Jameson Blosil: Diagnosed With Cancer the Day After His Wedding

Jameson Blosil is an Orem native who found himself getting as far away from Utah and religion as possible. However, through some miraculous experiences, he chose to serve a mission. After coming home a transfer early due to visa problems, he met his wife, who was visiting from New York. They fell in love and got married. Basically, an RM's dream. But this is when everything fell apart. The day after his wedding, he was diagnosed with cancer. Listen to this masterful storyteller talks about his experience fighting cancer and seeing it as a way to draw closer to God and bless more of his children.

Jameson has been fighting cancer for six years, and the Hunstman cancer institute is where he got his treatments. This year they are raising money for the Huntsman SportsFest. If you wish to support, you can find more info at https://hope.huntsmancancer.org/sportsfest23/cancer-ruined-my-honeymoon

If you are interested in sharing your story, reach out to me via email.
Releasedthepodcast@gmail.com

@talmagethayne
@blosil

Transcript

Talmage: 0:00

Welcome back to release the podcast. I am really grateful you're back to listen to these amazing returned missionaries experiences when it comes to coming back transitioning and ultimately really succeeding because they have faith in God's plan for them. In this episode I get to interview Jamison Blasco. We talked about his amazing experience coming back home and being diagnosed with cancer the day after his wedding. Jamison Blasco is 28 years old and was born and raised in Utah. He finally moved back after living out of state for a number of years. He's the fifth of eight kids. He's married to the love of his life and will be expecting his first baby girl any day now. When he's not working on his real estate company. He loves to ski Cook, bake read, and he even does CrossFit. worse, worse. Going away 1000 miles away our vision was generally very obedient. But there were a couple stories I heard about the elders baptizing that turtle. Oh,

Jameson: 1:23

I don't know about that one taking it

Talmage: 1:25

on, like putting it in their backpack. And so when they went and taught someone they would count it as a joint teach. Oh.

Jameson: 1:35

I don't think I don't I've never heard that one. But that one is hilarious. That's my brother. That's gonna be hilarious. That's clever.

Talmage: 1:42

Everybody. This is elder blossom. I guess Jameson blossom. I know him as elder blossom, because we served in the same mission Scotland and Ireland. And yeah, I'm excited to have you on man. Just like memories flooding back from when we were together. And the mission is so much fun. But could you just kind of introduce yourself? Tell everybody where you're from? Kind of your upbringing, and what made you want to go on a mission in the first place?

Jameson: 2:12

Yeah, that's a great question. So I'm originally from Utah. So I was born and raised in Orem. So I'm in I'm the middle child of eight. So there's eight, eight kids and my family. So I've got four older siblings and three younger brothers. So there's six boys, two girls all together. Yeah. Big Family. And yeah, so I was growing up. It was pretty standard for a Latter Day Saint family go to church every Sunday, family home evening, which we can on Mondays, but it just turns into a yelling fest, because all the kids are crazy. Yeah. So yeah, so I don't know how my mom held down the fort is pretty wild. That's um, so all my, my of my older siblings, my two older brothers, they served a mission and one of my sisters also served a mission my both my parents served a mission in Sweden. And because of that, that's actually how they met later at BYU. My mom's a convert. So like, she was very, they did a good job of like, ingraining the gospel into us, and maybe not the greatest job of teaching and really the why behind why we do things. Like there's a memories of mine were like, Brian, when you're baptized, you have to fast but it's like, not the two meals. It's like 24 hours to the dot. Yeah. Like you're starting at 4pm on Saturday, and you're ending at 4pm on Sunday. Yeah, I remember. It's like an eight year old kid, like I couldn't really handle it. So like, gotten to the point where I was so weak that I actually started throwing up on fast Sundays because I was just so famished. Yeah, and so like, all of that was like, Alright, I'm just starving then on Sundays, like fasten days. But through all of that, I ended up going on my own spiritual path. So after joining in high school, I actually told my parents I didn't want anything to do with the church. I told my dad, he was really shocked. And I was like, well, I'll still go to church. Um, so when my younger siblings can see that their older brother is still going. I'm kind of keeping up appearances a little bit, because you know, that's so important. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. So important. And so actually is after I graduated high school, back in 2013, I moved on my own to New York City. Oh, wow. So it was about six months after I graduated, because my parents were essentially kicking me out of the house. They might say differently, but when you graduate high school, and your dad says you have to be out of the house by the end of the summer. I feel like that's like saying, you're gone, you're out of here. And granted, my dad said he didn't want to fund my indecision. And sure, I understand that, but it's actually one of the biggest blessings. So I moved to New York. I have never actually been there before my life. So I fly into LaGuardia Airport, take a bus down to Harlem. So I get on the bus into the middle of Harlem and I just meet this person who's a sibling of a friend of one of my siblings, and he just allows me to like couch refer to his place for a little bit while he tried to figure things out. Yeah, step off in the middle of middle of Harlem. And to feel to say that I had Culture Shock is a bit of understatement. And for Orem, Utah, yeah, from Orem, Utah to downtown Harlem, 120/5 Street and St. Nick, as an 18 year old kid clutching his suitcase. Yeah, terrifying. It was terrifying because everyone that I told ultimately, I was like, I'm moving to Harlem. Like, I'll be careful, you're gonna get mugged. Like, it's dangerous. So that was my all my idea going in. It's like, I'm moving here to New York. It's dangerous. So when I'd see a group of kids all hanging around, like Harlem, granted, most people probably can imagine, but Harlem is like 97% Black or like Hispanic, or like, specifically a Puerto Rican or like Dominican? Yeah. So I move live there for like, a week. And I was so nervous for like, the first week that if I ever left the apartment, like in the middle of the afternoon, and then I'd always back before the sun went down. So like, I didn't want to be out walking the street because like, I never saw anyone white other than myself. Yeah. And yeah, so yeah, so it was quite the experience. I also lived there for a little bit. Then I moved to another apartment, because I got to know these guys and the Harlem isa Ward, and I figured, in order for me to be like, just surround myself with good people. Churches a good way to go. Yeah. Because I didn't not unless I was going through my own spiritual, like, I don't know, journeys kind of a lame way, I think, in my opinion, to say, but I was just figuring out if I actually believed, yeah. And so I went to the y se Ward, the Harlem, I say, Ward, and I met a group of guys, and they had an opening at their apartment. So seven, actually with seven guys, it was an apartment, it was a five bedroom basement. And I had seven roommates. So there's eight of us today, and all of them returned missionaries, I think two of them are actually converts to the church. So it was a really good environment for me. And yeah, so I, but it was actually there that I decided to actually go on a mission. And the reason for that is my best friend was serving in France at the time. And he just invited me he's like, Hey, he, he kind of knew where I was at in life. He knew some of the decisions I've been making. And he just wrote me, he said, Hey, I'm on a mission. It's great. I love the Book of Mormon, you should try reading it. And he said some nicer things. But the gist of it was try reading the Book of Mormon. I was commuting to work in Brooklyn is about an hour and 15 minute, one way train ride. I said, you know, what, what the heck, I don't have anything else to do. So I might as well read it. And really, when it comes down to it is the book of Mormons either true or it's not, it can't be somewhere in the middle. Yeah. And so I figured, I'm on my own, no one can really pressure me into doing this, no one can really talk me into doing it, I kind of tuned out my family and all this stuff, they thought I was just kind of my parents were worried that I was just going to end up terribly not have a good result. And who knows where he's going to end up, like or become while moving to New York. So while I was reading the Book of Mormon on the train, my best friend then also was like, Hey, make sure to pray about it. And I hadn't prayed in years, up until that point. And I remember was in October of 2013, I moved there in August. And it took me about a month actually to build up the courage to pray, which is kind of funny, because they think, why would it be? Why would you be scared of praying. And it's because I knew there's certain experiences and maybe I'll share later, there's the things that happened to me in my life that I knew for sure, happened, and were real, and they're miraculous. And so it's not that I never, I couldn't say my faith is completely gone. I would just, maybe just a teenage rebellion just didn't want to believe in it and all that type of thing. But it was, I knew that by praying, it was acknowledging that really the things I was doing were wrong, and that there'll be some shame or guilt. And there's a lot of guilt actually leading up to praying and I felt like I was going to be rebuked or chastised when I pray. Um, because growing up was like, that was just how it was if you break a commandment or your break, doing things, that there's a strong punishment, there wasn't really an emphasis on, on how Christ is very loving and compassionate. And he deals with sinners in a very compassionate way. And there's a time and a place for rebuke, but when someone's struggling, that's not the time nor the place. You're there to love and to stretch on hand to give them a hug, because all that stuff can come later. Yeah. But that was what I was thinking is I'm just going to get this rebuking this chastisement if I pray, but I remember kneeling down in my room. It was a tiny room. It was maybe like 15 feet long, like eight feet wide, like it was a shoebox. And there's a bunk bed in there. So like it was literally it's like a narrow path to walk and there's a desk so like, there's not a whole lot of space in there. Yeah. And I remember the minute I started praying, just this warmth over came in, it just felt like someone has given me a big hug. And I just broke down and started crying. And it was actually in that moment that I knew that Heavenly Father loved me that he cared for me and that he was actually there. And it didn't answer all my questions. But it was at that moment, there was a turning point. Yeah. Because I remember as I started reading the Book of Mormon, I got a different job. And people started asking me about what I believed in as I started explaining the things that I believed in are the things that the church like principles of the church, all of my questions that I had started being answered by the answer I was giving. Wow. And so I eventually decided I'm gonna go on a mission, but I didn't want to tell my family. And so I decided to do all of it in secret. And there's like a couple of people, I led into that into the secret. And actually, my dad was one of them. I remember when I visited, like, the beginning of the year of 2014. And I was like, Hey, Dad, I need to talk to you. So he's like, Okay, this seems pretty serious. We go up to my parents bedroom, and said, Hey, I just want to let you know, I'm going on a mission. And just the shock on his face his job, I hit the floor. He's like, are you serious? Yeah. No, Mike, I can't, you can't tell mom. I was like, I want to do this on my own. I need you. Because as I go and do my dental checks, and my medical checks, you're going to be getting emails and things. And I want you to be able to cover for me, and I want you to know that. So that way, there's no suspicion. My dad knew, I think my brother knew. And maybe there's a couple others. And so yeah, so that's I decided to go on a mission. That's kind of a long story made short. There's actually a funny experience about how I told my mom, which is, uh, I don't know if you want me to go. Yeah, let's hear it. That's actually hilarious. So my mom had no idea where I was at spiritually. The last thing she knew is I didn't want anything to do with the church. I moved to New York. And that was about it. Now I'm like, we're talking once a while and I tell her about update some of my job, but there's nothing really personal. So it's April 1, is a April Fool's Day. I assigned to my coworker and as I wanted to be a brilliant idea if I told my mom and called her and told her that I got a girl pregnant. And she's like, that is cruel. Am I think I'm gonna do it. I was like, either that or like, I got mugged. And I'm like, calling her from the hospital or from like, the police department. Yeah. So I remember I was on the porch. I give her a call. And I'm like, Hey, mom, like, how's it gone? She's like, like, how are you? Great. And my timing of calling her couldn't have been worse. Because she was like, sewing these outfits for my brother who was in a rock band. She was really stressed because she was under the gun to get these done. There's a lot of things going on at home with my younger siblings, my sisters that are helping her like she was just really stressed. So I call her and I'm like, Hey, I don't know how to tell you this. But I've been seeing this girl. And like, one thing kind of led to the next. And she called me and she said that she's pregnant. And my mom was like, Are you serious? I'm like, yeah, and here's the kicker. I was like, but I don't know if it's mine. And she's like Jameson. My, my cousin. This happened to him. This girl showed up said that she was pregnant. And they finally got a DNA test. And it wasn't his she's like, You have to get a DNA test. You have to know if this is real. Like, and why are you with this girl where you don't even know if it's yours. And this type of thing. And I'm like, and then I decided like, hey, actually, mom, she's calling right now. Can I call you back

Talmage: 13:36

in just a little bit? You're doubling down on? Yes. So I hang

Jameson: 13:40

up. I walk into my apartment, I go down, I stopped. So I'm like, Hey, guys. There's a couple of my roommates. And I'm like, This is what I just did. I just call my mom and told her that I got a girl pregnant. They're like you did not like that is the worst thing you could ever do. So I'm like, what could you do to me, I'm in a different state. I'm 1000s of miles away. And so I don't call her back for like 10 or 15 minutes.

Talmage: 14:01

Oh my gosh,

Jameson: 14:02

I find out later, my mom hangs up the phone and she's yelling at my siblings to like, get in the kitchen, like wash the dishes. Everyone's like what's going on going on? Like they knew that my mom was talking to me. And for some reason, she thought that this was a better lie. She said Jamison just had a drug overdose. And they're all texting me. And one of them was like, What did you do to mom because she started freaking out. And I'm like, okay, all right. I need to call my mom back back. So I hop on the phone. I'm like, Hey, Mom. I'm sorry about this, but April Fool's. And she was like, Are you kidding me? She's like, are you serious? I'm like, yeah, just kidding. Like, I didn't get a girl pregnant, which is April Fool's. And I had to say that she was emotionally distraught. And just that whole it was a complete understatement. Yeah. So I this timing also couldn't have been better because a week later, I got my mission call. And my mom's still had no idea. And that is, so I got my mission. I'm one of my roommates is like I was terrible, I need to get back in your mom, back get back to you on behalf of your mom. So like when your mission call comes, I'm gonna hide it. I'm like not attune to that. So he never did. But I then eventually, I get my mission call, I opened up in my bedroom called to the Scotland Ireland mission, and which is the greatest mission in the world? Yes. But in all honesty, like I thought I was a bit disappointed because I was wanting to go someplace foreign like to speak another language. Yeah. Because my older brother, my oldest brother went to Germany, my older brother went to France, both myself, my parents went to Sweden, my family lived in Europe before I was born. So like, I got a shoo in. Like, I'm gonna go foreign. I'm gonna be speaking another language on my application. I'm like, I want to go to Serbia. learn another language as much as possible, like my as a huge desire of mine. So I was a little disappointing, but I was like, alright, so I told my dad, as Okay, got my mission, call this one. I'm going, I'm like, I need to tell mom. So the next day, I or maybe it was that night, I give my mom a call my dad's now on the call to and he's recording it. And I'm like, Hey, Mom, how's it going? She's like, good. But when you call me you need to start off with some good news. I can't know. I don't know if I can take anything like last week. Like I'm still recovering. Like, I can't believe that you put me through that. And like, I know, I'm so sorry. Like that was, I was pretty cruel. And I was like, but you know, I actually want to call because I do have some good news. I actually have this unique opportunity that I'm able to go work for an organization over in Scotland, Ireland. For like, she's like, Oh, wow, it's so cool. Like, How'd you hear about us? Like, yeah, well, actually, my bishop was able to introduce me and like, helped me through this. And it was actually pretty cool. Like, do this. And she's like, Oh, so you're gonna be in Dublin, Ireland, and like, no, Scotland and Ireland, like but but before I go there, I have to go spend some time in England, actually, for some training before then I go and spend the time there. She's like that. So cool. My cats like, sweet this cool organization. And they actually sent me a letter. And what's pretty neat is at the bottom of the letter was signed by guy named Thomas Monson. She's like, What? Like, you're going on a mission? I'm like, Well, yeah, I guess that's what they call it. And she's like, she just started bawling. She's like, I don't know if this is true. I don't know if I can believe you have to last week and my dad hops on she's like, he's like, Carolyn. Carolyn. It's true. It's true. He's going on a mission. So there's actually a recording of that on Facebook. So yeah, I'll have to find it and send it to you that whole phone call. Please. But yeah, so that's like a very long story of how I ended up going on a mission. So I then left July 31. And then served for two years. So yeah, it was just shy of two years. But yeah, yeah. So that was me going on mission and a little bit of where I'm from.

Talmage: 17:43

Dude, that is, yeah. That's so fun. That's a great. That's a great story. Yeah, I

Jameson: 17:49

just know, it's karma. I'm having a baby anytime now. And I just know like, it's a baby girl. But if I have a baby boy, if they either want to go on a mission, but I feel like if I have any child that's like me, my wife is just gonna be it's gonna be rough. Yeah, it's gonna

Talmage: 18:02

love it. That is hilarious. Man. So you served for two years. We were in. In a district in Northern Ireland together as important down you're in Lisburn. Great times, amazing times. Could you tell everybody maybe an experience that you had while on the mission? That changed you?

Jameson: 18:25

Yeah, there's, I think that the point when I say that my mission changed was actually when I was serving in Shetland. So it was my second area. It was my Shetland was your secondary as of May so I went, I was in Glasgow, I served there for three transfers, and then I got sent to Shetland. Yeah. And for those that don't know, Shetland is about 400 miles off the coast of Scotland. It's where all the Shetland ponies come from. In order to get there, yes, yeah. In order to get there, you have to take a 14 hour ferry. So it's an overnight ferry. And then or you have to take a plane ride. I've done both and the plane ride I went on was the worst of my life. Like that thing was like, it was like a kite in the wind. That's what it felt like, oh, it was terrible. But anyway, so it was there. And I was actually I was serving with a companion extra from Denmark's Daniel. So I'll give a shout out Danny molar. That's, I butchered his last name, but so how do you how do you say it's molar? Moo? Yeah, so it's an order. Oh, so it's mo l l e. R. I always joke that he's German, because everyone calls him Daniel Mueller. But he doesn't like that, but it's great. So it's actually when I was serving with him, I served with an Italian companion before them. And some of my previous companions were not the most, like diligent and obedience, especially my Italian one. He would always tell me elder you worry too much and he was very relaxed and and he didn't really he wasn't very obedient. But Daniel when he came in, he's like, we're gonna tighten this ship up like and I just like it's not worth putting up a fight if one companions not being very good. disciplined, because there's going to cause contention and there's bigger fish to fry. And so it was really about with Daniel, he really cracked the whip. And he really set me on a path that Evers after I served with him, we only serve one transfer together, that I was extremely diligent and really disciplined with the rest of my mission and took just being obedient very seriously, just because it made me feel better about what I was doing. But it's actually and so that was how I changed as far as like how I behaved as a missionary. So, like a spiritual experience I had was, um, while I was in Lisburn, I'm sort of teaching a Baptist family. And they're asking questions about the Godhead, and how they didn't really believe that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies of flesh and bone, and that the Holy Ghost is a person of spirit. They believe in the Trinity. So all three of them are one, whether each different, but they're like, Jesus is God made flesh, and the Holy Spirit is God to. And I said, You know what, I can't really say that I know this, for sure. And like, I know. And so I decided, I'm going to just pray about it, and study to know for a fact if Heavenly Father has a body of flesh and bone, if Jesus Christ as a, as a body of spirit is a person which also has a body of flesh and bone, and the Holy Ghost of the persons of spirit. And it was through that experience. And I again, the testimony I knew is true. So that way, I knew that whenever I bear my testimony, that heavenly father lives, that Jesus Christ is his son, that the Holy Ghost is real, and that is Spirit, and He communicates to our spirits. I can bear testimony because I gained a testimony of that. And so that's one of the things that changed for me is it's important to gain a testimony of gospel principles. And, like, if the First Vision is true, I know what happened in Ojai Smith as a prophet. But I also know in addition to the First Vision, that I gained a testimony, just like Joseph of the Godhead, and so I can bear testimony of that. So there's kind of two experiences, obviously missions there's, there's a dime a dozen of experiences. And but those are two that I usually that came to mind as far as like, changes or turning points in my mission,

Talmage: 22:11

man, so great. Yeah, I loved love that mission. I, I vaguely remember you kind of talking about that. The God had thing. While on the mission.

Jameson: 22:25

I think it was when I was serving with elder black, actually. So I may have shared it with you. Well, while we were serving around each other, yeah. So, man, so good memory.

Talmage: 22:35

It's let's go to the kind of the end of your mission. Cool. It's nearing the end. Were you preparing? I didn't prepare very well, coming back home. But what were some of your expectations coming home? And just telling me the story with that?

Jameson: 22:51

Yeah. So it was actually unique I was, when I applied to get my visa to then go on my mission. They actually issued it for a couple of weeks short of my return date, like I gave them all the information, but they still issued it. The UK issued it shorter than what I should have had. And I was the only one in my group. And I think that's like one of the only ones in the mission, to be honest. And I was like, you know, that's kind of lame. I'm now getting I came home may 31. So it's exactly 22 months that I served, I went out on July 31. So this is kind of lame, going home a transfer early, but I kind of knew that there's a plan. It's like, alright, everything's gonna work out. And that's just kind of just kind of the attitude I have about life. Everything's gonna work out. I don't know how but I know it will. But there's like some senior couple missionaries in Ireland cuz my last year was Galway. That did, like, let's prepare you for home. Let's talk a little bit about like personal finance or like things like that, to get easy win. But there's a guy I met while serving in actually Livingston, which is in between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and Scotland. And he'd said, The most important thing you can do to set you up for success in life is to find the right spouse is to marry someone. That's great. And he also convinced me to go to BYU Idaho. So I'm like, I didn't have the grades to go to get into BYU Provo. And I was like, you know, I want to go back to New York. So go to BYU Idaho. It's like 100% acceptance rate, and then I'll just transfer to a school in New York. That was my original initial plan. I was also planning on doing summer sales once I got back because one of my roommates in New York was opening up an office and in Oklahoma, and he did really, really well. And so I was gonna open that up with him. So that was kind of my plan coming home. And I come home, and it was actually four days after I get home. And this is a whole nother story. I actually meet my wife. She's the first girl ever met for coming home from my mission. She's a convert also. And she was in town for a wedding of a friend of hers that she met in the wife's a ward in New York. She's going to school in New York at the time. Dang and how she and she knew my sister because my sister moved to New York to work after because she served her mission in New York, actually. And we overlapped. I saw her when I went through the temple. That was really cool. What's really interesting is my sister when she moved to New York after her mission, she said, I only want to work at one place in New York want to work at Anthropologie, at this specific location. That's the only place you want to work out in New York. She goes in interviews at the place, then they don't hire her. She's like, Alright, I'm gonna go to this other place. She goes to another anthropology location. She's like, hey, is there a hiring manager? So I can actually believe it or not. She's here today. She talks to this lady. Turns out this girl is also a member of the church. They have like an impromptu interview on a couch, she hires are there on the spot. And then my wife goes to like an orientation all the all the new employees go. And she's talking, she's saying, Oh, hey, yeah, I used to live in New York. I was a missionary for my church. And my sister, then here's this young girl say what elders do you know, like one of the elders. Turns out that was my wife. So my wife was actually being taught by the missionaries at the time. And when she met my sister, she then got married, absolutely met my sister. She got married about a week after that. So that was July 28. That was June of 2016, like the beginning of June 2016. Fast forward a year, I then come home from my mission. My sister invited her to my parents house because she was in town. She said, Hey, I have a cute brother coming home from my mission. Yeah, she looked me up on Facebook. Me and my younger brother were out at the same time. My younger brother was in France. She saw our two pictures. She saw me in the airport wearing a kilt and she's like, I don't want this guy. The younger guys better looking. And so when she found out it was me, that's the one coming home she's like, dear, all right, well, at least I'll come say hi to the family. But just like to kill to do Yeah, she was let's just say the kill. It was not the redeeming quality.

Talmage: 26:55

And I just don't like getting photos. I thought the girls would love kilts. You know, every single girl I've brought it up to. They're like, No.

Jameson: 27:04

Yeah, the kilt is just, they just don't understand the greatness and the majesty of the kilt

Talmage: 27:10

greatness, majesty, the cultural richness that it brings and the

Jameson: 27:15

Yeah, and the most manly cultures in the world all wear a variety of a skirt. So you've got Polynesian cultures. They've got the Scots I think like Spartan Spartans. Exactly. Yeah. And you name it as you can find men wear. kilts, and they're very manly. Yeah, they are. So anyway, so I walked into the kitchen, she's there the kitchen table. And she was she was, she loves how I tell the story, because I definitely exaggerate a little bit. But I also don't and she'll tell me later, but she was smitten when she saw me and I shook her hand. She was, Wow, this kid is extremely good looking. He is yeah, all the things and I was still like coming home from a mission like still in that missionary days. We chatted for a little bit, played a game and she was leaving, like stood up was like, hey, it was great to meet you. Murphy. I shook her hand and my dad in the other room was like, trainers and can you not hug girls? Like, yes, I can shut up dad. So I gave her a hug. I didn't have a phone at that time. So like messenger later on Facebook. And I was like, well, she's living in New York. Nothing's gonna work out. I said, Hey, it's great to meet you. If I'm ever in New York, like, I'll let you know. Or next time you're in town. Like, let's hang out or something. Something super, like writing her off and like being nice about it. But then she messaged me back and she said, Hey, here's my phone number text me when you get a phone. Cuz she's like, I'm not gonna let this guy go. Who? Yeah, so I got like a phone a couple days later, we started texting. And then I gave her a call. And then after that, we just started Skyping. Like every single night. Yeah, for like, a like a couple of weeks. And then I saw her again or three weeks later, because she was in town for another wedding. And it was really at that. Three weeks later, after initially meeting, we then became official driving up to the airport. I was like, I'm not really interested in anyone else. She's like, Well, me neither. And all right. Well, I guess that makes us a thing. Yeah. It's like, I guess it weren't boyfriend or girlfriend. She's like, all right. This is about drop her off at the airport. And it was then I told her I loved her like two weeks later, like the weekend of the fourth. And I knew I was going to marry her within like a month. Doing long distance. She knew the same thing. And yeah, so we got married a year later, and it was pretty miraculous how

Talmage: 29:30

that hang later after knowing. Uh huh. That's rough. Yeah, waiting that long.

Jameson: 29:35

Yeah, it was. I mean, we did it three long distance three months. In the fall. We like that fall conference in October of 27 2016. We said yeah, we're gonna get married. We planned. We picked out the date in like, February of that following year. And then I proposed in between conference sessions in April, and then we got married June 22.

Talmage: 29:57

That's Oh, yeah. Dang, man, that's great. And this is where the story gets kind of crazy. Yeah. So as you guys might know, I have all of my guests right in their story. And when I got to this part of the story, it's his is definitely one of the best stories submitted just because you put a lot of thought and detail in you're a good writer. And so but yeah, it's so first off, it's that's like the coolest thing that you were kind of like, bummed you had to go home a little bit early, but it worked out perfectly, that you met your wife, and she wasn't initially interested in the picture with a kilt, but smitten by you. When she first meets. Yeah,

Jameson: 30:45

I was radiate as exuding attractiveness. For the Spirit house clean cut, I came back from my last area where we were biking everywhere. And I was running every single morning and you know, six months to sexy. I didn't even have to do six months. Because like my last area where it was in Galway, so there's hills everywhere. Yeah, like I was trying on pan. So like, TK Maxx. So it's the TJ Maxx and Ireland. And my thighs couldn't even get through the pans, because they might advise for so beefy because writing for each, like, see how they work because of riding the bike everywhere for three and a half, like three months, four and a half months, actually. So I was like, I was in great shape. Yeah. So I was extremely fit. I was full the spirit and excuse me. And then also I wasn't a nice, you're like English tailored suit. So I had it all working for

Talmage: 31:34

me. Yeah, that day. It was kind of inevitable.

Jameson: 31:37

Yeah, so I mean, I was a hot commodity. Like, yeah, she's just lucky she was there when she was exactly she got me first before and and outskirts. Yeah, no, that's great. Yeah. Okay, well, I'll tell

Talmage: 31:49

ya, tell us a little bit about leading up to the wedding.

Jameson: 31:55

Yeah, so to fast forward a little have to backtrack a little bit, I got home from a mission. And after I moved to New York, I started feeling a little ill, like I was, it was like, my father was sick to my stomach. And like, it was a little rough. And I was like, Alright, this is probably really nothing. And this really started in the fall of 2016. Like, I'd go for a run and just felt really lethargic. And then I'm going out, like stretching out, stand up, I'd get extremely dizzy, which I gets normal. If you stand up too quickly, you get a little dizzy. But this would happen every single day. And I was getting really sick, I wasn't really eating a lot. My diet was really impacted. And it just progressively started getting worse and worse. And I've had a lot of things happen to me in my life where I probably should be dead by this point. But I'm not. And that's actually one of the things I have a testimony of is like priesthood blessings. Because when I was in fourth grade, I actually got severely burned like hot grease spilled all over my hand, and like boiled it off, like the flesh was completely cooked off. And my dad and my neighbor gave me a blessing. And the minute they took their hands off my head, I couldn't feel any pain. And one of the things that they had to do is after I went to the burn unit up at the University of Utah, they had to take a washcloth and like brush rub off all the dead skin. I had no painkillers that entire time. And I actually asked him if I could help and like, this never happens because kids are usually screaming, because that's what rough cloth and you're scraping off all your flesh. So everything underneath is just your veins, your veins, my goodness. And so that was one of the things that I had a testimony of because there's no chance that it could have happened by any other way other than an absolute miracle and something from God. And so I was going through the whole faith thing. That was the flame that was in the back of my mind that I knew I can never deny what happened. Yeah. So that was that's one of many things like I was run over when I was one and a half like I've gotten mauled by a dog a couple of times crack my head open like a lot of things. Holy cow. Yeah, so that's a whole another another day but I've been feeling really ill and I grew up in a home where unless you want to bleeding if you're if you're bleeding or broke your arm, that's when you went to the hospital. If you're just kind of feeling sick, like my sister broke her collarbone. We never took her to the hospital even though it looked like a mountain but like I just walked in. So I just kept feeling really really sick all the time. I didn't and so just sick to my stomach and it progressively got worse. I then went down to do summer sales and Florida in May and this is not 2017 and it that's where things took a turn like my health nosedived. I remember walking like around and the neighborhoods and I was like I just after lunch is like I feel like I'm just gonna blackout just collapse on someone's lawn and there's going to drive past cities unconscious guy just laying there and there's there's a thought going through my mind every single day like almost every hour like after a day of selling my ankles were completely swollen. Like to the left of my abs like it just got out getting very hard and where the right time like this really squishing I'm like this is a little weird. But maybe if I just changed my diet a little bit like it'll be able to heal itself. And it just can be aggressively kept getting worse and worse until about a week before my wedding. I was still in Florida I woke up one morning an absolute agony. Like the left side of my body felt like someone was shoving a hot knife to my side. And it my ignorant self was like hey, it's probably like a bad case of heartburn. Let me get some Tums or something maybe it's just like some of my stomach going on and get some times didn't help. And I just continue to feel that sharp pain for like a couple of days like, hey, got it mentally, like healed itself a little bit, but I could still feel that like a dull ache and a bit of throbbing. So I go to Utah for my wedding. It's like two days before to have like a bachelor party and still feeling really ill the next day. I we go on this hike to Stuart falls up Provo Canyon. Yeah. And that was like the worst decision I could have ever done. Like when I get home. I'm like, as white as a sheet. laying on the couch. Like I can't even do I can't even move. I'm just so weak. I feel so sick. And but I'm like the wedding's tomorrow. I gotta go. So yeah, when bear gets it, I'm not missing. No. And like, the whole time I was like, just suck it up. Like get through it. I'm like, alright, and I like I tell people I'm like feeling well, but unwell. But I wouldn't really severely complain because I don't really do that. So then I was leading up to my wedding, I was walking through the temple saw one of my neighbors. And I was like, I just and she was like how you feel? I'm like, I feel so sick. She's like, well, that's not good. Like, like, Well, I mean, I have nerves, but I also just like physically just feel ill go through that whole day. Feeling like absolute trash. My wife is like, can you at least look happy? Like my family's here gonna be like, look like you love me. And like you do not know how sick I feel. And I was wearing I wear a kilt for our reception. So it was cool. She was cool with that word. The whole thing I had you wander over? I did. It was great. But like the kill, it was tight around my stomach. Oh, yeah. So it was pressing against what I found out later was my spleen. It was pressing into all that. So I just felt terrible. So we end the night. We're driving to our, our hotel for our honeymoon to start a honeymoon. And I'm like, Murphy. Nothing's gonna happen tonight. I know. We just got married. I feel so sick. It's like my time we get there's gonna be like

12: 37:19

31am is when we went to Park City. And like, I just maybe in the morning. I just I can't right now. Yeah. And that was me. She's like, are you serious? Like we just got married to finally we drove up and like, Alright, who am I kidding? It's our wedding night. Yeah, I can't be the one guy that just like, sorry, Honey, I'm going to bed on our honeymoon. Like, there's already a lot of pent up emotions. Before that. I'm like, alright, well, we'll do the deed, well consummate our marriage. And so we do the deed. And it was great. My wife went to bed. I went to bed. And then I just laid there. And I was in so much pain. And the reason why I was in so much pain, is it like 4am At this point, my wife had been asleep for probably about an hour and a half, maybe two hours. I was having I had an erection for four hours. Completely natural. And I gave my wife a bad precedent for how marriage life is gonna be. Because all the all the husbands out there all the guys, it's like 30 seconds. Like I was I like to say I was like an absolute stallion in the sheets was is an understatement. But then I was like, it was so painful and like the most excruciating pain I've ever been. And it's like one of those. I mean, it's a bit graphic, but it's like one of those party balloons that you like, make it to like a balloon animals. It felt like that, but like right about before it explodes. Like that's what it felt like. Yeah. So I took a cold shower, took a cold bath, like doing anything to calm myself down. Nothing What happened, I woke up my wife and I was like, Hey, this is what's going on. She's like, I'm not going to deal with this. We're going to the hospital. I'm like, no, no, no, because medically it's called the priapism. And there's ways to treat it. And one of them is they have to actually stick a needle in a syringe and just drain it off. And I'm like, that's the last thing I want right now. That's all you can do like muscle relaxers. I found out later and like ice packs and your shorts. So I'm like, Alright, I need at least know the medical term because when I walk into the hospital, that's the last thing I want to tell them is like, I'm not on Viagra. But I've had an erection for four hours. But so I went in there. It's like I've had to bribe him for four hours. Yes, it's natural. I haven't taken anything like Okuni to take you back. It's like well, I'm already here in the hospital. I might as well tell them all the other problems I've been having. Yes, Mike. Well, I've been having this and this and this like here on the side of my body. It's feels really hard. Like I feel extremely sick to my stomach. Super lethargic. My ankle has been swelling. It's like alright, we'll give you take you give you a CAT scan. So and before this though, they gave me a muscle relaxer and then ice packs to put down my shorts to kind of calm everything down. So I was kind of like this doped up I'm like, situation, whereas I kind of in and out of consciousness extremely tired, because I haven't slept at all. This is like 4am. Like actually as like five, five in the morning, we got married the day before. And so give me a CT scan, and they take me back and they're trying to draw my blood to run it. And they try to put it in one arm, nothing's working. So they put in the other, and the blood won't even come out of my arm. And they're like, This is crazy. So then they had hooked up a syringe and start, like, manually like pumping. Because normally the tubes that they collect the blood in their vacuum sealed, so then it just pulls it out. Yeah, but the blood won't even move. Like you'd come up a little bit. It was like molasses. So like, wow, this is crazy. So they're pulling in. I'm like, Yeah, doesn't look good. So here, I am just kind of in this doped up, like, in like, just situation. And they come in the doctors like so. The results came back, you've got one of two things, you either have lymphoma or leukemia. And I'm like, Oh, look at my wife. And the first thing I think, is like, hey, at least we were sealed. Because, I mean, that's like, the first thing I could think of was, I'm probably going to die. It's going to be maybe six months. I know my health is extremely deteriorating. At least were sealed. And I was like, Hey, by the way, like if I do die, like, you're young, like, maybe you can still get married, like live a full life, like it's okay, like, but she's like, I don't want to marry anyone else. We got sealed, like, I love you. And these are serious conversations we're having. I'm also like, on these muscle relaxer, so I'm not kind of in a delirious mind. But these are like the conversations are having less than 24 hours after getting married. So my wife steps out, she calls my mom, she calls me Dad finally gets him. It's like, hey, we have to be transferred to the Huntsman Cancer Institute right now because Jamison has his cancer. And we need you to come clean up our hotel room, the cars in the parking lot at the hospital. But we're being transferred by ambulance right now. And it's funny because they're like, do you want to drive to the Huntsman? Or do you want to take the ambulance? And I'm like, if I take the ambulance is going to be expensive. So Murphy, you can just drive me she's like, I'm not going to drive. You've got port in your arm, like I this is a bad situation, what are you going to take the ambulance. So I'm like half delirious, and I all I remember just kind of these glimpses of me getting me lying there in the ambulance, then being moved to a wheelchair, and then moving down this hallway and the cause of cancer and Huntsman Cancer Institute. Looking at all these pictures, the nurses like I like these pictures, because they're places that I'd always love to go visit. And here I am making jokes. I'm like, I'm sure the people, the patients don't like it, because these are other places that they probably won't ever get to visit. And he's like, wow, that's a little dark. I'm like, All right. So then they they wheel me and they do all the tests. And that's where we spent our honeymoon was. And before this, we were supposed to just spend the weekend in Park City and then fly down to Florida to then finish selling for the summer. All of those plans were scrapped. Oh, yeah. I was like, there's no chance I can sell anymore. Yeah. So yeah, that's where things really kind of took a turn. And to figure out what happened is a normal my white blood cell. So I have chronic myeloid leukemia, such a genetic mutation is not hereditary, known. How's it how you get it actually developed halfway through my mission is what they're able to track. But it progresses on like a logarithmic scale. So it's like, if you like the penny a day doubling that type of thing. Yeah. And what they found is my blood was so thick because of the white blood cell count. Like my spleen was pretty much just a sack of white blood cells. So it's normally three centimeters, it was 15 centimeters is like a football was next to my stomach. And then, on top of that is my normal healthy blood count is like 4000 to like 11,000 of white blood cells. My blood cells are like 262,000. So I was months away from being having a heart attack or a stroke or and probably dying. And leading up to our wedding actually, when we're thinking about it Murphy's, like I think we need to get married in October, like okay, but I have a feeling we're gonna get married a lot sooner. And it's actually the beginning of the year. We're trying to figure out the day and I was like, I feel like we need to get married in June. It was June 22 is actually the day after my parents wedding anniversary, and then also the day before my cousin so it's a lot going on that weekend. But honestly, like getting married that day, quite literally saved my life. So the honeymoon put me in the hospital, but my wedding actually saved my life. So I was when I got to the Cancer Institute, they had to do all the tests, take a bone marrow biopsy out of my hip to take a cord to build a test to see what type of cancer I have. And so there I am lying in a gurney like in a hall hospital bed, my wife sleeping on it, like a bench near the window. And we joke that this is called the huntsman the huntsman suite the huntsman honeymoon suite. We had a nice view of the Salt Lake Valley. But yeah, that's that's where things definitely heated up a little dude, that

Talmage: 45:17

is that is insane. Yeah, dang, I love what you just said that the honeymoon got you to the hospital. But the marriage saved your life kind of thing. Yeah. Because yeah, if it was in October? Yeah.

Jameson: 45:35

What do you think would have happened? I probably would have been dead if I hadn't gone to the hospital. Yeah. Because the way that my blood was just replicating at that point. I mean, I was already off the charts when it comes to testing for my white blood cells. My blood couldn't even move it's a president have a blood clot. Because like, it couldn't go anywhere. And that's why I had the prime ism is because the blood flowed. But it couldn't even go back into my body because it was so thick and nowhere for it to go. Exactly. And it was just my blood was so saturated with white blood cells.

Talmage: 46:07

That's insane. Oh my gosh, dude, that's insane. Yeah, man there, it seems to be like God had a hand. I love how you've told the story. First off, because you think you've shown how God has had the hand from when you go into New York the first time to you going on a mission to you coming home early to you, meeting your wife and then getting married earlier than you guys thought? And how that all has kind of led up to you saving your life. It sounds like your life has been saved on several occasions. Yeah. Which is just insane.

Jameson: 46:49

Yeah, it's absolutely miraculous. Because I the way I like to think is I could have been diagnosed with any type of cancer, I guess if I had to get cancer, if I sign up, I know how to get cancer. Heavenly Father was like, I'm gonna give you a cancer. And the good news about this one is it's one of the success stories of cancer researchers, it's treatable, it's not curable. So I'll have it the rest of my life. But there is a type of treatment you can take where it targets the cells that has this genetic mutation and prevents them from replicating. So you can be able to live a healthy life. If you saw me on the street, you'd known whatever, no, and usually when I tell people, which isn't extremely often because it's a bit of a heavy thing to do, like, Hey, by the way, I have cancer, like what the heck do you ever say cancer jokes? Yeah, my family touched cancer jokes all the time. And like sometimes, like if I joke around like that have cancer with people that aren't really you, like, don't know how to respond. They're like, yeah, like, Take this, like you're laughing. But this is kind of a serious thing. Because you have to kind of find humor in life, right?

Talmage: 47:43

Yeah. But you have to have a dark humor.

Jameson: 47:47

Exactly, yeah, when you're in a situation like this. And so I know that Heavenly Father has preserved my life. And I know that I'm meant for bigger and better things. And that's actually something that I lean upon all the time as my patriarchal blessing. It just thinking about it, and knowing that there's certain promises that are meant for this life. And knowing that, that's one of the things I told my wife is obviously when we were discussing, like, hey, if I die like, and glad things were sealed, but at the end of my, at the back of my mind that I just had peace, knowing that everything is going to work out the way that it should, I don't know, understand what that's going to look like. But I know that God is involved in my life, that there's things that I'm going to have to go through that are going to teach me important lessons that are important for me to know, to learn, and to grow in certain ways to be able to help others. Because I know that perspective, and what I've gained through this experience, I am able to understand pretty I mean, whenever I go to the hospital, I'm usually the youngest one there is usually a lot of old people that are there. And everyone there that I associate with because I have to go pretty often is if they're struggling with something that is probably going to kill them. This is I have come to the decision. And the conclusion like I think this will probably kill me later on in life. I don't know when I imagine it'll be when I'm old. But I just know that my time will come at some point. But at the same time, as I know, I've had a lot of struggles in my life, but all of them is because it's through like the refiners fire because they have to be put through these hard experiences. So that way you can be able to learn and to be able to grow. And on the flip side of that, as if you think Wow, you got dealt with cancer, like the first day, not even a day after you got married, like what else is in store for you? But the thing is, like when you climb one mountain, there's going to be another mountain to climb. And I heard it said which I really like is if everyone were to throw their problems or trials into a pile, no one would want to pick someone else's. And a lot of my things I have struggled with is a lot of health struggles, a lot of health related things getting On over or getting burned or getting cancer, my joke is probably not appropriate that the only thing I haven't experienced is I haven't gotten shot or stabbed. Let's hope that doesn't happen. But like broken bones, like does, and you get to live through it exactly. And I, you know, and that's something that is beautiful is actually talking to my wife. And so one of the things is I've been on treatment for the last six years, and I've responded really well to the treatment. And as really, I was able to get to an undetectable phase, where when they do the tests, they're not able to detect anything in my blood doesn't mean it's not there. It's just it's such a little such a low amount. Yeah, that it's it can't be picked up. And so they said, Hey, you can go off treatment. So my great, so I tried it out for February's the first month I was able to go off treatment, which is pretty awesome. And I got it, I then I had to test every single month. And then April got my last test. And the results came back that they actually were able to detect it. So I'm testing this last April. Yep. So I'm, I have to go back next week to test again to see if my levels go down. And if they don't, then I'll have to go back on treatment. How and what

Talmage: 51:14

what is treatment look like? Yeah, so

Jameson: 51:19

what it is, is called TKI. It's an inhibitor. So it means that it's like a It's a type of chemotherapy, because it's a chemical. So it's a chemical therapy. It's not like a radiation or things where people lose their hair or things like that. And so what it does is it targets the white blood cells that has the genetic mutation, and it prevents them and kills them and prevents them from replicating. Because any mutation that I have, the white blood cells are always replicating so they don't stop. And that's the cancer. And so, being on treatment, there's like some side effects, like I have a, I get a rash. And when I was on a full dose, it felt like bugs are like crawling all over my skin when I'd get really hot. Like it was almost like psoriasis on the scalp or my scalp would get really flaky. And like it wasn't really painful. But like mentally it was really exhausting. Because if I'm out camping and like there's actually bugs and they like land on me, it flares up my rash. And it really feels like they're all crawling over my body. And then it just gets really I get really agitated and irritable. Because it just it's it's not anything that I can really, there's not a way to sue that. I mean, sure, maybe I can put cortisol cream or whatever on my body. But I don't want to do that all the time. And

Talmage: 52:33

so that's really, this is from the treatment not the cancer. Yeah, so

Jameson: 52:36

from the treatment. Yeah.

Talmage: 52:38

I was gonna ask about your body butter.

Jameson: 52:42

Moisturize every day though. So yeah. Jergens like it'd be sponsored against Yeah, a lifetime supply.

Talmage: 52:48

Butter. Yeah.

Jameson: 52:49

So Jergens lotions does great. It's the my one my one stop shop for all my needs. I use it for my hair. My skin is great. Yeah, it's awesome. So yeah, so that's my treatment. And my I had a conversation with my wife. And she's like, do you want us to faster? Do you want the family to fast for you? Like, do you want them to pray that you'll be able to then go off your treatment. And I told her was like, you know, I've kind of come to the decision that I felt strongly prompted, I could have gone off treatment probably last year. But I feel like this is the year that do it. And I felt like that it was the right thing to be doing. So I move forward that decision. And if I have to go on treatment, it's not that that prompting was wrong. And that all of a sudden, I have to do this, go through this again. But for me, if I had never gone on treatment, I'd have always been wondering what would happen if I didn't go off. If I did go off what I have been to, and the chances of me staying off is about 6040. So is a bit of better than a coin toss. Yeah. And the chance of me going off and staying off again in the future is around 20%. So it's pretty low. But I said you know, I follow this prompting, I knew is the right thing to be doing. Even if I have to go back on on my treatment, I can have confidence and faith knowing that it has been all part of the plan, exercise my agency to do this. God is able to intervene and always reminds me there's two quotes. It's one is elder Maxwell, he struggled with his struggle with leukemia as well, when he was an apostle. And he had always talked about it's not about just enduring, it's about enduring well. And that's the thing I always remind myself, it's not about just gripping and grinning and bearing. But it's enduring it well, the trial.

Talmage: 54:33

Yeah. There's, I think I have his book. Okay, if thou injure it well, okay. Yeah. I've never read it, but it's actually on my Goodreads. Okay, list is on the list and read.

Jameson: 54:46

Okay. Yeah. And maybe this will be the inspiration for you to drain it, but that's what he didn't realize that he had leukemia. I think he had leukemia. I knew he had cancer. And I think that's ended up what taking his life. What do you end up dying from? It seems like early 2000 wasn't nothing It was when he passed away. But the other The second quote is that one, but I just lost my train of thought, but I'll think of but there's another quote. That's great. But it's all just a reminder that oh, yeah, is it's very easy to have faith that God can take away. He could take away your burden, he can heal you, he can do these all these miraculous things, I've experienced it. But as elder Bednar, actually talking to someone in the hospital, he said, you have the faith to be healed? Do you have the faith not to be healed? That's what I told my wife is I don't understand, I know heavenly Father can heal me. But if that's part of his plan, he would have healed me by now, I would have this isn't something that I have to be struggling with. But I'm not healed. It is a cancer that I'm never going to be able to, there's not a cure for it, I'm going to have it the rest of my life. So my faith is knowing that he's fully capable of being able to take everything away from me. But one thing is interesting is the insight that I came to is when Jesus tells us speaking in the scriptures and says, Take my yoke upon me from my yoke is easy, My burden is light. He didn't say I'm going to remove your burden, he said, I'm just going to place a burden on you, that's light. But that can be interpreted one of two ways. It can be light, because the Savior's carrying that. But it also could be light, because the Savior's carrying that with you, but also you've gone stronger, and your capacity for other burdens has improved. So that way, that burden that you're going through, appears and feels light, like in the Book of Mormon, how those limb Hein his people, were, they were put up with all these burdens, and they prayed, and then all sudden, the burdens were lifted, or they felt lighter. But it's not that their burdens went away, that their capacity to deal with this. And to go through it and to be able to bear this burden was greatly increased. And so let's through all of this experience, and it's been very difficult, because I went after I was diagnosed, we had to then stay in Utah, because I had to get treatment, I was put on a really intense chemotherapy, right off the bat, because I had to destroy all of my blood to bring my blood levels back to the normal, healthy, healthy time. And during this time, like my wife, and I couldn't do any of the regular marriage things because like I was pretty much toxic at that point. And summer sales is supposed to be the way to be able to save up money so that we could survive in New York, that wasn't gonna happen. I was like, I'm only going to be here for three months, because we didn't have to move back to New York, the only place I knew I could get a job was at the high school that my old high school job, which was at a local carwash. Nice. So here I am, I'm telling for my mission, going through cancer treatment, and then having to work at my old high school job. Because I get the lowest lows. And it was there, I was detailing the carbs. And I was relying on tips getting paid like 725 An hour plus tips. Knowing that herbal all of the money that I saved is going to be going towards our apartment apartment in New York. Yeah, it's apartments and they're super expensive. And so it was, it was a lot to deal with. And because there's so many things that happen back to back to back, we never actually had time to really process and really grieve because that's a lot to really throw on someone, like, Hey, you have cancer, you're gonna have to go through these treatments, we just never had any opportunity to really process what we experienced. Because that's a very traumatic experience through and it really took years and an opportunity to perform. And it was just a month and then also moving to New York, it was just all the stress of New York of living in a city of We barely made ends meet, it was an absolute miracle that we're able to survive in New York, all those stresses really just placed a big, really impacted even our marriage, like we got to a really low point in our marriage. Because of all the things that we were dealing with, where I was going in school, she was at school, working the odd job, really just struggling trying to make things meet, make ends meet. And it wasn't until after we moved from New York in 2019, that we're able to finally start like decompressing from the last three years. And really, like there'll be times where I talked about and I'll just start getting really emotional about it because I still hadn't quite processed and my mom pointed out that it's just grieving the fact that you don't really have a fully healthy body anymore, that my healthy body the thought he had was was gone. Like I have a healthy body. I'm physically fit. But I have this underlying illness, and all the things that are associated with that. It's it's not a hereditary, it's not a an environmental thing where there's certain illnesses that people have like cardiovascular things that some of them can be preventable. It's just through like regular diet and exercise and lifestyle changes. But this is somebody that's going to trail me the rest of my life, and I'm happy to continue to get treatment for it and see my doctor multiple times a year and just in and out of hospitals and it's just it's a lot but the thing that has kept us I'm going and moving forward is knowing that God has a plan for us that He is in control, that I'm able to exercise my agency by putting my faith and complete trust in Him, and that he's going to bless me in remarkable ways, and he already has. But also the things that I go through my life will be opportunities and ways that I can be able to relate with people connect with people, and really just have a lot more compassion and empathy through suffering, because of the suffering I've had to and I think it's for everybody. But obviously, no one wants to be having to deal with cancer and that type of thing, because it's a serious thing. Yeah, but it I mean, at the end if, if anything it makes for a great story it

Talmage: 1:00:45

does. Holy cow. Yeah. You know, Jay Gould and Kimball. Everybody knows he's hilarious. He's a legend. He says, not that you were unhealthy before, but he's like, there's nothing like there's nothing that'll get you healthier than getting an incurable disease. Because then you finally start treating your health as like, a big priority. Did you see any shift in the way you were treating your health or you're already a healthy?

Jameson: 1:01:19

Yeah, I was already a healthy person. Like my wife and I, we don't really drink soda a whole lot. I think chocolate is a food group. So I eat chocolate. I can't remember the last day I did not have chocolate. I love dark chocolate, especially like I love chocolate is a bit of an understatement. Like I make my own chocolate. I love it so much chocolate here. Yeah, I guess. No. But I think the thing that really, for me was going through this experience. And just being able to really recognize the hand of the Lord in our life, and be able to see all of the miracles that have happened, whether it be the treatment that I'm receiving the fact that I responded so well to my medication. I know other people that have this similar this same cancer, and they are not able to respond well to various treatments and have to go through quite a few before they settle on one that that works for them. That I was just given one, I responded really well. And the side effects are very minimal, which is a miracle and, and the fact that it wasn't anything very intense, where I don't have to have any operations. I didn't lose my hair. I didn't go through the very rigorous things. But also, I think it's also just being aware of the things that I am eating. And the doctor said, Hey, maybe your your diet could improve things. But I just think, personally for me is if I keep physically fit, and if I'm healthy, I just will feel better, but also just allows my body to just function the way that it should. Yeah. And that's kind of my goal is like, well, if I'm exercising all the time and undetectable level, if I go off treatment, maybe that'll help. But it's one of those things. It's like it was a bit of a crapshoot. So the 6040 odds, which I mean, I'd probably take those to Vegas, but yeah, I mean, it's slightly better, as I mentioned before that better than a coin toss, but yeah, no man

Talmage: 1:03:09

did. That's not your story is amazing. And I'm sure your wife has like, her whole side to this story. Yeah. And everything. Yeah, cuz that's the thing. That's, it's good to know her perspective, because, and also, that'd be terrifying. Oh, yeah, someone and then that day. Yeah.

Jameson: 1:03:32

And it's been hard to because it really threw a wrench into all of our plans, because going and getting diagnosed. And all of that I had to do with again, when I was in New York, my wife was going to school, and then she'd be working too. And I had to go to all my doctor's visits by myself, and just making that track and having to work around that schedule. And like, there's just a lot that it's not necessarily that it set our plans back. But the plans that we did have got radically changed. And so I'm grateful like now like, like, it's like my medication, for example, if it wasn't for good insurance would be cost around 17 grand a month, if I didn't have good insurance, like one hospital visit was like $500 in that have to do that every three months. And then I was and so luckily my insurance change that this year is I want to have to pay that that's one of the things I pushed off going off treatment before it'd be 500 bucks every single month for me to get my labs done and and things like that. And I'm like, I don't have like an extra 6k laying around. Yeah, to put towards this and so it's just it's really yeah, there's I know my wife has been absolutely an incredible lady. And I know that the reason we I met her and we got married is because I needed someone like her to be by my side during this whole thing. It's like that guy I met on my mission said is the greatest success in life is finding the right spouse, and I know for sure that God had a hand in bringing us together And there's many countless instances actually, when we are dating and being married, that I've, I have a strong belief I am. It's obviously it's not doctrine or gospel, but I have a firm belief that we knew each other in the premortal. And that we were brought together because the way that we brought together was the divine orchestration. Because all of these things lined up, that brought us together. And it's been absolutely wonderful and beyond to lean on her and her strength, because she's a very strong, emotionally strong person to deal with this, because it's not an easy thing to shoulder and to go through. And, and the hard thing is, is, trials can be a bit lonely, because the only thing you can really do is just express to someone how you're feeling. But really, no one knows how you're what you're actually going through. Because and especially like this is like even explaining the type of cancer I have, is pretty confusing. And so I got to the point is, like you didn't even like sharing, because there's a lot to talk about. And so it just kind of lonely, it was a lonely road to go through and, and I only had my wife and my wife would come to appointments and, and would be very helpful for me just to really vent I know, there's times where I just break down and just start crying with just all the things I was feeling about just my illness. And just as diagnosis, I was just very challenging. And but I know through all all of this, the thing that has been a constant is that we have always been on our knees, we always pray together and beyond to rely on the Savior has given us so much strength. And also the not the knowledge that Heavenly Father is in the details of our life. We might not understand the why. But he does. And everything that happens to us, it's either just the nature of just being mortal humans. And when Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden, they were told that their life is gonna there's gonna have face afflictions, thorns and thistles and all those things, and it was gonna be hard. And but the only thing that God has, the thing that God has asked of us is really just for us to be obedient. That's the thing. It's and all of the blessings that flow from that obedience is incredible. And we be able to experience that in our injustice experience is just the peace and knowing that everything will be okay. And I don't know how it'll work out. But it'll it will. And I don't know what next trial is, for me. I don't, it's not like I'm like praying like, alright, well, I'll send the next one. I'm now I've kind of gotten a handle on this, like, I've been dealing with it six years, like, throw something else at me. But trials will naturally come and those will help mold me and they'll just compound on what I'm currently going through. But it's that compound effect of those, those little things will then make me a bigger and just make me a better a better person. Because of the things that I go through.

Talmage: 1:07:59

Yeah, unlike those knee fights. It's not that the nature of the burdens were lighter. It's that their capacity to carry them is greater. Yeah. And that'll be the same thing for you. And you are about to go into another trial and your life. Amazing blessing. Yeah, trial. They want to

Jameson: 1:08:21

Yeah, so my wife, she's expecting and she's actually due any day. So we're gonna be having a baby girl. Her due dates the 16th. So blossom. Yeah, she she is gonna be a little blossom. Yeah, she'll be the blossom of her life. And yeah, so I mean, that's just the next step is and that's one thing that actually was really cool is I was more able to have children, even if I'm under treatment. And that's actually one of the things that they asked us was like, Hey, we don't know if you're going to be infertile, do you want to like sperm bank? And that was like, 24 hours after getting married. They're asking us what we have to sperm bank, because I might be infertile. From all the radiation and things. Yeah, I have a whole life ahead of me like, All right, well, if we have to sperm bank, we're gonna do everything. But yeah, luckily, there's no real side effects that can't be transferred to my my children, which is great. And even if I'm on treatment, everything is going to work out. And we're joking that when I go on treatment, and when I'm on treatment, that's when we are we conceived our daughter, and if I was able to stay off treatment, and we had other kids, we can compare them to see if there's any like benefits. If our oldest daughter she's able to fly, and the other ones are all just can't they can't do anything cool. But she has like superpowers, but now I'd be sick. Who knows? I don't know if we'll have that chance. But yeah, dude, that is awesome. I don't know. I might as well plug this but yeah, so we talked a little bit but I'm, I haven't really been too involved. Right. And I'm not very vocal about this whole thing. And my doctor, I just had my I had my visit just a couple of months ago. It's like, hey, there's a sports fest coming up in June and And what it is, it's a fundraiser for cancer research. And it all goes to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. And he's like, I want you to be my celebrity, I want you to raise some money. So I'm like, alright, I'll do what I can. So I'm actually doing a fundraiser for it. It's just like 1000 bucks, or, like 97% of the way there. And all the proceeds go to the Huntsman Cancer Institute to help them further cancer research. Because like, there's a lot of cancers out there that need to be cured, or at least have a good treatment. Because with a lot of chemo, it's really just a battle of, can we treat this thing faster than the chemo will kill you is in a lot of cases, which is crazy to think about that is scary, is you're really either if I don't go on treatment, I'm gonna die. Or I can go on treatment with, with the hope that I can beat it out before the treatment kills me. Oh, but for but for this, I've been actually starting to open up and share. So that way people can kind of know what I'm going through get a little bit of an update. But maybe I'll text you the link for that. Yeah,

Talmage: 1:11:05

we'll put it in the show description. Cool for the link. And then. And yeah, this is also a good way to support. This is a good way to support the Huntsman Cancer Institute and anybody that has been going through cancer, as well as you can send this to anybody that you like, I don't want to have to explain my whole history. And yeah,

Jameson: 1:11:27

there's a brief description of when I was diagnosed and like a little bit of it, and two paragraphs, but as anyone that is listening to this can tell you can't fit this whole story into like, three paragraphs. Yeah, there's a lot to it. And, and it's, it's been a wild ride. And it's hasn't been easy, but it has certainly been worth it. And as I look back as I change it, I mean, I probably would say I don't want cancer, but I know that all the things that I went and learn through it. And the ways that we're able to grow, it's been important and be able to now get to be in a place I can openly share and talk about has been really helpful and healthy for me. Because before it would just really strike a raw nerve with me and just I'd get really emotional talking about it. Because it was, it was a hard thing for me to really discuss. Because it was it was so traumatic, and I hadn't really processed what had happened. Yeah. So but yeah, there's, it's been crazy. Yeah, sounds

Talmage: 1:12:28

like it's been crazy. Dude, I really appreciate you coming on and sharing that story. There's so many cool lessons in there. But I think like one of the biggest is what you just just kind of said, The God is God has a plan for you. And he's gonna like he's gonna take care of you. And as you are obedient to His plan, the blessings that come from that are great. Even if you get cancer, you're still seeing the bright side. And have such faith in God's goodness towards you and what he's done in your life. It's, it's amazing. Yeah. And so I really appreciate you coming on and sharing with me. Yeah,

Jameson: 1:13:10

this is great. I've loved this experience. And I've never been in a situation to really have a captive audience, but be able to just really talk through this whole thing. I was really excited for it, because I've shared like bits and pieces. But I've never been able to really talk through in a lot, because it's a lot to really, to go over and to discuss. So I'm really grateful for this opportunity to catch up. It's great.

Talmage: 1:13:35

So it is good to see you again. Is there any last words that you would give somebody coming home from a mission? Any last tips of advice, either somebody coming home from a mission or somebody that might be in a similar circumstance that you were in? Yeah,

Jameson: 1:13:51

I would say it's always good to have a plan and to act to, but the thing that I learned is, if you have promptings act on those promptings, you don't know how it's going to turn out how things will work out. But everything will work out. And if you follow through on promptings, whatever it is, um, you'll be amazed on what's on the end of that. And so that's one thing. It's like people coming home, you have a plan and move forward with that plan. But life is gonna throw curveballs and just go with those curveballs. But the most important thing another thing, too is, is if you're going through a trial is it's It's easy in the moment, to blame God and say, Why is why is this happening to me? Like, why can't I be why do I have to be dealing with this? Those and it's very normal, and it's healthy to be able to go through that whole process. But at the end of the day, have faith that God is in control. It's like this the country song Jesus take the wheel. Yeah, but the thing is, he was to hand the wheel the whole time. Yeah. And you decided to to exercise your agency say I'm going along with this ride, I'm gonna put my faith in Christ. And I put my faith in my heavenly Father, that as I press forward as I move through my life, and with the gift of the Holy Ghost, which I call one of the greatest Cheech keep cheat codes to life, is you're going to be prompted along the way, and you're gonna be able to have really heavens help to really help you in your life. And if you're making big decisions, you'll know what decision to make. And even if you move forward, with a prompting, and it turns out, Hey, you have to change course, that was all part of the plan, like I mentioned before, is me going off treatment, if I have to go back on, I can now know with full confidence that it wasn't it just wasn't going to work out. But that's okay. Because I now can have that confidence to say I now can be on treatment. It's good. I know the routine is something I'm comfortable with, and that everything is under control. But yeah, I'd say those are probably the biggest thing is have faith, know that God is in control, that he is going to make your life better than you can ever imagine. But also have a plan and just move forward with that plan. And you'll be amazed to see the journey that it takes you and then as you look back and be able to connect all those dots. Your path might seem feels like it wanders. But really if you zoom out it's been one straight line the whole time. Just in the moment it looks like it's a bit of a wiggly thing. Yeah, yeah, man.

Talmage: 1:16:19

Well, thank you so much for coming on. And I'll be praying for you. Thank you this whole going off treatment thing works and everything because they shade it amazing. But yeah. Thanks for coming on thank you guys for coming back and listening to this episode of released the podcast is so fun having Jameson on both for his amazing experience and storytelling abilities, but also just to see an old friend from the Scotland Ireland admission. If you have found this podcast helpful in any way or entertaining, or whatever, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with a friend that you think would like it as well. Remember, God is good and is planning on your success. And though you've been released from your mission, you've not been released from your ministry.