Beating the odds ...

I remembered tonight over a milk shake at chic-fil-a that it's been five years since my mom's first surgery. The surgery that rocked her world, our family, and changed the way we lived. I was in college on my way back from a match when I talked to my mom and dad on the phone. They never wanted me to worry, they wanted me to focus on school, getting good grades, playing tennis, and being happy. Maybe it was something they said or just my DeJong gut but I got off the phone with a sudden need to go home. Unfortunately for me I was a little more than a hop, skip, and a jump away from doing so. There were many times in college when I showed up at Phil's house and informed him I was going home (I got homesick a lot) and I would always eventually reason out of it and realize it wasn't smart to drive through the night to spend a day at home. This time was different though I think he could tell I wasn't giving up. He tried to reason with me and though I had no logical explation I just said I have a feeling, I need to go. It was Easter weekend and right before our college tennis tournament. We had our final practice on Saturday and my coach allowed us both to go after practice. That was the longest practice ever, I kept looking at my watch and then adding 10 hours ... if I leave now I'll be home *here* ... yeah never as I expected. We finished practice, ran home and showered and slowly got on the road. I didn't tell my mom and dad I was coming. I even called my mom when we were stuck in a traffic jam in daytona telling her I had been at the library all night studying and I was on my way back to get to bed (sneaky sneaky). We got to south Florida after midnight and I wrote my mom and dad a note ... I don't remember something simple like I'm home & happy easter.

That was one of the best decisions my gutt ever told me to do. We spent Easter Sunday together and I was somewhat caught up on what may or may not happen the next day during her surgery. My dad waited at the hospital the entire day ... the longest surgery ever. I didn't know it was cancer until that night. Pat had mentioned something at dinner with Phil & I ... I remember shrugging it off and saying where did you hear that? My dad told me in the kitchen, from that its slow motion walking back to my room and trying to process everything. My only experience with the big C was horrible. I lost my grandma, my best friend, now it was my mom, my best friend ... and 5 years later I sit here ... on my couch in my grandma's house in West Palm. What a wild ride it's been ...

My mom is the strongest person I know, I don't know one single person in my life who would fight as hard as she has in the last 5 years, someone that has stayed so positive when top docters gave her little hope, she proves everyone wrong and does pushups in her surgeons offices post surgery. Yep ... that's my mom. I'm so proud to be her daughter and I'm so happy that stars have alligned and I was able to move closer. You don't realize how nice it is to be able to stop in and give your mom a hug until you live so far away that you can't do that.

So 5 years of living strong lance armstrong style, my mom still fights on. Bad news, good news, surgeries, doctors visits, chemo, radiation, mris, blood tests, ivs, hospital visits galore ... she battles through it all. Her life has completely changed, and yet she still remains the same positive person, the same loving mom that would do anything to help you out. I feel fortunate to live close enough to help her out and be here for her and my dad. So even if life gives us all lemons, DeJong's know how to make lemonade. We'll still smile and laugh and have a great time together, no matter what life throws our way ... it's that DeJong way. I hope we can all get to Holland next month and hang out with the dutch DeJong's and laugh so hard our cheeks hurt ... or is that our cheeks hurt because they're full of cheese and croquettes ... either way still equally enjoyable.

5 years ago our lives changed forever, one doctor gave her 6 months to live ... 4 1/2 years later every day she beats the odds (one Keith Urban song at a time)

I love you Mom ...