Third Stop on its Journey........

And what a truly amazing stop this was! Where to begin.... Dr. Sandy Finestone has long been a Facilitator, Teacher, Counselor and Support Group Leader. I can honestly say that you would be hard pressed to find a women in Orange County and for that matter, all of Southern California that Dr. Sandy Finestone has not helped in their jouney through cancer. Not only has she lead support groups, and brought information, knowledge and understanding to women going through cancer, but she has held hands, prayed and visited every patient newly diagnosed on their first step through a world they never asked to be in. She is honest, staightforward, and tells it like it is with grace, wisdom and patience. Dr Finestone is the right person for this job, not only because she has the degrees, but because she has first hand knowledge, as she herself is a cancer survivor and has gone through the journey and its trials. She was also my support group leader, my cheerleader, and helped a very frightened young lady and her Mom make it through to the other side.

But Dr. Finestones path does not end there. Even after all these years, all the help she has given countless women, she is now moving on, continuing to grow, and has taken an even bigger step to help not just here but around the world.

When the Traveling Book went to Egypt and Jordan, it went with her. She was sent on a journey and the book went with her. Dr. Finestone's trip to Egypt was not just a visit or a vacation, she was sent by the National Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. She was sent to Alexandria to the Susan Mubarek Women's Center to train and establish support groups and support services for breast cancer patients. Those in attendance included Doctors, Nurses, and Health Care Professionals from Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Baharan, Yeamen, Palistine, Egypt, United Emerites, and Abu Dabi. Not only was this an amazing, impressive trip for Dr. Finestone and the outcome of her shared knowledge a success, but the book (and its owner...that would be me) was tickled pink! Dr. Finestone, in her busy scheduled of helping others, got some wonderful signatures in the book from women she met and supported. Women in a country far away from here, with different back grounds, different beliefs, but going through the same journey, the same battle as all of us all over the world, who have battled cancer. It makes me not only proud that my book went with someone whose kind soul has personally touched my world, but sincerely speechless, that my small book reached across this vast world to say to someone else, someone I have never met, that we care, that we are fighting the same battle, and that we understand and are in this journey together! This, this was my purpose for the Traveling Book, this was my goal and this was given to me by Dr. Finestone.

But alas, the journey took her one step further and she was able to be present for the first Race for the Cure in Cairo, Egypt. To her delight and amazement, the pyramids were all lit in pink! Truly an amazing site! At this time, she was not able to forward pictures to me for this site, but when able, I will post them on the blog for all to see.

So, as the Traveling Book comes to the end of its Third Journey, I am left with the belief that someday we will win this battle and when we do, it will be as a whole, as a world fighting together in the Race for the Cure!

You have the opportunity to meet the amazing Dr. Sandy Finestone and her colleague Dr. Nicki Pike as they have now opened a new Wellness Center. At this center, both Dr. Finestone and Dr. Pike plan on having seminars, lectures, support programs and a Breast Cancer 101 Series as well as a Cancer 101 Series. Dr. Finestone will also be doing patient navigation; helping newly diagnosed women sort through all the information they have in order to make decisions they are comfortable with. In addition both Doctors will be doing individual and family therapy.

You are all invited to their Open House, this Sunday, January 31, 2010 at the following address:

HOPE WELLNESS CENTER

2900 Bristol Street

Building G, Suite 103

Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 957-2900

Please click on HOPE WELLNESS CENTER for more information.

Second stop on its amazing journey....

When I decided to send Mirror Makeovers & Savvy Insights around the world for survivors and supporters signatures I had no idea how wonderful it would turn out. Not only is it making its tracks, and brightening survivors days and helping supporters with a little more understanding of what the ones they love are going through, but I am learning too. I thought I had learned all I could about cancer, about myself and living life, but this book has brought so many wonderful people to me, and with these new people their stories, their journeys, words of wisdom and triumphant battles. It breaks my heart to say that not all of the stories have a happy ending, not everyone survives but when they don't, they leave behind those who love them, who remember them and who share their stories, so even though they are gone, they will live on in those who loved them and their memories.

So my journey of learning came with the second stop for the traveling book. While in Houston, Texas at a show with Vicki from Dinkybaby.com, designer of "Peggy the cheerleader doll", we stopped to see a friend of hers who was going through treatments at MD Anderson's. Her friend was our second signature.

Paula Wirth was one of the founding member of The Desert Cancer Foundation of Arizona, which is a non-profit, 501c organization dedicated to serving uninsured women and their families who are in need of cancer care and treatment.

The foundation is a grass-roots, all volunteer organization whose objective is to bring together coalitions of corporations, community and service organizations and private citizens in developing resources for cancer screening, diagnostic and treatment options for our medically under-served population. Paula's board strives to maintain the highest degree of accountability, ethics and professionalism in their work.

Even with all the great work and support that Paula has passed down to the community, she was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer and has been battling to survive.

Paula and her husband Joel moved from Arizona, temporarily leaving their home, friends, family and dogs, so Paula could have the best care at MD Anderson's in Houston। It has been a tough road, Paula being diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer that leaves MD Anderson treating Paula and only 18 other cases they have ever seen of this type of cancer। But our visit was wonderful, Paula looked beautiful and I can only hope that our visit and the book lifted her spirits and brightened her day.

When Vicki and I left Paula's and the next day headed back to our show in Houston, we were surprised to see the "Pink Heals Tour". "Pink Heals" is a beautiful Pink Fire Truck that travels the states, making appearances and visiting survivors to bring joy, love and the fight to cure cancer with awareness। The Pink Fire Truck is run by Dave Graybill and other Fireman who travel, who wear pink fire suits and are so kind and warm, it made my heart melt। I had some of the best hugs, kind wishes, warm thoughts, then I have had in a long time। It was amazing! All you have to do is shake Dave's hand and you can feel the warmth and the kind soul that he is. And with all this said, I even got to sign the Pink Fire Truck itself. The truck is signed by all survivors and it is almost hard to see the pink through all the signatures, again it is truly amazing! But it goes one step further on the amazing level. Vicki told Dave about Paula and how she was in Texas, missing her family and receiving treatment, well that was all it took, that very afternoon Dave, his fellow fire fighters and yes...the Pink Firetruck headed right to Paula's door to visit, cheer her up and have her sign the truck for all future survivors to see!

What an amazing world we live in! So again, I have learned in my journey to give back, that people from all walks of life, all corners of the world, all different backgrounds, they care and they strive to make a difference! All I can say is THANKS .... and it did my heart good!!

Go to YouTube and watch the amazing videos on the "Pink Heals Tour" and go to their website at http://www.pinkhealstour.com/ and purchase a t-shirt to help these men pay for gas on their travels around the states! I bought TWO!

Next Stop for the Traveling Book....Egypt!