Jencey's Writer's Corner

I am good at following directions.   My biggest desire was to make sure that I didn’t create any issues at work with the change of my appearance.   Although I had found Bernadette’s Wig shop; We also did a fitting for wigs.   We found out that I have slightly larger head than average so they would have to order a wig for me.   So then the question became how do I keep my hair while I wait for this wig?    I found that I couldn’t wash it like normal because more of it would come out.   I couldn’t brush it, pick it, or comb because gobs of it would come out.   Finally the day of the wig coming in had arrived.   I had the stylist cut it   in the style that I would wear the wig.   I learned how to care for the wig with washing it and then taking care of my own hair or skull area.   Losing my hair was one of the hardest circumstances that I went through.   Now only a few people in my family have seen what my head truly loo...

I was not going to seek treatment right away because of the cost.   I had to give up the apartment that I was going to rent because I could definitely afford both rent and medical.   My mother came to me and said we are in this together.   Your sister and I will take care of the financial side of your treatment.   You just get better.   I had been stressing over finances for the past five months at this point in time.   I decided to take a break and trust God. My original oncologist had ordered a bunch of tests.   There is nothing more unnerving to a cancer patient than to have no treatment and all of these tests.   I was assigned MRI of the brain and right breast, CT scan, PET scan, Echo, and Ultrasound.   Then we also got the second opinion from Emory. I decided to switch my care under my current Oncologist Dr. Pakkala.    What really made me switch was when went for chemo training and the nursing staff ignored us at ...

There is much hope for those of us who are fighting this battle!  We are going to win!  Cancer treatment is not what it was twenty years ago. Yes, you can survive Stage three Inflammatory Breast Cancer.  Here is a little of what currently is happening in the world of cancer care: The American Cancer Society continues its research and has helped reduce deaths in Breast Cancer by 32%. Here is an article by the Orange County Register that discusses the advances in Breast Cancer in the last 20 years. I did not know myself what the possibilities would be for my care.  Duke University hospital has been also studying Inflammatory Breast Cancer. In this new article they have a drug that is promising in Inflammtory Breast Cancer. There are many positives in the research field!  I thank you all for following my journey!  We will get back to my story next week.

This is the first question that I asked my friend Marcus who is a good friend and in a way my pastor.   He shared with me a devotional that that said to control what you can control and let the rest go.   I wonder if this is what God meant when he said that He would provide but in in a different way.   Later that summer I had an opportunity to hear a pastor that I have set under before Ken Baugh give a talk on Joy in Suffering.   I won’t say that these days have been easy.   I also cling to two verses.      Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, ‘says the Lord.   “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” And Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd: I have everything I need.   He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.   He renews my strength, He guides me along right paths; bringing honor to his name.   Even when I walk through...

The night before diagnosis I was in prayer at my bedside when God spoke to me.   He said “What if I have a plan to provide that will not be what you had in mind?”   I knew that tomorrow would be a big day either I would be getting a diagnosis of just an infection and discussing medication and moving into an apartment in Lilburn; or I would have to cancel the apartment and learn about cancer treatment.   I continued to hope that cancer was not in my future. My worst fear was realized when I was diagnosed with Stage Three Inflammatory Breast Cancer with my parents on speaker phone with the surgeon.   The day became a blur for me after that.   I talked with my parents and called my friends Gina and Dawn.   I managed to make it to work for an hour because I had an appointment with my first Oncologist.   I was told once again that the diagnosis was confirmed that and that I would start Chemotherapy right away.   I would have twenty sessions. ...

April began much like March; I was looking for apartments and putting together the garage sale.   The week of the garage sale was April 18 th .    The Thursday night two days prior to it.   I got out of the shower and noticed that the nipple on my left breast had turned light brown.   My first thought was this was not normal.   I called my mother who was out of town taking care of my sister after her surgery.   We agreed that I needed to get it checked out.   The day of the garage sale did not go as planned because of weather.   As I was cleaning up the garage, I made a visit to Urgent Care in Conyers.   The doctor gave me a referral to see a Breast Surgeon.   I saw him the following week.   He wanted me to get a mammogram and ultrasound.   This was planned for May 1 st .   Now for those of you who don’t know one good thing about Obamacare is women get free mammograms except in my case.   Mine was consid...