Help Corrinne Finish Her First Half-Marathon
Taking it one mile at a time...
A couple of years ago my marathon-running daughter, Julie, started telling me I could/should do a marathon sometime; there were many women like me who were doing marathons. Being older and wiser I knew this just wasn't going to happen.
Then in August 2007 my friend from college, Ginny Gilbertson, was diagnosed with the blood cancer, myeloma. Julie took this chance to suggest that I should complete a race in honor of Ginny. I liked this idea, but I also realized I didn’t want my own health issues to take over my life as well. So it seemed like a win-win situation to me; get healthy AND honor Ginny.
I decided to train with Team In Training because it benefited the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society whose mission is to help cure blood cancer. I chose to do the Country Music half-marathon this April with TNT because the race would be fun and could be WALKED.
Last November when I visited Ginny, she and I studied the info the Society sent her about her medications and about myeloma. I saw how grateful she was to have been contacted by the Society and for the survivor buddy they had paired her with. I also saw the pain she was already beginning to endure, including sitting in a dialysis chair for 4 hour stints.
In December, when our college group met for a trip to Florida, Ginny sometimes had to be pushed in a wheelchair because her back pain was so bad she couldn't walk long distances. In spite of that, our group spent several days by the pool as well as accompanying Ginny to the dialysis center. We saw in the New Year with lots of laughter and loving friendship. After that week, we all returned to our colder climates and routines, including Ginny to her dialysis/chemo/pain coping routine.
On January 28 Ginny went to the hospital with excruciating back pain and paralysis in her legs. The dialysis was failing and her heart wasn't behaving. Her children, Sue and Andy, and other friends came to be with her to keep vigil. Sadly, on February 10 Ginny left this world for the next. Her children and her friends were by her side; less than 6 months elapsed from her initial diagnosis to her passing. This should not happen to anybody. We will miss her greatly.
This is why I have pledged to raise $3,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help find a cure for myeloma and to give comfort to families and patients with this and other blood cancers. Please help me reach this goal and help me cross the finish line this April.
