Chasing Sophie's Ashes
by
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I must say that my husband
approached this major mountain of a problem with an absolutely unbelievably
positive attitude, certain always that he would be the one to beat the
odds. There was also a fair amount of
denial which was encountered anytime I either tried to talk about the future or
the status of our family if something should happen to him. I was always flatly
accorded with a “You think I’m going to die don’t you?” whenever I tried to
bridge the seriousness of the issue and our very shaky future. The period from
At first we had difficulty
adjusting to the many medical tests and interruptions of routine that the
diagnosis presented. Bob was also
extremely adamant that no one would know that he was even ill, especially not
his place of employment. We tried desperately to maintain the normalcy of
family and professional lives. I
continued with my teaching position and course work in my doctoral
program. He continued with his hectic
schedule. The kids did not know the extent of the problem, just that things
were different.
One of the first hints of what
was to come came in the form of a bone marrow aspirate, which is the very first
test beyond blood work to determine and finalize the diagnosis of leukemia. It
is a procedure in which an apparatus, looking strangely to me like a corkscrew,
is inserted generally into the pelvic bone to aspirate, or pull out, marrow
from the center of the bone. As a
bystander and hopeful supporter, I found it particularly difficult to watch and
experience the bone marrow aspirates Bob had to endure. Each time they would have him lie on his
stomach to retrieve the marrow from his pelvic bone.
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About the Book
Chasing Sophie's Ashes is
not the typical book about cancer survival. Instead it is a story not only
about triumph over leukemia but also about devastating loss from leukemia.
The author writes in retrospect about the loss of her husband who courageously underwent a highly experimental bone marrow transplant process in 1988 only to lose his life at the end of a five year long battle. Incredibly, the author herself contracted leukemia nine years after the death of her first husband. She depicts in an always open, and often humorous, manner the entire process from the vantage point of an observer and as one struggling to survive.
It is a true saga about a thirty
year struggle, only with devastating cancer, but also multiple instances of
birth defects in a family. The reader is not left with a sense of pity for a
life gone out of control, but instead leaves the reading of Chasing Sophie's
Ashes with a renewed sense of optimism and determination for the important,
but often overlooked, things in life.
About the Author
“In this age of unprecedented
prosperity and the plaque of self absorption that too often accompanies,
Nanette Jordahl offers a simple piece of advice for
the rest of us: “Stop complaining,” she says, “Life is
good.””