Winding Road Dreams

By Jeff Santerre

Jess is living a normal life when she gets devastating news. She is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, and now she must fight for her life. Will her journey be the last? Or will it be the beginning of a new "existence". Whatever the case, she is determined to fight this demon to the death!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Winding Road Dreams, LLC
• Release date: Sep 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215821534

Jeff Santerre

Jeff Santerre is a former retail manager and current I.T. guru. He lives in the Gainesville, Florida area with his wife of 33 years and their incredibly spoiled cat Emmy. While not working or writing, he spends his time traveling and enjoying the outdoors. They are soon to embark on a multi-year RV journey crossing the US and parts of Canada which will be discussed in his new blog.

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INTRODUCTION

Many of us experience things in our lives that are filled with tragedy. Unfortunately, this is a reality of our modern world, one that, try as we may, we are unable to eradicate. One such tragedy is cancer. When a family member is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family is stricken with the disease. This is a story of one such family’s plight in dealing with cancer. While inspired by a true story of how my wife and I battled cancer together, this novella was written with the intent to capture the essence of a fight that is scary and draining. It encompasses the millions of people diagnosed with this terrible disease and the families that struggle to support them. This is one version of what can happen during that fight.

DEDICATION

To my wife Susan, who somehow always manages to believe in me, no matter how silly or outrageous I am. Without her love and support, this work would not have been possible. She is a true hero and inspiration. Thank you for being the person that you are and for being the love of my life.

CHAPTER 1

J

ESS reclined back, lost in a hazy realm that lied somewhere between conscious and sentient thought. She felt her body slowly give way to the toxin, resisting her natural urge to fight. There was a certain serenity to this feeling; something in the way of Zen, in the way of giving in to the lesser of evils in order to fight. It was a disorienting feeling; one she experienced every week for the last month.

She lazily opened her left eye and tried to focus. She thought she saw a brook streaming from the sky, flowing into a tunnel that led straight into her body. She felt the cool waters penetrate her core through her chest, spreading out like a metallic web that encompassed her entire body. She closed her eye again and floated in and out of consciousness.

The peace was shattered by the sound of an alarm, a sound that she came to recognize as the end. Jess languidly fought the shadows that engulfed her, working one eye open, then the other, trying to focus on the source of her savior. The alarm meant another day of chemo was finally over.

Fridays had become a part of Jess’ reality, another round to be fought against the cancer that had invaded her sanctuary once again. The initial shock of being diagnosed for the second time had faded into the background, however the fight was far from over. Her chemo Zen, as she liked to call it, was a necessary evil to combat a wicked foe on her home ground.

Jess stood slowly, taking time to get her balance and orient herself. It was like this every time, feeling like a newborn learning to walk. Finally, her legs sturdy once again, she made her way to the check-out desk and finally to the parking garage to head home. Unfortunately, Jess was alone this time, her husband unable to be with her this week. What a difference this made in her frame of mind. It was as if, when they were together, they shared the same spiritual pool, two minds melding into one. The feeling was indeed very spiritual, a cathartic process that assisted in her journey toward good health.

However, this time alone gave Jess the opportunity to fully realize her surroundings, from the waiting room to the infusion room. As she reflected, it occurred to her that there were so many more people here than her last round 3 years prior. The waiting room was standing room