February and the results are in............

As of February 19th, for today, my body is cancer free and this is how I feel...be playful with your lives - Please! Be grateful for your World...

Keep checking back to see what happens next - many surprises!

Hugs and more hugs

Jen

Time to catch up with "What's Up"

Click on title see a bit of old school to the new school of "wassssup"

Along with billions of others around the whole world, on January 15th, I watched and held my breath with hope. 

I had desperately wanted to go to Washington DC and just be in the presence of one of the most historical moments in American.  I was raised in the generation that followed civil rights - an age still wading through the past and ideas of black and white.  How would it be for a culture with such American history and burden to see one of their own take the highest office of leadership?  As much as this election was unifying and beyond - still a black American was being inaugurated to be President of the United States.  The emotion was going to be palatable and run the gamut.  The weather was freezing and the anticipation warming - a melting away of pain.  

I watched the morning news starting at 4:00 AM and the determination of a country as it found its way to the National Mall.  I drove into New York City and up to Harlem wondering inside with my own emotion, my own history.  Over 3,000 NYC school kids, their teachers and families were descending upon the Harlem Armory for their own inauguration party. 

The breath of history was being let out, and a new mix of life without limitation because of color and culture took its place that day.   I felt we had as a world moved into a place were anything is now possible!  Youth brought this change to us...we should respect that and all we do with this experience and what we will leave for them with a new history.

Joy to the World,

Jen

     

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