Category Archives: My Stories

Choosing to Love

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On my walk home tonight, there was a quote stuck to the underpass of a busy street in Somerville. At first I walked by not taking the time to read it and then it processed in my brain that that’s the reason why I walk, so I can enjoy life a little bit more than when I drive (and so I can avoid becoming a crazy person from Boston traffic) and to be able to appreciate all that surrounds me- even if it’s a busy street that littered with garbage. The paper read the quote “when we choose to love, we choose to move against fear, against alienation, and separation.” 

After taking a few pics because it’ll most likely be gone by tomorrow morning, I continued on my walk but let the words I read bounce around in my mind. Someone, whoever they are, felt so moved by these words that they posted them in a public place for others to enjoy. So I enjoyed the words. I thought about how choosing love can be hard sometimes- it sounds easier than it really is. You take a risk when you choose to open your heart and let people in- you inevitably allow your heart to be vulnerable as its openness allows for the opportunity for it to be broken, or hurt, or bruised. But by letting love in, you also take the chance that something magical happens, something so incredible, so fulfilling, so beautiful happens. Because when true love happens- it’s greater than any fear you could ever have. 

So to whoever posted that quote on the side of the McGrath Highway underpass, thank you. You made my day. 

Lots of love & light,

Jessy 

A Language We All Understand 

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Running is like music– it is a language everyone, no matter what race or religion, can understand and appreciate. 

As always, I am so inspired by all the runners in today’s Boston Marathon. I salute you all, your hard work determination and dedication to complete such an accomplishment is awe-inspiring. #BostronStrong through and through. 💪🏼

Here’s a wonderful story about a woman who has ALS but is celebrating surviving her 5th year post diagnosis by completing the marathon. UNBELIEVABLE! 

  
http://www.myfoxboston.com/news/woman-with-als-gets-new-running-chair-for-marathon/221372028

Lots of love & light,

Jessy 

Transitions

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I watched a swan land on the water tonight. It was beautiful, so graceful; her wings outstretched feeling the wind beneath them, letting the air guide the way to her destination with ease, precision and power. She knew just how much force was needed to land so she could stay above water; gracefully going from flying to swimming. The transition was remarkable… it was perfect. Unlike the swan, my landing into this new phase of my life hasn’t been so graceful. My wings have flapped around wildly, I hovered above the water before my final descent and when I landed I skipped like a rock off choppy waters. Now, I’m swimming forward but there’s a tough undertow that I can feel pulling beneath me. 
Sometimes during my journey I don’t think I was processing exactly what was happening. I was in flight, sights set on my destination and nothing else. Now that I’ve landed, I’m recounting the journey and it makes me realize just how hard I hit the bumps. It was like flying through a lightening storm. When I was able, I avoided the strikes but I couldn’t avoid them all…there was too much wind and noise and chaos going on around me to dodge everything that came my way. The bolts hurt both physically and emotionally but in their own way, they were beautiful and brought light to my life. 
Finally, it’s time to slow down and tread water for a little bit. Time to just be a 27 year old. Time to let the current peacefully pull me along. Time to be one with my surroundings and the blessings that I have experienced in this life.  
I’ll never be as graceful as the swan but I can try to emulate her and some of her beautiful qualities: like stretching her wings to show her power, like her ability to swim forward gently, like how she seems to be satisfied staying in one place, like how she lets her presence been seen and felt and like her ability to be bring others joy just by doing what she was meant to do. 

Lots of love & light,

Jessy

Creating Serenity for Yourself

Posted in Health & Wellness, My Stories by

taking time for you

During a relaxing hot bath, I began reading the first passage of “The Radiance Sutras” and it ended with:

“…exhaling, breath is released and flows out.

There is a pulse as it turns to flow in.

In that turn, you are empty.

Enter that emptiness as the source of all life.

Inhaling, breath flows in, filling, nourishing.

Just as it turns to flow out,

There is a flash of pure joy —

Life is renewed.”

 

What better time for me to symbolically renew my life than now? So I breathed in deeply and exhaled, underwater. I was completely submerged and it felt so exhilarating. I love being in the water– even if it’s just a bath, I find it so cleanings. It makes my heart warm, the water gives me a flushing feeling like I’m really alive. Right now, you’re one of the one of hte most important elements– water. I dunked myself 3 times, for no specific reason other than it felt good. I got water up my nose and that was clearly an issue. So I sat up, swayed my head side to side to get out any left over cricks and sucked down the cold water that sat beside me.

What started as a relaxing nighttime bath, turned into something that left me renewed and refreshsed to start this new week and also start on the new beginning that began last week.

Same journey, different path.

Enjoy the little things in life– make simple gestures to honor yourself and your life.

Lots of love & light,

Jessy

p.s. wanted to show my beautiful oil burner– it’s one of my favorite purchases in the past year!

oil burner

 

I’m Free

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Today, I cried some tears of joy but mostly, I smiled. I smiled because today I got my last infusion of chemotherapy. I smiled because I was told that after looking at over 1 million of my cells, ALL of them had been cleared of leukemia. I smiled because my nurse Andrea had a “Nuked the Leuk” shirt made for me. I smiled because there were 15 nurses and doctors waiting behind a curtain as I arrived to surprise me and give me hugs. I smiled because I was with Mike, my mom and my dad- the three people who were with me the night I was diagnosed and have been there for me every step of the way since. I smiled because I walked out of the doors of Dana-Farber and knew that it was my last time there as a patient. I smiled because I got given the greatest gift I could ever receive– a restored, renewed and beautiful life.

I smiled because my baby brother put together this video montage using pictures and videos that I’ve taken over the past two years. I had planned to post a bunch of pictures from today but I’ll do that later– right now this video has made me smile on the outside and on the inside.

Today, after 769 days, I crossed the finish line. Today, I was reminded of every single person that helped me get to this point- every friend, every family member, every nurse and doctor, every person who sent me a card or commented on my blog with well wishes- I thought of everyone. Today, I feel more blessed, more grateful, more humbled then I ever have in my life. Today I feel free… and I feel that because it’s true. I am free.

All my love & light,

Jessy

Meditating On Me

Posted in Inspiration, My Stories by

  

Often I think that people consider “meditating” as zoning out, as putting your mind to rest. But for me, I use it as a time to let all the things I have to be grateful for pass by in my mind as if watching floating clouds pass by on a day at the beach. Tonight, I kept thinking about how grateful I am for me. I know that probably sounds self-indulgent but that’s where my mind went. Throughout this experience, I’ve always wanted everyone to know just how grateful I was to every person that has helped me get here but in the end, I walked this path alone. I was the only one on the race trail– it was my journey. In many ways, I was alone. This feeling of isolation and loneliness could be construed as negative but I have come to look at it as a positive. I needed to truly be alone in something in my life… I needed to get through something so difficult, so emotionally and physically painful on my own. Yes, I had an absolutely incredible support system to which made my experience brighter, more fulfilled, more full of love, hugs and supported– but at the end of the day, I went through this every single minute of every single day. Others got to go home, take a rest, “get back to their life,” have a drink, go away for a few days to relax, get away from this all (as they all should have). But I could never fully feel 100% physically or emotionally away from the leukemia– it was always with me, always in the back of my mind- during the highs and lows and in betweens. And those feelings will  stay with me the rest of my life because this is still my journey. I’m still marching, I’m still learning. I’m still growing. I am so thankful that March 30th is tomorrow and my body will be able to stop receiving such harsh toxins but I believe that the journey I began on February 20, 2014 goes well beyond March 30, 2016. I’ll walk down this road for the rest of my life. As I should… 

I’ve grown on this road

 I’ve found love on this road

I’ve found myself on this road.  

    
    
 
 
    
    
    
         
    
    
    
   

        

   
    
    
   
   
    
    
    
    
 
   
    
    
 
   
    
    
 
   
    
    
    
    
      

    
  

 

  

  

  

  

  

   

        
   

  
 
   
 It’s been a long time coming, but the day is almost here. 

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow. You’re only a day away.  

All my love & light,
Jessy

March 25th: A Day I’ll Remember 

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The bone marrow biopsies are a thing of the past. It was a stressful morning as things got pushed back and I didn’t end up being taken in until 12:30. So while we waited, we took pics…obviously. 

  
Then I was taken in and I had to take a pic with my most fabulous doctor who has done all my spinal taps and all my bone marrow biopsies since the beginning. Not only is she the most fashionable lady at the Dana but she also is the absolute sweetest. 

  
Now it was time to get suited up- and tis the bunny season, I just had to…

  
So then it was time to chill with the silliness and get this thing some and over with!

   
 
Go time.

(Warning:this is a little graphic but Mike took it and I found it fascinating as I’ve obviously never seen it from this angle!)

 

 
And just like that, I took my last “big breath”, Susan pulled the marrow and it was over. I instantly started crying but it was tears of such joy, relief and gratitude. I felt so empowered and so strong in that moment. I have hated this procedure every time, I have always gotten so worked up before and after as I wait for the results. But the reality is, it’s out of my control now. I’ll get the results next week and I really feel deep in my heart that the leukemia is out of my body so the moment just hit me so hard, like WOW, I’m really almost done. The finish line isn’t around the corner anymore- it’s right there, I just have a few more steps until I cross that yellow line.

As always, Michael was there by my side. Today, actually holding onto my feet, but right there with me, making sure Halo was being played at the appropriate time and loving me with everything he has. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I really am the luckiest girl in the world. 

   
 
With that, I’m making myself a bowl of ice cream and continuing to relax on the couch with my two loves for the night. Thank you for the millionth time to everyone who said a little prayer for me, I owe you big time.

Lots of love & light,

Jessy 

A Lot Of Worry but a Little Light

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This week has been hard. Harder than expected. What I would’ve expected is pure excitement, pure elation that the road is coming to an end. But instead, I’m feeling overwhelmed with a mix of emotions, most of them being sad and scared if  I am being totally truthful. 

Tonight is no different. Tonight I feel scared and I feel anxious. Tomorrow I will wake up and go to the Dana for my last scheduled bone marrow biopsy. I always become really nervous before these procedures since I find them really painful but more than that, I’m nervous of the results. I won’t find them out until next week, but tomorrow will be my last “check” for leukemia. The “what if’s” are worrying me. Well, it’s not exactly plural- it’s singular- it’s “what if there are still leukemia cells in my bones, in my blood?” I literally don’t know what I would do and I can’t bare to imagine it, but I keep imagining it. 

The flip side is that if the results come back negative and there is no such leukemia in my body…….. Well, there are no words for that. 

As I walked into my driveway tonight, I smiled to myself as a small flower has finally begun to pop through the dirt and show its colors. I photographed this same flower two years ago when I had returned home from the hospital as it reminded me of new beginnings. Today, it once again reminded me of new beginnings and a renewal of hope that I so desperately needed. There she goes, Mother Nature making her presence known and love felt. Always remember to look for the little signs. 

  
If I could request it one last time, I’ll take all the good vibes, prayers and positive energy tonight that you can spare. 

All my love & light,

Jessy 

A Moment In Time Reminds

I’ve been looking through a lot of old pictures and videos today. I have tons of these videos, me by myself, talking about the day. This one struck me because I watch this and know how hard it was. I am so excited to #nuketheleuk but I think processing what a difficult journey this has been for me, helps me heal.

I’ve come a long way since this day, buzzed head sitting alone, looking out the window but these raw moments were the reality of my days. Not each one cheery or inspiring. 

On a brighter note, i got my second to last treatment today. Friday is the bone marrow biopsy and one week from tonight I will be a cancer treatment graduate. 

All my love & light, 

Jessy

See Ya Later Roid Rage

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 Today this is my life…

I’m working from home because of the snow. I’m bundled in head-to-toe fleece and felt like I needed to take the opportunity to document the LAST TIME I HAVE TO TAKE STERIODS.

I have been on all levels of steroids since the second day after I got to the hospital in 2014- before we even knew what type of leukemia I had and could begin my treatment regimine. They’ve had me on all sorts of highs & lows. Eating like a football player, being hyper focused on cleaning and organizing, bloating of my face and body, making my body so sore to the touch, they’ve made me manic and then when I come off them I’ve gotten so low and bordered on depression. They’ve kept me up too many times to count, like way way way too many times to count. And they’ve kept Mike up almost every day that I’m on them because I literally cannot stop talking the second we turn off the lights. 

I have hated what these damn pills do to my body but even more so what they do to my mind so today I am ELATED to say that I should never have to take Dexamethasone ever again in my life.

HALLE- EFFING- LUJAH 

Back to work. 

Lots of love & light,

Jessy