Happy New Year! 2009 rings in New Beginnings....

Here is to new beginnings and the joy of celebration just hours after my last chemotherapy treatment for stage III colon cancer. Diagnosed 6 months ago - miles ago, what feels like years ago and then in reality was only days or and minutes ago. It took me some time to post all of this - just over 30 days. Each day it all sinks in a bit more, and each day my energy comes back and the anxiety finds a way out - in my steps out the front door and into my new life as a cancer survivor! It felt like a bad nightmare - was this real? I go mid February for my first PET scan and will take each one as it comes, every few months to help guide my next steps. Thank you to you all for your support and believing this day would come! Thank you thank you thank you....those are my three things to be grateful for - to be thankful!

Love,

Jen

December 29th - 31st Final Chemo treatment

This is going to be a photomontage of the last minutes of the last treatment of what I hope will be my last moments of cancer!  The next post will also be a montage of celebration that happened only hours after the pump came off...two sides to a wicked and hopeful coin.

Three things to be grateful for:

1) No more chemo

2) All my family and friends

3) The desire for no more cancer

Christmas 2008

It was here finally!  I love Christmas... although gifts are lovely to get, I like to give great ones and see how people react.  It feels good to know you have made someone so happy.   I like Christmas so much because it is one of my good family memories, and in spite of the difficulties we faced as kids - when we were little my Mom loved Christmas too.  

We always have a Christmas tree and for the last 18 years Amelia and I have been collecting great ornaments.  Some from my childhood that my mom gave to each of her kids one year, and many have special dates that Amelia will take with her when she moves on and has her first Christmas alone.  So when I pull the boxes out and Christmas carols play on the stereo and the tree has opened in its stand - I really know that the season is here!  As I unwrap the ornament, the memories some great and some sad flood me.  We had one for Blackie this year - a dachsie, and we put the date on it.   

My favorite has to be Amelia's wax candle made in preschool out of crayons "melted with care" and the winter scene made with plaster and real pine cones.  A handicap man Jeffrey helped her and her classmates make the winter scene with a little winter elf.  I think of all that innocence and love - and always have a good cry.  

So this year Jeff, Adrianne, Lola and Blake (Michael's brother's family) came over and we had traditional xmas eve dinner, mussels in wine sauce, lasagna, hearty salad and fresh dressing - and then a delicious assortment of goodies for dessert including Adrianne's flour less chocolate cake - yummy!  

Michael helped me and we finished the last bit of Santa duties and had a wonderful Christmas morning with Amelia and Clayton.  Later in the day a lovely dinner at Jeff and Adrianne's.  We talked to family all day and visited with Joe's parents that night... full of love and lots of luck!

It was easy to remember the importance and understanding of Christmas and giving this year my three things to be grateful for are very easy - Michael, Amelia and Clayton.

Happy holidays - love,

Jen

December 15th #11 without a hitch - xmas shopping with chemo on!

Michael was a bit sick so we decided he could not go with me to chemotherapy, but I could drive myself in and Shelly would meet me - perfect.  Shel would drive me home and I would be there with Michael and he could take me under is own convalescing wing!  How romantic! 

The tough part was that Amelia was home now for the break from school, we had family friends coming the following weekend and then Clayton - Michael's son would come on the afternoon of Monday December 21st.  It was getting crowded and oh so busy just before xmas and I still had a bit of shopping to do!  

So I got the brainy idea to go after chemo to Costco in Long Island City to take a look at a few things.  Good idea for the time line and remember I feel no pain right after chemo - in fact I often remember very little.  So Shel was up for it.  She needed to go by the liquor outlet and so we were off.... I found a great flannel shirt for Michael and picked up a couple bottles of Perseco for my next and to be last chemo treatment December 29th!  

Sometimes what you don't feel and don't know can't hurt you!  So I did not know if I looked a bit out of it, my dear friend Shelly always says I look marvelous, and if I acted a bit strange - well that is par for the course when I am not on drugs!  I was one step closer to being finished with treatment and my shopping - all in a days work while in treatment!

Three things to be grateful for:

1) Shel

2) Shel and Mark

3) Shel, Mark and Michael

xoxoxo

Jen

East meets West documented in treatment #10 December 1st

Round #10 with just two more treatments to go and we are in the throws of the holidays....visitors, cooking, and chemotherapy.  Yikes....Michael is my knight in shinning armor and accompanied me to treatment this time and took care of me for my three days. Did I remember to say "Thank you"...

So as I had described in previous posts my dear friend David Greenhouse with Greenhouse

Holistic has been a guiding light for my alternative treatments including acupuncture.  My acupuncturist Myung-Jin threw no false punches when first interviewing me back in July. Acupuncture would not cure my cancer.  What acupuncture would do and has done for me throughout my treatment - was to aid me in managing pain as the chemotherapy drugs caused tremendous nerve pain in my ears and chest when breathing, manage nerve issues in my hands and feet and aid me in keeping my menstrual cycle regular. Often during chemotherapy neuropathy is quite common - a numbing sensation in the hands and feet as well as a complete loss of menstrual cycles.   My experience of neuropathy has been up and down - but I did retain my menstrual cycle throughout my course of treatment which my doctors found to be a bit mysterious. I attribute these successes to my acupuncture and a diet high in raw fresh juices, fruit and vegetables.  

The plastic tube in the pictures is the chemotherapy pump that I come home with for two days and then we disconnect from the port - so every other week my acupuncture treatments took place while I was having my chemo treatment.  At first I wondered if I would implode!

In addition to the physical health benefits the calming effects of the acupuncture aided in keeping a mental balance and a place where I went once a week that my practitioner not only new but expected me to have a very layered experience at this time in my life.  

My daughter's lovely boyfriend is building his portfolio and I needed a good photographer to record my treatments...photographs by Joe Cruz.

Three things to be grateful for:

1) Friends who are so giving - David and Michelle Greenhouse I can never thank you enough!

2) Mynug-Jin Chung my highly skilled acupuncturist

3) Joe Cruz...thank you for loving my daughter so sweetly and sharing yourself with us

Peace

Jen

Giving Back to The People's Firehouse and NAG - Engine Company 212

So as my treatments are coming to an end I have been rallied on my good weeks to help my community and those who have helped me.

Felice and Jane are leading the capital campaign committee for The People's Firehouse and Neighbors Allied for Good Growth to renovate the Firehouse Engine 212 to be the new home for these two beloved neighborhood non-profits. For those who are unfamiliar The People's Firehouse has organized for the Williamsburg community since the 70's when Engine 212 first faced a shut down and from that time served as a community watch for fire protection - see the WNET film.

Neighbors Allied for Good Growth literally shaped the waterfront of Williamsburg Brooklyn with a number of other key groups and our Community Board. NAG has tirelessly advocated for an inclusive community where not only the gentrification creates accessibility but that they our neighborhood - community is a continue refection in the minds eye of development.

Building the Northside Town Hall
The Engine 212 firehouse was one of several decommissioned in May 2003 after a bitter community fight. The three-story, 6,000 square-foot building will now be given back to the community to become the Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center. After a competitive proposal process, Neighbors Allied for Good Growth and The People’s Firehouse, Inc. were awarded the rights to adaptively reuse the former firehouse located at 134 Wythe Avenue in Northside Williamsburg as a community center. The newly redesigned building will house office and meeting space for the groups and other community organizations, as well as exhibition and performance space for local arts organizations. The two organizations are now engaged in a $1.9 million capital campaign to fund the redevelopment of the former firehouse site.

So now it is our turn...both of these organizations need our help to make this all come true. Please email if you have an interest in helping in any way - armproductions@aol.com

Stay posted for updates

Jen