I'll never say the word pancake the same.

Wow

Today is a day that I will never forget. I had a such hard time falling asleep last night. I felt like a little kid the night before Christmas, because this is one of the very best gifts I could ever receive. A selfless gathering of some of my biggest supporters: those so close to my heart, those there in spirit, and those who barely know me rooting for me back home. There are no words for how amazing today was or how grateful I truly am. I am still getting over the fact that I couldn't be there to personally thank all of you, but I am so glad that I got to watch it unfold from afar through FaceTime and photos. Thank you to all who took the time out of their Saturday to make it to the benefit and to those who have been planning and working hard for weeks to make it all happen! You are truly wonderful, and you rock those bracelets well.

Please watch the video below as a display of my gratitude to you all!

https://youtu.be/Q5EWN-np2DY

                         

With so much love,

Jessica Lynn

Three Months.

So I was sitting in my chair today at treatment, getting some therapeutic IV vitamin C which takes about eight years to fully drip (okay maybe like three hours). Anyway, I ran out of articles to read, all social media had been refreshed at least five times, and I was aimlessly swiping through my apps on my phone when I realized the date. March 19: three months since I was diagnosed. It hit me like a freight train. To most people it's just another date, but even just reading it on my calendar made my heart sink as I was completely overwhelmed and taken back by all that has happened such a short amount of time. I reflected on the days following December 19, that eventually ran into weeks, which turned into months. I remember every single silly detail about December 19th. But what's funny is how I woke up that morning never knowing that day would be significant, especially not significant enough to change my entire life. But three months ago my new life began with a simple phone call. I actually hung up the phone, refusing to believe that it wasn't just a bad dream. I did NOT want to give up my protected life, where my biggest worry was an upcoming exam or what I was going to wear out on a Friday night. Because after you are given that news, there is no going back and saying "Eh.. Thanks but no thanks, cancer, maybe some other time." You are forced to figure out how you are going to stand up and fight for your faith, for your God, and for your life. I didn't ask for cancer and I couldn't have ever planned for it. Because  "Extremely Rare Germ Cell Ovarian Cancer" sure as heck was not ever written in ANY of my three OCD planners. I've begged for guidance. I've begged for strength. I've begged to be emptied of myself and to be filled with His will. And while there isn't a whole lot that I would call beautiful about the fear-based life threatening disease, there is beauty in the chaos. I never would expect to say that. And some of you may disagree with me. But this journey is beautiful. God has answered me ten fold. He has shown me WHY this is happening to me. He has shown me the PURPOSE all of this pain will have in my future. He has shown me HOW to get through, by giving me the guidance and faith I need to press on. He has shown me how truly BLESSED and loved I am in this life through the endless showers of support from all of you.

These past three months haven't been even close to what I would define as easy or fun. And I'm sure the next three months will not be any cake walk either. But this is my beautiful, fearless, unpredictable story that God is writing for me. Sometimes I wonder if he needs a better editor. (He hollers out, "PLOT TWIST" way too frequently). But I can feel my life transforming as I let go of my own earthly capabilities and place my trust in Him. I know that every step of this journey has genuine purpose in my future. I will use it to help others, sharing even the most personal details of my path with them.

Thank you for making this journey in Arizona possible. I truly do not think I would have this attitude without all that I have learned here. Thank you for supporting my decision that I felt was the right route for me to heal. Thank you for believing in me, that I am bigger than this cancer, and that my life is just beginning. 

It use to devastate me to hear that 70% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer die within 5 years of their diagnosis. But I now have enough fiest and faith in me to say proudly that I AM going to show those statistics, not only who's boss, but who my God is.

He is the only one capable of writing my expiration date. 

 

Que the paper chains

Que the paper chains and confetti, some celebrating is in order. The countdown has

officially begun!

March 24th is the date I am able to return home (at least for a little while). Therefore, as of today, I have TWO weeks left of impatient treatment in Arizona. While this date does not mark the END of my journey, it is a major milestone along the way. I will be having my second/follow-up PET scan the day before I leave, on March 23rd. These results will give us more information on what the continuing travel and treatment will look like. When I return home, I will be living with my sister Lisa in Omaha, as that is where the care and resources I need are readily available. We have set up administration of therapeutic IV's as well as other therapies to fight recnac and continue health restoration. I will be returning to Arizona as much as needed in the future. The current estimation is at least once a month for about six months. This, of course, is subject to change depending on the results that I receive.

My goal this week is acceptance. A lot of things that have happened are difficult to understand and even more difficult to accept. Mostly because life tends to provide obstacles that go against the pretty little white picket-fenced picture I painted in my head of what my future would look like. But I am honestly thankful for the dysfunctional canvas of colors God has splatter painted for me instead, and for the interruption of my black and white structured plans, because I am growing from every fast-pitched curveball thrown my way. What I’m in the process of working through accepting is what my PET scan result will be. This probably sounds like kind of a crazy goal, to accept something that hasn’t even happened yet, but I’m doing it. “Baby steps,” is what I keep telling myself ;). Step one was going through every possible outcome with Dr. Murphy. What if it has spread? What if it’s completely gone? What if it hasn’t changed? After a long conversation of what if's, I feel armed and ready for any news that I receive on March 23rd. I have dreamt up every possible situation at this point. I know that God has a plan and I remain faithful in His timing. The truly inspiring aspect of it all is how I can FEEL the healing in my body and also in my soul. I get the opportunity to see healing happening all around me at treatment. Amazing transformations are taking place and I share such joy in seeing others’ journeys flourish.

Some amazingness to share:

• Aaron takes the cake for the best surprise I’ve ever had (aside from getting a puppy for Christmas in fifth grade). Last Friday morning was a rough one. It was my second IPT day for the week and dragging myself out of bed to go to class was a bit of a struggle to say the least, but I did it! And I am so thankful I did. I wasn’t particularly alert during the class discussion. I was actually day dreaming out the window about who knows what, and all of a sudden I saw him walking up the side walk. I thought maybe the lack of sleep and home-sickness was getting to my head but when I realized it was actually him I went absolutely bananas and my only instinct was to run (yes, run) and give him a giant hug. It was amazing. After my short time spent at the clinic on Saturday we got to explore Scottsdale and enjoy each others company. He even helped me prepare some foods for the upcoming week (while watching a little ESPN).

(Lisa helping make some raw vegan pizza crust. I'll admit: I do love most raw food, but this isn't quite what I would call "pizza" or at least not the kind I am use to haha!)

• Many of you have probably seen or at least heard about how amazing Farrell’s has been to me, but if you haven’t, close this tab and head to Facebook to find the video they made of the kickboxing fundraiser. HOW INCREDIBLE ARE THESE PEOPLE?! Beyond. Beyond incredible. I still can’t make it through the video without turning into a puddle.

• Sunday goodbyes are not my strong suit (as mentioned previously). I won’t even pretend like I am good at them. This Sunday was very hard to say good bye to Lisa and Aaron after a wonderful week, but just when sadness really kicked in there was a knock at the door. Janna and Jordan arrived! It has been amazing having friends here in Arizona. It feels incredibly normal and it’s great to share this experience with them. They helped me through IPT #5 today and these pretty ladies helped me kick some recnac booty.Some IPT loving from my girls

Celebrating life, friendship, and IPT #5 being in the books.

• I have received so many amazing gifts, cards, and thoughts lately. Below is a picture of me holding a package I received AT treatment today from Megan Hanno. Thank you Megan for being my continuing inspiration to "always BELIEVE!" It is so wonderful to get back after a day of treatment when I feel that I have no steam left to such inspiring gestures. You all keep me pushing through and pressing on. I can't thank you all enough.

With gratitude and love,

Jessica Lynn :)

Endings are beginnings

Today was one of those moments for me. The kind where you stop in the midst of all of the action around you and just praise God for bringing you to where you are today.

December 19th was a day that I will never ever forget. I can remember every vivid and horrifying detail as it was the day I was diagnosed with an "extremely rare" ovarian cancer. Many thoughts obviously came to mind. I saw nothing but fear as my whole body vigorously shook. It went from: "this is just a mistake, it must be, I'm not sick" to "okay, I'm dying. My life is going to be slowly coming to an end . It's over. That's it. Pack your bags sister and say your goodbyes cause you're done." And I was right about most of it. (besides the pack your bags part- that's just me being dramatic) It wasn't a mistake. I was sick. I was dying. My life did slowly come to an end. And that life is over for me now. BUT what I failed to consider is that I get a beautiful opportunity to turn the truck around that was headed in the wrong direction, and LIVE differently. I now have the opportunity to do all the things I knew I should have done, but didn't ever find a good enough reason to do. It's like God said "Hey Jess remember me? Quit being stubborn in your own adgenda and live your life for me. I have better plans for you" in a "time to stop and smell the roses" kind of way. 

MY world ending was nothing more than  a new life beginning. I just did not see it that way

at the time.

But today I saw it. It was like an epiphany. I am the youngest patient here by 22 years and yet I find myself being closer friends to some of these people than those my own age. They're teaching me about life and how to be ALIVE, fully alive. I think the spirit amongst all of us at treatment causes us to forget that what we all have in common is Cancer. (There I said it, Cancer). The days aren't easy and I've been told I make it sound a little too glorious. The truth is it isn't glamorous and the days get long. Sometimes I break down. Sometimes I crave off the wall things like donuts and cheeseburgers, but I eat my raw food and put a smile on my face because I know it's working. And while the Oasis isn't somewhere I'd necessarily advise my fellow college friends to come for "SB2k15," it's a pretty amazing place to heal. I feel very fortunate to have chosen this route.

Today marked the ending of Camilla's treatment at the Oasis, she has been here for quite some time, and she is going to be beginning her new life in Holland with her family. What a treat it was to partake in her dance party and share the joy with her. I will miss this Ray of Sunshine! ☀️

This is my friend fawn. She is every bit as sweet as she is beautiful! Today was her last day after recieving news about a completely CLEAN AND CANCER FREE PET SCAN! Sharing news like that is something that is unexplainable, and it honestly makes my heart so happy to see her beam with excitement for life. 

Thank you all for sharing my new journey of discovering life with me. The support family I have is incredibly inspiring. Because this diagnosis isn't an ending of my life, it's only the beginning. 

Xoxo,

Jessica Lynn

Ten ways to Sunday.

Well, It is safe to say that this Sunday takes the cake for hardest goodbye yet, as Jeremy left after a priceless couple of days. His presence was the very best medicine I could ask for. I am still amazed at how incredibly alive and loved he makes me feel. We made the most of each moment, thoroughly enjoying each others company (even though we still agree to disagree about who did better in mini golf). He came to treatment and class with me on Thursday and we had the rest of the weekend off to enjoy Arizona. It took a little convincing, but we even went to Pomegranate, my favorite raw vegan restaurant. He actually loved it, but he may have enjoyed his dessert (a little) more yesterday while we watched the Hawks game in Scottsdale :). The best part about Jeremy is that even with everything that has been thrown our way, he still treats me with the same love and respect, at an even deeper level. It's pretty amazing, how cancer has not broken down any aspect of our relationship, it has only made us that much stronger.

While the weekend was so entirely fantastic, the reality is that things are not getting easier. In fact, they are getting harder and harder as my diagnosis becomes more prominent, and also as the definition of homesick has been brought to an entirely new level. The longer I am here, the more "real" it feels. I try pretty hard to quiet any inner voices that aren't positive, but I'm learning that it is okay to not be okay all of the time. Part of being strong is knowing when it is okay to be weak. And while I am truly grateful for every aspect of my journey, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't terrifying at times. It is not easy. I find myself longing for the comfort of familiarity and predictability of home and how life use to be. But I think that's normal in any transitional phase. We get brought to a new and an unfamiliar place in life and our instinct tells us to look back, to go back, and to settle for what is comfortable. Which is just funny, isn't it? We find ourselves asking, sometimes even begging, God to bring us back to what's comfortable and safe, knowing that He placed this trial along our path for a purpose. I know that these hard days are apart of my journey. And while they sometimes absolutely suck, at the end of the day, I am thankful for them because they make "good" days fantastic. They make me human. They make my journey authentic and relatable. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, but who says it should be? It is because of the tough moments that I find time with my loved ones even more special, phone calls much more important, hand written letters so much more valuable, the use-to-be-dreadful snow in Iowa so much more homey, and each day with health as a much bigger blessing than I ever have before.

"The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday. That's guaranteed. I can't begin to explain the craziness inside myself or anyone else. But guess what? Sunday is my favorite day again."

Xoxo,

Jessica Lynn

"Wherever you are, be all there"

Each week I set a personal goal. This week my goal is to focus on being in the present, rather than dreaming of what could be in the future. My whole life, I have been guilty of consistently looking ahead at the good things to come and ways to improve. And while that is not necessarily a bad thing, it can sometimes be a wasted opportunity to be grateful for what already IS wonderful in the present and what already HAS improved.

"Wherever you are, be all there."

I have to remind myself that there was a day in my past that I dreamed of a future day like today. That at one point, I could not hardly sleep until I had a plan to heal my body. Now, I have that plan and I am truly living that plan, but I find myself dreaming of the next step, rather than giving thanks that this day has come. What I am forgetting to do is realize that each of these days (no matter how big or small, difficult or simple) really do matter, and each of these days are days that I will reflect on the future and see as such a blessed time in my life.

Society teaches us to always want bigger, to always want better, and to never stop reaching for more. But in the midst of all of the reaching and striving, we can really lose a sense of just how beautiful life is in the now.

Today, I am utterly thankful for the gift of today. I am thankful for the place I have reached in my journey. I am thankful for the struggles that each day has brought thus far - I see life more clearly because of them.

Day 2 of IPT has come and I tackled it like a champ, which is not something I could have done (with a big smile on my face) without God's immense love and the continous support of all of you. Today I am extremely grateful that God's plan is not in my hands, because I have come to realize that life is so much more amazing when I let go of control.

I also want to express my sincere grattitude for all of the wonderful gifts of the "now" - including everyone currently reading this and supporting me. I still cannot believe the immense amount of support in various forms that I have received. No matter where this road ahead leads, that is something I will truly wake up and cherish each and every day of this journey.

Sending love, sunshine, and gratitude your way,

Jessica Lynn

Day 1 IPT - check!

Day 1 of IPT was a success! The first course of action for IPT was to put the lovely hat, gloves, and booties on my feet. I call it my Iowa gear because it's all ABSOLUTELY FREEZING. The purpose is to trick the fast dividing cells with the cold so that the medicine doesn't travel to those areas to cause things like hair loss, neuropathy (nerve damage), etc. I also fasted prior to treatment to make my blood sugar drop to a low (but safe) level. My nurse Tammy was with me the whole time monitoring me. Once I got to the point where I was feeling sluggish and my blood sugar was at the right level, she injected the Insulin for those starving cancer cells annnnd little did those cancer cells know, the chemo was right after the insulin. Tammy and I were envisioning what the IPT was doing: cracking jokes about what it might look like in my body. We envisioned an army tracking down those remaining cells like a SWAT team and getting them out of my body ASAP.

It was my new friend Diana's first day too, we both had our fair share of laughs throughout the process.

I brought a giant sized container of watermelon for my post IPT snack to share and we loved every single second of it. It was a taste of Summer in my fancy Iowa gear.

Treatment took about an hour and a half all together. Once my levels were good to go, I had a break in my day between other therapies so my dad and I got to go enjoy some time together.

As far as effects go I battled some nausea and a little bit of laziness. I honestly have all of the previous therapies and changes I've made to thank for my lack of side effects. By Friday afternoon I was feeling completely like myself, which was an amazing feeling!

Deek thought it would be funny to take pictures of me at the end of the day Friday to show you guys that I made it through my first day post IPT (Ignore my obnoxiously large "water bottle")

We got back to our place yesterday afternoon to some unbelievable mail from the students at Holy Cross. I spent time reading through each one and wow are these kids amazing!! Everything from valentines cards to good luck posters to bible verses to pretty pictures, I got it all! They are all so precious and I'm thinking I might just plaster them all over my bedroom wall for inspiration ;) One student introduced me to my new favorite quote:

Cancer is NOT a death sentence, but rather, it's a life sentence - it pushes one to LIVE.

The girls at the front desk sent me some lovely flowers and a beautiful card to brighten the room.

A relative of mine, Kelli Schorg, designed t-shirts for whoever is interested. She even got the U of I's permission to use their logo on one of my shirts. The link is posted below!

http://sharonsemb.com

Another amazing thing that happened this week was scrolling through Facebook to see this pop up on my feed. Farrell's is a gym I've belonged to since last March, doing kickboxing and resistance training. The energy there is incredible and their compassion is outstanding. Thank you ICFXB for treating me like family and for doing this in my name. I will be kicking right along with you! Level 10 baby ;)

Thank you all for your continuous love and support. My gratitude is endless.

Love,

Jessica Lynn

The Eve of Insanely Positive Therapy

Hello supporters!

I apologize for the lapse of time. I have revisited my blog a couple times today, thinking that I would have posted by now. I have typed and re-typed multiple ways to thank you all, but nothing seems to do justice as to how sincere my gratitude is. I still feel so genuinely lucky to be able to receive this treatment and I am appreciative of every little thing. It is truly remarkable to see the power behind me with each step that I take on this journey.

A little update about the past week:

• First of all, it has been insanely busy with a lot of adjustments, both mentally and physically. I feel that I have finally reached the point of acceptance and I am ready to move forward tomorrow with my very FIRST IPT/chemotherapy! I'm not going to sugar coat it. It has not been an easy adjustment from college life into this new lifestyle, but it has forced me to push myself beyond my comfort zone. I grow more and more fascinated each day of treatment at how well the therapies are ALREADY working. Some of the chief therapies that I currently do are IV drips of: vitamin C, vitamin B17, ALA, and blood ozone therapies that oxygenate your blood and rid it of bacteria and fungi (cancer cannot survive in an oxygenated environment). I also do lymphatic drainage, manual lymphatic therapies, colon hydrotherapies, myofascial therapies, and so on. (But I won’t bore you with the explanations of each. Sometimes I have to realize not everyone is quiiiite as fascinated as I am, but when you feel it and see it first hand it is insanely powerful). I am also eating completely raw vegan. Everyone in from the midwest reading this is probably choking at the word “raw” or “vegan” right now haha. I will be the first to admit, it isn’t easy to do when you grow up on meat and potatoes. But I am learning quickly and my body is thanking me for it already. They are great here about teaching you how to prepare the foods and how to incorporate what you love in order to make it a sustainable lifestyle after impatient treatment. (The wildest thing I’ve seen yet might be that even my dad has been eating raw and vegan with me while he is here. Talk about crazy!)
• My port surgery went well. I have no doubt that it was due to all of the encouragement and prayers I received - thank you for that! I was very afraid of the unknown, but it went well and it is making daily treatments much MUCH easier.
• We also recieved the results from my PET scan last week. We were pleased to find out that my cancer has NOT metastasized to anywhere else in the body!! Which made me feel like I could really take a deep breath again. However, they did find some metabolic activity in the ovaries. Annnnd suddenly that whole “deep breath” thing went out the window. When I first heard that it was as if my heart had dropped to the bottom of my shoes. But, once I stopped being stubborn and I forced myself back into reality to listen to the doctors, I realized that the activity could be due to a lot of different things, such as healing from my previous surgery to remove the tumors, menstrual activity, or a possibly remaining Recnac. Amazingly, the Insulin Potentiated Therapy/ low dose BEP chemotherapy will target the areas with highest metabolic activity and are they are specific to my recnac type. In addition, all of the lifestyle changes as well as minimizing internal sugar, maximizing internal oxygen, and making my body an alkaline environment are all going to be essential weapons in this fight.
• Tomorrow is Day 1 of battle and I am armed and ready to attack! I’ve decided to declare my IPT (chemo) days as Insanely Positive Therapy days to pinpoint my recnac cells and get them out of this body ASAP. I am a little nervous, but any unfamiliar thing is a scary at first, simply because you don’t know what to expect. But, I’m convinced that my doctors and nurses have some of the kindest souls around. They do a really wonderful job of keeping me at ease and making each day about furthering the healing process. My greatest asset in this battle comes from above. The big man upstairs and I have become the best of friends and I tell ya what, He really brings a lot of peace into my heart. I remind myself every day that He is the Almighty healer and with Him NOTHING is impossible.

A few of my favorite things about this past week:

- Although this Valentines Day was different in plenty of ways, it was surprisingly the best one yet. Kim, Deek, and I took the day to completely relax in the sun and we went out for (a raw vegan) dinner that evening. I felt so loved the entire day. I received valentines and heart cut outs from Lexi, Jude, and Miles, beautiful flowers from the Bohlke family, an amazing present from Jeremy.

- Having my dad here has been absolutely hilarious and so fun. He adds a whole new dynamic to the treatment center. (Those of you who know Deek know exactly what I am talking about). It's been awesome to see how involved he is in my healing and also to have some quality father daughter time - even in the kitchen. (I caught him chugging and loving his green smoothie, but he doesn't know about that yet).

The other patients at treatment often wonder how someone my age got to be in this position and the story of how I got here makes me smile. I tell them how lucky I am to be able to have this opportunity for integrative treatment and how all of the amazing support I have received back home and through social media is part of what got me here. I'm fighting my hardest and I cannot wait to share this vision of health with others in my future.

Sending you my deepest thanks and warmest regards,

Jessica Lynn

Fear into love

I'm not typically one for hospital or procedure pictures, but today makes an exception because today is the day! I finally get my port placed, and *drum roll* without being put under. I've had a lot of apprehension about this procedure. I'm not sure why THIS of all of the previous is what is most frightening to me. I think it's because when I think of ports I think of Cancer, but then I remind myself - it's just "recnac" ;) and this little device is going to make my treatments much easier. The past few days have been wonderful yet an absolute whirlwind. My sister Kim is with me now, and her radiating positivity and bubbly personality are enough to light up any room. (Sometimes I have to wonder if she has a secret as to where all the energy comes from) I am learning a lot from her as she is teaching me to turn fear into love I have to admit, it feels pretty d*mn good to let go of the fears that I cannot control. God is in control. He has His loving arms around me, swarming me with love. What more could I really need?! I am so thankful for all of those reaching out as we get settled into the healing process. I will be heading into surgery shortly to be one step closer to kicking recnac to the curb! Amen to that!!

We have arrived and healing has begun!

Hello my incredible supporters! We have made it to Mesa! The sunshine and environment here is healing in itself!! Yesterday we spent the day searching and found our new "humble abode" and ended up settling in at a nearby extended stay. The people here are very accomodating of our situation and the energy here is incredible - everyone is so happy :)

Today was the start of my healing journey. I honestly didn't think it was possible to feel any more at peace with my decision, but I was proven wrong when I met my doctors and nurses face to face. They are AMAZING. I also got a chance to meet some of the other patients who were very welcoming and so at peace with their care.

Tomorrow we dive in a little deeper. I am quickly learning how to channel nervousness into excitement for the road ahead! Tomorrow morning will consist of time with Dr. Lodi, then we will do more therapies, immune IV's, and also get my port placed. If all goes as planned (fingers crossed) I begin the low dose IPT and BEP chemo treatment Monday, which would make Monday technically "Day 1" of treatment!

A couple of my favorite things about my journey here thus far:

• I've adapted a new term called "Recnec" - it's just cancer spelled backwards,  the word cancer makes people turn their heads and is associated with so much fear so it's just a little something to take away that power
• My RN Steven is hilarious. He pops in and out of my therapies and he has the same sense of humor as I do, he reminds us all of Jeremy and that makes me feel really comfortable.
• The concierge at our hotel's name is Jordyn, which reminds me of my roommate Jordyn because she is every bit as friendly. We address each other by name already and she told me we can be Arizona BBFs
• Most importantly: Having my mom and my sister here with me has been the biggest blessing for so many reasons, but especially for my spirit. We find every excuse we can to laugh our butts off and enjoy the time spent.

I just want to genuinely and sincerely thank each and every one of you who have joined me on this journey. I am so so so entirely grateful. It is truly incredible to see all of those that have supported me by either sharing the link, reaching out, donating, or writing lovely messages for me. I often reflect on all of the support I have and it keeps me going. This process is incredible and I feel so blessed to have you on my side :)

With love,

Jessica

Fear into faith

At 20 years old, Jessica – our daughter, sister, aunt and friend – was diagnosed with a tremendously rare and highly aggressive form of germ cell ovarian cancer. The malignancy was found by chance, when Jessica had surgery to remove what were thought to be benign ovarian cysts. In that moment, no words could express the fear we all felt of the indefinite road ahead. However, in the face of her shocking diagnosis, Jess has maintained a pure and genuine optimism. To devote her life to making the necessary changes, Jess has put many of her ambitions on hold, including completion of the final semester of her undergraduate pre-chiropractic program. And as she begins her fight, we ask for your help.

In my own words: “December 19th is a very monumental day for me. As a term that is used

so broadly to describe many different circumstances had become prevalent in my own life

for the first time: ‘Cancer.’ I had experienced many health issues in the past few years and

was working on finally feeling whole again. Although I thought that after the surgery on

December 12th to remove the “benign” ovarian cysts, that the most invasive part of my

journey to restore my health was over -- it had just truly begun.However, something I

NEVER thought I would say is: although this is the scariest adventure I have ever

encountered, being diagnosed with ovarian cancer may end up being the best thing that has

ever happened to me. It has forced me to take a step back to look at what I truly cherish in

life and make some major health, lifestyle, and relationship changes. When I reflect on

myself as a person, I have realized that I am a person who needs other people - especially

now. But I also am a person who loves lifting others in return and sharing my experiences

with them. I give a lot of credit to my family, as they have shown me that moments of

physical or mental weakness are not associated with humiliation. They have taught me that

what makes strong people so courageous is not necessarily a lack of tears or putting on a

tough face, but allowing yourself to lean on others for strength when necessary, and

returning the favor, which is exactly what I plan to do. My focus on this journey is not on

my sickness, but on my ability to use this experience to become the healthiest version of

myself and to be an advocate for my own body. I long to grow in mind, body, and spirit. My

emphasis is to use my energy to change the fear associated with cancer into a higher faith.

And to use that faith to strengthen my body, my family and my genuine relationships with

others – because that is exactly what I need to fight thisI trust that it is up to us to

determine what meaning the pain in our lives will have, and who we will become as a result

of it. I personally believe that the only concrete thing we can cling to in this world, other

than our faith, is our genuine relationships with people. I have learned that prayer is about

asking God to align you with His will, rather than asking Him to be aligned with yours. He

has aligned me with His will and I cannot wait to share this beautiful journey He is leading

me on with all of you.Thank you to all who are graciously joining me on this journey. You

are sincerely wonderful.”

As a family, we spent most of the holiday season attending several gynecologic oncology appointments at University hospitals, local hospitals, and Mayo Clinic. Outside of appointments we spent our time reading, researching, and reaching out to a variety of medical professionals-educating ourselves. Unfortunately, due to the rarity of Jess’s diagnosis and her young age, there is not a strict standard of care for her cancer type that oncologists can reach complete agreement on. The only consensus is that all of Jessica’s scans, tests, and blood work have come back with no evidence of disease left in her body. However, due to the aggressiveness of her cancer type, oncologists are not comfortable monitoring Jessica or delaying intensive treatment. They suggest potential removal of her ovary, fallopian tube, and abdominal lymph nodes followed by BEP chemotherapy; one of the harshest chemo regimens available, which can be vastly detrimental to quality of life at her age. Possible side effects of these treatments include infertility, menopause at age 20, loss of natural hormone function, pulmonary damage, kidney damage, liver damage, nerve damage, and secondary cancers such as A.M.L. and A.L.L. leukemia’s. The last thing Jessica wants is for quality of life to be deteriorated with surgery and treatments to remove a disease that is only possibly still left in her body, but she also knows that something has to be done in order to fight and prevent this rare and aggressive cancer from ever coming back. While it has been a complicated and at times frightening path, Jessica has expressed her inner peace and deepened faith with all of us. She describes this diagnosis using an analogy she heard from her doctor in Arizona “it is like a tap on the shoulder from God, saying that some changes needs to be made. Something isn’t allowing the body to do its job properly the way it was designed to.” After weeks of research, Jessica has decided that integrative cancer treatment is best for her. Next week she will begin treatment at An Oasis of Healing in Mesa, Arizona working with a doctor there who specializes in gynecologic and pediatric oncology. He is willing to take on her case, and is very optimistic about her outcome. Oasis will treat Jessica for roughly six weeks with low dosages of the recommended BEP chemotherapy administered with Insulin Potentiated Therapy, which allows the chemotherapy to target specific cancer cells, while preserving the body’s healthy cells. Jess will also receive therapies that focus on building immunity, preserving quality of life, and ensure continued healing. After six weeks of impatient care she will hopefully return to Omaha to continue the treatment plan in order to alleviate some of the finical expense. She will then return to Mesa, Arizona once a month for low dose chemotherapy and monitoring until treatment is finished. They will also develop a plan for her to implement as part of a lifestyle to assure that she continues the healing process. The philosophy of this cancer center is exactly what she has been searching for: finding the imbalances in the body and removing the burden from the body in order for it to function optimally, warding off any cancer on its own. The cost of treatment, travel and follow up care will be substantial due to the fact that most of the care will not be covered by insurance. Please consider joining this journey with any support you can offer. Whether your support be financial, emotional or spiritual we find peace and comfort in all your love and encouragement!

With all our love,

Jessica's Family

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/joining-jessica-s-journey/297890