For those of you who are unfamiliar with how I became a widow, I wanted to provide some context. This is a very abbreviated version of everything that happened, but I will be filling in details in future posts. I will also be sharing some of Jon’s blog as well, so you can get to know what an amazing man he was. This is part 1 of 3.
Losing a husband is not something I ever thought would happen to me. When I said “till death do us part”, I didn’t realize that I would actually live this at a young age.
In 2005, my husband, who was 29, was diagnosed with cancer, and our world was turned upside down. I don’t think anyone ever plans on cancer, but when a 29 year old youth pastor, with two little kids receives that diagnosis, it’s completely unexpected.
Jon started treatments after the New Year in 2006. The first treatment was dreadful. There were tears, frustration, nausea and anxiety. But he made it through (and so did I). The next few days were recovery - upset stomach, fatigue, achy bones. Once the rough days passed, he was able to go back to work. Things then kind of fell into a routine. Chemo, recovery, work, chemo, recovery, work. Friends from church volunteered to drive him, so I would be able to stay home with the kids and not need a babysitter each time he had a treatment.
The next three and a half years are a blur of doctor's appointments, treatments, trips to the ER, surgeries, and hospitalizations. We had to figure out how to live this “new normal”. The chemotherapy made Jon ill, but he continued to work as he was able. The Hodgkins-Lymphoma responded to treatments well at first, but then his cancer began growing in the midst of high doses of chemotherapy. Jon needed a stem cell transplant using his own stem cells, which involved an extended hospital stay, extremely high doses of chemotherapy, and many restrictions once discharged because of the high risk of infection.
Continued next week.......
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