Dream Big

Sept 5th:    Gearing up!!!

Today I’m excited because I’m going on Great American Country (GAC) with host Suzanne Alexander to debut my video to Fight Like A Girl!   I haven’t had a new video for quite a few years and I’m so excited to get to show this video to the world and pray it helps others to continue their fight of whatever illness or battle they are having.  

Suzanne is someone very close to me but she also does such a great job on interviews.  As an artists doing an interviewer with her you always go in comfortable knowing that she has listened and studied your music before the interview.  I think I can speak for most artists when it comes interviews, we can tell within the first couple questions if the interviewer has listened to our music or not before we get there.  Suzanne always eases your mind because you know she has studied your music before you get to the interview and doesn’t just ask generic questions.  It’s always an honor to be interviewed by her. 

Sept 9th:

Today was not a good day.  I have really tried to stay as positive as I can throughout this whole journey but there are some times when I have moments of sadness, being scared and angry.  Thank God they have been moments. I have managed to not allow those moments to turn into long period of times but today was different.  It’s a Sunday, it’s raining and I’m home alone all day.  I woke up with sadness about my health and a few other things.  I spent the day having a pity party for myself.  I cried most of the day, missed my mother really bad and just felt like I was not winning at what my goals were.  I was feeling defeated. 

Why?  The reason I wrote the song Fight Like A Girl was to help raise awareness to breast cancer and to also raise money for breast cancer research and financial help for patients.  I had many goals when I recorded the song.  I wanted to start a charity, I wanted to go on TV shows like GAC, Good Morning America with Robin Roberts, whom I love, to perform my song and donate proceeds of the single sale to the fight against breast cancer.  I wanted to play the Grand Ole Opry for their breast cancer night.  I also wanted to sing the National Anthem at an NFL game and sing my song at halftime because I knew each team had a breast cancer game throughout October.  Here we are just days away from October, breast cancer month and I’ve only reached a couple of those goals.  So far I was getting no where with GMA or the NFL.  It really bothered me because I knew I had to be on these large platforms to get a big enough audience to sell a lot of downloads of my song.  As the day went by and depression was all around me I finally said, “OK God, you gave me the song as a vehicle to get somewhere but so far I’m not heading where I need to be so I’m getting over in the passenger seat and letting you drive.  Yes, Jesus take the wheel.   

Sept 10th  GOOD MORNING AMERICA

I woke up this morning still in a bit of a funk but trying to be in a better mood.  The day went on and I received a text from a friend that said “make sure you answer that phone girl cause GMA is calling!”   I honestly couldn’t believe it.  Just when I threw my hands up the Good Morning America show was about to happen!!   I checked my email and there were a couple emails from a celebrity finder website tell me that someone from Good Morning America was trying to get in touch with me.  Needless to say I was floored, excited and in aw but then again…I gave the steering wheel to the big man upstairs the day before remember?  So, a couple hours later, one of the producers from the show called me and said they wanted to book me on their show to perform my song for Oct 5th!!  The deal was, they actually created this show based around my song so it was going to be a big production.  I was so thrilled to know that this was actually going to happen. 

There were a couple hurdles I had to deal with to make this happen but it all came together.  I have to give a huge thank you to Carmax for sponsoring my segment of the show.  I was so excited.  I started calling everyone I knew!

I spent the next few days ironing out the details and putting a band together.  I just was in aw that I was actually going to be on the show.  Something I said I wanted to do since I shot the video of Fight Like A Girl back in early spring.

Sept 14th

Today is a big day again.  I’ve wanted to start a charity now for a long time so today is the beginning process!  I am meeting with someone to help me set up my charity “The Love Anchors Fund”.   Rondal Richardson is an amazing man and has basically spent most of his life working for organizations the raise money for charity’s.  He now works for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.  They are a company that helps people set up their charity’s and they manage it for you.  So basically I get the fun part of just telling them which charity’s to send the money.   My charity, The Love Anchors Fund will send money to a variety of organizations for breast cancer research, patient care and help patients with financial needs during treatment.  Since my doctor took me of the road during treatment is was hard financially.  I had help so I’m trying to pay it forward and help others.  I didn’t want to just be tied to donating to one charity so working with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee will allow me to send funds to many organizations which I’m excited about!  

Of course there’s a few things to iron out as well but I know it will work out.  It’s going to cost $5,000 to get my charity up and running and well….after not working for a year myself I can’t pay for that.  I will have to find a way somehow.  I emailed three people that I know to see if they could help. 

My goal is to have my charity up and running by October 1 because I’m donating proceeds from my single sale to the fight against breast cancer starting October 1st.  I don’t have much time to make that happen but I’m believing that it will!  I’m hoping to raise a lot of money with the sales but people can also donate directly to the fund as well.  The best of both worlds would be that everyone could help with both ways.  Everyone is touched by cancer in some way so we all need to help raise money for research for a cure and or research of preventing it to happen in the first place.   I can only hope that my message can be heard and more people join this journey with me.  You can download the single at http://smarturl.it/ACFightLikeaGirl

Sept 19th LAST CHEMO!!!  

Today was my last day of chemo!!!!!  I can’t tell you just how happy to know that I am through with that.  1 solid year of chemo.  A very very very tough, sick year but after today it’s all about healing now.   I am so very blessed to have had such a great team working with me throughout this past year.  From friends, my nurses to all my doctors.  What an amazing team I’ve had.  I wish everyone battling an illness could have the same kind of team I had.  

My day was full of emotions.  I brought in little cupcakes for the staff that had little ribbons on them as a thank you for taking such great care of me throughout all my treatments.  I will not miss getting chemo but I will miss seeing the staff every three weeks.  

I went in and had my final treatment and then a bunch of my friends should up to be there for when I rang the final bell.  It was sooooo wonderful to see all of them there.  So emotional.  I just cried.   My dad was there and he’s almost 90.  He was treated at the same facility 10 years ago for colon cancer.  He didn’t get to ring the bell back then so I had him ring the bell with me!  What a special moment!!!  My family and friends mean the world to me.  Thank you to all of you who shared this day with me!  There was about 40 people there. 

I had some very special artists friends who also came.  They have been a huge part in journey so it was awesome for them to show up!!  Terri Clark, Ty Herndon., Wynonna Judd, Connie Smith, Carol Lee Cooper and Suzanne Alexander.  We all just cried with joy!  After the bell ringing, most of us went to have lunch and celebrate. 

 

 

Sept 21:  

Today I got the news that one of the people I emailed about getting my charity up and running text me and said they had the $5,000 I needed to get the charity started!   I was floored!  A dear friend, Shane Tarelton who works at my old record label Warner Bros. has come up with the funds needed.  Along with his job at WB as  Senior VP of Artist Development, he is also very involved in many charity’s and just amazes me on how much he does.  Shane approached Matt Signore who is the COO of Warner Bros. and told him about my story and my charity that I was trying to start.  Matt and his wife Maria agreed to personally donate the money to my fund to get it started.  I was so a happy to hear this news!!!  It looked like my charity “The Love Anchors Fund” was going to be launched soon!  I was shooting for October 1!  This same day, American Cancer Society also donated the extra money I needed to get to NY with my band.  

This has been a great day!!!!!

Sept 25th. 

My hip pain is a little better but if I’m too active my hips start to pop and crack again.  I’m told I need hip replacement but still haven’t seen a bone specialist yet so today I had an appointment.  When I got there they told me they didn’t take my insurance ugh!!!! So…now I have to find another bone specialist to go to.    

My joints and my fingers are also very stiff.  It’s worse at night time.  I can’t even make a fist.  My doctor is saying it’s from the estrogen blocker pill I have to take.  Really?  Will this be this way for 5 -10 years?  That’s how long I’m suppose to take it.  It must be something with nerves somehow because it’s much worse at night when I lay down.  Just like the neuropathy in my feet.  Worse at night time. 

Sept 26th

Today, the year anniversary of my first chemo treatment.  Wow.  Been a long year.

Sept 27th

Today is the 3rd anniversary of my momma’s passing.  She was my best friend my entire life.  I have missed her so much and needed her so much this past year while being sick but she was with me…. I know she was and still is because she is making things happen in my life in a great way!  All the way from heaven. 

Today I also met with Matt and Marie Signore and Shane at Warner Bros at 11am and picked up my $5,000 check.  I am still in shock that these lovely people have donated this money.  It’s the first time I’ve met them but they believe in my charity and want to help.  Such great people!!  I left them and went straight to meet  Rondal who is setting up my charity through The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.  I gave him my check hoping they could get it up and running by Oct 1.  

I am so happy this happened today on the 3rd anniversary of my moms passing.  She would have been so happy and proud of this.  I’m sure she had a hand in making this happened today!!!

Friday, Sept 28

I met my friend Chris Allums and he helped me load my song Fight Like A Girl on to PlayMPE.  This is the link that will go to all radio stations on Tuesday Oct 2 so they can download my song and hopefully start to play it on their stations.  So you can call and start requesting the song at your local stations!

I left Chris to meet Rondal again to sign my charity forms.  While we were sitting there he got a text that said my charity went Live!!  This normally takes 4 or 5 days to happen but they got mine up and running in 24 hours!!   We couldn’t believe they had it up and running so fast!!!  We were going to make the deadline of Oct 1 just in time for breast cancer month!!!  I’m so excited to have this charity and to know that I will hopefully be able to help in the big fight against breast cancer through donating money for research for a cure and better treatments and to be able to help other patients financially while they get their treatment.   Everything is coming into play just in time just as I wanted and had ask God for. 

October 1, Breast Cancer Month

Today kicked off breast cancer month.  I told myself that if I was well enough I was going to donate as much of my time as I could in the fight against breast cancer.  Today I was on the air with Devon O’Day, WSM 650 radio station to kick off breast cancer month.  I took some friends along with me who were also breast cancer survivors and helped mentor me through my journey.  We had a great time.  Though our talk was about something so serious, we all laughed a lot and shared great information.    Devon also played my song Fight Like A Girl.  A huge thank you to all these woman and to WSM for this opportunity to share our story’s in hopes to help others!  We also launched my charity “The Love Anchors Fund” on air today.  So great!!  We also talked about the American Cancer Society Strides Walk I was doing and the YMCA ABC Program event I was going to play.  This program is offered by the YMCA for all breast cancer patients.  It’s called After Breast Cancer.   They give patients 16 weeks of free membership to work out, a trainer and a nutritionist.  This is so important to all patients to help get them healthy again after treatment.

Oct 2

I’ve spent many days in the past two weeks getting prepared for the Good Morning America show.  From getting the right clothes, advancing the show with everyone there, my band and making sure I had everything right.   With chemo, I have chemo brain.  I forget a lot so I have to make a lot of notes and double check everything.  I’m so excited I want to make sure I have everything done correctly.  We fly out to NY tomorrow to have a rehearsal at GMA.  So exciting!!!

Oct 3  

Today we flew out to NY.  I have never been so excited to travel!  Here I go with two members of my band Scott Hundley and Austin Cannon to perform on a show that I’ve watched for years.   Robin Roberts of GMA has always been such an inspiration to me since she has battle cancer twice now.  I watched her go through her cancer battles but never thought she would end up being there for me while I went through my battle.  I never thought I would get breast cancer but…I was wrong.  We landed in NY and made it to our hotel.  We checked in and went and had some lunch.  We decided to walk to Time Square.  As we walked up we saw the GMA building and then we saw my name and song on their big screen in Time Square.  That was pretty awesome to see!!  

 

I was full of excitement as you can imagine.

At 4pm we met my drummer who lives in NY for a rehearsal.  It was so great to play the song with them.  It was the first time I’ve performed the song with the band.  Remember, I haven’t played my own show in over a year now so to go from being sick on the couch to jumping onto national television as my first show is quite crazy ha ha.   It just felt so good to be me…a performer again.  To be back to work!!!  

After rehearsal we went to dinner at a Spanish Restaurant which was really great.   The band went for a drink somewhere but I went back to the hotel.  My energy level is still nothing compared to be being back to normal so with the travel and rehearsal today plus the excitement I was a bit exhausted.

Plus, Suzanne Alexander was flying in to help me with the show so I wanted to be there when she arrived. 

Oct 4th  “Break A Leg”…Or A Couple Of Ribs Instead

Woke up this morning so excited about the day.  Today we go to GMA to do a run through of the show.  GMA typically does not have rehearsals when they have artists perform but they are doing something different for me. 

We had breakfast at the hotel and then car service came to take us all to rehearsal.  I was so excited but yet very calm.  It all just felt right and like it was supposed to happen.  Or maybe I was still in shock that my wish from March actually was happening!  

We arrived at GMA with open arms from everyone.  The producer of the show Monica met us and was so very sweet and friendly.  She really made me feel like we’d known each other for years.  As she introduced me to everyone I got that same feeling from everyone that worked there.  They really were all so very nice.  Monica walked us around the set and explained to us what was going to happen during my performance.  She explained that I would start singing on stage inside their set and then walk through a crowd of breast cancer patients, survivors and caretakers and lead them down a couple flights of stairs to outside and end up in the middle of Time Square.  GMA has never had a performance where the entertainer ended up finishing the song outside.  They actually had to rent a lot of gear and had rehearsals before we arrived a couple days prior to make sure it would all work with the RF signals from wireless microphone and in ear monitors.  It’s a lot to explain but all of those are serious issues because if the mic cuts out of signal then you won’t be able to hear me sing.  And, if my in ear monitors cut out I won’t be able to hear the band to sing to.  So, this is a big deal.  At first I was like “My first time ever singing on GMA and I’m the ginny pig oh no lol”.

While in the dressing room getting ready for the rehearsal, Robin Roberts walks in to welcome us and introduce herself.  She was so very kind, just as I thought she would be.  I introduced her to everyone with me and we chatted for a while.  Monica came to get us for rehearsal so off we go.  

The entire crew was so great to work with and made us feel really comfortable.  

One of the production guys name was Fonzie and quite comical so I told him I was Pinky Tuscadero and we both did Pinky’s famous hand/leg slap at the same time.  I knew at that point I was in good hands.   For those you may not remember or too young for this show ha ha…those are characters from the TV show “Happy Days”.  

We got all of our sound set for that band and I and then started rehearsal.  

It was just amazing.   We ran through rehearsal twice and everything worked great so my mind was at ease about ending up in Times Square for the actual show.   I typically always wear cowboy boots and bought a really nice pair to wear.  With the neuropathy in my feet, everyone was worried about me falling while stepping off the stage and walking down the two flights of stairs just out of chemo with cowboy boots on so the producers encouraged me to wear my pink tennis shoes.  I thought I might need a back up plan so thank God I had a friend order me a pair of pink Converse shoes and they shipped to the hotel in time. 

After rehearsal with GMA was over, we went to the hotel and picked up another friend who had just arrived from Nashville to go have lunch.  She had never been to NY before so we wanted to show her around a little.  After lunch, we met a friend who works at NBC.  She gave us a tour of their studios.  We saw Saturday Night Lives set, pretty cool.  From there we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.  We were meeting friends to celebrate the GMA show in the morning.  

While in the hotel room Wynonna Judd called me to give me a pep talk about performing the next morning.  Reminding me to enjoy it all, to take it all in!  As artists, sometimes things happen so fast that we forget to really take it all in so we can remember these special times.   We chatted for about 45 minutes and at the end Wynonna prayed for me.  I felt so special and so blessed to have such good friends and God on my side. 

We hung up and I grabbed my coat to go meet our friends for dinner.

As we stepped outside to get a cab it had started a light rain and it was now rush hour so we couldn’t get a cab or an Uber.  A friend said let’s just walk a couple blocks to the train.  I said three times that I didn’t want to walk in the rain.  I don’t know why..It wasn’t raining hard and I’m not worried about my hair because you kind of can’t mess it up right now ah ha.  Something just told me to not walk in the rain.  I finally said “Ok it’s only 2 blocks”.  I should have never said that for what was about to happen.

I noticed my phone was about to die so I asked Suzanne for her very large batter charger so I could charge my phone as we walked.  Because of the rain, I took the charger and tucked it under my coat between my arm and my side to keep it dry from the rain.  I literally walked about 15 feet from the hotel door and slipped on a sidewalk grate.  My friend behind me said my feet went 4ft straight up in the air so that my body was parallel with the ground.   I came crashing down …yes on my left side, the side that I had the battery charger.  I landed right on the charger.  My friend behind me tried to grab me but she slipped also.  Then Suzanne who was ahead of me, turned around and ran back to me and she hit the same grate and fell and slid into me.   I was in so much pain, I couldn’t move or talk.  I basically could only grunt.  The wind was knocked out of me and it felt as though my ribs were sticking into my lungs.  All I could think of was “I’ve just blown my appearance on GMA”.  I was so very upset.  Thinking how GMA specifically created this whole show based around my song.  The set they had made, the extra equipment they had to obtain.  All the rehearsals they did was all for nothing.  I just felt so awful and was in so much pain.  I just couldn’t believe this just happened.  Everyone was trying to get a cab or ambulance to get me to the hospital.  Finally my friend got a couple out of a cab and off to the hospital we went.  Every little bump hurt so bad.  They had to keep reminding the driver I had just falling and couldn’t take his driving being so jerky.   

We finally got to the hospital and they took me back right away.   The took X-rays and said I had broken ribs 9 and 10 but they were afraid that I was bleeding internally.  The doctor said I needed to have a cat scan done and they couldn’t do that there that they needed to send me by ambulance to a bigger hospital who could do the CT scan.  I just couldn’t even think straight.  Here I sat, just before one of the biggest performances I would ever do, in a hospital with broken ribs and possibly bleeding internally.  We alerted the monica the producer at GMA of what was going on but I kept insisting to not change any of the plans as of yet.  I really was going to do whatever I could to still perform if I wasn’t bleeding inside. 

The ambulance came to get me and took me to Mt. Sinai hospital.  It was probably around 7pm by this time.  The pain meds had started kicking in a little so I wasn’t in as much pain.  

 

When we arrived Mt. Sinai another friend had met us there upon arrival.  The paramedics took me back immediately.  While sitting in the room waiting to get my CT Scan, my friends came back to see me and they had a bag full of water and snacks.  They said a nice man who was a journalist knew who I was and saw me being taken into the hospital so he went and purchased these things for us to have while waiting for the test.  Very very sweet of this man to do this!!!  

Our friends had received some pretty good name tags from the front desk that I won’t repeat ha ha and I think they stopped and had a couple drinks on the way to the hospital so there were lighting up the mood for sure.  They brought me a slice pizza because I hadn’t had anything else to eat.  Suzanne basically had a melt down in the hospital floor.  It was quite an experience, so wish we could’ve filmed it all because looking back it was all quite comical.  

It seemed like it was taking for every to get me back to have the CT Scan.  Suzanne informed them that within hours I was suppose to perform on GMA so they needed to hurry!  They finally came and got me and did the scan.  Then it took forever to get the results.  Meanwhile two people were communicating with Monica at GMA keeping her updated.  The test results came back ok and I wasn’t bleeding internal so I said the show must go on as planned even though I was in pain.  

October 5th, GOOD MORNING AMERICA SHOW DAY

By the time they released me from the hospital it was about 12:30am October 5th…GMA showday!   From their we had to get a cab to go to a 24 hour drug store to get my pain meds.  Again, dealing with the jerky driving from the cab driver!  Every sharp turn or bump hurt really bad.  We finally got my meds and made it back to the hotel I’m guessing around 1:30am.  Our alarms are set to wake us up at 3:30am to get ready for the GMA performance.  I couldn’t lay down at all because of the pain.  Suzanne was so upset she couldn’t sleep. I sat there for 2 hours in disbelief that this had happened.  I was so upset and also angry.  Again, something so great was going to happen for me and then it had to get screwed up.  It seems that every time I’ve had the opportunity to be so close to doing something so cool, something bad happens to try to stop it from happening.  I was then reminded that Wynonna had prayed for me just before I fell.  It’s like something great was going to happen but the devil tried to step in and stop it.  I wasn’t about to let that happen.  The show will go on as planned.  I can suffer through the 4 minutes of pain.  I was determined to not let GMA or my goal down.  I had wanted this show to happen since I shot the video of my song in March.  It all happened so organically and I was going to make sure it did happen!!!

3:30am rolled around and we got up.  Suzanne had to help me with everything to get ready for this performance. Thank God I had such great people with me to help me through this! 

Showering and getting dressed was a challenge but we managed.  We met the band in the lobby and the car showed up to take us to GMA.  It was 4:30am..no sleep and spend the night in the hospital.  I was in pain, excited but I was also foggy.  It seemed as if I was dreaming.  When we arrived GMA security met us along with Monica the producer.  Here we go, this is going to happen. 

She took us upstairs to our dressing room.  The room was large.  The band set up their gear and also set up my guitar for me.  Everyone kept saying that I could sit on a stool and sing.  That I didn’t have to sing, walk downstairs and end up in Times Square but I told them to keep things the way they were.  I could do it.  

Robin Roberts came in the dressing room and said “really?  You broke two ribs and your still going to sing?”  Michael Strahan stopped me in the hall way and said the same thing.  Everyone was so nice there.  Great place to work!

The whole crew were so laid back.  No one was uptight about anything.  We had a TV in our dressing room and it was so cool because the set was “Fight Like A Girl” for the entire show that day.  Every time they went to a commercial break they would show my video or play my song.  They were doing everything that I had wanted to happen when I thought of all of this back in March.  It was so surreal though to know it was actually happening!  Time was getting closer for my performance and I was starting to worry because my make up person had not arrived yet.  I kept asking where she was.  She finally came in and I got my makeup and hair done.  They sent me down to do a FaceTime interview with Ginger Zee.  That went great, she’s very sweet.  We took pictures after the interview and then all of a sudden I hear “Anita Cochran to the stage please” as if it were a rush.  We ran to the stage just in time for Suzanne to put my guitar on me.  Monica the producer even had to run up and tie my shoes.  I looked up in time just to see Robin Roberts standing next to me and they counted down…4,3,2,1 we’re live!  I had no time to have a moment to myself before this performance.  Next thing I know Robin introduces me and off we go to perform.  

I can’t even begin to tell you how I felt.  The set was amazing.  Sitting in front of me were breast cancer patients, survivors and caretakers.  It was so amazing, emotional, surreal and empowering at the same time.  As I sang these people followed me outside to Times Square to finish my song.  I ended up singing in the middle of Times Square around people who were getting their hair cut off for Wigs & Wishes program.  This organizations makes wigs for cancer patients for free.  It was quite an emotional experience all around.  Amy Robach was in Times Square to finish up the show as I finished singing.  Today marked her 5 years anniversary of her breast cancer diagnosis!  5 years is a big marker date!!

I was so happy for her and at the same time I was never so happy to finish a song!  I was so happy I manage to sing with the broken ribs and not fall down the stairs.  I did get a little breathy for a moment but managed to keep on singing thank you God!  I was also so very thankful that I didn’t fall down the stairs and hurt my self even more and that would have been on live television!!  

Everyone was so happy that the performance worked, that I worked and all the extra gear the rented to be able to have me end up singing outside.  Everyone rejoiced!!  I was so relieved!  

We said our goodbyes to everyone at GMA who at this point now feels like family.  They were so great to work with!!!!  And Robin Roberts, what a great soul!!  

 

As a cancer patient, there are no words to describe what it feels like to perform around so many other patients and survivors.  It’s almost spiritual.

You can watch the performance at this link just copy and paste it in your url bar.  https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/video/anita-cochran-performs-fight-girl-live-gma-58303166

And to top today off,  in every interview that I’ve done since March I have said I wanted to “Pay It Forward” like the movie.  Well of all things. Helen Hunt was on GMA today with me and that was not arranged for anything that involved my performance.  She just happened to be there promoting a new project she was doing.  Helen Hunt stared in the movie “Pay It Forward”.  Crazy right?

We went back to the hotel to drop off our stuff and change and as soon as we walked in the room we just grabbed each other and cried.  So thankful that I was able to perform as planned.  

We then went and met some family and friends for lunch to celebrate.   The band was flying back to Nashville in a few hours but Suzanne and I were going to stay for the weekend.  We went out to dinner that night with friends for the celebration to continue.  Though I was in pain, it was all such a great time. 

Sunday, Oct 7th.

Today we flew back home. The weekend was just amazing and just want to say another huge thank you to Robin Roberts and Monica from GMA for making this show, a dream of mine come true.  They are such great people! 

A memory I will always cherish.

Monday Oct 8th

I woke up and checked my email.  Another great surprise!!  A gentleman from th NFL Arizona Cardinals emailed me and said he was watching GMA on Friday and loved the performance I did on that show and wanted to know if I could come and sing the anthem and perform my song Fight Like A Girl during their halftime show!  I was blown away because to perform my song at halftime was also something I had wanted to do since March because I knew the teams had breast cancer night in October.  We had tried to reach out to a few NFL teams but they already had their plans made so I had sort of given up on this but….out of no where this email comes to me.  I was so happy!  NFL here I come!  14 million viewers on average of a Thursday night game!  Praying people like the song and download it so more money goes to my charity to help others in this fight against breast cancer.  The more exposure to the song the more money raised!!

Oct 11

Today I performed my song with my band on the Today In Nashville TV show.  This show was an added bonus to my want list for October.  It feels so good to perform again.  It’s been a long year being a cancer patient and not working.  I love to perform especially with my band and they did great today!  I’m starting to feel like me again!  

Oct 17 NFL Arizona Cardinals 

Today we flew out to Arizona for my NFL performance at the Arizona Cardinals game against the Denver Broncos.  Chris Allums, Suzanne Alexander went with me.  We stayed at a beautiful resort called The Wigwam Resort.   Each hotel room was like it’s own little building.  I wish we could stay longer because this place really is a resort.  It has lots of  therapy’s and spa’s on the property.  Would be  great place to go back to for a vacation!

We stopped at the hotel basically just to check in and then off to the stadium to do a rehearsal of the anthem and my halftime performance.

Once again, the crew for the show was just amazing.  So great to work with.  I’ve sang the National Anthem many many times at Nascar Races, Baseball and Hockey games but this is a first for the NFL so I’m excited.  And…I’ve never performed at a halftime show so this will be awesome!  It’s their “Crucial Catch” night for breast cancer.  They teamed up with American Cancer Society for this night.  I’m so honored to get to do this.   

After rehearsal Tim Beach, the one who booked me to do this took us all out for dinner.

Oct 18th  NFL Thursday Night Football

Woke up this morning excited about the day.  We had breakfast and walked around the hotel grounds taking a tour of all the amenities they had to offer.  

We got back to our rooms to get ready for the big game. 

The car picked us up and took us to the venue.  It was really cool standing on the sidelines right next to the football players.  They are some pretty big guys ha ha.

I sang the anthem.  At first my in ear monitors weren’t loud enough and I couldn’t hear my self when I started to sing because the crowd was so loud but I manage to turn them up.  It’s always an honor to sing the National Anthem.  After the anthem we got to go sit up in the suite to watch the game until it was time for me to sing at halftime.  

They came and took us back down to the field.  They rolled out a stage for me to stand on in the middle of the field.  They surrounded me with about 175 cancer patient, survivors, caregivers and the cheerleaders.  They all did a cheer as I sang my song.  It was really emotional to be a part of this.  Again, it isn’t a normal performance for me at any of these performances.  Surrounded by breast cancer patients and survivors is emotional enough but to know that I am one of them makes it even more emotional.   To hear the announcers say “Breast cancer survivor” when they introduce me still does not seem real and makes me take a deep breath every time. 

 

 

After the performance was over they took us back up to the suite.   We got to meet Erin Andrews.  She was really nice. She does the side line reporting on the game.   We enjoyed the rest of the game and then back to the hotel to fly home the next morning. 

Oct 26th  Opry Goes Pink

Tonight I played my favorite stage of all time.  The Grand Ole Opry.  What a way to close out my performances for this great amazing month of October.

The Opry asked me to cut he Pink Ribbon to start the night off.  They have this show every year in October to raise money for breast cancer research.  I’m so honored to have cut the ribbon and to sing once again on this wonderful stage. 

A year ago at this time there was a thought I may never get to perform again.  To perform here is the most amazing place ever.  Tonight Carrie Underwood flipped the lights to pink and is also singing. My first time meeting her and she told me she was a fan of mine from a long time ago when she first played a show in Nashville where I performed also.  She said she was like 16.  Pretty cool.  

My dad was also there with me.  We celebrated his 90th Birthday tonight which would be Oct 29th..3 days from now.  He loves going to the Opry.  His favorite place as well.  So glad he got to be there with me.  

Rita Wilson and Colbie Caillat were also on the show so it was cool to meet them.  

There is no place like the Grand Ole Opry.  

Oct 29th  Co. Capelli Salon and Spa Cut’n Out Cancer Cut-A-Thon 

Today this wonderful salon donated proceeds of their sales today to my charity “The Love Anchors Fund”!  They contributed $3,500.00!  This money will go towards helping patients pay their bills during their treatment and time off work due to their illness.  I am so happy that I will be able to help others by helping to raise  money to do these kinds of things through my charity.  You can always donate to the fund by clicking here!  https://www.cfmt.org/funds/anitacochran/

Thank you to everyone at Co. Capelli and Rick Scott for putting this together!!!

Nov 3 American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Strides Walk

Had to get up really early this morning to get downtown Nashville so I can do my soundcheck.  They have asked me to sing the National Anthem and sing my song Fight Like A Girl just before the walk starts.  It was pretty amazing.  This is the first Strides Walk I have ever done.  To see so many patients, survivors, caretakers and just people supporting the cause was so emotionally great!  I think there was around 20,000 people there for the walk and they raised about $700,000.00 for breast cancer research!!!  That’s awesome!  I want to thank everyone who donating to my team and or came and walked with us. We had about 40 people that got up that early to walk with us on my team.  Thanks a million guys!  The walk started at 8am so everyone had to get there before then.  really meant a lot to see so many friends come out to be with us!!!  I think our team raised close to $6,000 and ended up in 6th place out of over 500 teams I believe.  

We walked over 3 miles.  We had a wheel chair for me in case I needed a break.  From my broken ribs, lack of energy from chemo build up and neuropathy in my feet we were unsure if I could walk the full 3 miles.  Proud to say I only sat in the chair for a few minutes!  Later that night and the next few days I felt the pain in my hips and legs though.   It gradually got better though.  

Nov 4th Wigs & Wishes Event

If you remember at the end of my Good Morning America performance we ended outside in Times Square where Wigs & Wishes Organization was cutting hair from people who were donating their hair for Wigs for cancer patients.  Well the founder Martino Cartier emailed me after that performance and asked me if I would come and perform at their annual fundraiser.  I think this is a great charity so off I went with my good friend Shanna to Berlin, NJ to perform my song tonight.  What an amazing event it was.  The venue was beautiful.  The before and after party’s were amazing.  The actual event was so emotional.  See this organization gives free wigs to people battling cancer and they grant wishes to children who are sick.  The presented one young girl with a puppy dog that she had wished for.  She had brain cancer.  I cried most of the time while sitting in my chair during the whole event.  Really destroys me to see sick kids battling cancer.  

The night was full of love and great talent.  Lainie Kazan was there and was so kind!  I sat at a table with Carson Kressley who was also a sweet heart.

It was quite an elegant evening and I’m sure a lot of money was raised for this cause which makes me very happy. 

 

Nov 8th.   Pink Ribbon Night  YMCA’s ABC Program

Tonight was the night for the ABC program.  “After Breast Cancer”.  It’s such  great event.  The money raised tonight will pay for any breast cancer patient to be able to work out at the YMCA for 16 weeks with a trainer and a nutritionist.  This is so important.  I am going to join up as soon as I can heal from my  port being removed.  People don’t realize just how bad out of shape you can get from going through chemo treatment and surgery’s.  I’ve not been allowed to really do any kind of physical things for over a year now.  I have never been so out of shape.  When you are sick you don’t feel like working out.  And when you have a chemo port you can’t really lift any weights.  Not only do you feel awful inside from all the chemo, cancer and drugs, but you physically feel awful on the outside as well.  I can not wait to start working out and so happy that the YMCA has this program.  Not all YMCA’s do this.  I want to try to make it a goal to get all YMCA’s to do this.  I was so honored that they asked me to headline their event tonight at the Loveless Barn.  My all star female band also donated their time to come play with me so it was totally awesome to get to play with them again.  It had been way too long and of course they did a great job!  My dear friend Terri Clark was there and she jumped on stage to sing a couple songs with us which was a huge treat to the crowd and us!  I had a great time but had to sit down for a song.  My ribs were hurting from singing and my guitar strap had been laying over my port for two long so I had to take the guitar off and sit down for a song but everything was good!!  Even my oncologist came to this event with another colleague from her office.  

I must say that this month of October going into November 2018 will always be held as a special time in my life.    Not only because I finished my final round of Chemo just prior but to be able to celebrate my survivorship with so many and to help in the fight against breast cancer in so many ways was so rewarding to me.  So many people were so great and helpful to me throughout my year battle that I really wanted to pay it forward as much as I could the month of October.  God granted me every show/performance I had asked him for months prior and then some!  It felt so good to be me, and artist again that could finally give back.  

I’ve been off the stage pretty much for a year.  I realized just how much I love my job of being a singer, song writer, entertainer, musician.  It’s who I am.  I pray to God that I can continue to do this for a living and now add my story to it.  

So many people need encouraging.  I hope to always be able to encourage people to keep up the fight.    A new purpose has been added to my life.

 

Some people may say I’m going out on a limb here but…I find it funny that all of these events that I played as soon as I finished my last chemo came to me so organically and honest and I felt like my mother in heaven was directing the whole thing.  Now, the last think for me to perform was this show at The Loveless Barn which is literally right down the street from where my momma is buried.  Coincidence?  I don’t think so.

 

Nov 13th  Not Feeling Well

Still healing from the two broken ribs from the NY trip, I haven’t felt good for the last couple weeks.  My stomach has felt odd, bloated and I’ve had a pain in my left ovary.  Of course this scares me to death because those are symptoms of ovarian cancer.  A friend of my has just been diagnosed with this and it’s very upsetting.  Worrying has kept me awake for two weeks now.  So today I had ultrasounds done to see what’s wrong, praying there is no cancer.

Nov 14th.  Surgery Time – NO MORE CHEMO PORT

This morning I arrived at the hospital to hopefully have my final surgery!!  Today my chemo port will come out and my doctor will also make some final adjustments on my mastectomy’s.   It’s always scary going into surgery.  I really dislike getting put under.  As we waited for them to call me back I got an email from my oncologist telling me that my ultras sounds were all clear and that I could get my port out.  This was such a relief for me that I cried. Thank you God for no more new cancer.  Right after reading the email they called me back for surgery.  I was in surgery for a little over an hour and all went well.  My doctor basically said that I was going to be in recovery for 6 weeks.  I have to wear the wrap around my chest and my stomach for the full 6 weeks.  I can’t lift anything or do anything physical.  Just when I was starting to feel a little stronger here we go again.  Another 6 weeks of doing nothing and back to not working again.  Thought I’m upset about it and again in pain from the surgery’s I have to celebrate because I’m now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  My port is out!!!!!  No more chemo!  So basically the new year 2019 will be the beginning of the new me with hopefully no more surgery’s or cancer and hopefully I’ll be on the road to being a better me. 

 

I’m still not sure what is causing the pain in my stomach and left ovary…all the test came back clear.  Maybe it’s deferred pain from my broken ribs?  My friend said maybe I over did it for the month of October and my body is taking a hit for it..?  Not sure but I do know that…

the 6 big things I wanted to do during the month of October/November actually happened and happened so organically like they were all meant to be.  Things I had talked about doing back in March.  1) Devon O’Day on WSM, GAC, GMA, NFL, The Grand Ole Opry and perform at the Nashville Breast Cancer Strides Walk and then some added bonus’s on top of those.  It has been a busy time.  I’m so grateful to have had this time and to be healthy enough to be able to do them.  I guess I will now lay low for a while and let my body heal from this last weeks surgery’s and pray they will be the last.  I went from having my last chemo right into all of these events.  Maybe I just need to rest for a while.  I have learned so much over this past year.  And just in the past few months I’ve been reminded to claim what you dream about.  Ask of it from God, send it out into the universe as if you know for a fact your dreams will happen.  This all was a reminder to me of how to dream and plan my future yet again and it all happened then way I wanted it to.  So from now on I’m back to dreaming big baby!!!

I want to thank anyone and everyone who has helped me so far through this journey.  Whether it was a kind word, a prayer, a dinner, downloading my songs or donating to my gofundme page.   I really appreciate all of you and just wanted to try to pay it forward when October came.  I hope to always be able to pay if forward but I need to go back to work too.  Can’t pay bills on broken ribs a lone ha ha.    Remember to help us all in this fight and download my song Fight Like  A Girl from itunes.com, amazon.com or googleplay.com    Love to all!