Leona Kitty: "My Experience With Cancer"

By Leona Kitty

Hello folks! It has been a very long time since I have been able to write an article for the SL Newser. And I am grateful to Bixyl for allowing me to stick around and not kick me to the curb! Real life takes priority at times and that takes me away a lot. But this time things were different and I wanted to open up about it for the first time.

I have always been a pretty private person and I keep things to myself but what I am currently going through is something I do want to share. Not for my benefit but in hopes to help others. So allow me to explain. Just over two months ago I was diagnosed with Cancer. Breast cancer to be exact and since I have spent my entire life being an over achiever, apparently so was my cancer. I ended up with not only a very rare and super aggressive kind, but I also tested positive not only for the BRAC1 gene but the CHEK2 as well. Told ya, over achiever!

Now, between that time and now I have had two surgeries (both not going as originally planned due to this cancer spreading) but I am now Stage 4 and incurable. The cancer managed to spread to not only 27 lymph nodes but both ovaries as well. I have been to a cancer treatment center and heading to another this week for as many options as I can get. And while I will never be cured, I am searching for the right place to go to have the longest and best life they can possibly give me.

So with all of that being said, let me get to the point of this article. I mentioned before I wanted to help others. It is absolutely impossible to understand what it feels like to have cancer unless you have it. You will go through such a wide variety of emotions and you never know which one to expect next. And I can tell you without a doubt that those emotions do intensify going from Stage 1 to Stage 4. Cancer is a terrifying disease, and most times you will not even know how to feel or what you want or need. So that is where friends and family come in.... or should!

"Those of you who love us -- please  never  be so afraid of our tears that you won't let us cry with you. For if you never see us cry, believe me it doesn't mean we aren't crying. It only means we're doing it alone." - Vickie Gerard

This statement could not be more true. I was never a very social person. I was basically a workaholic and when I was not working I was at home relaxing but I do have a lot of really great friends. Sadly, when cancer strikes, those friends are not sure how to act or what to say. So instead of coming to visit or wanting to hang out with you, they avoid you. They become too busy. If I had a dollar for every time a friend told me they were feeling sick and did not want to take the chance to get me sick in my condition. Please though, do not let cancer stop you from being there for your friend.

One of my best days since being diagnosed was an afternoon that a friend came to visit me. We watched tv for an hour or so, ate dinner and then she helped me to wash my hair because I was still unable to due to surgery. And even though all of those things were so simple, it meant the world to me! Every single moment that you are talking with us, laughing with us or even gossiping about something is another moment we are happy and not thinking about our disease.

We truly cherish every moment you give to us! Whether you realize this or not, a cancer patient is not battling this disease for themselves alone. It is a very tough road. A lot of pain and emotions. We are battling this disease for you as well!

"To love a cancer patient is, in turn, to feel sad, frightened, concerned, angry, lost and often helpless -- and to do all this, for the most part, silently. Does it help you, our Loved Ones, to know that we understand this? Believe me, we do recognize and deeply appreciate the incredibly high price you pay for loving us. Every victory is yours as much as ours." - Vicki Gerard

If you have a friend who has cancer, reach out to them today! Send them a card just to let them know you are thinking about them. Better yet, stop by for a visit. It does not have to be a long one, just long enough to chat for a few minutes. Make it a point to make them smile at least once, laugh at least once. You can walk away knowing that just gave them another reason to push just a little bit harder in their battle.

~Leona Kitty

The Eternal Knights Motorcycle Club

By Leona Kitty

It is time to break the misconception! So we have all heard about Biker clubs and some of us have even followed the hit series Sons of Anarchy which, while exciting, did not help to promote a very good image. But today I went on a fun journey with one of my longest and closest friends in Second Life, Savage Sykes.

Savage is the Sergeant at Arms for the Eternal Knights Motorcycle Club. Now, I have to admit, he has spoken to me on several occasions about the MC and I never really knew what it was all about. This afternoon he brought me over to the sim where I had the pleasure of meeting the President and Vice President, Grizzly Nightfire and Callie Brune. They spoke with me about the MC. Eternal Knights was formed over 2 years ago after "Grizz" had spent time in a few MCs and never really fully agreed with how things were done. He wanted to bring something new to an MC. He believes in complete fairness, meaning everyone in the club, including himself follows the rules at all times and are all treated with respect and he is big on structure in the club. They, unlike other MCs are very family oriented and when they gave me a run down of some of the activities they did I was blown away!

I had always assumed being a part of an MC was riding around in a circle on a dirt track and being bored the rest of the time. Not only was their on sim track amazing, the activities presented were as well. They have things such as bowling, boxing, fishing, obstacle course, gun range (which by the way no guns are allowed on sim aside from the gun range), a games area and so much more! The sim was set up with a swamp type setting and one of the things I enjoyed the most was that their offices were not bunched together but located across the sim and even some off of the ride track.

It was very obvious that this MC lives up to their motto, "Be strong enough to stand alone, be yourself enough to stand apart, but, be wise enough to stand together when the time comes". They really do come across as a family. They keep a calendar with all upcoming activities and rides.

One of my favorite things I found out today while visiting is that the Eternal Knights focus a great deal on charities. They are currently supporting Homes for our troops which you can find more information on this at http://www.hfotusa.org/. They have hosted concerts, carnivals, bike auctions, all of which were donated for the cause as well as live singers donating their time as well. Recently, during their 2 year anniversary they collected over $400 USD for charity!

So, how does one become a part of such a great club? Well, the first step is to speak with a Recruiter. They will give you the bylaws and expectations. For about 2-3 weeks you are termed "Supporter" while you get to know everyone in the club. After this time the officers will take a vote to make you a Prospect. Once this happens you will continue to focus on getting to know the members as well as put together an event. After this you will take a test in the council room and at the next weekly meeting they will vote to see if you will be patched in. There are several different ranks in the MC, each of which holding a good deal of responsibilities, and over time as they open you are able to apply for these and again, be voted in.

I could go on and on with the information I learned today but instead, I highly encourage you to check them out! You can contact Alyssia Steamer or Willow Rexen for more information.

Leona Kitty

Dinner Dating in Second Life

By Leona Kitty

Second Life, being an online virtual world allows us the opportunity to create just as the title says, a second life. We have the choice to make it anything we want. Some come here as an escape, others come here because they are unable to get out much in real life. Either way the lives we create in here can contain so many different possibilities. One of those that I have personally seen and experienced over the years is the ability to meet people and date in Second Life.

In real life you meet someone, usually go out on a date with them to a dinner, movie, a walk in the park, out dancing. So why not do the same thing here? Residents of Second Life have created so many wonderful places for us to use for this purpose. You can go out shopping for a nice outfit to wear for your date. You can then meet up for a romantic dinner followed by dancing. And all of this can be done for much less than the cost a real life date would have cost.

So you may ask, how can I go to a romantic dinner? We cannot actually eat in Second Life. Well this is where your imagination comes in. And truly, when you take that real life date out, are you there only for the food or are you really there to get to know them? Getting to know your date is what the night is all about.

 I personally have always loved the Live service romantic restaurants in Second Life because I feel it truly creates an atmosphere that is as close to a real life date as you can possibly get. You and your date arrive at the restaurant and you are warmly greeted by your hostess or server. Once seated at your table you are able to view a menu and make selections. Over a three or four course meal your server will visit your table to deliver the next course, see how you are doing and just provide general roleplay to make the experience as close to real life as possible. During this dinner which usually lasts close to 1 hour you are able to talk privately with your date and focus completely on getting to know them. What a wonderful way to live a dating experience in Second Life.

So for those seeking a nice, romantic experience where they can devote some time to their date or even significant other I highly encourage you to check into some of your local romantic restaurants.

- Leona Kitty

Pictures taken at "The Falls"