Countdown Continues...6 Weeks to Go!

Dear Blogger Family and Friends,

Welcome, welcome, welcome! If you're looking for a free hand-out of warm smiles and big hugs, then you've come to the right place! Make
yourself comfortable and I'll be with you shortly! I'm right in the middle of
blowing birthday kisses to my sister Cindy, niece Alison, cousin Frank and friend Rosemary Barr!

"Blessed is he that has reached the point of no return and knows it,
for he shall enjoy living."
- W. C. Bennet

Things are definitely heating up in Houston....and it's not just the weather! We're talking party, party, and party! Judging from the
initial RSVP returns, it appears that many of you will be in town to
celebrate the public debut of The Faces behind Breast Cancer,as well as to help raise money for
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Bravo! The more the merrier, so keep those response cards coming!

LAUNCH PARTY UPDATE
The official countdown to the Launch Party continues; We are now 6 weeks away from the public debut of The Faces behind Breast Cancer! Can
you smell the excitement in the air? I thought so! The Pink Crusader will continue to provide party updates on a weekly basis as things move forward, including Guest Speakers, Event Sponsors, and the wonderful Vendor Bizarre. We will also post details of various Media Coverage as well as local & national Book-Signing events.

Invitations
Because the Launch Party is a fund-raising event for M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, our goal is to accommodate everyone who would like to attend. At the moment we are limiting the number of paid guests (per invitation)to 6, but may have additional seating as the party date gets closer. We'll keep you posted.

Payments
Friendly Reminder: Please enclose payment for guests and pre-orders
with your RSVP. Checks are payable to: J. Sethi. Books will be held for
pick-up at the party, or forwarded by USPS after August 26th.

Waiting List
For those of you interested in attending the party but have not received
a formal invitation, please contact me if you feel there was an oversight.
In addition, we have a "Waiting List" which we will refer to as seats
become available due to cancellations. We ask for your patience and understanding during the process.

Silent Auction
Many of you offered to donate an item for the silent auction. We thank everyone for their generosity and hope you will follow-up with your pledge as soon as possible. Also, we are in need of several experienced volunteers (preferably non-participants)to work the silent auction tables. Any takers?

Out of Town Guests and Participants
Hotel Accommodations - More Rooms Added!
When you RSVP for the party, please remember to book your hotel room
at the same time. We have requested and confirmed additional rooms at the $69 rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings and $149 rate for Monday. The discount code is FBBC. Cut-off date for these rates is August 10th(unless the rooms are sold out first).

It appears that we have resolved the problem with Marriott's toll-free
central reservation number. You can once again book your rooms by
dialing 1-800-228-9290 or contact the Houston Marriott Westchase
directly at 713-978-7400. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Transportation
There is shuttle service (Super Shuttle) available from George Bush (IAH) Airport to the Marriott Hotel at a cost of $28. The Marriott Hotel provides
free shuttle service from its premises to the beautiful Galleria area of the city.

Pre-Orders
The Faces behind Breast Cancer
Now that the book has gained national attention and the demand has increased, we strongly encourage you to pre-order your copy. Please send check payment with your RSVP, or refer to the top of this blog post for other options.

That's a wrap for this week. Enjoy the next 7 days....anything can happen between now and then....and when it does, you'll be the first to know!
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This week's Written Contribution submitted by Janice Duplessis.

PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE FOR A REASON

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real, but only for a season!

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
- Author Unknown

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you are a reason, a season or a lifetime. - Janice

Personal Note: Janice underwent testing this week in follow-up to recent brain surgery. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she and
her family await the results.
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Update from Penny following bilateral surgery.
Penny writes:

Looks like I made it through the dreaded surgery on Monday, and was "ejected" from my hospital bed Wednesday afternoon after the breast surgeon pronounced me as "doing well". So now the rest of recovery will take place at home... which you know is in an RV travel trailer!! And for a while I will be pretty sick of those 'Flat Stanley' jokes (tee hee). Yes, I now have a completely flat chest, which is a huge variance from my having spent so many years with those heavy gals on my chest. It should be a
relief in many ways. That was an instant 15 pound weight loss!!

Anyhow, I can talk about it now, but I was pretty traumatized for a
while. I was very pleased with the entire staff that cared for me, and
my surgeon was great! I had several visitors in the hospital including
Donna and Jackie, and I got some lovely gifts and flowers too. I arrived home to find the most gorgeous exotic flower arrangement you could imagine from my cousin Chris and her husband and father... what an
uplifting surprise that was!!

I am not in as much pain as I had expected... it is more of a major discomfort with all the drains and lines dangling and tangling, and not
being allowed to take a real shower until the stitches are removed.
There are pangs of pain when I move wrong, and I tire easily. I also
notice a lot of areas of numbness and nerve damage, but I guess that
is to be expected with all that cutting. The coming days, weeks, and
months will tell me more about what I face with healing.

I was fitted for lymphedema sleeves in case I need them since I am
at a very high risk of developing this nasty side effect. And I have a camisole that has pouches to fit little protective pads in the chest area,
as well as pockets to hide the drains. Dr. Ricardo, my breast surgeon,
said I will hear from her immediately when she gets the results of the pathology reports. My future treatments will all hinge on those results,
of course.

Well, thanks for keeping me in your thoughts and meditations/prayers
and let me now go crawling back to bed. I think I have overdone it here
on the keyboard, as my arms are aching now. I will keep the updates
coming when there is news to share. Love, Penny

Personal Note: Penny's trauma did not end with her surgery. Unfortunately while being wheeled to her car following discharge from the hospital, Penny and several other patients and staff members were trapped in an elevator for nearly a half hour before being rescued. Thankfully no-one was injured, although Penny referred to the incident as, "something out of a Hitchcock movie!" You can forward get-well wishes to Penny at
penny-e@juno.com.
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FYI

From Jeannie Frazier:

COME JOIN THE FUN and HELP “STUFF” THE INVITATIONS
For the Komen Survivor Party!

Date: Friday, July 20th
Time: 9:00 a.m. until we finish J
Place: Marathon Oil 5555 San Felipe (@ Yorktown) 77056
Lunch: FREE by Jason’s Deli
Parking: FREE (bring your ticket with you!)
Directions:
· Turn south onto Yorktown off of San Felipe.

· Turn right into the first driveway in the Marathon Oil complex.

· Make the first left (note it is a sharp left!) and drive down to Visitor Parking
on the lower level. Bring your parking ticket with you so it can be validated.

· Take the garage elevators up to the lobby on 2.

· Then take the immediately adjacent elevators up to the 10th floor – P10
(i.e. 10th floor over the parking garage).

· On the 10th floor, turn away from the cafeteria and look for signs
directing you to the “Komen Invitation Stuffing”.

Problems that morning? Call:
Jeannie Frazier at 713-816-8271
Karen Funk at 713-870-8863
Dorothy Paterson at 713-882-6129 Hope to see you there!

From Ann Nette Pierce:

Artist Expo Houston 2007 partnering up with
Susan G. Komen For the Cure
http://www.artistexpohouston.com/
Calling all artists for the Artist Expo Houston to be held on July 24 28, 2007 at the Houston Marriott Westchase at 2900 Briarpark Drive, Houston. Classes will be held for a variety of art forms. Participants are encouraged to come on Monday , July 23rd in the Grand Ballroom, from 4-6:30 p.m. to paint a cork board in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure Houston Affiliate. Artists can check out the newest products at the Artist Expo Exhibit Hall. Komen Houston Affiliate will receive $1.00 for every walk-in registration.

From Donna Fong:

Have you ever bought a Breast Cancer Research Stamp? I bet you
have - 773 million of them have been sold since the stamp was
introduced in 1998. The net proceeds go to federal breast cancer
research, and it's raised over $55.5 million for critical research work.
It's the top-selling commemorative stamp in U.S. history!

Right now, two bills in Congress could reauthorize the stamp -
or make it permanent! - but only if they pass. If the stamp isn't
reauthorized or made permanent by December 31, 2007, it will be lost,
along with its millions of dollars for breast cancer research.

Please join me in sending a message to Congress today!
http://komenpolicy.org/campaign/breastcancerstamp?rk=CdwTuDs1uKBqW

DAILY REMINDER:
"Fund Free Mammograms"

Go to The Breast Cancer Site at http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/tpc/EEB_0115_BCSm
and help fund free mammograms for the homeless, working-poor, and
un-insured women. It costs nothing to you, except one daily click on the
pink "Fund Free Mammograms" button. You can even request automatic reminders via e-mail. Please make your free click now, and thanks for your continuing support! The Breast Cancer Site, One Union Square, 600 University Street, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 1-888-811-5271

UPCOMING EVENTS: Mark Your Calendars and Save the Dates!

ROSEBUDS MEETINGS
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors
1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month 5:45 - 7:30 p.m.
JULY 17 AUGUST 7 & 21 SEPTEMBER 4 & 18
We look forward to seeing you!

KNOCKOUT ROSES
A support group for women diagnosed under 40
2nd Monday of each month, @ 5:45
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Contact Amy Rigsby, Technical Director of The Rose 713-660-6675.

THE ALICE THOMSEN LYMPHEDEMA AWARENESS GROUP of HOUSTON Meetings are scheduled on the 3rd Tuesday of every other month at the American cancer Society Building,6301 Richmond (between Hillcroft and Fountainview) at 7:00pm. The 2007 dates are July 17th, September 18 and November 20th. For further information call 281-546-6438.

ROSEBUDS II MEETINGS
(For those who have had or are at high risk for recurrence
and/or metastasis)
2nd and 4th Thursday of each month 5:45 - 7:30 p.m.
JULY 26 AUGUST 9 & 23
SEPTEMBER 13 & 27 www.RosebudsSupport.org

2007 SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE HOUSTON SURVIVOR PARTY
August 22, 6-8pm at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
111 North Post Oak Lane
Special Guest: Dorothy Weston Gibbons, Chief Executive Officer, The Rose
Open to Breast Cancer Survivors only, RSVP by August 10th
For additional information visit www.komen-houston.org

"THE FACES BEHIND BREAST CANCER" LAUNCH PARTY
and fund raiser for M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Sunday August 26, at 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
Keynote Speaker: Patricia Jennings, Breast Cancer Advocate
Come early at 12:30 for Silent Auction and Vendor Bizarre
Houston Marriott Westchase, By invitation only
Read blog posts for weekly updates or visit the web site www.pinkcrusader.org

LIVING FULLY WITH AND BEYOND CANCER
M.D. Anderson Network's 19th Annual Patient and Caregiver Conference
September 6-8 2007 Registration begins June 11
Marriott Westchase - Houston, Texas
For more info call 1-800-345-6324 or visit www.mdanderson.org/patientconference

TOUR DE PINK 2007
Pink Ribbons Project
www.tourdepink.org
Please join us on September 9th at Prairie View A&M University for our third annual
Tour de Pink - the only Texas bike ride solely benefiting breast cancer. We offer 12, 23, 47, 63, 80 and 100 mile routes for cyclists of all levels! A post-ride festival will feature artists and entertainment from the Houston and Prairie View communities for cyclists, volunteers and their families. Form a team, join a team or participate as an individual! Not able to ride or make it out to the event? Register as a VIRTUAL RIDER, fundraise for the cause and reap all the benefits of the participants!

This is reminder that each participant is required to raise a $75 pledge in addition to their registration fee. You can donate to your favorite cyclist online now! Text PINK to 78247 to receive Tour de Pink updates on your cell phone! For more information on Pink Ribbons Project, please visit http://www.pinkribbons.org/.

CANCARE MEDICAL UPDATE on METASTATIC BREAST CANCER
Telephone Education Workshop
Thursday, September 20, 2007, 3-4pm EST
Speakers: Joyce O'Shaughnessy, M.D., Co-Director Breast Cancer Research Program
Baylor-Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Texas Oncology
Patricia Spicer, MSW, Breast Cancer Program Coordinator, Cancer Care
For more information, call CancerCare at 1-800-813-HOPE (4673)
Or register online at www.cancercare.org

2007 SUSAN G. KOMEN HOUSTON RACE FOR THE CURE
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Houston Affiliate
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Sam Houston Park- Downtown
Race Day Schedule
7:45 a.m. Opening Ceremonies & Memorial Birds
8:00 a.m. Family Walk and Kids K by ConocoPhillips
8:15 a.m. 5K Coed Timed Competitive Run
8:25 a.m. 5K Coed Non-Competitive Run
8:35 a.m. 5K Coed Walk
9:15 a.m. Runners' Awards Ceremony
10:00 a.m. Awards Ceremony and Survivor Celebration
For more Information: Phone: (713) 783-9188 Fax: (713) 783-9187
http://www.komen-houston.org email: info@komen-houston.org

2007 BREAST HEALTH SUMMIT
The 2007 Breast Health Summit will be held on October 18, 2007 at the United Way in Houston. Please pass this information on to others who may be interested. Additional information will be sent out later by both e-mail and postal mail. If your mailing address has changed, please be sure to forward the updated information to Pat Dames at pdames@the-rose.org
The Rose
12700 North Featherwood
Houston, TX 77034
281-464-5150
Fax 281-484-7083
www.the-rose.org

"Sharing is Caring"
As always, The Pink Crusader welcomes your comments, stories, poems, and events. Posts are updated every Sunday. Please send your written contributions to thepinkcrusader1@aol.com.

"Think of the magic of that foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It's a miracle, and the dance...is a celebration of that miracle."
- Martha Washington

Until next week, stay strong, stay well and keep on dancing to the tune of Happy Birthday! Now blow out the candles and make a wish!

Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com