All Clear To Work



Mary Jo, Captain Karen Ruth, F/A Jamie Page

Mary Jo is preparing herself to return to work at Delta Airlines as a flight attendant this spring/summer.  Mary Jo has been "offline" for over a year and a half as she went through her cancer treatment and recovery.   In order to return to work, Mary Jo is required by the FAA and Delta Airlines to go through an intense requalification training program on all of the cabin systems, emergency procedures, and aircraft door operation on all the aircraft types that Delta flies worldwide.  If Mary Jo had been on a leave of absence for less than a year, she would only have been required to go through a brief annual recurrent training program and a brief Delta systems and aircraft training session (AQ and IQ).  Mary Jo however must be retrained on everything including all of Delta's procedures for both domestic and international in flight service.  She is a little overwhelmed right now at the thought of all the classroom training that lies ahead.  When Mary Jo went on a medical leave of absence in July of 2009, the merger integration between the former Northwest Airlines and Delta Airlines equipment and aircraft had not happened yet so everything will be new to her.  This morning Mary Jo's oncologist, Dr Mathew Gall faxed me a "return to work without restrictions" authorization letter.  This is the document that Mary Jo's employer required before she could start this process of re-entering the working world.  Mary Jo still tires out pretty easy and experiences joint and muscle pain from the strong cancer fighting drug Arimidex.   She will continue to take Arimidex for another four years and she is looking forward to getting back to work and a "normal" life, one not filled with weekly doctor visits, scans, needles and surgeries.

Helping Out and Having Fun

Mary Jo is flying to Orlando this morning to help out the Holmes family on Jon's "wish trip".  Jon expressed his wish to Laura last week while lying in a hospital bed.  He said "I am ready to go, I want to take my little girl to Disney World".  Friends of Jon and Laura pulled together last week to make it possible for Jon to take his family on a very special trip to Disney World.  A special Jon B Holmes Wish Fund was established to handle cash donations.  The biggest challenge was getting Jon to and from Florida so US Bank and Sprint (Jon's business partners) stepped up and donated the corporate plane and crew while neighbors, Brian and Lisa Tonn donated their Villa time share.  Jon would likely not be aloud to travel commercially in his health so the private plane solved the travel issue and Laura's brother Barney, who is a medical doctor was happy to accompany the family and help with Jon's needs.  Campbell is your typical two year old with more energy than all the adults combined so Mary Jo felt very blessed to be able to assist Laura with little Campbell.  Mary Jo has not flown in almost a year and a half and to being a "little uncomfortable" when she first saw the relatively small (for a flight attendant) size of the King Air twin engine aircraft.  She called me from the mid trip fuel stop in Indiana to say she felt much better now about the plane but it is a far cry from a Boeing 747-400.  The just landed in Orlando at 2:10pm and on their way to the theme park now.  Mission accomplished.

Good Check Up

Mary Jo meet with her oncologist, Dr Mathew Gall on Friday for her latest "every three month" check up.  Dr Gall reviewed the results of the blood work (labs), the baseline chest x-ray and the bone density scan.  Mary Jo is doing very well.  The chest x-ray was negative for any visible signs of cancer and the baseline bone density scan was in the normal range, meaning there has been no osteoporosis type side effects from the Arimidex.  All the blood lab work came back in the normal range as well.  Dr. Gall also gave  Mary Jo a complete examination and answered a ton of questions that Mary Jo had been meaning to clarify for some time now. 

Mary Jo will be helping out and escorting her dear friends, Jon and Laura Holmes on a "wish trip" to Disney World tomorrow morning and returning on Wednesday.  Jon is fighting advanced stage 4 colon cancer.  With the help of some very generous friends pulling some strings, Laura put together a last minute trip so Jon and his family (and Mary Jo) can see little baby girl Campbell enjoying Disney World for her first time with her daddy.  Friends donations included a private plane, a villa in Orlando and tickets to the theme park.  Simply amazing.  You can following Jon's blog at jonbholmes.blogspot.com

A Few Tests Before Friday



Mary Jo's oncologist, Dr. Mathew Gall ordered a few scans for Mary Jo prior to her second 3 month check up and review on Friday.  The first scan procedure was a bone density scan at Minnesota Radiology in Burnsville on Tuesday morning.  This was the first bone density scan for Mary Jo and Dr. Gall will use the results of the scan as a baseline to monitor over time the side effects of the powerful anti cancer drug Arimidex.  The drug is perscribed for adjuvant treatment (treatment following surgery with or without radiation) of postmenopausal women like Mary Jo, with hormone receptor-positive or HER2+  breast cancer.   If Arimidex causes a detrimental effect on Mary Jo's bone density over time, the effects can be reversed by prescribing the drug Boniva.  BONIVA is a prescription medicine used to treat or prevent osteoporosis in women after menopause.  The second procedure prescribed was for Mary Jo to get a baseline chest x-ray.  We were able to get a walk in appointment on Tuesday at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville for the quick procedure and the results will be available on Friday.  Mary Jo is feeling fine today with the exception of a nagging chest cold.  Her immune system is still weakened from the cumulative effects of a year and a half of chemo and radiation treatments but she is in good spirits and looking forward to spring.


Mary Jo at radiology



Help For A Friend

Mary Jo is doing fine and her strength continues to improve everyday however today she is very sad.  Our good friend and close neighbor Jon Homes, who is battling advanced stage colon cancer received some harsh news today. He was advised by his doctors to go home from the hospital today and go on hospice. Jon has made it quite evident today that he has 1 big wish. He wants to take the kids to DISNEY WORLD. He wants to be with his daughter Campbell, the first time she goes there.   Here come a big favor,if anyone has any contacts or can pull some favors to give Jon the this very important trip of a lifetime his family would be forever grateful.  You can read more about Jon on the Holmes family Blog.

Praying for a Hero



Jon Holmes and Mary Jo


















Mary Jo continues to improve and thanks to her faith in Jesus, her own determination and the strong support of family and friends, she is getting stronger everyday and well on her road to recovery.  Cancer is a very difficult thing to go through.  I have learned that strong support from family and friends is vital for a patients outlook, well being and overall success.  From the very first day after Mary Jo was diagnosed with stage IIIb breast cancer, our close neighbor and now close friend, Jon Holmes has been there offering both of us his support.  I don't know what I would have done without Jon and his wife Laura's support.  Jon was key in helping Mary Jo and I have comfort in the critical decisions that had to be made in the early days.  Jon knows what he is talking about because Jon was diagnosed several years ago with stage IV colon cancer.  Jon is a survivor and like Mary Jo, always displays has the best attitude.  Mary Jo and I feel so blessed to have Jon come into our life's.  Today, Jon could use all of our prayers as he is battling as hard as he can to keep his cancer manageable.  Jon has endured countless surgeries and over 90 cycles of chemo but with his resistance low, Jon came down with a stomach bug a week and half ago and has not been able to retain food or fluids since.  Jon is in the hospital today getting fluids and with all our prayers will be improving and coming home soon.  Jon, you are our hero.  Get well friend.



Jon, Laura, Blake
Campbell



Today is World Cancer Day

In memory of our moms, dads, brothers and sisters, children, friends and loved ones of whom there are so many.

This year has been one with too many diagnoses too close to home. For all the friends, family, loved ones, and those we don't even know...

Today is World Cancer Day - I'd appreciate it if you would say a little prayer.
A small request.. Just one line.
"Dear God, I pray for a cure for cancer. Amen"