Dear
Friends and Family -
We hope the new year finds you well. Unfortunately, our family has recently learned of some difficult news and we wanted to share it with you. Our mom, Denise, has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This news has come as a complete shock to mom and our entire family.
It seems like it's been caught early. There is hope and treatment options, but mom has a few tests and procedures to go through in the next week or two before a treatment plan is finalized. Physically mom is doing fine. The cancer was detected when she was undergoing follow up scans from what had been diagnosed as a pancreatitis attack last summer.
Considering the circumstances, emotionally she is doing pretty well. The night she told us she also said that due to her life's journey she is a more optimistic and hopeful person - and we all know how very determined she can be.
We hope the new year finds you well. Unfortunately, our family has recently learned of some difficult news and we wanted to share it with you. Our mom, Denise, has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This news has come as a complete shock to mom and our entire family.
It seems like it's been caught early. There is hope and treatment options, but mom has a few tests and procedures to go through in the next week or two before a treatment plan is finalized. Physically mom is doing fine. The cancer was detected when she was undergoing follow up scans from what had been diagnosed as a pancreatitis attack last summer.
Considering the circumstances, emotionally she is doing pretty well. The night she told us she also said that due to her life's journey she is a more optimistic and hopeful person - and we all know how very determined she can be.
Both Michael and Christiana, along with her
sister Patty, live close enough to be available to provide support right now
with getting to appointments, etc. and to be on hand as we wait to learn more
information. Katharine is making plans to fly east very soon to be with mom and
us.
Our father, Ed, seems to be OK, though
under his often stoic exterior he is very concerned, overwhelmed and worried
about mom. Certainly we are carefully
considering in our plans how to best support dad, both emotionally and
logistically, in the weeks ahead.
At this point in time, mom's main priority
is to rest and regroup. She wants to be "unplugged" from all emails,
the internet and all phone calls. At this point in time, she is not
looking for visitors or folks to keep her company. There is a long road ahead
of her and there will be many future opportunities for her friends to help and
to visit. The best way to reach her is through mail. She loves letters - Lord
knows she has saved everyone she has ever gotten! Her address is below. If you
really prefer to email her instead, maybe you want to share it with one of us
so we can print it out for her in case she is not reading emails.
Coming up on January 6th is our mom's
favorite feast day - Epiphany, the feast of God being revealed to the world by
those who followed the star. For decades, she has enjoyed sharing star
gifts and celebrating this day with family and friends; it has been also important
to her on her spiritual journey as a pastor. This Epiphany or when you see
stars, we ask if you can to think of mom - she would like that.
Thanks for keeping my mom and our family
will be in your thoughts and prayers. Mom and the rest of us certainly
believe in the power of prayer to help and support her. We promise to keep you
posted how she is doing as soon as we learn more.
For a last note, I want to share something
that mom sent us just this morning on her way to the hospital for tests. It
was the bible verse for today from a daily devotional she subscribes to:
Hebrews 10:35-36
"Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours . . . for you need endurance."
She wrote this quote was "perfect and made me smile. So I hope it does the same for you."
With thanks and
love,
Christiana, Katharine and Michael
Denise Soares
email christiana@jonesfamilyfarms.com if you want her address
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Thanks for your notes of encouragement for Denise and family.
To post a comment, type your note in the comment box. Under the comment box, where it says "Comment As:" select from the drop down menu "Name/URL" and write in your name (you can leave the URL line blank). Hit publish. Thanks for sharing.