Do you have $5?

I am nervous. I am sitting here in my office, alone -- just me and my computer. But my mouth and throat are dry and my palms are clammy. I'm nervous because I'm taking a leap and I'm going to do something I am not comfortable doing: asking for money.

Gulp!

But wait, it's not for me. It's for the American Cancer Society. See, I signed up for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Oct. 11 in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. I've never done a walkathon-thingy or anything like this before. I'm a newbie. Green as can be.

But I figured if I can raise a little money for breast cancer research, then, great! If you'd like to sponsor me in my walk, you can donate as little as $5. That's just a little more than a Starbucks beverage, and a little less than a new lipstick. And it's a tax write-off.

My mother-in-law fought breast cancer, and so far she is healthy today. That is one of the success stories I know.

I once had a co-worker, though, who wasn't as fortunate. Only 33 when she discovered a lump in her breast, she fought the cancer for several years before losing. She left behind a six-year-old daughter and a husband in grief. My co-worker led a healthy lifestyle -- exercised, ate healthy, never smoked, didn't have a history of breast cancer in her family.

And to me, that's why breast cancer is so scary. When my co-worker was diagnosed, I knew it could be me. Something like one in four women will have a run with breast cancer.

Fundraising efforts like my walk next month will fund research, provide up-to-date cancer information and education, advocate for all people to have access to cancer screenings and follow-up care and offer free programs for patients and their families.

If you'd like to donate, please click on the "Hope Starts with You" thermometer on the right. I'd appreciate it. If you're a blogger and you donate, I'll make a button ad for your blog in my sidebar. For what it's worth!

Ahhh. Now I can stop being so nervous and stop writing this panic-attack-inducing post!