TurnKey Auto Call: 319-683-2850 Text: 319-331-8796
  • Home
  • Inventory
  • Recently Sold
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Angie's Blog/Recipes

I Saved My Sister's Life And All I Got Was A Six Million Dollar Check I Can't Cash

7/31/2011

 
Picture
JoJo and me looking stunning as always. Circa 1970.
I have to do EVERYTHING around here. Cook. Clean cars. Save my sister's life.

I know!

It's EXHAUSTING.




My sister JoJo was diagnosed several years ago with stage 4 non-hodgkins lymphoma. She was barely fifty years old.


JUST KIDDING JOJO!

She wasn't even 40 years old.
Jo was the youngest sister and I never let her forget it. As children, I would tell Jo I was older and thus smarter than her, but I don't think she ever believed me. We fought hard; hair pulling, name calling, kicking, spitting, you know, the usual girl stuff. But then we played hard too; trike rides, playing dress-up, racing barefoot on gravel, exploring creeks and barns, and riding minibikes and three wheelers. (Clearly this was years before computers and video games).

We became adults and continued to fight a little and play a lot and laugh even more. My sister is the funniest person I know.





One day Jo called me at my job in Iowa City and said she had a lump in her armpit and was going to get it checked out. We joked about shaving armpits and infected hair follicles. I never thought for a moment it could be cancer.

When the diagnosis came, the treatment started immediately.

Because her cancer was late stage and aggressive, the first treatment did not do much and almost killed her. Meanwhile the cancer continued to spread.


After a second  unsuccessful treatment, she went to Mayo Clinic.



At Mayo, JoJo underwent a radical treatment that eliminated the cancer only temporarily (and again almost took her life) which was a miracle unto itself. It was at that point, Jo's doctor said she needed a bone marrow transplant and if she didn't get one, within three months her cancer would "come rip-roaring back, even more aggressive than before" and they didn't think there would be much hope for treatment.



My siblings and I were tested for a bone marrow match before they went to the national bone marrow registry.

I was the only match and they called it a "perfect match" as they needed 3 of 6 factors to match in order to do a transplant and my blood matched all 6.



Jo has a quick, sharp wit and is usually the funniest person in the room. She never lost her sense of humor during this whole terrible ordeal. In fact, she became funnier.
She consistently had her doctors in stitches, the nurses laughing out loud, the receptionists smiling, and random strangers in the elevator giggling as they exited. People did not expect a woman with a bald head, bloated body and dark rings under her eyes to be so positive and friendly and funny.  But she was.  Nobody was safe from her infectiousness.




Donating bone marrow is no big deal, seriously. I would encourage anybody who is thinking about donating, DO IT!  I had to go up to Mayo a week before Jo's transplant, get one shot a day for five days in my stomach which never even hurt, you couldn't feel it. I antiqued, read, shopped, walked, and ate at some good restaurants the rest of the day.  The day Mayo had set up for me to donate, I sat in a room on a bed with a tv and snacks while they put a needle thing in each arm, started the machine and for five hours one day and two hours the next, they got the "gold standard" of stem cells, enough for the transplant and then some. Didn't hurt a bit.


The next day, my sister had her body drained of all her marrow and the day after that my marrow was transplanted in.


And this is how strong my sister is. That girl exceeded all milestones immediately. She survived the transplant. The marrow took immediately. Her numbers climbed rapidly. Any milestone set was crashed through immediately by her. She was required to stay in the city of Rochester, Minnesota for six weeks, the average amount of time needed for a transplant patient.  The doctors released her from Rochester on the 7th day, that's how high her numbers were.


Jo has been clean for over six years and her fabulous doctor at Mayo told her she is no longer in need of their services but for a yearly checkup now. She was sure glad her doctor broke up with her :):):)


Picture
Happy Camper JoJo. Circa 1969
Jo asked six years ago if there was some way she could repay me. I said yes, I thought six million stem cells were worth six million dollars.

So she wrote me a check for six million dollars. And then told me not to cash it. 

That's okay, I didn't NEED the six million dollars anyway. What's important is that I still have my sister here to torture with my older and wiser unsolicited advice and she still has me here to crack funny on.

Picture
Why we ALWAYS gotta be eating??


To learn more about being a

bone marrow donor and

possibly saving a life,visit

www.marrow.org
JoJo Pearson
7/31/2011 04:46:25 pm

Bahahaha! You are too funny! I love this post! And you are right, you did save my life and no, you CAN'T cash the six million dollar check!

Reading this brought back many memories of our Mayo adventures, and so did the pictures. Who dressed us back then? LOL!

Great blog, Angie. Look forward to reading it every day!

Kimberly K
8/1/2011 01:31:14 am

Wow: has it been six years already? Seems like yesterday. A good blog because anybody who reads it should know that to save a human's life is more than rewarding....it is a gift from god!

Brandon Goss
8/1/2011 03:30:45 am

That was very funny and sweet. You are a good sister. I hope to see you some day both of you...

JR
8/1/2011 08:17:38 am

Great picture! You are two brave girls. It is rewarding to see how well Jo is doing now. Good write up.

Mom
8/1/2011 01:20:16 pm

just wanted you to know Angie when you were born the nuns at mercy hospital said your name Angela Marie ment " angel of Mary ". I think you did a wonderful thing telling people about bone marrow transplants. When we get settled back down I am going to make your chicken burgers!!!

JOJO
8/1/2011 01:57:21 pm

Okay, wait a minute, if Angie is the Angel of Mary, does that mean I am Mary? Hey,yeah, I TOLD you Ali was the immaculate conception!

Angie link
8/1/2011 03:08:16 pm

Oh my gosh, these comments are awesome!. And Jo, I was there when Aligator was born, so yeah, I guess I am an angel :):):):)

Angie link
8/1/2011 03:10:32 pm

Oh, yes, and JoJo, of course, Mary...immaculate conception ...*snicker*

matzekatze
8/2/2011 03:09:49 am

Wow,great post. I'm speechless.

Kimberly K
8/3/2011 05:50:08 am

Love your mother's comments.... very inspiring..........we all love you both very much my sistahs!

Machelle
8/8/2011 01:46:07 pm

I am so glad that you were a match for Jo. I love you both, and miss you dearly. I have fond memories spending summers with the two of you at Aunt MaryAnn's, and of course with your mom and Uncle Jim. It was great to see your both a few years back, and sit around the "kids table lol", and talk about our past summer adventures.


Comments are closed.



    Author

    Angie Madsen
    One half of a team that blends their work and personal life together
    in fun ways.





    Recipes
    Picture
    Click here to access recipes featured on this blog. 




    Categories

    All
    Appetizers
    Beef
    Bread
    Breakfast
    Caring
    Car Stories
    Casserole
    Chicken
    Christmas
    Cooking Misadventures
    Decor
    Desserts
    Fish
    Foosball Okay Football
    Fun Times
    Hot Cars
    I Am A Dork
    Kitchen Stuff
    Pasta
    Pets Pets Pets
    Pork
    Potatoes
    Seasonal
    Side Dish
    Soup
    Special Occasion
    Turkey
    Vegan Or Could Be Vegan
    Vegetables
    Vegetarian



    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011



Turnkey Auto - Twenty years of a friendly setting of quality vehicles, affordable prices and exceptional service.
Text: 319-331-8796
​Call: 319-683-2850


 1/2 mile west of Frytown on 500th St
1811 500th St SW, Kalona, Ia 52247