Owl Be Sweatin’ is honored to officially announce The Owl Be Sweatin’ Strength Series!
Cancer has many faces – your mother, father, sibling, child, neighbor, co-worker, friend or even a complete stranger.
Owl Be Sweatin’ nominated three women who’ve displayed the utmost courage, bravery and strength and who have dealt with their cancer in the most inspirational, positive-spirited way you could ever imagine.
The Owl Be Strength Series was born to GIVE FORWARD and to encourage people, who want to help (because people do genuinely want to help, but don’t know how to contribute).
Over the next few days, Owl Be Sweatin’ will be tapping into the personal lives and sharing the stories of Megan Bailey, Emily O’Reilly and Kelli Woodstock. Their stories are truly touching and hope they inspire you to join us in making a difference by helping out these women and their families and ease this extremely difficult chapter of their lives.
Owl Be Sweatin’ has created a custom headband for each of these women, now available for purchase.
Owl Be Sweatin’ will be donating back $7 of every OBS Strength Series headband sold to each of these women’s personal funds to help them with all of their medical expenses.
What are you waiting for? GIVE FORWARD now and represent your OBS Strength Series with pride and hope.
Kelli’s Story [Creating Hope with Survival]
Beastmode
In May of 2014, I started experiencing strange symptoms that didn’t seem to make sense. The first “episode” occurred over Memorial Day Weekend just after I had finished “The Murph”, an intense CrossFit workout. Over the next few weeks, I continued to have strange symptoms such as “whooshing” in her ears, light-headed/dizziness, increased anxiety and headache; just to name a few. I went to my general physician who more or less dismissed me and sent me on my way with a “diagnosis” of vertigo, which I knew couldn’t be right. After experiencing these intense "pressure-like" headaches, which were accompanied with extreme nausea, I was finally convinced that I needed to go to the ER. The ER physician immediately started an IV of steroids and fluids, and ordered a CT Scan…which ultimately revealed a tumor in the right frontal lobe of my brain. I was transported from Bethesda North to Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati to be admitted to the Neurosurgery ICU for surgery the following day (Friday, July 18th). My surgeon, Dr. McPherson, was able to perform an incredible surgery and remove nearly the entire tumor in my right frontal lobe. On July 23rd I went back to the MayField Clinic to see Dr. McPherson and receive the pathology results, which revealed that I have Glioblastoma Multiforme, which is a Grade IV Brain Tumor.
I started the treatment process in August which consisted of 6 weeks of radiation (Monday-Friday) and 6 weeks of daily chemotherapy. I am currently on cycles of Chemotherapy which involves 5 days of Temodar followed by 23 days off which I repeat monthly and I have MRI's every 3 months to monitor any growth of cancer cells that were not removed in surgery.
I said that I get strength from my family but that goes beyond blood family. For everyone who has stood beside me in this journey, I thank you. You walk through the darkness with us, not because you choose to. I was drafted, but you enlisted. I recognize and appreciate the difference more than words can ever say. YOU are my hero, my support, and my reason for fighting. Every victory is yours as much as mine.
Love and Sunshine,
Kelli