Thankful to so many for joining our journey
By John Bach
Julie was having a good day, so Halloween felt semi-normal for our family.
Confession time. I started the “Letters from the Chemo Suite” blog for selfish reasons. First, it was a way to keep Julie front and center in people’s thoughts — and more importantly — their prayers.
We are absolutely convinced the prayers are working. Case in point — UC Health Dr. Elyse Lower examines Julie every week prior to her chemo treatment, and she’s using phrases like “this is better than I would have expected” about her overall progress. The tumor in her left breast that was once larger than an inch is now undetectable to the touch. Julie originally found it, but she can’t feel the lump anymore.
The doctors won’t run more telling scans until the chemo phase is complete in a couple of months, but we will take the positive progress and what currently feels like a win. Chemo sucks, and we have a long journey ahead that will likely include surgery and radiation, but make no mistake, if it means Julie’s big-picture prognosis is improving, this is all worth it.
In addition to the prayers, the support and love we have received along the way has been incredible. The cards, the meals, the texts of support and so many other special touches are truly appreciated.
The second reason I started the blog is even more selfish. It is a therapeutic outlet for me to be able to control the narrative of Julie’s cancer story. Growing up with a Dad in AA, one of the enduring memories I have is the sound of the Serenity Prayer being recited by a room full of people in recovery.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
The truth is the last few months have felt completely out of control for our family, so you control the things you can. I can’t fix my wife. Her cancer is way beyond my control. There aren’t any shortcuts or YouTube how-to videos. But I can tell her story — our story.
Analytics from “Letters from the Chemo Suite” after three months.
We never expected so many — more than 5,000 blog views by 2,100 different people so far — to come along for the journey. We are thankful for all of you, and we pray it helps others who find themselves walking a similar path.
