I hope you all are having a good holiday season. I am happy to report that we are! I am crossing my fingers and knocking on wood that things will continue as they are and we will be able to enjoy Christmas this year. Jaron is doing pretty good. His blood clots are no longer bothering him. The biggest pain is the shots he has to give himself two times a day. But that is much better than the excruciating pain he was in. He has started back to work and is enjoying getting up and out of the house each day. His c-Diff came back so they put him on another type of treatment. We hope this does the trick. He really looks good. He still is having some word problems. Sometimes it is hard not to laugh at it. I think the brain is interesting and I find humor and a bit of amazement at what comes out of his mouth. Two examples: I was driving and we were stopped at a stop light. I was turning left. Jaron points to the light and says, “Green acres.” He meant to say, “Green arrow,” but green acres came out instead. First, arrow and acres are pretty close sounding. And green acres is really a phrase. I thought it was hilarious that his brain forced out that saying. So I laughing broke into the song of, “Green acres is the place to be. Country living is the life for me.” Second example, he told Clark, “Go take Bethany out to go potty.” He meant Bluebell the dog but said Bethany, our daughter. Both start with B and are names. Clark quickly caught on and started to say, “Bethany, go out. Go out and go potty. Come on Bethany. Go out and go potty!” We had a good laugh. I also think he has a bit of tourettes syndrome. Bad language is a little too easy to come out. I think he has secretly always wanted to be a swearing farmer. Interestingly, his bad language usually shows up when I am driving. Hmmm…. His “word finding” frustrates him a bit but mostly he pushes through. I say to him that with my brain and his brain, we have enough brain to get through it. I am glad I get to share brains with him.
We have gotten into a routine with his treatment. He takes a chemo pill every night. He goes to radiation everyday Monday thru Friday. He will do this until January 16. Then he will do chemo treatments for six months after that. Treatment has become easier. That first week was so rough…nausea and migraines everyday. But the doctors adjusted his medicine and now he has very little symptoms from the chemo. The radiation makes his head feel red and sore. His ear feels a little plugged. His main symptom right now is exhaustion. I can tell by looking at him how tired he feels. He went to work for six hours one day and he came home and went straight to bed. That wiped him out. I think exhaustion will be his main symptom from now until the end of treatment. I hope nothing else pops up. We can deal with exhaustion. That is a good formula for resting on the couch with your children around you watching Christmas movies! Our house feels happier and our load feels lighter now that Jaron is doing better.
I am happy to report that Jaron’s mom, Malinda, is also doing well. She has been a star patient and has sailed through surgery and treatment like a champ. She has lost a lot of her hair but looks beautiful with her cute hat on. She is very tired, too. She has less than a week of radiation. Her strength and positive attitude are inspiring.
Here are a few of the fun things we have been doing.
My mom is doing the 12 days of Christmas this year for her gift to us. The first day was to get a treat and go see lights. So we got hot chocolate and drove around the Layton Park. The lights were cute and we enjoyed seeing them.
Last weekend we drove down to the Gunnison/Centerfield area and cut down a Christmas tree. We do this every year but we weren't sure this year if we could pull it off. We were so glad it worked out. We got a nice tree and spent the afternoon visiting Jaron's grandparents and extended family. It was a fun day.
Since September, our lives have felt very dark and heavy. We have suffered grief with the loss of my dad. We have suffered heartache with Jaron and his mom’s diagnosis. We have been to the bottom of the barrel and back a few times with Jaron’s complications. It is easy to be swallowed up by the darkness that surrounds us. But in these dark times, we have had many, MANY acts of service given to our family that has brought so much light into our home. One night we had the doorbell ring 3 different times where something was secretly left on our doorstep. By the 3rd time, all my kids ran to the door, trying to catch the good doers. I wanted to put up a sign that said, “Be ready to run real fast. My kids are quick!” We have been showered in so much kindness that are hearts are so full of love. It brings me to tears when I think of it, and I think of it often. The beautiful thing is no act of kindness is too small or goes unnoticed. I have read and enjoyed every comment on social media. I have saved every note given to us. I have read and reread every kind and encouraging text sent me. I have been filled with joy when I have heard our family’s name be included in the prayers at church. Every smile, hug, encouraging word has given me strength. Please know that we appreciate all the service coming our way. The meals have been so delicious and much appreciated. The gifts left at our door have brought joy into our home. The donations, OH THE DONATIONS! We are inspired by everyone’s generosity. The financial burden has been lifted off of our shoulders, especially Jaron’s. How much relief he must feel knowing that he can pay for the medical bills and his treatment. He feels secure knowing that he can continue to provide for his family. I have opened a separate bank account for these donations. I am so comforted knowing that we have the money to get Jaron the help he needs. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for donating to our family. We will forever be grateful to you for sharing your hard earned money with us. We recognize the sacrifice and are so grateful for your generosity. I hope heaven showers blessings on your head! I feel like Tiny Tim these days. I want to exclaim daily, but often hourly, “GOD BLESS THEM, EVERYONE!” I could write a thesis on all the good deeds that have been done for our family. We are so grateful for them all. I thought I would highlight a few of them.
My kids grow so much every year that they all needed winter clothes. A kind family bought my children winter clothes. How grateful I am that they are warm and covered.
Our sweet friends Dani and Alan McKean made these shirts for us. They say "Team Jaron" and "We are Allred Strong" I love them. Dani has had her own path with cancer. Dani and Alan have been great examples of how to move forward with gratitude and positivity.
We are truly grateful for all the good things coming our way. Thank you again for your prayers, encouraging messages, gifts, meals, donations. They have been the light in the darkness. We love you. God bless you, everyone!
Love, Joni
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