A worthy cause and a celebration of life.

My mom and I are walking in this charity walk tomorrow night to raise money and awareness for ovarian cancer, and to celebrate my grandmother's survival of the disease. Two years ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. She went through 5 months of grueling chemotherapy and was the sickest I've ever seen her. But my grandmother is a very strong woman, and she pulled through perfectly. Her most recent doctors' visit showed no more signs of cancer and she is healthier than ever.

And to all my female readers: please be aware of this disease and its symptoms. They don't call it a silent killer for nothing. If you have unexplained weight gain or persistent bloating, a change in bathroom habits, fatigue, and in my grandmother's case, a persistent bladder infection, please don't ignore it. Unfortunately, because of the vague symptoms, it often gets misdiagnosed and is found too late. When it is found early, there's a 90% survival rate.

So we'll be joining countless others tomorrow night to celebrate those who have survived and to raise money for more research. And I'm so grateful to say that my grandmother has survived this disease and that we are walking in her honor, not in her memory.