We have a very special Bette Bulletin this month, from Bette herself:

I want to send a massive note of gratitude to all ”my” WWII veterans. As I fight the toughest battle of my life, I am humbled by the support, cards, letters, and prayers that I have received and that I continue to receive. Yes, it has been tough fighting this aggressive cancer. I have thinning hair, blisters on my hands and feet from the chemo, numbness, tingling, pain in my extremities, and constant nausea.

Yet whenever I’m feeling discouraged or low, I read and reread the cards and letters I have received. Your kind words and prayers continue to give me the strength I need to fight this disease so that I can continue to honor our most senior heroes — our WWII  veterans — who have fought far greater battles than mine…

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your part in my continued recovery and thank you for the privilege of having been a part of your day of honor. To say that you are the Greatest Generation is an understatment…

With much love and gratitude,
Bette Nahas

Keep those comments coming!

Thank you all for your support of Bette — it really is very much appreciated! As you can see from the many comments posted after the first Bette Bulletin, Bette is a remarkable person, and we all love her.

Bette has a new oncologist, or cancer specialist, for whom she has a great deal of respect. Her new doctor is very knowledgeable and serves on several national boards and committees that dictate treatments, updates, and new discoveries in treating colon cancer. Bette’s doctors also determined that she actually has cancer of the appendix, not the colon. However, they are very similar diseases that are treated in a similar way.

Bette is scheduled to be starting treatment today with a combination of chemotherapy drugs. She will continue to have chemo every two weeks, with constant monitoring of her treatments and progress to determine the best course of action.

In a few weeks, after the second round of chemotherapy, Bette should have a better idea of what her reaction to the drug therapy will be. After that, she may be able to make a decision about when she can return to work and other important activities.

Please continue to keep Bette in your thoughts and prayers as she begins her treatments, and leave some words of encouragement in the comments below. As Bette said after reading the first round, “Thanks for the best medicine anybody could receive.”

One of the most important positions within Honor Flight Chicago is that of the Veteran Coordinator. This person is the one who calls the veterans who have been selected to go on a flight — over 1,000 to date — and invites them to join us. We are privileged to have Bette Nahas serving in this integral position. Not only does Bette coordinate the process to schedule the veterans, but for many of our veterans, Bette is the first verbal contact they have with the organization. She certainly makes a favorable impression on them with her cheery, outgoing personality, endless patience, and positive attitude! Bette also serves as a Board Member and is truly dedicated to the cause of honoring our heroes.

Unfortunately, Bette was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and is now making plans for her medical treatment. Over the next few months as Bette fights this disease — and she truly is a fighter — we will keep you updated on her progress through entries on this blog. During this holiday season, we are asking you and all members of Honor Flight Chicago’s extended family to keep Bette in your prayers.

Please continue to check back each week as we update you on Bette’s progress. We will be posting an address to which cards can be mailed; however, in the interim, you are welcome to leave any words of encouragement to Bette as a comment to this post. We will ensure that all comments are given to Bette.