Community News
Not giving up: Cochran native continuing her walk despite injury.
By BleckleyProgress.com contributor.
Mar 8, 2010, 00:31

Cochran native learns how to adjust

Becky Holland, BCHS Class of 1988, was looking forward to coming home April 3 to participate in the Bleckley County 2nd Annual Relay for Life 5K. As had been previously reported, Holland had joined forces with another Cochran native and BCHS alumnus, Tonette Rowland Raber, as part of a promotion to promote ovarian cancer awareness and to encourage women to take proactive steps in their lives to be healthy.

Sometimes, a path to healthy living can be lined with potholes and ditches, or in Holland's case steps. A few days ago, Holland, training for the 5K, was walking a fast trek on the campus of LaGrange College where she now lives and works as lifestyle editor for the LaGrange Daily News, when she "fell coming down the stairs, and I am not sure what happened, I landed on the ground and my left foot twisted." Knocking it off as being "normal from me, I had slipped out of a chair trying to change a light bulb, and what with being overweight, and semi-sedinatary to becoming a exercise junkie, I figured the pains I was feeling was like normal."

Laughing, she said, "I thought I was like just experiencing the pains of going down hill after the age of 40."

She continued her training until she realized that something was wrong - "my left foot was swelling and there were weird pains. I was at church, and had crossed my legs. I started poking at the swelling on my foot and I hit this spot and thought I was coming out of the pew."

Holland immediately went to see about the injury. "It was Sunday so we went to the local emergency room. Little did I know what to expect. I was hoping for a sprain." While at the hospital, she ran into a familiar Cochranite face - Chris Pitts, also a 1988 BCHS graduate. "Chris and his wife and kids live in north Georgia and he works as a physician's assistant in LaGrange. We knew that from Facebook connections, but we really hadn't thought about it. Everyone's so busy. I never thought I would run up with him this way."

X-rays showed that Holland had a mid-bone fracture in her left foot. "Chris threw the words out and I just shook my head and asked him, walk? And he was like, no. They put me in this splint thing and gave me crutches and orders to see an orthopedic doc asap."

So, Holland's plans of walking in the 5K and training would seem to be put on hold. "No. I am going to the doc, and we will see what happens. But, I am still coming to Cochran, Tonette's still coming to Cochran. In fact, she is going to run it. My mom may walk part of the 5K, and a friend of mine here in LaGrange has offered to be me in the race."

"This walk, and our mission of sharing news of ovarian cancer and promoting good health tips is beyond us. And it is an important mission. We just have to adjust our game plan a little bit." Holland is waiting for Raber to send her some 'plan B' exercise tips while "sticking to a basic schedule - work and home and putting the foot up."

Grinning, Holland said, "Me on crutches is funny. It just means I am falling more often. I will be there at the race, cheering folks on, I will have my bracelets, and I will have the information. Team Braveheart is still going on."

"And that is our message - cancer survivors, women with health issues, whatever it is, people who are patients - keep moving forward."



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