It’s been a long time…way too long since I’ve last written.
My last post was right before my final deadline to turn in a complete manuscript for Take Care Tips. I got everything in on time, the pros, my friends at St. Lynn’s Press did their polishing and tweaking, and the book went to print.

Take Care Tips will be at our warehouse, and shipping to bookstores around the country over the next few weeks.

Our official release date is March 18th! You can preorder now.

I want to share with you, too, that along with the work involved with completing the book, and the holidays, came some other news—which is really the main reason that I haven’t been able to do any blogging for a while.

We found out that my father-in-law’s cancer came back.

If you’ve been following the blog, or reading about Take Care Tips, you know that being a caregiver for my mother-in-law, who died of cancer, really inspired me to write the book—to reach out to help others, in her honor.

One of the first things she asked me after she was diagnosed with cancer was, “will you take care of Pap?”

Pap moved in with us after she died, and within a year after that, HE was diagnosed with colon cancer. Doctors found it during a routine exam. It later spread to his liver. He had two surgeries and two rounds of chemotherapy. He’s been cancer-free for nearly four years.

He’s been feeling great and hearing the results of the latest scan was shocking, actually. The cancer is back in his liver, a spot on his lower spine, and one in his lung.

Since Christmas, I’ve been taking him to chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

We’re back in that world.

Back learning about medications and side effects and treatment options.

Back spending long days in doctor’s offices and cancer centers.

Back seeing the faces of all the others just like us.

Young couples, business people, single people, elderly people…some with caregivers…some alone.

So many sizes, shapes, and colors…all looking for help, and hope.

Pap tells people in the waiting rooms about my book. They smile and are quick to want to share their caregiving stories and ask for help with the kind of information and tips they need at the moment.

As difficult as all of it is, I feel blessed to be around all of these people now…blessed to be able to have something that can help them in some small way.

Pap’s doing really well. He’s tolerating treatment. His spirits are good. We’re done with this first round, and will go for a scan in a couple of weeks to see how it’s working.

I’ll keep in touch.

j.