Hello Dear Friends…..
First Diagnosed
First Day Of Chemotherapy
Andrew's 24th Birthday
Last Picture With My Hair
More Chemotherapy
Surgery Day
Surgery Day
Emily's 21st Birthday
Me & Em
32nd Wedding Anniversary
Relay For Life
Relay For Life Luminary
Hospital Stay
Christmas Eve With Friends
My Kids
My Kids Again
My Guy
Last Day Of Radiation
Enjoying Some Time
Carolien
Sofia
Vickie
Tammie
Heidi
Scott's Mom
My Mom And Dad
"Emergency!" Fans
A Surprise Visit
All My Friends
He Truly Loves Me Through It
It has been said that “a friend is someone who knows the song in
your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
This post is a post to say THANK YOU to
each and every one of you who took time from your life to sing my song back to
me when I had forgotten the words! Every card, every letter, every email, every
little package, every hug, every hand that held mine, every prayer that was
whispered, every thought that was thought and all the love that was shared with
me has meant more to me then you will ever know! I am so very grateful to all
of you for loving me through this journey! I could never have done it without
you! The road has been long and my bend in the road has had some pretty sharp
turns along the way, but I can see the bend straightening out, I can see light
at the end of the tunnel and I can now see the other side! Our God is such an
awesome God!
These past few months have been hard,
really hard. I have made more trips to City of Hope, a new plan for my
treatment was reached. It took me 6 months just to get the symptoms of the
super bug under control. I am not receiving chemotherapy right now but two
other drugs, Herceptin and Perjeta , that are fighting these nasty little
cancer cells. I will receive them every 3 weeks until at least April. I
finished 33 sessions of radiation on June 1oth. I was really happy when that
was finished because radiation was sooo exhausting… every day….a 2 ½ hour drive
round trip. One thing is for sure… I was never alone! Never once! Two years ago
today, when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, Scott held me when I
cried and promised me I would not walk this road alone, I would not make this journey
on my own! He kept that promise….and has
been there every step of the way…loving me through it, making me feel special, helping me feel normal. I have never loved
this man more than I do right now! One night I received an email from Emily. I
remember laughing because she was just in the next room, but the tears started
flowing when I listened to the song she had sent me! It is the song I have on
here today.... I’m Gonna Love You Through It by Martina McBride. Emily, you are
so very dear to me. You have been there through it all, loving me through it,
making me laugh, reminding me not to take myself so seriously, keeping
everything in perspective, letting me know that I will not always feel like
this and most important that I do make a
difference in your life. And through it all…. you still manage to find yet
another kitten that needs rescuing! ( LOL) I am so very proud of the woman you
have become! Thank you Emily for sending
me this song. I love this song and it
has been the song I have listened to more times than any other. It has gotten
me through some pretty rough patches and has reminded me time and time again
that I have never been alone…..that I have been extremely blessed because I
have had a remarkable support system all the way….that I have been given love
through every step of my journey. Andrew, every time I look at you I see the
man that you are and am so grateful that you are my son! You have been my other
bookend, always up for an episode of Emergency or spur of the moment bear
hunts! You make my tea just as I like it and your chocolate chip cookies are
out of this world delicious! Because of you I have realized that I am braver
than I ever believed possible! And Holly….You walked into our front door one
afternoon and right into my heart! Your love, encouragement, understanding when
I am so very tired and shining spirit have meant so very much to me! The way
you love Andrew does this Mother’s heart so much good and the friendship you
share with Emily is beyond priceless! I love you like my own daughter and I
know I couldn’t have come this far without you!
Being a good friend to a friend who has
cancer is not easy. Giving love, support, hope and encouragement requires time
and patience. Every person who fights cancer fights it in their own way but
this I can tell you….being there for a friend who is fighting for her life is
the best gift you can ever give to her! The little notes of encouragement, the
flowers sent to her, the phone calls to see how she is doing, the postcards and
little packages, the offer to help clean her house or make a meal or drive her
to a treatment all is so very much appreciated. Even if she is too tired to
talk or answer an email just knowing you are there is so very valuable. Sitting
with her, even if she falls asleep, means so much. For me personally, just
knowing I was never alone, that there was someone to call if needed gave me
great comfort. After I lost my hair and was so sick during chemo and after
losing a breast I didn’t feel like Jenny anymore. I looked different and felt
different. All I wanted was to feel normal again not a person with cancer….just
Jenny. My family and friends gave that to me. To them I was just Jenny….it
didn’t matter that my breast was gone, that my hair was different, that some days I was too tired to do much of anything or that I cried over the
silliest things. Because of that I soon came to realize that Jenny….the real Jenny….the one that really matters…..was still there, shining brightly, for all
to see. My journey is not over yet. I still have a ways to travel, I still have
to be VERY careful with infections and I still have cancer to fight. But I have
made it this far, I am coming out the other side, I am shining brightly for my
Lord and I have YOU! So….I will carry on and continue to be so grateful for all
of you that have stood by me, that will continue to stand by me and who will
always Love Me Through It!
So thank you all so very much for loving
me through this journey, for remembering my song and singing it back to me and
most important for being the blessing that each of you have been in my life! I
have met some amazing people as I walked this road, and each and every one has
touched my life and found a place in my heart. You all hold a special place in
my heart, a very dear place and you will be there for always! After all
friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest…. it’s about who came
and never left your side. I love each and every one of you! Forever!
Oh my dear friend, what a 'letter' you've written! I wrote about my crying abilities in my last blogpost and yeah ... here I go again! I am so proud to have you as my dearest friend! I can't tell you how dear you are to me ... but you know that. I read this entry with awe and great respect. You did it all, Jenny, and you have come this far. And that is so important for you but also for all of us. You are so special and so precious to all of us ... Off to the last battle and to a stunning result and a very long and happy life for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and some more ;)
ReplyDeleteHugs my friend and thank you for this wonderful post,
Carolien
Oh my gosh, I just listened to that song. Where are my hankiessss???? Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletexxx Carolien
Oh Jenny, what a lovely, beautiful post. What a writer you are! That is a very powerful song isn't it? I truly enjoyed the many pictures. I went back over them again and again. Thank you for being my friend. God bless you Jenny. ❤️
ReplyDeleteDear sweet Jenny I feel so blessed to have you as a new friend. Although we have just met, we are sharing this mountain to climb. You are such an inspiration to me and that means so much. You are a warrior just like my dear husband. Your story is so beautifully written and like you I know how much the support system helps. I love how close you are with your family which is an added blessing. I feel like I know all of you already...you bring people into our hearts. I feel truly honored that you have shared your story with me. God has a way of bringing the right people together no matter how far away they may be. I love how sweet Carolien has come into your life even though she is across the pond. And, our dear Vickie is so kind and supportive. I'm about to leave for our trip but I will keep in touch along the way. You are in my thoughts and prayers and these battles will be won. Much love, RJ
ReplyDeleteDearest Jenny, I'm truly honored to be among those listed above who are blessed to have you as a friend. For many years, we have lived on opposite coasts and while I now live on the right coast, it is still too far away to feel like I can do much for you. You do remain in my thoughts and prayers, and God willing, some day soon we will hug in person again. Meanwhile, thank you for keeping us updated and please know you are loved!
ReplyDeleteWhat a journey you have been on, Jenny... and one you have handled with such amazing grace and bravery. Your faith, family, and friends have been there for you every step of the way and I trust that they always will be. You are an inspiration to me--I hope you know that :) Sending a warm hug and my sincere thoughts and prayers for many, many good healthy days in your future!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy and proud to have met you. I will never forget when we first met and I started crying for "release" and you hugged me without hesitation! I told myself "This woman needs a hug more from me than I do her" after all you have been through. So THANK U for that! I couldnt tell u that in person as I'd probably start crying again...lol!Darn hormones making us all emotional all the time! Hahah! I love how u wrote "friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest…. it’s about who came and never left your side" because I feel the same way too! I admire your strength and courage and the strength and courage that your family provides you! You will beat the crap out of this cancer because look how far you have come! God doesnt give up on fighters..its what I tell my mom too! My mom is quiet spoken but she can see that you are a kind person. Hopefully we can all sit down soon and celebrate our triumphs together! I cant wait! Xxoo See you soon and take care!
ReplyDelete