Conversations with Jenny Dinuoscio

Hi Jenny, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey in Massage Therapy started over a decade before I graduated and received my license. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and received a lymphadenectomy under her arms. The lack of lymph nodes caused her arms to swell and was painful. I would gently massage her arms to help the swelling go down. That’s when the famous words were uttered, “Jen, you are so good at this; you should do this!” In 2005, her cancer returned to her appendix. She was not given a positive diagnosis and eventually entered hospice care. While in hospice, the nurses would take her to hydrotherapy, which she loved. I would continue to rub her back and arms until she passed in 2006. Her “You should do this!” statement always lingered in the back of my head. Like most young adults in their late teens, I didn’t listen to her suggestion to become a massage therapist. Instead, I decided to enter the field of security.

I started in Loss Prevention and eventually became a teller at a bank and then to an alarm monitoring company. In 2013 my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He fought hard and lost his battle in 2014. While he was sick, he just wanted to be comforted. One day he told me, “You just have such a comforting touch. I always feel at ease when you are around”. His words fueled the fire. I knew what I needed to do.

Fast forward to 2021. I was still working in security and excelling in my career, but I felt a push to get into Massage Therapy. For 15 years, my parent’s words lingered in my head until I finally decided to take the plunge. I left my career behind on a Thursday and started school that following Monday. It was a huge adjustment going from Corporate America to student life, but after a brief rocky period, I was able to gain my footing and soar. I finally graduated in June 2022 with honors, and the rest is history!

I own Jenny D Luxury-Relaxation Studio, offering Swedish Massage, Medi-Cupping, Luxury Massage, and Lomi Lomi massage. I have been trying to learn as much as I can to perfect my craft. My ultimate goal is to heal and comfort those in hospice care and nursing homes.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
I had a rocky start when I went back to school. It was hard to adjust to student life again. There were many long nights with flashcards, drawings, books, and Lo-Fi Beats while studying for exams. It all paid off and was well worth the fight! There are over 600 muscles in the human body that we need to learn, in addition to all the body systems.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Besides being a Massage Therapist, I am an artist. I am a creative soul who loves learning, creating, and sharing my art. I have dabbled in many media, including paint, silk flowers, rhinestones, beads, jewelry making, resin, hot glue, candle wax, destroyed flooring and forfeited security deposits.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I love to sing but am terrified to do so in front of people! It’s my peace and keeps me grounded. In high school, I had to sing a song, acapella, in my theater class. I was nervous but gave a disclaimer that I wasn’t feeling well but would try my best. I sang “Whatever Lola Wants” from Damn Yankees. My knees were unbearably shaky at the song’s end, but my teacher told me I should be an opera singer. I was shocked and didn’t believe him. He pulled me aside after class and urged me to pursue singing as a career. I had other plans, but still hold it dear to my heart and would love to one day record a song!