Jacqueline Manning

I was first diagnosed with stage 2 stomach cancer September, 2018 after being sick for 17 months with what they thought was a recurring virus. I quickly went into chemotherapy treatment to shrink the tumor in my stomach, my doctor told me I would have to have my stomach removed because the cancer had spread to the stomach liner but they needed the tumor to decrease as much as possible. I wasn’t scared for the physical changes I knew chemo would bring on, but I wasn’t prepared for the mental and emotional lows chemo brought on. I’ve never felt so exhausted and dead, getting out of bed felt overwhelming and I was mentally so down. Chemo was so hard because I knew it was helping but it made me feel awful and sick and I wanted to give up, but I knew that wasn’t an option.

I had my first surgery January, 2019 and was so relieved the cancer was out of my body. Now I had to learn to eat all over again, it’s very different without your stomach but I was up for it as long as the cancer stayed away. I got scanned a few months later and they saw another suspicious tumor, turned out I had another tumor growing attached to my uterus, at first they thought I had uterine cancer but after the biopsy they realized it was gastric cancer and stage 4 terminal.

The only word that describes how I felt is disbelief. How could I be that sick? I’m so young and I work out, how is this possible? But that’s just it, cancer isn’t for the weak or old, it effects everybody.

Throughout my sickness my husband, Eric, joined Silverton CrossFit because fitness has always been an outlet for him and he needed to take an hour out of his day and devout it to himself. It not only helped him physically but more importantly mentally. He was able to get his aggressions out and truly connected with Matt and Mandy, who own the gym. Before my diagnosis I worked out but I didn’t love going to the gym, not like Eric did. Mandy approached Eric and said how she would do personal training sessions with me, long story short, now we meet every week to workout and I love it! CrossFit seemed so intimidating, I didn’t think I was strong enough, but that was the wrong attitude to have. After multiple rounds of chemo and radiation I’m still doing weekly CrossFit sessions and I know it’s helped me heal faster. My daughter started CrossFit a year ago too, now we are truly CrossFit for life! The CrossFit community has embraced us and made us feel like family and I know when the time comes, they will embrace my husband and daughter and comfort them.

I can’t thank Mandy enough for working with me every week and introducing me to Everyday Warrior. Eric has completed two Battle Series and Maddy did her first one last year. When you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness it’s hard to have hope, but that’s exactly what CrossFit does for us, it gives us hope, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for stronger body and hope for the future.