60 miles & 60 blisters

Thanks to many prayers, our team finished all 60 miles this weekend! It was a memorable, moving, very painful three days... I am thrilled that I did it, and even more thrilled to be done! Especially after seeing so many walkers who wore survivor shirts, and so many others who were walking in honor of a family member who didn't make it, I am so thankful that God allowed me to be a part of such an awesome event!

That said, my feet will never forgive me for this walk! We fretted and worried over how we would feel sleeping on the ground in a sea of tents, but even with the cold night time temps & sore bodies (and a little help from Ambien CR for me),we rested. Since we trained without problems, we didn't think much about how our feet would hold up. I guess it's good that I didn't know ahead of time that I would want to kiss those medics for repeatedly lancing my blisters (who knew that I would look forward to that), and that I would say prayers thanking the Lord for the inventor of second skin. By the last couple of miles each day (or the last 5 on day 2 which was 21.5 LONG ones) my feet felt like they were on fire. I kept trying to remind myself what I read on a poster the first day, "blisters don't need chemo!". My poor team mates had to put up with me talking constantly because if someone wasn't telling a story, I tried to fill in the silence... I couldn't stand thinking about my feet & desperately tried to distract myself. I couldn't have asked for better women to walk with. We were all hurting, several with injured knees & feet, and all managed to talk ourselves out of climbing on the buses that would take you back to camp if you needed to quit for the day.

There were lots of highlights... awesome support from family & the community, thousands of people cheering us along the route, lots of sweet kids passing out candy & stickers, inspiring posters, some PG-13 outfits & slogans (some of the funniest - "saving second base" & "my right boob thanks you!"), always cheerful & helpful volunteer crews, hot & decent food, amazing fellow walkers - one with a walking cast, two marines who walked with full packs, a woman in a wheelchair.

A couple of my favorite memories - Lesley's college roommate, a one year survivor,surprised her by flying in with her whole family... Lesley's kids & her roommates'entire family shocked us all on the third day, cheering us on when we really needed it. Also, at closing ceremonies they had all of the survivors walk in last... and all the walkers held up one of their walking shoes in support & tribute. Lots of tears.

I have to say too that my sweet husband was such an awesome support, he listened to all the good & bad in many phone calls from pit stops & camp. I had asked him not to bring the girls to a cheering station because I thought Mae would get really upset about seeing me for a few minutes & then me taking off... on the last day I changed my mind and decided that I really needed to see all of their sweet faces to finish. He packed up both girls & drove an hour to Dallas to give me hug & let me kiss Anna & Mae for about 2 minutes before walking on (if I stayed any longer I may have climbed in the van with them!).

Thank you all so much for praying for us - that's what got us through! Thanks too for all of your finacial support -the 2,400 walkers in the DFW 3 day raised over 6.5 million dollars. We pray for a cure before another mom, sister, wife, grandmother, or daughter is lost. A million blisters would be worth that.