Remembering Janelle Stauffer- Wade
Printed From: TNBC Foundation
Category: TNBC Forums
Forum Name: TNBC Tributes
Forum Description: This is a tribute section on our website to honor members
URL: http://forum.tnbcfoundation.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=11528
Printed Date: Mar 26 2026 at 11:25pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Remembering Janelle Stauffer- Wade
Posted By: Melissa P.
Subject: Remembering Janelle Stauffer- Wade
Date Posted: Sep 20 2013 at 2:15am
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Que Sera Sera... Remembering Triple Negative Breast Cancer Sister, Janelle Wade Tomorrow is never promised... "Please, please, please, don't underestimate being grateful. Enjoy it. Relish in it. It's quite an extraordinary thing." ~Janelle Wade
After a courageous battle with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Janelle Stauffer-Wade, 41 was called home to her Lord on September 16, 2013, releasing her from her pain. Janelle fought with all she had, to stay around for her son for as long as she can. I know this was heartbreaking for Janelle to have her 8 yr. old son worrying about how sick she was.... Janelle's journey started in April 2012 when she was diagnosed with stage 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer at the age of 39. In just 2 short weeks of diagnosis, Janelle's breast tumor had grown from 2cm to 4cm and has spread to 10 lymph nodes and her chest wall. Janelle had undergone dose dense AC/Taxol neoadjuvant chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and 35 rounds of radiation finishing treatment mid-January 2013. Just being off from treatment for 2 months, Janelle's first post-treatment pet scan showed mets to both of her lungs. Not the news Janelle expected. April 2, 2013, she started chemo again, Cisplatin/Gemzar, but the lung tumors progressed in size. May 2013, Janelle's chemo was switched to Carboplatin/Taxotere, again the cancer continued to spread and grow. June 2013, Janelle's cancer had spread rapidly in her body and had invaded her liver. "Dear God: Please keep my mom, my dad, my dog and my family safe. Please God. I'm really scared. Amen". - my son Janelle's oncologist spent the next 3 months trying to get her into a clinical trial... "I will have to say that, if anything, this has taught me that you HAVE to be proactive about your health." Janelle spent this time off with spending time with her family and a trip back to her hometown. August 2013 scans showed spread to her bones, multifocal metastastic disease involving the brain and progression in her lungs and liver. Posted in our online support group from Janelle, "Thank you, everyone, for your love and support. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have each and every one of you in my life, even if it is my virtual life. I hope you all know how much I love and respect you!!!"We loved Janelle too! Janelle promised her son that she was fighting this cancer really, really hard and that she fights her hardest when he fights alongside of her. Janelle had undergone full head radiation but sadly, her cancer began to overpower her... One thing that was always constant of Janelle, was her always being upbeat and witty as she accepted her recurrence... "It's weird, maybe, but I feel almost... relieved? ...that I'll never have to obsess about whether or not it will be back. It is. And we deal with it." http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OsykPUKwksA/UkzwfPIJj8I/AAAAAAAAEzM/hlO3jZIrz0c/s1600/168535_10200808074594608_1470305095_n.jpg" rel="nofollow">  Janelle was selfless and was a beautiful soul. We'll miss Janelle in our group of ladies, emptiness is already being felt. Love you and God Bless your family. Janelle's last post in our TNBC Sisters group dated Sept. 1, 2013:
About a year ago, after I decided to leave my job and devote all my time to me and my health, I sat up late one night perusing the internet for a like-group of women who had the same weird breast cancer I had. This breast cancer with these weird initials (TNBC??) that I had never heard of before. I needed someone to connect with. Who knew what I was going through. Who I could find support from, but somewhere I could give support to others. And I found it here on Facebook. Facebook - this silly little social networking site. That's sometimes a bit of a joke, when you speak of it you shrug a bit, perhaps in a bit of shame that you are soooooo involved in reading Facebook at 1:00 in the morning when there doesn't seem anything else to do, silly games (Candy Crush, anyone? I said I'd never do it....eating my words now!) So I find this group of women on FB. A private group of women, spread out not only over the US but the world. For this past year, I have gotten to know these women. Our tiny group of probably less than 100 women has now exceeded 400. These women I have never met in person have become my cocoon of support and of love. And last night I was honored and blessed to meet in person 2 of my sisters. I've known them for a year, and finally got to meet them in person. Hug them, see their faces, their crazily familiar faces that I feel I have known for years. I am so blessed, beyond words, beyond anything I can say. Thanks for making the trek to Vegas, and the trek to my house. I love you ladies so much, I am so thankful to know you, and to count you more than friends but close sisters. — with Ronise Zenon and Reata Gfm. https://www.facebook.com/ronise.zenon?directed_target_id=292612604091612&viewer_id=1653395177" rel="nofollow">
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Replies:
Posted By: 123Donna
Date Posted: Sep 20 2013 at 11:20am
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Thank you Melissa. It's so hard to find the right words after losing Janelle this week. It happened too quickly and too soon. It breaks my heart how young she was and leaving her young son. Janelle had a beautiful, vibrant soul where everyone was her friend. Even in her darkest hours, she was always trying to lift others up or find the beauty in each day. The picture of her with her son, pure love just shining through, is how I'll always remember her. Donna ------------- DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09) 11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15 |
Posted By: Melissa P.
Date Posted: Sep 20 2013 at 1:10pm
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Donna, Janelle was a remarkable young woman the pic with her son shows what she was fighting so hard for. It's so hard when we another sister and trying to understand why, leaves us with this empty feeling, you know. I've got some personal stuff going on, I'm putting my 19+ year old cat down today... I'm just really sad about this, but I do want to write a really nice tribute to Janelle over the weekend. Love to all.
------------- "Hope for more Tomorrows" TNBC dx August 2009, Age 41, Stage 2, 2cm, 0 nodes Lumpectomy/ACx4,Taxolx4/33rads Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!" mlsspaskvan.blogspot.com |
Posted By: Melissa P.
Date Posted: Oct 03 2013 at 7:19pm
I revamped my original posting... Because Janelle deserved a nice tribute  ------------- "Hope for more Tomorrows" TNBC dx August 2009, Age 41, Stage 2, 2cm, 0 nodes Lumpectomy/ACx4,Taxolx4/33rads Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!" mlsspaskvan.blogspot.com |
Posted By: 123Donna
Date Posted: Oct 03 2013 at 7:46pm
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Melissa, A beautiful tribute, thank you for all you do. Janelle was a wonderful person. ------------- DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09) 11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15 |
Posted By: Melissa P.
Date Posted: Oct 03 2013 at 8:25pm
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Thank you and you're welcome Donna... Miss Janelle's postings. ------------- "Hope for more Tomorrows" TNBC dx August 2009, Age 41, Stage 2, 2cm, 0 nodes Lumpectomy/ACx4,Taxolx4/33rads Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!" mlsspaskvan.blogspot.com |
Posted By: Annie
Date Posted: Oct 04 2013 at 8:28am
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Melissa, Thank You for the beautiful tribute to Janelle. It makes one sit up and take notice and realize the great gift that life is and how as was said tomorrow is not promised. What a beautiful person Janelle was. It is heart wrenching to try and understand the fight she endured and having to face leaving her beautiful son. I hope he is doing okay. Love the scripture verse from Corinthians...God Bless, Love, Annie ------------- Annie TNBC Stage IIA Gr 3 1cm lesion 2/5 lymph nodes+ lumpectomy,FEC & D 30Rads finished(08/2009) BRCA- Chronic Cellulitis due to Radiation-- L.Mastectomy Jan 2012 |
Posted By: Melissa P.
Date Posted: Oct 04 2013 at 5:19pm
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Thanks Annie ------------- "Hope for more Tomorrows" TNBC dx August 2009, Age 41, Stage 2, 2cm, 0 nodes Lumpectomy/ACx4,Taxolx4/33rads Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!" mlsspaskvan.blogspot.com |
Posted By: Melissa P.
Date Posted: Oct 04 2013 at 5:22pm
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: I'm Angry, I Hate Cancer! http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7oJU5Byd-aU/Uk4ZNwcRCDI/AAAAAAAAEz4/7zYHPFFEBnk/s1600/CSPinkRibbonBlack.jpg" rel="nofollow">  "October 1st. And unless you've been living under a rock, you know that today is the beginning of "Breast Cancer Awareness Month". I've been complimented on my positivity in facing this disease. I try, and my new philosophy is that unless you can joke and find humor in your life, regardless of what is handed to you, you will become nothing if not a bitter and hateful person. But today, the first day of a month to become aware of something I'm aware of every damn day, I get to be angry. I'm angry that I have breast cancer. I'm angry that in 2 weeks I will have both my breasts removed. I'm angry that I can't reconstruct. I'm angry that I'm having lymph nodes removed. I'm angry I may face a lifetime of lymphedema. I'm angry that I face a lifetime of being maimed. I'm angry that I still feel my cancer, my tumor, every day because it never went away. I'm angry that it's taking away everything about me that is feminine. I'm angry that it took my long hair, my eyebrows, my eyelashes, my nails,and now my breasts. I'm angry that I look nothing like I used to. I'm angry that I'm leading my family into the poorhouse. I'm angry that we make too much to qualify for assistance, yet not enough to be able to pay my medical bills. I'm angry that my insurance company says I met my deductible, but that my cancer bills are above reasonable costs which leads to even more outrageous costs. I'm angry that my son is having to grow up too fast. I'm angry that my son knows too much about cancer. I'm angry that my son had to cry to me yesterday because, after my surgery, my hugs won't feel the same. I'm angry for what it's done to my family. I'm angry that my husband is having to drop everything to take me to doctors and hospitals. I'm angry that we'll be "celebrating" our 10th wedding anniversary with me in bandages. I'm angry that my parents are having to see their daughter sick. I'm angry that I'm having problems planning for the future. I'm angry that I feel like I can't think in terms of years. I'm angry that, when my husband says "Let's plan on doing this in two years", in the back of my mind I wonder if I'll be here in two years. I'm angry that I may not get to enjoy my retirement with my husband. I'm angry that I may not get to see my children grow up. I'm angry I may not get to see my granddaughter grow up. I'm angry I may not get to meet my future grandchildren. I'm angry. I hate cancer." ~Janelle Wade ------------- "Hope for more Tomorrows" TNBC dx August 2009, Age 41, Stage 2, 2cm, 0 nodes Lumpectomy/ACx4,Taxolx4/33rads Triple Negative Breast Cancer, "I Won't Back Down!" mlsspaskvan.blogspot.com |