I got to see my big beautiful stepson on Saturday. He's 19! I cut his hair and we went to dinner at The Med. He left today, heading to Baltimore to start college at Goucher College. He told me he felt like he has four mothers. I couldn't help but make a joke. One mother is enough! One mother is usually enough to mess a person up for at least a life time. I wonder what Woody
Allen would say? Now seriously, Austin said he thought he'd gotten the best that each mother had to give. What a beautiful man he's becoming and how grateful I am for him in my life.
Tomorrow is chemo. I am also going to have a scan to plan radiation on my sacrum. There is cancer on it and it is starting to hurt constantly. The radiation really helped my leg, I don't even have a limp any more!
I ran in to an old friend/client at RMCC last week. She's stage four also. Stage four is a very different journey than other versions of cancer. I am so looking forward to getting together and supporting her and being supported for our very hard choices. On the topic of choices: Neither one of us were given a choice about being stage four. Neither one of us are choosing to die. Running out of ammunition is completely different from giving up..... Love, Lori
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1. Donate to Lori's Love Tribe Fund:
http://advocacy.fightcrc.org/goto/lovetribe
By donating to Lori's Love Tribe fund, your money will be used by the Colorectal Cancer Coalition to award research grants to people doing cutting edge research on Colorectal Cancer. And hopefully, one day, a brilliant medical researcher will apply for a fund to research SMALL-CELL rectal cancer and the Love Tribe money will help.
2. Donate to the Sunshine Canyon Fire Department:
http://www.sunshine-fpd.org/donations
The Sunshine Canyon community rallied together when Lori needed them the most. The time and energy they devoted to caring for Lori will never be forgotten. They have come out of this experience as heroes to Lori's family. So, by donating to the fire station, you are helping to protect and care for the beautiful people of Sunshine Canyon just as they protected and cared for Lori.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU
Lori's Journey Through Cancer
Lori was diagnosed with small-cell rectal cancer in July of 2008 at age 50. Upon her diagnosis, she was already in stage 4 (terminal) with metastases on her liver, lungs, and surface of her bones. She died 17 months later on November 22nd, 2009 after putting up a hell of a fight and enduring 4 different types of chemotherapy and intense radiation.
Small-cell cancer grows extremely fast and usually originates in the lungs, not the rectum. Lori's cancer was so rare that no studies on it are being done. To date, only about 100 cases of small-cell colorectal cancer have been reported, with 40% of them having the primary tumor originate in the rectum.
What does this mean? It means that only about 40 people have been reported to have the same type of cancer as Lori. 40!!! Therefore, there isn't any sort of specialized treatment options or research available. This was the most frustrating part of having cancer for Lori. She was ready to do whatever it took to heal and go into remission, but there were no good options for her.
Small-cell cancer grows extremely fast and usually originates in the lungs, not the rectum. Lori's cancer was so rare that no studies on it are being done. To date, only about 100 cases of small-cell colorectal cancer have been reported, with 40% of them having the primary tumor originate in the rectum.
What does this mean? It means that only about 40 people have been reported to have the same type of cancer as Lori. 40!!! Therefore, there isn't any sort of specialized treatment options or research available. This was the most frustrating part of having cancer for Lori. She was ready to do whatever it took to heal and go into remission, but there were no good options for her.
How You Can Help
1. Donate to Lori's Love Tribe Fund:
http://advocacy.fightcrc.org/goto/lovetribe
By donating to Lori's Love Tribe fund, your money will be used by the Colorectal Cancer Coalition to award research grants to people doing cutting edge research on Colorectal Cancer. And hopefully, one day, a brilliant medical researcher will apply for a fund to research SMALL-CELL rectal cancer and the Love Tribe money will help.
2. Donate to the Sunshine Canyon Fire Department:
http://www.sunshine-fpd.org/donations
The Sunshine Canyon community rallied together when Lori needed them the most. The time and energy they devoted to caring for Lori will never be forgotten. They have come out of this experience as heroes to Lori's family. So, by donating to the fire station, you are helping to protect and care for the beautiful people of Sunshine Canyon just as they protected and cared for Lori.
Gratitude
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU
i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greeenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any - lifted from the no
of all nothing-human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears are awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
day: for the leaping greeenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any - lifted from the no
of all nothing-human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears are awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
The Hair Cut
8 comments:
Hey, next time you think you're going to the Med, let us know as Cassidy works there and she would love to fawn over you and your family.
Big Love, Alan & Evie
Lori,
Thanks for all of the good writing and for getting the dishes back! You ate the last fish that Pavel caught at RFL...they must have decided that "One for Lori!" was all they would give up. Call me for that housecleaning...I could use the practice! HA! Massage before or after too. Hugs. Beth
Hi Ms. Lori,
You should have been a write all along... you would have been famous by now... I miss you, will call for a date,
Nancy
I mean writeR...xoxo
Hi Lori,
I respect your courage, your sensitivity, your soul-searching, your sense of humor and your passion. I feel honored to know you.
I look forward to seeing you next week.
Fondly,
Stephanie
Hi Lori,
I respect your courage, your sensitivity, your soul-searching, your sense of humor and your passion. I feel honored to know you.
I look forward to seeing you next week.
Fondly,
Stephanie
Sorry for the duplicate. I've never done this before and I didn't understand how it works. Took me a while to get a goggle account so I could finish the process. Didn't realize it was necessary when I started. I'm slowly joining the 21st Century computer world. :)
Lori,
I just wanted you to know that I think of you daily even though we don't see each other. I am always
so amazed at your courage, tenascity, humor and love.
I love you,
Chris Peabody
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