Goodbye, Jenn
3/21 update:Jennifer Dieges died on Saturday. I asked Moriah if her mom had been there- she was. People think it's kind of weird when I tell them that she died at home, but really, where else should a person die, but surrounded by the people who love them the most?
I wrote this Friday night:
Jenn Dieges is about 35 years old. She was diagnosed as having metastasized(sp?) breast cancer about 5 years ago or so. I forget. We used to kind of share a lover. He would tell me about her progress. She moved into the CatHaus 2 or 3 years ago, and I remember how her housemate Jesse would tell me how she was doing, and even shared a bit about their house talks about her death. Hm, their website is a bit out of date. Their cat Foggy died, and Jenn's cat Tez isn't even on there. He's awful cute. (at least, I thought he was a boy)
I remember when he said they had found spots on her liver. And that she would be on chemo the rest of her life. She was on chemo when a bunch of us formed the "Gimp Bloc" for the WTO Agricultural Ministry meeting in Sacramento in 2002. The protests sucked, and she cried, because she missed an event with her cancer support group, but they had told her to go out and fight for them. I think that will stick with me- how important it is to have fun protests. Jesse and other friends and I used to organize fun protests and we haven't done it together in years.
She studied to be a teacher, and taught for a couple of years, after her diagnosis. She did so much. Last fall she travelled to Hawaii. I think earlier in the year she had gone to Europe. I remember parties at the house- she always had this totally different group of friends, lots of people I had never seen before.
I spoke with Jesse tonight and he seemed oddly at peace- Jenn is having trouble breathing, and there is a gurgling sound. She's been on methadone for a couple of days already. Earlier today Moriah told me that they were having trouble donating her body to science because of her jaundice. M. also said she had been having panic attacks. I hope she is able to have a quieter passing.
Bye, Jenn- you were such an inspiration.
posted by mahtin @ 10:01 PM
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