My Inspiration

First of all, you should know that it is not my hair in the picture. The friend of mine who cuts my hair got me the wig and it looks pretty close to the hair I used to have (go down to earlier blog). This picture was taken at Connor's joint birthday party with Jess Markley (who turned 85 when Connor turned 10) on February 4.

Second of all, I am so sorry about the big gap between this blog and the last one. I have been BUSY during the week and TIRED on the weekends.

Third of all, PRAISE THE LORD, my brother is safely back in California. His birthday was Monday and I am such a good sister, I didn't even call him...but I talked to him last week and he knows I love him...

I am due back at MD Anderson in Houston at the end of Feb. for tests to see if the chemo is working, but my blood tests every four weeks (for the tumor markers) have been encouraging...they keep dropping. I can't really taste anything anymore and I am getting tired of myself, but other than that I am doing well. The newest "ailment" is minor pain in my hands and feet and some blurred vision...which I will ask the nurse about tomorrow when I go for my weekly shot.

Finally, I want to share MY inspiration. There are two people whose story I really want to share with you...my cousin Jonetta and my cousin Gina - they are both my paternal grandmother's first cousins. My paternal great-grandmother was the oldest of 7 children spread in age such that Jonetta is about 12 years older than my dad and Gina is about 10 years younger. I remember my great-grandmother taking me to Lindsay, OK, to visit her side of the family... Jonetta would let me bang on the piano (she is a popular piano teacher there to this day) and Gina, along with Jonetta's daughter Jency (they were the same age and good friends) would let me tag along with them...it is always a big deal when the "big girls" let the "little girls" tag long.

Jonetta's husband, Jerry, died from cancer in 1992 - he died 8 weeks after his diagnosis. Soon after his death, their daughter Jency was diagnosed with a cancer that cannot be treated with chemo or radiation. The surgeon thought he got it all, but nine months later they found that it had spread. When Jency went in to talk to the doctor about the recurrence, before he could say anything, she told him, "I don't know what your beliefs are, but I want to share mine. The Lord has put it on my heart that this is not immediately life threatening..." and she told him not to tell her how long he thought she had to live because "God has his own time table."

My favorite story is about Jency preparing a handout for the doctors. She was being treated at a teaching hospital, which means twenty million doctors come in and ask the exact same questions over and over. She became frustrated and would ask them to read her file - she gave the same answers every time. One day she had had enough - when she went in and the first person started asking her questions, she gave them the handout and told them to read it first!

Around Halloween, after Jency's hair had fallen out, she went to see her doctor with a witch's wig on. When the doctors stepped outside the room, they began talking about how Jency was a classic case of denial and they needed to confront her and tell her how sick she was. Luckily, her mother Jonetta overheard their conversation and convinced the doctors to leave Jency alone. After Jency died in 1996, the same doctor shared with Jonetta that they had given her no more than a year to live; she lived three years past her second diagnosis and her quality of life was good until her last three months.

A few years after Jency died, Jonetta' s mother died. I remember hearing the news and wondering how much more someone could take - her entire immediate family (mom, dad, husband, and daughter) were gone. No grandkids. Just extended family, a large church family, and a solid faith. Her infectious laugh, bubbling personality and praise of God haven't changed...and she inspires me.

Next time...my trip to Houston and another inspiration. Much love! God BLess! Kelli