[Mary Jo]

Hi,

I hope this post doesn't show up twice because I just typed a reply but it didn't show up so not sure if I submitted it or not. So, I'll try again.

First off I want to offer you my support and encouragement to you. It is a scary road in the beginning but it does get easier and you will smile again. People told me that in the beginning and I didn't believe them BUT it does get easier and you will smile again. I not only smile again but I laugh too. :-)

Chemo isn't that bad. It really isn't. There are so many things they can do to help make it tolerable. And it is tolerable. I was petrified of chemo too. I'm the girl who never took ANY meds, only went to the doctor once a year for my mammogram (which did not find my cancer by the way) and my yearly gynecological exam. I thought chemo would kill me. Really I did. BUT it didn't and to be honest with you, I handled it quite well.

Cancer is doable (is that a word?) - it really is. That's not to say it's always easy and it's not to say it's a life any of us would have picked for ourselves BUT it's the life we've been given SO we make the best of the life we have. We learn, grow and are better able to reach out and help others.

Try to avoid reading too much. Sometimes we overload our brains with too much negative information and that is not a good thing. That's not to say we shouldn't learn things about our disease and try to stay abreast (no pun intended) of treatment options but there is something to say about knowing too much - overload of the brain - that can be damaging to our emotional state as well.

You'll get through it. I promise you will. We all did and you will too.

God is good - He cares about what we are going through and all we can do is trust and make the best of the situations we are in.

God Bless you dear "sister"

Mary Jo