30, Pregnant and Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

Welcome to the Oesch Family Blog. This blog will allow you to follow along as our family grows, we tackle my breast cancer and live life to its fullest.



Sunday, June 29, 2014

Discover Monsanto.


I am so proud of the first steps my company, Monsanto, has taken to listen to your questions, your feedback, your concerns surrounding a healthy and safe food supply.

We have turned a corner. We used to talk about things like this:
  • We are a Fortune 500 Company headquartered in St. Louis, MO
  • Globally we have over 21,000 employees in 66 countries with 10,000 in the United States
  • We are an agricultural and vegetable seeds, plant biotechnology and crop protection company
  • We are focused on empowering farmers—large and small—to produce more from their land while conserving more of our world's natural resources such as water and energy.
  • And we do a lot of scientific research...to the tune of $2,000,000 daily
 But I am proud that Monsanto began to do consumer research as well. We learned that while we were focused on communicating to our end users- our dealer customers, farmer customers, crop consultants and academics, we were missing out on the consumer who had the important responsibility of providing safe and healthy food choices for their family. The moms; the foodies. with this void, became many Internet fed myths and scare tactics.

So here are the things that we want to engage in conversation with you now.
  • What do you want to know?
  • How can we answer your questions? concerns?
  • Share our partnerships with Wal-Mart, one of the biggest suppliers of food in the world
  • Learn what scares you about plant breeding? about GMOs?
  • What are your unknowns that you just wish you knew more about?

This is what I would like you to know about Monsanto:
We’re innovators, food lovers, scientists and stewards of the land. That’s why we strive to find collective solutions to help feed our planet while protecting the earth for generations to come. And, while our mission is to help farmers grow more food sustainably, the safety of our products will always be a top priority.

I have just celebrated my fifth year at Monsanto. I can tell you the people I have met and built relationships at Monsanto are caring, hard working, passionate, realistic, smart, concerned for the planet, eager to try new things...we are a family. As cliche as it may sound, every time we have an employee moving on to his/her next step on their career journey...it is the people on their teams that they say is the hardest to leave. In my five years I have always worked in the US Marketing department. I have seen great people go, but I have seen great people continue to join the team. I couldn't ask to work with a better, more talented group of family oriented professionals.

So, I hope you join me on my blog as I begin to address some of these items. I hope you engage in questions, continue to educate yourself and share this information with your friends and family.

I welcome you to Discover Monsanto.
Love, Jenna

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Heard of that Crazy Wrap Thing?



Family and Friends-
I wanted to let you know about a new adventure I am jumping into! I am now an independent distributor for It Works! I was skeptic at the beginning too, but I tried their most popular product, the Ultimate Body Applicator Wrap, and I saw the results with my own eyes.

As many of you know, I have had a very hard time losing the inches I gained throughout my pregnancy and during 15 months of chemotherapy. I needed a jumpstart. So, I reached out to a friend who had been posting things on Facebook about these great results people were having with these body wraps- she too a distributor. My mom and I had once done a spa day with something similar, but now there is a product where you can wrap in the comfort of your own home. Plus, I had spent $59 on crazier things!

Here is my journey with the wraps- starting 7 weeks ago:
·         I measured at 4 consistent points weekly- natural waist, belly button, lower stomach/hips, thighs
o   Before wrap #2- down 4 inches
o   Before wrap #3- down another 1.5 inches
o   Before wrap #4- down 2 inches
o   Before wrap #5- down 3 inches
o   Before wrap #6- didn’t lose anything
o   Before wrap #7- down 1.5 inches
o   Before wrap #8- down 2 inches
·         Total overall – down 14 inches in 7 weeks from waist to thighs

What journey are you on? Are you wanting to tone? Tighten? Minimize cellulite appearance? Lose inches? Diminish appearance of varicose veins? Detoxify, alkalize, and promote pH balance within your body?

You can do these things with the three top sellers from It Works!
Check out my Website and links to these top sellers:

Email me or call me today to discuss more details. How can we get you started on your journey? Become a loyal customer today and save off retail prices from the beginning!
Jenna

Please pass along to your family, friends and colleagues and have them reach out to me today!

Monday, June 9, 2014

"Carry Christ's Light into the World"- Jodi Allen

Please light a candle for Jodi at 4:10 pm today and make a promise to yourself to carry a light into the world each and every day.


Thursday, June 5, 2014

Raise a Glass and Raise Money for Jodi's Daughters' Scholarship Fund

Come celebrate this lady and raise funds for her daughters' education fund!
Jodi sent me this picture as she borrowed my wig for her hot date with Jim :)

Robust Wine Bar
635 Washington Avenue, St. Louis
Saturday, June 14th
5:00- 8:00 PM

20% of all food and drink orders will go towards a scholarship fund for Jodi's daughters, Emily (8) and Mia (6).

Please pass this along to any friends and family you know in St. Louis. You didn't have to know Jodi to continue her legacy of giving back to others.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Drink a Beer...or a Glass of Red!

Here's to you, my friend!
jodi and jenna at the St Louis Crisis Nursery Ball

we felt larger than life that night!

From one of my favorite artists and performers...I couldn't say it better.

"Drink A Beer," Luke Bryan

When I got the news today
I didn't know what to say.
So I just hung up the phone.

I took a walk to clear my head,
This is where the walking led
Can't believe you're really gone
Don't feel like going home

So I'm gonna sit right here
On the edge of this pier
Watch the sunset disappear
And drink a beer

Funny how the good ones go
Too soon, but the good Lord knows
The reasons why, I guess

Sometimes the greater plan
Is kinda hard to understand
Right now it don't make sense
I can't make it all make sense

So I'm gonna sit right here
On the edge of this pier
Watch the sunset disappear
And drink a beer

So long my friend
Until we meet again
I'll remember you
And all the times that we used to...

... sit right here on the edge of this pier
And watch the sunset disappear
And drink a beer
Drink a beer,
Drink a beer.
Yeah


Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Heaven Has a New Angel

Heaven received a new angel yesterday. My friend, Jodi Allen, received her wings yesterday and was relieved of all her pain and suffering. Although it is so hard to comprehend on Earth why she was chosen to live such a short life, she made the most out of everything. Even during her darkest moments she found strength and positivity and I am lucky to be able to call her a friend and breast cancer sister.

I was able to write her a note when she was placed into Hospice Care. Those words will remain private. I continue to pray for Jim, Emily, Mia and Jodi's entire family and friends. A wonderful woman, mom, sister, daughter, wife was taken from this world too soon.

In her memory, I have dug up some past posts from my blog so you too, can experience the wonderful person that she was.

http://oeschfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-6-and-day-7-yucks.html

Upon becoming diagnosed...
Jodi called me on Friday and we connected right from the beginning. She lives about 1 mile from me, has two small children, just finished treatment #12, she has great friends at Monsanto and she and her friends are the hit of Wednesdays at the treatment center!  Jodi started off on the third drug that I will receive and she transitions next week into the AC drug that I am currently taking. So unbeknownst to me I have been able to provide a few useful tips to her as well.

http://oeschfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/komen-race-for-cure.html

Our first Susan G Komen Survivor Walk together...
It was an early morning as I met Jodi on the live set of KSDK so I could see her do her live interview. She is such an inspiration to many and especially me. She is the one that showed me that this disease would not take us down, but rather we could stand strong to help beat this together.

We then walked in the Survivor Walk together. What an amazing emotional experience. To stand there with hundreds and hundreds of other women who had battled and won the fight against breast cancer, to those that are still going through treatment and to those that unfortunately lost their lives to this terrible disease, it showed how strong women (and men) can be when we come together to raise funds to continue the research to find a cure!

Here we are joining the other Survivors! Check us out at the 1:40 timestamp
http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=262539 


http://oeschfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html
Walking in our second survivor walk...


http://oeschfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2013_05_01_archive.html
 A display of Jodi's positivity from her blog...
So thank you Jesus for the diaper display being the worst thing that day and for reminding me to keep turning to you over and over and over and over and over again and trusting you.
I ask for special prayers for a new experimental drug that my oncologist has approved for me to take privately. It is not FDA approved but has shown promise in a few clinical phase 2 trials.  We are in the process of finalizing access to it, dosing, etc.  And despite insurance not covering this costly drug I trust God has absolutely lead me to it and He has it all as a part of His almighty, miraculous healing plan.
Enjoy your weekend, thank God for our men and women who protect and serve our country, and may little things be your only “worsts” but also the things that remind you to trust almighty God always!
And happy birthday sweet Mia Rose!

Here is a follow-up story from Mike Bush on KSDK
http://archive.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=385435
 
From the 2013, Susan G Komen Race for a Cure

what a rock star! she ran the 5k and I was honored to cheer her on at the starting line. Thank you Mike Kinman for blessing her there as well.

As Rett, Emma and I plan to walk in the 2014 Susan G Komen walk, the Survivor walk will be lonely. I will be thinking of you; I know your smile and new angel glow will be shining down on me.

Love and miss you,
Jenna