8 Ways to Help a Loved One with Cancer

A Cancer Diagnosis

When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, the bottom can and does drop out from under us.  And in our grief and shock we often stumble coming out of the gate... wanting to be there and be supportive of their cancer journey, we so often just mess up royally.  We say the wrong thing, over-compensate and trip over ourselves trying to make it ok, or sometimes just disappear all together... We know.  Been there. Done that.

It's so hard to know what to say, what to do, or how to help.

We found there are a few simple things that meant a lot to mom when she was on her cancer journey and thus was born our Help-A-Girl-Out Checklist ;-)

Ways We Can All Help Out

1. Take a minute

Breath in, absorb the news and lift a prayer... for your loved one, for yourself.  Take this minute before you do anything... a cancer diagnosis is devastating and is a shock for everyone.

2. Educate yourself

Spend another minute or two (or five) and learn about pancreatic cancer.  There is so much misinformation out there.  Knowing the basics can help us be more understanding as we reach out and lend a hand to our loved one.

3. Avoid Comparisons and Stories

Before you head out to help, determine not to share even one story about your best friend's girlfriends' uncle who survived stage 4 cancer by meditating on his head for 10 hours a day... you know what I mean.  Our loved one's cancer is personal and will impact them uniquely. Your gift to them will just to be there, to listen, to support... to love.

4. Ask What They Need and Be Flexible

It can be hard to reach out in the midst of the heaviness of a cancer diagnosis.  So... call, ask if there is anything they need and then offer specifics... could I bring dinner tomorrow night? Would you like me to drive you to your next appointment, sit with you during chemo, pick up groceries?? If lunch dates were your thing before cancer, then suggest a lunch out and offer to pick up and drive... Offering a helping hand might mean just being there with them. Sometimes a shoulder to lean on is just that, nothing specific, just having you there is enough.

5. Be patient

Our loved ones may just need time alone.  Continue to offer, but be sensitive when they need a bit of solitude.  When an offer of help is declined don't take it personally... lift them up in prayer, send a thoughtful card and call back later... don't give up and don't disappear.

6. Be understanding

Cancer treatments can take a lot out of a person.  Be understanding when your loved one needs to cancel plans or unexpectedly needs to leave early from time together.  The cancer journey is grueling and often imposes limitations that add to the agony. Your understanding will be balm to their hurting soul.

7. Choose to Listen

Determine to be a safe place for your loved one to share.  Avoid the urge to offer advice and simply listen without judgement.  It is a gift.  When we can sit with them and listen to their heart we honor the courage it takes for them to open up.

8. Affirm What They're Saying

We all want and need to be heard and have our feelings validated.  Cancer patients even more so.  Our loved ones need to be heard, to know we will not minimize their pain or their struggle.  Determine not to use phrases like "it's going to be ok," or "Don't worry, just calm down," or "Just have faith, you are so strong."  While we may believe these things to be true, they are not helpful to the one who has just been given a cancer diagnosis.

What Every Cancer Patient Wants You to Know

For a more intimate look at what every cancer patient wants you to know, check out our 31 Day Series, A Letter from the Battlefield...

In the series, we share so much of mom's heart and what helped the most.  Truly her friends and family were the silver lining in the cancer storm cloud. 

 

You can be the gift... your loved one needs your presence and will be forever blessed by your sweet offering!

My Love,
Always,
          Jane

Just Breathe...

Life gets hectic.

There can be so many demands on our time that we lose sight of the things we value most.

It's been happening to me more often lately... hard to reel in the time it seems...

And those demands?  Most are so good.  Family, Friends... A shoulder, a meal, a ride here, an evening out ,,,

But then some of those demands??  Some can squash the life right out of us...

Work loads, long hours, Snappy coworkers,

Clogged sinks, Colicky babies, Sick dogs.

Grocery shopping, Supper making, laundry sorting kinds of demands.

And those demands pale in comparison to the dictates of cancer... Cancer can make time disappear with an endless list.

Doctor appointments, medication pick-ups, chemo lab treatments, blood and x-ray work-ups, forcing the meals down, vomiting them up, ER visits, surgery schedules, bill paying, insurance arguing kinds of demands... and all the time we are waiting, and praying, and crying... watching the time slip away, helpless and angry and afraid.

This song.  It stopped me in my tracks today.  I needed to listen and be reminded.

Might you listen too, and be encouraged??   Just Breathe...

When our weary souls can take no more... He calls us to come and rest, in His presence the chaos stills...

and our hearts slow to the beat of Grace...

May you find Beauty in the stillness this night.  Praying His Love over the fear and pleading for Strength to rest in that Love no matter how the storm rolls on...

Always,
        Jane
 

Healing Cancer...

Hope!  A Healing Cancer Coaching Program... for you!  for me!

Chris from Chris Beat Cancer is offering a FREE online program for anyone who is serious about beating cancer...

Cancer Patients.

Cancer Caregivers.

Cancer Preventers.

Check out his link at SQUARE ONE: Healing Cancer

It's FREE.

It starts this Tuesday, Feb15th.

It is Help.  It is Hope.  It is for you.

Join us this Tuesday, February 15th for a look at the Roadmap that will radically change our lives and begin us all on the journey to Health and Wholeness!

In Graced Hope,

Love Always,

             Jane

We're all Just Passing Time...

Pancreatic cancer doesn't play favorites...

Men, Women... Too Young, Hardly Old Enough... Mothers, Fathers... Neighbors, Celebrities...

I have yet to meet a cancer warrior who hasn't fought with everything they had.

Our personal story with this cancer beast has forever changed our lives, and has left us fighting still, seeking treatments, encouragement, hope and most of all a cure  ...

We celebrate each victory and weep with each loss.

Today, pancreatic cancer stole another from our midst and hearts grieve...

Sir John Hurt

1940-2017

Known best, in our circles, for his role as Mr. Ollivander in the Harry Potter series, he was a prolific and well-known actor.

Diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer in June 2015, he battled hard, but the cancer battled harder... there is an ache for the family he leaves behind... for a wife, for 2 sons... his legacy will live on, but they will surely miss his presence with a fierceness that can wreck a heart.

Early on in his cancer journey, he was interviewed by Radio Times and shared some truth...

"I can't say I worry about mortality, but it's impossible to get to my age and not have a little contemplation of it.  We're all just passing time and occupy our chair very briefly."

Honoring a life, lifting a prayer, offering gratitude for this brief time we are given... Life is such a gift, determining not to squander even one moment...

Praying Grace over your days, Hope for the battles, and Peace to see the time passing before it's too late.

My Love, Always,

                         Jane

A Cancer-Fighting Bloody Mary!

The Fabulous, Healthy, "Non-Alcoholic" recipe comes from TTAC (thetruthaboutcancer)...

Here is a look at the ingredients in this ultra-healthy and delicious juiced drink:

Red Beets – Beets help protect against cancer, particularly colon cancer. There is also something called “Beet Therapy” which doctors have used to get rid of tumors and to help with blood diseases and leukemia. Beets are also rich in betaine, which stimulates liver cell function and helps keep the bile ducts healthy and flowing so that the body can properly eliminate toxins.

Carrots – Carrots and carrot juice have been widely used to successfully beat cancer, sometimes as a standalone treatment. Among the many healthy compounds found in this root vegetable are polyacetylenes, which studies have found to be beneficial against inflammation and cancer.

Tomatoes – In addition to providing the tomato juice that gives the characteristic red color to Bloody Mary drinks, tomatoes help guard the DNA in your cells from damage that can lead to cancer. Tomatoes contain a particularly high concentration of the antioxidant called lycopene.

Baby Spinach – Spinach is one of the healthiest dark green leafy vegetables. It contains a large number of valuable vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Spinach is especially rich in folic acid. Folic acid helps maintain the cell’s genetic code and regulate normal cell division.

Broccoli – Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable − a group of vegetables that are among the most powerful cancer fighting foods to be found. Cruciferous vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and important antioxidants such as beta carotene and sulforaphane compounds. Cruciferous vegetables contain isothiocyanates. These are phytochemicals which help break down potential carcinogens. They also contain indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which help prevent estrogen-driven cancers.

Wheatgrass – Wheatgrass is one of the most potent superfoods on the planet and is used as a primary component of some alternative cancer treatments. Primary among its many cancer-fighting ingredients is chlorophyll, which has almost the same molecular structure as hemoglobin. Chlorophyll also contains the noted cancer-fighters selenium and laetrile.

Celery –  Celery is a powerfully healthy vegetable that is most noted for helping regulate blood pressure. It is also a powerful cancer fighter and it contains apigenin and luteolin, compounds which are bioactive flavonoids that fight cancer cells.

Garlic (2-3 cloves) – Garlic, as well as onions, leeks, and chives, have immune-enhancing allium compounds. These compounds increase immune cell activity, help break down cancer causing substances, and block carcinogens from entering cells. Studies have linked garlic to lowering the risk of stomach and colon cancer. Diallyl sulfide, a compound found in garlic oil, has also been shown to incapacitate carcinogens in the liver.

Cayenne (as much as you can comfortably drink) – Hot peppers such as cayenne (chili peppers) and jalapenos contain capsaicin − a chemical which fights cancer and helps neutralize certain cancer-causing nitrosamines. Hot peppers are especially valuable for helping prevent stomach cancers.

Whole Lemon – Lemons are widely used in anti-cancer diets and treatments. Studies have found that lemon extract can successfully destroy malignant cells in a wide range of cancers, including breast cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer.

Turmeric Root (or powdered turmeric if you can’t find turmeric root) – Turmeric is a popular kitchen spice whose main ingredient is curcumin. Curcumin has become a rising star against cancer in recent years. Its powers have been detailed in a whopping 8963 studies and papers in PubMed, the U.S. national library of medicine.

Tip: Choose organic and fresh, locally grown ingredients as much as possible for the healthiest recipe. Also, wash all fruits and vegetables well before cutting or adding to the recipe.

Directions for Making a Juiced “Bloody Mary”

1. Use a more or less equal amount of the above ingredients, except for perhaps using a few extra tomatoes, using only a few cloves of garlic, and using only as much cayenne pepper as you can tolerate.

2. Juice the above ingredients in a quality low-RPM juicer such as the Omega Vert 350HD used by this author. Note that high RPM juicers oxidize the ingredients and greatly reduce the juice’s health benefits.

3. Add fresh ground black pepper, turmeric powder (if you cannot find turmeric root to juice), and Himalayan salt to taste after making the juice. Then, plop in a celery stalk and perhaps a couple of green olives and enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Notes on Juicing

• As a cancer preventive, enjoy a couple of glasses several times a week. As a cancer fighter and detoxer, drink 6 or more tall glasses per day for at least a week with no other food consumed. After that, continue drinking several glasses a day along with a healthy diet and other cancer-fighting supplements thereafter.
• For a sweeter morning version, substitute apples for the tomatoes and also add ginger.
• The key to getting the maximum benefit from juiced drinks is to consume them while the plant enzymes are still “live.” Thus it is best to only make as much as you will be able to drink within a couple of days instead of making large batches that may take days to consume.

I've always wanted a good juicer and this recipe gives me the push needed to get started... Join me?  Starting the new year determined to clean up our diet and make healthy eating/drinking a lifestyle that sticks!  So, All together... Bottoms up!

A Letter from the Battlefield...

"I'm still me...with just a side of cancer." 

Mom said that one day while she was wrangling her fanny-pack of chemo into submission... and it made me laugh.

Yes. She was still the mom we always loved and laughed with... just battling a terrible, deadly disease.

In a way, that moment was an intimate peek into our life with Cancer.  It was the world we lived in during mom's emotional journey with pancreatic cancer...

A Delicate Dance.

Tests and Needles and Sterile-Gloved Hands.

Birthdays and Bonfires.

Waiting Rooms and Surgeons.

Snuggles with Grandbabies and Dinner in the Oven.

Weddings and Kisses.

Chemo Rounds and a Radiation Blitz.

Blood Counts and Soup and Endless Bottles of Meds.

Sweet Baby Hugs and Lazy Summer Naps.  

Smiles...  And Tears.

Heartaches... And Grace.   

And finding our steps in the minefield of this most treacherous of battlefields...



It became our new normal.   Of course it was not the kind of "new" we wanted. 

New cars.  New puppies.  Even new shoes... yes please.  But this new cancer journey?  Never, ever on our want list.

As mom fought her cancer physically, she also fought battles emotional... some harder than others.  And as we walked the journey, she often shared with us honest truths, gut-punch realities of living with cancer...

We've collected many of these truths into a letter that mom would have loved to share with her friends and family... truly a letter straight from the trenches...

these are the things that she longed for us to hear as she skirmished it out on her Cancer Journey...

Join us these next 31 Days to wade deep
into the Cancer Battlefield and discover

the things that every cancer patient wants you to know...

Day 1 - A Letter from the Battlefield
Day 2 -  I Have Cancer...
Day 3 - The Cancer Pictures I Hate

Day 4 - Battlefield Break - Birthdays and Bonfires
Day 5 - Forget?  Who Me?
Day 6 - Walking a Cat on a Leash...
Day 7 - Seriously...
Day 8 - The sacredness of tears...
Day 9 - Grace to the Hurting
Day 10 - Make Cancer Stop...
Day 11 - Battlefield Break - Babies at the Fair
Day 12 - The Critical Hug Factor
Day 13 - It's all a Matter of Life and Death
Day 14 - Sending a Virtual Hug to the Ones we Love
Day 15 - Meet James and Jack
Day 16 - Ask Me, I Dare You!
Day 17 - A Little Bit of Jack Nicholson for the Win...
Day 18 - Battlefield Break - Finding Ourselves on the Battlefield Road
Day 19 - Taking Deeper Roots
Day 20 - Hold Me in the Storm
Day 21 - Spittin' Mad...
Day 22 - A Day in the Life
Day 23 - It will be enough...
Day 24 - T.H.I.N.K.
Day 25 - Battlefield Break - Hello Fall!
Day 26 - Party Time
Day 27 - Too Sick to Snack
Day 28 - Too Pooped to Party
Day 29 - Never Alone
Day 30 - I Will Not Watch You Die!
Day 31 - What Every Cancer Warrior Needs

It's a humbling blessing to share mom's heart.
 
                          In Grace, Always,
                                                    Jane

A Letter from the Battlefield:

what every cancer warrior needs

I need to say 'I Have Cancer'

without everyone falling apart around me.

I need your tender reminders for appointments and meds and meals,

my mind has been somewhere else lately.

I need to laugh...
and I need to cry.
And your sweet permission to do both.

I need you to make cancer stop,
and I will love you crazy for trying so hard.

I need your touch,
and I need my space... Give it with Love.

I need someone to ask how I'm doing,
and really want to know the answer.

I need you to be my foundation strong
when the storm bears down.

 I need your forgiveness when the outbursts and anger overwhelm,
my emotions have been in a rage ever since cancer came calling.

I need you to bring those sweet desserts and savory soups,
along with your understanding when I can only sample a bite
and your compassion when my strength fades in the midst of your visit.

More than anything, I need YOU...
Your support, Your encouragement, Your Love.

I can't ever imagine walking this cancer road alone.

Next

Pit Stop Sunday...The Power of Togetherness

It is a fact that with the right formation, the lifting power of many wings

can achieve twice the distance of any bird flying alone.

-Author Unknown

"Two are better than one,
in that their cooperative efforts yield this advantage:
  if one of them falls, the other will help his partner up,
woe to him who is alone when he falls
and has no one to help him up."
                                 ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 


May you be surrounded always by hands that hold you close,
prayers that lift you high, and a love that never gives up...

Praying your Journey today be blessed with the "lifting power of many wings."

The Real Pancreatic Cancer Statistics...with Hope

 

* Pancreatic Cancer will affect more than 46,000 people this year.

*Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat...mainly because there are few early stage symptoms and it is often not diagnosed until the cancer is well advanced.

*Pancreatic Cancer does not discriminate and will strike just as many men as women.

*Pancreatic Cancer is traditionally treated in one of 3 ways: chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiotherapy.

*Pancreatic Cancer treatments are generally not curative, meaning that the treatments are only used to help prolong a patient's life, not cure them.

*Pancreatic Cancer's 5 year survival rate is only about 6%.

*Pancreatic Cancer will be the cause of death for more than 39,000 people this year.

 

*   *   *   *   *

These Pancreatic Cancer statistics are beyond sobering.  They are horrific and unbelievably discouraging to those of us personally affected...

 

Might I share some of the notes we have received from the so-called statistics?   Profoundly raw emotion, with hearts torn and grieved... 

 

"My father is 67, diagnosed in March, stage 4, inoperable. He is between rounds 5 and 6 of Flofrinox but I think he's about had enough. He means so much to me, my mom, my three boys. He is/was the rock in our lives and we are all trying desperately to hold it all together. My thoughts and prayers are with you, your mom and your family."  ~ Stacy

 

 

"I am the 52 year old daughter of a 72 year old mother with stage iv terminal cancer which has metasticized to her liver. Just wondering how you all got through it. I am constantly sad and depressed. Trying to get hope, but realizing hope is in short supply. What did you do to get past this? I spend all my time on the net trying to find a cure for that which has no cure. Will we come to any time of peace with this?"  ~ Mary

 

"my father-in-law also just found out he has cancer..Very scary he has stage 2 Pancreatic cancer. I lost my dad in 2005 and this is really hard on me to cope with... "  ~ Trinity

 

 

"Good afternoon. My dearest friend was just diagnosed in September with pancreatic cancer - she is 51 - she had the whipple surgery done in October  (2012) in Pittsburgh PA. Two days before Christmas Eve they found out the cancer was in her liver and there was nothing more that they could do. She then went to Texas in January where she could not even receive "clinical trials" as the cancer was in liver, abdomen, neck lymph node and lung. She cannot eat due to the Whipple surgery as much as she tries & tries. She is in so much pain. Then the chemo that she is getting (she is getting 4 treatments once every two weeks) is just wearing her down. I am so afraid for her. She is getting weak. The pain is unbearable. I cannot stand to see my dear friend so sad and in so much pain. Thank you so much for listening."  ~  Fran

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

The ache is palpable.  These are the Pancreatic Cancer statistics that truly matter.  Our mothers, our fathers, our husbands, our friends... families torn apart with the agony of this cancer.

 

And I would be living in an endless black hole of depression if I thought there was no hope...

 

Oh, but, there is.  HOPE.  In Giant Letters.  Pointing us onward in our journeys.  Believe it.  Hang on to it.  Fight for it.

 

HOPE is the reason we can take that first step and then the next step and the next...

 

We've also received so many more letters like the following.  Read on, be lifted up.  Know that there is HOPE, no matter where this journey takes you...

 

 

"My brother was just diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer. He is 49 and has a 2 yr old son. The fight is on! Similar to your described diagnosis, he has a tumor that is inoperable and has surrounded his arteries by 50%. He is planning on getting a nerve block for the pain tomorrow. Chemo will start when he heals from the exploratory surgery that found the problem." ~ Scott 

 

"Dad's cancer was discovered at stage IV with metastasis to the spine and lungs. It is strange to look back and see in retrospect that shoulder pain he had last fall (thinking it was a pulled muscle from an afternoon of raking leaves) was actually a result of metastasis since the mass in the spine is pressing on nerves. Looking back, that was one of the first hints there was anything wrong, and clearly, the cancer was already well on the move before he even knew it. As the specialists he saw confirmed, and as you already know, this is such a tough disease given that it's usually at an advanced stage before one ever knows it. I think you captured those feelings when you said you felt as if you'd been thrown under the bus before you could even do anything about it. Well said. My parents had time in between all the consultations and appointments to consider how to proceed should our worst fears of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis be realized. Given all that was shared with him by the specialists (at Duke University Cancer Center - "top drawer" as he says!) and the overall prognosis, he declined chemo. He did not want to prolong life for a brief time only to have that time be on chemo and interfere with quality of life that he might otherwise have. After he said that, the oncologist actually said she thought that was wise in this case (and that she doesn't usually share opinions like that). As a result, all treatment is palliative. He has had radiation to the spine to attempt to arrest that growth and alleviate pain as that's where most of his pain has been centered, and that treatment is finished. At this time, the pain meds have been tweaked to a point where they are managing his pain well. That's a blessing. We (my husband and I have a 4 1/2 year old son - my parents' only grandchild and the light of their lives) have been spending time with him continuing to make memories and make the most of this time. As you said, we have no regrets. We're a close and loving family so we've always been very appreciative and lived life to the fullest. He had open heart surgery 6 years ago and considers all the time he's had since then to be a huge gift, particularly because we had our son in that time. He has an amazing sense of peace. I know that is God's grace at work here, and for that we are thankful. Despite the heartbreak and sorrow, I can see the good gifts in this time, and I am thankful for the lessons we are learning by his courageous example."  ~ Collette

 

Two very different journeys, but both sharing HOPE with abandon.  Might you feel it too?

 

When the statistics for Pancreatic Cancer are read, let it loudly be noted, in your life and mine, that God's grace is at work here... and The Fight is on!

 

Graced with Hope tonight.

 

Pancreatic Cancer Call to Action!

Throughout the past few years on this blog and website, I have heard from family members who are struggling to walk out this journey with their loved ones.  It is heart-wrenching to know that pancreatic cancer is still devastating lives today.  We feel weak and impotent against the ravages of this disease.  We would give anything to escape the heartache, but are helpless to stem the relentless advances of this vicious cancer.  Many ask what can be done...  Where is a better treatment?  When will there be a cure?  How do we survive this?

Today you can take a small step and begin to fight back.

Today you can let pancreatic cancer know its days are numbered.

Today is the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network National Call-In Day 2014.

Let your voice be heard.  There must be an increase in funding for medical research to fight this deadly cancer.  We are the voice of our loved ones.  While they are in the trenches using antiquated treatments, struggling hard against the odds, we must give voice to the fight.

When mom passed away, she was being given the same treatment used 20 years ago for pancreatic cancer.  20 years ago.  That is ancient medicine in today's technology driven world.  We need that break-through.  And one way to get it is to increase the support and funding for medical research.

There is a cure.  It is not too late for those in the fight.

I spent about 10 minutes this morning placing calls to my Congressmen in Texas.  Sharing our heart on this subject is vital.  Our Senators and Representative need to hear from families that are going thru this struggle.  They need to know it's personal, it's our heartbeat, it's our loved ones...

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network makes it easy to find your representatives.  Just click here to access your state's listings... Then make a short phone call...

Here are some easy Talking Points if you're not sure what to say when you call...

1)	Hello, my name is [FIRST] [LAST]. I am from [YOUR CITY & STATE] and am calling to support the nearly 500 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network volunteers who are on Capitol Hill today, June 17th.
2)	I'm calling to urge Senator [LAST NAME OF SENATOR] to support at least $5.26 billion in funding for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in FY15.
3)	I also ask that the senator support the inclusion of pancreatic cancer in the Department of Defense's Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP), and to ensure that the program receives at least $25 million in funding as it did last year.
4)	Finally, I want to urge the senator to show his/her support for these issues by joining the new Congressional Caucus on Deadliest Cancers chaired by Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ). Membership is open to both Senators and Representatives.
5)	You can learn more about this new caucus and the growing threat of deadly cancers like pancreatic cancer at a congressional lunch briefing this Thursday, June 19th at 12:00 noon in the Rayburn Office Building (Room 2218). I urge you and your health staff to attend.
6)	Please deliver my message to the senator. Thank you very much for your time.

To be honest, you don't need to use any of the talking points.  Just tell your story.  Share your fight.  Let them know this is so very, very personal... It's a small step in the journey, but can have profound long-reaching significance. 

Walking this Journey together... Graced to Fight alongside each and every one of you...

My Love,
            Jane

Hands Held High

When last we left Moses things were getting dicey...

He was raising his hands high beseeching God Almighty for the victory as his beloved Israelites fought tooth and nail against the evil Amalekites. 

 

While his hands were raised, the Israelites prevailed against their enemy.  But as Moses grew weary in the task...think herculean Yoga pose for hours on end kind of task...his hands gradually drooped lower and lower causing the Israelites to lose the "upper hand" in the battle.

 

And then, just when all seemed lost... 2 amazing men came alongside Moses.  Aaron and Hur stepped up the mount, each leaned into Moses, supporting him and then raising his arms so the Israelites could win the victory.  And what a victory.  It was the first battle to be fought after the Israelites had been freed from the Egyptians.  Definitely a defining moment in their journey with God.  It was there that they called him Jehovah-Nissi... God my victory.  (Exodus 17:8-13) 

 

Through-out Scripture we can see that God is always about the Victory and Winning the Battle when his people seek Him.  

 

Joshua and his men could not win the battle alone.  They needed Jehovah-Nissi and Jehovah gave them Moses.

 

Moses could not keep his hands held high alone.  He needed Jehovah-Nissi and Jehovah gave him Aaron and Hur.

 

Aaron and Hur.  A brother and a friend.  Mighty in Grace to see Moses' need and risk all to be obedient to God's call.  They stepped into the gap to plead for the victory of Israel alongside Moses.

 

Beautiful Grace, extended to us through Jehovah-Nissi.

 

Do you see how God is still, this very day, extending Precious Grace to us as Jehovah-Nissi?

 

When one in our midst is in the battle of their life...fighting Amalekites or cancer... Jehovah-Nissi sends a Caregiver...

 

...a Caregiver that comes alongside to lift hands high on behalf of the beloved one.  A gentle hand to wipe the fevered brow, a strong hand to muscle through and encourage, a prayerful hand held high to beseech God Almighty for victory while the fight rages on..

 

...a Caregiver to come alongside and stand in the gap out of love.  And when the Caregiver becomes weary, too tired to meet the need, Gracious Jehovah-Nissi sends the helpers, the brothers, the friends to lean in and support the work being done, a steady strength to help carry the load.

 

Raising Hands High.  For the Beloved.  Beautiful, Beautiful Victory. 

 

And so, no matter, who you are, my friend, there is a lesson to be learned. Whether fighting the Amalekites yourself, or walking up the mount as Moses did, or even finding yourself called in as the support team, Jehovah-Nissi has a work for you to do...

 

Israel was promised the victory against the Amalekites... but they had to go out and fight.  Whatever life has thrown at you, know that Jehovah-Nissi has promised the victory, but you must arm yourself for the fight and walk into that battlefield prepared to give it all you've got.

 

Moses' part was to go to the top of the mount and raise his hands and the staff of God high.  It was the work Jehovah-Nissi had given him to do as leader of the beloved tribes of Israel.  He was their Caregiver.  And if you find yourself in such a role, know that Jehovah-Nissi has also promised you the victory, but when times of weariness come, and they will, let others come alongside to hold you up.  It is a precious work of Grace and Love.

 

Aaron and Hur had the crucial work of attending to Moses' need.  They encouraged him, supported him and leant him their strength when his was gone.  As you travel this life, you will see times when your friends or family are exhausted in their roles as Caregiver...you, my friend, have the awesome privilege of coming to their aid for a brief but annointed time.  And because of your gift, Jehovah-Nissi promises Victory for their beloved.

 

It is Grace Work for the Tired and Weary.  Beautiful, Intricate Design of Victory in Hands Held High. 

 

When we lift our Hands High in praise of Jehovah-Nissi, we can proclaim with the saints of old...

 

God my Victory!

 

 

The Birth of Inspiration

It's said that Life happens while we are Busy making Plans.  And for those of us touched by Pancreatic Cancer, the Life we end up Living is nothing like we Planned.  We can succomb to the Darkness or rise Above it...

Such is the case for 2 brothers from Minnesota.  David and Daniel are the inspiration behind PurpleRide.  The following is an excerpt from their website, PurpleRide for Mom.

My name is David Breitenbucher. My mom, Ann Schommer, passed away on April 26, 2005 from pancreatic cancer. This is our story.
  
In the summer of 2004 my mom was experiencing back pain. As the weeks went by, her pain was increasing to the point where she could hardly sleep. Not only was her back pain becoming unbearable, but the pain was creeping into her stomach. Her doctor was unable to find the source of the pain. Finally, my mom went to her doctor and said, "I can't live with this pain". Her doctors finally ordered a CT to investigate the source of the pain.

On October 1st, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 (final stage) pancreatic cancer. It was extremely difficult to come to terms with the rapid growth of this cancer when my mom had really only experienced two months of symptoms. After her diagnosis, our family slowly came to the realization that there is no cure for pancreatic cancer. Still today, we continue to struggle with the reality of this cruel disease. After an unsuccessful surgery and two different chemotherapies, mom's condition continued to deteriorate to the point where she spent virtually all of March 2005 in the hospital dealing with horrific pain, overwhelming nausea, and terrifying seizures. Our family experienced some of our darkest days during this time.
 
As I helplessly sat day after day watching my mom battle for her life, I came to the realization that I must do something in honor of my mother and to help fight pancreatic cancer. My sisters and I set up The Ann Schommer Foundation to raise money for pancreatic cancer research. 
 
After setting up The Ann Schommer Foundation, we wanted to do more to raise awareness and money in honor of my mom. That is how PurpleRide was born! I, along with my half-brother, Daniel, decided to bike across America in the summer of 2005. This sixty day trip was completed in honor of my mom.

And that is how PurpleRide was born. Inspiration from Adversity.  2012 marks the 7th Annual PurpleRide Twin Cities.

Each year brings more awareness and funds raised for the Pancreatic Cancer cause.  And this year, I am excited to spotlight Team Jeanne!

Jeanne has been battling inoperable pancreatic cancer for over a year.  She and her husband are joining PurpleRide Twin Citie this years to add their voice to the growng Call for Funding to Find a Cure.  You can watch the support grow at Jeanne's Journey.

There are so many others out there fighting to End Pancreatic Cancer.  I am inspired.  I am humbled.  I am so greatly encouraged.  The foundation is cracking under the death grip of pancreatic cancer and a break-through in research is imminent. 

We are adding our voice to the Call, to honor the memory of too many moms, and dads. friends and loved ones that have fought the battle bravely.

Today we send our support winging over the miles to Team Jeanne... You Go Girl!

                                  May Inspiration Grace your Journey this Day,
                                                                        My Love, Jane

Focusing on the Fight...

Sometimes life seems to hand you more lemons.  And just when you finally thought you were finished making lemonade...

That appears to be the case for Good Morning America anchor, Robin Roberts.  Several years ago she successfully battled breast cancer, bravely sharing her journey with GMA viewers around the world.  Many of you may have heard her announcement this week concerning a new health crisis.  The following message from Robin appeared on GMA website this past Monday:

 As many of you know, 5 years ago I beat breast cancer. I’ve always been a fighter, and with all of your prayers and support, a winner.

Sometimes the treatment for cancer can cause other serious medical problems. Today, I want to let you know that I’ve been diagnosed with MDS or myelodysplastic syndrome. It's a disease of the blood and bone marrow and was once known as preleukemia.

My doctors tell me I'm going to beat this -- and I know it's true.

If you Google MDS, you may find some scary stuff, including statistics that my doctors insist don’t apply to me. They say I’m younger and fitter than most people who confront this disease and will be cured.

Today, I will start what is known as pre-treatment -– chemotherapy in advance of a bone marrow transplant later this year. Bone marrow donors are scarce and particularly for African-American women. I am very fortunate to have a sister who is an excellent match, and this greatly improves my chances for a cure. As you know from my recent interview with Mark Zuckerberg, organ donation is vitally important. Many people don't realize they can be bone marrow donors. I encourage everyone to sign up on a donor registry like bethematch.org.

I received my MDS diagnosis on the very day that Good Morning America finally beat the Today Show for the first time in 16 years. Talk about your highs and lows! Then a few weeks ago, during a rather unpleasant procedure to extract bone marrow for testing, I received word that I would interview President Obama the next day. The combination of landing the biggest interview of my career and having a drill in my back reminds me that God only gives us what we can handle and that it helps to have a good sense of humor when we run smack into the absurdity of life.

Bottom line: I’ve been living with this diagnosis for awhile and will continue to anchor GMA. I love what I do and the people with whom I do it. Along with my faith, family and friends, all of you at ABC News give me the motivation and energy to face this challenge.

Going forward, it’s business as usual at GMA, which means I’ll be right here every day with George, Sam, Josh and Lara. When I miss a day here or there, I’m fortunate that some very talented friends at ABC News will fill-in. When I undergo the transplant later this year, I’ll miss a chunk of time.

When I faced breast cancer, your prayers and good wishes sustained me, gave me such hope and played a major role in my recovery. In facing this new challenge, I ask humbly for more of your prayers and love – as I will keep you in my mine and update you regularly on my condition.

Love and blessings,

Robin

MDS, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, is a fairly rare complication of chemotherapy treatment for cancer.  And you know, I can't help but thinking how terribly unfair it is.  Cancer of any kind is bad enough.  The harrowing effects of chemotherapy almost as bad, and just when you begin to take a deep breath that the worst is over... MDS rears it's very bad, ugly head.

Enough to make the strongest run for the hills... But, of course, that really isn't an option.  And Robin appears to be facing this fight with the same determination and purpose as her breast cancer diagnosis.  During her on-air announcement this week, she was visibly shaken and emotional, sharing a vulnerability that touched a deep chord.  And then she sat up straighter and said, But, we have to Focus on the Fight, not the Fright.

Focus on the Fight, not the Fright.

What a profound statement for anyone facing the Cancer Battle.  Because of course, fear is such a very real companion on this journey.  It tramples over our Hope, claws its way into our Heart, and takes up residence in our Soul.  We can deny its reality with friends, but in the dark of the night when we lie awake wrestling, the nightmare of this insidious disease leaves its mark.

Maybe the answer is not in Denying the Fright, but in refocusing our energies to the Fight.  Naming the fears, researching the options, preparing your battle plan, leaning on faithful family and friends, these are just a few ways to Focus on the Fight.

Easy?  You know the answer to that.  Someone once said that Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.  Well, let me say that we must be living some kind of life so far out of our comfort zone!  And truly, we are.  The infinite tenderness and love we shared with mom near the end was Life at its most fundamental and powerful. 

That's the kind of Love that will Focus the Fight and destroy the Fright...

May your Fight be renewed with Grace and Hope.  My Love, Jane