August 2008 - Janelle's Blog

If you are experiencing the effects of breast cancer and treatments, you may not feel like exercising, but keep moving anyway. Even if you only feel like moving your arms around, go through a daily exercise routine. Staying on routine will keep you from giving up on exercise. It's as much of a mental workout as physical to keep yourself moving forward.

 Swimming Through the Olympics

 After visiting one of the hospitals NBCF supports, I went back to my hotel to relax. At the end of the day I wanted to energize my body, so I went for a swim in the hotel indoor pool. I wasn't too thrilled with the location of the pool because I had to flip flop my way through the hotel lobby wearing a tropical cover-up over my swimsuit--stylish, but slightly out of place.

The Beginning of My Journey

 "Mrs. Hail, I believe the lump in your breast may be malignant. You'll need to come in for further testing."

 Those were the dreaded words I heard from my doctor 28 years ago. How could I have breast cancer? No one in my family has had it, I thought. What I remember most vividly was the fear that griped me, like the tentacles of an octopus wrapping around my mind and squeezing off my breathing. Fear was my new reality. My youngest child was only three years old. My other two sons were ten and thirteen. How could they make it without me? Terrible thoughts like these raced through my mind.

 I slowly placed the phone on its cradle and sat down in disbelief. My journey had begun.

My Journey Continues

 Take a step into the present with me as I tell you about an experience I had last week. I was expecting a call from the nurse as a follow-up to my annual mammogram. As I walked down the hall at our NBCF headquarters to a meeting, my cell phone rang. I recognized the doctor's phone number and quickly answered to go through the routine words I knew I would hear, "Your mammogram came out fine."

While recently in Boston, I was having dinner at Legal Seafood, known for its fresh fish and the best clam chowder you can find anywhere. My paper placemat was covered with marketing information about the restaurant, including the history of the company. Their "From Pier to Plate" philosophy intrigued me. It stated, "We are not a restaurant selling fish, but rather a fish company in the restaurant business." Clearly, they draw the clientele because they place value on their products.

NBCF's Beginning

The origin of the National Breast Cancer Foundation began when my husband, Neal, and I founded it in 1991. At the age of 34 I found out I had breast cancer, with no history of breast cancer in my family. I didn't drink or smoke, ate healthy, and exercised regularly. Breast cancer side-swiped me from out of nowhere. That was an event in my life that could not be changed, but I knew I didn't have to let it destroy me. So, NBCF was birthed.

The philosophy of NBCF has always been to serve the women we help with excellence.