Welcome to our CaringBridge site. It has been created to keep friends and family updated on Joanie's most recent health issues.
Be sure to read the latest in the journal, view the photo gallery, and drop us a line in the guestbook.
My journey with cancer began on December 19th, 2007 when I was diagnosed with a rare, incurable cancer called a retroperitoneal liposarcoma. It only affects 2:1,000,000 and doesn't respond to chemo or radiation. My mother always told me I was special. Since then, it's been removed four times. Despite the fact that the medical community was not initially optimistic in regard to my survival at the time, it's been 12 years since that first surgery. I'd say that was a good run. After the mother of all surgeries in 2016, I was hoping for a longer interval, but four years later, I will once again be donating pieces to science. As with the prior operations, the purpose of the surgery is simply to reset the clock and hopefully get several more years - during which time they develop a cure. At least that's the hope.
Without a doubt, living with a timebomb inside you never knowing when or what will set it off can be all-consuming, as can any form of suffering. However, I choose to focus on the abundance of God’s blessings I’ve been given - including this one. I been blessed beyond belief through this journey. I refuse to allow this disease to become who I am because my identity is defined by my life, not my death, by my Christianity not my illness. I want the “Big C” in my life to be Christ not cancer.
My story is unremarkable compared to so many others, but If you want to read more about how it all began, visit:
https://choose-wiselysite.squarespace.com/mediblog/category/trouble-with-tribbles 
