hello

Exciting news to report - M:TA’s new website is complete www.myselftogetheragain.org, BUT wait - don't click on it just yet - we have more exciting news to share first. So, just to back up for a moment, I want to share that my Oophorectomy surgery in August went well. I would not say the recovery was a breeze but I was up and about 1 week later and so far menopause has been good to me (knock on wood). I feel such a sense of peace having that surgery over with. Having the BRAC mutation feels like there is a big cloud hovering over you- or at least that is how I felt. I feel empowered to have taken such a big step towards reducing my risk of any more cancer.

In terms of what we have been up to: the month of September we were busy finalizing our website and making sure we included lots of great pictures from over the years as we have traveled with the project. In mid September Lux Salon here in Raleigh NC put on their first fashion/ hair show and donated the proceeds to M:TA. It was a fun event and we were so grateful to Lux for choosing us to be the recipient. At the end of September, my family was asked to be a part of a Kay Yow Soccer Event at NC State. Kay Yow lost her battle to breast cancer this year. At the soccer game I walked on the field and accepted flowers from both team captains in memory of Coach Yow and in honor of all of the women who are fighting breast cancer and in memory of those who have passed on. It was a special night. October was busy as usual - it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I attended a few events and traveled to Richmond, Virginia to speak at Henrico Doctors Hospital.

Finally, I think I have shared that this past June marked 5 years cancer free for me. When I look back over the last 5 plus years of my life - this is how I sum it up:

Got engaged

Got cancer

Got married

Launched M:TA

Had baby #1

Had baby #2

Whew! I know this may sound funny to say but I really feel that launching the Myself: Together Again Project was my first baby and I never would have thought that today we would be operating as a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt public charity. It took so much effort to get this project off the ground and it certainly required me to dig deep within myself and persevere through many of the rough times. I truly have such a deep love for doing this work and feel so proud and honored everyday to be doing a job that I love and created.

So with that said, the M:TA Team and many of its supporters have decided that it is time to celebrate M:TA's 5 year journey: its time to sit back and take it in, reflect on the lives the project has touched over the years. We want to educate the community on why we continue to do this work and we hope to inspire people to help us continue our work-making it possible for all women living with breast cancer to have a "visual" resource available to them when facing breast reconstruction surgery.

So Please Save the Date Of May 2nd 2010

Kelly Corrigan, Best Selling Author of The Middle Place will be our featured speaker.

More details to follow in future eblast updates.

If you are interested in receiving an invitation to this event - please send your mailing address to: celebrate@myselftogetheragain.org

coming up

On December 10, 2009 Debbie will be in Boston exhibiting M:TA at The 2009 Massachusetts Conference for Women. We had hoped to get into the California Conference for Women back in October - it was hosted by Maria Shriver but we were not accepted this year. We will be trying again for that conference next year. If you live in the Boston area and know of M:TA - stop by the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on Thursday 12/10 and meet Debbie.

Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving,
~Debbie