OK, you might be asking where I’ve been all week. Things have been a bit crazy.

A co-worker of mine was diagnosed with lung cancer this past spring. She has had a very difficult treatment period, and I (along with 3 or 4 others) have been coordinating meals for the family, getting the word out about her progress, etc.

On October 12 Charmaine was taken to hospice, and she passed away around 10:30 Saturday morning. This has been a difficult week because she was very cautious about letting people see her during her treatment, so there were a lot of people who were unable to say good bye to her before she moved on. I have been working with a few others to facilitate funeral arrangements (flowers, getting the info out, financials, etc.), and her funeral was this past Thursday.

It has been an emotionally exhausting week, though I can’t be thankful enough that she is no longer in pain. Now I pray for her husband (who has MS) and her daughter (who is my age), that they may be able to find some kind of normalcy and be able to eased of their pain.

Hopefully I will resume a bit more regular posting this week - things have just been too hectic this week.

On a bit more of a positive note, I have an interview in an hour with our district manager - hopefully I will soon be a shift supervisor at my store! Yay Starbucks!

I totally meant to post this 2 days ago, but things have been a little crazy here. This month is breast cancer awareness month, so it’s a great month to start with Club 17! Have you done your Breast Self Exam? Check-in HERE!

For those unfamiliar with Club 17, basically it’s a reminder for the female blogosphere to do their monthly Breast Self Exams (BSE). It is recommended that women begin BSEs at age 20.

(I meant to post this yesterday, but my mom was here in town, so things got away from me!)

It’s October, and that means that it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month! As many of you know, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2000 - she found the cancer through a self-exam, and it NEVER showed up on the mammogram (so do your self-exam!). She has been in remission since August 2000, and she is an incredible woman!

There are so many things that we can do to help prevent the risk of breast cancer - exercise, watching what we eat (somethings are good for us - others not so much), and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes breast self-exams (BSE) and mammograms. Throughout the month I’ll be posting things that will help us be more aware!

Here are some links to national sites about breast cancer: FitSugar

Don’t forget to stop by The Breast Cancer Site to click - this helps give free mammograms to underprivileged women, and it’s so easy to go click once a day: The Breast Cancer Site

Here are my other posts about breast cancer: Breast Cancer Posts

Here is one post that I want EVERYONE to read: Inflammatory Breast Cancer

If you have any questions about breast cancer or my family’s personal experience with it, I am VERY open about this topic, and will answer any questions you may have - please don’t take this subject lightly!

Breast Cancer Awarenss Ribbon Gifts originally uploaded by The Taif Healthy City Programme.

“On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.”

I’m going to be joining in with Blog Action Day - green living is something that I’m currently working on, so this is right up my alley! Join us and let all our voices be heard!