The first of many firsts

Posted on May 8, 2010 by jackieinpdx

Tomorrow will be the first Mother’s Day without my mother. It has been hard the last couple of weeks hearing all the Mother’s Day commercials on the radio and TV. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be especially tough the first time around because my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer just before Thanksgiving and died three days after Christmas. Christmas was my mother’s favorite time of year.

I created the electronic invite to the memorial service for my Mother which is taking place next month on her birthday. It took me at least three tries to get it done because I had to stop when I started to cry.

This morning several members of my family participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. “The walk is to honor breast cancer survivors, remember people we have lost, and raise funds and awareness to help end this disease. Making Strides is not a race; it is a celebration of survivorship, an occasion to express hope, and a shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love.” Although my mother did not have breast cancer my sister Debi pulled together some family members to help out the cause. I donated enough $ yesterday to get them to their team goal.

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Just when I think this week can’t get any worse

Posted on November 19, 2009 by jackieinpdx

My 80 year old mother was admitted to the hospital today. She has felt woozy and light headed since Saturday. She hasn’t eaten hardly anything in days.The first thing the doctor diagnosed was that she had internal bleeding.  After a colonoscopy and a GI the results are that there is a large cancerous tumor in her colon. The doctor said that it could be related to the polyps he saw last March. Back in March because of her age, medication and high BP the doc thought the risks were too high to do surgery. The cancer has metastasized. She also had a chest x-ray and saw a spot on one of her lungs. The doctor thinks that the cancer has spread. Surgery will be scheduled but the outcome is iffy due to the high risk factors.

This is the first cancer in our family ever that I am aware of. My mother is at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital which is an excellent hospital to be in if you have to be in a hospital in Portland.

 

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Race For the Cure

Posted on September 20, 2009 by jackieinpdx

Today is the Portland Race for the Cure. It is the largest on the West coast and the third largest in the country.

The first time I heard Melissa Etheridge’s I Run For Life it was a version with cancer survivors interspersed telling their stories. I sat in the car and cried it was so emotional. Then about a year ago I saw Melissa in concert and she sang this song. Many people in the audience got teary eyed, myself included.

This is my annual tribute to my friends who have fought the battle, some won and  some who lost the fight.

Artist: Melissa Etheridge
Title: I Run For Life

It’s been years since they told her about it
The darkness her body possessed
And the scars are still there in the mirror
Everyday that she gets herself dressed
Though the pain is miles and miles behind her
And the fear is now a docile beast
If you ask her why she is still running
She’ll tell you it makes her complete

(Chorus)

I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth, for all that is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for life

It’s a blur since they told me about it
How the darkness had taken its toll
And they cut into my skin
And they cut into my body
But they will never get a piece of my soul
And now I’m still learning the lesson
To awake when I hear the call
And if you ask me why I am still running
I’ll tell you I run for us all

Chorus

And someday if they tell you about it
If the darkness knocks on your door
Remember her
Remember me
We will be running as we have before
Running for answers
Running for more

Chorus

I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth, for all that is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your daughter, your wife
For you and me my friend
I run for life

I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for life

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Dinner out and Melissa Etheridge concert

Posted on August 24, 2008 by jackieinpdx

Last night dinner at Kincaid’s formerly the Portland Steak and Chophouse was great. We each had something very different. I had ahi prepared with chili sauce; Erika had Seafood Louie with grilled salmon, Dungeness crab, bay shrimp, deviled egg, and Tara had the petite filet mignon. Everything was perfect including the service.

The concert was at the Schnitzer Concert Hall which is a pretty small venue. Although I purchased tickets the second they were available online we were in the 17th row off to the far right. I took my binoculars with me but we were close enough that they were not needed.
Melissa was fantastic! She has so much energy and her personality shows that she really appreciates her fans. About an hour and forty-five minutes into the show she talked about being told that she had cancer. She said that at 43 she thought she had experienced most everything in life but then she was told she had cancer. She said that rock stars don’t have time for cancer.

It’s been years since they told her about it

The darkness her body possessed

And the scars are still there in the mirror

Everyday that she gets herself dressed

Though the pain is miles and miles behind her

And the fear is now a docile beast

If you ask her why she is still running

She’ll tell you it makes her complete

[Chorus:]I run for hopeI run to feel

I run for the truth

For all that is real

I run for your mother, your sister, your wife

I run for you and me, my friend

I run for life

It’s a blur since they told me about it

How the darkness had taken its toll

And they cut into my skin and they cut into my body

But they will never get a piece of my soul

And now I’m still learning the lesson

To awake when I hear the call

And if you ask me why I am still running
I’ll tell you I run for us all

[Chorus:]I run for hope

I run to feelI run for the truth

For all that is real

I run for your mother your sister your wife

I run for you and me my friend

I run for life

And someday if they tell you about it

If the darkness knocks on your door

Remember her remember me

We will be running as we have before

Running for answers

Running for more

I run for hope

I run to feel

I run for the truth

For all that is real

I run for your mother, your sister, your wife

I run for you and me my friend

I run for hope
I run to feel

I run for the truth

For all that is real

I run for your mother your sister, your daughter, your wife

For you and me my friend

I run for life

Ohohohoh

I run for your mother your sister your wife

I run for you and me my friend
I run for life

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Saturday night dinner out and a concert

Posted on August 23, 2008 by jackieinpdx

Tara, my nice Erika and I are going out to dinner tonight then to the Melissa Etheridge concert. The three of saw her last time she was in Portland maybe 5 years ago and the concert was awesome. This concert hall is even a smaller venue so it should be even better yet.
Melissa is a fantastic musician, writer and vocalist and a cancer survivor. On November 15, 2005, Etheridge appeared on the Tonight Show to perform her song “I Run For Life”, which references her own fight with breast cancer and her determination to overcome it, as well as encourages other breast cancer survivors and their families. After her performance, Jay Leno told her, “Thanks for being a fighter, kiddo.”

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