In the beginning...

The world apparently is conspiring to force me to write a blog. Well, just remember, you asked for it.

If you're reading this, you know that my mom has cancer. More specifically, my mom has esophageal adenocarcinoma. This means that she has a tumor in her esophagus that started in her glandular tissue. Scary stuff.
There are some important things that people who love Jane need to know.
First, this cancer typically has a 5 to 15 percent five year survival rate because by the time symptoms are apparent, the cancer is pretty far along. Typically, the first symptom that people notice is difficulty swallowing meat or bread. Early detection of this cancer is critical. If you have a history of reflux, or any difficulty swallowing, tell your doctor. They can thread a camera right down your nose and check it out- no big thing. Way less work than a colonoscopy.
My mom had her first brush with this in August of 2008 while on vacation. She thought it was probably just a hiatal hernia and didn't immediately go to the doctor. The swallowing began to get worse so she saw the doctor in October who thought it might just be a case of reflux. We prayed and waited for tests to be conducted and reviewed and then got this news. By all accounts, the prognosis did not seem like it was going to be great.
Then, one sunny friday morning, I called mom to check on her. I asked her how she was feeling and she said she felt great. She told me that she had an amazing night of prayer and awoke to calm and peace and wanted to click her heels. I told her I felt the same way and I was so thankful that her spirits were good. We weren't expecting any news until Monday or Tuesday so we figured it would be a tense and long weekend. That afternoon, my phone rang. The doctor called to tell my mom personally that the cancer was just in her esophagus and there was limited
to no lymph node involvement.
God gave us a miracle. God gave us a fighting chance. And we are going to fight people. I will try and keep this up to date so that no one feels like they are out of the loop. I will share with my mom any comments, I'm sure that they will lift her up everyday. We are joyful, not scared. And we are defiant. We are eating vegan in solidarity. We are cleaning with vinegar. We are watching Everybody Loves Raymond. We will be feeding the ducks together. We will be terrorizing Fred Meyer customers with the electric scooter (picture Mr. Toad with a flag on the back). My boys will be making it their personal business to watch Disney videos with her EVERYDAY if that's what's required (they are super commited). We are going to hold her hand and make her laugh and we are going to pray and say "thank you" to our saviour, everyday.
One last thing, we have a rule in our family now. If you start to think about Jane, and worry is making your heart heavy, that's your cue. You need to pray for her and for us and for everybody else who loves her so much. Pray for us to be strong. Pray for healing. Pray for humor. Pray for my dad. We are full up on worriers, but the prayer team can always use a new member.