Rollin' for A Cure - We Did It, Ladies!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Meagan Sunde

Hello, I'm Meagan Sunde. I'm a 41 year old two time cancer survivor fresh out of the ring from kicking cancer's ass!

I was first diagnosed with cancer when I was 18 years old, going to college, loving life and having fun! My symptoms began with a chronic cough, night sweats and weight loss. When my doctor told me there was something wrong, he said it like this: Meagan, there's a large mass in your chest, about the size of two men's fists or a football. We need to give you some medicine to "dissolve it." I was alone and I was like, Fine with me! Oh, to be young again! Little did I know what all of that meant: a large mass - a TUMOR - medicine to dissolve it = CHEMO! My treatment consisted of surgery, chemo and radiation that lasted 15 months. Yes, I lost my hair and dwindled down to 98 pounds, and yes, I still went out dancing when I could with my girlfriends, afterall, I had cancer, but I was still 18!

The fight with cancer strengthened my trust in God. I never got mad at Him or asked, Why me? I just put myself into His hands and believed He would get me through it. He did a good job, too. I was told that based on the amount of chemo and radiation that I received I wouldn't be able to have children. Well, I am thrilled to tell you that God blessed my husband John and me with two healthy beautiful kids, my son John and my daughter, Skylar.

Twenty two years after my first bout with cancer, because of that chemo, my heart wasn't working so well and I had to have a pacemaker put in to help my slow heart keep pace a little better. Then a year later I went for my first mammogram at that magic age, 40, and received a letter about an area of concern telling me to come back in six months. I did go back in six months and at that time, I was diagnosed with Stage 3C breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and along with that 24 lymph nodes were removed with 13 of them being cancerous.

I underwent seven months of chemo and radiation and this time I knew full well what I was in for, but I was okay with it. I knew I had a fight ahead of me and it wasn't going to be easy, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy, is it?

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women today. One in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. I was always wondering Who will it be in my circle of friends, because it won't be me.

Breast cancer impacts every aspect of a woman's life from her self-image to her self-esteem. With education, open discussion, early detection and treatment, we can HOPE to find a cure for cancer.

My personal triumph over breast cancer has brought many gifts. First, it has strengthened my faith in God. I believe that through prayer and medicine I have found healing. Secondly, it has validated my belief that every day is a gift and to live life to its fullest. Most of all though, it has enabled me to witness human kindness at its best. I was showered with gifts, cards, money when we didn't have enough, jewelry, flowers, clothes, books, and dinners and desserts for five months! People reached out to help us, which I believe was a testimony to God's presence in my struggle.

Thank you Cure or Bust and my personal friends for coming along beside me and seeing me through to the end. God truly does give us everything we need, especially the gift of each other, and I needed you! You are at the core of my healing!

We are all fighting some battle, and if you are battling cancer today I want to encourage you that the key to survival is a strong faith and a positive attitude. Don't always believe all the bad news the doctors tell you and don't believe you'll have every bad side effect! Positive expectations lead to positive behaviors that increase the probability of a positive outcome. HOPE is number one. Anne Frank said, "Where there is hope, there is life." Learn from other survivors. Realize that you have the disease, it doesn't have you. Fighting to life IS living! Respect the enormity of what has happened to you and give yourself permission to cry. Healing is an not an event, it is a journey with many stops along the way - some stops for replenishment and some for repairs. Although I wouldn't have chosen to have cancer, it has fortified my trust in God, my belief in people and in myself.

Fourteen years ago my beloved Grandma died of breast cancer and two days prior to my own diagnosis my mother-in-law died because of it. I miss them very much. Their light shines every day.

May you always be inspired to stand strong against life's challenges.

Team Cure or Bust Thanks The Following Awesome Sponsors and Advertisers

The members of Team Cure or Bust gratefully acknowledge the following businesses and individuals for their generous support and friendship. We're honored to have you as honorary team members and partners for hope. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

5MinutesforMom.com
Ace Hardware
American Blue Collar
Avani Spa at The Abbey Resort
Beef Villa - Elgin
Beth Bellantuano - Lia Sophia
Beth Relaz-Tastefully Simple Basket
Betsy Kurz
Boulder Ridge Country Club
Brunswick Zone
Brunswick Zone XL
Castle Chiropractic & Satori Massage - Rolling Meadows
Buffalo Wild Wings
Centegra Health Systems
Centegra Healthbridge
Centegra Healthsystem Healtbridge Fitness Center - Tennis Program
Chely Sepsey - Creative Memories
Chicago Consumables.com
Christy Heintz
Christy Nolte
Colonial Cafe
Confident Aire - Batavia
Connie Lombard
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant
Creative Memories
Dalzell Jewelers
Dell's Jet Boat Adventures
Doerner Jeweler
Elizabeth McCormack
Fox Point Designs Custom Embroidery
Geneva Gifts
Gianni's
Giordano's - S. Elgin
Great Frame Up - S. Elgin
Green Clean Carpet Cleaning
Hairdoo's
Harley Davidson of Woodstock, IL
Home Depot
Home Goods
Huntley Dairy Mart
Huntley Music Productions
Jamie Hodge - Lia Sophia
Jennifer Grytza
Kane County Cougars
Karena's Salon & Spa - Elgin
Katie Meyering
KFC
Kirsch's Restaurant
Kosmo the Clown
Kosta's
Kristin Foret Vietz
LA Fitness - S. Elgin
Latisha Gavril
Le Titi de Paris
Leslie Anderson
Linda Romito - PartyLite Candles
Lonnie's Auto Body
Lorraine Dangieri - Mary Kay Cosmetics
Lukas Designs
Macianos - Elgin
Marina Bay Boat Rentals
Mario Tricoci
Menards
Meredith Smith
Midas Touch Jewelry
Monk's Bar & Grill
Nan Rankin
Nancy Polizzi
Noah's Ark Waterpark
Onsite Computer Specialists-Adem Erturk
Original Wisconsin Ducks
Pam Goritz
Papa Charlie's Italian Style Beef Co.
Parks & Rec/Highland Golf Course - City of Elgin
Pedal & Cup
Pinstripes
Pirate's Cove
Popeye's
Pump It Up Crystal Lake
Salon Envy
Sandy Fugiel
Scrap Inn
Skippy's - S. Elgin
Solidyne Corporation -Cookbook Ad
Stacy Reynolds
Starbuck's - S. Elgin
Subway
Tastefully Simple
Taylor Street Pizza-Algonquin Location
Today Nail Salon
Tracei Sciascia-Carter's Baby Basket
Trader Joe's
Tre Bogle - Silpada
Tyler Press
Uitonline
Virginia Bennett
Weinerville - Elgin
Wendy & Bob Sesterhenn
West Dundee Physical Medicine
Willie Berkley-White Sox Tickets
WineStyles of Lake in the Hills
Woodbury Financial-Matthew Callero


To Our Families:

Last but not least, we especially want to acknowledge with love and gratitude the support and inspiration all of our families give us daily as we work together to fight breast cancer. You continue to show your own commitment to helping save lives and your firm belief in us and what we're doing by making sacrifices small and large, giving us hugs and kisses and pats on the back, rubbing our aching feet and having the coffee ready when we get home from our wee-hours-of-the-morning training walks. We appreciate and thank each of you so much! We truly could not do what we do without you.