done I have to remember and be so thankful for the gift I have been given. I may not have been able to graduate college if melanoma had taken my life. Hope everyone had a great first day of school!