Back with Jan

Many of you readers have followed the journey of my dear friend Jan with her second time having breast cancer. Her first time was 34 years go, right before we met and became friends. I knew all about her first cancer, but quite frankly, as time went on, forgot she was a cancer survivor because it was just so long ago and she had been healthy with regular mammograms all those years.

Then this spring she got the news no one wants. The cancer was back. She jumped into action and had surgery and started a chemo protocol. Since she had radiation the first time that was off the table.

Jan is the most positive person. She is also smart. She does her research and follows orders well. She also accepted help, prayers, gifts and positive words of affirmation.

Popular would not cover the description of how many friends around the world Jan has. So many people brought her meals, sent her gift, cards and treats. If you did and did not get a thank you note, know that she has too many to write, but I know she appreciated everything.

She has successfully finished all her treatments and now is just waiting for hair to start to grow back so she no longer looks like a cancer patient.

Today we went to lunch to celebrate the end of this journey. Of course there will be drugs to take for years, and follow ups and maybe some body art next year to decorate her new flat chest. I probably will not forget she has now had cancer twice, but other than her hat, not much about her makes me think of cancer as she is still the happy Jan I have always known.

I want to thank those of you who responded so generously when I sent meal train requests. It was hard for me to be up north during the last six weeks of the hardest part of chemo, but with so many friends looking out for Jan I knew she was in good hands.

I wish everyone had a Jan in their lives to shine the light of positivity on things. We talked today about difficult journeys people have to walk and how it can be hard to be positive for others when you don’t feel like it. That was not the case for her, but I take that sentiment to heart as so many other friends are also walking hard journeys. I don’t want anyone to feel that you can’t share the hard parts when you feel them.

Now with Hurricane Helene devastating a quarter of North Carolina Counties it is going to be hard for people to keep a positive outlook when everyone is affected. I encourage anyone who has a loved one or acquaintance there just to lend them a listening ear so they can let out some sorrow. I know people who lose everything feel the need to say, “but we still have our lives,” or “we are still all together,” but it’s OK to be sad for the loss of the lifestyle you had and there will still be hard days ahead.

I know from being 30+ friends with Jan a positive attitude is not something you can fake. Some people have them in abundance and some people work to have it and some just never will. Support all of them because they all need support.