an update...

ok... so many of you were asking about my friend, jami. she has gardners syndrome. it actually is a genetic thing that was passed on to her and her siblings. because of this syndrome she developed a desmoid tumor. a desmoid tumor is a benign growth that typically occurs in the belly. the problem with this tumor is that it can grow rapidly and when cut into can increase its growth 3 times as fast. the key is to shrink it and then remove it...

jami found out in october that this is what she was experiencing. she was treated by some of the best doctors in the state and given medication to reduce her tumor. her health slowly was deteriorating, but her spirits were high! she was told that if her tumor could not be reduced it would crush her organs.

all was going well until last friday (2/15). she was having a hard time breathing and her family took her to the emergency room. quickly they realized that they couldn't do anything to help so the life flighted her to university of utah hospital in slc. she was in icu for about 20 hours and then saturday night they told her that she may not make it through the night.

jeff, jami's brother, and i are really good friends. he had been texting me the whole time telling me what was going on. when he told me that she may not make it i immediately called him. we talked for quite awhile and my heart was breaking for him. he and jami are very close.

sunday morning i text him to see how things were going and he said that she was stable. what a relief. we text all day and again i was hurting for him. they took her off of her meds and were just waiting for her to die. they were told that nothing else really could be done.

sunday afternoon i fly home. i was at a layover in phoenix and it was delayed about 3 hours. during my layover we text back and forth. i left phoenix at midnight and arrived in slc about 1:30am. got to my friends house in centerville about 2:15, showered and went to bed. my alarm went off about an hour later (4:30am) and i left for layton at 5:30... crazy night/day!

anyway the inventory in layton went well and afterwards my team (ann and colleen) and i went to lunch. i had told jeff that i wanted to come and see jami after we were done, so he told me how to get to the hospital. she is beautiful! her eyes have a light that is so inviting! we visited for a bit and then her massage therapist came in. i was able to finally give jeff a hug and visit with him too.

my heart goes out to all of them, but jeff especially. he is so strong and being there for everyone. i want to be there for him! he is like a little brother to me, and i just want to go and hold his hand and help him get through it all.

jami has just been getting more and more tired since she is no longer on her meds. so, last night her main doctor from the huntsman cancer institute came and talked to her (he had been out of town over the weekend and hadn't seen her since she was admitted into the hospital). he said that her ex-rays looked better than they did 2 weeks ago when he saw her!

her tumor had been shrinking! the other doctors that had worked with her just weren't familiar with the situation. her main doctor told her that she isn't out of the woods, but if she wanted they could push forward and fight it. he told her that it wasn't a sure thing, but there was a bit of hope! who knows... in 2 months she might be right back where she was on friday... but then again, she could be on her way to recovery too!

so, she is going to be moved to the huntsman cancer institute within the next few days. it is going to be a long, hard road... but she is strong and i know that she will do well!

it has been a very emotional week, somewhat of a rollar coaster ride... but i have learned the importance of friendship and i am determined to be a better friend. i have been so sad this week wishing that i had had more time to get to know her, wishing that we could have explored the connection that i felt to her.... now i have that chance, and i am going to do everything that i can to do it!

i love her... i love her brother... and i am grateful for the things that they have taught me this week.