Category: A Family Journey

Just days ago, on April 21, it would have been my wife’s 52nd birthday. I cut roses from her rose garden in the backyard and took them to the cemetery. I went and purchased a birthday card and tucked two pieces of chocolate into the card. I took a chair to the cemetery and sat…

For the first time in 33 years, my Easter will look very differently this year. Lyn and I spent thirty-two Easters together, and of course most of them with my children, and extended family as well. Everyone I have spoken with talks about the “firsts”—the first year, the first anniversary, the first birthday, and the…

I think it is safe to say that there are some things in life that we take for granted. We know the sun will rise. We generally feel that when we sit in a chair, that the chair will support us. We also have many things in life that we just know from past experience…

Whenever one experiences a jolting change in life, it sends a person into an area where they rapidly attempt to make sense of what happened. When a crisis in life comes, it is beyond confusing. Some people experience depression, some are confused, upset, and angry. For others, it can lead down a dark path that…

When Lyn became ill, it changed our lives, and it also changed how we were going to approach every day. Lyn was immediately faced with stage-four metastatic lung to brain melanoma cancer, and the future and time that Lyn had remaining on this earth was uncertain. We hoped for healing, and that we would use…

I often have people tell me, “Jeff, I could never write a blog with as much personal information as you give.” It is true that in the previous 21 posts, I provide personal stories, feelings, fears, prayers, and heart-wrenching details about Lyn’s treatment. However, it was Lyn’s wish that we write a blog that was…

I often tell people, “All my days are good, but there are some days where a little sadness is sprinkled in, and they are tougher than others.” A number of days ago was one of those difficult days in which I needed to push through tough emotional barriers. However, I have learned that on many…

It was just one year ago when my wife and I sat down and had a deep discussion about life and moving forward. From the very beginning of her cancer, to the very end we were always very open about her cancer, how she was doing, feeling, and discussing the future. One of the phrases…

Most people have experienced the uneasy feeling of waiting for the doctor to call with test results. As much as we try to distract ourselves, the mind is powerful and returns to wondering when the doctor will call. When my wife was getting her bloodwork, multiple MRIs, CT Scans, biopsies, treatment options, and feedback from…

When someone gets a cancer diagnosis, there is the feeling of a complete loss of control. This was true for my wife, and as her caregiver, I felt the same. It is also completely natural to be emotional, agitated, irritable, and angry because one quickly realizes how out of control things truly are. Additionally, because…