Jen Ballantyne is a courageous blogger. After years of treatment and remission, her bowel cancer has returned, and surgery to remove the cancer is easier said than done. She is facing a very difficult time in her life, the time when there may simply be just pallative care ahead of her, and that is not easy to face when you have young children.
I know. Oh, do I know, Jen.
Today, Jen Lemen asked us to go over and say hi to Jen Ballantyne, and I did, and it turns out she’s asking a question similar to the one that I asked you all last year: What would you do if you knew you only had a few months to live?
Her friend Meg wrote a wonderful post in answer, and other women have left comments for her on the topic. It’s a hard topic, I know, and you’re probably all worn out from caring for me, and I can’t thank you enough. But I’ve had such a hard time thinking and writing and seeing past the pain and horror of my surgery that I think I needed to meet Jen B today, to offer her words of comfort and of courage, and to share with her my answer to her question. Now I share it with you:
… one answer kept floating to the top: Love my children. Play with my children. Whisper in their ears how very much Mama loves them, and teach them to read books and explore their world and make friendships. Teach them to treasure the important things in life, so that they will always know the answer to this question. For me, the answer lay in loving my children as much as I could, and in helping them find other interests that would help them transcend their loss.
This I know. This I must remember. For this, and possibly this alone, will help me to get out of bed again tomorrow and face another day of pain and yet also of healing.
Posted in breast cancer
