Want to take these paintings home with you?

Make an online donation of $25 or more at http://bit.ly/kantvegas before 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 16 and one of these paintings is yours.

Make sure you specify in the “Would you like to post a comment to this person’s webpage? If so, please enter your comment here:” section which painting you would like.

Thank you for helping me fight Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis!

When people ask me why I raise money for CCFA, I tell them it’s for my family – my late grandmother, my godmother and my uncle. But I also do it for everyone I have met through the CCFA and Team Challenge. One of these people is my friend Patty. Here is her story, which she shared with us last year. She is also one of Team Wisconsin’s honored heroes this season.

In high school, I struggled with weight loss, feeling lethargic, and the plethora of other problems that come with undiagnosed ulcerative colitis. I was subjected to some treatments that rendered me less likely to continue looking for what might have actually been wrong with me.

When I started college, at age 18, I couldn’t take the pain any longer. I found a doctor to help me. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my own disease seriously. I often skipped years between colonoscopies and only took my medication when I had an outbreak. For 22 years, when I fell out of remission, I fell hard. Each colonoscopy showed severe, active colitis. Last year, I struggled to function like a healthy woman should. I knew I had another outbreak of colitis and this one really scared me because the effects caused me to miss days from work, miss holidays with family, and miss out on moments with my daughter.

I went to the doctor, and he very seriously told me the facts. Because of my years with active, severe ulcerative colitis, the likelihood of colon cancer went up significantly. We could not get the colitis under control this time, and his recommendation was to have my large intestine removed completely. I was devastated and depressed. I know people CAN exist without a colon, but I didn’t want to. I know people CAN survive colon cancer, but the thought petrified me. I immediately changed my diet and my habits. I finally got serious about my disease, but was I too late?

Spring of last year, I met with a surgeon and discussed the procedure. I met with a nurse to discuss how I was going to live without a colon. I met with my boss to discuss the post-surgical ramifications. I met with my family to discuss how our lives were going to change.

Then came the colonoscopy. I went in feeling sure that he was going to come out telling me that my colon was a goner. I was hoping it would not result in a cancer diagnosis, but all of the literature and website facts seemed against me. I received a phone call. My doctor wanted to see me as soon as I could get in. I went immediately. My face was so long and sullen. My doctor’s face was not! Not only had my colonoscopy showed improvement, but my body reversed itself to mild colitis-no cancer!

Everything changed that day. My doctor consulted other doctors and the recommendation changed. The surgery was cancelled, my diet changed, my medications changed, and right now I am in remission. I feel better than I have ever felt in my life. Because of research done, I was able to change my regiment and therefore, change the ulcerative colitis. I also have to add, because I really do admire him, that my doctor was willing to listen to my needs and willing to admit that he needed to consult with other medical professionals before my colon was removed.

Mary, Me and Patty during the Napa to Sonoma half marathon.

Donate now to help me help people like Patty and all others who suffer from Colitis and Crohn’s.

Are you a fan of the World Champion Green Bay Packers? Now that the lockout is over, your first chance to see the Green and Gold at Lambeau field since they won the Super Bowl is THIS SATURDAY for Packers Family Fun Night (@Lambeau Field, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, August 6th).

Guess what? I have a pair of tickets to the event. You see where this is going.

For every $25 donation between 1:30 p.m.Thursday Aug. 4 and 5 p.m. Friday Aug. 5 you will be entered to win this pair of tickets plus cash for parking ($5).

The seats are on the 40 yard line, in Section 121, Row 16, Seats 3-4. So, they’re pretty good seats. And you’ll get to see Aaron Rodgers. And Clay Matthews. And Donald Driver. Do I need to go on?

All you have to do is donate online. Or, if you’re in the Shorewood area tonight, I’ll be selling tickets at Performance Running Outfitters on Oakland.

I will close this raffle at a total of 50 tickets sold, and will update this page as donations/raffle ticket purchases come in. So you have a 1 in 50 chance of winning this awesome pair of tickets! You must be in the Milwaukee area. When I pick the winner (drawn at random), we will arrange a drop off for the tickets.

Girls On the Run plus their buddies - Bay View team

What a beautiful, hot and muggy day. LOL. Today was the big 5k run for the GOTR kids.

Pre-race cheer!

Me and Juliana pre-race

They looked a bit nervous before the race but we took off running at the start. Then the heat REALLY hit us. Juliana (Tracey G.‘s daughter) was hilarious, per always.

“Are we almost done?”

“No, Juli, we’ve only gone half a mile.”

“Ughhhhh. This isn’t fair. It’s so hot. I wish it was pouring or there was a big gust of wind.”

We did a lot of run/walking (emphasis on the walking) because of the heat and the fact there was only one water stop on the course. In this heat, with that many youngins, geeze, one more stop would have been nice.

We kept leap-frogging with Angela and her buddy, Nadia.

Nadia, Juli and Angela, Mile 1

Nadia, Me and Juliana - Mile 1

I’d give Juli little goals, like, “When we get to that big tree, we’re gonna run til the turn…” Basically, fartleks, which is my favorite word, evar.

When she saw the water stop, Juli took off running. Like, we’re talking a 10:15 pace. Which is hilarious, because we had been going at anywhere from a 15-17 pace. I could barely catch up with her. She dumped a cup of water on her head and we kept on trucking. Saw her parents Tracey G.& Jason G. shortly after the water stop and kept on going.

Nadia and Juliana - Mile 2 "We're dying"

"Are we done?"

We made little goals and I started forcing her to run, reminding her that there was cake at the finish line (she’s a girl after my own heart).

By about mile 2 I realized my fingers had swelled up to the size of sausages. It was gross. I could hardly bend my fingers.

fat fingers

Mile 3!

As we walked during the last mile, I told Juli about a trick I like to use at races. When you see the finish line close, start running as fast as you can past everyone cheering, so they think you’ve been running that fast the whole time.

Sprinting to the finish!

We blasted through the last tenth of a mile at a 9:30 pace. Then Juliana got her medal (so cute!) and we found water, cake and fruit.

Yay! We did it!

GOTR is such a great program. Had a blast with Jane S. Chelsey F. Rochelle and all the girls.

3.1 miles in 52:08 – 16:55 pace

BTW, this time includes the water stop and stops to take photos at each mile marker. If we wouldn’t have done that, I think we could have shaved about 3 minutes off the time, giving us a 16 pace, which is exactly what we’ve been having at practices.

It’s official! I’m going to be a mentor for Team Challenge Wisconsin and raise money to kick Crohn’s and Colitis to the curb – again!

I’m sure you’ll get annoyed by my tweets, Facebook posts, emails and blog posts, but you can get me to shut up by donating today!

And, if you’ve ever considered running a half marathon, please let me know! We’re looking for you to run with Team Challenge! Watch this video below and try to tell me you DON’T want to run this race. You know it’s not possible, right?

Slow, it's the new fast! Pink ink on yellow, black, white, green, purple, grey OR white ink on navy, blue, yellow, maroon, orange, black, green

I’m now selling Bondi Bands to raise money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Yes, that’s right, I’ve joined Team Challenge – again!

If you would like to support a great cause AND get a killer addition to your workout wardrobe, you’ve come to the right place.

I’m selling the Bondi Bands for $8 each or two for $15. Shipping in the U.S. is $3 for regular, $4.95 for flat rate shipping (your choice). I have a few payment options available – Paypal, personal check or cash.

Head on over to my Bondi Band page for more info!

I’ve seen some friends writing 2010 wrap-up posts and, well, it seems like a pretty damn good idea, so I’m going with it. Let’s take a look back on some of my big (no pun intended) moments of 2010.

Starting Losing It Without Losing Me

I really struggled with the idea of starting this li’l website. Did I want to share such private thoughts with the world? Strangers are one thing… but with people who know me? That’s scary.

I’m glad I did.

This blog has been a journey for me… in both losing myself (i.e. weight)… and searching for who I really am. It’s been a journey of self discovery and a sounding board for some of my most private thoughts. You have kept me accountable. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

In return, I will be re-starting Weigh-in Wednesdays next week, as my lack of keeping track has kept me from succeeding. We will find out just how much weight I really gained back this fall and I will likely blame it on injuries, when in all actuality, it was emotional eating. But I won’t mention that, of course, because that would mean taking the blame for the weight gain. Because why would I accept responsibility for shoving my face full of tasty foods?

Buying a suit and returning to the pool

I bought a swimming suit this year… for the first time in, well, a very, very long time. As a child, I absolutely LOVED the pool, beach, etc.

As I grew older (and fatter) I kept far away from anything having to do with donning a suit.

Also, posting this picture —> on the interwebs was a huge step in me getting over myself and accepting myself for who I am – right now – and not who I want to be.

Raising $6000+ for charity

Raising money for such an amazing organization like the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America has been a joy. I’ve met amazing people. I’ve made new friends. I’ve had amazing experiences. CCFA and Team Challenge provided me with a great support system and a pair of awesome coaches, without whom I could have never done what I did this year.

Plus, I got to dye my hair blue and orange which was pretty awesome.

Beep

Miss Beep is my precious fur-kid. She found me in June via Carrie. She’s been an amazing training partner – even run/walking almost 6 miles with me this fall - and I’m positive she could have gone further. She loves walks, runs and everything in between… even showing off her running skills for her brothers, Gizmo and Bandit.

Beepers has been quite the project for me. Coming from a puppy mill and then an obviously abusive home, she has a lot of issues, but we’re working on them and I hope some day she won’t be so scared of new people, loud noises or her crate.

It’s been a privilege to watch her personality emerge over the past 7 months. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me and my li’l Beepers.

Training for, starting, and finishing a half marathon

For a non-runner, non-mover, non-active person like Amy circa January 2010, the thought of a half marathon was laughable.

Then, I walked 5.6 miles in just two hours – on a whim. If I could walk almost half the distance of a half marathon without training, surely I could do one with training, right?

So I joined Team Challenge and started training and raising money.

It was a long road, but I finished training, headed out to California and ran a half marathon.

I learned a lot of lessons and accomplished more than I ever thought I could. I was 250(ish) pounds and did a half marathon. I had friends and family worried I was getting in over my head but I proved them all wrong… and I proved to myself that with the right dedication and support, I can do whatever I put my mind to.

It also gave me hope that my goals for 2011 (post coming soon) are certainly attainable… I just have to be smart.

Anne. Annie. Bananza.

Whatever you call her, she’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever known.

I had privately shared with her some of my struggles this fall, so she knew how hard it was for me to travel to Vegas for the race… only to not even start it.

After the race, we went out for a Vegas-style buffet.

She presented me with this:

Annie says that when she crossed the finish line, she asked for an extra medal for her friend who couldn’t do the race due to an injury. I freaking love this girl. (Although, part of me still wonders if it is really the medal SHE got for finishing the race… as she had told me the day before she was thinking of giving her medal to me… and if that’s the case, Annie, I will find out and this medal will find its way back into your possession).

So, this happened:

What a fun Saturday! I got to hang out with my AWESOME stylist, Dawn, and get a killer hair do. I mean, really… look at that! I freaking love it. I was nervous about the colors being super annoying, but I think I can totally pull this look off!

Here’s the “Before”:

Here’s how the process went.

Step #1: remove color – aka BLEACH

Step #2: Wash and Dry – and look like a trashy hooker

Step #3: Prepare dyes (blue, orange and brownish red for all-over color)

Step #4: Process color (aka – get high as hell off the fumes)

Step #5: Wash and lightly shampoo out color

Step #6: Cut, blow dry and style

Then freakin’ rock your new ‘do!

Postscript:

Pardon my language:

But to the woman who actually STOPPED and started pointing and staring with a puzzled look on her face through the salon window on Mason St around 2pm today, please kindly fuck off.

Sincerely,
Amy

I can’t believe the day is finally here! In just over an hour, I’ll be sitting in my stylist’s chair, getting blue and orange highlights put in my hair to show my support and commitment to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. I’ll be honest, I’m super excited but also a bit nervous. Like, what happens when I go to work on Monday? What about church? Will people stare? Will people ask me why I have these colors in my hair? How long will it last? Will people think I’m – GASP – a Chicago Bears fan?

I really do hope people ask me why my hair is blue and orange. I will tell them the reason why – that I’m doing it to bring awareness to the diseases that have affected my loved ones. The friends I’ve made through my work with the CCFA. To find a cure.

I’m doing this because you all were so generous in your donations – together we raised $2520 for CCFA! Since I have already reached my goal, if you are interested in making a donation, I am asking you to consider donating instead to one of the fabulous members of my team:

• Rochelle
• Jordan
• Jodi
• Peter
• Jessica
• Cindy