Tag Archives: Inspiration

6 Weeks In

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I used to count how many months “down” I was. But tonight, I can say I’m a month and a half “in” and headed back to Dana Farber for the first time as a “graduated” patient tomorrow. It’s already been 6 weeks since I got my last dose of chemotherapy and my body and mind are finally beginning to truly heal. After two years of a tingly tongue and numbness in my fingertips, those underlying & continuous feelings have gone away. So have much of my fatigue, headaches and nausea are gone. I no longer have to stop eating two hours prior to going to bed because of a daily chemo pill. I’ve gotten to lift life restrictions.

I’ve had a dirty martini. 🙌🏼


I’ve eaten sushi.


I’ve gone in a public pool and hot tub and not worried about getting an infection.


And had a mani/pedi day with my best without worrying about going against doctors recommendations not to in order to reduce risk of more infections.


I’ve gone to the Red Sox game with friends and stayed out too late on a work night.


I’ve become obsessive over the new Beyonce album. (Download ‘Freedom’ and then try telling me she’s not my soul sistah)

I’ve done yoga and felt strong the entire time.


I’ve had a 24 hour get-away with Michael


I’ve lived six weeks of a “free me” and damn, it feels good.

I still have so much to work on and mentally get through; some days I’m good and some days I’m emotional. I still don’t know what I want to do with my life, I still don’t know exactly why I was given this second shot but I’m so grateful for it. I’m so happy to get to live my life!
Lots of love & light,

Jessy

So Many Smiles

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Over 350 Smile Cards are on route to the Brigham!!!! I have received letters from so many people wanting to help in this small initiative and it makes my heart so full. Keep them coming; there are always patients that need a little pick-me-up! 





Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who has helped me with this. You truly are making a difference.
Lots of love & light,

Jessy 

Give Me Summer

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On my way to work the past two mornings, I’ve taken my sunglasses off and almost stumbled into the road as I keep putting my face up and towards the sun. I need the warmth. I want the Vitamin D. It’s time to get outside, I’m ready for it.

Happy FRIYAY everyone. Hope you had a wonderful week and an amazing weekend.

Lots of love &a light,

Jessy 

 

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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

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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

A Card to Make Me Smile

Posted in Inspiration, My Stories, Smile Cards by

Last week when I got home from work, I had a letter in the mail from a sender I didn’t know. I opened it and this is what appeared ….

   
“Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle.”

  
A very simple note, from a complete stranger that made me feel so warm inside and gave me energy I didn’t knew I had that day. 

I got my own SmileCard. And you know what?! It worked. I smiled so big and was so touched by someone’s small act of kindness. 

So first of all, thank you to whoever sent this— it’s exactly what I needed. 

Secondly, this inspires me to keep writing cards- they make a difference. If you want to make a difference in someone’s day, write a Smile Card- write a few, whatever comes to you, and send my way (2Webster  St. Somerville, MA 02145). I’ll take them to the hospital- there are ALWAYS patients that need them.

As we start this new week, let’s take from the important of this saying– don’t let anyone or anything dull your sparkle- you have a lot of sparkle so let it shine! 

Lots of love & light,

Jessy 

Steroids Have Me Like WOAH

It seems only fitting that my last round of steroids, after literally too many rounds to count, would hit me SO hard. I literally had six emails from myself this morning when I got to work, all which I had sent from about 1130-1am last night as I could not get my mind to shut off. And today, I just couldn’t stop. Couldn’t stop talking. Couldn’t stop thinking. Couldn’t stop step marching on my way home. Just couldn’t stop. I wish leukemia had a visual bunching bag so I could just destroy it right now. I am so amped up it’s incredible. These steroids are so powerful though it’s just crazy to think about — I go from such extremes highs to such lows when I come off of them. They mentally and physically affect me beyond what I can explain. They have pretty much been the bane of my existence for the past 2 years so I am SOOOOO EFFING EXCITED FOR IT TO BE DONE. LIKE AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Three days from now I’ll take my last dose of steriods, hopefully, EVER!!!! Anyways, to be able to remind myself of the CRAZY that comes with the high days– I recorderded this video that I thought I’d share. I look crazy but that’s how I feel right now. I hope it makes you laugh. #NEUKTHELUKE BETCHES!

 Happy Friday everyone– enjoy all the bliss of your weekends!

Lots of love & light,

Jessy

Slainte 

Posted in My Stories by

  
Two years ago today, I crossed off the final mark on my “days down” whiteboard. I had started it during my first stint at the hospital after being diagnosed as I wanted to remind myself of the number of days I had been “locked up.” Then with a little Irish luck on my side, my counts crossed over the mark we were waiting for and I was released from the Brigham on St. Patrick’s Day 2014. Mike drove me home with my parents behind us and we celebrated with a pizza and salad from Reginas Pizzeria- my absolute favorite. I remember walking in that door with Mike, having left my house the morning of Februrary 20th just a normal day at work and hadn’t been back since. I was home. I didn’t cry when I walked in, I simply smiled. I felt so much pure joy to be in my house again. As Mike had stayed with me every night in the hospital, he too had not laid on our bed for almost a month. So we did. We jumped in our bed and just laid there together, so thankful that we were home. So grateful that God had granted me a second chance and that I was able to lay there beside him. We cuddled, and took in the moment before my parents came in with pizza. It was a moment I will never, ever forget. 

Today, I have 12 days left to go until I cross off my final “day” as a leukemia patient in active treatment. Two weeks from today, I will no longer be an “active” patient. My treatment plan will be over and I’ll be a patient in remission that has to go to the Dana for check-ups every 6 weeks- that’s it. And that’s incredible. 

I can’t believe it. I’ve decided I’m never erasing the top part of this board- it means too much. It brings back a lot of memories and it reminds me that as long and hard as the race looks originally, with a little resilience and a lot of faith, you can get thru just about anything.

#neuktheluke final campaign has officially begun. 

Lots of love & light,

Jessy