Jessica’s Story

I am blessed to be a registered nurse and have given all my time and talents to helping others when they need it the most. It’s been a gift from God to show grace and love to patients I have cared for. The medical team that has cared for me during my cancer journey have been angels.

This cancer adventure has all happened during the pandemic. It began before the world knew how covid really spread so I did not see my family or friends for over 100 days. I missed my four grandchildren the most-they are the light of my life.

On September 11th, 2020, I received the news that I had breast cancer. Stage 3, with lymph node involvement. I was now the patient in need of caring for. After 16 weeks of chemotherapy, 33 radiation treatments, and 3 surgeries, I am in the maintenance phase of cancer treatment. I will take daily medication for the rest of my life, so my hormones stay suppressed, and the cancer does not come back-my life saving medication.

 

During cancer treatment, we discovered I have a brain tumor, a presumed meningioma. We cannot know for sure that it is benign until a biopsy can be done, but it is slow growing, so the hope is that it is not cancer. It is growing between my pituitary gland and optic chiasm. It must come out or I will have permanent vision loss. The oncologist and neurosurgeon decided cancer treatment was more important than the craniotomy, so I completed cancer treatment first. Twice the craniotomy has been rescheduled because there have not been neuro ICU beds due to covid needs in the hospital. It is currently scheduled for April 1st, 2022. I will be homebound for six weeks after the craniotomy and then slowly getting back to normal activities after that.
I cannot express the gratitude I have to be a recipient of a room makeover from My Happy Haven, and I am grateful to be nearing the end of this part of the journey.

Before

Before

Before

JESSICA’S ROOM REVEAL

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER