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Of course it snows on a day mom and I are to head to Columbus. It always rains or snows when we go or leave Columbus. I think mother nature hates us lol

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We are a go for tomorrow. My donor has passed all of HIS tests. Yes my donor is a male. He us from the US and is 24 years old. I will be receiving his bone marrow and my blood type will most definitely change from my B- to his O+

Currently that is all the information I am allowed to have.

I am ever so thankful for my donor and his willingness to save my life. Because of him joining the bone marrow registry through www.bethematch.org I have this opportunity to have my life changed forever.

Please if you haven’t done so yet go to the website and join today. You are just as important in beating leukemia as the chemo that they give and the doctors we pay.

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This week is the start of challenging weeks to come. Tomorrow evening, we will head to Columbus for early morning appointment at the James on Tuesday. . Jennifer will have another bone marrow biopsy. For her to move forward to transplant, her marrow has to be free of cancer. We then will meet with her doctors as a follow up from her appointment last week when she wasn’t feeling well. Although she still has a bit of a cough, it is much improved and the swelling in her neck/gland has gone down.

Jennifer felt well enough last evening to go to the Ottoville girls regional final game. I believe she had a fantastic time with her dad and sister. I even crocheted her a hat in the green and gold colors to wear.

If Jennifer is feeling well enough on Thursdsy, she will go with us to the girls state semi final game. I’m hoping to get a press pass to take pictures on the floor (if anyone can help make that happen). I would also love to get Jennifer to the floor to watch some of the game. Hopefully my good pall Dave B. can make it happen.

On Saturday, Jen starts her first of three days of pre-radiation treatment. These treatments are to protect her teeth from radiation. If the Ottoville Lady Green win their game Thursday, we hope to get to the final game then Saturday afternoon.

Then on Tuesday, March 21, Jen will be admitted to the James to start radiation and chemo, with three days of radiation, a day off, and then three days of chemo. Then on March 28, Jen’s life saving bone marrow will arrive! This we consider Jen’s rebirth day.

Her donor isn’t someone we know but found on the registry. All we know is this person is from the USA and is willing to give Jen a chance at life. We are allowed to write letters to the donor but we are not allowed to identify ourselves for one year. I am not sure how I go about saying thank you to this anonymous stranger who is willing to save my daughter’s life.

It will be a crazy, but exciting week. We are excited about our local girls hs team in the state tournament and also a bit on edge as we move forward in Jennifer’s treatments.

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Yesterday my thoughts were on how it’s been 20 years since we said goodbye to my grandma. I almost forgot until tonight that is that yesterday marked 4 months for me.

4 months ago yesterday we got the call from my Doctor that we needed to go to the James. That I was sick. That I had leukemia. That I had cancer.

Even though my official diagnosis wouldn’t be until a few days later. That day my life changed.

The lives of my family changed. Life how I thought would be for me went out the window. Although I know I will beat this there is so much of my future that is still unknown.

For instance. I don’t know if the transplant that I will get here in 2 weeks will leave me unable to have kids.

I’ve always pictured myself being a mom. And I know I will be a mom. But I may never get to experience being pregnant. There are days this saddens me more than I can even begin to express. You hold an idea of what your future will be and then poof it’s gone.

Or how it will take me two years or more for me to grow my hair back to the length it was before this all happened. That I will have to have “boy hair” as I call it for months before I may feel girlie again. And the fact that my hair color my no be brown.

I do the best I can to smile and look for the blessings in all this. Most days are not easy but good enough and happy. But there are days where it is very hard to smile and put on that brave face.

I am so blessed to have my amazing family at my side. I couldn’t imagine going through this without their love and support. I know this hasn’t been easy on any of them.

There are days that I worry about my mom not working so she can take care of me and drive me to appointments. There are days where I worry that my dad will be too focused on me while at work and something bad will happen. I worry how I will be able to afford not being able to work for another year. How will I or my family pay bills if two of us can’t work.

But then I think about how I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to share my story. To spread the word of the need for donors through Be The Match. How I may be able to change the world and help others while I fight the hardest fight I will ever know.

So as I write this tonight I hope all of you embrace what you gave in front of you. Don’t take for granted the small things in life like being able to drive a car, to walk, to breathe comfortably, to being able to work and make a living, or knowing you can one day have your own family. Don’t lose sight of what is in front of you. Because one day you may wake up and everything has changed. Enjoy life. Make a bucket list and live your life. No regrets.

I hope out of all this ugly cancer that is for sure no damn fairytale that someone out there finds peace or hope or whatever it may be for my story. I hope my being sick and my fight is good for something or someone. So tomorrow head into your Monday not with dismay because it’s the start of another week. Go into Monday knowing you have a new week to embrace life and live it to the fullest every chance you get.

Tomorrow my mom and I travel to Columbus to be there for my Biopsy on Tuesday. I know all signs still point to remission with me but I still worry about it throwing and hitch into my transplant plan. Keep me any my family lifted up in your thoughts and feelings prayers as we prepare for battle.

Love you all! God bless. Goodnight.

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Just 2 more days left. It’s hard to believe that after 4 months we are finally reaching the home stretch.

I see a light at the end of the tunnel. This summer I may get to start working with furniture again. I might get to do things I use to.

Although I may get to do things again I also won’t get to do things. I will still have to avoid small children if they have been recently vaccinated with a live virus. I will still need to have regular check ups with my team to make sure I am where I need to be. I may not get to go swimming. I won’t have long.hair long hair to play with for at least a year and it will be 2 years before it’s back to its normal length.

I know I may never get to have children on my own without the help of others or adoption. I also know I won’t be able to work a real job for at least a year post transplant.

But I also know there is life after transplant. There are so many things up in the air. So many unknowns. But I know for certain there is life. I will never give up and will keep fighting for that.