Jen,

I am truly sorry for your recent diagnosis. First, welcome to the club nobody wants to join and as you can tell, you are warmly welcome to come to the neighborhood. Yes, we have been there and done that as Jack says. Having been recently diagnosed, your head is spinning right now. I want you to know that staging has some correlation to survival rates but for now, do not even think about that part of this disease. Many of our friends that are no longer with us were Stage I and many of us still living life to the fullest were Stage IV. You have let your mind wander to the "numbers" side of it and now be done with that.

As you know, your life as you know it will never be the same. Does this mean it will be worse? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! You will make it through this part of the disease, your life will settle into a routine and many things you used to take for granted and things that used to bother you will take on a new light. The little things that were overlooked will take on new meaning; the smile of a child, the hug of a loved one, a precious memory, and on and on. The little things that used to get on your nerves will soon diminish into obscurity.

Sit down with your family tonight. Look each one in the eye and tell them how much you love them. Hold them tight and feel the love. This is what will get you through this. Give them every possible chance to spend every second with you from this moment forward. None of us or any human being, for that matter, has a guarantee of what tomorrow will bring or if there will be a tomorrow. We all have NOW. Your family needs you just like you need them. No matter how much love we have, there is still capacity left to love more. Live each day finding ways to let more love into your heart.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

Ed