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Jen's Journey to Victory: Grace Filled with Warrior Strength

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Jen's Journey to Victory: Grace Filled with Warrior Strength

Battling metastatic cancer with the love and support of family, friends, and an almighty God. Prayers, love, support, and encouragement appreciated.

Please do not provide unsolicited medical advice. We are confident in our medical team and our choices.

04/03/2026

Long post, but an important one to me. ❤️

April is Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month 💜

A little over nine months ago, my life was turned completely upside down by a diagnosis I never saw coming. I had the slightest discomfort on my right side—so minor I almost ignored it. I talked myself out of calling the doctor more than once.

But something nudged me to just make the appointment before our big family trip… and I’m so thankful I listened.

Within hours of a CT scan, I was reading words on MyChart that didn’t feel real—metastases in my lymph nodes and liver. I had metastatic cancer, and we didn’t even know where it started.

After more tests and scans, an endoscopy revealed the primary tumor at the GE junction—where the esophagus meets the stomach. Stage 4 esophageal adenocarcinoma.

I was completely shocked. I had no warning signs—no chronic reflux, no significant heartburn.

That’s why awareness matters so much.

Many cases of esophageal cancer are linked to Barrett’s Esophagus, a condition often caused by chronic GERD (acid reflux). Even though I didn’t have those symptoms, it’s so important to understand the risk factors. If you or someone you love experiences ongoing reflux, please advocate for an endoscopy. It’s a simple test that can truly save lives by catching changes early.

Esophageal cancer is also one of the most underfunded cancers, yet it has increased dramatically over the past few decades and remains one of the deadliest.

But I refuse to be a statistic.

So what can you do?
• Advocate for yourself and your loved ones—listen to your body and don’t ignore concerns
• Help spread awareness by sharing posts and supporting this cause
• Donate, if you’re able, to organizations funding research like the American Cancer Society or the Salgi Esophageal Cancer Research Foundation

I’ll be participating in the 2026 Virtual Esophageal Cancer Walk/Run on June 7 💜
I would love for others to join me—whether in person or virtually. I’m even hoping to organize something locally, but don't know where to really start. I'll share more details about the walk/run soon.

Thank you for reading, for supporting, and for helping bring awareness to something that could truly save lives.

03/30/2026

Smiling because today is my last chemo infusion for now. I am moving on to maintenence chemo in pill form, and a single injection of my targeted therapy every 3 weeks.

I had scans done a couple of weeks ago, and again they showed no new growths and continued shrinkage of the remaining lesions on the liver. They were small enough that they couldn't even accurately measure them. The original tumor in the esophagus is still gone, and everything else looks clear.

We do have to wait for our insurance company to approve the oral medication and find out the cost, but we are remaining hopeful that God already has it handled.

I am very much looking forward to a little more freedom and creating a more normal routine.

God is good!

03/10/2026

Song of Solomon 2:11–12
“For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth…”

Spring is near, and with it comes a reminder of hope, fresh beginnings, and God’s incredible faithfulness. Today, I felt that in my soul.
This past fall and winter were the darkest, loneliest months of my life. There were days I doubted myself… and even doubted God. I wrestled with anger over the life I’ve been handed, and I questioned whether I truly had the strength and faith to keep fighting. I hid a lot of those feelings from many people.

Except Mike Fosnaugh. That man deserves a medal. He has listened, prayed, and talked me through some very dark places. I don’t know where I would be without him.

But today was different.
Today I felt God again. I felt His warmth, His peace, and His promise that He is always making things new. For the first time in a long while, I felt strong. I felt capable. I felt hope.

This evening I went for a walk alone and talked with Jesus, just like my grandma always used to do. I apologized for my anger, my doubt, and my fear. And in that quiet moment I was reminded of something so powerful—He never left me. Not for a second. He was there through every storm, every tear, every dark thought. And the only reason I made it through those months is because He carried me when I didn’t have the strength to walk.

When I was first diagnosed, I felt closer to Jesus than I had in years. There was a deep calm in my spirit. I knew He was with me, and I knew I could fight this. Somewhere along the way, the fear and exhaustion clouded that certainty.
But today it came rushing back.

My hope.
My strength.
My determination.

I felt God reminding me that this fight is not mine alone.

I can do this.
I will do this.
And with Him beside me… I will win.

03/03/2026

Yesterday was a great day. I first met with my oncology nurse practitioner where we reviewed recent laps and how I'm feeling. She was happy with lab work and even happier with how I've been feelings.

Next, I went to my MRI. I am pretty claustrophobic and these always make me nervous. I had a great MRI team and they accommodated my requests greatly. They allowed me to enter feet first, and blast worship music in my headphones. I was actually so calm that I dozed off a few times.

I then headed to chemo where I slept most of my infusion away. While at chemo we received my MRI report.

My report brought us hope and positivity.

Many of the liver metastases have shrunk.
Several have completely disappeared on imaging.
The two remaining ones are smaller than before.
Multiple tiny lesions in the right lobe: completely resolved.

This is a strong positive treatment response. With only 2 remaining (but smaller then before) lesions, I am showing that treatment is working. Just waiting for the day that those 2 disappear and we claim full remission.

I cannot thank you all enough for the outpouring of support, prayers and encouragement. It means so much to our family. ❤️❤️❤️

03/02/2026

Heavenly Father,
Today I ask You to place Your mighty healing hand over my wife and over every member of her care team. Guide the doctors, the nurses, and every decision that is made. Give them wisdom, clarity, and steady hands.
Lord, I boldly ask for a clear MRI scan. In the powerful name of Jesus, I speak peace over her body. I command fear to leave, anxiety to be still, and healing to flow through every cell.
Surround her with Your presence. Cover her with Your protection. Strengthen her, comfort her, and let Your peace guard her heart and mind today.
We trust You. We believe You. We stand on Your promises.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

03/01/2026

I've been a little MIA the past couple of weeks. Our middle son had knee surgery, and I've been caring for him, and our youngest performed in another Palace production last weekend, so they have kept us very busy.

Tomorrow is a very long day at the cancer center. I have an appointment first thing in the morning, followed by new scans, and then 4-5 hours of chemo. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been a ball of nerves this weekend. I always get a little antsy when chemo is coming up because I know I'll be down for a few days, but for some reason these scans have me more nervous than the last. Realistically, we are expecting good news since my bloodwork showed such good improvement, but my anxiety keeps creeping in with the what ifs.

I'm not sure this journey ever gets easier. You get more comfortable and learn how to manage day to day, but the questions of why, how, and what if never go away. I particularly struggle in the quiet, alone moments. I start questioning everything, and wonder if I should have done something differently and maybe I wouldn't be in this battle.

Please pray for an easy day tomorrow. Pray that I get through the MRI without an anxiety attack, and pray specifically for the scans to show progress.

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. 🫶🏻

02/10/2026

My oncologist moved in January and left the clinic I currently go to. I've only seen the nurse practitioner since then. I had an appointment today with a new oncologist. He was very thorough and went through my entire chart with me. He realized that nobody had ordered a CEA test (tumor marker) since July. Normal levels range from 0-3.5. My first test in June was 776. My second test in July was 2,515. He decided he wanted to have it done again today. I just received the results and my CEA dropped from 2,515 to 5. This indicates that treatment is working successfully and my tumor burden has decreased significantly.

Praise Jesus! What wonderful news to receive before my scans in a couple of weeks. ❤️❤️❤️

02/08/2026

Chicken Verde Soup for the Super Bowl 🏈 🥣 😋

2.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs in a crockpot with 1 jar of salsa verde on high for 2.5 - 3 hours until chicken is ready to shred. Shred chicken and set aside.

Saute 1 diced yellow onion with 2 tablespoons of garlic in 2 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil.
Once onions start to soften add 1 diced green bell pepper, and 1 diced jalepeno. Add cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. You could also use taco seasoning in place. Saute all of this together until vegetables start to soften.

Add 1 can of corn, 2 cans of Rotel with green chiles, 1 jar of salsa verde, 8 cups of chicken broth (I use bone broth for extra protein), 2 cans of great northern white chili beans, and the previously cooked shredded chicken. I add cilantro to taste and top with lid and simmer for at least 2 hours.

We add toppings such as shredded cheese, fresh jalepeno and onion, sour cream, Greek yogurt, and tortilla chips. This can also be served over rice if you prefer. If I'm wanting a creamier soup I add heavy whipping cream and freshly shredded shredded Monterey jack cheese or pepper jack cheese.

We love it! Let me know if you try it or make something similar.

02/07/2026

When you're faced with a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, you quickly realize just how fleeting life really is. I started thinking of ways to leave some beautiful memories for my family. First, we reclaimed the importance of family time over everything else. We don't walk to the next room without telling each other we love you. Secondly, no matter how much more time I have, I wanted them to have something of mine forever. I found these beautiful, personalized journals on Etsy. I added them to my Christmas list, and my parents blessed me with all of them. Along with the handwritten journals to each of them, I am recording video journals of special memories, advice on life, and just making sure they know how loved they are.

If there's one piece of advice I could give everyone I meet, it would be to not wait until your faced with that scary diagnosis. Make the most of your family life now. Think of ways that you can leave memories or advice for those you love once you're gone. Completing these journals and videos fills me with so many emotions, but mostly with immense gratitude for the family I've been blessed with.

Love out loud. Live with purpose and passion. Love your tribe. ❤️

02/06/2026

Part 2 of finding out I have stage 4 metastatic esophageal adenocarcinoma.

I'm looking forward to sharing some fun stuff soon. I've got some recipes that we love and I'm working on planning those out to share with you all.

This has been very therapeutic for me so far and I'm enjoying sharing with you all. Thanks so much for all of your support and encouragement. ❤️

02/04/2026

I am such a blessed woman to have a love like the one Mike and I share. He is very literally my best friend and constantly looking for ways to make me feel better or help me out. He's been making this juice for me for about 6 months. I really enjoy it and think it has definitely helped.

02/03/2026

Finding out I have metastatic cancer. 💜

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Marion, OH
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