“Silent No More” 2013 recap

Mere words cannot begin to express how appreciative I am to everyone who participated in this year’s “Silent No More” walk/run benefiting the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA). Next Friday will mark seventeen months since Lucy’s passing and yet participating in the event is still very emotional. Last year I was a team of one and I needed several weeks to recover from the emotional drain. This year I had nine people joining me, all of whom were there to honor Lucy’s memory. I know she would have been pleased despite being the center of attention.

Ovarian cancer does not only strike middle-aged women. Before the start of the 5K run, a 25-year-old ovarian cancer survivor sang the national anthem. Part of the reason there seems to be an increase in younger women becoming survivors is because of heightened awareness of the symptoms. Unfortunately, part of the reason may also be environmental factors.

As in years past, survivors wear teal colored shirts and the rest of us wear white shirts. I hope this year’s survivors are able to participate next year, and that eventually all of them receive a No Evidence of Disease (NED) call from their doctors.

The courses for the 5K run and 2K walk reversed from years past. This year’s weather was unusually warm and humid. The two runners on my team made it through with no ill effects and respectable times. The walk route changed because of unfinished road construction. This necessitated routing about 3,000 walkers on to a narrow path on Lake Cornelia and it slowed the pace considerably. I believe there were around 250 runners in the 5K.

It was also nice to see the three couples in my group. One couple has been married for eleven years, and the other two couples began dating in the past six months. I remember how Lucy and I started out and how we evolved during our time together, and I can see that evolution unfolding again for these couples. My hope is for all these couple to enjoy many wonderful years together.

Thank you again for keeping Lucy’s memory alive, and for your love and support during this time of rebuilding. Give your special someone an extra hug and be thankful for the time you have with that person.

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