Jerry’s Greatest Challenge
2-3-2008 through 2-10-2008
Thank God some of the Voice is Returning!

Editors Note:  This is week number 49 since Jerry was diagnosed with lung cancer.  Jerry has reported each week regarding the progress, treatment, feelings, events and thoughts as he goes through this challenge.  This trip has been a roller coaster of events.  If you have similar challenges why not give Jerry a call or email Jerry.  Sometimes just talking to someone going through the same or similar situations will make a difference.

From Jerry:   WOW, the last few weeks have made me appreciate life and the quality we experience to its fullest.  I am starting to gain some of my voice back.  It actually comes and goes constantly.  Sort of like cancer, one minute it is tolerable and the next you cannot understand me. This reminds me of a statement that I love so dearly.  “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift and that’s why it’s called the “Present”.

We all need to live by that statement.  Life is so precious.  Friends and family are so precious and most of us take friends and family for granted.  This reminds me of another statement regarding friends.  “People are lonely because they build walls rather than bridges”. Go through life concentrating on building those bridges rather than those walls and the rewards will be greatly returned to you.  For those who have built those walls and realize this, start now to tear them down and reconstruct bridges in their place.  You’ll be glad you did.

This week gave us a huge scare.  Mother, who is recovering from breast cancer, had her chemo treatment on Wednesday.  Judy and I actually drove up to be with her as she sat in the chair and received her therapy.  Everything went well until the next morning when my sister Angela called and told me that mother was not talking reasonably.  I had her put mother on the phone and asked her a few questions and she could not answer me.  Seems her mind would not work.  Angela and Cyndy rushed her to the hospital emergency room.  Many tests were conducted and they concluded that the chemicals for chemo therapy caused a reaction that caused the brain to stall.  That was a scare.  She was sent home on Saturday and was in church on Sunday.  Like I said in my notes last week.  She is our rock.

My next appointment with Dr. Babcock is the 27th of this month for X-Rays to determine the success of the 35 Radiation treatments.  We are anxiously awaiting those tests.  It will still be closer to March before we get the PET scan, which really takes a deep look into the affected areas.   We have nothing but positive thoughts about those tests.

Another thing my experience has taught me is the following; “Don’t count the days, make the days count.  As Joel Osteen put it so eloquently,
“Live Your Best Life Now”.

Overall this has been another good week.  Although I am still extremely tried I can drink water and I have reduced the trips to the Oncologist for fluids.  According to Dr. Babcock and Dr. Wright, my body has taken a beating.  10 Chemo treatments and 35 radiation treatments can weaken anyone.  However I am getting better and better each and every day.  Soon these posts will be over because my cancer will be over.  I fully believe this and with your continued prayers this will be a reality.
 
Remember if you would like me to speak at your club, civic group or neighborhood meeting be sure to call Deloris Anderson, my team member.  Since I still am having problems talking, she is setting up meetings for the end of February and beyond.  I feel it is an honor to share my story with you and your loved ones and hopefully I will say something that will help someone in a crisis situation. If you have a loved one that needs to talk just have them call.
 
Now let’s go out and create a terrific week for ourselves and everyone around us. Just remember,  this is the first day of the rest of your life. Make it count.

Jerry Fowler