A Childhood Cancer Survivor Blogging about the World of Childhood Cancer

Posts tagged ‘Melinda Marchiano’

Beads of Courage

What a great surprise to find that someone knows about Beads of Courage!  For those of you who have never heard of them, I would love to share my story.  Maybe someone will be inspired to give $25 to Beads of Courage– so that a child who is very ill will feel like I did when I received mine.

From Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery:

Just as I was beginning to sense the “chemo” feeling once again, luckily, I had another distraction.  Robyn entered with a large plastic box and a paper cup.  I was curious and intrigued as she plunked down table side, right next to me. 

     Printed on the box, in huge, colorful letters, was Beads of Courage.  Her short hair bobbed up and down excitedly, as she told me all about it.  The Beads are for cancer kids to create a necklace by stringing together different colored beads that represent pokes, operations, ER trips, etc.  She placed a long string in the paper cup, and then I began to make my selections. 

     Slowly reaching for the bright green beads, I dropped them, one by one, into my cup– they were for tests.  Next, I received white beads for days of chemo and yellow ones for days in the hospital.  I added the pretty dark blue beads, as they too joined the others.  They were for clinic visits.  Lastly, I acquired an orange bead for my PICC line, four tan ones for my biopsies and bone marrow aspiration, and black beads for pokes.  As black began to drown out the other colors in the pile, I realized just how much of a pin cushion I had become.  I already had quite a collection and began carefully threading them onto my big long string.  Reaching for the letter beads, I spelled out my name before looping and adding the rest.  Wow.  It was already nearly half full, and I then knew why Robyn had given me such a long string. 

     My necklace is a symbol of what I had done and what I would do.  I felt proud as it rested around my neck, each one of those beads telling a different story, a separate struggle and an eventual triumph.  It might be just a little necklace, but it means something so much deeper to me.

Copyright: Melinda Marchiano

Would you like to encourage a child who is very ill?  I enCourage you to visit www.beadsofcourage.org

 

 

 

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Nurse Jen

Today, I want to remind everyone who reads this how precious life is.  We seem to go about each day as though they will keep coming forever… until something happens to wake us up. 

It’s true that I have already had a major two-year wake up call that has kept me focused on what is excellent and praiseworthy in this life of ours.  But sadness has entered my life today.  True, deep sadness.

I learned today that my dear, lovely thirty-two year old Nurse Jen has left us and passed on into God’s arms because of a tragic automobile accident.  My heart is broken thinking of how her family must feel and how this world has lost a brilliant shining light.  When I was near death from extremely low blood counts, Nurse Jen agreed to adopt me for the day in the Adult Transfusion Suite.  When I arrived at the hospital, I could barely keep my eyes open and was so weak I could not walk.  By the end of this day in Nurse Jen’s care, I was joking and balancing empty water bottles on my on my bald, shiny head. 

I fell in love with Jen’s spirit that day, and I will truly treasure the part of her she gave me that day to keep forever.  And Jen, I pray that God will help my spirit shine into the lives of others even half as brightly as yours. 

Hug those loved ones with all you’ve got…

P.S. There is a beautiful photo of Nurse Jen in Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery.  When you see her smile and the light in her eyes, you will feel her love.

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International Book Awards for Grace

I admit I am still squealing, and it is still sinking in… I received two emails from the International Book Awards this afternoon.  The first email congratulated me for winning the Health: Cancer category of the International Book Awards and the second email congratulated me for being an award finalist in the Spirituality: Inspirational category!  Oh my gosh… oh my gosh! 

If you are interested in seeing a complete list of winners and finalists, here is the link:

http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2010awardannoucement.html

I am so happy… what better way to celebrate than thanking God and going to dance!

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Surprise from Jeff Foxworthy;Response from Dr. Maya Angelou

When I wasn’t dancing this past weekend, I was going over the first page proofs for my book.  Linda, the lovely woman who edited my book with her “editorial feather duster,” did an outstanding job.  I appreciate the fact that she really knows her stuff, and at the same time she allows me to be me… meaning I need to make up phrases and words that don’t necessarily exist in anyone else’s speech, or even in a dictionary.  I love that Linda let me be me in my writing, but at the same time, she corrects all of those nasty little nit-picky things (like nit-picky!)  Seriously, I have never loved purple marks on my papers like I do with Linda’s marks on my first page proofs for Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery.

An email response arrived in my inbox today from an assistant for Dr. Maya Angelou.  Yes, I sent an endorsement request to Dr. Angelou sometime in early March. Rather than feeling disappointed that she is too busy to look at my book, I feel grateful for the kind reply from her assistant.  They could have rolled their eyes at my request, and blasted me back with a, “YOU?!! YOU want a WHAT???!!!!!”  But kindness and civility prevailed throughout their polite decline of my request. 

And now… what a smile I still have upon my face! Yes, I know it is a smile I usually reserve for when I am filled with pure joy from dancing, but a pure joy surprise appeared in my mailbox today.  I opened an autographed photo that was signed to me along with a beautiful note that was written on the coolest of cool stationery  The note has his name pressed into it  and cowboy boots on either side of the paper.  And the note and photo were signed… Jeff Foxworthy.  Have you checked out his PSA for CURE Childhood Cancer?

http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/default.asp?contentID=69

Thanks Jeff… for showing you truly care about children fighting cancer.  My gratitude runs deep and wide.

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First Page Proofs and Livestrong Virtual Bikes

An overnight Fed-Ex package arrived today with first page proofs of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery!  I never thought I could be so excited about a box containing pages of my writing with marks all over it.  Somehow, in school, those marks all over papers are not as exciting!  Now, I have one week to look everything over and give it back.  I should be studying for my end of the year AP World History exam tonight, but I am having a really tough time tearing myself away from those purple-marked pages.

Did anyone else receive an email from LIVESTRONG today that tells about how we can help them, in the next 48 hours, to raise $75,000 from a RadioShack donation for the global fight against cancer?  All you have to do is click on http://www.livestrongaction.org/en/ride/jointheride and

Lance Armstrong at Tour of California, Solvang

 make your bike.  Join the ride and help fight cancer.  Really… do it now!

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My Sincere Gratitude to Lance Armstrong

I know that I have toyed and played with my readers… teasing you about my fervent desire to have Mr. Lance Armstrong take a look at my book.  Today, yes today, I found out that he has read what I sent.  And oh my gosh… oh my gosh… oh my gosh…

Lance Armstrong gave me a thoughtful, caring, and amazing endorsement for Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will admit that I am glad that I am writing right now, because I am honestly still speechless.  Words have left my mouth, and I am here shaking my head, feeling all of those words rattling around with no place to exit.  

I love that Lance took the time to pay attention to what I wrote.  I love that Lance knows my words will help people.  I love that Lance has used his words to work to help find a cure for cancer, and I love how he has used his words to help me help others.

This makes me happy.  This makes me very happy.  I want my words to help others.

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My Mom

Happy Mom’s Day!!!!!!!!! Wanna know how much I love my mom? TTTTTTTHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSS MMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But really, without her, I would have died like…..three times already. Love you SO much Mom!
From Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery: 

     Also at this time, I began to suffer extremely emotionally.  No one believed I was sick, and they claimed, “You look fine.” 

     It was wishful thinking.  I was told that I needed to eat burgers and drink shakes to feel better, and I grew very angry that few trusted me.  I was in my body and they were not; it was as simple as that.  However, my mom remained my support, and she and I continued to get closer, as our deep understanding of each other grew.  Our spirits and souls began to intertwine, like two ivy branches wrapping and twisting around each other… becoming one.

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Reason For Celebration!

If you could have just one thing in life, what would you wish for?

I would wish for my life!

Two years ago today, I finished my cancer treatments… yes, the year that followed treatments was even more difficult than during, but what a celebration to be done with treatment!  When I got home late this afternoon from Relay for Life book signing this morning, then rehearsing all day with NHS Dance Company, I found pink balloons in my room.  It was mom’s way of saying, “I love you… it’s a special day!”

I think I will gather stories from other survivors, and ask them what they did to celebrate their end of treatment.  Maybe they taped pink balloons and sticky stars to their heads and danced to “Funky Town?”  Maybe they wore Mickey gloves, or maybe they carried  a huge monkey donning a chef’s hat, apron, and a  basket of cookies. 

Or maybe that’s just me.

I know for sure that I am unbelievably grateful to be here.

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Thank You Note From The White House

I am deeply honored this evening.  I received a thank you note from our President Obama, and his wife, Mrs. Obama.  I believe this means they received the first edition of Grace that I sent to them last December.  I love knowing they received it, and I love their lovely good manners:)  The note is special to me, and I will save it. 

It is interesting to me that things like this happen, and they inspire me to be a better person.  I am thinking of our President, and what he needs most from us, as citizens.  We can be the best citizens by being the very best person we can be.  That “best person” is different for everyone.  I guess that we just look for what we have in ourselves to pass on and bless others. 

Why is it that blessing others is the greatest blessing we can receive?

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A Girl Named Breanna

I am thinking a lot about a girl named Breanna.  She is the same age I was when I got sick, and she is fighting cancer right now.  I remember how a girl named Rachel came to see me at the clinic after my first round of chemo.  She had battled Hodgkin lymphoma a year before I did, and she looked healthy and happy… and she gave me hope.  That was where I was headed– right where Rachel was. 

You can imagine the mix of emotions inside me.  It makes me “sick” that Breanna is sick and suffering, and it makes me want to do all I can to stop cancer.  Also, it makes me want to give Breanna hope.

A friend gave Breanna my book and introduced us by email. 

 We have sent a few cards to each other, and I even have a picture of Breanna with her very own therapy dog:)   Breanna told me that she likes when her mom reads her my book because, “It reminds me of me.”  My mom cried when she read this… it means so much to her that my story helps children with cancer.  She has a special place in her heart for children with cancer. 

By God’s Grace, I am now the encourager.  And the cycle of love comes full circle.  I feel humble, and blessed, and greatly responsible to pass on the grace that saved my life. 

Please send prayers to the heavens for complete healing for Breanna…

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