My Story on Write2fight!

Greg, the "blogger-founder" of write2fight has posted my story! Please click on the write2fight link off to the right side or google write2fight. Thank-You! I hope that you enjoy :) I hope, that you will take the time to read many of the other courageous and heartwarming stories.

Footprints

There have been so many outside influences of inspiration within in my life.
Many have asked and continue to ask me: how do you stay so positive and upbeat? and my first initial response is usually, "I am realistic, yet optimistic". I find great comfort in so many outside influences. People, Places, Music, Poetry, Photography, Family and Friends.
I have found peace within myself through reflections of a variety of media. The quote: "What Cancer can not do", the poem: "Footprints", and the song: "Live like you were dying"; are but a few.
I derive much of my happiness through the kind generousity of others. "To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart".
We, as human beings, can and do make significant differences in the lives of others.
I was recently e-mailed a story about human compassion and unconditional acceptance and love. Within this story, I found a new inspiration of quote: "many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends wil leave footprints on your heart".
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Walk alongside someone,
through thick and thin;
carry one another
with outstanding grace.
For, momentarily;
inspiration awaits.
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FOOTPRINTS

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord

many scenes from my life walked across the sky

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand

Sometimes, there were two sets of footprints'

other times, there were one set of footprints

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow, or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So, I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But, I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand

Why, when I needed you most,

you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied

"the times when you have

seen only one set of footprints in the sand,

is when I carried you."

The greater impression

I have never, honestly thought of myself; as an "inspiration" of sorts. I have always found greater inspiration in the power of others. I have found great comfort and admiration within each unique individual. My greatest pleasure's have come from helping other's~

whether it be a friendly smile, a helpin hand, a poetic verse, or a gift of Love.

I've derived my happiness around and from the belief and beauty in each and every one of us. We all have something to offer one another. We all have unique talents, abilities, and attributes; qualities worthly of reflection. It is meaningful to search your soul ~ for purpose.

Believe, unconditionaly, in yourself; and all you can do. Make a difference in someone else's Life~ and, in return ~you will be rewarded~by Self Gratification. There is no better feeling-than the one-YOU have the Power to posses and control.

Life, is your Canvas to paint. You have the option to choose the colors ~ and allow them to flow. Once finished - it will always be there - to view. Your masterpiece of sorts; the canvas - is extensive: it spreads your whole life through. There ultimately will be colours and hues of black, grey, and blue.

The spectrum of Life is complicated; yet, is complimented by color. Awaken your senses - to a brighter Life~of Colourful Splendor. Find the Power of: YOU ~ from deep within.

Live your Life with Peaceful, happy Serenity.

Aspire to Inspire.

Remember, your canvas is part of a greater picture~ where all Painters paint.

Sending my Love, for all your kindness, graciousness and generousity

BLUE'S BROTHER'S AT BENEFIT FOR BECKY!

THANK-YOU!

The benefit was an overwhelming joy! I truly have some very wonderful friends. I am extremely blessed and appreciative of everyone's kindness and generousity. It goes without saying, that you have touched my heart.

There are undoubtabley many whom I'd like to Thank. This never would have been made possible without my friends; Bob, Renee, and Clem. From those who so graciously volunteered their time and efforts, from the bottom of my heart, I Thank-You. To all of those, who attended the benefit to show your support, I Sincerely, Thank-You. My words could never express the warmth that is felt. Your blessing's have graced me and I will forever be Thankfull.

God has brought some truly extraordinary individuals in my life since the diagnosis of my Cancer. With the continued support of family and friends, I will Live Strong. I will forever hold on. You have shown me, that the world is full of good. Your positive attitudes and strength help guide my way. The faith that I have in you, has brought unsurrmountable blessings. I have been given Hope, for a new day.

~The benefit was a joyous occasion~

MAY YOU ALL BE BLESSED. YOU ARE FOREVER IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.

Love, Becky

Sincerity Calls

What Cancer

Cannot Take

From You

It cannot take away your

Faith

shatter your

Hope

or lessen your

Love

It cannot destroy true

Friendship

invade the

Soul

or take away

Eternal Life

It cannot

conquer your

Spirit.

I am once again restless. It is the eve of my benefit. My co-worker's and friends; Bob, Renee, and Clem have taken this endeveour upon them.

Apparently, it has been dubbed: Bob is "the contact"; Renee is "the adminastrator"; and Clem, ...well, Clem has been named the "eye-candy"! An iconic statement indeed. I can not help but laugh and smile everytime I hear this setiment. It brings a smile to my face, everytime I re-collect the conversation. You would have to know a bit about my friends to fully understand.

Bob, is always looking to brighten and cheer the day. Renee, who is in the midst of her pregnancy, is forever forging strong. And Clem, sweet and quiet as can be... simply said: "eye-candy" :)

These are truly my "Friends". Words could never express the emotions that I have felt over the course of the last several months. Often, there have been tears of Joy along with moments of laughter.

What Cancer Cannot Take From YOU: has been a very powerful and meaningful quote to me. Cancer has given me Faith. It has restored my Hope. It has shown me Love. And, It has provided me unconditional Friendship. Cancer HAS invaded my Soul... it has shown me that Eternal Life Lives, within the Spirit.

Cancer has given me the Power to realize just What Cancer Cannot do.

It has provided me with Great new friendships which have helped lite my way.

To Bob, I'd like to say: "Thinking of you and smiling. Some things never change". To Clem, "Friends are God's way of taking care of us". And, to Renee, "I'm so blessed to have a friend like you".

Simply written: ~(Becky)

I will always be there, smiling for you ~(Bob)

I will always be there, thinking of you ~(Clem)

I will always be there, forging through ~ (Renee)

Bless you all.

May you find the Power of Peace within YOU.

HOPE

This was my first attendance at an American Cancer Society Relay for Life. I was completely touched and moved by the experience. I was unable to walk in the Relay due to my recent surgery. I did however, get a wheelchair ride around the track! It was amazing. It was inspirational and yet, it was saddening.

The illumination of the memorial bags was a reflection for many, of Lives lost to Cancer. It was heartwarming to watch as many stopped to pay their respects. I Hope, that a Cure will be found. I Hope and pray, that the Live's that Cancer has touched bring about a greater sense of purpose.

I met alot of wonderful people, whose lives have been affected by a Cancer diagnosis. Yet, there was so much hopefullness. I met many who had, and continue to; Fight for their Live's. I admire the strength, will, and sheer determination that all Survivors share. Their stories are true stories of courage.

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~In Rememberance of a Dear Friend~

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I had hoped that you would see another day

I had hoped that Cancer would not take you away

I had hoped that you would still be

Fighting, right alongside of me

I had prayed that you could still be

here on Earth, beside of me

I had prayed that they would say

Cancer is Cured

and your alive today.

This was given to me to pass on to you..

Heavenly Father,

I call on you right now in a special way. It is through your power that I was created. Every breath I take, every morning I wake, and every moment of every hour, I live under your power.
Father, I ask you now to touch me with that same power. For if you created me from nothing, you can certainly recreate me. Fill me with the healing power of your spirit. Cast out anything that should not be in me. Mend what is broken. Root out any unproductive cell. Open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild any damaged areas. Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection.
Let the warmth of your healing love pass through my body to make new any unhealthy areas so my body will function the way you created it to function.
And, Father, restore me to full health in mind and body so that I may serve you the rest of my life.
I ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN

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This was passed on to me through a personal e-mail message. Whom sent it, is unknown. I have always believed in people. I have always believed in the greater good within all of us. In a world full of such advanced technology, we often loose sight of the importance of interpersonal relationships. A simple touch, can help heal a broken soul.

There is good in all of us. We are pure, through and through. I believe in all of you! I find great strength in knowing that my life is forever being shaken by the goodness of your love. The white dove, represents my most recent perspectives. It represents, freedom, flight, expansion, purity, diviness, soaring spirit, and love.

You are my all my dove's. Bringing joy from your plight above.

Malignant Melanoma; "metastisize like wildfire"

I finally found it! The only photo that I have of me prior to knowing that I had Cancer. This picture was taken 6/15/2005... and, in all actuality, I had already had Melanoma... I just didn't know it.
If you look real close, on my upper right inner thigh... there is a rather large dark mole. That is where it all started. That was the mole. My primary care physician put my on a regiment of anitbiotics and creme's for months before a biopsy was preformed. I know, that to her shock and my dismay... neither one of us had thought it would be "malignant-cancerous".
So, here I am... in one of my favorite spots; on the beach... after enjoying myself at a wonderful , fun-filled day at an amusement park... with a nice bronze-tan.
Who would ever have thought, that this would be the One and Only photo that I would have, to show what Metastatic Malignant Melanoma looks like? Who would ever have thought, that all the while, living a seemingless care-free life... Cancer had invaded my body.
I was finally diagnosed in March 2006 with Metastatic (traveling/moving) Malignant (cancerous) Melanoma (a deadly form of skin cancer) stage III, and in October of 2008 I was diagnosed at stage IV.

[within this time, I have had 2 punch biopsy's. 1 shave biopsy. 2 wide length incisions (wle). A sentinal node biopsy(snb); where a radioactive blue-dye tracer/marker is injected via 5 very painful pricks around your primary mole, which are x-rayed and the the traveling path is used for the detection of the spread of cancer cells into your lymph node system. An invasive lymph node dissection; 30 staples, 10 inches, a lymphatic drain, and several months of physical therapy. Several weeks of a rough treatment called interferon; which side effects are symtomatic of a severe flu with extreme fatigue. 8 months of injections in the opposing thigh of a clinical adjuvant therapy trial treatment. 3 months, 2 cyles; 14 bottles- of an extremely rough chemical treatment called Interluekin aka: IL-2; which side effects included many of the same of the interferon symptoms plus more... vomitting, weight loss, water gain, dimensia, diahreea, confusion, memory loss, and hair loss... to name a few. A my most recent, and 4th surgery to date: the dissection of 2 tumours in my pelvis area; which side effects have included severe pain, the need for physical therapy, the possiblity of permanent nerve damage (apt. with neurologist, next week), blood loss; borderline in need of transfusion- very dizzy and extremely lightheaded, and on top of all that... There is Still a Small portion (7mm) in size of the tumour left in me on a nerve that could not be taken out due to the possiblity of permanent disability issues. What's next? A treatment called the TIL. Chemo, followed by the extracted tumour cells, followed by IL-2... eventual hair loss in totality and extreme sickness for a month or more...]

Had my cancer been caught at either stage I or II... I would have had an excellent chance of being cured. This is where the statement : "oh, you just have skin cancer" comes in to play. Yes, it is true. If caught at it's earliest of stages, it can be completely curable. However, the problem lies and exzists when the cancer cells spread beyond the original site (as seen in this photo on my inner thigh), to the closet lymph node basin and beyond; into major organs.

I HOPE, that you will all take this seriously. NO ONE should have to endure such pain and the concept of death lurking beyond. No one, should have to hold on to hope. No one should have to pray for a cure. No one, should have to FIGHT for THEIR RIGHT to LIVE.

It is NOT JUST SKIN CANCER. It is Melanoma; and it can be, and is, deadly.

Some important tips:

-wear sunscreen (protect yourself, and your children)
-stay out of the sun during peak hours
-wear hats, sunglasses, and clothes to cover-up while exposed to sun
-bring along the beach umbrella
-STAY OUT of Tanning Beds
-watch all of your moles for any changes in color, dimension, and size
-get a check-up by a dermatologist (it's always better to be safe, than sorry)

I can honestly say, that I was a sun-worshiper. I loved, and still love, to be out in the sun. The warmth is invigorating. I know, all to well; that you never truly do believe that skin cancer really amounts to anything. I went tanning. I was made aware of the "warning...this may cause skin cancer" signs. I never thought anything of it either. I was young. I believed that I would be young forever. I loved looking good and feeling good, with my tan. I have even read, that an hour a day in the sun is good for you. It provides vitamins and helps aid in depression. I have no doubts about the factual prove of the benefits of the sun. However, it is the unneccessary exposure to the sun, that I am referring to. I will still go out in the sun. Melanoma will not stop that. It will not stop me from enjoying life outside. It has, though; opened my world to a reality, that seems so surreal.
I hope, that this message spreads. I hope, that many lives will be saved from the devastation; emotional heartbreak and physical pain, that many of us diagnosed with stage III and stage IV Melanoma have endured. I hope, that our word: "metastisizes, like wildfire"!

"crazysexycancer"

What a crazy picture!

My daughter was goofing around as usual with the camera; trying to catch some unexplicit sexy shots! She said, "mom, you need to be sexy"... it's a teenage thing, I guess!
I had watched the movie crazysexycancer, and by all means, it is very difficult to feel as though you are anything but. However, I'm getting my vibrancey back :) And, in all honesty, this photo; well, doesn't look so bad~ if I must say so myself! I think that it is really important to feel good about yourself ~ regardless of your Life's situation. My latest thought: was to dedicate posts, expressions, thoughts, and stories, through your "Cancer Model" photographs. So, get out those camera's and show me your crazysexyphotos! Empower Yourself to express inner and outer beauty.

Benefit for Becky

I want to start by saying how truly honoured and touched I am by all the generousity, kindness, and support that so many of you have given to. As I have often mentioned in many of my earlier posts, I find such great comfort in the simplier things in this life.
For those of you, who have taken the time to to devote yourself to this incredible Benefit undertaking; and for those of you, who will undoubtably participate. To those of you, who have sent Greeting Cards of warmth and thoughts of prayer and hope the same; I send my Sincerest of Thanks and Praise. I have truly been blessed by having you in my life... and, even if, you are a new, unknown friend... you are the best.
The Power of YOU! has truly come through.
In the midst of all, that I am battling, and fighting for... I am uplifted. My spirit once again, soars.
I have always believed that I was called into this Life, for a greater purpose. A purpose, that I always believed existed, yet was unforseen. I know, that the day will come; when I all my dreams will be alive. I know, that I am now, more Alive than ever.
I had hoped to help raise Awareness about Melanoma. I had hoped that I could make a difference in someone else's life. I had hoped to change the thoughts and views about the dreaded topic: Cancer.
There will always be faith, and there will Always be HOPE.

I am now, once again home, from the National Cancer Institute. I had my most recent surgery about two weeks ago. It was a bit rough, I must say! I know that many like updates...and I know, that it really helps me, to share. I was told that I had quit a bit of blood loss and that I almost needed a blood transfusion. The Doctor's as well, upon waking, stated that 1 tumour in my pelvis was entirely removed, however, it was with disappointment; that the other could not be entirely resected. A "thin strip" had to be left on one of my major arteries. The option was to either leave a portion of the tumour, or take out the artery. Had the artery been taken out, I was told, that I would have been permanentaly disabled. The good news: the surgery met it's main goal and objective. To resect tumour cells, for the possible growth process that is needed for future treatment plans/options. (ie: the TIL)
I will be returning to the NIH at the beginning of July for my scans and results. I am once again, on a "wait and see" status. There needs to be a "measurable" sign of disease before any treatments can begin.
It has been a very long, journey. The path has been pathed with many trials and tribulations.

I was recently sent a very uplifting and inspirational thought: it doesn't matter if they tell you that you have a 1 % chance, a 50 % chance, or a 20 % chance. As long as you have faith, and hope, and belief... you have the will to FIGHT.

I will continue to battle this beast! I hope that you will continue to support me in the FIGHT!
In all honesty, truly, the simplier things that you do... have made a difference. So, IT IS: IN, THE POWER OF YOU! to reach within the POWER of me.

Thank-You All.

[some additional notes: added to the Benefit for Becky: If you have any questions or would like to make a donation call Bobby at 330-990-1247 or Renee at 330-819-8719 or you can make a check payable to Becky Luker Benevolent Fund at any First Merit Bank or mail a check to the North Hill Branch of the U.S. Post Office at 574 E. Cuyahoga Falls Avenue, Akron Ohio 44310.]