I was diagnosed with colon cancer. To say I was scared to death would be an understatement. I mean, I just turned 61. I thought cancer was for older folks. Boy, was I naïve. I was so lost for weeks. Confused but mostly sad. I associated cancer with a death sentence. I am a mother of four children and a grandmother of eleven. I was scared for all of them. What would this do to them? I wasn’t ready to leave this world. These are all the thoughts swirling around in my head. I was terrified.

Then, I walked into the cancer center for the first time, not knowing what to expect. Everyone was so unbelievably nice! My nurse’s name is Jenna. I was numb at this time. I had no idea what was about to happen to me. Jenna walked into my room, and I instantly felt like maybe this was going to be okay. She was so informative about everything. She explained step by step what was about to happen. She went through every possible side effect from chemo. She answered all my questions, and if she did not know the answer, she would find the answer. She has a very calm demeanor and is very pleasant. She has a way of putting your mind at ease.

If it had not been for Jenna, I do not know how well I would have made it through my first chemo session. She made my first chemo day so much better then expected. I had a better outlook on life. After I left, I thought to myself, "I can do this!" I will forever be grateful for Jenna walking in my chemo room that day. She is amazing at what she does!

Thank you, Jenna. You make a difference!