Sunshine For A Friend...

Earlier this year I was honored to be named one of the 2011 National Spokeskids for Sunshine Kids. There are five of us who are representing the Sunshine Kids this year, four of us got to meet at the convention in San Diego. The other girl representing the foundation this year is a beautiful mid-western girl named Katie Lynch. We became fast friends and continue to communicate on a daily basis. Katie's fight with cancer is not yet over. Although she has been cancer free since November she is facing one more difficult round of treatment to ensure that her cancer never returns. On Thursday, Katie will be entering the hospital to undergo her second stem cell transplant. The first transplant which she received from her own cells did not finish the job and she suffered a relapse. This time she is receiving donor cells which are a ten point match. This is her best chance to stop lymphoma from reoccurring. She will be in the hospital at least five weeks because this is one of the harshest treatments out there. Her entire immune system will be wiped out prior to receiving the donor cells. She'll remain in the hospital until her immune system recovers.

Katie is a spunky, out going, fun 17 year old girl. I was with her for just three days in March and by the end it felt like we had been friends for years. She has a beautiful smile and infectious personality. Katie was recently voted prom queen at her high school and danced the night away with all of her friends. Last she week got to travel to L.A. with the Sunshine Kids and spent a few days having fun in the sun before her transplant. This special young lady has touched my heart and has been the friend I was searching for while I was in treatment, someone who understood what it felt like to be me. Katie is one of the strongest people I know but, she can't do this alone. Please send her your prayers and good thoughts in the coming weeks.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!

Mischief Managed,
SAMMY

When You Wish Upon A Star...

This is my third day home and I still can’t believe everything that happened on my wish trip to New York. My family and I had a glorious time. We arrived Sunday night and got settled in before our non-stop week started the next morning.

On Monday, our first full day in the city, we took the subway (the 4 train from Grand Central- 42nd to Bowling Green) to the ferry that would take us to Liberty Island. It was pretty chilly by the water and, once again, I was so glad we got snowed out in December. It would have been miserable. Anyway, we took the ferry to see Lady Liberty (Fun fact here, her name is actually Liberty Enlightening the World.) and on the 15 minute ride over I tried to imagine what it would be like to see her after weeks cramped on a boat with hundreds of other people. I couldn’t fathom the elation that sight would bring. She was beautiful. After circling the entire statue we hopped on the ferry again and headed to Ellis Island. (Apparently it is a common misconception that the statue is actually on Ellis Island.) The greatest thing about Ellis Island is the database of all the people who passed through there. We found who we think to be both of my Dad’s grandfathers. When we got back to the hotel we got a call from Make A Wish asking if we would like to go to Tuesday night’s Yankees game that tickets had just been donated. Of course I said “yes.”

I decided to take it easy on Tuesday because it was the day before my wish and my leg was already pretty tired from all the walking we did on Monday. I chose to visit the Strand Bookstore, which I had planned to visit at some point on the trip. The four story used bookstore is home to 18 miles of books, otherwise known as, my personal heaven. What makes the Strand even more special is that the third floor is devoted entirely to rare books. When the elevator doors opened I was overwhelmed by one of my favorite smells in the entire world, old books. Mmmm. Not nasty moldering discarded old books, but meticulously cared for preserved old books. Mmmm-mmmm-mmmm. Brandon was very excited to find a copy of the Odyssey from the 1500’s. It was a bit out of his price range at $600 though. After lunch we went back to the hotel to rest. That night we took the 4 train again, this time in the other direction, to Yankees Stadium. We were expecting just normal seats. Nope our tickets were for the Legend’s Suite (if you’re from Seattle they are equivalent to the Diamond Club at Safeco Field.) We were in the very first row behind home plate. Now that is the way to watch baseball let me tell you.

Finally, the big day came. I could hardly believe it; I had been waiting so long. A limo picked us up at 11:45 and took us to the Minskoff theater. I went in the stage door and met with one of the stage managers, who took me backstage. That’s right I said ONE of the stage managers. It takes FIVE to keep the Lion King running smoothly. One calls the show, one stays in the stage manager’s office to iron out any wrinkles that pop up during a performance, one works on stage left, one works stage right and one works the “basement.” I got to shadow the basement stage manager. I have to tell you when I first heard my assignment I was a bit disappointed thinking that I’d be sitting under the stage for the entire show. Man was I wrong. The basement stage manager does what I like to do when working on a show, runs around and makes sure everyone and everything are where they are supposed to be. The basement stage manager also calls when the elevators used to bring actors up or down through the stage are clear to go. (I got to wear a headset and got to call clear a couple times.) We were on the move for the entire show and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Once again I was very happy that my trip was delayed, I wouldn’t have been able to do that in December. Anyone who has seen this show know how spectacular it is, the backstage is at least ten times more spectacular than what you see onstage. It was hard to know where to look, there was so much crammed into the relatively small wing space. Every inch of the wings are used as well as every inch of air space. When puppets and set pieces are not being used they are flown up to make room on the stage level. I have seen many professional shows at the theaters in Seattle and have always wondered how they made the set pieces glide across the stage without someone pushing them. Now I know there are tracks in the stage floor that set pieces are hooked to and someone pushes a button that makes them move. I can’t tell you how long I have wondered how that works. Though it may seem utterly chaotic backstage at times, this show is anything but. It is a precisely choreographed awe-inspiring dance. Everybody, crew and cast alike, was so nice and made me feel so welcomed. The people of the theater are what drew me in and kept me coming. The caring, sarcastic, passionate, loving, welcoming, beautiful people that I fell in love with in Everett, Washington are part of a special community that from Colby Avenue, Everett to Broadway, New York bring joy and love to the world and make this girl feel at home.

I think I woke up Thursday morning with the same smile on my face that I fell asleep with. That morning we were scheduled to go on the NBC studio tour. We had planned on getting there in time to be a part of the Today show crowd to show off the neon “Thank You Make A Wish” sign that I had made, but we didn’t make it. (We decided sleep was much more important.) The tour was really good. The studios are much smaller than they appear, especially the ones for Nightly News and SNL. After the tour we walked around Rockefeller center and had lunch. When lunch was finished we took a cab to Strawberry Fields in Central Park. The teardrop-shaped area is designated as a quiet zone in memory of John Lennon. Being the Beatles fan that I am, I could not leave New York without seeing it. There is a peace and serenity to Strawberry Fields that I am sure can’t be found anywhere else in the bustling metropolis. I still have trouble believing what happened Thursday night. To understand my disbelief you have to go back to Sunday morning at the airport in Seattle. We were waiting for the plane telling the Alaska Airlines Make A Wish representatives about my wish. There was a gentleman to the right of us listening to what I was saying. He started asking me some questions and then told us that he was one of the producers of Memphis, which won the 2010 Tony for best musical. (The show debuted in Seattle and I really wanted to see it but, I never got a chance to see it.) He said that he would like to get us tickets and a backstage tour after the show. Thursday night we had great seats to see the show, which deserves every award it’s won. Memphis was fantastic, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. After the show, Kenny (the man from the airport) and his wife Marlene gave us a backstage tour and introduced us to some of the cast. Once again I was in awe of how wonderful the theater community is. Thanks to this very generous man I didn’t get just one wish, I got two.

Friday I again woke with a smile on my face. It was our last day in the city but, there was one thing left on my list of must dos. The Museum of Modern Art is home to my favorite painting of all time, Van Gough’s Starry Night. My ankle was hurting pretty badly after all the walking I had done the rest of the week but, I had to see it. I am so glad I did. The painting was so beautiful; the stars even seemed to twinkle. I fell in love with it all over again when I saw it in person. It was a magical ending to the most magical week of my life.

Above anything else, this trip renewed my belief that everything happens for a reason. Even though I was very disappointed when my trip was postponed, it was definitely for the best. First, we would have frozen our butts off in December and would have had a terrible time getting around. We wouldn’t have met Kenny at the airport and we wouldn’t have gone to a Yankees game. Most importantly I would have had a lot of trouble getting around. In December I was still completely dependent on a cane to get around. Now I don’t need any walking aid except the occasional arm of another person. There is no way I could have walked all over the theater at the Lion King like I did. In short, my wish would not have been nearly as wonderful as it was. Like I said, everything happens for a reason.

Thank you Make A Wish so very much for making my dream come true!!!

Mischief Managed, SAMMY

If you would like to see more pictures go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28431132@N08/sets/72157626354066215/

I'm walking on sunshine...

oooooh and don't I FEEL GOOD!!!

It has been too long since I last updated you all, I have been so busy. Today I decided there were too many things to report to wait another day.

I'll start by sharing that yesterday my 6 month MRI came back clear! It was about this time last year that I was asking every person who came into my hospital room "When will I be able to walk on my own?" No one had an answer. Well today was the answer because today was the first day I walked without my cane all day at school. I knew it was time to stop using the cane when I was leaving it in classrooms and carrying it more than walking with it. By the end of the day I actually felt better. The cane made me walk with a slight limp, but today I was forced to walk normally.

I've been home from the convention in sunny San Diego for about 2 weeks and it's high time I filled you in on that experience. Wonderfully magnificently amazingly fantastic doesn't even scratch the surface on how great this trip was. As usual the Sunshine Kids people were amazing. Us kids certainly got the rock star treatment. There were 7 kids between last year's and this year's spokeskids. By the second day I felt like I had known these people forever, we completely clicked. I bonded more closely with them in 4 days than with anyone on my Orlando trip. We had such a fun time and continue to correspond with each other. The Sunshine Kids did what they do best: make cancer go away, and replace it with fun. I am forever grateful to this organization for giving me something I couldn't get anywhere else. They are simply the best.

My last bit of fun news came this afternoon when I got a call after school. It was from the Seattle Times letting me know that I had won 2 tickets to see the musical Billy Elliot next Wednesday night. I was one of three winners in an essay contest. The task was to right a 500 word essay about beating the odds. I thought I would share my essay with you:

I am graduating on time, with my class. That may not sound like a huge accomplishment; thousands of teenagers do it every year. For me on the other hand, it is the most difficult thing I have ever done. My struggle began October of my sophomore year when I began to have terrible migraine-like headaches. After taking migraine medication for two weeks without any progress, my doctor ordered an MRI and I am so lucky he did. I had a Twinkie-sized mass and fluid in my brain. The mass turned out to be a cancerous tumor. First, I had surgery to remove the tumor which was the easiest part of my whole ordeal. A few weeks later I had my first of 30 rounds of radiation. While doing all of that I was also trying to keep up with school through a home tutor. By the time radiation finished I was worn out, but I was only half way done, I still had six months of chemotherapy to complete. Now, what are the odds that after my first chemo I’d be attacked by a deadly flesh-eating infection? Pretty low you’d think. Well that wasn’t the case; my calf and thigh were attacked by the nastiest infection imaginable. I had ten operations, two weeks of hefty antibiotics, countless bags of blood products and a six week stay in a hospital bed. Before I left the hospital I had to face another round of chemo. It’d be safe to say I was a bit gun shy after the events that followed my first chemo.
All told I hardly walked for eight weeks prior to starting physical therapy. During my time at the hospital I decided that there was no way I could still try to do school, so I did not finish the second semester of my sophomore year. All summer, the start of school loomed over me. Would I have enough energy to make it through the day? Would all of the cancer treatment affect my learning ability? How would I navigate the crowed halls of my high school with a walker? When school began this year I had little to no hope that I could graduate on time. I was a junior taking mostly sophomore classes and I was physically struggling to get through the day. I had underestimated myself. By November I had switched from the walker to a cane and was getting straight A’s despite my absences for sickness and doctor’s appointments. At the end of first semester, in late January, I began to toy with the idea of graduating on time. I went to my counselor and we figured it out, all I had to do was take one summer school class. I overcame all the obstacles and beat the odds to graduate on time in 2012 cancer free.


Mischief Managed,

SAMMY

P.S. Only 2 weeks until my Make-A-Wish trip to New York city!!!

Here are some pictures from my trip:

The kids with O.P. Otter at Sea World.

Party at Petco Park

Meet the Kids! (Geoff, Steven, Kyle, Me, Katie, Shaq and Keyah)

The kids with Jay Leno!

They say it's your birthday, WELL IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOO YAH

I can't believe how fast these past few weeks have gone. So much has happened, I don't even know where to begin, I guess I'll just write as it comes to me.

Yesterday was my 17th birthday! I had a very nice relaxed day at home and dinner at Famous Dave's BBQ. Earlier this week I got my drivers permit because I am starting driver's ed on Wednesday. Mom took me to drive in an empty parking lot. Man, it is HARD, there is so much to focus on and the view is way different than in the passenger's seat. I'm kinda nervous but also really excited to learn to drive. Watch out world, here I come.

The past couple weeks have had their ups and downs. I've had some trouble with my leg and have been fighting a sinus cold off and on, but the last few days I have been feeling a lot better and walking a lot better. Now I only use the cane at school or if I am doing a lot of walking.

The best news of all came this past Friday. I was asked to be a spokeskid for the Sunshine Kids , the organization responsible for my Orlando trip.

"The Sunshine Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to children with cancer. Established in 1982, we are committed to providing positive group activities and emotional support for young cancer patients. The Sunshine Kids provides a variety of programs and events, free of charge, for kids who are receiving cancer treatments in hospitals across North America."

March 6th- 9th I will be in San Diego at a convention for the Sunshine Kids. I am thrilled and so honored that I was chosen to be one of the 4 2011 spokeskids.

I can't believe that I almost forgot to share the absolute best news.

I AM GRADUATING ON TIME IN 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to do is take 2 classes over the summer, but otherwise I have the right credits in the right places to be able to graduate. I am so happy that I will get to move on with my life and not stay stuck in high school for an extra year. I can not express my elation when I figured this out, I was (and am) over the moon happy.

Mischief Managed,

SAMMY

SAVE THE DATE:

September 25, 2011
Is the date for the 2011 RUN OF HOPE benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Fund at Seattle Children's Hospital (AKA the people who saved my life and many more)

Get ready to fundraise because I want Sammy's Blobslayers to be the biggest highest earning team at this year's run/walk.

More information to come.

Hair: (not) the musical

I can’t believe how fast January has gone. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone. Its seems like school just started, so Ireally can't believe finals are this week

Though I’ve had some ups and downs with different wintertime bugs, I am feeling much better and I have made huge strides in physical therapy. I can attribute much of my progress to the exercise bike we bought at Costco. Now, instead of working out twice a week, I can work out every day. I always said my best days were the days I worked out at physical therapy, now I can do that everyday. I can’t wait to see how much I progress in the next few months.

My leg isn’t the only thing making progress; my hair has been growing like a fiend. I actually got a hair cut this past Tuesday. A very nice lady named Tracey has been cutting my hair for years and it was hard to tell who was more excited, her or me. After she evened it all out, she gelled it up. we had fun messing around with different spiky styles. My favorite was the fohawk seen below.





Mischief Managed,
SAMMY

SAVE THE DATE:

September 25, 2011

Is the date for the 2011 RUN OF HOPE benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Fund at Seattle children's hospital (AKA the people who saved my life and many more)

Get ready to fundraise because I want Sammy's Blobslayers to be the biggest highest earning team at this year's run/walk.

More information to come.

To Be or NOT TO BE

Unfortunately I am not writing from New York right now. The blast of winter weather in the northeast caused thousands of flights to be cancelled, including mine. I can understand that no one can control the weather, but it seems that recently, for me, nothing can go right the first time or work out the way it was supposed to.

We are planning on rescheduling my wish trip for spring break (the first full week of April) though it is disappointing to have to wait longer, traveling to New York in the spring will probably be better anyway. We’ll see Central park in springtime, which I have heard is lovely. We won’t freeze standing outside the Today show or taking the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Travel around the city won’t be hindered by snow or wind. It will definitely be better. The best part will be that I will be moving better. My goal is to be able to walk the whole time in NY, no wheelchair. (Occasional cane use though, is acceptable.)

Needless to say, I was very disappointed when we got back home. But, as always my mother being the amazing mom she is came up with a plan to restore my spirits. She booked a room at the Edgewater hotel in Seattle for Friday and Saturday. Then she and I searched the internet for things to do. So now Thursday afternoon Brandon, Dad, and I are going to see A Christmas Story the musical at Seattle’s 5th Avenue theater and then Saturday the whole family is going to the Sound of Music sing-along at the 5th Avenue theater.

In the end everything works out for the best. We will have better time in New York. I’ll get to see a show I want to see (Christmas Story) and I’ll get to cross something off my bucket list (Sound of Music sing-along.)

Happy New Year everybody! See you in 2011!
Mischief Managed,
SAMMY



The sign my wonderful wish volunteer Al made for me

An update, long overdue

I have been home from Orlando for two weeks now, and an update is much over due. I’ve been trying to make time to sit down and write, but I have been busy with homework, catch-up work, physical therapy, dentist appointments etc. As you may have heard the northwest has been hit by a bit of a winter storm. The snow and ice have basically shut down Seattle. Today is a snow day and I have lots of time on my hands so you’re in for a long post.

First, I know you are anxious to hear about my trip to Orlando, so I will end the suspense. It was wonderful. The weather was great, the volunteers and staff were incredible and the other kids were awesome. All the parks were amazing but my favorite (of course) was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It was truly magical, I felt as if I was walking down the streets of my imagination. The park was Hogsmeade with a touch of Diagon Alley with Hogwarts watching over it all. My little group at lunch at the Three Broomsticks, I had two mugs of butterbeer and a very delicious shepherd’s pie. For those wondering what butterbeer tastes like, it is a cold root beer flavored drink with a hint of butterscotch and it’s extremely delicious! The park’s designers left no detail out. Moaning Myrtle talks and splashes in the bathroom. Mandrakes scream from a storefront window. All the paintings and photographs come to life. Like I said, magical.

Upon retuning to school I found out that my English class would be writing "This I Believe" essays. If you have been following me from the beginning you know that TIB was an assignment for my English class last year around the time I was diagnosed. You may also remember that a few minutes before brain surgery I wrote the following essay:

On Monday October 19th my English teacher introduced This I Believe and I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to write about. Ten days later I was in the hospital having a tumor removed from my brain.

When the doctor called with my results my mom answered the phone and I could hear her conversation from the other room. When I heard I just got my shoes on, printed directions to the hospital and packed a bag. Later at the hospital everyone was amazed by my laid back easy going nature. I can attribute this to two things gratitude and positivity.

In a hospital it is easy to be taken over by negative thinking. But I think that is just a waste of energy. Instead I am planning on suffocating cancer with laughter and smiles, smothering it with hope and positivity and with the love and support of my friends and family. That's not to say that I go around perpetually grinning. Sometimes it's a struggle to stay positive. That's when I just think of all I have to be grateful for. Today among other things I am grateful for non-skid socks, visiting friends and apple sauce. It's these rays of light that help me stay positive.

I know I am only at the beginning of my treatment but I can definitely say I am not putting up with Cancer; Cancer’s putting up with me!

My belief hasn't changed in the last year; it has just become more solidified. This is the essay I wrote last week:

I believe in the power of smiles and positivity. For fifteen years nothing truly challenged that belief. Then, the “Big C” came calling. When the doctors diagnosed me with brain cancer, I made a decision; a decision to smother cancer with smiles and positivity.

I believe that positivity can be infectious, because my decision to be positive encouraged the people around me to choose to be positive as well.

I believe positive doesn’t have to be synonymous with happy. It just means trying to focus on the good of a situation.
Yes, I had cancer, but at least my doctor caught it early.
Yes, I endured a harrowing experience, but in one year I found an appreciation for the important things in life that some people spend their whole lives searching for.

I believe that gratitude and positivity go hand in hand. While undergoing cancer treatment, staying positive can be difficult, but I always tried to find something to be grateful for. A day without pain. Having my favorite nurse. A card from my grandma. Sleeping in my own bed. Sitting up at a table. Eating a meal with my family. Visiting with a friend. Seeing my dog. Going outside.

I believe that smiles are the most powerful weapon. For, I witnessed one smile transform the somber expressions of worried parents into smiles as well. I saw how a simple up-turn of the lips from a stranger, lifted the spirits of an ailing child.

I believe complicated feelings can be communicated in a simple smile. I understand. I’ve been there. I wish. I hope. I care. I love you.

I believe my positive attitude had an enormous affect on the outcome of my treatment, because now I am cancer free.

I believe if smiles and positivity can help me survive cancer, they will surely help me through the rest of my life as well.

I believe that smiles and positivity killed cancer.

I love the symmetry between the two essays and feel like they bookend the most life-changing year of my life. It’s nice to see that while my life has changed, the beliefs at my core haven’t.

I definitely recommend checking out This I Believe’s website to read more essays. http://thisibelieve.org/

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Mischief Managed,
SAMMY

P.S. I think I will change my blogging goal from once every couple weeks, to when something blog-worthy happens.

P.P.S. I almost forgot to tell you. I have stopped using the walker and I am now walking with a cane! I’ve been using the cane since the beginning of the month and I feel great. The change is very freeing, I can move much better and navigate places I couldn’t go while using the walker. YAY!

The view from the den window

An update on the hair front