Samantha and I met at a rest area on the first day of the 2011 Seattle 3-Day walk. As we chatted over pretzels and purple gatorade, I noticed her tattoo: pink boxing gloves hanging from a pink ribbon. Sam’s got a great sense of humor, but she’s serious when it comes to raising money to […]
Pink Ink: Julie’s Celtic Knot
I met Julie and her mom, Marylucia, at the Komen Puget Sound Grace Notes auction in March. Both of them are breast cancer survivors. Julie’s cousin Titus McKnight is a tattoo artist in St. Paul, MN. He designed this beautiful tattoo beautifully incorporating a pink ribbon into the Celtic knot. I love how her dress […]
Seattle Parks Has Opportunity to Change Mastectomy Stigma
Last week the Seattle Parks Department made the right move with a policy exception allowing Jodi Jaecks, who had a double-mastectomy, to swim without a top. Jodi wanted to regain fitness post-treatment, and tight clothing irritates her scars and recovering nerves. Her argument that she didn’t have breasts or nipples, the body parts that required […]
Bye Bye Beta Blocker!
I’ve been taking a beta blocker (metoprolol) since the blood clot was discovered in my heart last year. In a nutshell, the medication helps reduce heart problems by relaxing blood vessels and slowing the heart rate, which improves blood flow and decreases blood pressure. While that’s a good thing for a cardiac patient, I also […]
Pink Ink: A Ribbon & Cross Tattoo for Mom
Sunday’s Race for the Cure was overcast, but warm enough for a few people to go sleeveless. I spotted Richie and his friends after the finish line and asked if I could snap a photo of his pink ribbon tattoo. Richie raced in memory of his mom, Trudy, and his grandmother, Gertie. His family lost […]