My Friend Jo
Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 4:11 pm
Hello friends here, I have not posted for a very long time. Too much of life getting in the way I am afraid. I would like to thank all of you for your support in the past, all the advice, all the prayers, all the friendship across the miles.
My last posts were about my friend Jo, at that time she was diagnosed with breast cancer, back in May, 2008.
For Jo, who is the most remarkable person I have ever known, all the ups and downs were met with grace, love, faith, and laughter.
We were first told she had metastatic breast cancer, stage 4, no prognosis, and at least 36 different chemo drugs to be used. I am not kidding when I say they ran through all those drugs, many are in "groups" and a patient can only have just so much of a group, so on to the next set of drugs.
Along the way, it was finally decided she was at a point to have a
mastectomy, Jo made the decision to have both breasts removed, bounced back from that surgery and resulting chest wall radiation, only for the doctors to find the cancer in her brain, so on to full brain radiation, and then back on chemo.
The interesting thing we found out during this time, Jo actually had IBC, inflammatory breast cancer,and was among the 3% of patients that respond to any treatment whatsoever. In fact, the prognosisis is six months from diagnosis. We saw the 3% result as a true miracle.
Also along the way, Emma, her first grandchild, grew from a baby to a beautiful 6 year old, Ephraim followed and is now almost 4, and following up in the rear was Reed, who is 20 months old. Oh, number 4 is arriving next May!
We knew at the first of this year things were not going well, the cancer started growing again, chemos were shuffled around in hopes that it would help, radiation was done on her right hip because of the pain in the bones there.
And finally the doctors agreed it was time for hospice to be called in.
But in true Jo fashion, everything was done the way she wished. She had a "bucket list" of things to do, one being one last family reunion in the mountains north of Boise, and that wish was granted by an organization by the name of Wish Granters, they found a mountain home that a wonderful Basque family donated for 4 days to Jo! That made lasting memories for Jo and her family.
Nine days ago, Jo was moved to her sister's home, her wish, to die there.
Once again, family and friends were with her, all the way.
Jo left us a week ago today, and her funeral was this Monday, she was buried at our beautiful new Veterans Cemetery, to be joined some day by her husband. Jo had planned her funeral, down to the knat's eyelash! Music, speakers, and a balloon release at the end at the cemetery for the little kids there.
Jo led the way for all of us, all the way on this journey. I can not even begin to tell you all the memories we all have of Jo, her journey through cancer, and her triumph of spirit.
So to my friend Jo, I do not say goodbye, I say:
I love you, see you later my friend.
Lynne
"A day hemmed in prayer never unravels"
My last posts were about my friend Jo, at that time she was diagnosed with breast cancer, back in May, 2008.
For Jo, who is the most remarkable person I have ever known, all the ups and downs were met with grace, love, faith, and laughter.
We were first told she had metastatic breast cancer, stage 4, no prognosis, and at least 36 different chemo drugs to be used. I am not kidding when I say they ran through all those drugs, many are in "groups" and a patient can only have just so much of a group, so on to the next set of drugs.
Along the way, it was finally decided she was at a point to have a
mastectomy, Jo made the decision to have both breasts removed, bounced back from that surgery and resulting chest wall radiation, only for the doctors to find the cancer in her brain, so on to full brain radiation, and then back on chemo.
The interesting thing we found out during this time, Jo actually had IBC, inflammatory breast cancer,and was among the 3% of patients that respond to any treatment whatsoever. In fact, the prognosisis is six months from diagnosis. We saw the 3% result as a true miracle.
Also along the way, Emma, her first grandchild, grew from a baby to a beautiful 6 year old, Ephraim followed and is now almost 4, and following up in the rear was Reed, who is 20 months old. Oh, number 4 is arriving next May!
We knew at the first of this year things were not going well, the cancer started growing again, chemos were shuffled around in hopes that it would help, radiation was done on her right hip because of the pain in the bones there.
And finally the doctors agreed it was time for hospice to be called in.
But in true Jo fashion, everything was done the way she wished. She had a "bucket list" of things to do, one being one last family reunion in the mountains north of Boise, and that wish was granted by an organization by the name of Wish Granters, they found a mountain home that a wonderful Basque family donated for 4 days to Jo! That made lasting memories for Jo and her family.
Nine days ago, Jo was moved to her sister's home, her wish, to die there.
Once again, family and friends were with her, all the way.
Jo left us a week ago today, and her funeral was this Monday, she was buried at our beautiful new Veterans Cemetery, to be joined some day by her husband. Jo had planned her funeral, down to the knat's eyelash! Music, speakers, and a balloon release at the end at the cemetery for the little kids there.
Jo led the way for all of us, all the way on this journey. I can not even begin to tell you all the memories we all have of Jo, her journey through cancer, and her triumph of spirit.
So to my friend Jo, I do not say goodbye, I say:
I love you, see you later my friend.
Lynne
"A day hemmed in prayer never unravels"