Houston Update
Hi All,
I'm home from Texas and wanted to thank everyone for all of their prayers and well wishes because once again, they worked! My scans showed no new tumors and the existing 'spots' have not grown. So we continue to hope that the 'spots' are healing, whatever they are. Time will tell. It is a long and painful process, but one I am so grateful for. And it would not be possible if it weren't for all of you! I again thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. Truly.
So in three months I will go back again and see what is going on in my body. But every time the results are positive, the more likely it means the transplant worked. Although in my mind, it has worked because I am able to get out of bed everyday and enjoy it. It is hard for me to believe that when I go back for my next set of scans, it will be my one year anniversary of when I had my stem cells put back in. To me, it feels like it has been one month. According to the hospital and my doctors, I while be one year old then! At least my body will be. So I will have to get all of the immunization shots over the course of a year just as if I was newly born. I look forward to celebrating!
The Jim Burns tailgate party is coming up on Saturday, September 12th. You can sign up or make a donation at www.jimmyburns33.com. Please come and celebrate a wonderful person who lived a wonderful life, although too short but left behind a legacy of love, friendship, and goodness.
Speaking of goodness, I'd like to thank my friend Ker Jevne and her parents Marge and Fred Curtis for their kindness in donating miles for me to fly to Houston. I am always so humbled by people's generosity. Another story of the goodness in people is when I was checking in at the airport, I was told by the attendant that there was a likelyhood I would not get on the flight because it was over sold. It also was the last flight out. I explained to her that I had to be at the hospital for a long day of tests at 7 am the following morning and if I couldn't make it, it would put me off a week seeing that my doctor is only in the hospital on Wednesdays, which is when the results of the scans would be in. I also had Megan, my mom and my Uncle Steve coming to meet me there. She suggested I drive, although my luggage would be on the flight no matter if I was or not. I proceeded to the gate, was too early to check in for my flight but decided to ask the attendant if she would be the one working when my flight posted. She said no but asked what I needed as I was walking away. I told her my predicament. She said nothing, but began typing on her computer. She then handed be a boarding pass, winked at me and said, don't worry; you have a seat. I grabbed her hand and told her how extremely grateful I was. About ten minutes later, the same girl tapped me on the shoulder and knelt down beside me. She asked me if I would tell her what kind of cancer I had. After I did, she said that her sister who is 33 and has six children, was just treated for breast cancer. Her sister worries every day that it is going to come back, but this girl told her it can't. And she truly believed that. Meeting me and hearing my story changed her mind. I felt terrible. Here this girl did something so nice for me and I represented her sister's worst fear. One that she thought wasn't even possible. Her sister may never have a recurrence, but I know they now will both live with the fear that I lived with every day. That any one who has had cancer lives with every day.
While I was in Austin, my cousin Tom took me to the headquarters of the Lance Armstrong Foundation where we got a tour from Chris Brewer. What an amazing organization LIVEstrong is. There are so many millions of people living with cancer and I am so happy that there is a place that is working towards making their lives easier. Thank you Tom, for bringing me there and supporting such an important cause. Tom will be riding in the LIVEstrong bike race in Austin in October. I am always in such awe of people who give their time and effort to participate in cancer funding. Please visit Tom's site at: LIVESTRONG CHALLENGE
Thank you!
Love,
Jen
I'm home from Texas and wanted to thank everyone for all of their prayers and well wishes because once again, they worked! My scans showed no new tumors and the existing 'spots' have not grown. So we continue to hope that the 'spots' are healing, whatever they are. Time will tell. It is a long and painful process, but one I am so grateful for. And it would not be possible if it weren't for all of you! I again thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. Truly.
So in three months I will go back again and see what is going on in my body. But every time the results are positive, the more likely it means the transplant worked. Although in my mind, it has worked because I am able to get out of bed everyday and enjoy it. It is hard for me to believe that when I go back for my next set of scans, it will be my one year anniversary of when I had my stem cells put back in. To me, it feels like it has been one month. According to the hospital and my doctors, I while be one year old then! At least my body will be. So I will have to get all of the immunization shots over the course of a year just as if I was newly born. I look forward to celebrating!
The Jim Burns tailgate party is coming up on Saturday, September 12th. You can sign up or make a donation at www.jimmyburns33.com. Please come and celebrate a wonderful person who lived a wonderful life, although too short but left behind a legacy of love, friendship, and goodness.
Speaking of goodness, I'd like to thank my friend Ker Jevne and her parents Marge and Fred Curtis for their kindness in donating miles for me to fly to Houston. I am always so humbled by people's generosity. Another story of the goodness in people is when I was checking in at the airport, I was told by the attendant that there was a likelyhood I would not get on the flight because it was over sold. It also was the last flight out. I explained to her that I had to be at the hospital for a long day of tests at 7 am the following morning and if I couldn't make it, it would put me off a week seeing that my doctor is only in the hospital on Wednesdays, which is when the results of the scans would be in. I also had Megan, my mom and my Uncle Steve coming to meet me there. She suggested I drive, although my luggage would be on the flight no matter if I was or not. I proceeded to the gate, was too early to check in for my flight but decided to ask the attendant if she would be the one working when my flight posted. She said no but asked what I needed as I was walking away. I told her my predicament. She said nothing, but began typing on her computer. She then handed be a boarding pass, winked at me and said, don't worry; you have a seat. I grabbed her hand and told her how extremely grateful I was. About ten minutes later, the same girl tapped me on the shoulder and knelt down beside me. She asked me if I would tell her what kind of cancer I had. After I did, she said that her sister who is 33 and has six children, was just treated for breast cancer. Her sister worries every day that it is going to come back, but this girl told her it can't. And she truly believed that. Meeting me and hearing my story changed her mind. I felt terrible. Here this girl did something so nice for me and I represented her sister's worst fear. One that she thought wasn't even possible. Her sister may never have a recurrence, but I know they now will both live with the fear that I lived with every day. That any one who has had cancer lives with every day.
While I was in Austin, my cousin Tom took me to the headquarters of the Lance Armstrong Foundation where we got a tour from Chris Brewer. What an amazing organization LIVEstrong is. There are so many millions of people living with cancer and I am so happy that there is a place that is working towards making their lives easier. Thank you Tom, for bringing me there and supporting such an important cause. Tom will be riding in the LIVEstrong bike race in Austin in October. I am always in such awe of people who give their time and effort to participate in cancer funding. Please visit Tom's site at: LIVESTRONG CHALLENGE
Thank you!
Love,
Jen
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