Nothing to fear, but fear itself...my day at a health fair

I spent most of today at a minority health fair in Orlando sponsored by Tom Joyner's, Take a loved one to the doctor day. I worked with the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Florida, a wonderful group of woman who have made tremendous strides in spreading awareness all across central Florida..and for whom I am so glad I had in my corner.

I'm so proud of all of the people who decided to come out today and take part in the free screenings for diabetes, prostate cancer, cholesterol, HIV AIDS and many other illness' that plague our community. It's not easy to face your fears and for many, fear of the unknown and fear of Doctor's go hand and hand. A lot of us walk through life seemingly oblivious to all that surrounds us, while secretly praying that diseases like diabetes, cancer, or HIV AIDS stay as far away from us as possible. Yet, deep down we all know that no one is exempt.

What I realized most from my experience today is that there are a lot of people in this world working to help make a difference in someones life. They weren't just there to test you and send you on your merry way, they were there to provide valuable resources that can help you in your journey. My question is how do we get more information about those resources out there to ease the minds of many.

One of my biggest concerns when I started my mission is that my words wouldn't live past the moment. I don't worry so much about those who have medical insurance. I'm comfortable knowing that when I share my journey with them, many of them will have access to resources that will help them, should that time ever come. What leaves me restless is wondering what happens to women who don't have those resources? Like I've said before, education and awareness are great, but what happens after that? How do the 47 million Americans who remain uninsured act on the information and education that we work so hard to provide them with?

I had a few woman who tried to walk by us, while still trying to take a sneak peek at our display. It was as if cancer was contagious and that by acknowledging it's presence they would some how go home with it as a parting gift. I had moments where I felt that no matter how much I stressed that Ovarian Cancer is not something that can be detected by your yearly pap smear and that I was proof positive that it doesn't discriminate...I still had the feeling that a lot women remained disconnected with what I was saying. I'll go on record to say that I might be overreacting a bit considering how passionate I am about this disease, but whatever the case, it just makes me want to work harder to get my message out there.