Could use your good thoughts and energy please.

Another Monday another start to an arduous work week ahead. I’ll apologize now for the somber and serious tone of this particular update.

Some of you may know but I suspect most do not so I’ll attempt a Cliff notes version.

JessNCI have a first cousin and her name is Jessica. Early thirty-ish years old. At twenty-five she was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. As you can imagine Jessica has spent the last five plus years battling this disease with mostly positive results. There’s been chemotherapy, radiation treatment, colon, lung, and liver resection and more chemotherapy. After the initial chemotherapy and colon resection, the cancer metastasized and showed up in her lung, liver and lymph nodes. Jessica has been facing this disease head on and fighting the good fight every step of the way with grace, dignity and tenacity.

Unfortunately, this insidious disease has stopped responding to all the treatments Jessica has been going through and she has taken a turn for the worse. She has been admitted to the hospital with ascites. (collection of fluid in abdominal cavity) Jessica has been in tremendous pain and its now a matter of keeping her as comfortable as she can be with morphine.

If you pray, Jessica could use a prayer. If you don’t pray any positive energy you may want to spare would be greatly appreciated. Good vibes never can hurt so if you don’t mind send some her way. Jessica and the family would appreciate it.

Now for the PSA portion of the post. DONT IGNORE YOUR HEALTH. If something isn’t right, go see a doctor. If there is one thing I have sadly learned from all this, is the general media and perception of cancer means shit all. Cancer can strike at any age. It’s so arbitrary it doesn’t discriminate between sex, age, race, diet, state of health, or geographical location where you live. Men can just as easily get breast cancer, twenty five year old women get colon cancer. It is not just something you get if you decide to smoke, or drink or not use sun screen. If the rules of life decide and your bingo card gets punched, guess what? You get cancer, you get in the club, and you go to the head of the line.

The number one and still the best odds of beating this disease is in its earliest detection. Do not wait! Don’t fool yourself into thinking it can’t happen to you or that you are too young. Bullshit! This disease doesn’t care. If it has your number you WILL get it.

(note: Flash video below. You’ll want to check this out on your non-iPhone iPad devices)

This is my cousin about a year ago. I cant begin to tell you how proud I am of her and to have been privileged to watch and hear about her positive attitude and grace in her long fight against this disease.

As I have mentioned above, she isn’t doing too well right now, and we never say never or give up. So if you don’t mind send her some positive thoughts.

If you’re moved to and want to help? I am sure Jessica would be honored and proud if you sent a buck or two, to the Colon Cancer Alliance:

http://www.ccalliance.org/donate/memorial.html

I can’t emphasize this enough. Do not take your health for granted. Something so little and benign as a headache that wont go away or constipation and cramps can be a sign of trouble. Get it checked out. If cancer runs in your family, get screened. Don’t wait. Most importantly, do not ever let any doctor tell you NO, when your gut and head say otherwise. You’re paying for a service you make him/her give you what you demand. You want a test? You want a scan? You tell the doctor “I am not asking for one, I am telling you to schedule one, DO IT.” It is that simple. You are in charge of your health, not some doctor beholden to some insurance company or drug manufacturer.

Thanks for reading, thanks for your support, and thanks for your prayers and good thoughts.

Let ‘er rip tater chips!