#512 The Update on My Big Date

The meeting is coming!  The meeting is coming!  In two days we will be in Washington DC convening with our legislators and Speaker Ryan speaking to them about metastatic breast cancer and all Stage IV cancers.  I will have the ear of the #3 person in the country and I don't want to blow it.  Pressure is on and I'm feeling like the kicker in a tied football game--hit it and you are the hero--miss and you are in the doghouse.

To make sure I cover everything I want to say in my short 15 minutes with the Speaker, I asked the metastatic community through the closed Facebook pages to give me advice...and the words began to flow.  Over 150 comments came in ranging from: "Tell him your story", to "Don't wear pink--wear black", to "Research must be a priority"; and most often expressed, "Make health care affordable.".  All were both heartwarming and heart wrenching ("I miss my mom every day").  I also heard from non cancer women offering support as they could some day be in this cancer hole without a cure in sight.

How could I let these voices go unheard--they were profoundly expressed and affirmed what we all want--more time.  Thanks to modern technology Rob copied and pasted the comments on twelve sheets of paper (removing all names) and sent them to the legislators and Speaker Ryan's office.  Let them read and hear our voices and our outrage at being ignored.

Stay tuned next week when I can report what happened.  I'm not expecting any miracles or huge revelations on his part but maybe, just maybe, when a bill comes up regarding more funding, he will hear my voice in his ear about our country's moral obligation to protect all citizens--especially those who are living/dying with this disease every single day.

As always, keep sending the donations to UW Carbone Cancer Center so if our government doesn't make it a priority, we can assure these dedicated scientists support towards finding a cure.

Thanks for reading #512 of 7777.