100 Miles

As of today, I have walked 105 miles in preparation for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in June. It's taken 6 weeks to get that far.... I actually have one more walk in week 6, so the total at the end of the week will be between 115 and 120 miles.
When I'm going on one 5 mile walk, it doesn't seem like that much. But, when I look at the total mileage and realized that I still have 7 weeks of training left, I wonder if I lost my mind when I signed up for the walk.
Then I think about why I signed up.....
The last year and a half (since the gestational diabetes diagnosis in Dec 2007) has been full of doctor appointments (Physical therapy too) and I have been so blessed to have access to good doctors. The gestational diabetes was a pain (literally) to deal with between finger pricks and all of the extra doctor visits, but it was so worth it because Emma arrived a very healthy baby. The odyssey that started the night my face "froze" and we began to learn about Bell's palsy has been less than fun. But, again, I have continued to have access to good doctors and all of the necessary tests.
Learning what some of these tests and procedures cost has been very eye opening. And as I started to get more frustrated with the Bell's, the more I started to feel like I needed to do something to "Payback." That's where the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer comes in. One of their big missions is to help fund public hospitals, which in turn provide care for cancer patients who don't have insurance. Combining this with the efforts to find a cure and spreading the word about early detection, it seemed like a cause I could support and do something positive for myself in the process.
I am so grateful for all of the love and support I have received while dealing with all of my health issues in the last year and a half and while I've been training for the WALK. If anyone wants to help financially, please go to: http://www.avonwalk.org/goto/Elizabeth_Breese