Jennifer Goodman Linn You Fearless

Monthly Archives: April 2010

04.13.2010 Posted 5:46 pm

Quick Update

Jen didn’t go into the operating room until around 4pm so while I’ll try to post an update late tonight, it will more likely be tomorrow.  Thanks for all your kind words and thoughts!  They definitely helped Jen get through a tough night and put her in the right frame of mind for surgery today.   Sending lots of love back to all of you.  – Dave

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04.13.2010 Posted 10:55 am

Countdown to Cut-Up #5

Just a short note to let you know that I am strong and confident heading into surgery #5.

I had my “last supper” also known as my last meal of solid foods 48 hours prior to surgery.  Dave and I decided to have a little smorgasbord of everything I likely won’t be able to eat for a while after surgery. I sampled a bit of a cheeseburger, fries, macaroni & cheese and ice-cream (If my nutritionist Lauren is reading this, I apologize J)

I started clear liquids on Sunday afternoon (just how many popsicles and cranberry juices can one drink?) and started the infamous bowel prep on Monday AM.  If anyone has had stomach surgery or a colonoscopy before, they know the wonderful delights that await you when you go through this procedure. 

In the past I have done OK with it but during the day my tumor must not have liked the havoc I was wreaking and started to rebel big time.   I started to vomit and get really horrible stomach …

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04.11.2010 Posted 2:34 pm

Tumor: Friend or Foe

So, if your keeping tabs on us, you know that the last two types of chemo we have tried have not been successful and we are expediting surgery to get rid of this very fast-growing and painful tumor.  I have been so fortunate over the last 5.5. years that all forms of chemo have worked so  I guess I am due for a bit of a hiccup (doesn’t mean I want it, just trying to be ever the optimist).

The very unsettling thing about this tumor is that it is towards the front of my abdomen and looks very much like a pregnancy (according to the doctors, the “front” positioning of the tumor is actually a good thing because it is not wreaking as much havoc on some of my internal organs which tend to lie at the back of the abdominal cavity). 

I have also been experiencing common pregnant woman symptoms like a painful lower back and stomach stretching.  I noticed the other day that my “innie” belly button is …

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04.11.2010 Posted 2:22 pm

And That’s Why I Didn’t Take off my Wig

I have written about hair many times on my blog. Losing your hair and then having it grow back just to lose it again can be very devastating.  A friend of mine used to work with a hair care company and she told me that research showed that in over 90% of women, there is a very strong correlation between “personal hair satisfaction” and “self-confidence.” I am not surprised at all.

I wrote a long, very emotional journal entry on 8/30/09 that talked about how I don’t like people to inquire about the status of my hair growth when I am off treatment.  While I encourage you to read the entry in its entirety, the summary is that I think it makes other people (not me) feel better to see that my hair is growing back. To them, it’s a sign that maybe I am no longer sick. It gives them an opportunity to “breathe” again and believe that this disease is fully and completely behind me (thank you, I appreciate your …

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04.10.2010 Posted 5:30 pm

Life Can Change on a Dime

If there’s one lesson that Dave and I have learned over the past 5.5 years it’s that life can change on a dime.  You can be “smooth sailing” and have a great week and then suddenly a bump in the road can change everything.  We have experienced this so many times over the past few years:

Planning special weekends or vacations and then having to cancel because of a medical test or complications.

Enjoying brunch with friends to suddenly experiencing stomach pains and having to rush to the hospital’s urgent care facility.
Celebrating the fantastic success of Cycle for Survival just 2 days after finding out the cancer is back.

If anything, it has taught us to live in the present and love life day by day.  A very wise friend of mine once said, “ Year by year a lot is unclear but day by day you’ll find your way”.  I am very proud of the fact that Dave and I, for the most part have lived our lives this way.  We accept …

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