not a barrel of laughs

So yesterday I got the news that Jan, my "work mommy", has cancer. A mass on her kidney, which they luckily caught very early.

Sorry, this place is just a barrel of laughs lately, huh?

She is scheduled for surgury to remove the mass in May, on her birthday actually (suck). Thankfully her prognosis is great, really great... and the doctor is optimistic about her not needing chemo or radiation post surgery. But considering this is the same lady who's father passed a year ago this past february, after a two year battle with cancer... and who's husband lost his first wife to cancer... well, its scary to say the least.


BUT! Jan is doing her best to turn this into a positive kick in the rear.
She has some weight that she's been half-heartedly trying to lose for a while, but now she has real motivation! I told her that it is my goal for her to emerge on the other side of that surgery not only cancer-free, but healthier then she's been in years. She's going on Jenny Craig and I'm going to start taking her on walks around the block during lunch. I also cleaned out my snack drawer of unhealthy things (bu-bye cheese curls, oreos, and combos!) and filled it with fruits, nuts, and wholegrain snacks (organic when possible!). The fridge has more fruit, veggies, and good cheeses. This is right along with what I've been wanting/trying to do anyway. Healthier, greener eating. I figure I can help Jan by not putting the bad stuff in front of her, and instead eating healthier too.

She's already making better choices too... little things like using milk instead of cream in her coffee. And not eating cheese curls anymore. ;-)

I think I'm also going to pick up a Bri.ta for the fridge, so we can all start drinking some more water. Not only is water great for you, and increased water consumption good for losing weight, but using a Bri.ta to do so is good for the environment. In that vein I signed up for:


(Do it! You can get a coupon for $5 off a Brita, or $1 off filters.)


I'll be sure to update with her/our progress... wish Jan lots of luck!




Ps. Got another medical bill last night... from the doc that performed the D&E. $93. The D&E bill came last week, $661. If you're keeping track, that's over $800 so far that we've paid for our first ill-fated pregnancy.