Janie

So back on that kayak trip that I keep saying I’m going to tell you about, I had 3 roommates. Acid, Peaches and GI Jane.  We sound like  bunch, don’t we?

GI Jane was a 6 or 7 year stage IV survivor (I’m actually not sure. I thought she said 6 but another post said 5 years and that was 5 years ago? So to be honest I just know it’s been along time).  She had been through a lot!  She had so much chemo apparently it effected her hearing.  The things that she thought she heard were down right hilarious.  She made me laugh.  And laugh.  And laugh some more.

One night at about 2 or 3 in the morning I heard someone rustling around.  It was very dark in our room and I didn’t want to put a light on to wake anyone.  I wasn’t quite sure if it was a person or not so I was getting a little freaked out.  All of a sudden I felt something on my foot that went up my leg.  I was about to let out a scream but I quickly realized it was a person.  It was GI Jane trying to make her way to the bathroom.  We had a good laugh about it.  I guess I made her laugh so much that she awarded me the “comedy” award the next day.

She had this amazing spirit.
We were on this road that was actually a bridge with a 20 to 25ft drop to the river below.  People in our group were jumping off of it.  It was the end of our journey for the day and a bit of a “rite of passage” for the group.  Of course it was optional but most people were doing it.  Janie wasn’t quite sure what was going on and with her hearing she was trying to make out what was happening.  “WERE JUMPING”  What?  “J-U-M-P-I-N-G”.  Oh!  OK!  and she hopped up on the ledge like it was nothing and jumped.

From the bit that I got to know about GI Jane, I know she was a fighter and as we parted ways from our week I heard about her plans for the future.  She was looking forward to doing more adventures like the one we just had and was going to take life by the horns and live it.

I’m not entirely sure what all adventures she had, but I heard a couple of days ago that she was put into hospice care.  As of today she hasn’t eaten or even had anything to drink in a few days.  Someone in her family said yesterday that probably for the first time in her life she was unresponsive.  She will transition soon.

I made this video.

Mostly for her family, but also so everyone could meet the Janie I met.  So you could see a little glimpse of her beautiful soul.
I’m going to miss Janie.

I fucking hate this disease, so much.  So very much.

Update: After fighting the incredible fight, Ann passed from life to Life on Thursday, January 30, 2014.