Editor's note: Patti Margeson sent us the following recap and attached photos of her experience participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk for the cure last weekend, which passed through Kirkland. For more about Margeson and her journey, check out this earlier Patch feature story.
---
It was hard, it was brutal on the feet, it was mentally challenging, but it was worth it if even ONE person can avoid the pain of breast cancer. I finished almost 55 miles of the 60 miles, but my feet and blisters were just not able to hold up. The medic team said my blisters might win for the largest ones in their little contest they have going. It did make me feel less wimpy!
My husband was our pit crew of one and did the entire route with us via our car as he is in line for knee surgery and so this was the closest he could get to walking. He was a big help to not only me, but my entire Breastketeers team! My kids and their friends came and cheered us on as did several of our friends. I received tons of support via texting, emails and Facebook postings, and they really did help to motivate me to push on.
The biggest support I got outside of my family was from my walking partners Tasia Logan and Todd Squire. They were both way more capable than I to do this but at least one stayed with me for the walk. Tasia got the entire 60 miles in and Todd got close, but only missed a few miles to help me out. It is so awesome to see how others who have not had breast cancer in their families walk so far for people they might never even meet! Bravo to them and all the walkers who give of themselves!
I was SUPER impressed with the community—everywhere we went the streets were lined with people who stopped their lives for a day or a weekend just to cheer us on. They gave us treats, drinks, funny things to look at, but mostly they gave us HOPE and made us realize how big this issue really is.
For me personally, it was hard having just lost my friend Kindra to cancer six days before, and the evenings were spent crying in my husband’s arms. But I also saw my friend Jenn Nudelman, a two-time breast cancer survivor out there walking in her seventh-consecutive Seattle 3-Day breast cancer walk. I saw my friend Debbie Marchione, a 6.5 year survivor, and my Aunt Luci, a 10-plus year survivor, doing well because of the advanced in detection and prevention, and it makes me realize it was worth every last blister and tear! I want to look into the faces of my own future grandchildren and the grandbabies of my sisters and know they may never have to face the family genetics we were given. This is why I walked, and to give thanks for others who walked before me to advance the testing so that mine was caught early!
Now will I do this AGAIN? My love and passion after my family (and they may beg to differ on the after part) is my big giant handsome horse Monte. Sadly Monte has taken a back seat this year to my cancer, surgeries and this walk. I need to focus my attention to him and our little farm that has been my dream for over 10 years. One thing about cancer—it makes you go out and do the things you have always TALKED ABOUT. I need to work hard to build fences and hay/horse shelters. Volunteers please apply!!
BUT I feel so passionate about the future of cancer-free breasts that I signed up yesterday to work at the walk next year as part of the 2013 crew! I will be a safety person on a bicycle. I will enjoy encouraging others to walk and the personal PUSH to get myself back into shape! Todd is going to be part of the crew as a safety person on his motorcycle, and Tasia, well she will be out there walking again for the third year—she is an awesome young lady. My son Eric says he will walk next year for me and for his future children. Nothing could make me prouder!
—Patti Margeson
