Living Well with Parkinsons Disease
Dancing in the Rain: Lessons Learned on my Personal Journey with PD (more at www.PDPlan4Life.com) Copyright 2013-20 Sheryl Jedlinski
Thank you for making a difference in my life
By Sheryl Jedlinski
This Thanksgiving I have more to be thankful for than I can hope to repay. The fact that I am alive and kicking, and cancer free one year after being diagnosed with stage 4 endometrial cancer is nothing short of a miracle. Extensive surgery, and 18 weeks of chemotherapy made me a cancer “survivor,” the best possible outcome in the absence of a cure. Who could put a price on the gift of time to enjoy with family and friends? In my case, this time will allow me to see the birth of our first grandchild and watch our youngest son become the wonderful Dad we know he will be.
Former President John F. Kennedy advised his fellow Americans to “find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” I would include:
- Members of my medical team, who applied their exceptional healing gifts to give me a second chance at life. Undaunted by the extensive amount of cancer she found when she opened me up, my gynecological oncologist and her surgical team worked on me for more than eight hours until they removed every bit of cancer they could see.
- My husband, best friend, and partner of 42 years who has stood by me in sickness and in health, and good times and difficult times. I can count on him to see the light at the end of the tunnel, even in our darkest hours, recalling memories of happier times until the morning sun comes up and things no longer seem so bad.
- My parents, who are among my biggest fans, always challenging me to do my best and never give up, instilling in me character traits survivors need.
- Family and friends from near and far who kept me in their thoughts and prayers this last year while I actively I battled cancer. Their outpouring of love and support has been my source of strength in this fight for my life.
Even with so much to be thankful for, I never lose sight of the fact that I am not out of the woods yet, as my cancer can reoccur at any time. I have promised myself not to keep looking over my shoulder to see if it is coming for me, but rather to live each day looking ahead, keeping friends and family close, and celebrating life events, both big and small.
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get” … and that isn’t all bad.
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. Enjoy some chocolate (even if it isn’t part of the traditional holiday meal) and know that I am grateful to have you in my life.
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Read more of Sheryl’s humorous stories and helpful tips at PDPlan4Life.com
Living Well with Parkinsons Disease 
On Wed, 23 Nov 2016 at 05:03, Living Well with Parkinsons Disease wrote:
> mydancingintherain posted: ” By Sheryl Jedlinski This Thanksgiving I have > more to be thankful for than I can hope to repay. The fact that I am alive > and kicking, and cancer free one year after being diagnosed with stage 4 > endometrial cancer is nothing short of a miracle. Extensive” >