A Whirlwind of a Week

How much excitement, new experiences, and great times can you pack into one week?

When it comes to my life, apparently the sky's the limit.

The last 7 days have been some of the most exciting, inspiring, and action-packed I've ever enjoyed. How to begin? I guess I'll start in New York City.

On Sunday morning, I headed to Cornell Medical School for a meeting with some young professionals, doctors, and leaders of various non-profit organizations relating to worldwide access to treatments for non-communicable diseases (the "big four" of these are heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and -- my personal favorite -- cancer). We talked about the current disparities in access to life-saving treatments and medicines for these non-communicable diseases, and how each organization at the conference can unite to strengthen our movement for equal access to treatment. It's insanely unfair that people battling diabetes in many countries -- a disease that can be controlled, in many instances, with insulin -- simply can't get access to this life-saving drug and die as a result of it. And forget it if you live in one of those countries and you get my diagnosis. There's no Dr. Sugarbaker in developing countries.

I'd been invited to this meeting by my friend, Sunny, who organized the gathering and is one of the leaders of the NCD Action Network. Sunny is an awesome and brilliant guy -- a fellow Blue Devil and a Rhodes Scholar to boot -- and wanted me to share my story with the group. So I did. I told these passionate young people about my diagnosis, my battle with "the cancer," my blog, and The WunderGlo Foundation. I found an immediate new community of supporters and activists, and, after leaving our meeting, felt even more energized than usual. Nothing gets my blood pumping like helping others and growing The WunderGlo Foundation into an organization that truly changes the face of cancer. Linking up with the young studs of the NCD world brought me closer to that goal.

After grabbing a delicious vegan lunch (green juice, grilled cheese sandwich, tomato soup, and bites of Will's blueberry pancakes), I decided to be good to my body and rest up at the hotel. So far, I've found that the side effects from this first round of FOLFIRI were better than FOLFOX (I'd pick some loose stool over a gross headache any day) but lasted longer. I knew that I was moving quickly in NYC and that my bowels were moving quickly, too, so I decided to curl up in my hotel bed for a bit, drink some water, and rest. 

After all, I had a big night ahead.

By 5:30pm, I was at NikeTown in NYC, among dozens and dozens of runners, and proudly wearing my new LIVESTRONG "Fight Like Hell" shirt. I was there for a run through New York City with LIVESTRONG and Lance Armstrong. Lance was a little delayed -- ok, a lot delayed -- but it was well worth it. I couldn't help but feel a little misty when I first saw him. Lance was the first person I thought about when I received my diagnosis, and his story of beating the crap out of Stage IV testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain has always served as a major source of inspiration for me. He gives so many cancer warriors so much hope, and it felt like a milestone of sorts to be face to face with him as he addressed the crowd (I was in the front row, naturally). This was Lance -- a person who helped fuel my defiant, confident battle against a deadly opponent -- and it felt incredible to be alive and well, strong and vibrant, and shoulder to shoulder with athletes and activists in New York City. 

In the days leading up to my trip, I'd been emailing with Doug Ulman, the CEO of LIVESTRONG (we have an awesome mutual friend, Kumi, who made the connection). Doug and I planned to meet up at the run or at the post-run after party, and I had a sneaking suspicion that I'd be meeting Lance, too. But first, we ran.

Running with a huge pack of seasoned runners through Central Park, with Lance Armstrong leading the way, was surreal and exhilarating. And although it didn't last long -- like I could keep up with their ridiculous pace -- it was fabulous. Will and I decided to take a "chemo shortcut" (as if chemo is the reason why I'm not a good runner) and knocked a couple of miles off the 5-mile run by cutting down Broadway to the after party location. I've never jogged through the heart of Manhattan for the fun of it, but it rocked. We jogged past The Late Show with David Letterman (one of my favorite guys ever) and Times Square, letting the dazzling lights of the city guide our way through the streets and trying not to bump into the crowds. Finally, we were at our location (the runners had beaten us there, naturally), and we entered the rooftop bar area where Lance and Doug were doing a Q&A session with a dude from Nike. The place was teeming with people, all angling to get an autograph or have their picture taken with Lance. 

But I was there for business.

I wanted to meet Doug, slip him my new WunderGlo Foundation business card, chat about the event and talk about future collaborations. I slyly made my way to the front of the crowd and to the side area which was clearly the place Doug and Lance would be passing by before being whisked away into some uber-VIP area. I waited, and when the Q&A ended, I pounced. Doug passed me and I called out his name and introduced myself. He immediately gave me a hug and said how great it was to finally meet me, and he told me to follow him. Yup. I was on my way to the uber-VIP area!

Doug and I had a great talk and, of course, I slipped him my card. He loved the back of my card, which says, "How Dare Cancer Pick A Fight With Me?!" and immediately looked for Lance, who was just a few feet away. He called him over, showed him my card (Lance liked it too), introduced me, and seconds later, I was shaking hands with Lance Armstrong. Then Doug and I took a picture together. Then Lance and I took a picture together.

Forget the Tour de France. I met one of the baddest cancer warriors out there along with the guy who runs LIVESTRONG (also a cancer warrior), and it was a true honor.  

How do you top that? In my world, you just keep moving forward. The next morning, I joined Sunny again, at a Youth Rally right in front of the UN building. We chanted, sang, danced, and riled up the crowd with speeches. I addressed the crowd, telling my story again and noting how important it is that the UN truly invest in helping people all over the world fight, control, and beat the diseases they face every day. In the evening, I attended an American Cancer Society-sponsored event at the St. Regis, where I finally got to meet my new friend (introduced to me by Sunny) and American Cancer Society stud, Kiti. She introduced me to various big shots, and I left the hotel with several new contacts and tons of new ideas about where to take The WunderGlo Foundation.

Before I headed home on Tuesday afternoon, I met up with the two awesome founders of The Levo League, Caroline and Amanda. Our mutual friend, Kelly, made the connection (seriously, how awesome are my friends making all of these sweet connections, right?) and these cool chicks wanted to grab lunch and interview me for an upcoming article about yours truly. We talked about sharks (of course), my diagnosis, The WunderGlo Foundation, and basketball, and I left my lunch with them happily full and totally jazzed about making two new friends.

I'm an L.A. girl, through and through, but there's something magical about New York City. And this trip -- filled with incredible people, energy, and exciting activity -- was one of the best yet.

And then I got home, took a deep breath, and plowed through all the planning and plotting that led to The WunderGlo Foundation's first ever event, which was a serious success. Hundreds of spectators, thousands of dollars raised, and a championship trophy for my team, The Warriors.

But let's all take a little breather before I tell those stories. With a schedule like mine, rest is essential.