Queen Barbara Intent on Annihilation of Cancer

Susan G. Komen Race 2008 Raleigh, North Carolina

It's been 25 years since Nancy Brinker kept her promise to her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Her promise was to work to end cancer, particularly breast cancer.

In Raleigh, on Saturday June 14, 2008, that promise came to Raleigh, North Carolina on the campus of Meredith College on Hillsborough Street. Starting at seven in the morning, approximately twenty five thousand men, women and children began the 2008 Race for the Cure. For more than four hours, people streamed into the campus from distant parking lots and onto the main race course.

Shorter courses were available for those who did not feel comfortable with the longer race course.

Max O'Well was there to record some of the events of the day. With his wife having cancer twice, his sister five times and his sister in law once, Max had plenty of motivation to tell the story. Max's wife sponsored his two nieces in the race, which was beyond her ability to make herself. Max also knew many people planning to walk.

Max can be quite a sleepy head when he wants to and this was a Saturday. Max finally made it to the race at 9:30. He was a little surprised to see people coming back from the course. He missed getting pictures of his nieces and friends. Needing material for his stories, Max began asking people if they would share some information about why they were there. He was lucky to find about two hundred people who wanted to share their stories.

Max's first story is that of Queen Barbara, whose family is intent on annahilating breast cancer. She and her family plodded along behind the folks that were opening up the road to traffic. It seems that not only were they opening the road, but the crossing guards were also abandoning their posts. Queen Barbara, a cancer survivor, and a dozen of other slower folks were left to find their own way to the finish line.

The next two generations in her family walked with her as she negotiated the last hill in the course before returning to Hillsborough Street.

They appeared quite pleased that someone wanted to take their picture and relate whatever story they may have.

It seems that Queen Barbara isn't exactly a survivor. In fact, she is one of people like Elizabeth Edwards who will never be a survivor. Queen Barbara has a Stage IV cancer and can only delay things for some unknown period of time. Such cancers are either too pervasive or in places where treatment would do as much or more damage than the cancer itself.

Still, Queen Barbara is a fighter and, as she showed by walking the longer course, she is not about to give up just yet.

She related the fact that she had found it very important to maintain the right diet. She has consulted with a nutrition specialist called Mark Mead. She says that she passed on information to Elizabeth Edwards about what wonderful advice he had provided her.

It turns out the Mark Mead, M.S. of Chapel Hill is coauthor of the Rapid Recovery Handbook on the subject. Queen Barbara didn't say whether her advice was taken, but Mark does appear to be extremely knowledgeable in this area related to cancer.

With a wife who has to deal with the results of cancer surgery, Max has to agree with Barbara that finding good nutrition advice is important for people with cancer and those who have had surgery for it.

Queen Barbara had a second important thing going for her. She is surrounded by multiple generations of a loving family giving her emotional support as she works to keep her health.