reflections on event weekend: part 1
I'm back! Sorry it's been awhile. The week after I got home from Virginia I went to Florida (Disney!) with my parents. Now that vacation's over there's so much to do and I've been trying to figure out where to start. But I thought it was time for an update for those of you who've been reading, thanking and encouraging me. I truly appreciated your comments, messages, etc.
To recap: We were on the road a little after 5:30 in the morning. As I mentioned, we stopped at McDonald's for breakfast and I learned that a sausage, egg, and cheese is not a good choice if the sun hasn't come up yet. The ride wasn't bad at all. We barely hit any traffic and we stopped somewhere in Maryland. We did have to pump our own gas, though. That's not allowed here in Jersey, and you can tell it just makes other people think we're lazy. Ah well.
I always forget to pack something. This time it was my camera memory card. So we made one more stop. We got to the Lansdowne Resort a little after noon I believe. It was really spiffy (I'm pretty sure it was the most expensive hotel in the area) with some nice scenery. We all had lunch by the pool and then it started to downpour. We had a shortened final warm up inside and then headed over to the expo. There were a bunch of vendors selling gear for race day (headbands, hydration belts, etc.), handing out information and doing giveaways. Ally and I got our bibs, which was pretty exciting. They had us activate the chip on it by walking over a mat so we'd be able to see our times after the race. There was also this whole process to validate us for the wine tasting. They handed us each a $5 bill and then made us hand it back. Apparently that covered the legal technicality for serving/selling wine. We grabbed some energy bars on the way out... breakfast for our early morning start the next day!
I should mention that I had a bit of a scare this day. While I've decided to discuss it and while I encourage people not to be embarrassed by their symptoms, I do understand that some people can't help being a bit squeamish. So just skip the rest of this paragraph if that's you! Anyway, if you're still reading... while I was in the bathroom that afternoon I noticed a bit of blood. I know for a lot of IBD patients this is not uncommon. But it's something that actually doesn't happen to me very often, and it had never been to the degree it was that day. I thought to myself, of all times/days/places, NOW?! This can't be happening. I started worrying whether I'd be able to finish the course, whether I'd be able to do it at all. It might not seem like a big deal to you, but to me it was a huge deal. I haven't had any serious new symptoms in a long time. At that moment all kinds of thoughts started running through my head. What if my treatment wasn't working right? What if this meant the pain was about to come back? It could be nothing, but it could also be a lot more than nothing. IBD can vary so much between patients, and therefore it can be very unpredictable. I was scared and anxious. I tried to just ignore it. It took a lot, but I finally convinced myself not to let the disease talk me out of crossing the finish line. I mean, that's the whole reason I was there, wasn't it? I knew if there was an emergency I was surrounded not only by medical staff but also by people who would understand and be willing to help. So I decided to let it go and do what I had to do, what I wanted to do. And you know what? I was fine. I am fine. My gastro wasn't even concerned since the problem didn't persist. So I guess the takeaway here is to take things one day at a time. You know your body. If something doesn't seem right, make sure you get help and call your doctor. I talked to my parents and other patients there that weekend and determined that it wasn't an emergency situation. I was more scared that it was a sign of what was to come. The thing is, I wouldn't let myself back out over FEAR ITSELF. Had it been an emergency, had the problem persisted and worsened, I wouldn't have pushed myself to do something that would've hurt me. Would I have been upset? Beyond belief. But health has to come first. It just has to. My point is this: Seek help when you need it. DO NOT ignore a symptom. But if you KNOW it's not an emergency, DO NOT let fear stop you from doing something you love, from living your life. Deal with one thing at a time. Push yourself not to give up when you CAN push yourself; when you know you CAN'T push yourself, DON'T. There's a difference. The first push is worth it; the second is not. Again, only you know your body. To simplify: LESSON # 10, It's your HEALTH that comes first, not your disease. Does that make sense?
After the expo we had some time to get ready for the pasta party that night. Our team met downstairs and handstacked before heading off to the dinner. It was fun seeing all the teams gathering in their shirts (ours had the shape of NJ on the front and said "BAD ASSES" on the back) and starting to cheer and get excited. The best part was the surprise we got while walking to dinner—our coaches, mentors and staff members were lining the pathway to the stairs cheering us on. But they weren't just cheering. They were decked out in orange and blue, holding noisemakers, yelling and clapping, congratulating and supporting us. If I remember correctly, there were even cheerleaders in pyramid formation... I don't think I've ever heard a group of people cheer that loudly and enthusiastically before. It was a pretty great feeling even though we still had the whole race ahead of us.
Dinner was buffet style so we served ourselves and headed into the ballroom. Once everyone was settled we watched an inspirational Team Challenge video, and listened to speakers from CCFA, including President Rick Geswell. Each team had the chance to stand together for applause. Then our coaches, mentors and staff members were recognized. We commended the friends, family members and people with no connection to IBD at all who helped support the cause. But the greatest feeling was when all of us with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were asked to stand and the entire room started cheering for us. It's been a long road to finding the right treatment and getting to where I am today. That moment was a nice reminder of the support I've had over the past few years from my family and friends, and the support I've come to know and continue to receive from CCFA and the IBD community. I stood beside not only my parents, but also a new friend I had made, my coaches and a team full of people who have all been through this before.
Team New Jersey was lucky enough to watch our very own Jill Collado speak that night. I urge you to watch and listen to her beautiful speech here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PifsIDEpIO4
So how much did we raise? Well, thanks to all of my amazing donors, I raised a total of $3,529.30! Team New Jersey, the ONLY team to reach our goal, raised over $167,000. And together, Team Challenge Virginia 2012 raised approximately $1.6 million! How amazing is that? This money will be used not only for research to find a cure, but also for programs and support systems that improve the quality of life for the more than 1.4 millions Americans living with IBD. I'm so proud to have contributed to this unbelievable achievement.
After the pasta party we had one final team meeting. Ashley handed out awards and gifts. I surpassed $3,500 that day (all the donations on that last day really made me feel great!) so I earned the orange shoelaces for race day. Finally, we went over some logistics and then we went around the circle and, one by one, talked about why we signed up for this program and what Team Challenge meant to us. We ended the night with a team photo and then headed back to our rooms. Of course we barely slept with all the excitement, but adrenaline did the trick.
Did we make it downstairs by 4:45? WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Looking for photos? Stay tuned. :D
