Kick off is set for February 3rd!!!

When I first started volunteering at the Cerritos/Artesia Relay For Life…the scabs were still raw. My wife was just given her five year badge. She fought extra-skeletal ostesarcoma in 2000 and Dr. Sant P. Chawla said she was cured. He said “Go live your life”

That meant that we had to give back. You see, I truly believe that someone somewhere volunteered and donated their time and money so that a new drug could be used to save my wife’s life. Alisa Montero was in charge of team recruitment back then and she came by my office and told me about The American Cancer Society and all the great things that they did.

So, I started out as captain of a little team that raised over 5,000 dollars for the city of Cerritos in 2005. Two years ago I walked 24 straight hours for our team. Today, I am Co-Chair of our City’s Relay.

I will be kicking off our Relay on February 3, 2010 at the Cerritos Library. This will be a time to introduce all the plans we have to ensure success. Our website is www.relayForLife.org/CerritosCa and has alot of information on this event. You can also email Gabriel Santos at gsantos.cerritosrelay@gmail.com for more info.

If you are interested in forming a team and getting involved in our Relay please email me at MarkAnthony@CENTURY21.com or come join us on Feb. 3rd!

Relayers! Keep Fighting The Good Fight!

My wife is a cancer SURIVVOR! She was diagnosed with extra skeletal osteosarcoma in 2000. It was a very rough battle. That is why I am a charity runner, volunteer and advocate for The American Cancer Society for Cerritos/Artesia.

So as we get started on our Relay For Life I wanted to share this about Mindy’s battle….

FROM OUR BOOK “Meet Me in the Middle.. A Walk Of Faith”

It was around the fifth treatment when we came home from a 96hr IV of a special “cocktail”. I was living on coffee, adrenaline and nervous energy helping Mindy with her battle. I dosed off thinking we are half way there just five more treatments. Little did I know mine was just beginning.

I woke up and felt nauseous and Mindy handed me the bowl we had handy next to the bed. The she said, “the side effets of chemo”. I kinda laughed and finished my nap. It was the two pots of coffee.

I woke up and she was right there with gatorade and said, ” Drink this, doctors orders”. I told her to leave me alone so I can finish my nap. I usually averaged about 3-4 hours of sleep for the last 5 months and I needed sleep. What weird thing for Mindy to say, i thought.

She said, “ok, you need to rest because it will be a long battle for you”. I finished my nap and and round two happened with the bowl occcurred. Mindy was there with another remark. Now I was getting mad and jumped up and said, “I dont have cancer YOU do”. I asked her to please go. She made me mad.

She said, “Chemo made you lose you hair and makes you lose your appetite and it will cure you”!

I looked in the mirror and I looked like crap, I was bald, sweating profusely and was all sucked up. Whats going on? Who was going nuts me or her? She said, “its probably your way of dealing with your battle, kind of like a defense mechanism”. Then she took off to her mom’s house.

I was alone our new condo…Fear started to mess with me…

No! I shaved my head because she was losing hers and we shaved together so we could say we took it before cancer could claim it. I was losing weight because I would forget to eat. I looked like crap because…blah blah.

I was making alot of excuses and fear was choking me. She left to her moms house and left me but said “win, lose or draw…you will be just fine.” Now I was REALLY scared and alone!

Then I remembered, it hit me like a ton of bricks, that I made several prayers for God to give cancer to me and I will fight it. My new bride didnt deserve it. If one of us had to have it I deserved it it not her. So I had cancer….
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I went back to sleep. Then I woke up at midnight. It was pitch black and totally quiet. The dream was so real, that at midnight I still didnt know if I was dreaming or not. I stayed up until 5 am and thought Screw it…I got cancer and I am gonna fight like nobodies business I grew angry and felt good that God actually answered my prayer.

I cried for a little bit and thought I have to WIN at all costs. People need me to battle hard. I cant let this happen. I had prayed so hard for God to give me the cancer and he did. I wanted to see this microscopic coward in a physical form so I could attack it and kill it. But I had it all wrong..you kill it with faith.

When I finally woke up my wife had her usual smile and was ready for her next chemo treatment that would eventually take here to her third trip the the emergency room. I had a fighter on my hands and I had to fight hard with her.

That is why I admire you and survivors. I really do know what it feels like to have cancer even though t was only for five hours. I will continue to work/run/volunteer with American Cancer Society on these little battles. Who are you fighting for? For more info or help please visit www.cancer.org

Keep fighting the good fight!
May God continue to bless you,
Mark Anthony Ruiz