The Superteam
There are countless people that have pulled out their own super suits, tied on their capes, and gotten me ready for this journey. I plan to thank each and everyone of you as I go through this. But I want to start with the hometeam crew who has been here for me everyday in the most wonderful ways and who will be supporting me and my family while we go through this:
Heather, Robyn, Anya, Julie, Amanda, Gigi, Suzanne, Melly, Phaedra and Holly
I also need to thank Jess, “little Jess” as we call her, who has basically taken over the role of raising my children. She, too, is an amazing person. She is always one step ahead of me getting the kids ready and two steps behind to pick up the things I miss on my way out the door. And she does it all with a smile on her face.
More thank you’s soon …
Just one more thing, I need to thank Brian. Brian has his moments, but from the time we knew that I may have something serious going on, Brian has been strong, steady and unwaveringly committed to getting me through this. He lets me cry once in a while but for the most part reminds me that I have the strength to do this. He takes care of what needs to be done and still makes time to be with me, work his job and goof around with the kids. I am forever grateful for his love and support.
Hi Supergirl!
I am writing this note under Robyn’s name because this page was up when I sat down and I am to stupid to figure out how to get my own account on your blog. I am going to try to entertain you with a true story I’m going to call “Jessica on the brain”.
… so I’m in the liquor store buying a bottle of Margarita mix. While in line, I can’t help but notice the woman in front of me with this HUGE ass. I mean giant!! I know it sounds mean, but I think her ass was the reason they had both doors open at the store… it’s like I had to actually turn my head side to side to see the east coast and the west coast of that ass. Now I’m laughing in my head right… so propped up there on her immense hip above the east coast of her ass, is her fat little kid munching on candy. Now I start thinking, “how in the fuck does she hold all of that up?” She must have the strongest bones in the world. Those bones must be huge too!! And what’s in those bones? MARROW!! If she’s a match for Jessica, she could donate 30 or 40 pounds of the stuff and never miss it!! So now I’m in trouble. I’m shaking terribly trying to hold off the volcano of laughter that is inside of me, hoping that the tears that have welled up in my eyes don’t come streaming down and praying that she doesn’t turn around and see the mess that is me standing there. As luck would have it, for me anyhow, another register opened up and she moved over to it.
I have to admit Jess, I am somewhat ashamed of some of the things that still make me laugh, but I am much more sorry that I didn’t have the courage to ask that woman if she is a donor. You can bet that I will soon be registed at the National Marrow Donor Program.
Be well,
Lots of love,
Paul
holy cow. I am shaking with laughter now. I have a feeling these posts and funny stories are going to be as uplifting for the rest of us as they are for Jess!
Jess- sending you love! great idea about keeping a blog. you are a true supergirl!
Jess , this blog is great. your strength and perspective are truly inspiring. I sit here on vacation and curse the cloudy day, and I read your blog and hear you draw only the good out of your situation. It reminds me to appreciate the cloudy and the sunny days and am lucky to have you as a friend. Thinking of you daily and wishing you more sunny than cloudy days through this journey. Go Supergirl!!
It’s a late nite for me…but I wanted to say Hi and let you know – even during the night – we’re thinking of you and sending you happy, caring thoughts…big hugs – when I come down there – we’re going to make sense out of those words on the wall! If not, we may have to eat through 20 more fortune cookies…hope you have good laps tomorrow Supergirl!
Dear Jess, reading this wonderful blog I realize we all have in common great love and affection..for you. Thus, we all share the same diagnosis, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, and we will all engage the unknowns, in unity. We will ride every wave the tide brings forth and welcome every message which it imparts. You are an integral part of our being. You grace our lives with uncommon courage, dignity, perspective, smile, angelic tears and a lifetime of caring for others. Thank you Jess for these highest acts of human heart and spirit. Our bond with you is indelible. We will successfully complete this journey.. together. Chuck and Jeanie Croner
O.k. seriously I blame Paul for the fact that all I now see when looking at a “large boned” person is “Damn, look at all that marrow!” Sadly, I wish I had the humor Paul does, but alas I am woefully unfunny. So, I will just share the sweet things that made me smile- When in the store picking out my “oh crap it’s the night before the last day and I have yet to get to the store” gifts for the teachers I, like the good Montessorian I am (HA HA HA) stood with Trevor in front of the “lame gifts they have at the grocery store” aisle and encouraged him to pick something for each teacher- Thank you Maria, I then spent the next 10 minutes convincing him that neither Ms. Pam nor Ms. Jenny would truly appreciate the playschool Dragon he chose. After more debate we decided on hard plastic cups (yes, my favorite thing- so just as bad as him choosing the dragon!)- then, of course he truly took the gift choosing to heart and spent another good 15 minutes debating on the perfect cup for each teacher- while I stood with a death grip on a squirming, screaming Leo who was no longer placated with the lolipops I had already opened and shoved in his face to keep him quiet during all of this delightful decision making, but who was now desperate to be freed from my arms so that he could run up and down the aisle removing all the delightful knickknacks and throwing them on the floor…. ahh, such a wonderful, peaceful parenting moment all moms have had the pleasure of enjoying (SERENITY NOW!!). Trevor eventually chose a peace design for Ms. jenny (“because she really likes peace”), a purple flowers design for Ms. Pam “It’s beautiful, Momma, it is should go to Ms. Pam”) and another purple flowers for Ms. Alison (“She loves watching Leo”). I then asked him if he would like to pick one out for Ms. Jess- I explained to him that since Ms. Jess is in the hospital it would be nice to fill her room with beautiful things to make her happy. He agreed and I quickly grabbed the purple flowers he had already said was beautiful and ran toward Leo who had now escaped my grasp and begun his tornado run down the aisle. Next thing I know I hear a crash behind me, spin around and sure enough Trevor had climbed up the shelf and knocked all the cups to the floor! As all the mom’s reading this know, this is point when you completely loose it, you no longer give a crap that everyone in the store is talking about your terror children and how some parents just need to gain control of their children …I grab Leo by the back of the shirt, drag him over to Trevor and begin my “TREVOR WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” rant while throwing him much too roughly into the cart. Trevor of course begins to wail and just as I am about to throw in the “I will NEVER bring you to the store again” speech he screams at me, “MOMMA you got the wrong cup!” Taken off gaurd I stop my scene, ask him what he means and he says to me, “Momma, Ms. Jess does not need the flower cup, she needs the cup with the peace sign on it! Putting peace in your heart makes you happy.”
Thank you Trevor, for reminding me to put some peace in my heart. There is nothing better than being stopped in your tracks of stupid unnecessary stressing to be filled with love and joy for your children and all their perfectness. And so, Ms. Jess the peace cup is from Trevor and my contribution was only the (out of their original bag and half eaten by Leo) lolipops (when I was nauseous with morning sickness the only thing I wanted was to suck lolipops). We love you and are thinking of you every single day!!
Anya, that is so sweet! That made me cry, thank you for sharing that and please thank Trevor for picking the perfect cup!
Jess,
I have truly enjoyed reading your blog. It was obvious from what your friends (& husband) wrote that you’re very much loved.
Thanks for starting the blog. It is one of my favorite things to read now. BTW, what your friend Anya wrote actually made cry. I guess many people have had that kind of moments.
Congratulations on going through your last day of chemo today. I hope it all goes well.
Boy, I hadn’t gone back to this page since the first day it was up. But, I’m glad I did. I just cried over Chuck and Jeanie’s post and then Anya’s. Both such beautiful words in such different ways. We all love you. We are proud of you each day. Stay strong. Better days are ahead, Jess. Promise.