Opening Remarks By Me'Anne Solomon

GOOD MORNING

MAAYONG BUNTAG KAPAMILYA

MAAYONG BUNTAG KASUSOS

THIS IS IT…SILVER LININGS IS IN CEBU AND YOU MADE IT ALL HAPPEN.

I CAN’T DESCRIBE HOW I REALLY FEEL THIS MORNING.

(ADLIB: I’M SO EXCITED…AND I JUST CAN’T HIDE IT. I’M ABOUT TO LOSE CONTROL AND I THINK I LIKE IT)

KUNG SA BISAYA PA – GAAWAS AWAS ANG AKONG KALIPAY. SA TAGALOG, UMAAPAW ANG AKING KALIGAYAHAN AND I KNOW YOU ALL FEEL THE SAME WAY TOO.
I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER IN SEPTEMBER 2004. ONCE YOU HAVE HAD CANCER, YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

IT WAS THE WORST AND THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME. I REALLY LEARNED A LOT ABOUT MYSELF AND MY SURVIVAL INSTINCTS.

I NEVER REALIZED WHAT A FIGHTER I WAS UNTIL IT HAPPENED TO ME. I LEARNED TO APPRECIATE LIFE AND SOMEHOW THE LITTLE THINGS THAT USED TO BOTHER ME WERE NO LONGER SO IMPORTANT. I BECAME AWARE OF MY OWN MORTALITY, AND THE THINGS THAT I HAD NOT DONE WITH MY LIFE THAT I ALWAYS FELT COULD WAIT, SUDDENLY BECAME MORE IMPORTANT. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE.
I LOOK AT LIFE A LOT DIFFERENTLY NOW. MY CUP IS ALWAYS HALF FULL AND NOT HALF EMPTY.

IT WAS IN THE SILVER LININGS THAT I ATTENDED IN 2005, ONE YEAR AFTER MY DIAGNOSIS THAT I REALIZED THAT CANCER WAS TRULY THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME.

I HAVE NEVER FELT SO MUCH LOVE… SO MUCH HOPE IN THE ROOM AND I AM FEELING THAT RIGHT NOW. FOR THOSE WHO ARE ATTENDING THE SILVER LININGS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND STILL FIGHTING CANCER – WHAT WOULD I TELL YOU…LOOK 2 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.

WHEN YOUR TREATMENTS ARE DONE. YOUR HAIR HAS GROWN BACK AND YOUR BODY HAS RECOVERED.

BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE GOING YO BEAT THE ODDS EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T SEEM POSSIBLE. I DID. PERSEVERE. THERE WERE TIMES I WAS UTTERLY EXHAUSTED AND WANTED TO GIVE UP, BUT I KNEW MY FAMILY NEEDED ME.

FIND THE REASON YOU NEED TO SURVIVE AND HOLD ON TO IT. DON’T WORRY ABOUT DYING – THAT IS IN GOD’S HANDS.

JUST LIVE AND BE GRATEFUL FOR EACH JOY, EACH DAY.

I WAS TOLD THE SAME THING DURING THAT SILVER LININGS.

TOGETHER WITH MY BREAST FRIENDS NELIA NAVARRO AND SISTER LUCILA PERPIÑAN WITH DR. DENNIS TUDTUD, WE AGREED THAT SILVER LININGS SHOULD BE DONE IN CEBU.
BUT IT DIDN’T HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY. WE DID A NUMBER OF LAYFORA ON BREAST CANCER AWARENESS AND EARLY DETECTION – SOMEETHING I COULDN’T DO BY MYSELF.

I HAVE ICANSERVE AND THE ROTARY CLUB OF CEBU FUENTE TO THANK.
WE ALSO DID A CANCER CHAT – INITIALLY PLANNED TO BE A CHIKA – CHIKAHAN / KAPIHAN WITH 20 BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS HAD 200 SURVIVORS IN THE AUDIENCE.
AFTER THE CANCER CHAT, ICANSERVE, HAD THE PATIENTS POWER SEMINAR IN MANILA WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DIFFERENT SUPPORT GROUPS IN CEBU

CAN WITH GOD
CANCER CARE NETWORK OF CEBU
CEBU BREAST ASSOCIATION
KAHAYAG NETWORK
CEBU CANCER FIGHT
AND ICANSERVE CEBU.

THEN, WE KNEW CEBU WAS READY TO HOST THE SILVER LININGS.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CEBU CORE GROUP FOR WORKING WITH ME AND ICANSERVE SANS THEIR AFFILIATION.

WE WERE AND ARE UNITED IN BRINGING SILVER LININGS TO CEBU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.

CHICA FARRARONS OF CAN WITH GOD

SR. LUCILA PERPIÑAN WITH LALA PAGOBO OF CANCER

CARE NETWORK OF CEBU

ALICE GONZALEZ AND EVELYN TISON OF CEBU BREAST

ASSOCIATION

FELY ATIENZA WITH FELY SY AND JANE PACAIDE OF CEBU CANCER FIGHT

NELIA NAVARRO OF KAHAYAG NETWORK

AND MY SISTERS IN ICAN SERVE – CEBU:

BERNIE ABOITIZ

TINGTING CABALLERO

MARISSA ALCOSEBA

AND MARLE DAKAY
THANK YOU TO THE:

PHIL. ONCOLOGICAL NURSES ASSOCIATION – CEBU

PHIL. MEDICAL SOCIETY OF ONCOLOGIST- CEBU

ST. THERESA’S COLLEGE – HS ’78 CEBU

ROTARY CLUB OF CEBU GLORIA MARIS

AND THE ROTARY CLUB OF CEBU FUENTE

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS, THE VOLUNTEERS AND PARTICIPANTS FOR MAKING SILVER LININGS POSSIBLE AND MOST ESPECIALLY THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ICANSERVE FOR BELIEVING IN US – THAT WE CAN MOUNT SILVER LININGS IN CEBU.
(ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUPPORT GROUPS IN ATTENDANCE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY)

SMILES DAVAO - DAVAO CITY

BOSOM CARE - BACOLOD CITY

KADUGHAN - NEGROS OCCIDENTAL

LIVING HOPE - TAGUM CITY, DAVAO DEL NORTE

JOY IN LIVING - SAMPALOC, MANILA

PGH BREAST CAN SURVIVE- PASIG CITY

ARUGA - ANTIPOLO CITY

ARUGA - TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL

SOFCI - OLONGAPO CITY

OUTLIVE CANSSA - CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY

KASUSO - QUEZON CITY

HUG, INC. - PARAÑAQUE

MANILA DOCTORS

BOSOM FRIENDS - ILOILO

TLC - TACLOBAN

MINDA’S BUDDIES - BAGUIO CITY

TODAY, WE HAVE LINED UP DIFFERENT TOPICS AND ACTIVITIES THAT YOU MAY THINK OUR 8 HOURS TODAY WOULD BE LACKING.

WE HAVE A ROOM WHERE THERE WOULD BE FREE BONE DENSITY AND FASTING BLOOD SUGAR

ANOTHER ROOM GIVING FREE BREAST EXAMINATIONS, HEALTHY TIPS ON BREAST CANCER AND HOW TO TIPS FROM SSS, PHILHEALTH AND PCSO

WITH TOPICS LIKE

BREAST CANCER 101

PARENTING DURING CANCER

COPING WITH CANCER TREATMENTS

EATING RIGHT DURING AND AFTER CANCER

JUICING
HEALING THROUGH MUSIC, SOUND AND MOVEMENT

THERAPHY

WHEN CANCER RETURNS

FERTILITY IN YOUNG WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER

& HOW HUSBANDS COPE

MAKE THE MOST OF THIS DAY.

SEIZE THE MOMENT

YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

WITH YOUR LEARNINGS AND NEW FRIENDSHIPS FORGED AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND YOUR SILVER LININGS.

ONCE AGAIN

WELCOME TO SILVER LININGS IN CEBU.