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Book Recommendation:
 

"Janessa's Journey Through Her Mother's Eyes"
by Lorraine P Sales and Marie R Ferguson

 


 

As close as any two people may be, our journeys are very different.  We each have our own lessons to learn.  It is strange how things come into focus even when there’s still a blur.  We take each day with what it brings us and embrace the special smiles, look for the twinkles, hear the laughter and joy, feel the pain and always reach for more. 

     This book was written to share the priceless ways of coping with the many challenges that life sometimes brings us.  Janessa and I have demonstrated how our love for each other has helped us stay strong and what we did to help preserve our inner beings.  We live our lives by embracing the moment, each and every moment, and savoring our precious time together while catching a glimpse of every rainbow that we can.  We choose not to be victimized by this horrific disease.  It will not define our very existence.  Together, through our love, we choose to fight and conquer.

      My husband, Albert and I welcomed the use of conventional medical treatment for our daughter, Janessa, during both battles against cancer. We accepted the advice from all of her doctors, and integrated the use of other healing methods, such as: meditation, affirmations, prayers, gratitude, massages, Reiki and eating healthy foods.

      I searched the Internet and read lots of books, trying to find new ways of helping Janessa with her pain, discomfort and illness.  In one natural cures book, I discovered that mustard seeds are great for improving memory and that honey is great for burns.

      The learning difficulties and memory loss, as a result of the treatments, were challenging, but didn't stop Janessa from achieving her goals.  The stress from not understanding simple math and English concepts that Janessa knew perfectly well before chemotherapy and radiation treatment left her feeling inadequate.  To make learning fun again, we spent hours upon hours playing all types of games that helped sharpen her cognitive ability.
      Because the treatments had such a profound effect on both her mental and physical development, I often wondered whether Janessa would ever regain her social skills. Would she make new friends and be as socially accepted as she was before cancer?   At first, the few friends that she had were more like helpers who felt sorry for her.  But, as Janessa became more confident, their relationship blossomed into a true friendship, where each of them stood on equal ground.  Ironically, after her complete recovery, there were times when Janessa helped some of her friends with their school work.

      Janessa’s progress was a series of small steps.  A great example was when she first returned to her physical education class, she could barely walk one lap but after months of training she could easily run four laps.  Janessa was determined to increase her endurance and stamina in order to keep up with her peers in class!

      Looking back, I can't say that it was one particular thing that helped Janessa get through this journey, but rather a combination of things.   Our family is grateful for the miracle that allowed Janessa to come this far and that she continues to progress as well as she does.  Because she believes in herself, there is nothing that she cannot accomplish.  Janessa can do and be anything that she chooses.  She accepts whatever challenges life has to offer and has prepared herself to meet those challenges head on.

www.JanessasJourney.com

 

 


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