Here it is. The first post on an adventure we never wanted nor expected to take. We'd never even thought of blogging. But now it seems to be the easiest and most efficient way to keep everyone posted. It's a blog for family and close friends. Since it's being posted on the Internet it's available for anyone to see. All I ask is that any comments be kept to encouragement. No stories about how well Aunt Bertha did or treatments that should be sought at a clinic in Juarez.

This summer Jeannie's birthday was spoiled by news she has cancer. No it didn't come on the exact day. In fact we both knew where this was all going. We tried to tell everyone we could in person but that didn't really work out. And now the first chemo treatment is less than a week away. Neighbors and co-workers still don't know. They will soon enough. And thus the blog. Because the poor girl can only take so many phone calls. Imagine having to tell the same story over and over. She'll need her strength. So I'll be the narrator. Lucky you.

The cancer is stage three. Not good. But it's not stage four. It's isolated. It hasn't metastasized. That is good. The treatment will be aggressive. She describes it be saying they'll poison her, mutilate her and then burn her. 16 weeks of chemo (every other week) to hopefully shrink the tumor, then a break to get some strength built up so they can do surgery, followed by weeks of radiation. I'm sure everyone is itching to sign up for that program.

Her attitude is great. Her sense of humor is very much intact. And it's already clear that a good attitude and a sense of humor are paramount in navigating this journey. Physically she's going into this in great shape. She's 127 pounds clothed and at 5" 7 1/2" it's a BMI to be envied. Her energy is fabulous. Her diet is beyond reproach. And those factors make the diagnosis all the harder to believe. It's all been very surreal to her because she feels so good.

The title I never liked pink? Well, pink is NOT her color. But it is a color that gets rammed down your throat with this diagnosis. And there's nothing likable about the diagnosis either.