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Sigma Chi Fight Night 2010- "Fight The Good Fight"

November 6th, 2010
The Greek Community of the University of New Mexico is uniting to "Fight the Good Fight". Sigma Chi Fight Night is a charity boxing match with proceeds going towards the Susan G. Komen For The Cure of Central New Mexico. Each house (Sigma Chi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Omega Delta Phi, and Phi Gamma Delta) will put forth teams of five to undergo 4 months of intense physical training and boxing instruction. All their hard work will culminate the night of November 6th at UNM's 4,000 capacity Johnson Gym. Breast Cancer is a disease that has affected everyone in some way ,shape, or form. Our fraternity has brothers who have suffered close losses from the disease, and one of our brother's mother is actually a Breast Cancer Survivor. This event pairs well with the cause, it's all about FIGHTING the GOOD FIGHT; putting yourself against adversity, testing your boundaries, and giving your all to come out the victor in the struggle. We are doing this to raise awareness about the disease and to unite our passion for service behind helping find a cure. Funding research and pursuing a cure will lead to a brighter tomorrow for those currently with the disease and the possibility for our sisters, mothers, wives, and future daughters to live in a world without it.

Adam Ornelas
Albuquerque, NM

Cancer is a word not a sentence

Hi I had a mammagram on June 2009. This came back negative. I was relieved to have this happen but this was very short lived. My family doctor had a gut feeling that something was not right and ordered an ultra-sound and I am so thankful for that. It showed I God Bless everyone who must make the journey.

Janet Boyce
goderich, Canada

My Mum Wonderwoman at 80

My mums mum died from breast cancer her aunty died of it a few years later. Her sister, in her thirties, was diagnosed. Fortunately this cancer was treated early, my favourite aunt lived. She needed a radical mastectomy. My mum seemed to have escaped breast cancer but she suffered with the severe chronic lung complaint emphysema . She required continuous 24hr oxygen at home. My dad died when we kids were still at school, my brother died in an accident at 25yrs old, so family was stretched a little thin by now. Just me, my son, my sister, and her two kids, my brother in law died suddenly at 43yrs old. After an intensive care admission to hospital, my mother was determined to get off oxygen, within twelve months of coming close to death she did it! Life was looking better, she was leaving the house to shop, helping look after my son,even gardening, it was great. Then she found the lump, naturally it was frightening but it was found early. She had the lumpectomy, then the anaesthetic nearly killed her because her lungs could not handle any suppression to breathing. But she did it. She was told she could never be sedated again especially general anaesthetic. Radiotheraphy was a breeze she even started catching a bus to shop afterwards.She fell breaking her wrist and needed her arm pin and plated during radiotherapy treatment. But she did it! Eventually, oxygen was required full time again she really hates this. Few years later, same breast again cancer rapidly progressive, she needed mastectomy under LOCAL anaesthetic but as usual she did it! Everyone was amazed at how tough she was to go through procedure wide awake without a complaint, She received excellent care with excellent results. She's 80yrs old now.

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leone
Sydney, Australia

A SURVIVOR OF BREAST CANCER

THIS IS HOW MINE STARTED IN 2000 ON VALENTINES DAY , I FOUND OUT I HAD BREAST CANCER WENT THRU THE TREATMENTS AND SURVIVED THEM . LOSING MY HAIR , MY TEETH . WEIGHT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO EAT . BUT WHAT KEPT ME ALIVE WAS MY GRANDSON JOHNNY BEING BORN ON THE SAME DAY ! A REAL VALENTINES NOT PAPER CARD BUT A REAL LIVING PERSON . AND A SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND AND FAMILY AND MY CHURCH ! BELIEVING IN GOD GOT ME BY ALSO ! IT IS NOW 2010 . TEN YEARS FOR ME ! IF YOU WILL THINK LIFE AND NOT DEATH YOU WILL SURVIVE ! AND BE A REAL FIGHTER AT IT ! AND THIS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO LIVE ! ALSO SOME LAUGHTER DOES YOU GOOD ! JEANETTE L. NORRIS

jeanette l. norris
modesto, CA

JUST STAY POSITIVE

I HAD GONE FOR MY ANNUAL MAMMOGRAM AND THERE WAS A LUMP. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS SCAR TISSUE FROM A PRIOR SURGERY . WENT BACK 6 MTHS LATER AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING,. SHORTLY AFTER I NOTICED THE LUMP HAD CHANGED IN SIZE. CALLED MY GYN AND HE SAID CALL YOUR SURGEON. CALLED AND THEY DID A BIOPSY 4/26/02 . GOT A CALL BACK 2 DAYS LATER, YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER. I HAD A MASTECTOMY, AND RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY AT THE SAME TIME AND WOUND UP WITH A STAFF INFECTION. HAD TO REMOVE THE IMPLANT SO I COULD START THE CHEMO. THEY FOUND IT IN 9 LYMPH NODES. I DID THE CHEMO EVERY 3 WEEKS FOR 5 MTHS, AND NEVER GOT SICK. I WOULD GO ON FRIDAY, RIGHT FROM WORK. THEN I HAD 5 WEEKS OF RADIATION EVERY DAY AND NEVER GOT SICK. MY CHILDREN WERE AT THE TIME 6 AND 12 YEARS. I COULD NOT LET MY FAMILY SEE ME GET DEPRESSED AND I NEVER DID. I HAVE TO TELL YOU MY HUSBAND WAS MORE DEVASTATED THAN I WAS. THERE IS NO HISTORY. I TELL PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO THINK POSITIVE AND I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THIS IS WHAT GOT ME THROUGH IT. MY FAVORITE SAYING IS, GOD GAVE YOU THIS AND THERE IS NOT A THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, EXCEPT GO ON AND FIGHT. IT HAS BEEN 8 WONDERFUL YEARS AND I AM TRULY A SURVIVOR AND SO CAN YOU. I HOPE AND PRAY I NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN, BUT IF I DID I KNOW I COULD DO IT.

karen
beacon falls, CT

My brave sister

My sister Pam found out 3 years ago that she had breast cancer. She went through surgery, chemo, radiation, scans, and in the end, said cancer was gone. Months later, it had returned in her armpit, and had got into her lymph nodes. Needless to say it had metastasized to her brain, lungs, adrenal glands & everywhere. She was so brave. She would not tell hardly anyone how bad it was, she kept so much to herself. But we all knew. But she spent her time telling us she was going to be ok, this was not going to take her life, and she would beat this. She was never ashamed to not have any hair, when people would stare or ask questions, she was happy to answer them.
She worked in a pharmacy, where she consoled others during their own illness, never once, saying, I am sick, why me, why is this happening?
She stayed strong, continued her fight, until July 9, 2010. She finally was tired of this cancer controlling her life, she went on to Heaven, and left this cancer to die.
Now she is an angel, who has made us all stronger, an inspiration to us all. Her strength, courage, and desire to live, is something I will always hold close to my heart.

Thank you

Becky Slack
ESTILL SPRINGS, TN

Just a Nurse

I'm just a nurse; one of hundreds of thousands who has felt the heartbreak of cancer. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in her late 60's. When she had recovered from mastectomy and radiation: my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Once he recovered from surgery and radiation; mother was diagnosed with lung cancer which eventually caused her death. About a year after she passed away, my father was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. He had 4 good years because of the excellent, caring professionals at Pheobe Putney Cancer Center in Albany Georgia. But cancer, as it does in my family, eventually returned and took his life.
I am a nurse, yet I could do nothing to prevent the ravages of cancer in my family. As with some of my patients, all I could do was make them as comfortable as possible. But as a nurse, one who has witnessed the plight of the poor firsthand: I decided to try and make a difference. Cancer awareness is my passion. I debunk myths and incorrect information regularly in my church as I participate in its health ministry, and at health fairs that I work on my own time. I tell people about programs that they can qualify for to get free mammograms and refer them to clinics and health departments all the time. I volunteer myself to go to apppointments with those who are afraid to know what might be lurking in their own bodies. I make myself available to those facing surgery to be there for them, and to help them in any way that I can...and they know that I mean it.
I offer my story to say although I am "just a nurse", there are many things that I can do to be of service....and I'm thankful.

Cynthia Grant
Atlanta, GA

A Tribute to Jeannee

Jeannee valiantly fought breast cancer, but passed away on May 7, 1998 at the age of 40 as a result of recurring breast cancer.

Breast glands put you at risk of becoming a victim of breast cancer. Breasts come in all sizes and shapes are referred to by many different names. People, especially men, go crazy when they see them. Implants make them larger; clothes conceal them. They nurture or console. They also harbor a deadly disease.

Our sister was in her 30's when her symptoms began. At the time of our sister's diagnosis, there was no prior history of breast cancer among our immediate family members. The lump under her armpit was attributed to an allergic reaction to deodorant and dismissed by a physician as psychosomatic. Statistics show that she was among a ethnic group who failed to obtain a checkup. Her "symptoms" were not diagnosed until she started bleeding from one of her breasts. Breast cancer does not present itself with similar symptoms; the symptoms can be different for different people. Upon detection, cancer may be in an advanced or aggressive stage. Even after a mastectomy, the cancer can advance due to late stage detection and hormones; consequently, it may not be responsive to chemotherapy.

Although she suffered and endured the chemo treatments, the hardest thing to endure was the stares from people who couldn't imagine or understand what she was going through because her hair had fallen out and lost a considerable amount of weight. How shallow - she was fighting harder to sustain her life more than many of us.

Be compassionate -- breast cancer can affect you or someone you love. Support free mammograms so our loved ones are NOT just a memory. Get to know your body better than your physician.

Dianne
Richmond, VA

My battle with Breast Cancer

At the age of 54 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thanks to God I am now a 2 yr survivor. I went through chemo,mastectomy of my right breast,radiation and chemo pills. I was never sick but one time. Now I click every day on the breast cancer site so that someone less fortunate can have a mamogram and maybe not have to go through what I went through. My family and friends were also very supportive and that's very important to have a great support system. Cancer is a scary thing but if I can be of help to someone else that is my reward. I pray every day for a cure for this disease and for other women going through this. Put it in God's hands and He'll see you through..

Bonita Wilkins
Timberlake, NC

I AM a survivor!

What a powerful statement that is...I AM a survivor! And I am more, I am a wife, a mother, a sister, an aunt, a friend and now a grandmother. How lucky am I to be all those things to all those people. How many lives have I touched. Countless... and in so many unknown ways. It would probably be best to mention that I have been a breast cancer survivor for almost 20 years now.

What a big & scary word...cancer. When you hear it, your whole world just stops on a dime and you don't comprehend a word after that. That's why it is important to have someone with you if possible. I was blessed with a wonderful mother that endured the entire treatment with me. She went to every chemo treatment and always tried to make it a better day for me. Unbelievably to us, in the treatment room, people would bring their bag lunches and eat during the process. We were both into the soap opera, The Young and the Restless and always tried to schedule my treatment while that was on to keep our minds off of what was happening. Then my mother would try and take me somewhere good and tasty for lunch. And wig shopping...what a hoot! Fortunately, I never did lose my hair during the chemo treatments, but what fun we had in shopping!

Another big word...brave. So many people told me how very brave I was. Sorry, but no, I was not brave. I was surviving. I took it one day at a time, got through it and started over the next day. Nothing brave about it.

Count me lucky though, lucky to be alive! Lucky to have loved and be loved! Lucky to have had such an incredible mother!

Linda Lee
Jacksonville, FL