I'm in another hospital lobby -- this time waiting while my three-year-old son has surgery to repair a hernia.

So I'm back to reading a magazine. This time I brought my own not-so-outdated publication -- The Oprah Magazine, April 2007. And as I sit here flipping and turning the pages, there is so much I want to tell you.

I'll be back with more. But for now, think about this:

"...see how the flesh grows back
across a wound, with a great vehemence,
more strong
than the simple, untested surface before.
There's a name for it on horses,
when it comes back darker and raised: proud flesh.
as all flesh
is proud of its wounds, wears them
as honors given out after battle,
small triumphs pinned to the chest."

Jane Hirshfield, From What Binds Us

I have a few small triumphs pinned to my chest -- they show in the form of surgery scars and radiation tattoos and puckered skin where a port once lived. Proud flesh. Stronger than the once untested surface. My honors for having survived a battle.

Tears are streaming down my face. I can't stop them, and I'm not sure I want to. In a way, I want to feel the tragedy of life lost to cancer because it makes it all real. It makes it personal. It makes me realize the same tragedy could happen to me, my family members, my friends. It makes me want to make a difference even more now that I've seen the chilling pictures of a young woman dying of cervical cancer than moments earlier when I was moved mostly by my own breast cancer journey.

I first read about Heather Lyn Martin on the JANE magazine website, home of a beautifully-written story -- I Hate Tumors -- by Sara Lyle, long-time friend of Heather and senior editor for JANE, a publication for 20-something women. Sara's words powerfully depict the life and death of her friend, stricken with a disease she was sure she would beat. So sure, in fact, she asked Sara to help tell her success story.

Sadly, Heather never got to tell much. Because she died much too soon, at the age of 28. So Sara told the story through her own words and photos -- the same ones responsible for my tears -- and has just recently written a second essay, one year after her first story started reaching young people everywhere.

Sara wrote Why I Still Hate Tumors after inspiring many young women to open their eyes to the realities of a deadly disease. Her words serve to raise awareness about the dangers of cervical cancer -- and the HPV virus that causes it -- and to point women in the direction of resources critical for preventing and conquering the disease.

Sara, because of the death of her dear friend, is saving lives with her message. And she just may save yours.

To see all that Sara has to offer in the fight against cervical cancer and other hated tumors, visit her I Hate Tumors website.

I have the deepest admiration for terminal breast cancer survivor Jane Tomlinson. In fact, you could rightly say I am in awe of her. This summer, I followed her epic journey across the US, as she left from San Francisco to ride across this country on a bicycle. Cycling 4,200 miles for cancer charity, she intended to end her ride at Battery Park in New York City, and she has arrived.

Why does Jane inspire me? It is her spirit. In times of any challenge or crisis, we all need heroes. People who inspire by sheer determination and resilience of will. Someone to look to as a reminder to keep going as long as we can. Jane is one of my heroes.

When last we posted about Jane Tomlinson's Ride Across America to raise breast cancer awareness and money for cancer research, she was having a difficult time.

In hip and back pain from recently finishing chemotherapy just two weeks before she left San Francisco -- final destination New York -- she began suffering dehydration and extreme fatigue near Cedar City. The diary entry for that day of the ride read, "All we need now is your good thoughts and a massive change of luck."

Tomlinson rallied with renewed energy, continued on, and yesterday she made it to the halfway point of her coast-to-coast ride.

I am following her journey with great enthusiasm because of her courage and strength. Six years ago, when she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, she was told she had six months to live. Not only has she outlived all predictions, she is also known as the only cancer patient to complete a full Ironman triathlon and the first person to run a marathon while on chemotherapy. During chemotherapy, I had trouble walking across the room or keeping jello down. Jane is incredible.

Cancer ... it's kind of a big deal. That is the tagline for the Cross Country for Cancer blog. In a benefit to raise awareness and funds for cancer research at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center of Johns Hopkins University and for the American Cancer Society, six international college students are spending 45 days of summer cycling across America. The Cross Country for Cancer cycling team, who began their 4,000 mile journey in San Francisco, California, 13 days ago, plan to finish in Baltimore, Maryland.

Cross Country for Cancer is blogging the daily challenges and adventures of the cycling journey across America where this group of college students -- John Lian of Amherst; Ezra Pierce of Oxford; Jacob Pierce of UC Santa Barbara; Patrick Garfjeld Roberts of Oxford; Max Capener of Oxford; and David Lauterbach of Wheaton -- basically came up with a big idea and without any self-admittedly realistic sense of what is possible, simply agreed to go for it.

Back in May, we told you about Jane Tomlinson's plan to pedal across America, beginning in San Francisco and ending in New York, in a fundraising campaign for cancer charity. She planned to begin the epic ride, named Jane's Ride Across America, as soon as she finished chemotherapy for advanced metastatic breast cancer -- a terminal cancer diagnosis she received almost six years ago and was told at that time she only had six months to live. Her plan is to arrive in New York on August 31st, which will mark the six year anniversary of her cancer survivorship.

Still in back and hip pain from the chemotherapy she just finished two weeks ago, Tomlinson, 42, began her ride yesterday, leaving San Francisco. During her 4,200-mile journey she will endure temperatures of 100F and altitudes of more than 11,000 ft. Accompanying her on the trip are two friends - Leeds Metropolitan University lecturer Ryan Bowd, 27, of Calgary, Canada, and 40-year-old Martyn Hollingworth, of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire; her husband Mike, nine-year-old son Steven and 18 year-old daughter Rebecca. To learn more about the remarkable Tomlinson and read her ride diary, visit her website Jane's Appeal.

Six years ago, when Jane Tomlinson was diagnosed with advanced metastatic breast cancer, the doctors said she had six months to live. Instead of dying, she has gone on to compete in a number of triathlons --including a 2,500-mile bike ride, from Rome to Leeds and last year the New York Marathon -- all to raise money for breast cancer charity. At the end of the year, after raising £1.25m total for cancer charity, the mother of three took a break.

Tomlinson is back. On June 29, she will begin cycling 4,200 miles across America for cancer charity. Beginning at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and ending in New York, Tomlinson's Ride Across America will bring her charity fundraising to a £2m total or better. Tomlinson is currently undergoing chemotherapy, but will have five weeks to recover from that before she begins her ride. Tomlinson, 42, will have the company of Leeds Metropolitan University lecturer Ryan Bowd, 27, of Calgary, Canada, and 40-year-old Martyn Hollingworth, of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire on her 62 day challenge. You can learn more about this inspiring breast cancer survivor, her remarkable adventures of accomplishments in living and upcoming progress at Jane's Appeal. Jane Tomlinson has also written a book called The Luxury of Time. I am on my way over to Amazon right now.