Non Profit Spotlight: SCV Pregnancy Center

A little while ago I told you that I would be hosting a non-profit on here once a month. One that genuinely calls you to be passionate about, and one that sparks you to get behind a cause; to be an active human being that doesn't tolerate ignorance and complacency. Well, now I am finally getting back into the groove of things.

Just a refresher about what is different in my presentation. I host someone or a couple, with a non-profit that means something to them. I am a person that cares about people, especially people who care for other people. So, it is only natural that I host my best friends on here first right?

Background: Meet Ben and Emily Coussens. This non-profit is something that means a lot to Ben in particular, and you will see more of Emily on here later (I mean duh. She is my best friend). I have known of Ben since he started to date Emily, but only met him a handful of times before they got married. It wasn't until Ben and Emily were settled in Wyoming that we really started to connect. I was in Southern California still, but Emily and I made as much time for each other as we could through phone, texting, and naturally facebook. I flew out to spend a little under a week with them, and Ben and I bonded. He became like an older brother to me, and when Matt needed him to be, we could count on him being a bodyguard, protector, and fill the older brother duties to a tee. Matt, Ben, Emily, and I are family. We have been through a lot together. Our friendships have been put to the test, as well as our individual lives, but because of the Grace of God, we have come out intact, and closer than ever. Ben is one of the most caring and compassionate guys you will ever meet.

The Non-Profit: SCV Pregnancy Center has been around in the Santa Clarita Valley for a long time. The reason why I am hosting them on my blog in October is to bring awareness to the Walk For Life that they host, a fundraiser that helps finance the needs that they have to function.
Who Are They? You may have heard of them, especially if you live in the Santa Clarita Valley. Here is a little clip from their website:

We are a leading health care team dedicated to providing relevant medical services in a caring and professional atmosphere to those facing unplanned pregnancy and sexual health decisions. Each of us is committed to service, education, and quality care, while serving the needs of the community. -SCV Pregnancy Center

NOTE: This is a pro-life blog. I am not in the business of "pot stirring" but simply informing people about different organizations that mean something to my friends and family. If you disagree with anything in this post, please keep it to yourself. I reserve the right to delete any comments that attack or provoke.

Me: Why does the SCV Pregnancy Center mean so much to you?
Ben: We are a family that supports pro-life. With that, we believe that women should be able to receive education about the life that is inside of them before having to make any major decisions. The SCV Pregnancy Center works hard to do just that.

Me: How did you first hear about the SCV Pregnancy Center?
Ben: I think it was 15 years ago. I was sitting in my parents church and someone came to speak about them. It wasn't until 2010 where I think I started to have a firm understanding of what they did.

Me: What is it about the SCV Pregnancy Center that makes you passionate about their cause?
Ben: They are a compassionate organization. They don't push their agenda on the people who they are trying to reach. Their goal is to make sure women are educated and equipped with options.

Thanks Ben and Emily for being willing to share!!

Here is their website if you want to know more or donate: http://www.scvpc.org/  
OR come out on October 18th for the Walk For Life and help them raise funds to help inform and educate young women across the valley!

30 Days of Clean Hair

October 13th marks my one year anniversary since starting radiation. I can hardly believe it. But since radiation I have noticed some dramatic changes to my hair. It's dry. Immensely dry. It doesn't curl anymore. I actually have straight hair now, which is something I have always wanted, but now that I have it, I miss my curly hair. Go figure right? And lastly it is just dull. I have a lot of hair with some volume, but for the most part it just goes flat against my forehead. So, if I ever wanted my hair to do anything helpful for me at all, it was time to break out the curling irons, the hair products, and combs.

I run in a circle where I monitor "healthy clean" lifestyle blogs and on the side, just normal "to each his own" type blogs. I tend to mix and match people's clean eating and lifestyle with the regular joe schmoe type attitude. Matt and I love eating healthy but not at the expense of foregoing a hamburger and soda every once in awhile. I started seeing on Pinterest something called the "No Poo" method and did a lot of research. This is what I found:

No Poo Method has actually been around for a long time. People wash their hair with baking soda to clean and then "condition" with apple cider vinegar. Many people have modified the No poo method to fit their needs. It is not PH Balanced, but I have heard nothing but wonderful things about the results. So, why am I interested? Basically in my research I found a lot of cancer patients testimonials mixed in with the facts. Cancer doesn't change the texture, but the treatment did. Radiation dried out my hair, naturally, since I had brain cancer and that is where it was blasted. On top of changing my hair color periodically, blow-drying it, using pastes and pomades, my hair has reached its tolerance level.

When I was on the East Coast this summer, the humidity restored some of my natural hair. I barely had to use a curling iron while there and could just sleep with wet hair, to get the picture above. The outcome was amazing and I felt like I had my natural "before surgery, before cancer" hair back. The minute I stepped off the plane to dry, desperately needing some rain Southern California, my hair resumed its flat, dry state. Leaving me with the picture below.

So, What am I doing? For 30 days I am washing my hair with Baking Soda. I am on day four now, and seeing some slight waves come back to my hair. I found in my research that Apple Cider Vinegar is good for restoring shine. While my hair is dull, it is dull because it lacks moisture. Instead I am doing a Coconut oil mask once a week, and using coconut milk to condition my hair. I found that I can do the mask first and then wash it out with the baking soda. Also, you can go three or four days without washing your hair. It's part of the process of restoring natural oils to your hair. But please still shower and be clean. I don't want to be responsible for dirty people in my life.

I will return to shampoo and conditioner after this process. I am still waiting to see if it even works. But if you want to give it a shot, it will be hard. I want to use hair products all the time. I want to blow-dry and straighten my hair. But now I can experiment with braids and cute pony's instead of damaging my hair constantly.

So there you have it. It's the start of a small journey to see if this is worth the hassle. Which, it is already proving to do so. Look for the halfway mark post in 11 days!

Just Do It- Writing Tip

So I looked at my calendar today and saw that I needed to post a blog on writing. This blog is mostly to inform a couple groups of people about different types of non-profit organizations, people who need writing tips, and to update my personal friends and family on my health.

Today I was working on coming up with a writing tip. I had a few outlined that I wanted to cover but none of them were really holding my attention. So I decided to jump on my freelance website and apply for a few writing jobs only to discover that I have lost not one but four jobs that specialize in the field of sports writing and was replaced by males.

Not going to lie, first reaction was to put my head down on the table and knock it a couple times to make sure I saw that correctly. Next. Vent on Facebook. Ok, done. Then I decided to write a blog on it. If you are a person who advocates female rights, this blog isn't for you. If you are a male that advocates the equality/necessity for woman to be out of the work force, this blog is not for you. This blog is for people who have a really hard time pursuing work because "they probably won't get it" or "nothing will happen".

Freelance writing tends to be very different than "Creative Writing". You are generally hired by someone else for your skill of writing to come up with articles, edit books, and weigh in on projects. You as a writer adopt the voice of the company that hired you and complete the job to suite what they are thinking. There are very few sports writing jobs on freelance websites, but when they come up, I generally jump right on them. Yeah, I totally know that I most likely won't get them. But there is a part of me that really holds out that someone will give me the opportunity to prove myself.

So the tip: Just go for it. You are probably reading this and going "This is dumb. I know this." But trust me. I know when you actually get around to doing whatever you claim you are going to do, you freeze. You start to question your motives and abilities. It doesn't have to be just writing. It could be the mere fact that you were approached and asked to take your hobby and turn it into something to entertain. Or surviving your season in sports, and even school.

This is the first step in doing anything. You have to be more than willing. There are plenty of people in the world who are willing to do anything. It's when you actually try and do it, that is when a difference can be made.

So, sorry if you were looking for me to rag on the male population. Just ain't gonna happen. Just gonna keep trying.

Health Spotlight: Caught Inside

Hey Ya'll-

So I had a UCLA checkup on Monday and there is good news (which I shared on Facebook) and some interesting news. The good news is that the tumor is still shrinking, and who knows if it will stop shrinking! This is much to be praised, and Matt and I are elated for this good news. Now for the interesting news, and the reason for a whole blog update, rather than a simple status update on Facebook.

What: So the tumor has shrunk! Party hats are needed indeed! But there is a cyst that is attached to the tumor. This cyst is what is causing the hydrocephalus (AKA for my brain fluid to barely drain down my spine). It seems to appear to the Neuro-Oncologist that the cyst is growing. When I say growing, I mean very slowly. I have had this cyst for 3+ years and the doctor is just now detecting potential growth.

Why: We don't know. There is a lot of unknowns. I am a rare case. Making it difficult for doctors to figure out what exactly I have since it is right in the middle of my head. Why this particular piece of information is important: If the cyst is growing, I will start to demonstrate symptoms again, which will lead to surgery.

Next Step: This week, Matt, my friends, family and myself have been praying very purposefully. We have been praying for my desire- which is no surgery, and more importantly, for the cyst to disappear. There has been much focus on the tumor (AKA Moriarty), but there is a new villain in town (AKA the cyst which I have dubbed Irene Adler) that we can be praying over.

The doctors met last night and decided that the enlargement as of now is not significant (which I am thankful. So not ready for another brain surgery). Matt and I will continue going to UCLA once every four months monitoring the size of the cyst, and monitoring my symptoms.

"Caught Inside" is exactly how I feel right now. It is a surfing term that refers to when a surfer is paddling out and cannot get past the breaking surf to a safe part of the ocean. "This usually means the surfer will have to wait for a lull between the larger breaking waves for a chance to slip into clear water" (surfline.com). So, in non surf terms, this means Matt and I are in limbo. We are waiting between something that can potentially be dangerous, and something that can be clear. We are praying for the lull, and asking God to spare us. If we have to ride the wave, we will, and I guess we are preparing for the ride if we need to.

Limbo sucks. But there are lessons to be learned in waiting. I have tattooed on me "Jehovah Rapha" which means God is healer. I can only hope that I am a tool to show how He is healer.

So, join me in prayer? The storm may never come, the cyst may never shrink, and I may never need surgery, but at least we can lift these thoughts in prayer.  

Non-Profit Spotlight: The Young And Brave

I have decided to start blogging again, and this time it will not only focus on my health, but have a deeper and more helpful vision. My husband, Matt, and I have been married now for two years, and one of our greatest passions is finding foundations with a purpose. We love organizations like Sevenly that strive to give back to other non-profits that help different people around the world.

I believe that there is a desire and passion within all of us to help people, but a lot of us tend to be so overwhelmed by the needs of others. Where do I start? Who do I help? We tend to be bombarded with donating to this charity, or helping with these people, but have no idea why we should help or who to even help.

Once every four weeks Now Bid Me Run will feature a different organization. I will be hitting mine, my husbands, friends, and even your favorite non-profit organizations. I hope to help others gain passion for non-profits through issues that are important to them.

So, to kick us off I will be featuring the organization The Young and Brave.

Who: The Young and Brave

What: An organization that strives to help build a community of fellow young adult and small children cancer patients who can focus on fighting cancer while fundraising can take place to help raise money to pay for the treatments.

Why: This organization touched Matt, my brother Caleb, his girlfriend Ashley, and myself deeply. Having walked the path of having cancer with these three has been crazy insane, but we stumbled upon this organization and fell head over heels. We couldn't be more thrilled that something like this exists.

How You Can Help: There are two ways you can help if you have a soft spot for young cancer patients: 1. Donate to the foundation. They are solely non-profit, and do not take anything from patients who have done fundraising through them. There are expenses that come from running a foundation and they could use our support! 2. Support a Warrior (aka cancer fighters). These are the people who have cancer and are doing all they can to fight! Treatments cost money. A lot of money. Even with insurance, and it is crippling to have those bills come in while you are fighting.

Where:  http://www.theyoungandbrave.com/

Cancer breaks my heart. The disease is crippling and I thank God for keeping me close to Him during the last three years. My husband and I look forward to supporting this foundation for years to come and helping families beat cancer. This is the foundation that holds my heart. I hope it holds yours.

Call me Lucky...and ridiculous

Dear Solana,

So I am the lucky one huh? I mean after everything that has happened to me, I am the lucky one? Oh, Im not just talking about my disease and the constant pain, Im talking about my life in general. The constant 4ams at Starbucks, quad accidents, 31 moves, heartbreaks, drama, school decisions, and disappointments, and yet through all that I still come out on top.

In Santa Clarita we live in this extremely annoying bubble. You can walk the streets safely and your kids can avoid and unsightly "blemishes" that you would consider dangerous. So, I spent time in San Diego with these "blemishes" surrounding me and thought nothing until I saw four people my age homeless and hungry. Can you even begin to imagine being homeless at the age of 20?

Homeagainsd.org, an organization that is looking to end chronic homelessness, estimates that 8500 people are homeless in central San Diego alone. It is estimated that 2200 of them are under 21. So if you are under the age of 21 this challenge is mostly for you and myself. The next time you or I throw out food, complain about the $150 dollar jeans your bought for you, or think you deserve better than what youve got, think what it would be like on the streets. Humble yourself and count your blessings.

When my boyfriend and best friend, and I were in the gaslamp district it was literally one bar after the next. Each filled with the skanks and pimps that would drop hundreds of dollars on drinks and other entertainment necessities. We came to the conclusion that if each person at least dropped 50 cents, it would be more than enough to feed that entire block. So what happened to the four people my age on the street? Well, as people passed them by and they called patiently for peoples leftovers, well all passed them at first. Then we kind of stopped and I asked if anyone wanted the food. My boyfriend and best friend agreed we did not need it. As I handed the food to one of the girls and quickly walked away I heard, "oh Sweet! Thank you!" and saw nothing but smiles from all four of them.

I have to say it ruined my night. Soon, I was angry passing every person walking on that block. Everyone just wanted to get in a bar, while some of the people on that street just wanted food. And here I bring you to the even that changed my life. I have encountered many events with homeless people. Each one shaking me, changing me, softening my heart. Last summer my brother and I helped a homeless woman cross a street who just recently lost her home because of losing her job. And I thought to myself...Wheres her family in this whole mess? Where was anyone? Why was it that the 19 and 17 year old were helping her cross the street and we couldnt do anything more but just leave her there with 5 bucks?

I could of slapped myself for not carrying more money in my wallet that day. But not everyone has the same outlook as me do they? They think it only goes to alcohol, but no one offers to buy food, to ask what they need. Just a week before I went to San Diego, Jon Foreman, lead singer of the band Switchfoot wrote an article in the Huffington post about this exact topic.

He states,"At Stand Up For Kids I've seen her eyes shine with joy when she gets a cool pair of donated jeans. How lucky! Yes, her mom might be in prison. Maybe, she doesn't know where her dad is. Chances are she has nowhere to sleep tonight. But you see a resilience in her eyes. A fire. A spark. How lucky, a pair of jeans that fit! How lucky, my friend is here! How lucky. And us. We unfortunate souls. Complaining about our lukewarm coffee, about our cellular service, about the smell of this airborne neighbor of mine. At the Bro-Am I met a young man named Sean who graduated from high school while battling homelessness. He went to Haiti a few weeks later to help kids that were less fortunate. He chose to call himself lucky and overcome his situation. He chose to call himself lucky and help other less fortunate folks out. In all of my years I've never heard any of the aforementioned kids complain about their situation. Not even in passing And yet most conversations I overhear around the world have grumbling overtones. We're so good at it. It comes so naturally. And besides we've had years of practice. If you're dressing for the occasion, grumbling is always appropriate. I am not throwing stones! I've spent an embarrassing amount of time grumbling better than anyone. But I'd like turn in my grumbling rights. I'd like to burn the authorization that I was born with, the authorization to complain, moan, and sigh heavily. I'd like to surrender my weapons of privilege. Here and now, I lay them down. Maybe their ashes float gracefully in that exquisite air that lingers between 40G and 40F."

I could not agree with him more. So while my experiences seem to be a constant reminder that God is giving me, I think we need to be aware of how big of the situation truly is in the world. And what better place to be aware than in Santa Clarita, which makes tremendous efforts to hide them away. This is my heart, and I want to do just this: I want to help them. End of story. I hope this becomes your heart too, if not already.

Love Sam

and the purple just bleeds

Dear Solana,

I sit here eating my smarties, which by the way Im not supposed to be having,(shhh dont tell mom! oh wait...Im screwed. Mom has a facebook :p)contemplating whether or not I wanted to put this up. Then finally i just decided that I had nothing to lose nor fear. I did not plan on getting diagnosed with lupus. But I think it is important for people to understand why this needed to be put up, and why I chose to get this tattooed on my wrist.

It took five years for a diagnoses. It took five years of going insane. It took five years of having my mom be the only to think there was genuinely think there was something wrong with me. And it took five years for my family to help me find a diagnoses. None of which they gave up on me for. And now here I am today. Looking for better ways to live the life in which I have left. So here I go. Explanation number 2.

I have as of late met and talked with a lot of women who have had lupus. Ive heard peoples stories out, read books, read blogs, researched internet sites out, and yup my brain is filled with enough information to pack Dodger Stadium on a losing streak (yes its that insane). So, Im a little overwhelmed, but to be honest, I'm putting the puzzle together. As one author said, "Im suppressing the wolf". And in all this, at the end of the day, I had hardly read any information that did not include this element of depression. I felt it important to have a tattoo that REALLY stated something about my disease.

So,on my wrist is a tattoo of a ribbon that stands for lupus and a cross smack right on top. That makes two crosses on my body. That should really tell someone something I hope. I want people to know that Christ is the center of my disease. That He has ordained this for me and I am not one bit angry, sad, or even wondering why He chose this for my life. Instead, my mom and I have really trusted Him with this and we are thankful that He is blessing my family and I with the tools to really equip me to live the best life I can.

So things are changing. And Im feeling better. Ive learned a lot on the way. Ive learned that my liver is partially damaged, and that with the proper diet and exercise I can heal it. Ive learned that the pain may never truly go away but its gotten way better with this better diet and exercise. Ive also learned that this is lifelong. There is no going back. Kinda like the tattoo. Theres no going back.

And as I eat my last smartie, which I really should be done with, for like...ever, I really want to raise awareness. Not just for my disease, but also that I'm handling this the best way possible. Through Christ. And always. Hes the center of the ribbon. Hes the center of the disease. And if I can begin to understand that He ordained this, than I truly believe I can serve Him wherever He wants me.

So with that. School is going really well and so is my job(which is a miracle). God is really good. Thank you for your prayers. I will continue to update as needed. :]

love Sam!