UPDATE #1 (from Mark)
Hi everyone, I have great news!! I just received the call from the surgical oncologist. She said the surgery went very well. She was able to make very small incisions, “the smallest in her career”, to perform both mastectomies. Her lymph nodes all felt great and don’t appear to have cancer (a few were sent to biopsy to confirm her suspicions). We should have confirmation in 7-10 days. The surgeon also said she had zero complications and we have the best possible outcome we could have hoped for. The plastic surgeon is already done with her right side and is actively working on the left. She has been stable the entire time and I should expect a call from the plastic surgeon in 1.5 – 2 hours.

UPDATE #2 (from Mark)
More great news! Phase one of Jen’s reconstruction surgery is complete and they finished ahead of schedule because it went so smoothly. They were able to use the incisions from the mastectomies “as is” with no need to make larger incisions. She is in recovery and will hopefully have a room by 8PM. Today was a complete success and we appreciate all of you for your love and support throughout this entire experience.

UPDATE #3 (from Mark, day after surgery)
Jen is doing FABULOUS and they’re confident she’ll be released today.

She still has a lot of healing to do, but can we all just say… What a flippin’ ROCKSTAR?!?! I know all your love, support, thoughts, and prayers have meant the world to Jen and the whole family 💜 Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 💜💜💜

Isn’t he the sweetest? I did surprisingly well with this surgery – not a whole lot of pain, barely used my pain button, and slept well. I was released before dinner the day after surgery.

I had a fantastic care team and a wonderful group of supporters praying for me.

Rainbows in the storm, folks.

Love and light, always 💜

Today is my grandmother’s 95th birthday. In her 95 years, she has experienced love, heartache, birth, deaths, rebirth, poverty, has moved to two different countries, and countless other life experiences that has shaped not only her life, but who she is. She is one of the strongest women I know.

On her birthday and on the eve of my surgery, I can’t help but think about all that she has been through. I also can’t help but think about all that she has conquered and overcome. Knowing her blood flows through my veins gives me solace and settles my anxiety a bit.

To say I am not nervous would be a lie. Instead of all of the activities planned for today, I took the day to myself. I thought about my life, this journey, and all that I’ve learned along the way.

In a way, this journey has been a gift. To truly understand your own strength, to truly appreciate the amazing people surrounding you, and to truly acknowledge all of the blessings in life takes an incredible act of God. At first, it doesn’t seem to be a positive thing. But life is all about perspective, yes?

A dear friend said to me today that we’ve made it to the other side. This leg of my journey may be ending but I’m just getting started.

Love and light, always 💜

A side note: updates will be posted to this page. Thank you for your love and support. See you soon 💜

We had an amazing weekend full of love, and laughter, and friends. We said ta-ta to my tatas, ate food lovingly prepared by all, with conversation connecting old friends and new. It was a beautiful celebration of the power of villages and of seeing the humanity in our human-ness. When I say my family and I are blessed, I mean it with my whole soul.

Less than a week away from the next step of my journey. Surgery is scheduled for June 4th. I will be in surgery for 6-8 hours. This will be the final test, along with my PET scan declaring no evidence of disease (!) in (hopefully) receiving a proclamation of being cancer free!

Today, I’m meeting with the endocrinologist to decide on the treatment plan for what they believe is a pituitary adenoma in my brain. I am just so relieved that it is not cancer.

We joke that I’ll be seeing every medical specialty at least once throughout this. The reality is that cancer is never just your initial diagnosis. But I’d see every doctor and take every test so I can live with radical aliveness, share in scandalous generosity, and practice in contagious kindness.

Love and light, always 💜