The Women’s 5 K was a success on October 17, 2009. We were present at the expo on Friday night and participated in the walk Saturday morning.  At the expo we held a raffle for a pair of Ugg Coquettes.  The woman who won the raffle is an amazing woman who has a inspirational story to tell.

Sue Fretz was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 41 in 1996.  She had two small children and a loving husband who were with her to help her as she fought off the disease.  Although her children were scared and didn’t understand Sue’s husband was there and he stepped in to fill-in the gaps.

Upon hearing the news that she had cancer, all she could do was cry.  Once the shock of the news faded she realized that she needed to deal with the cancer and move forward with her life.

Sue mentioned: “The biggest change to my life from the cancer would have to be that I couldn’t get as much done as I used to.  I would make myself a list of about 6 things to do and I would only be able to get 1 or 2 done, but I had to be ok with that.”

Cancer is something that is an eye opener to those diagnosed but also to those around them.  Sue gained a new sense of sensitivity to others and became more observant to others and their feelings because maybe others were suffering, much like she was.

It is hard to think about how many people come and try to help you out when something affects you as hard as cancer.  Sue remembers her daughter’s friend’s mother (who she didn’t know too well) baked her bread and left it on their doorstep, not ringing the doorbell or anything, just to make things easier for her.

Sue was the first of her friends to get seriously ill or anything close to it.  This was a wake up call for her family and friends, especially the women, to get mammograms regularly.  This is advice she has to all women, get mammograms regularly and do self-exams to be safe.

Also to those struggling Sue says if people ask you if you need help, be honest with yourself and take their help.  “Don’t be a martyr.” They will help you more than you can imagine.  Keeping structure in your day is also something that is important.  When you keep your mind on something else you tend to focus more on that than how you feel.

Today Sue is proud to say that she is a thirteen-year cancer survivor.  She has to go to routine check ups but nothing more than someone who has never had cancer. Although she has to meet with her surgeon once a year, she is grateful for how amazing they were to her through treatment and after.

Sue has been participating in the Women’s 5K since the year after she got diagnosed (1997) and only missed one year since, due to a conflict with moving day to her new home.

She is extremely grateful to have won our raffle.  “I am not a lucky person when it comes to raffles.  I mean I’m lucky for surviving what I did but not raffles.  They are wonderful.  I wear them as soon as I get home from work,” she said. She also commented on how wonderful the Uggs are.

Sue is also grateful that The Shoe Box is involved in such a great cause (Women’s 5K) and that they held such a great raffle.  Being a self proclaimed ‘slipper girl’ she is thrilled to be our winner.